"My health has fully recovered, and I have been told that I may now go out walking."
That was what I wrote in the letter I sent to Katia before the audit.
About two weeks later, I received word that she wanted to come for a visit. Since it takes about a week for a letter to reach the Laufen Margraviate, her response was almost as fast as humanly possible. However, the audit notice from the District Office arrived around the same time, stating the inspection was only three days away, so I had her postpone the meeting.
Today was the day I had finally scheduled for our meeting.
◇◇◇
I stood in the entrance hall as the sound of a carriage coming to a halt on the cobblestones reached my ears.
I was the only one there to greet her, with Mira and Lina following at a respectful distance behind me.
——It’s been over a year since I last saw Katia.
The door opened.
"Rein!"
The voice belonged to the girl who had just leapt from the carriage, calling my name the moment her feet hit the ground.
A stray lock of hair, longer now than it had been a year ago, danced in the wind. She had grown taller, too. While she still projected that same active energy, there was now a touch of womanly grace mixed in—I couldn't quite put it into words, but her entire aura had matured.
Katia ran straight up to me.
"Is your body really okay? Have you completely recovered?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for coming today."
I couldn't help but let a smile slip onto my face.
"I'm so glad you're better, Rein. And look at you—you've grown quite a bit taller since I last saw you."
"And you, Katia... you've become quite cute."
The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could catch them.
Katia's expression froze.
"Th-thank you..." she stammered in a tiny voice.
Her face turned a deep crimson, the flush spreading all the way down to her neck. Her gaze darted around restlessly before finally dropping to the cobblestones at her feet.
——I felt like something like this had happened before, but why was my heart racing so much right now?
◇◇◇
Once I showed her to the drawing room, Lina brought in the tea set. Mira stood quietly by the wall, hands clasped in front of her. She followed Lina's every movement, nodding slightly every now and then—acting as the stern overseer watching over her junior's service.
As Katia sat down, she looked at Lina with curiosity.
"Oh? Wasn't Mira your personal maid, Rein?"
"Ah, let me introduce her. Lina is also working as my apprentice maid."
Lina set down the teapot and gave a small bow.
"...I am Lina."
Katia's eyes lingered on Lina's ears.
"An elf...?"
"Yeah. She had no one to turn to, so I took her in last year. Now she's training as an apprentice maid here."
Katia gave a short nod, murmuring a quiet "I see," and then offered a polite smile.
"Nice to meet you, Lina."
"...Nice to meet you as well."
Lina began pouring tea into the cup in front of me, focusing intensely on the movement of her hands.
"Thank you, Lina."
When I thanked her as I took the cup, Lina's cheeks tinged a faint red. Her gaze flicked toward me for a split second before she hurriedly returned her attention to her tray.
——Katia caught the entire exchange.
Her eyes narrowed for the briefest of moments.
"Rein, you haven't changed at all in that regard, have you?" Katia muttered with a wry, knowing smile. I wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that.
◇◇◇
"Come to think of it, Big Sister Therese is home right now, too. Lina, could you go get her?"
"...Understood."
Lina left the drawing room. While we were catching up on recent events, the door opened, and Big Sister Therese entered, guided by Lina.
"Lady Katia, it has been a long time," Big Sister Therese said with a soft, warm smile.
Katia hurriedly stood up.
"Lady Therese, it's been... so... long...!?"
Katia's gaze stopped for a moment on Big Sister Therese's chest. Then it dropped to her own chest before flicking back up again.
"......(N-no, it's fine, I'm still growing...!)"
"Lady Katia, you've grown quite a bit as well."
"......Thank you very much."
For some reason, Katia's reply was about half an octave lower than usual.
"Your tea... please..."
Lina stepped in smoothly to serve, and I felt the tension in the room soften a little.
When Katia had finished about half her tea, she suddenly looked up.
"Hey, Rein. Since you're finally allowed to go outside—why don't we go shopping in the city?"
In that instant, my fingers locked around the handle of my teacup.
——Shopping in the city... with Katia and Mira... at the market——.
Before I could even think, my body reacted. My heart rate spiked, and my breathing grew shallow. The cup began to clatter against the saucer as my hand trembled uncontrollably.
I didn't understand it. I had been fine when we went to the slave trader's...
Katia saw my expression and realized the truth immediately.
"I'll be right there with you. I'm not weak anymore!"
"I'll go with you as well, Rein. I won't lose to the likes of those people," Big Sister Therese added.
"I shall protect you as well, of course. That is what I have been training for," Mira said.
"...Lina too.......I will act as a decoy if I have to."
I exhaled slowly, focusing on my breath. The clattering of the cup finally ceased.
"......All right. Let's go."
As soon as I agreed, Mira immediately set things in motion.
◇◇◇
The preparations for our outing were far more formidable than I had anticipated.
We had one medium-sized family carriage—a six-seater with facing benches—escorted by ten elite official knights. It seemed they had even recruited Professor Berta in case we encountered a large group; she was keeping a sharp watch from the footman's seat.
Mira wore her usual maid uniform, but she carried the leather trunk she always took whenever we went out. I still had no idea what was inside it.
Furthermore, Katia had brought along her favorite halberd. The weapon was a solid metal masterpiece more than twice her height, and she had it secured horizontally to the side of the carriage with leather straps. When I reflexively pointed out that she wouldn't be able to swing it in the middle of the city, she simply replied, "If I have to, I'll blow through a few buildings to make room. Your safety is the only thing that matters, Rein."
Big Sister Therese had changed into mobile vestments and carried a small mace at her waist. It looked almost like a short scepter with a pear-shaped head. Lina joined us as well.
By the time I climbed into the carriage, the overwhelming sense of security was enough to stop my heart from racing.
◇◇◇
The market in the territorial capital smelled exactly as it had five years ago. Freshly baked bread, pungent spices, and the scent of dry dust. I was walking down the same street I had been on that day. As the realization hit, my feet faltered, but everyone walking beside me simply adjusted their pace to match mine without a word.
Just then, a breeze caught us.
Katia's hair swayed, and the knot of her ribbon caught my eye.
——Red. No, it was a shade that could barely be called red anymore.
The fabric was clearly high quality, as it wasn't frayed and had held its shape perfectly, but after years of constant use, the original vibrant red had faded into a dull, muddy hue.
"Oh, that ribbon..."
At the sound of my voice, Katia's hand flew to her hair. Her cheeks turned crimson the moment she touched it.
"Ah... this? Um, well... this is the one... the one you said looked good on me... five years ago..."
Her voice trailed off at the end, barely a whisper.
A warmth welled up deep in my chest.
"......Come with me for a second."
I took Katia by the hand and led her toward the fabric shop across the street.
The shop's shelves were lined with ribbons of every imaginable color—red, blue, yellow, pink, and orange.
I reached out and selected one.
——It was a deep scarlet.
If I chose bright red, it would just be a replacement for what she had. I wanted something deeper, more mature—a color with a depth that matched the five years that had passed. Mostly, though, I just thought the color would look beautiful on her.
I paid the shopkeeper using my allowance and took the ribbon, holding it out to her.
"Here. I want to give you a new one."
After a long silence, Katia spoke in a tiny voice.
"......Tie it for me."
Averting her gaze, Katia turned her back to me. Her slender, delicate neck was right there before my eyes.
I steadied my breath.
Holding the scarlet ribbon in both hands, I reached out.
——She smelled wonderful.
A cool, crisp scent like lavender. I realized then—it was the same scent that always clung to the letters she sent me.
I carefully untied the old, faded ribbon and handed it to her. Katia took it and tucked it away as if it were a precious treasure. Then, I began to weave the new scarlet ribbon into her hair.
For the few seconds it took to perfect the knot, Katia kept her head bowed, appearing to hold her breath.
I pulled the loops of the bow tight and let go.
Katia slowly turned around to face me.
"Thank you, Rein."
Her cheeks were flushed a soft pink, a pale echo of the deep scarlet ribbon now tied in her hair.
◇◇◇
The setting sun was staining the cobblestones of the castle gate by the time the carriage brought us back.
The Laufen family carriage was already waiting for Katia.
We exchanged our goodbyes, and Katia began to walk toward her ride—but then she came to a sudden halt.
She spun around and marched back toward me.
"Come here a second, Rein."
"Yeah?"
Katia placed her hands on my shoulders. Then, rising onto her tiptoes, she pressed her lips against my cheek.
——Wait, what?
The sensation was over in an instant. It was soft and warm, and then she was pulling away.
Katia’s face was now so red it rivaled the color of her new ribbon.
"I-I—! I'll come see you again soon!"
She blurted the words out at high speed and practically dove into her carriage. The coachman immediately snapped the reins, and the carriage lurched into motion.
I stood there, one hand pressed against my cheek, watching the carriage disappear into the distance.
Mira was smiling silently. Big Sister Therese let out a soft, knowing chuckle. Lina stood motionless, staring intensely at the spot where Katia had vanished.
——I was glad it was twilight. I was certain my face was just as red as Katia's.