“Ouch!”
I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head as I was rudely pulled away from my dream world…
Well, to be fair, I didn’t dream in the first place, or at least I didn’t dream about anything last night.
“Ah, sorry! I didn’t mean to let you fall like that.”
I slowly opened my eyes, finding myself on the wooden floor of my room, with Aliya’s hand on my left foot. She really did barge in and drag me out.
“How did you get in?”
I asked, slightly infuriated.
“Your Dad told me to just do whatever I planned. I didn’t even say anything.”
She let go of my feet and pointed toward the door, where my Dad peeked through the door frame.
“I tried calling you.”
He calmly said, without a hint of guilt. Well, it wasn’t his fault… but still.
“Come on, go and get ready. There’s nothing wrong about getting there early, is there?”
“Fine… wait a bit.”
I got up and took a quick shower, before changing into my casual clothes. Aliya wore a white t-shirt and a pink shirt, which made her look awfully casual for a noble. I guess she didn’t want to show her bloodline on the first day, although her name gave it away.
Once I finished, I headed outside. My Dad had loaded all of my stuff into the car for me, so I didn’t need to bring anything but my phone as I went to the front lawn. I froze the second I looked at the street in front of the house, though. Not only Aliya’s parents, but half of the Moonuvert staff stood there.
They smiled when they saw me, making me even more confused. Aliya saw my frozen self and reached out to me.
“They all want to see you off. You are already a family to us.”
She pulled my hand and dragged me out to the street.
“I hope you two have a great high school life.”
Aliya’s dad said with a friendly smile on his face.
“Don’t go chasing skirts, all right?”
“I’m not like you, Dad!”
My dad simply grinned and stood beside Aliya’s dad.
“We’re off everyone! Goodbye!”
Aliya shouted and waved to her family, before dragging the still waving me into the car.
“Everything’s ready?”
“We are ready to go.”
The driver nodded to Aliya’s words and our black luxury sedan drove away from our families. I looked back one last time at them, waving as we get further away.
“Why do you all act as if it’s our last time seeing each other? Tonight I’ll give my parent a call, you should too.”
Aliya said while playing around with her phone. I nodded and looked out the window as the car sped into the highway.
“Oh yeah, Martin, can I have the package, please?”
“Sure, but should you give it now?”
“Why not? He won’t be able to run away anyway.”
Oh dear, not this again. Martin reached into the front seat, picked up a brown envelope, and handed it over to Aliya.
“Thanks.”
Aliya accepted it and handed them over to me.
“Umm… what’s this?”
“Cold, hard cash. They’re so hard you can slap someone with them. Accept it, this is a threat.”
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
“No-”
“You wouldn’t want me to drop you off the road, would you?”
She said teasingly, but considering her strength, I gulped in fear.
“Umm…”
“Ah, you’re so slow.”
She turned and looked toward the baggage compartment behind the seats.
“Ah, found it.”
“What are you doing?”
I straightened up and looked over the car seat, to find her stuffing the cash into my bag.
“Hey, that’s unfair.”
“Consider it a bonus for being my escort,” Aliya said, zipping back the zipper she opened. Seeing us, the driver giggled.
“You two were always together, it’s not strange to see you as her guard, Ranold.”
“She protected and helped me a lot more than the other way around, though.”
That was true. Aliya helped me so much throughout the five years I knew her, yet she always, always insisted on giving me more. I would be fine if she stopped doing anything for me, but she always refused. I wouldn’t be able to ever repay her if this continues.
“Besides, your family already paid for both my tuition fees along with the dormitory fees. And on top of that, you gave me an allowance, I really couldn’t ask for more.”
“You’re not asking for more, we’re the ones giving you more.”
“Well, yes. But-”
“No more buts. Relax, it’s not like we’re asking anything in return.”
She folded her arms behind her head and casually leaned into her seat while enjoying the passing views of the beach on the left side, while on the right side where I sat, the beautiful mountain scenery came into sight.
“I think that’s the problem…”
I let out a sigh, giving up. It felt weird accepting this much kindness from someone. Seeing me give up, Aliya smirked. She turned toward me and decided to put on more pressure.
“Everyone who worked in the house is considered family. Would it be weird if your family likes giving you stuff?”
She said, a weirdly evil-looking grin on her face.
“I can testify. Thanks to them, I could take my family on vacation last month.”
Oh no, not the driver too.
I searched for a way to counter the argument.
“But… but I don’t work for you…”
“Oh, you are my knight in shining armor, are you not?”
“Umm, it’s the other way around. I’m your weak prince.”
What did she see in me that made her think I was a knight? I would be the one hiding behind her, not the other way around.
“Isn’t it a princess’s right, then, to choose who her knight is?”
“But- but the knight needs to be strong-”
“-Oh does he? Then what constitutes as strong, then?”
“Able… umm, able to win a fight?”
“My, if that’s the case, my great grandfather Rubertoz couldn’t be considered a strong knight, then? After all, all he did was stay around the king, commanding a thousand soldiers.”
“That’s, that’s not-”
The driver glanced at the display happening in the back seat and let out a chuckle.
“Maybe that’s enough, Aliya.”
“Haha, you’re right.”
I let out a sigh of relief as she went back to her spot. She seemed perkier today. Was she excited about high school?
“Seriously, don’t worry about it. My family enjoyed the kindness of others in the past. Now we’re simply giving back,” she said before looking at the beach on the left side. I silently thanked Martin and looked out to the tall, green mountains that extended far beyond the eye could see. The Moonuvert family took me on a vacation two years ago. That was the first time I left my mountain town.
Sometimes I wonder why the Moonuvert family, who ruled over a large area of the island’s eastern regions, would choose Loknartor as their base. The only thing Loknartor had going for it was its peacefulness, being a relatively small town. While it was true that technology allowed people to work from wherever, the Moonuvert family still visited the various other areas under their command. They would often be away from home, especially Aliya’s father. Out of a single week, Aliya’s parents often spent four to five days away. If they would go out of their way to visit places like that, why bother with living in such a small town high up in the mountains in the first place?
Regardless, it was thanks to that choice that I was still alive now. I couldn’t imagine what would happen if Aliya hadn’t come running to my rescue all those years ago.
West of Loknartor, was the capital of the neighboring province, the city of Curtarvir, which would become my home for the next three years, assuming everything went as planned.
Back when I first met her, I never expected to go out of the town. I thought I would live there for the entirety of my existence, continuing my Dad’s job as a farmer. Yet, it all changed after meeting her, and even after all the kindness, she still refused to stop.
That was why, it became my life goal to serve her, to pay back her kindness.
As the fact that I was still alive today, was a result of her direct actions-
“You’re thinking about that again, aren’t you?”
“Huh, what?”
“Do you not realize, that every time you’re thinking about that night five years ago, your face always produced this weird, solemn, deadly serious expression?”
“It’s impossible for me to not think about it.”
“Come on, it’s going to be our first day in a new place, don’t drag down the mood like that.”
She said as she pouted. Yes, even after all that, she still deeply cared about me. Deep inside, she disliked seeing me sad and wanted to cheer me up.
“Tsundere.”
“What did you say!?”
She reached out and started pounding at me.
“Hey, stop! Please! I’m sorry, okay?”
Her strength made what were supposed to be joke punches, felt genuinely hurt. Martin kept his focus on the road despite his mouth visibly smiling.
Am I alone, now?
God help me.