With servants beginning to clean up over here, the banquet hall was already empty of any guests.
And when I went outside, through the entrance of the mansion, I spotted people waiting for their carriages.
Standing next to Albert was a familiar face.
“Thank you very much for today.”
Schubert bowed his head towards Albert. The bruises on his face remained, but fortunately, he managed to escape from Marquis Evnen’s clutches.
Though not much had changed from his demeanor from the last time I saw him, it was clear just how much Schubert now trusted Albert, who was the person who had saved his life.
“I didn’t do anything for you to thank.”
With a bit of an awkward expression, Albert shook his head. Being praised like this was a rarity for him.
Shortly, the carriage meant for Albert arrived. Compared to the carriages of the other nobles, his was notably shabby.
It lacked his household crest, so evidently it was not a carriage made for nobles to use.
Marquis Evnen was no longer offering any aid to Albert now that he was leaving. The marquis had already gotten what he needed.
What a thoroughly deplorable man to the very end. Inwardly cursing at the scoundrel, I quickly followed Albert into the carriage.
“Albert.”
When Albert got into the carriage, he sighed deeply as he took his seat. And when he heard me calling his name, he turned his head.
His face glowed, and his smile reached his eyes as he found me.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Albert extended his hand to me, and I held it tightly. The carriage began to move.
This day, which was a turning point in his life, was soon passing. It meant that my ordeal was also coming to an end.
The fact that I hadn’t died yet signified that Blanc had also successfully endured his ordeal.
So, the time for Albert and I to say goodbye was approaching.
Very close.
I pulled Albert into my arms and embraced him.
“You’ve done so well today.”
“…Hearing those words is enough.”
Albert murmured as he buried his face in the crook of my shoulder. His desperate tone was the same as before.
How could I leave him like this? Inwardly, I laughed at myself as I closed my eyes.
The decision to erase his memories was not only for his sake, but also because I couldn’t bear to leave him.
Erasing his memories and returning to the future.
That would be the last part of my ordeal.
* * *
As Albert’s carriage departed, the brown-haired boy watched its retreating figure for a long time.
The count’s heir who had saved his life was the same age as him, yet he shone as brilliantly as the sun.
His heart burned with a newfound passion. He wanted to live for Albert. In his eyes, Albert appeared larger than life.
Before this, he only had the minimal motivation of surviving from day to day, but he now had a goal in life.
“Al…bert. Young Count Albert.”
The boy repeatedly uttered Albert’s name.
Then, he decided. From now on, he was a new person. At least, he should have a new name similar to Albert’s.
In the first place, children who grew up in the streets didn’t have their own names. The boy himself didn’t consider having a name to be important, so he didn’t mind that he was called only randomly until now.
But the moment he saw Albert, everything changed.
During his first meeting with Albert, the boy just thought that the young noble was a strange person for having let him go, especially when the young noble knew how to wield magic. But now, Albert was like a god to the boy.
“Then, I’ll go with a name ending with -bert, just like him. Bert…”
Lost in thought for a moment, eventually, he found a name for himself.
“Schubert.”
Right, that would be his name. He named himself after his liege, who didn’t look pitiful at all even as he was kneeling before a bedraggled child from the slums.
That was enough. As the boy set a new meaning to his life, he realized anew one important matter.
“But how will I even be able to serve him…”
He thought about it, but he didn’t know any solutions to his plight.
While talking to himself, he felt the gazes of the aristocrats around him. The aversion they felt towards him was a familiar feeling.
But Schubert just shrugged. After having gone through the crisis of life and death, this was nothing.
That reminds him, there’s one more thing that was similarly important to finding a way to serve Albert.
Where should he live from now on?
‘Where should I go?’
It was through this incident that Schubert learned just how despicable Marquis Evnen truly was.
He had let Schubert go this time, but if a next time were to come, his survival was not guaranteed. Schubert needed to avoid any and all places that Marquis Evnen frequented.
Since he was a wanderer by nature, he had never really grown attached to any particular place. The question was where he should go now, however…
The back alleys also had their own hierarchy, so it wouldn’t be easy for Schubert to go to a new place and adapt again.
“Wait a moment.”
When someone called out to him, Schubert turned around to face Liam Masen, who seemed to have rushed here.
“…Young Duke?”
Even someone as uninformed as Schubert knew about The Young Duke of Masen. Schubert was confused.
After looking around their surroundings, Liam grabbed Schubert’s wrist and asked,
“…Do you plan to serve Young Count Albert?”
For a young boy who had just suddenly grabbed someone, he spoke in an infinitely serious tone. Schubert didn’t even know why Liam was asking this all of a sudden.
Trying to think of the reason, he suddenly recalled Liam and Albert’s conversation earlier. With this, Schubert realized what Liam was implying.
His acute hearing allowed him to overhear various conversations even when he had been so befuddled earlier. His senses had always been sharp.
Schubert studied Liam’s gaze. Green eyes that were as clear and verdant as the leaves of a zelkova tree were looking straight through Schubert.
There was not a single hint of dishonesty there.
Then, Schubert realized that this was the first and final chance that he’d ever get to serve Albert.
He nodded.
“Yes.”
“That answer is enough. Come with me.”
Liam offered a hand to Schubert.
That day, despite the opposition of Duke Masen himself, Liam gave Schubert a position in the Masen residence.
This was all for the sake of just one person.
Their liege, Albert.
With servants beginning to clean up over here, the banquet hall was already empty of any guests.
And when I went outside, through the entrance of the mansion, I spotted people waiting for their carriages.
Standing next to Albert was a familiar face.
“Thank you very much for today.”
Schubert bowed his head towards Albert. The bruises on his face remained, but fortunately, he managed to escape from Marquis Evnen’s clutches.
Though not much had changed from his demeanor from the last time I saw him, it was clear just how much Schubert now trusted Albert, who was the person who had saved his life.
“I didn’t do anything for you to thank.”
With a bit of an awkward expression, Albert shook his head. Being praised like this was a rarity for him.
Shortly, the carriage meant for Albert arrived. Compared to the carriages of the other nobles, his was notably shabby.
It lacked his household crest, so evidently it was not a carriage made for nobles to use.
Marquis Evnen was no longer offering any aid to Albert now that he was leaving. The marquis had already gotten what he needed.
What a thoroughly deplorable man to the very end. Inwardly cursing at the scoundrel, I quickly followed Albert into the carriage.
“Albert.”
When Albert got into the carriage, he sighed deeply as he took his seat. And when he heard me calling his name, he turned his head.
His face glowed, and his smile reached his eyes as he found me.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Albert extended his hand to me, and I held it tightly. The carriage began to move.
This day, which was a turning point in his life, was soon passing. It meant that my ordeal was also coming to an end.
The fact that I hadn’t died yet signified that Blanc had also successfully endured his ordeal.
So, the time for Albert and I to say goodbye was approaching.
Very close.
I pulled Albert into my arms and embraced him.
“You’ve done so well today.”
“…Hearing those words is enough.”
Albert murmured as he buried his face in the crook of my shoulder. His desperate tone was the same as before.
How could I leave him like this? Inwardly, I laughed at myself as I closed my eyes.
The decision to erase his memories was not only for his sake, but also because I couldn’t bear to leave him.
Erasing his memories and returning to the future.
That would be the last part of my ordeal.
* * *
As Albert’s carriage departed, the brown-haired boy watched its retreating figure for a long time.
The count’s heir who had saved his life was the same age as him, yet he shone as brilliantly as the sun.
His heart burned with a newfound passion. He wanted to live for Albert. In his eyes, Albert appeared larger than life.
Before this, he only had the minimal motivation of surviving from day to day, but he now had a goal in life.
“Al…bert. Young Count Albert.”
The boy repeatedly uttered Albert’s name.
Then, he decided. From now on, he was a new person. At least, he should have a new name similar to Albert’s.
In the first place, children who grew up in the streets didn’t have their own names. The boy himself didn’t consider having a name to be important, so he didn’t mind that he was called only randomly until now.
But the moment he saw Albert, everything changed.
During his first meeting with Albert, the boy just thought that the young noble was a strange person for having let him go, especially when the young noble knew how to wield magic. But now, Albert was like a god to the boy.
“Then, I’ll go with a name ending with -bert, just like him. Bert…”
Lost in thought for a moment, eventually, he found a name for himself.
“Schubert.”
Right, that would be his name. He named himself after his liege, who didn’t look pitiful at all even as he was kneeling before a bedraggled child from the slums.
That was enough. As the boy set a new meaning to his life, he realized anew one important matter.
“But how will I even be able to serve him…”
He thought about it, but he didn’t know any solutions to his plight.
While talking to himself, he felt the gazes of the aristocrats around him. The aversion they felt towards him was a familiar feeling.
But Schubert just shrugged. After having gone through the crisis of life and death, this was nothing.
That reminds him, there’s one more thing that was similarly important to finding a way to serve Albert.
Where should he live from now on?
‘Where should I go?’
It was through this incident that Schubert learned just how despicable Marquis Evnen truly was.
He had let Schubert go this time, but if a next time were to come, his survival was not guaranteed. Schubert needed to avoid any and all places that Marquis Evnen frequented.
Since he was a wanderer by nature, he had never really grown attached to any particular place. The question was where he should go now, however…
The back alleys also had their own hierarchy, so it wouldn’t be easy for Schubert to go to a new place and adapt again.
“Wait a moment.”
When someone called out to him, Schubert turned around to face Liam Masen, who seemed to have rushed here.
“…Young Duke?”
Even someone as uninformed as Schubert knew about The Young Duke of Masen. Schubert was confused.
After looking around their surroundings, Liam grabbed Schubert’s wrist and asked,
“…Do you plan to serve Young Count Albert?”
For a young boy who had just suddenly grabbed someone, he spoke in an infinitely serious tone. Schubert didn’t even know why Liam was asking this all of a sudden.
Trying to think of the reason, he suddenly recalled Liam and Albert’s conversation earlier. With this, Schubert realized what Liam was implying.
His acute hearing allowed him to overhear various conversations even when he had been so befuddled earlier. His senses had always been sharp.
Schubert studied Liam’s gaze. Green eyes that were as clear and verdant as the leaves of a zelkova tree were looking straight through Schubert.
There was not a single hint of dishonesty there.
Then, Schubert realized that this was the first and final chance that he’d ever get to serve Albert.
He nodded.
“Yes.”
“That answer is enough. Come with me.”
Liam offered a hand to Schubert.
That day, despite the opposition of Duke Masen himself, Liam gave Schubert a position in the Masen residence.
This was all for the sake of just one person.
Their liege, Albert.
