I am sorry, Carl

Lucas never thought that he would be rushing so much like this just to get back home. It was too tiring. So tiring that he thought Brook's training would be better.

In fact he was not that physically tired but his mind felt like it was going to explode from thinking about what kind of excuse or explanation he would have to give if he was caught going outside.

"Brother, can you be a bit faster?"

"Kid, this is the best I can do! Pity a bit on the horse."

Lucas sighed as he looked at the vast scenery. At first he was planning to take a carriage and go back to Evandall more comfortably but now as he had revealed some precious information which would definitely catch the interest of his sister and make her look for him which was why he had to travel back with horseback riding.

He had a bit of trouble as there were only carriage services, which would be used for travelling but fortunately, he was able to make someone leave his carriage behind and send him back to Evandall only just with horse because carriage would take more time in travelling with its weight. That someone was now who was making his horse run like there was a tiger following them behind on his little customer's order.

"Is Evandall near, now?" Lucas hoped that his sister would not send someone back to Evandall, to check on him. He made sure that he fully covered all his hair and half of his face, when he was talking to that knight. Even his eyes would be barely visible.

'Big sis Maria will not be suspicious, right?' Lucas felt that it would be nearly impossible that his sister would be able to see that it was connected with him so he sighed a bit.

'Better be back home, soon, though…' He was a bit worried as he saw the signs of the sun setting when he looked up.

"Hmm, I guess it still needs around thirty minutes. Why are you rushing so much? Have to be back home before sunset? Hahaha." The boy shouted back, as the wind was making it difficult for them to speak normally.

He was surprised when this young boy made him leave his carriage when travelling. Most people liked to be comfortable, right? But he finally realized that the kid was in a rush as he made him speed up the horse, so much that he wondered if this small kid wasn't afraid. But he enjoyed this feeling though as it had been a long time since he had run wild like this.

"Sort of." Lucas just gazed in the front.

Finally, they could see the city as it was only when Lucas could sigh. Lucas made him stop at the entrance, wearing back his hood which was long apart from covering his hair because of the strong wind.

"Here, take it." Lucas tossed 5 silver coins to the boy, making him widen his eyes in surprise. He just asked for 2 silver coins and he had already thought it might be too expensive for a kid, which was why he considered reducing it back to 1 silver coin as the horse riding was enjoyable for him, too.

"Hey, kid you don't ne-"

"Just keep it!" Lucas shouted back as he rushed into the city. He didn't have time to explain that he just gave him more because he was able to bring him back to Evandall at a first rate which would be a bit difficult for some other men. Besides, 5 silver coins was nothing to him.

Cause the pocket money he possessed was completely opposite to his own luck.

Holding the 5 silver coins, the boy looked at the entrance where Lucas had passed through, thinking that the appearance of him with while hair and blue eyes was too similar to what they described as the youngest son of the duke.

'Seriously, what am I thinking?' He just shoved it off as a nonsense way of thinking as he left Evandall, believing the fact that why would a duke's son wander alone with no one as his escort.

***

"Why is the tunnel so long….?" Lucas murmured as he ran passed through the tunnel leading back to the mansion, with a small lamp in his hand. He didn't realize it was that long when he left the mansion.

Through sighs and desires to cry out from tiredness, Lucas reached the end of the tunnel, as he climbed up the wooden staircase which was connected to the unused storeroom in a corner of the mansion.

As soon as Lucas got into the storeroom, he covered the small entryway with the rough curtain, as the same as before, and changed his clothes back to the ones he wore in the morning. Everyone would be surprised to see him in clothes which had already rugged from all those travelling.

Making himself to be proper and lookable, wiping all his sweat away, Lucas stepped out of the room after he made sure that there was no voice outside. He was glad that the room was not too far away from his own room, which made it easier for him to sneak out.

It wouldn't be wrong to say that Lucas felt a chill down his spine when he realized that the door of his room was opened.

'Did they realize it!?' A sensation of insecurity rose up in Lucas's mind while his forehead felt a bit of sweat from thinking what kind of excuse he could give to them.

'Should I just say that I am just relaxing in the garden? What if they had already found the whole house!?' Lucas couldn't afford for the security to get tightened as he couldn't just sit back if he was kept within the mansion.

Lucas tried to calm down his mind after seeing that the whole mansion was still quiet, not showing the signs of a haywire which meant that even if they found out, it was only just now so he could still make some excuses.

And he went into his room, bracing himself, only to meet with a familiar knight who just came running out of the room as if he had seen a ghost.

"What are you doing in my room, Carl?"

Lucas decided to make his face as stern as possible, to raise his own confidence in interacting with others.

'I have done nothing wrong. I have done nothing wrong.' He repeated those words in his mind because he had already looked a bit messy and tired so he needed to look like he did nothing wrong.

"Ah, Young master… Actually, I just." Carl looked nervously at the small child in front of him glaring at him coldly.

"I thought I asked to leave me alone for a while." Lucas wondered if Carl was having a sixth sense in thinking whether he was actually in his room or not.

"Why are you….?"

"Want to ask why I am out? Am I not allowed to even leave my room now?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that. Actually....."

"Are you worried that I might go out? Am I that untrustworthy?"

Lucas decided to make a face like he felt hurt for not believing him, wondering how he should make Carl to be his accomplice in his next outings. Like how Edwin had pulled Leo to his side. It would be much more convenient. Maybe he could ask his brother for some tips.

"No, Young master… It is just that… I…." Carl didn't know what to say more and then he knelt down, feeling that he had really made his little master hurt and sad. "I deeply apologize, Young master! I will accept any punishment."

Not believing what he was seeing, Lucas almost cried out loud.

'WHAT THE HECK!?' Lucas felt like he was sinful for fooling Carl now. 'YOU CAN JUST MAKE IT UP WITH SOMETHING!' He knew that Carl wasn't able to lie that much when he came face to face but he didn't expect it to be this bad. And he was not planning to make a problem, here. All he wanted was just to have a rest after all these tiredness.

'Ok, I did too much….' Lucas silently said sorry to Carl.

"Ahem…" Lucas was speechless and now he was guilty for acting all cold. "It's ok. Carl. Now get up."

"Young master, I really did have doubts on you, so please punish me."

'I JUST WANT TO ENTER MY ROOM AND LIE COMFORTABLY NOW, CARL!'

Lucas inwardly screamed. That rough horseback riding of four whole hours was really no joke, in addition to running non-stop from the city entrance to the mansion, using healing mana in order to replenish his energy and stamina. Lucas really wanted to applaud himself on the fact that he still had strength left to stand.

"Then next time, accompany me to wherever I want to go."

Lucas decided not to let this opportunity go easily. It was a rare chance for him to make Carl break some orders for a while. 'Is it scamming?' Lucas couldn't help but wonder.

"As long as, the du-"

"Even when my father doesn't allow me to." Lucas didn't hope for this to succeed, though. But asking him would not hurt him.

A few seconds of silence passed between them and it almost made Lucas just sit down in front of Carl without going into his room.

"Once…."

Lucas was surprised as he heard a few words come out from Carl. He was not expecting that actually.

"Is once enough, young master?" Carl did need to take sometime before making the promise. It was not that Carl didn't want to fulfill the wishes of Young master Lucas. It was just simply that Duke Cassius not letting the young master out meant that something not normal was happening outside.

'Young master would just want a stroll, right? He is just a child so he wouldn't think of going too far.' Carl thought that a stroll around the main city should be ok. They could just come back quickly.

'That's more than enough.' Considering that fact that his restriction of going out was only because of that stupid curse, Lucas's lips curled up.

"Ok! You promised, Carl! If you break it, I will hate you forever!"

"Yes, Young master…" Carl nodded. But he felt like he just made a wrong promise, though, seeing how his young master smiled.

"Great! Now please get up. It is really awkward!" Lucas thought that if he was in Myanmar, where his past life lived, he would be scolded straight from his parents for letting someone older kneel in front of him.

"Then, I will leave, Young master. Call me if you need something!"

"Yep, Yep. I get it…"

And Carl left Lucas's room, excusing himself. He somehow felt that his young master was a little bit sweatier than usual though. 'Is it because of the training?' Or so he thought. Carl didn't really realize how Lucas was apologizing to him secretly for deceiving him.

As soon as Carl had left, Lucas immediately closed the door, lying flat on the floor as he didn't want to stand anymore.

'F*ck, I don't even want to get on the bed.' He had many things to do once Tus and Eura came back. First, he had to find a healer who would give advice to Maria, regarding the disease in his stead.

The disease could be controlled if they just didn't let the infected people be touched. But he didn't know who was infected and who was not. Considering that it had been some time since the disease had been started, there should be quite a number of people infected. But the result should be clear if they just quarantined the whole territory for 8 to 10 days. But no cure was available for the people with the disease. Only the fate of death was waiting for them sooner or later.

As Lucas thought and thought he felt that his eyes were heavier and heavier.

And then he slept. On the floor. Just like that.

Only to be woken up when he felt some shakiness as if he was carried.

"Oh, master, are you awake?"

Lucas looked at a familiar figure who was carrying him. It was Tus. And it meant that Tus and Eura were back and it was time for Lucas to get the work done.

"Welcome back, Tus..." Lucas muttered felt sorry that he had to give these two poor souls more work just after they had travelled back. But he couldn't help it, could he?

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Author Note: Notice that the cover has changed? Yep! I commissioned it around 20 days now and I got it yesterday, so it is now the official cover of this novel! How do you think of it? Hahahahaha.