Ignoring his fear, the woman held his hand and dipped it into the basin, and the two of them washed their hands together. Even her grip on his hand had no force; it was just gentle. They washed their hands together and, later, even washed their feet together.

He learned how to create soap bubbles on his own and how to wash every nook and cranny.

For the young master who had always had someone assist him in bathing, everything was a first-time experience. The woman took great care of even the bathing place. Once he got used to the basin, she took him far away to a place where the stream only came up to the ankles.

“Let’s wash just our feet. If you’re okay, we can wash up to your knees.”
When the boy was near the water, except for the woman, no one dared to come near him.

The woman, a kind and strong person, turned out to be formidable. He later learned that the guys who had tortured and abused him on the day they first met had been properly punished after receiving a severe beating themselves.

“Did you wash thoroughly?”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

The woman, who answered, looked at the boy bitterly. The boy wanted to scream at her not to look at him like that.

He was born into the imperial family and grew up in luxury. He wanted to shout not to pity him. However, the strong woman was wise enough to understand what he wanted to say just by looking at his expression.

“I’m not pitying you, Hayden.”

It was not pity but empathy.

“I lost my parents too.”

The green eyes were filled with the empathy of someone who had lost the comforting touch early on. The boy, who had glared at the woman with venomous eyes, hesitated. She protected the boy as if he were her younger brother. Naturally, words had to come out.

“Hey, did that young brat get beaten up along with you?”

“It’s probably nice to live with a young one. He looked like a girl, so do you swing that way?”

A genius knight was said to sleep and travel with a young recruit in the tent.

Even though she was a ‘genius knight,’ she had risen to the top at such a young age and gained the trust of the Emperor, making her the idol of the knights and a target of jealousy. The boy couldn’t stand hearing such talk about the kind woman on the battlefield.

But now, he had to stay quiet even if he heard such words. He had learned that if he jumped in again, the woman who took care of him would be in even more trouble.

The boy had to stay quiet, which made him frustrated and angry, so he secretly cried. The snickering sound was nauseating, but he cried in a corner where no one could find him because he was powerless.

But as always, the woman was the only one who could find him.

“Hayden, I found a stream where it’s okay to bathe today… Why are you like this? Who bothered you again? Who was it?”

While the woman’s face, which had come to speak with a bright expression, stiffened frighteningly, the boy shook his head.

“Did you get hit? Huh?”

She was affectionate.

“Over there… Let’s go wash up.”

“What’s going on? Can’t you tell me? What happened?”

“It’s nothing, just to wash up. To wash up and learn swordsmanship. Teach me.”

“…Sure. Let’s go. This way.”

She didn’t say anything more. Instead, she went to a stream with very clear water, looked around to make sure no one was there, held his hand tightly, and walked into the water together to help him get used to it.

“Next time, we can go into deeper water. I’ll also teach you how to swim. You can do it.”

To the woman, the boy was a presence that made teaching enjoyable. His pride was immense, and he would rush at those who were not even worth fighting against, which was a problem. However, it also meant that he knew how to discern what was wrong.
Taught him how to endure, instructed him in physical techniques and swordsmanship. With a solid foundation, he absorbed anything easily. Swimming too…

Did she ever teach swimming?

A cracking sound was heard.

Simon Cainberg, a royal noble, initially thought it might be the sound of the abundant ship ribs breaking in the shipyard.

However, the sound was much smaller than expected to be the sound of ship ribs breaking. It was small, but it was very clear.

Even in this situation where people were screaming, monsters were roaring, and the water was making loud noises, it was clearly audible.

Simon looked at the point where the sound was coming from. Yes, he was tightly holding Rustica Genesis, the viscountess, who always seemed to be cautious, with a cautious look around her.

Unlike usual, she was acting like a crazy person, and dangerously, she tried to run toward the sea where the Emperor had disappeared. Looking into her eyes, it was clear that her focus was not right.

‘She has someone to worry about…’

At least, the Emperor was not the one to worry about. Simon was surprised to see something flowing down from Rustica Genesis’s eyes. Tears? It was bewildering to see a noble young lady crying.

‘No, it’s not tears.’