Chapter 38

Not much changed at Eristirol Castle after the head of the family returned.

The head of the family was added to Kyle and Adela’s meal times, and Kyle and the head of the family’s heir succession lessons…? That sort of thing was added.

It seems the reason the head of the family returned was to conduct Kyle’s coming-of-age ceremony and heir succession ceremony together.

Since Kyle will become an adult next year, even a head of the family who enjoys being outside had to return.

Because there’s currently no elder in the family to take responsibility for the coming-of-age ceremony besides the head of the family.

“Young Master, are the heir succession lessons going well?”

I don’t really know what kind of lessons they are.

Since it’s just the two of them.

I don’t know anything except that they suddenly go outside together and do something.

“Sigh…. The heir succession lessons….”

“Yes.”

Kyle makes a complicated expression.

What on earth do they do in those heir succession lessons…?

“You said you were an adventurer, Sofia?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I can’t refute that I’m now a has-been among has-beens.

At least I was once an adventurer.

And a Gold-rank at that!

Though now I’ve become someone who even loses at arm wrestling to Kyle….

Anyway, that’s what I was.

“Eristirol’s coming-of-age ceremony is to endure for two weeks in the snow field.”

“Is that so…?”

This is the first I’ve heard of it.

Enduring for two weeks in a snow field…

That’s certainly something only northerners would do.

It’s not just beasts that appear in snow fields.

Some monsters appear too, and the environment is harsh.

Two weeks in such a place…

“I’m receiving lessons from my father for that… it’s really tough….”

“……”

He’s right.

It’s disgustingly tough.

It’s not that being an adventurer is tough, but from the outset, hunting beasts or monsters outside is disgustingly difficult.

Additionally, to endure alone for two weeks, he would certainly need to set up at least a tent.

If he’s not given any supplies, he would have to gather materials from the surroundings to make them.

It really is disgustingly tough.

Kyle has lived comfortably in the castle for 18 years.

Can he endure outside for two weeks?

Unable to wash properly, unable to eat properly…

“Gasp….”

What if Kyle gets hurt or something?

Isn’t it dangerous to stay outside alone?

Should I go to the head of the family and say something about preparing for any contingency…?

“Anyway, I’m doing some sparring with father, hunting weak monsters, and learning about survival.”

“I… see.”

I am concerned.

Although it’s still a year away, I couldn’t help but worry.

I’m worried about whether the noble young master can handle it well.

Looking just at his body, perhaps we should be more worried about the beasts and monsters living in the snow field.

Kyle’s heir succession lessons continued afterward.

“Hmm….”

Because of this, the time I spent with Kyle was gradually decreasing.

That’s probably why I felt that my tasks were reducing.

“……”

Louise is having lessons with Adela, and Elin is originally a knight order member.

Unlike me, they have a lot to do.

Unlike me.

“I’m bored….”

I was sitting alone in my room.

Usually, I would always follow Kyle around or have lessons with him.

That seems to have been the case from when he was 12 until he was 15.

Then, as he started lessons with Elin and lessons with Louise, the time gradually decreased.

Kyle felt uncomfortable having me by his side every time he took a lesson.

Maybe that’s why he kept looking at me.

Otherwise, there’s no reason to keep looking at me during lessons.

“Sigh….”

Anyway, the time I spent with Kyle was gradually decreasing.

Is it time for me to look for other work?

In fact, my duties as a tutor have come to an end.

Kyle has made his debut in society, and he has already learned etiquette and such things very well.

He will also be an adult next year.

Families rarely use a tutor until adulthood.

It’s only because Eristirol’s head of the family was absent for several years that I’ve been employed this long.

In another family, I would have already been dismissed by now.

Fortunate in many ways, I suppose.

“Hmm….”

After Kyle’s coming-of-age ceremony, it might be good to work in Catherine’s domain as she suggested.

Having lived in Eristirol for several years, I missed the normal four seasons.

I should also visit my parents after a long time.

To be honest, there are extremely many people who could do a better job than me as a personal servant.

Although I graduated from boarding school, there’s a difference compared to the real ones.

I’m completely different from people who have been trained as butlers or maids from birth.

They truly think about every single action for their employers.

I’m not of that caliber.

“Whatever, whatever!”

Anyway, whatever happens will be decided after Kyle’s coming-of-age ceremony.

No matter how much I worry now, I don’t know how things will turn out.

Neither I, my parents, Kyle, nor the head of the family knows.

That’s the future.

“It’s about time for Kyle to return.”

The Eristirol father and son always returned before sunset.

The sun outside was gradually going to bed.

I prepared my blazer again to go welcome Kyle.

While it couldn’t completely withstand the cold, it was still part of the formal attire.

I had to wear it.

“Sigh…. Father, can’t you go a bit easier on me?”

“Showing such weakness would not be good.”

“Sigh….”

About 5 minutes after I waited for Kyle at the castle gate, Kyle and the head of the family were coming in, talking to each other.

They were both wearing very ordinary clothes.

They must have been in the snow field for several hours, yet it’s surprising that such attire was fine.

Kyle had his usual sword at his waist and an axe on his back.

Unlike Kyle, the head of the family carried two axes.

“……”

It was inevitable that people would call him a Viking.

Long beard, long hair, muscular, bare upper body, carrying axes?

If someone like that had appeared at an event in my past life, someone would have loudly called him a Viking.

“Young Master, please hand over your clothes and luggage.”

The clothes and luggage were stained with things like animal blood.

There was also a lot of dirt and snow on them.

But that wasn’t something to worry about much.

It wasn’t something Kyle should continue to carry, but something I should take.

“Yes.”

Although my strength had weakened compared to before, it wasn’t a problem at all to carry such luggage.

They hadn’t brought any hunting game with them, after all.

“Kyle, I told you before, right?”

“Father, I absolutely won’t use that method.”

“Hmph…. You’ll end up doing it anyway because you won’t be able to hold back.”

“…Sigh….”

I don’t know what they’re talking about, but it’s probably related to the heir succession lessons.

Perhaps the head of the family suggested some strange method?

For example, something like drinking urine in a situation without water?

Oh, come to think of it, this is the north.

He could just eat snow.

“Kyle. Time isn’t that long. When you’re close, you should…”

“Yes, yes.”

Kyle responds perfunctorily to the head of the family’s words.

It was a feeling I couldn’t usually see.

Well… it’s inevitable since real family is different from me.

I just have a slight family feeling, while the head of the family is actually family.

“Sofia.”

“Yes.”

Kyle called me.

The head of the family was already walking alone in a different direction.

Is he going to bathe first?

“Do you have a lot of free time these days?”

“Yes.”

Time is what I have in abundance these days.

I probably haven’t had this much time since my early teens.

“Then can I borrow some of your time tomorrow?”

“My time…?”

“Yes.”

This was the first time Kyle tried to make such an appointment with me.

There’s no problem at all.

“That’s fine.”

I have nothing but time.

There was no reason to refuse spending time with Kyle.

“Then shall we go outside together tomorrow morning?”

“Yes.”

Is he planning to go for a village tour or something?

Village tour…

I’ve hardly been there since I went once with Catherine before.

I didn’t want to go out because it was cold outside…

“…”

I should dress warmly tomorrow.

It doesn’t seem right to be shivering from the cold when going out to play with Kyle.

“…So you’re coming to me for this now?”

“Yes.”

Come to think of it, I don’t have many of those kinds of clothes.

I have even fewer pretty ones.

So I came to Louise’s room.

“Lend me clothes.”

“….Hey.”

“Hmm?”

“Setting aside the fact that I have clothes, and honestly I don’t mind lending you clothes.”

“Yes.”

“But you’ve forgotten the most important thing.”

The most important thing?

I’m not sure what’s most important right now.

I couldn’t predict at all what Louise meant by “the most important thing.”

“Our clothes sizes don’t match.”

“Huh? Our height and weight are similar, aren’t they?”

“You crazy woman…”

“?”

No, our heights are both in the 160s without much difference, and our weights don’t differ much either, so what’s the problem?

I don’t understand what size Louise is talking about.

Really, what is it?

“You crazy woman! Are your boobs and my boobs the same?!”

“Ah.”

So that’s what it was.

There was definitely a difference in breast size between Louise and me.

That’s what she’s been talking about.

But if that’s the case, you could just say breast size instead of clothes size.

Why speak so ambiguously and call it clothes size?

“Sigh…. Are your big breasts and my normal size the same?”

“That’s… not true. Sorry.”

Louise’s size is a normal size.

Of course, it would be considered large by the standards of my past life, but in this life, it was on the average side.

But my size…

Whether in my past life or current life, it was ultimately a large size.

“Sigh….”

I really didn’t like that it wouldn’t even let me wear clothes freely.

They were only uncomfortable when large and had no advantages.

If there is any advantage….

Um… I can put a cup on my breasts and conveniently drink water with a straw?