Chapter 58 (2/2)

“Yes, I’m fine. How about you, Carsein? ”

“Well. Just soso.”

“What do you mean?” I pouted at his indifferent reply.

Then Carsein put his fist on my forehead gently with a smile.

With my forehead smarting a bit, I frowned, staring at him.

“What the heck are you doing, Carcein?”

“Hahaha, I’m your senior, so try to be polite to me. Got it?”

“Huh? Senior? ”

“Didn’t you know it? I’m going to be officially appointed as a knight next month.”

“A regular-status knight?” I looked up at him in surprise.

While I was spending a lot of time with him, I forgot that Carsein was a genius swordsman. Nonetheless, his knighthood was too fast. To the best of my memory in the past, he became a knight at the age of eighteen after his coming-of-age ceremony, which was also an unprecedented record in the history of the empire, but now, he was only sixteen.

Given that I observed my birthday only a few months ago, he became a knight two years earlier than I remembered him.

“Huh. You know that no matter how long you spend your days as an apprentice knight, you are still a regular-status knight’s junior, right? That’s why I’m your senior. Got it?”

Carsein spoke to me playfully, stroking my hair.

“Call me senior, my cute junior, will you?”

“… ”

“Oh you might be in trouble if you don’t listen to me.”

“Well, you’re not officially a knight now. You said you would be officiated as a knight next month, right? ”

As he teased me in a playful tone as if he was treating me as a child, I was annoyed.

When I suddenly turned and walked a few steps, I heard him calling me with an embarrassed voice, “Hey, let’s go together! ”

I chuckled at his embarrassment. At the same time, I was amused by the unusual side of me that I usually didn’t find when I was with Allendis. I felt delighted with it. Strangely enough, I felt young when I was with Carsein.

“By the way, did you grow your hair, Carsein?”

“Yes. Do I look strange? ”

“Well… ”

I tilted my head to the side to check his appearance carefully. His red hair, which was always neither short nor long, was covering his shoulders. As if reflecting his character, his hair was let down freely, but I thought it looked good on him though it might have looked messy to others.

It looked like flames swaying in the wind.

“No, it suits you.”

“Really? I like it.” Carsein laughed, sweeping over his long hair.

Then, he stopped walking a few steps and asked, “Hey, did you eat?”

“No, not yet.”

“Good. Originally I thought of sparring with you. As you’re well dressed and look pretty, let me give you a pass today. Let me treat you to celebrate my full status as a knight. ”

Carsein just pulled me along without giving me a chance to answer.

Escorted by him, who walked with big strides, I headed for the most popular restaurant in the capital.

While glancing at me silently, he giggled suddenly. It was the first time I saw him smiling at me genuinely, not sarcastically. At that moment, I stared at him because I was touched.

Smiling at me again, he said, “Let’s go back.”

“… Okay, Your Majesty. ”

With strange feelings, I walked back with him.