“Young master, young master, it’s time to wake up, come on, quickly.”

  Lucius woke abruptly, feeling Mira’s arms on his shoulders, shaking him back and forth as the maid’s energetic voice assaulted his ears.

  “I’m already awake,” he said as he pushed the maid’s face away.

  “Oh, right, hehehe.”

  The maid scratched the back of her head as she laughed with an embarrassed expression.

  “It’s just that it’s already morning, and you don’t like being late for your training, so I thought it would be best to wake you up right away.”

  Lucius frowned at the maid’s absurd reasoning. Looking toward the window, he could tell it was still quite early—earlier than when he normally woke up.

  “So, what do you want?” he asked.

  The maid’s eyes widened, and she turned her face away.

  “Uh, I don’t want anything. Like I said, I was just trying to prevent—”

  “Enough,” Lucius interrupted. “If you’re not going to speak, then just stay silent. Your attempt at lying is… embarrassing.”

  His words made the maid’s face turn red with shame, then with anger. She stomped her foot while glaring at him, but aside from puffing up her cheeks, she couldn’t say anything.

  How troublesome.

  Lucius lay back down. But now that he had been woken up, sleep had fled him, so he simply stared at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

  “…What are you doing, young master?” Mira asked after her “anger” passed.

  “Waiting.”

  Before training, there was breakfast with the family, which always took place at a fixed time. In that sense, all the maid had accomplished was robbing him of a few minutes of sleep.

  A waste.

  Lucius clicked his tongue.

  Mira, with an innocent look on her face, stood beside Lucius as he lay there. From the way she clenched the hem of her dress and let her gaze wander back and forth, Lucius could tell she was anxious—no, excited about something—though he didn’t know what it was, nor did he have any intention of asking.

  Exactly twenty minutes later, Lucius got out of bed and went to the bathroom to bathe. Finishing shortly afterward, he changed clothes and headed to the dining hall.

  Breakfast passed without any major incidents, so after quickly excusing himself from the rest of the family, he went to the forest on the estate to begin his training.

  As the days passed, he grew more accustomed to training without the use of sight and hearing, making far fewer mistakes than before. Physical training had ceased to be an issue, and he was able to complete it without committing any errors or suffering accidents. But…

  It’s still not enough.

  Lucius frowned as the wooden sword wielded by Mira struck him directly in the ribs.

  I’m still unable to dodge the attack.

  It was as if the blow devoured the space between them. He didn’t feel the strike being launched—only when it hit him, always reacting a moment too late.

  Well, not always…

  Compared to when he had first begun this training, his success rate had indeed increased.

  Without relying on sight or hearing, he began focusing on the vibrations transmitted through the ground to his feet, but that sensation was extremely faint—exceedingly difficult to perceive.

  “Haaa…”

  Shaking his head, he removed the blindfold from his eyes and the cotton from his ears, only to see Mira standing in front of him holding the wooden sword with a silly smile on her face.

  What’s with her today?

  Lucius had definitely noticed that the maid was far more energetic than usual. So much so that today she hadn’t even bothered holding back her attacks as she normally did, leaving Lucius’s body aching all over.

  “Some water, young master,” the maid said as she handed him the canteen. “You trained a lot today, so you need to stay hydrated.”

  Lucius accepted the water, emptying half the canteen in one go.

  “Hmm, young master,” Mira began, pressing her index fingers together while making a smug expression. “You don’t have lessons this afternoon, right?”

  Frowning, Lucius nodded. Why was she asking as if she didn’t already know?

  “So…” The maid turned her face away, glancing sideways at him. “I was thinking that today, maybe we could go for a walk in the city.”

  So that’s it.

  He had heard that there would be some kind of festivity in the city today. That must be why the maid had been excited since morning.

  “We’re not going.”

  His words made the color drain from the maid’s face, before she quickly rushed over and grabbed Lucius’s hands, staring at him with teary eyes.

  “Please, young master, just for a few hours—just a few hours.”

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  But Lucius simply refused again, causing the tears to be replaced by defiance in the maid’s gaze.

  “Young master, if you don’t go, then I won’t help you with your training anymore!”

  This girl…

  A small smile appeared on Lucius’s face. Was she really threatening him with that?

  “Very well,” he said indifferently.

  “Really?!”

  Mira’s eyes sparkled so brightly they looked like stars.

  “You’re the best, young master. The best.”

  So excited was she that she grabbed Lucius and planted several kisses on his face, nearly suffocating him.

  “That’s enough.”

  Lucius pushed the maid’s face away. She finally seemed to regain her senses, turning red with embarrassment.

  “S-sorry. I-I got so excited that I overdid it,” she said while making an awkward bow.

  “Just forget it.”

  Lucius dismissed the gesture with a wave of his hand and a look of disdain.

  Returning to the mansion, he went to his room to bathe and change clothes for lunch, and after that, he left for the city with Mira.

  The moment they left the estate, the smile on the maid’s face grew even wider, and with every step, it seemed to grow more and more.

  Not long after, they arrived at the main square of the western district.

  It’s quite lively here.

  Lucius frowned.

  The constant murmur of voices blended with laughter, hurried footsteps, and music.

  Wooden stalls had been erected in irregular patterns, covered with colorful fabrics and decorated with ribbons alternating between various colors.

  Paper lanterns were strung between posts and trees. They were unlit, but Lucius assumed they would be lit at night.

  The air was heavy with distinct scents: freshly baked bread, grilled meat, candied fruits, and sweet spices Lucius couldn’t identify.

  People passed by them in small groups—families, couples, children running between the legs of adults—all wearing expressions lighter than usual.

  Mira seemed unable to decide where to look.

  Her eyes scanned every stall with a sparkle, her steps slowing as they approached each one.

  At one end of the square, a small group of musicians played simple instruments: a lute, a wooden flute, and a shallow drum. The melody was lively, drawing a small crowd, with some young women forming a circle around the performers and dancing to the music.

  “Let’s go, young master.”

  Excited, Mira grabbed Lucius’s hand and pulled him toward them.

  “Aren’t you going to dance with them?” Lucius asked, pointing at the circle of girls.

  Mira’s cheeks flushed, and she shook her head repeatedly.

  “N-no way. I’d be too embarrassed.”

  Lucius found it hard to believe the maid’s words. It was unbelievable that someone with her spontaneous personality would feel shy about something like that.

  “Why?”

  “Hm?”

  Mira looked at him, confused.

  “Why would you feel embarrassed?” Lucius asked curiously.

  “W-well, everyone is watching…” Mira said, touching her fingers together, visibly flustered.

  “And?”

  “And, I mean, they might think I dance badly, or that I look stupid, and then they might make fun of me.”

  Lucius frowned.

  “And why does that matter?”

  “Hmm, because it does…?”

  He clicked his tongue.

  “Unnecessary,” he said as he turned his gaze toward the circle of girls. “Their opinions have no value.”

  Mira’s eyes widened slightly.

  “W-what do you mean they have no value?” She clasped her hands in front of her body. “People are always judging. If you just ignore what others think, you end up… alone. Or worse, hurting someone without realizing it.”

  Lucius looked back at her.

  “You’re confusing two different things,” he said indifferently. “Taking someone’s opinion into consideration and allowing it to dictate your actions.”

  Mira blinked, confused.

  “Even if you want to consider what others think,” he continued, “it makes no sense to give equal weight to every opinion.”

  Lucius then gestured around him, toward the people dancing, laughing, and talking. His action drew a few glances, but he simply ignored them.

  “These people don’t know you. They don’t know who you are, they don’t live with you, they don’t share anything from your daily life. And yet, you would allow their momentary judgment to determine what you can or cannot do?”

  Mira lowered her head, embarrassed.

  “But… even so—”

  “If you decide to live while considering everyone’s opinion,” Lucius interrupted, “then in practice, you’re not living for yourself, but reacting to random external stimuli—and that is degrading.”

  His words silenced the maid, who pondered their meaning for several moments before nodding, a determined look on her face.

  “You’re right, young master,” she said, grabbing Lucius’s hand. “Then let’s go.”

  “Hm?”

  Before he realized it, Lucius found himself being dragged by Mira toward the circle.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

  “I’m doing what you said, young master,” she replied with a laugh.

  “I never said for you to—”

  “Come on, young master, you need to relax a bit more.”

  Lucius was completely ignored as Mira had already fallen into the rhythm of the melody.

  So be it.

  He shook his head. Either way, he was already here, so whether he did something or not didn’t really matter.

  “Wow, young master, you dance surprisingly well,” Mira said with an impressed look.

  Lucius clicked his tongue in response.

  “You forget that I’m nobility. If I couldn’t even keep up with a simple rhythm like this, all the time spent on lessons would have been wasted.”

  From a young age, in addition to martial arts and academic studies, Lucius had also studied etiquette, music, and dance—everything necessary for the upbringing of a young imperial noble.

  A waste of time.

  But whether he liked it or not, the knowledge was there.

  They danced to several different songs until, laughing, Mira dragged Lucius toward the next attraction her large eyes landed on.

  It was a simple stall, with a wooden sign hanging crookedly, the painted words still fresh. In front of it, another small crowd gathered, alternating between laughter and exclamations.

  A middle-aged man wearing an exaggeratedly large hat ran a throwing game. On the table, lined up in rows, were various kinds of children’s toys.

  “Knock one down and keep it! Three throws for one copper!” he shouted.

  “I want to try, I want to try.”

  Without giving Lucius much choice, Mira dragged him over. After she paid the stall owner, she received three cloth balls, and without wasting time, she threw one toward the stuffed bear positioned at the center.

  And it goes straight for the grand prize.

  Lucius chuckled internally.

  The ball Mira threw hit the bear squarely, making it sway from side to side—but it didn’t fall.

  “Tch, I’ll knock it down on the next one.” Clicking her tongue, Mira threw the second ball.

  This time, the ball flew even faster than before, and when it struck the bear head-on, it made it tilt nearly forty-five degrees backward—but once again, the bear didn’t fall, settling back into its original position.

  That should have knocked it down.

  Lucius frowned. With the force behind that throw, the doll should definitely have fallen, unless…

  “Hmm, it didn’t fall?”

  Mira also looked perplexed. But shaking her head, she set aside her doubts and prepared for the final throw.

  She adjusted her stance and twisted her hips, pulling her throwing arm back. Taking a deep breath, she threw the ball.

  This girl…

  Lucius smiled. The ball Mira threw struck the bear with such force that it was launched spinning into the air before crashing to the ground.

  The stall owner’s eyes, along with those of the onlookers, widened in surprise.

  “Wow! I did it! I got the grand prize, young master!”

  “W-wait a moment, please.”

  Mira was already jumping with joy when the stall owner’s panicked voice rang out.

  “Y-you can’t take the grand prize.”

  “Hm? Why not? I won it fair and square,” Mira said with an annoyed expression.

  “No, it’s just that…”

  The stall owner tugged at his collar, sweat covering his forehead as he struggled to find the words.

  The stuffed animal was probably worth at least a few silver coins. If the stall owner lost it, he’d end the day—at best—with no profit at all, so it was easy to understand why he was so nervous. That’s what Lucius thought as he walked behind the table and picked up the fallen plush.

  “H-hey, you can’t go back there.”

  When he saw where Lucius was standing, the panic on the stall owner’s face deepened.

  Let’s see…

  Ignoring the man’s anxious gaze, Lucius crouched down and inspected the underside of the table with his hand.

  Hmm, just as I thought.