A New Goal
The next day.
We left the McCreed estate and set off for the Abbott region.
“That was quite an intense day…”
“No kidding.”
Strangely, the moment we climbed into the carriage, exhaustion hit me all at once. Mr. Brough and Marietta looked just as worn out, so it seemed the ball had taken quite the toll on us both mentally and physically.
Still, the one who must’ve been the most exhausted was Lord Doyle.
He’d been suddenly invited to a grand stage he’d never experienced before, served as the dance partner of Lady Alyssa—a Duke’s daughter—under the watchful eyes of a large crowd, and became the center of attention. The whole fairytale-like twist, where the girl he’d once saved turned out to be Lady Alyssa, only fueled the flames. Before long, Lord Doyle’s name had spread among nobles throughout the kingdom.
No doubt, things were going to get busier in the Abbott region.
That said, it’s not like people would flood in overnight, so I didn’t think it would be an overwhelming, sudden rush of work. And if it ever did come to that, I was sure Elina, Marietta, Mr. Brough, the rest of the staff, and the townspeople would all step up to help.
As I was thinking about the aftermath of the ball, Curtis Village came into view.
The trip there had felt long, but strangely, the return felt unnaturally fast. The actual time it took was the same—it was just a matter of perception, I suppose.
“Welcome back, Lord Doyle.”
“I’m back, Ganun. How’s the village?”
“Peaceful as ever. No changes.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Despite having worn his nerves thin at an unfamiliar ball and being drained from the long trip, Lord Doyle still made a point to stop and report his return to the people of Curtis Village. For someone so young to go that far—it really was impressive. A testament to the teachings of his late father, the former lord.
After the meet-and-greet with the villagers, we headed straight to the manor.
Elina and I escorted him there and then returned to the village.
“I do love the glamorous atmosphere of castles and all, but home really is the best!”
“Haha, I get the feeling… but technically, this isn’t our home, is it?”
“Come on, Senior. What I need right now isn’t logic—it’s empathy. You’re supposed to say, ‘I think so too. This place is our home, yours and mine,’ and whisper it right into my ear, y’know?”
Whether there was any point in whispering it or not, I was honestly grateful that Elina saw this station as her home.
She might not be a noble, but she still came from a fairly wealthy family. I’d worried that life in this cramped little outpost might be wearing on her.
“Senior? Something wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing. More importantly, shall we head inside—into our home?”
“...! Y-Yes!”
She’s full of energy.
Is this what youth is like?
—Not that I’m much older than her, so I should really stop sounding like an old man and get it together.
What do you think about this chapter?
