Chapter – 06
At the Border
âââOh no, I overslept.
Looking out the window, the sun was already quite high.
Yesterday, I was given delicious food, a nice bath, and a fluffy bed, and I rested in sheer happiness.
Without doing any work, who do I think I am~!
I quickly changed and left the room. And thenââ
“Who are you, miss?”
There was a boy, about five years old. Chestnut hair and golden eyes. Was the Margrave married?
“Hello. My name is Lucia. May I ask your name?”
“I’m Wafa.”
“Rafa? Hmm, Rafael, perhaps?”
“Yes! Um, Wuu-chan, wanna play? What do you wanna do? Take a walk?”
“Oh my! You want to play with me? I’m so happy. But I haven’t greeted the Margrave yet.”
“Kakka? Wiii?”
Wii? Who? Oh no, I don’t know the Margrave’s name.
“Someone with jet-black hair and eyes the same gold as Rafa’s. A large man. Does that fit?”
“That’s Wii! This way, this way!”
Oh, so they call him by a nickname, which means they’re not father and son. Good. It would have been terrible if I had stayed without greeting his wife.
“Rafa, you’ll fall if you run!”
As I walked along, guided by the energetic Rafa, the Margrave himself came from the front.
“Wii, Wuu-chan says good morning!”
“Rafa, have you already become friends with Lady Lucia?”
“Yeah! Friends!”
Kuh~! So cute! I endured the urge to squeal and greeted him.
“Good morning, Your Excellency. I apologize for sleeping so late.”
“No, you must have been tired from your long journey. Take it easy today. Are you feeling up to eating?”
“Thank you. However, I feel bad for being taken care of without doing anything. If it’s alright, I can start working from today.”
Thanks to sleeping soundly, I’ve recovered quite a bit. I should be able to handle normal duties.
“Lady Lucia is quite diligent. But, look.”
“Huh?”
Following his gaze, I saw Rafa looking dejected.
“Wuu-chan, is working?”
He asked with tear-filled eyes. This is! Definitely something I can’t refuse!
“Sorry, if possible, I’d like you to play with Rafa today. Rafael is my brother’s child. There are no other children here.”
Wait, I’m an adult, you know?
“Rafa, Lady Lucia hasn’t eaten yet. While she’s eating, could you take Rico for a walk?”
“Okay!”
“Raoul, take care of Rafa from here.”
“Understood. Come along, young master.”
“Wuu-chan, I’ll be waiting. Come outside later!”
How adorable. By the way, who’s Rico?
“Rico is a dog’s name. You’re not afraid of dogs, are you? Well, he’s still a puppy.”
“I’m fine. Actually, I like them.”
What a wonderful workplace. A cute child and even a cute dog! I never thought I’d see the day I’d thank Cahaar.
“Since it’s hard to talk with Rafa around, would you mind listening while you eat?
First, Lady Luciaââah, forgive me. I took the liberty of calling you by your first name. Rafa called you ‘Wuu-chan,’ so it just slipped out.”
Wuu-chan coming from the Margrave’s mouth! It feels kind of embarrassing.
“No, please feel free to use my first name. At the healing center in Ultado, everyone was casual like that.”
“Is that so? Then feel free to call me Ricardo or even Rii, whichever you prefer.”
“Then I’ll call you Lord Ricardo.”
The Margrave is more approachable than I thought.
“Yes. Now, Lucia. From tomorrow, I’d like you to work at the medical office of the guard. Since there is no women’s dormitory, you can continue using your current room. However, the number of patients isn’t that large right now. So, if you have free time, it would be a great help if you could keep Rafa company. What do you think?”
“I don’t mind. But, are you sure I’m suitable?”
“Rafa, as I mentioned earlier, is my brother’s child. My brother and his wife passed away from an epidemic a year ago. I currently hold the title of Margrave, but it’s only interim. The plan is to return the title to that boy when he comes of age.
However, there are many fools out there. There are those who try to take advantage of that child. That’s why I’m limiting interactions to only those I can trust, which has led to a bit of a manpower shortage.
And with the Glasses issue on top of that, it’s quite a nuisance.”
Even though he’s so young, he’s lost his parents.
“Are you sure you can trust me?”
“A spy who punches a Guild official is unlikely, I’d say. It seems he was on the verge of being permanently incapacitated as a man. Your precise control of strength is admirable.”
Oh no, I’ve been found out.
“By any chance, was that via message bird?”
“Yes, I’ve already received word that you arrived safely, so rest assured. If any messages come for you, I’ll pass them along.”
“Thank you!”
That must be because they saw me entrust a letter to the coachman yesterday. I’m grateful for such consideration, though it’s a little embarrassing.
“If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask the name of the person on the other end?”
“Ah, yes. Cecilio Cruz. He’s Her Highness the Princess’s personal guard knight. I couldn’t tell him I was coming here.”
“A lover? But why couldn’t you tell him?”
“I wonder why. It seemed like they wanted to get rid of me. Is a woman who works really viewed with such displeasure?”
Yes. It’s a mystery. They seemed eager to get rid of me, yet it was apparently fine if I gave up working and became his companion? It makes no sense at all.
“Well, there certainly aren’t any female medical mages, but…
I’ll let you know right away if anything else comes up.”
“Thank you.”
I’m really glad to have such a good superior.
Is Cecilio doing well too? It looks like I’ll manage somehow.
But still, I’m lonely. I miss him.
