My Childhood Friend is Like a Stone - Chapter 14

Episode 14. Chapter 3. Change (3) 

Children grow up fighting. The old phrase has been applied to both the future Duke and the Young Lady of the great noble family. Adrienne and Cyril had a truly horrible fight.

It wasn’t just limited to childhood. They got into a fight today about the shooting score. With the situation for them turning 14 a month later, it was a childish fight, but it was serious for both of them. Cyril, who had entered through the door, was annoyed and pulled off his coat. The boy’s fine forehead is wrinkled.

‘I said no because I didn’t see it. What do you want me to do?’

Unlike the old days when he always lost, Cyril gradually began to move ahead of Adrienne. Adrienne hated it, but it was unavoidable. If Adrienne was Cassinel’s blood, Cyril was Thesar’s blood. The first Duke of Thesar was a slave at beginning, but he rose to the position of Duke after becoming a war hero.

The first Dukes of Thesar was an immigrant. Immigrants from slaves were given the title of Duke in the days when the Persian Empire was a Persian Kingdom, when immigrants were significantly more excluded than they are now, therefore the merit was understandable.

Even if it does not go back to that time, the current Duke of Thesar was the one who rose to the status of military commander. Only the most outstanding generals are given this honorary title and that blood was filling Cyril’s veins. His sword handling skills improved day by day and his gun worked flawlessly from the start. Adrienne, of course, was great in terms of talent. But physical conditions were a separate matter. Cyril’s eyes, which had been the same height until last year, have now broadened significantly, allowing him to look down at Adrienne easily.

She is no match for his swordsmanship at some point, and all she has left is shooting, although Cyril has been ahead recently. Even though he pretended not to, he seemed to be worried, so Cyril only lost on purpose once.

And he saw hell that day.

It was the first time Adrienne had been so angry. For the first time, Cyril realized that her white face and red hair may be the same color. ‘She couldn’t believe it because I was in such bad conditions.’ A single mistake created a huge stir. Adrienne began to have doubts about Cyril after that day.

If Cyril made a mistake, her round eyes straightened immediately. Despite the fact that Cyril has never done the same thing since.

‘Cause you’re so proud of yourself.’

Cyril used to be obsessed by the ambition to beat Adrienne. He wasn’t sure if they looked alike because they were friends or because they were friends because they looked alike at this point. Cyril, who had been grumbling, shifted his attention to the desk. There was a letter from the butler that he hadn’t been able to see while at the shooting range. His father, the Duke of Thesar, was the sender.

‘It’s time for me to return.’

Because a new season is approaching, it was time to start looking for it. It’s something that happens every year, so it’s not new. Another year has passed, Cyril thought to himself, and with a knife he removed the wax seal.

“……”

However, Cyril, who was reading the letter, furrowed his brows unintentionally. Cyril’s expression became more intense as each line of paragraphs grew longer. The letter was very clear in what it was saying. In a short, it went like this,

‘Come back to your seat.’

It was a letter ordering the return to Thesar.

*******

Cyril didn’t think he’s going to stay in Cassinel forever, either. Because the reason for being brought to Cassinel in the first place was to recover, it was natural to return to the original land once he was healthy. No one believed Thesar’s successor would actually become a knight even if he had volunteered to be an apprentice knight.

It was a time when knights were frequently ignored. The capital was overflowing with pleasure and luxury as all power was focused in the center. Many nobles were willing to jump into the whirlpool and many people would rather have the fun of bringing up dusty power with the Emperor than the grand but responsible role of being the owner of the territory.

A growing number of aristocracy were willing to give up their old castles and lands to the emperor in exchange for a suitable position in the Imperial Palace. As a result, it was only natural for the knights who had been guarding the territory in the family’s name to vanish. Except for the Knights of the Imperial Palace, all of the Knights were considered old.

Except under exceptional circumstances, a noble family’s second son, who could no longer inherit the title, could not dare to pursue a career as a knight. They can’t tell if it’s a lie or a matter of honor. Who’d have guessed that the Duke of Thesar’s successor would stay under Count Cassinel forever?

Cyril didn’t think so either.

‘I certainly didn’t think so—’

There was a significant difference between faintly considering leaving one day and having the opportunity right in front of one’s eyes.

Apprentice knights are those who learned martial arts by entrusting themselves to other families for a period of almost ten years, thus Cyril expected to be in Cassinel for at least that long. He came to Cassinel when he was six years old, and he will shortly be fourteen, so he has around two to three years left.

He thought so this time.

However, today’s letter failed to meet expectations and instead tried to move the future forward.

“Cyril.”

“……”

“Cyril—”

“……”

That fact confused Cyril much. Cyril was confused in his thoughts, unsure of how to handle his unexpected situation. That’s why he didn’t hear Adrienne shouting his name.

Drrk.

Adrienne raised her voice when the sound of scratching the empty spot on the plate was repeated multiple times instead of the quietly set out roast turkey.

“Hey!”

“Adrianna.”

Only Cyril was aware of what he was doing. Adrienne’s attitude was lightly criticized by Count Cassinel, but Adrienne was better educated than Cyril, who was cutting the plates carelessly.

“Adrianna seems to be very comfortable with Young Master. I’m going to warn her, so please forgive her this time.”

“—No. I’m sorry for showing the bad side of me.”

By resuming his meal, the Count replaced the answer. Cyril also straightened his knife and began cutting meat rather than plates. Cyril pretended he didn’t notice the burning glare on his face. Adrienne was staring openly at Cyril at this point, and Reid was grumbling. However, he didn’t have the energy to deal with the siblings at this time.

Finally, until the end of the meal, the Cassinel’s sister and brother never looked Cyril in the eyes.

******

Come to think of it, it was a simple task. He visited Cassinel for the purpose, and now that he’s achieved it, he’s returning. He didn’t have to think about it; all he had to do was respond naturally, “I understand.”

“Has something happened, Cyril?”

“Adrienne, aren’t you being a little too direct?”

“So, what do you ask of the plate maker? Would you like to ask a question, Reid?”

“No, because you already asked—”

He couldn’t accomplish it because of the twins who stood in front of him. Without realizing it, Cyril had caught the gaze that tilted to the left.

“There’s nothing going on.”

“How dare you tell a lie with such confidence?”

“—Why are you asking if you’re not going to trust me?”

“You are the one who has done this. Why are you lying to me when you know I’m not fooled?”

Two were convinced that Cyril had lied. It was clear that he didn’t think he was wrong in the slightest. He didn’t like the boldness of knowing him well, but Adrienne was right. Because Cyril was lying.

“You don’t have to worry. I just don’t feel well.”

“What? You’ve been fine lately. Is it because it’s getting a little cold? Let’s not call Jerome first. Reid, call Emma.”

“Okay, wait a moment.”

“Reid, enough. Leave it alone.”

The brother and sister made a fuss in pairs. They were quick to see lies and thought he was sick.

Come to think of it, it’s always been like that.

Adrienne, who continued coming to him, would have thrown him out on the pretext that he was sick, but when he was young, he could have easily walked away. Adrienne, this brother and sister, Cassinel, who raised him, were all nice people.

That could be why he couldn’t come up with a proper answer.

“There’s no need for you to be concerned.”

“All you need is a little rest.”

“That’s right. Soon, you’ll be in Thesar.”

“—What?”

How did they find out about it?

When Adrienne asked about the surprise of Cyril, she laughed again.

“What makes you so surprised? Every year has been the same. What is Samuel’s age? If I show him my portrait, will he remember me?”

The answer was so delicate that it overshadowed the brief tension. Cyril swept his hand across his chest. If he had received a letter, Count Cassinel would have heard the same news, so he was wondering.

“Why do you show Samuel your portrait?”

“To let your brother know you have such a beautiful friend?”

“Are you thinking about throwing Samuel’s eyes? I think it’s enough for me to suffer.”

“Are you truly becoming blind, Cyril?”

Adrienne, who was seated in the left chair, patted the back of her neck and tried to stand. “Violence is not right—!” shouted Reid, who was standing next to her and stopped her.

“I’d like to meet Samuel at least once. It’s like if we’re four siblings.”

“—Four siblings?”

“Me and Reid, you and Samuel. There are four of us.”

Is Samuel going to be a little active? That would be more fun.

Adrienne added in a laughing voice.

‘Siblings—’

Cyrill wasn’t very happy with the sound of the word.

No, it was more unpleasant than he thought. It felt like he had been hit in the back of the head.