TMKWPL CH 9

Chapter 9

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The Rival's Gifts

The knights arrived at the training camp on the hill for work.

Just as they promised, Vernon was teaching Nia, and Gilliana was cooking child-friendly meals. And Heath, as always, did not lift a single finger, instead using his magical creations to clean everything except the floor Lucia had mentioned to leave it.

Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the barracks quickly became clean suitable for a child to live in, with the warm smell of freshly cooked food.

In other words, it became the perfect co-parenting environment.

And yet, those same wonderful, reliable knights were now staring at Lucia, seated beside them, as if she were a wicked stepmother.

“...Commander. I never thought you were this heartless.”

“That’s right, commander. She's only five and it's been days already. This is slave labour.”

“…Yeah, it’s a bit much.”

As they complained, their gazes once again drifted toward something wriggling on the floor.

At the end of their line of sight was Nia, clutching a neatly folded rag in her tiny hands, crawling across the wooden floor and diligently scrubbing.

“Commander, should I clean it?”

Heath offered.

“No! N-Nia will do it herself!”

Was this the power of a saint? The sight of such a small child speaking so brightly and bravely was blinding. Guilt flooded Lucia so strongly she almost felt dazzled.

The four adults sitting uncomfortably on the sofa, anxiously twitching their legs, simply watched the child crawl around and scrubbing away.

“Sniff. She’s so small...!”

“I want to help. She won't be able to get those stains out like that.”

As they said, the child's movements were clumsy, and it was incredibly difficult to remove the black stains that had seeped into the wooden floor of the dormitory with just water.

“That's even better.”

At Lucia’s quiet murmur, the two slid off the sofa and retreated to the corner, whispering fiercely while glaring at her with utter contempt. They've always gotten along well.

“...I told you, there's a reason for it.”

Despite their fuss, the child went about her work silently. The one positive thing in this heartbreaking situation was that Nia used to tremble around strangers, now that she had a goal, she seemed to be adapting better.

“...Commander. It's already May.”

While Lucia watched Nia, Heath said.

“Hmm. It is May.”

“...”

Lucia's response made him shift his eyes. Seeing him linger beside her without speaking, Lucia added casually,

“It's your birthday.”

Lucia said nonchalantly, but Heath's lips subtly curled up. That alone was enough.

He quickly turned his head away so no one would notice.

How silly. He's not even going to do anything.

As if she had expected his behaviour, Lucia deliberately didn't look at him.

Lucia picked up Heath when she was seventeen during her first monster subjugation expedition, and she was familiar with his routine this time of the year.

Among all the knights, Heath was the only one who secretly visited her every May during her five-year training period.

Perhaps he was the only one who knew for certain that the Saint was not Lucia’s biological child.

Come to think of it, I've never given him a gift, have I? Maybe I should get him something this year.

But she would likely quickly forget.

Knock. Knock.

Since when did so many people started visiting a training centre that had no visitors?

Lucia deliberately didn't move, intending to ignore it as she always did. But two knights’ ears perked up, they were very eager to act as housekeepers for the place.

They strode lightly and flung the door open.

“What is it?”

“Who is it?”

Acting like this is their home.

Even Lucia didn't consider this her own home, but their naturalness annoyed her.

“A delivery from Sir Leon Lawrence.”

...Huh? Leon Lawrence?

The man who had threatened her just a few days ago came to mind.

“What? The Leon Lawrence?”

“The Commander of the White Mage? Let me see.”

Vernon swiftly took the delivery address from the messenger.

“It's true! Commander? The White Commander sent these.”

Lucia rose slowly from the sofa, clearly annoyed.

And then she froze.

There were large and small boxes wrapped in cute ribbons were being delivered one after another, slowly filling the space.

“...What on earth is all this?”

While Lucia was in shock, Vernon and Gilliana covered their mouths. Their eyes began to well up with tears as they looked at her.

“...It's love!”

“...It's love!”

Ignoring their inexplicable cheers, Lucia was speechless at the tidal wave of gifts pouring in. They spread all the way into the living room, blocking every passageway.

 It looked like the manifestation of someone’s heart, long restrained, finally losing its brakes and rushing forward uncontrollably.

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「I will no longer hide it. 」

That’s what was written on the card left by the messenger who tossed it behind him as he ran away from Lucia's oppressive aura.

What does that even mean?

Leon Lawrence.

He was the son of the emperor’s conservative chancellor, a dignified gentleman with no flaws.

From that perspective, it wouldn’t be strange for him to view Lucia’s actions as unethical.

Though she had kept her promise to become a Sword Master, she was also a knight who had somehow returned with a child during those five years.

What made his intentions even more suspicious was that the gifts were a random mix, without regard for gender.

If this were a gesture of goodwill, he would have only sent things for a girl. Does he intend to chase me and the child out?

Perhaps Leon was displeased that she was using the imperial barracks for personal matters and intended to fill the place with gifts to drive her out...

...Of course not. Lucia was completely mistaken. Leon had simply sent everything because he didn't know the child's gender.

Though annoyed, Lucia did not to dwell on it. She was well accustomed to being harassed by conservative nobles who used their own elegant methods to get rid of people they disliked.

What truly bothered her now were Gilliana and Vernon, who were excitedly unwrapping the gift boxes.

“Wow, how cute! Look at this! Such tiny dresses! Though honestly, I prefer something a bit more… wild.”

“Look at this craftmanship! A detailed pony for a child's toy. This must cost a fortune, as expected from a marquessate family!”

“Stop unwrapping them. It will be harder to return them.”

Lucia spoke sternly.

“What?! Commander? No way!”

“That's right! Why would you return something this nice?!”

They clutched the gifts like Gollum and glared at her suspiciously.

TL/N: If you don’t know, Gollum is the bald guy from hobbit who’s obsessed with the ring.

“Look. Can't you see there's no room to even step on?”

Lucia stared at them like they were hopeless, as if to say they still had a lot to learn. But it didn't work, they looked proud, if anything.

“Commander, I don't know what you're thinking, but it would be impolite to return a gift with a clear purpose.”

Vernon said seriously, then whispered to Gilliana.

“Gilliana, since Sir Leon is being proactive, what do you say we help him out?”

“I'm in. It's hard to be this committed to someone who already has a child. If that’s not love, what is?”

Unlike the clueless Lucia, they correctly understood the meaning of the gifts.

But...

Right. It would be impolite to return it.

One of Lucia’s virtues is never to back down from a fight. Her expression turned grim, as if plotting bloody revenge. If anyone had known the truth, they might have felt compelled to pat Leon on the shoulder in sympathy.

“Commander, look! We finally found some clothes Nia can wear. Wow, there must be about thirty outfits here.”

Gilliana opened several identical boxes. Inside were a number of simple dresses fit for a small child. They would be much more comfortable and suitable for Nia, who was still awkwardly wearing Lucia's clothes.

…Come to think of it, where is Nia?

The child who was wiping the living room floor was nowhere to be seen. She couldn't have gone outside, so she must be either in the kitchen or the reception room.

Lucia hurriedly cleared the boxes blocking the door. Tiny feet were sticking out on a large box, moving slightly.

“Nia.”

At the sound of her name, Lucia quickly caught the box slipping from the child’s hands.

“I-I'm sorry...!”

Nia quickly hid her hands behind her back and met Lucia's surprised eyes, she quickly explained,

“T-That, so many things came in. But, that one is clean...”

Mumbling incoherently, she fidgeted as if her hands were dirty.

“...”

Lucia was taken aback. This hadn’t crossed her mind at all.

…Is she still worried about that?

It had been a week since she'd taken the child from that hellish, dirty warehouse. And even though she hadn't had much contact with the knights, the child was answering them well.

More importantly, she had even slept with Lucia in the same bed.

From Lucia’s perspective, a child who truly thought herself dirty couldn’t have done that.

But Lucia missed something crucial.

There was no five-year-old who slept peacefully on the very edge of a bed, curled up as though afraid to fall.

“Little commander! Try this on. Isn't it pretty?”

Gilliana went to Nia and held up a clean, white dress. It was a cute and comfortable-looking dress with many small, flat ribbons. Nia took a step back from Gilliana and firmly said,

“Nia, Nia doesn’t want it. I'll keep wearing this...!”

She crossed her short arms tightly around herself, clinging to Lucia’s clothes.

“Oh, come on. Those clothes are dirty now. Let's wear the new ones!”

Gilliana's words meant well, but they seemed to have hurt the child. Her golden eyes trembled, and tears welled up.

“Huh? Why? Don't you like this, little commander?”

Panicking, Gilliana waved the tiny dress in front of her. Nia whimpered and backed away, shaking her head as if the dress were a monster.

The scene was like a flashback to the day they first met. But what only changed is the rags that Nia used to wore, replaced with Lucia’s clothes.

Though Lucia had brought Nia here under the flimsy pretence of responsibly cleaning her own mess, Nia’s heart was still trapped in that warehouse, unable to take a single step forward.

Chapter 7

Chapter List

Chapter 9