[A Few Days Later]
In the back garden of the 3rd Lord's mansion, a maid was watching something intently. Another maid approached her, curiosity piqued.
"What are you doing here?"
The first maid pointed toward the garden. The second maid followed her gaze and saw Ashan helping Elowyn ride Noah, the young master's infamous black horse.
"Wow, I never thought that black horse would allow anyone else to ride it besides the young master," she said, astonished.
"Me neither," the first maid agreed. "That silver-haired lady is mysterious. Who is she, really?"
"I have no idea," the second maid replied. "When the 3rd Lord introduced her as his friend's daughter, I couldn't believe it. I didn't think someone so beautiful could exist."
"Hey, don't you think the young master and the lady look good together?"
The older maid immediately grabbed the younger one's ear.
"Ow! Ow! Why? Did I say something wrong?"
"Of course, you did! They do look good together, but do you want to start spreading rumors? Come with me—I've got plenty of work for you."
…
Early Morning, Ashan and Elowyn were outside with Noah. Elowyn sat atop the horse while Ashan walked beside them, holding the reins.
Noah nudged Ashan's shoulder repeatedly, making disgruntled noises.
"Hah, what a lazy bum," Ashan teased. "What's the big deal about giving her a ride? She likes you so much. I only asked you once, too. Why don't you get along with her like you did with Mother?"
Elowyn, intrigued, called out, "Ashan, can you understand what he's saying?"
"Yes," Ashan replied casually. "I can understand animals, just like how I talked to you that night. But Noah can also understand me."
"You mean the language?" Elowyn asked, tilting her head. "I thought only demi-humans like us could learn and understand human languages."
"Noah is special," Ashan explained. "He learned our language quickly, so he understands everything we say. But keep this a secret. My parents don't know."
"Really? Why don't you tell them?"
Ashan gave her a knowing smile.
"Sometimes, keeping secrets brings harmony."
"Then why did you tell me?"
"Because you understand," Ashan said. "You've experienced it yourself. Telling you won't hurt. But it's not the same for others."
"I understand," Elowyn said with a nod.
"By the way, your father mentioned he had something important to tell us after the horse ride."
"Hmm..." Ashan closed his eyes, thinking.
"I don't know what it is, but I think we're going somewhere. We'll find out soon enough."
Noah nudged Ashan again.
"Alright, alright. Elowyn, shall we stop now?"
Elowyn nodded, and they released Noah before heading back to the mansion.
As they walked, Elowyn grabbed Ashan's finger.
"Ashan," she said softly, "can you teach me how to play that thing?"
Ashan looked at her, confused. "Are you talking about the guitar?"
Elowyn nodded eagerly.
"Yes! I love the sounds it makes. They're so strange but beautiful. My heart feels like it's itching when I hear them."
Ashan smiled.
"Sure, why not? But I'm still learning, so once I figure things out, I'll teach you. I promise."
"Thank you," Elowyn said, her face lighting up.
…
Leone was sitting in his office, reviewing papers with unwavering focus. Despite being a devoted father, he was a man of duty, leaving no space for distractions.
At the sound of a knock, Leone looked up. Ashan and Elowyn stood at the door. Leone removed his glasses and gestured for them to come in.
"Come here. I've been waiting for you. Sit down," he said, motioning toward the sofa.
Once they sat, Elowyn spoke up hesitantly.
"Third Lord, you mentioned earlier that you wanted to tell us something."
Leone chuckled.
"What's with the formality? Call me something more casual—I'd prefer if you called me 'Uncle.'"
Elowyn blushed.
"O-Okay... Uncle."
Leone smiled warmly.
"Good. Now, I called you here to tell you we're all attending a party next week at the 1st Lord's residence."
"Uncle, who is the 1st Lord?" Elowyn asked.
"As I've mentioned before, our kingdom has six lords, including me. We're ranked, and the 1st Lord represents the entire kingdom. We're going to his place for a celebration."
"Ah, I see," Ashan said with a sigh. "It's been years since I last saw him. Because you're all so busy, I've only met him and the other lords once."
Leone nodded, smiling.
"Being a leader means prioritizing duty over personal matters. Gatherings like this are rare, which is why this party is important."
"What's the occasion?" Ashan asked.
Leone's face lit up.
"Do you remember the 1st Lord's son, Nathaniel? He's highly skilled with the sword. The 1st Lord recently found a renowned teacher for him—someone known as the Sky Slayer from Dragoria. He has accepted Nathaniel as his disciple."
"Oh, I see now. The 1st Lord must be thrilled," Ashan said.
Leone nodded.
"Of course. I felt the same joy when Archmage Solomon promised to take you as his disciple. By the way, the 1st Lord doesn't know about this yet, so I plan to surprise him."
Ashan chuckled.
"Will he get mad that you didn't inform him earlier?"
Leone shook his head.
"No, I don't think so. You haven't officially become Sir Solomon's disciple yet, so I didn't tell him. He'll understand."
Elowyn looked between the two, clearly confused. Leone and Ashan both laughed.
"I see," Leone said, amused. "You're still catching up, aren't you?"
To be continued…