Sunlight filled the room, and with its warmth the boy opened his purple eyes.
He walked toward the bathroom mirror with his pajamas, bed, and hair all in a mess.
Washing his face, brushing his teeth, fixing his hair for a while, and finally changing his clothes.
Only one thing remained to truly start the day.
The door knocked three times with a pleasant sound.
"Young master, breakfast is ready."
He opened the door and gave a smiling glance to the maid with brown hair and eyes, about his age.
"I don't want to repeat myself."
"But…"
"No buts. My name is Karon, and you will use it."
Karon took the girl's hand.
They went downstairs and entered the dining hall, where a woman with black hair and purple eyes was sitting at the head of the table.
"Good morning, mother."
"Good morning, Karon."
"Cecil will sit next to me."
"But…"
"Cecil, you know the rules of this house."
"Yes, ma'am."
Cecil pulled the chair with a sullen expression and sat down.
The fork pierced the cheese with softness. It scraped against the plate and made a sharp sound.
A simple brown meal sat on the greyed wooden table.
The sound of wooden spoons still echoed in his ears.
He snapped out of his thoughts and focused on the cheese in front of him.
He crushed it with his tongue and swallowed.
The mother turned her purple eyes away from the maid and looked at her son.
"After you finish training, shall we go for a horse ride?"
"Okay, but I want to go on a picnic with Cecil in my free time."
"If Cecil agrees, why not."
Mother and son turned their heads toward the maid, but Cecil, lost in the meal, hadn't noticed the conversation.
(Laughing in unison) "Hahaha."
Startled, Cecil turned her head and looked at them, still not understanding what was funny.
Karon wiped a piece of cheese from Cecil's cheek with a cloth.
"Would you like to go on a picnic in the afternoon?"
Caught off guard by the touch:
"O-okay," she said.
Karon wiped his mouth, stood up, fixed his chair, and headed toward the training hall.
***
In the training hall, a middle-aged man holding a sword greeted Karon.
"Hello, young master."
"Hello, Uncle Nolan."
"If you're ready, let's begin today's training."
"Today I think I'll win."
"We'll see."
He threw the wooden sword toward Karon and immediately rushed at him.
"Cheap tricks."
"There are no cheap or expensive tricks on the battlefield, sir."
Using his height advantage, he struck downward.
For a thirteen-year-old, Karon's strength was considerable; he blocked the strike with one hand on the hilt and the other on the blade.
Dust rose with the intensity of the clash, and cracking sounds were heard.
His legs gave out under the weight and Karon fell to the ground.
"So your arm strength isn't enough. Today we're training your legs."
"That's the worst news I've heard today."
Following Nolan with a forced smile, Karon wasn't thinking pleasant thoughts.
***
He had no strength left in his legs, but there were still things to do.
Reluctantly, he made his way to the stable.
A beautiful black-haired woman waiting by the horse smiled as she saw him and walked toward him.
She ran her slender fingers through his black hair.
"Well done, my son."
"I'm not a child anymore."
"You'll always be a child to me. Shall I help you mount the horse?"
"No need."
They mounted their black horses and set off at a steady pace.
Leaves danced with the gentle wind as the sun shifted from yellow to red, and mother and son rode through the trees.
The mother's figure stood out—noble, graceful, and kind, truly aristocratic.
The son, on the other hand, had a completely ordinary appearance, posture, and presence.
Two distant but not conflicting figures continued their journey, and when the sun turned orange, they returned to the mansion.
He didn't dismount; instead, he rode toward Cecil, who was waiting with a picnic basket, and helped her onto the horse.
He took her hand and wrapped it around his waist, then started riding.
They stopped on a hill overlooking the sea.
Under a lone tree standing on the hill, they spread a cloth to ease its loneliness and sat down.
Karon tried to listen to Cecil, but the scenery—and her beauty—kept distracting him.
As sunset approached, they both fell silent and looked at each other.
Karon leaned toward Cecil, taking her hand with one hand and her cheek with the other.
Cecil, thinking there was still a crumb on her cheek, was about to speak—but no words came out.
Karon kissed her.
She tried to pull away reflexively, but something inside her stopped her.
In front of a painting-like landscape, the two young lovers blended into the beauty of the scene.
On the horse, Cecil, blushing, complained as she leaned against Karon.
"Was it necessary to kiss so suddenly?"
"You were so beautiful, I couldn't hold back."
Cecil blushed even more at his words and buried her face in his chest.
They didn't speak along the way.
Both, still thinking about the kiss, rode silently back to the mansion.