Chapter 7: The Yellow Handkerchief and Arthur
Winter was in full swing, with the year’s end approaching. Snow fell lightly over the capital, giving it a serene and picturesque quality.
Adults rubbed their arms to fend off the cold, while children ran about energetically.
Amidst the bustling streets, a man walked alone. It was Fei. Exhausted from intense training, he was physically drained but unwavering in his principles. He followed only the path he believed in and would never stray from his convictions.
Fei stopped by a general store, entering with a sharp gaze as he scanned the shelves. He ignored hair accessories, rings, necklaces, and other ornaments, searching for something specific.
Some customers felt intimidated by his presence, but Fei remained unaware, focused on his quest. Finally, his eyes settled on a yellow handkerchief, and he reached out to grab it.
He took the handkerchief to the counter, paid for it, and left the store.
Just then, Yururu and Mai appeared in front of him. It seemed they were out shopping together.
“Hey, Fei!”
Yururu, always cheerful and childlike, waved energetically. Mai, bowing politely, greeted him as well.
“Unusual to see you coming out of a general store, Fei.”
“…No particular reason.”
“I can’t imagine you doing anything without a purpose, but I won’t pry.”
“Hello, Fei.”
“Ah,”
Fei replied curtly, attempting to end the conversation. Yururu, knowing Fei’s reluctance to engage, didn’t try to detain him. As Fei was about to leave, more voices called out to him.
“Hey, Fei!”
“Hello, Fei.”
It was Bowlan and Arthur. Fei found himself surrounded.
“Yururu and… who is this? Arthur, do you know?”
“She’s Yururu’s maid, Mai.”
“Oh, a maid! It’s my first time seeing one. Such cute, frilly clothes!”
“Thank you, Miss Bowlan.”
“You know my name?”
“Yes, I’ve heard about you from Lady Yururu and deduced that you must be Miss Bowlan.”
“Maid skills are amazing!”
“Just basic manners.”
Bowlan, fascinated by her first encounter with a maid, expressed her excitement openly. Arthur, however, seemed unimpressed, as if something about Mai didn’t sit right with him.
“I’m leaving now.”
” …… What”
“Hey, Fei, “
“why don’t we grab a meal together?”
“Go with Arthur.”
“We’ve gone out plenty of times. Come with us this time. And bring these two along.”
“No. I don’t have time.”
“Aw, well, next time then.”
“I might not come.”
“But I know you’ll come, Fei. You’re kind like that.”
Arthur, always claiming to know everything, made Yururu smile at their banter. Mai, meanwhile, entertained a wild thought.
(Is this… a love triangle? Lady Yururu, Arthur, and Mai in a dramatic showdown? Bowlan is… definitely the innocent bystander in this.)
Fei, unwilling to engage further, left the scene. Arthur felt slightly disappointed at the brief interaction, Bowlan was a bit sad about not having lunch together, and Mai was lost in her imagination. Only Yururu noticed that Fei was wearing the scarf she had made for him, smiling contentedly.
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Fei was having breakfast as usual.
Across from him sat Maria and Lele, each wearing red flower hair ornaments. It was a typical day, though Maria seemed to be blinking more than usual.
She kept glancing at Fei, looking away, then mustering the courage to look at him again, only to shy away once more.
“Is there something on my face?”
“Oh, no… nothing. Forget it, Fei.”
“…You wouldn’t look at me like that for nothing. What’s up? Spit it out. It’s annoying.”
“…Sorry. It’s just…”
Sensing the hesitation, Lele spoke up.
“Maria wants you to go with her to visit her mother’s grave!”
“…I see.”
“Lele!? How do you know that!?”
Maria hadn’t told anyone about this, not even the orphanage children. She had wanted to ask Fei but never voiced it. Lele’s insight shocked her.
“You said we should visit the grave at least once! And you want Fei to go with you!”
“Lele, you’re very perceptive. I’m surprised.”
Maria vaguely remembered mumbling about the grave visit, but Lele linking it to Fei’s involvement amazed her. She thought Lele might be a genius.
In reality, Lele knew Maria liked and relied on Fei, so when she mentioned the grave, Lele assumed she’d want Fei to go with her.
He just connected the dots to help bring them closer,
knowing Fei wouldn’t let Maria go alone.
“…So, why didn’t you just say that?”
“Well, I thought… it might be a bother. You’re busy with training, training, and more training…”
“…Right. But fine, I’ll go with you.”
“Really? Is that okay?”
“…mm. I owe you… No, forget that. I’ll go. If monsters show up, it’ll be good training.”
“Thank you.”
(If Fei and Maria get closer, I’ll be happy too!)
Lele felt like they were a newlywed couple, shy and considerate. Fei, though reluctant, appreciated Maria’s help and his feelings were clear to both Maria and Lele.
(Maria, go for it! Kiss him!)
Lele, though blind, was skilled at reading hearts and silently cheered for Maria.
The day of their outing arrived.
Fei wore a red scarf and black clothes, with a sword and a knife at his waist.
Maria, with a blue flower hair ornament, had dressed up a bit more than usual.
Her hair was carefully styled, and instead of her usual sister’s outfit, she wore a white blouse, a brown coat, and a long red flower-patterned skirt. The blouse was tight, accentuating her figure.
She exuded the sexiness of an adult.
(Sigh, this blouse is too tight… The buttons might pop off… I never bought clothes like this, thinking I’d never wear them, and now they’re the wrong size…)
Maria never cared much about fashion. From her days as a knight consumed by revenge to her life as a sister, her wardrobe was limited to knight’s armor and sister’s habits.
She never imagined she’d be going out with someone she liked.
With her ample breasts and buttocks, it is only natural that Men couldn’t help but notice her voluptuous figure, but Fei remained indifferent, his usual stoic expression unchanged as they headed for the city gates.
Despite feeling a bit dissatisfied with his lack of attention, Maria was content just walking beside him.
As the two of them walked together, a man, attracted by Maria’s allure, appeared in front of her.
“Hey there, miss. How about we grab a drink or somethi—”
“…Disappear.”
“Eek! I-I’m so sorry!!”
The man, intimidated by Fei’s overwhelming presence, quickly ran off. To Maria, it felt like Fei was protecting her, just like a boyfriend would ward off unwanted attention. Her cheeks warmed at the thought.
Meanwhile, Fei continued walking, his intimidating aura ensuring no other men dared approach Maria. They safely left the capital and made their way towards the hometown of Maria, or rather, Lilia and Maria.
Once outside the capital, Fei slowed his pace since only Lilia and Maria knew the way. They walked side by side, a rare occurrence, creating a somewhat awkward atmosphere.
Though usually silent, Maria found it even harder to speak without Lele around. She wanted to start a conversation but struggled to find the words.
“So, Fei, how have you been lately?”
“Training, eating, sleeping, training again. The usual routine.”
“Oh, right… I figured. Um, I heard you recently met someone named Mei? True mentioned it.”
“…Yeah, her.”
“What’s she like? I’ve heard she’s quite a beauty.”
Maria knew a bit about Fei’s relationships but was curious about any recent changes.
Fei never shared details about his missions, if he even went on them.
She wasn’t presumptuous enough to think she was Fei’s girlfriend, but she couldn’t help but be interested in someone she liked.
“There’s nothing special. I’m mostly training.”
“I see. That sounds like you. So… what about Yururu? How’s that going?”
it is no exaggeration to say that this was what Maria was most curious about. She knew Fei and Yururu had a master-disciple relationship, but she also sensed that Yururu had feelings for Fei beyond that of a mentor.
To Maria, they seemed the closest out of anyone.
“The other day, she taught me the middle level of the swords man school.”
“The middle level? Oh, you mean the Namikaze Seishin-ryu?”
“Yeah, it’s a side counter rather than a vertical one. If you miss the timing, you get hurt yourself.”
“I see. Anything else?”
“Just some body techniques.”
“Huh, okay.”
(Maybe Yururu has a hard time too… Fei seems oblivious to women’s feelings… Though, True is much worse… When Iris asked him out, he thought she wanted help carrying her shopping bags…)
Fei answered straightforwardly, stating only the facts. He never initiated conversations, but he never ignored her questions either. Maria found this kindness in Fei, but also noticed his lack of interest in women.
They continued walking and eventually arrived at a village. This was the village from when it was just Lilia. A place of pure happiness before any loss.
Upon arrival, Maria spoke without realizing it.
“So… the village has been restored.”
Before her eyes, there was no trace of the once hellish village. New houses stood where burnt ones had been. There were no bloodstains or nauseating smells.
The clean, sorrow-free place brought a bit of joy to Maria. Lilia walked into the village, looking around nostalgically.
There was a different house where she once lived, with a happy family residing there now.
Fei quietly followed her. Lilia asked a villager about the graves of those who once lived here.
The villager, as if recalling something, pointed in a direction. They walked there, to a place now abandoned.
Forgotten, with no visitors. Gravestones stood in rows. Lilia stopped at one.
—It was her mother’s grave.
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