Erwan really liked his cousin Wedrick.

Since his father had passed away a few years ago, his mother was always busy running the duchy and the estate. When she wasn’t working, she suffered frequently from chronic headaches and had no time for him.

Erwan had always been small and sickly, spending most of his life in bed. He had no siblings or friends, Wedrick had been the only person who had ever played with him. Wedrick also took care of him and always gave him good advice.

“You’re gonna have a huge headache the next day if you do any knight training.”

“But Sir Jeffrey said that I was good at it...”

“I’m telling you. You’re gonna feel awful tomorrow.”

It was true. Whenever Wedrick said that he would have a headache, he always had a horrible one the next day.

“Don’t eat too much meat or vegetables. You’re gonna get fat and everyone will make fun of you.”

“But Lord Pearlman said I should eat everything on my plate...”

“You’ll see, tomorrow you’re going to have a stomachache.”

And sure enough, the following day he had an awful stomachache. Erwan learned that bad things happened when he didn’t follow Wedrick’s orders.

The doctor, Lord Pearlman, told him to eat lots of food and exercise outdoors every day. But Lord Pearlman was stiff and spoke way too fast, so Erwan didn’t really feel comfortable around him. He was also scared that Wedrick wouldn’t come back if he didn’t do what he said. He would be so bored and lonely if his only companion stopped visiting.

“Don’t tell your mom or your doctor anything I say,” Wedrick had warned.

“Why not?”

“If Lord Pearlman hears that I told you not to listen to him, then he won’t let me come back. Same with your mom.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, then there’ll be no one to play with you or even talk to you.”

Erwan had been six years old when his father had passed away. His mother had suddenly needed to deal with the death of her husband as well as taking care of the entire duchy. Since then, she had hardly been in a position to take care of him. For a six-year-old boy, the words of a scary doctor and his absent mother had fallen flat against the advice of his older cousin, the only friend he had in the world.

And so, seven years had passed. All through those years, Erwan had faithfully followed every one of Wedrick’s commands. He didn’t run around, he played as little as possible, and he left most of his meals uneaten.

Wedrick also advised him to avoid books and studying. Erwan hadn’t received a proper education in years, nor did he receive any instruction in swordsmanship or other lordly pursuits. His illness also made him fall sick so often that he was usually unable to stick to a regular routine.

Lord Pearlman always rushed back to the castle during these emergencies and did whatever he could, but he was hardly going to stay and oversee the young master’s daily schedule. He considered himself a doctor who cured his patients of their illnesses, not a babysitter.

He had also been half-crazed while looking for his daughter. If the Duke was still alive, Lord Pearlman would have left the castle long ago to fully devote himself to searching for her.

So Erwan, neglected and alone, only grew weaker and weaker. Along with his illness, the lack of exercise and the painfully small amount of food he consumed was causing harm to his development.

That day too, while they were playing together, Wedrick suddenly ordered Erwan to stop. “You have to stop now, otherwise you’ll feel terrible tomorrow.” Erwan followed Wedrick’s latest order, his shoulders drooping miserably. He was thinking the same thing he always did—that he was worthless and not good at anything.

“Lord Erwan is only thirteen,” said a voice from behind him. Erwan turned around and saw a small, pretty girl with brown hair and bright green eyes. “You are seventeen, it’s only natural that you are stronger than him.”

Wedrick looked taken aback. “Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.”

He considered the girl before him. With her fine clothes, she didn’t look like one of the castle servants, but as far as he knew there weren’t any girls in the castle around Erwan’s age.

She ignored his question. “Sir Wedrick, the baron was looking for you. You should go find him. Now,” she said pointedly.

Wedrick was suspicious, but her clothing, her bearing and the way she spoke all seemed like someone who was used to giving orders. She could be the daughter of visiting nobles—he had to be careful not to offend her.

“It seemed urgent. You really should go,” she said again.

Wedrick wavered, but decided that she could be telling the truth. After all, she knew who his father was. “Okay, fine.”

He put down his racquet, stuffed a fistful of snacks into Erwan’s hands, and walked back toward the castle.

The girl finally looked at Erwan. She had a bright smile on her face.

“Do you want to play with me? I’m the same age as you,” she asked.

It was the first time he had ever met a young lady his own age.

* * *

I’d wanted to grab Wedrick by the collar and shake him, but he was nobility, and I was only a commoner. Instead, I’d been able to chase him off, and now I could focus solely on Erwan.

Hmm. Wait.

I found myself looking at him closely for the first time, and I was rather shocked.

He was pretty small for his age, but his features were sharp and defined. His eyes looked as dark as night. I hadn’t known it from the weak boy I’d seen in my previous life, but it seemed like he could grow into quite a looker with the proper care.

He’s a good-looking boy. I hid my surprise and tried to act casual.

“You want to play? With me?” he asked.

“Yep,” I answered brightly.

“D-do you know who I am?” He looked at me warily.

“Of course,” I assured him. “You are Lord Erwan Iliad Cereus, the young master of this castle and the heir to the duchy.”

He blinked and looked a little stunned.

“C’mon, let’s play,” I said. I held up the racquet that Wedrick had left and gestured for him to start.

After a few rounds, I had to admit I was surprised. Despite his small size and physical weakness, he was hitting the ball every time.

He’s much better than I’d expected. It seemed as though Wedrick had failed to squeeze the life out of him just yet, despite his best efforts.

I, however, wasn’t very good and kept missing the ball. Instead of looking triumphant, however, Erwan kept muttering apologetically.

“Sorry...”

“Huh? Why?” I asked.

“You keep missing the ball because I’m so bad at this.”

“What are you talking about?” I put my hands on my hips. “I’m the one who’s not good. That’s why I can’t hit the ball. You’re actually really good.”

“But Wedrick always says that I’m bad...”

“He’s just blaming you because he can’t hit it either,” I muttered to myself. I put my racquet down and planted myself in front of Erwan.

“Lord Erwan,” I said.

“Yes?”

“You should play with me instead of Sir Wedrick.”

“But Wedrick said I’ll embarrass everyone if I play with other people,” he protested.

“Not at all, you’re really, really good.” It was the truth. I ran my eyes over him. “I never lie. Seriously, I’m always honest. You can always trust me to tell the truth.”

“Really?”

It was true that he was small and way too thin, but it seemed as if his muscles would develop well with a bit of exercise. He had good proportions too, with long arms and legs.

“But...” Erwan looked at me and blinked. “Who are you?” he asked. His voice was soft, as if he was unsure if he should ask.

“Oh, me?” I said lightly. I grabbed his hand and began dragging him into the castle. “I’m Lord Pearlman’s new assistant, Rita Estelle. But you can just call me Rita.”

“Oh.” Erwan let go of my hand, looking crestfallen. “Then... you won’t be here for long.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Erwan spoke in a small, sad voice. “None of Lord Pearlman’s assistants ever stay for very long.”

“Not me,” I said firmly. “I’m much smarter and better than anyone else. I’m going to be here for a long, long time.”

Erwan looked as though he didn’t believe me, so I shrugged and said, “I told you that I never lie. Just you wait and see. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Um, okay.”

He still looked unsure, so I gave a little laugh. “Lord Erwan, let’s make a promise.”

“What sort of promise?”

“I won’t get kicked out, and I’m going to be able to play with you and study with you, and we can do everything together. But if we do...” I looked into his eyes and spoke firmly. “You need to trust me and follow whatever advice I give you. Do you understand?”

“What?” he asked, petulantly. “Why do I have to do that?”

“I told you,” I said. “I’m really smart and super honest. So you need to do exactly what I tell you to do. Of course, it’ll probably be similar to whatever Lord Pearlman already told you.”

For now, I had no idea what the nature of Erwan’s illness was, and I didn’t know if it might get worse. I needed to run a careful diagnosis. Depending on what it was, his immune system could also be highly compromised. Of course, it was important that he start eating and exercising a lot more so he could jump-start his growth.

Under Wedrick’s influence, he’d grown too weak and impressionable. I’d have to do my best to befriend him so that he would look to me for advice, instead.

“This is our plan,” I said, as I plucked a leaf that had caught in his hair. “I’m going to stay by your side and take care of you no matter what, until you grow up into a big, strong duke.”

“Rita.” Erwan stopped walking and looked up at me. “And when I become the duke?”

“What do you mean?”

“Then you’re not going to be here anymore?” he questioned.

“Um...”

I hadn’t really thought about that part yet. I had no idea what I’d do once I turned nineteen. The only vague plan I had was to find my family, if I could.

“Well, when you’re healthy, you’re not going to need a doctor as much,” I explained.

“You said that you’re really smart and honest. Then shouldn’t you keep working for me? We’re a big and important family, you know,” he said stiffly, with the first hint of a noble’s imperiousness.

Yes, until your cousin ruined everything.

I cocked my head to the side. “But you’re still going to have Lord Pearlman. He’s your chief physician.”

“I’m going to let him leave so he can look for his daughter,” said Erwan.

I was surprised at this unexpected response and didn’t know what to say. Why was he suddenly so good at arguing?

Erwan saw me hesitate, then reached out and grabbed my hand.

I just smiled awkwardly. “Er, well, of course. I... I can think about it then.”

I thought back to how Erwan had been at nineteen, physically and mentally destroyed. It was my job to take care of him and help him grow into a strong and capable leader. I would have to start thinking about his education, too. I was truly a one-of-a-kind doctor and the wisest of souls.

“We still have a few years before we have to worry about all that,” I said. “Besides, what could possibly happen by then?”