Chapter 5: Return of Favor
“Why is Ralph here in a place like this?”
“I came to meet Lady Lisette.”
“. . .Well, I suppose so.”
Come to think of it, I don’t remember telling Ralph that I live here. It’s quite creepy, like those stalkers you hear about. While pondering such thoughts, I turned my gaze to him, who was sitting next to me.
With his shining silver hair and beautiful purple eyes, his perfectly sculpted face gave off a cold impression at first glance. However, because he always had a gentle smile, I couldn’t sense any of that now.
Since asking him how he found out I was here would only be brushed off with a refreshing smile, I decided not to think about it anymore.
“So, why did you come to see me and end up doing farm work?”
“As a way of repaying the favor, I thought I would start by helping with something.”
“Repaying the favor. . .?”
“Yes. I intend to do anything for Lady Lisette’s sake.”
“Oh. . .”
The conversation became even more incomprehensible. Repaying the favor means that I must have done him a favor in the past.
“. . .Um, have we met in the past or something?”
Timidly asking, he nodded deeply with a smile.
“Yes, Lisette-sama, you are my savior.”
“. . .?”
I have absolutely no memory of helping such a handsome young man. I tilted my head, wondering if he mistook me for someone else. But he continued.
“You saved me and my sister, didn’t you?”
“Sister?”
“When we were children, we were orphans. And my sister was on the verge of death from a contagious disease. In that situation, Lisette-sama happened to pass by and gave us her accessories and shoes as payment for the medicine.”
“. . .Ah.”
Finally, the dots connected. I do remember doing something like that on the way to this place when I was a child.
It seems that the boy who was with me at that time was him.
“Thanks to Lisette-sama, my sister was saved. After that, we were taken care of by Liala-san, but now I live as an adopted child of a certain noble.”
“I see. . .”
To become adopted by a noble from such a situation, it’s beyond lucky. Anyway, I’m truly glad that they are living well.
“Lady Lisette, who can take such actions for strangers, is truly a wonderful person. A noble lady offering her shoes to orphans. . .You have the most beautiful heart.”
“Oh, no, it’s not. . .”
Truly, I am not such an extraordinary person. But I understood the reason why he feels indebted to me.
In his eyes, I seemed to be like a saint. And as time passed, I must have been idealized in his mind.
“But, how did you recognize me with just one glance?”
It has been eight years since then, and I think my atmosphere and appearance have changed quite a bit. Yet, he murmured that he had “found” me with just one glance yesterday.
“There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize you. I have been thinking of Lady Lisette every day for the past eight years.”
“Well, well. . .”
“It’s true. I heard from Liala-san that you were planning to enter a convent, but we couldn’t find any convents throughout the continent, and I thought I would never be able to see you again.”
“Throughout the continent. . .? Well, I changed my mind along the way.”
By the way, it seems that Liala is still worried about me. She is doing well and has married her former lover, and they have children. They are living happily in a town near the capital.
Just hearing that makes me truly happy.
“Anyway, if Ralph and your sister are living happily, that’s really good. And I appreciate your feelings, but there’s no need for repayment. Please continue to take good care of your sister.”
“Yes. Thank you very much. Next, shall we take care of the animals?”
“It’s really okay. Please continue to take care of your sister.”
“I have confidence in taking care of animals.”
This man is unexpectedly stubborn, even though he’s pretending not to be.
“Of course, I have no intention of considering this as repayment for anything. I would like to give you jewelry or a house in the near future. . .”
“Oh, um, helping is enough as a thank you. Just once is fine.”
A house is beyond the scope of repayment. Anyway, I’ll just have him help out casually, let him be satisfied, and end it.
With that decision, I guided him to the animal shed.
