Abel opened the door to his house.
He felt someone’s presence inside.
It was his childhood friend, Shale.
When she turned around, her eyes like clear emeralds met Abel’s.
Her expression froze for an instant, then broke into a bright smile.
She ran up to him and threw her arms around him.
“Abel!”
“You’ve grown, Shale.”
“You’ve changed way more! You look like an adult already. You’ve grown way too fast!”
Shale was about half a head shorter than Abel.
He patted her on the head.
Her hair was a pale shade of blonde, soft and silky under his hand.
Her body, pressed against him, was warm.
She was still soft and girlish, but there was already a trace of maturity beginning to show.
“Shale. This is the knight I serve, Lady Ise Ark.”
Only then did Shale seem to notice her.
“Um, I’m Shale Mill. Abel’s childhood friend. He even saved my life once.”
“I see. I’ll be counting on you.”
“Ah—wait, um…”
“Shale, Lake Ise may look like a non-human, but she’s a noble knight of Highwand, more than worthy of respect.”
“O-Oh. I’m sorry. It’s just… I’ve never actually met a non-human before.”
Ise replied evenly.
“Think nothing of it.”
Shale had been in the middle of preparing lunch.
She first seated Ise at the table, then went back to help with the cooking.
“Abel, you should rest. Let me handle it.”
Shale looked flustered.
“I’m a squire, remember? It’s my duty to serve Lade Ise. Let me.”
Abel quickly got to work, preparing tea and simple dishes.
The kitchen was well-stocked. Walter was respected not only in Tenana but also in nearby villages, so people often brought plenty of provisions.
There was poultry, vegetables, herbs, eggs, oil, vinegar, and wine. Everything they could need.
Using fire magic to speed things along, Abel threw himself into cooking.
Cooking was all about preparation.
Even more than knife skills, it was the groundwork that determined the flavor.
Fresh ingredients were, of course, best. But with no real refrigeration, only nobles or wealthy merchants could afford to keep food cool with conjured ice.
So what mattered most was how well you could work with whatever ingredients were at hand to bring out their best flavor.
The chicken was lightly marinated in a mixture of vinegar, salt, wine, and garlic, then dusted with flour.
Next, it was fried in oil until perfectly golden.
There were stir-fried vegetables and an herb-filled omelet.
Shale baked the dough she had kneaded in the oven, producing thin bread like naan.
The savory aroma stirred their appetites.
Just as everything was ready, Walter and the others came in for their midday break.
The dishes were set out on the table.
For Ise, Abel brought out the finest silver cup in the house and poured her wine.
Walter and the others refrained. There were patients waiting in the afternoon.
Walter sat across from Ise.
Beside them was Ayla holding little Sara in her arms.
Then Shale, Dorothea, and finally Abel.
Family, friends, and guests all gathered together.
Abel thought to himself, So this is what a family and friends’ quiet little feast feels like.
Not once in his previous life had he ever known such a moment.
Family and friends had been all but nonexistent.
After a simple greeting, they raised a toast and began their meal.
Abel rose to his feet and addressed everyone.
“Father, I count myself lucky to have met such a remarkable master as Lady Ise. That is no exaggeration. As you once told me, I don’t discriminate against non-humans or mixed blood. No…in truth, I feel no inclination to discriminate at all. Lady Ise is far greater than most humans I know.”
He went on, his words spilling out.
“In swordsmanship, I believe Lady Ise could well be the finest in the entire knight order. Her style is so unique and overwhelming that I can’t begin to imitate it. She trains me constantly in combat, but even more impressive than her skill is her spirit. Noble, calm, never demeaning others. With a heart as pure as clear water.”
The days he had spent with Ise.
They were something extraordinary.
Through winters that chilled him to the bone, autumns heavy with fallen leaves, summers filled with constellations, and springs bursting with blossoms…they had always gone everywhere together.
By now, being apart felt stranger than being side by side.
All the feelings he had held within, once spoken aloud, became this flood of words.
Everyone, except Ise, was left staring in stunned silence.
Watching her son speak as if possessed, Ayla’s face began to stiffen.
She was starting to worry that, in truth, Abel’s mind might have gone a little astray.
Just as Abel, still unsatisfied, tried to add more words, Walter stepped in to stop him.
“Ah, that’s enough for now. The food will grow cold otherwise. Come, let’s eat.”
Everyone tasted the dishes Abel had prepared.
Their faces brightened all at once.
“It’s delicious! This is really delicious!”
Sharle’s words were no exaggeration.
Ayla too was unusually surprised.
Before becoming a squire, he had never cooked fried chicken, so this was her first time eating it as well.
“Did you learn this in the knight order?”
“Ah, yeah. Something like that.”
The truth was, it came from his previous life’s skills.
Abel sampled his own cooking.
It had turned out well.
In good spirits, he poured himself a single glass of wine.
There were no laws regulating alcohol. Anyone could drink as much as they wished. In places where water was unclean or unpleasant, wine often served as a substitute.
Come to think of it, this was the first time Abel had drunk since his reincarnation.
His cheeks flushed red. A strange elation welled up within him.
After a while, perhaps unable to hold back any longer, Walter asked about his time in the knight order.
“How is the Highwand Knight Order treating you? Are things going well?”
“No… I was being bullied.”
The mood instantly grew heavy.
Many children never tell their parents when they are being bullied.
It’s embarrassing, troublesome. They think they can just endure it.
But this time, since his parents already knew the complicated circumstances, Abel decided not to hide anything.
“Lately it’s gotten a lot better, but… I was once forced into a duel with a criminal, and other times I’d be suddenly kicked for no reason. Making me Lady Ise’s squire was apparently meant as harassment too. Since she’s only ever given dangerous missions, they thought I’d get fed up and quit. Well, for me, it turned out to be a blessing.”
Walter and Ayla furrowed their brows and their expressions hardened.
Sharle and Dorothea, on the other hand, reacted in perfect unison. They covered their mouths in shock so dramatically they looked like twins.
Abel couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
“I see. So that’s how they treat you after all…”
Walter slumped his shoulders and shook his head.
“No, it’s not as if I’ve only been bullied. Look at this.”
Abel pulled a crest medal from his pocket.
A finely engraved design of a great eagle clutching a poisonous serpent gleamed upon it.
“Where did you get that?”
“From Count Barth himself. He told me I wouldn’t be treated as a member of the household, but that I would be regarded as a distant relative. He even added a little to my pay. Not that I’m simply grateful for it; my salary was low to begin with, so a small increase doesn’t mean much. I won’t fall for that cheap trick companies love to use: slap on a position allowance, then work you to death.”
“Abel. Are you a bit drunk?”
“…I’m always serious.”
“Ayla, give him some water.”
“Yes.”
After drinking the water, his intoxication cleared.
For the first time since sitting at the table, Ise spoke.
“If Abel has no prospect of becoming a knight under my service, then he should quit being my squire. That would be best. Abel has more than enough aptitude to be a knight.”
“I’ll never quit.”
Abel declared it without hesitation.
“Monke and Lopez are just waiting for me to beg to leave Lady Ise’s service. That way, they can brand me a coward and treat me like a slave even more than before.”
“Abel. Do not address your liege by name alone.”
“…Yes, Lady Ise. But I want to serve no one but you. So I will never quit.”
Ayla and Walter saw their son’s eyes gleaming with an intensity they could hardly put into words.
Was it loyalty to his master or something closer to fanaticism?
Walter almost regretted ever suggesting he take the path of a squire.
A heaviness settled over him.
The thought of the count’s family darkened his mood.
Ayla, perhaps weary of the noble world’s pettiness, shook her head with a pained expression.
“Abel… how pitiful…”
Shale whispered sadly,
“Pitiful? It’s nothing serious. And I’m not just putting on a brave face. I’m used to this sort of thing.”
In his heart, Abel added: Back in my previous life…
Walter and the others had afternoon appointments, so even Shale had gone off to work.
Only Ise and Abel were left in the house.
With his stomach full and the comfort of being home surrounding him, drowsiness soon followed.
Abel lay down on the sofa.
An overwhelming sleepiness came over him.
The exhaustion from the journey and the sense of relief weighed on him.
His consciousness faded into darkness.
When Abel woke up, it was already close to evening.
Ise was still sitting in exactly the same posture as when Abel had fallen asleep.
She looked like a beautiful sculpture that hadn’t moved in a thousand years.
“Lady Ise. I’ll prepare the bath. Then I’ll go tie up Nana and Gale in the stable.”
“I see. Please do.”
Abel stepped out into the yard with Ise.
The bath, shaded by the house, was still there just as it had been.
It was the bath Abel had made using “Earth Hardening”.
He washed off the dust with water magic and refilled it with clean water.
Then he gently heated it using “Heating”.
When Ise arrived, she boldly and gracefully undressed.
Completely naked.
Her pale skin was revealed.
If his parents or Shale found her like this, it would be a disaster.
Though part of him was reluctant, Abel quickly stepped away.
He prepared a towel and brought it to her at just the right time.
Ise was soaking in the bath.
“Lady Ise, how’s the water temperature?”
“It’s perfect. A bath like this is such a luxury.”
“They wouldn’t allow it at the castle. Said we weren’t allowed to build unauthorized facilities. Please use this towel to dry off.”
When she returned from the bath, Ise had changed into a simple one-piece dress.
Shale and Dorothea had already gone back to their own homes.
Ayla had wrapped up early at the clinic to prepare dinner.
She hummed a lullaby while working the kitchen knife.
It felt like a real family scene.
Ise would eat and drink anything she was served.
She probably didn’t have any particular likes or dislikes.
She ate Ayla’s homemade food quietly, but after finishing the meal, she did say it was delicious.
They let Ise sleep in one of the clinic beds.
And for the first time in a while, Abel returned to his own room.
The bedding was dry and clean.
It seemed like it had always been kept ready for his return.
Small details like that reminded him what family truly meant.
—So this is what a home is like.
We were all able to invite Ise here together.
And I’m so glad my little sister was born.
Today was nothing but good things.
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