Quite some time has passed since that day.
Alain was feeling a bit anxious.
No matter how much he waited after that day, there was no sign of Seria coming.
No matter how much Alain strategized about taking down his opponent instantly, there was nothing he could do until she showed up.
He could only calm his anxious heart and wait.
Time passed once more.
It had been about a week since Alain arrived at the logging camp.
One day, As he was about to head to his lodging after finishing work, a pebble rolled at his feet.
"..."
It didn't seem to have come naturally. Alain casually looked in the direction from which the pebble came.
And there,
"...!"
A pale hand signalled to him from between the piles of scrap wood.
'Is this a ghost or something?'
He didn't remember any such ghost stories circulating in the camp.
Thinking such, Alain chuckled.
To be honest, it was clear who the hand belonged to.
The red hair fluttering near the waving hand was a giveaway.
Alain casually looked around.
After confirming that no one was watching him, he carefully slipped away from the crowd and headed toward the scrap wood pile.
There he found, Seria smiling at him.
"Hehe..."
Seeing that, Alain felt like bursting into laughter.
Looking at her, Alain asked incredulously,
"...What are you wearing?"
"Well, you see... disguise?"
Disguise... Alain looked at her with disbelief.
Still, she kept the smile on her face, gazing at him. Her appearance was like a painting. However, there was an issue with what she was wearing.
It was clear that what covered her body was ragged cloth, something like dirty fabric found in a dump.
No matter how he thought about it, it was not the attire of a knight.
Alain sighed involuntarily.
"Why must Lady Seria disguise herself? This isn't foreign territory or a battlefield."
"Well... that is..."
At Alain's question, Seria scratched her cheek with a troubled expression and said,
"... It couldn't be helped. If Lady Karen finds out, I'll be in big trouble."
"Lady Karen?"
"Didn't you meet her last time? She was...."
"...Ah."
Alain nodded lightly.
He remembered.
The blonde woman who came to take Seria. She seemed to be Seria's superior or something.
Seeing Alain's response, Seria sighed lightly and said,
"Lady Karen is a bit much... Sure, I might be at fault, but she's too strict. Even so, she doesn't have to be so rigid about everything."
"..."
"Anyway, I made an effort to come here. Be thankful!"
Exclaiming that, Seria laughed heartily.
Alain quietly watched her and asked,
"So, what brings you here?"
"Well, you see..."
Seria hesitated with a groan at Alain's question, showing a thoughtful expression.
And Alain inwardly calmed his anxious feelings as he watched her.
Their first meeting was as saviour and the one saved.
The next meeting was a check-in.
But what next? Why did she say, "See you again."
Alain swallowed dryly.
He had no clue why.
Was she planning to ask for something absurd?
He had considered that possibility during the past week.
That's why he was both anxious and hesitant about meeting Seria again.
And as Seria faced Alain, she opened her lips like a blooming flower and said,
"To be honest..."
"I'm just bored?"
"...Huh?" Blinking, Alain looked at Seria incredulously.
Seria scratched her head with an embarrassed smile.
"Well, what should I say... You know? Everyone here is older than me."
"..."
Indeed, everyone living in this logging camp was older than Alain and Seria. Not only the workers but also the soldiers, officers, and knights from the kingdom alliance were all older than her.
"So, I thought it would be nice to have someone I could talk to..."
Saying that Seria looked up at Alain.
"..."
Alain involuntarily stepped back, startled by her gaze, which sparkled like jewels or something precious.
"...Can't I?"
With a tilt of her head, Seria asked, and Alain let out a low groan without realizing it.
No matter how he looked at it, this wasn't the atmosphere to refuse.
With a sigh, Alain replied.
"All right... No, it's okay."
"Yay!"
Seria nodded enthusiastically, seeming very satisfied with his answer.
"Alright, see you tomorrow! I'll come around this time again."
With that, she quickly ran off somewhere.
Alain watched her back with a blank expression.
*
'I did it. I did it. I did it!'
Seria's steps toward the square were so light.
With a satisfied smile on her face, she began to hum.
She thought.
'What should I talk about tomorrow, when would be good to meet.'
Her heart fluttered as she thought about the days ahead.
The first friend she made here. And the first man she talked to properly, excluding her father.
For such a special reason, the girl couldn't suppress her fluttering heart.
Her mind was filled with imagination of what to do next.
She didn't have much time left, but she was sure she'd make many good memories.
That's what she thought.
It was a thought befitting an innocent girl.
A story befitting someone who had lived with her father alone and hadn't been out in the world for long.
But because of that, Seria didn't notice.
She didn't notice the peculiar light in Alain's eyes as he occasionally looked at her.
Nor did she notice him scanning her from top to bottom as if exploring her.
Not noticing that was arguably her greatest misfortune.
-----------------------------------------
Author's Note:
Dear Readers,
Thank you for joining me on this journey! I'd love to hear your thoughts and reviews on my work. Your feedback is essential for me to improve and grow as a writer.
While much of the novel is already written, it requires significant rewrites and corrections. Your reviews would greatly motivate me to continue sharing my story.
But unfortunately, If I don't receive much feedback, I may need to reconsider posting further.
So please leave a small review or feedback.
I look forward to hearing from you!
ThankYou!