Letting the door close behind him as he left, Calen let out a tired sigh.
The meeting had stretched well past lunch time, and it had been one hell of an ordeal, dealing with the sly duke and his men.
I wish the commander would come back soon...
Truth to be told, Calen didn't have much interests in the internal politics of the kingdom. He was someone who had sworn by the sword, and his loyalty to the royal family. He liked it that way, it was a simple life, devoid of the difficulties that dealing with old men brought.
So when he had been summoned to the meeting in the stead of his commander, safe to say, he was a little irritated.
He would've been still irritated, only if he hadn't had to deal with something entirely else. Something way more difficult than politics.
Calen's sharp footsteps echoed through the deserted halls, he walked with purpose, like he knew the layout of this mansion like the back of his hand. And he did, after all, if there was to ever come an emergency, he was the second in command for the knights that was to protect this place.
The evening breeze that flowed in through the open windows helped a little in relieving his stiffness, and as he walked to his destination, he found himself reminiscing about what had happened at the breakfast this morning.
The young master... has lost all of his memory?
He pondered the situation, and how it had all come to this.
The first time they had met, in that town near the border, the young master had looked a little startled. Calen had eventually dismissed it as the poor boy not recognising the men as his father's knights.
But now that i think about it...
He remembered something particular the young master had said then,
"I'm not who you think you are..." He whispered to himself, letting his legs carry him to his destination as he lost himself in his thoughts.
He unknowingly started humming at some point, an old habit, it resurfaced once in a while when he had to deal with extremely complicated topics.
He walked through a long hallway, and then took a turn to his right—
thud!
Something light hit his elbow and flung back, and Calen, jolted awake from his thoughts took a surprised step back looking at what he had just hit.
The young master Edward was sprawled on the ground in front of him, rubbing his forehead as his eyes watered.
Calen stared for a moment, processing the scene.
"…Young master?" he said at last.
Edward looked up at him with wide, slightly glassy eyes—like a rabbit that had just run headfirst into a tree. His hands were still cupped over his forehead, and his lips trembled, he genuinely looked hurt.
Calen moved immediately, offering a hand. "Are you hurt?"
Edward blinked at the hand first, then at Calen, then at the floor, as if trying to calculate how much of his dignity had just been lost. Slowly, he reached out and let Calen pull him to his feet.
"Ow…" Edward muttered, rubbing his head again. "Do people here not watch where they're going?"
Calen froze.
Was that... directed at him?
"Apologies." He quickly bowed.
The young master frowned. "Why did you have to hit me..."
"...You walked into me, sir."
"I did not!"
"You did."
"I would remember walking into a wall."
"I am not a wall."
Edward gave him a long, doubtful stare.
Calen's jay tightened. Why was this conversation happening, and why was it so hard to win?
Maybe i should apologise once more, he looks irritated.
He cleared his throat, trying to speak,
"Is everyone in this house this physically dangerous?" Edward cut in, mumbling to himself. "First Emilia, now this guy. Is there some rule here where people just assault me randomly?"
Calen, who had never once thought of himself as someone capable of 'assaulting' a person simply by existing, genuinely did not know how to respond to that.
"I did not assault—"
"Then why do I feel assaulted?"
Calen stared at him.
This is going to be difficult...
Calen exhaled slowly, forcing patience back into his voice. "Where were you going in such a rush?"
Edward dusted off his clothes, not meeting his eyes. "…Out."
"Out where?"
"Away from here."
Calen paused. "From the manor?"
"No, from this hallway," Edward deadpanned.
Calen's brow twitched. "That is not what I meant, young master."
Edward folded his arms and looked away, his lips tightening. "I just needed some air, alright? Is that illegal too in this place?"
Calen studied him for a quiet moment. The boy's eyes were a little red at the edges—not just because he'd smacked his head. Something else lingered there. Restlessness. Cornered uncertainty. Like he wanted to run, but had nowhere to go.
"…Were you troubled by something?" Calen asked.
Edward stiffened. Then he laughed—a small, brittle sound. "Other than the fact that I woke up in a world that makes no sense, got attacked by a maid, threatened by a mage, and apparently have a father who cries on contact? No. Everything is perfectly fine."
Calen blinked. "The maid attacked you?"
"That's your takeaway from that!?"
Calen answered seriously, "I will discipline her if she has harmed you."
Edward gawked at him. "What? No! She already hits like a metal golem, I don't need her powered up by revenge."
Calen hesitated, then—against his better judgment—his lips almost curved. Just a little.
This kid…
He cleared his throat and composed himself. "If you are overwhelmed, it would be understandable. Perhaps it would help to have someone show you around. Familiarize you with the estate."
Edward looked at him warily. "And let me guess, you're volunteering?"
"It is part of my duty as knight captain to ensure your safety." Calen bowed once more.
Edward let out a tired sigh. "…Fine. Whatever."
He tried to walk past, but stumbled—just a little—still dizzy from hitting the floor earlier. Calen caught his arm on instinct.
Edward froze. Calen did too, realizing too late how close they were. Up close, the boy smelled faintly of soap and morning tea, a strangely quiet scent for a person who looked so flamboyant.
Edward looked down at Calen's hand, then up at him.
"…Are you trying to hold hands with me right now?"
Calen let go so fast it was like touching fire. "No."
"Uh-huh," Edward muttered, unconvinced.
Calen straightened. "This way," he said stiffly, turning down the hall to hide the heat prickling annoyingly in his ears.
Edward followed behind him with a suspicious stare.
This was going to be a long day.