Novel Bin Chapter 11.1
Chapter 11.1
Philip and his companions rode in a carriage towards a mansion located a short distance from the shopping district.
“Here we are, Philip. This is a villa where the royalty from neighboring countries stay temporarily when they visit the academy to meet their children or relatives. The Trading Association has a few more buildings like this one.”
Philip wore a satisfied expression as he took in the surroundings of the villa, guided by Lisriel. With its two floors and over six rooms, the place was adorned with various expensive furniture and decorations.
“So, you’re lending this place to us?”
“In my heart, I’d just give it to you, but unfortunately, that wouldn’t be feasible.”
Philip nodded in understanding.
“Well, I guess that makes sense. Is everything else prepared?”
“Of course. We have already hired a butler, maids, a chef, and a gardener. The remaining staff will be hired by the butler. Philip, you just need to relax and enjoy your time here.”
‘She doesn’t seem to have any suspicions.’
As anticipated, Lisriel’s attitude was even more favorable than Philip had imagined.
He wondered if she might have doubts about the authenticity of the “Golden Seal of Joseph,” but it seemed there was a means to verify its legitimacy.
“Um, I need to use the restroom. Where can I find it?”
Lua, who had been quietly standing there, suddenly spoke up. Felicia, being a noblewoman, was taken aback by Lua’s directness.
“You shouldn’t speak like that. You’re a fourteen-year-old girl, and there are men around.”
“…?”
Lua tilted her head, not understanding what the issue was. Felicia rubbed her forehead.
She was aware of the environment in which Lua had grown up.
“The restroom is at the end of the hallway,” Lisriel replied.
“Thank you. I’ll be back shortly.”
Felicia took Lua with her and headed towards the restroom.
“… Even though I asked her to come, why did she actually come?”
Philip tilted his head, unable to understand the reason behind Felicia’s presence.
Once they were alone in the reception room, Philip decided to ask a question.
“When do you plan to reveal the ‘Golden Seal’?”
Upon hearing Philip’s question, Lisriel let out a soft chuckle and flicked her finger playfully.
“I’ll handle that on my own. But to be honest, I still find it hard to believe. That seal is the most powerful weapon in my possession.”
“Do you truly trust me?”
Lisriel let out a small sigh in response.
“… The fact that you’re asking that shows that you have no intention of deceiving me. When people deceive others, they usually have motives. Especially when deceiving someone who has the power to bring their downfall, there must be a grand motive behind it, don’t you think?”
“Perhaps.”
“But you haven’t imposed any conditions on me. You’re well aware of what you could gain from me. Most people who would do that are either absurd swindlers or those with limited time left to live. But you don’t fit into either of those categories. That’s why I find it easier to trust you.”
“… But I could still be a swindler.”
“Well, I don’t have any other options anyway. If I continue with the succession competition, I have no chance of winning. In a way, Philip, you’re like the dice I’m gambling with. So, don’t worry unnecessarily. Until the moment you betray me, I will strive to earn your favor as much as I can.”
Philip nodded in response.
Lisriel Joseph was an exceptional merchant, so it felt unnatural for her to trust him so easily. He wanted to know the reason behind it, and if that was the reason, it was understandable enough.
‘From this point on, I’ve been quite cornered. It’s not because there’s a reason to trust, but because I simply want to trust.’
Originally, if Lisriel didn’t get involved with the main characters’ group, her fate would have been quite cruel. Of course, now it would be different.
“Oh, here they are.”
Felicia and Lua, who had gone downstairs to pick flowers, were coming back, holding hands.
‘Women become close quickly.’
Philip approached Lua and asked her.
“Lua, how do you like it here?”
“Hmm? Um, it feels like a really nice house.”
Lua answered without much hesitation. It was the first time she had seen such a big house. It seemed ten times larger than the house of the village chief in the mountain village.
“That’s a relief. From now on, this will be your home, so you should like it.”
Philip nodded his head.
“… Really? Why me?”
Lua widened her eyes in surprise.
“Well, I plan to officially sponsor you from now on, and I don’t want the girl I sponsor to live in the dormitory.”
Upon hearing the word “sponsor,” Lua blinked her eyes.
“Sponsor… What is that?”
She had heard the word during the entrance ceremony, but she didn’t really understand its meaning.
“To explain it simply and straightforwardly, it means I will be your guardian. It means I will take responsibility for everything you eat, wear, where you live, and where you sleep.”
“So… why?”
Lua was innocent but not foolish. Philip felt the need to persuade her.
‘What should I say?’
Philip nodded his head as he thoughtfully considered the situation. Then, with a gentle smile, he replied.
“Just because I want to. Why? Is that a problem?”
Lua looked at him with a puzzled expression. It wasn’t that she had any objection. She was simply confused about the sudden display of kindness.
‘Why is he treating me so well? If only I could ask him, like I used to ask Uncle.’
In her short life, unconditional kindness was something she could only expect from Uncle and Luen. The villagers in the lower town shunned her and Luen for growing up without parents, and the other children refused to play with her.
Though occasionally, boys in their adolescence would try to impress her with gifts, their ulterior motives were transparent to Lua.
As for Philip, she couldn’t quite figure him out.
‘Am I pitiful?’ she wondered.
She remembered Philip’s expression as he escorted her out of the dormitory. His gaze was filled with empathy and compassion, tinged with a sense of guilt. His touch was gentle, as if handling delicate glass.
‘I don’t know. But it’s not that I dislike it,’ she thought.
There was no inherent aversion on her part; she was just taken aback by the sudden care. However, she didn’t want to return to the dormitory.
After forcefully separating from Luen, she had endured days of indifference from others.
While her roommates were kind, they struggled to tolerate the unfamiliar sounds of a crying commoner girl. Their kindness and consideration, stemming from a sense of obligation rather than genuine concern, only deepened her pain.
‘Do you need help? Is there anything I can do?’
‘While I understand that you’re sad…’
The lukewarm indifference she faced from others didn’t provide solace. In fact, she would have preferred cold indifference to the half-hearted attempts at kindness.
‘I don’t want to cry either.’
Lua nodded decisively.
“I… I’m okay with it.”
Philip extended his hand and gently ran his fingers through Lua’s brown hair.
“You’ve made a good choice.”
Meanwhile, Felicia, who had been observing the scene, was consumed by intense turmoil, and anxiously bit her nails.
‘Should I intervene? Should I say something? Should I try to stop this?’
At first glance, it appeared to be a heartwarming and picturesque moment, like a scene from a fairy tale. However, the fact that the protagonist was her own student and Philip Oswald made it significantly complex.
‘Has he truly changed?’
Felicia pondered the matter. She was well aware of Philip’s violent and self-centered nature. Though his anger hadn’t directly affected her, it was evident that he was not easily swayed in temperament.
If Philip had remained the same as before, Felicia would have immediately stepped forward to intervene and prevent his actions.
However, her long-lost younger brother had transformed significantly over the past few years.
Just yesterday, when Felicia heard that Philip had engaged in a dispute with Instructor Haron and other senior faculty members from Diann Frenhall, she was utterly astonished.
“What did you say? A fight? Philip?”
“Yes. I heard he had a confrontation with Instructor Haron and some of the senior faculty members.”
“Did… Did he not draw his sword? What happened to Instructor Haron?”
“Felicia, your brother just had a minor argument. It seems Instructor Haron crossed the line first.”
“What? An argument? That’s hard to believe.”
Philip wasn’t someone who engaged in arguments often. He was more inclined to use his fists or a sword.
From her perspective, a mere argument was nothing serious. She didn’t even consider that Philip could be at fault. She had already made it clear to the combat instructors.
She had warned them not to provoke Philip, who was like a ticking time bomb. If he caused any trouble, she would take responsibility and handle it accordingly. So they were advised to simply avoid him.
Despite these explicit instructions, it was the fault of Instructor Haron.
“Hey, can we talk for a moment?”
“Huh? Uh, why?”
Felicia grabbed Philip’s wrist and led him to the drawing-room. Observing their interaction, Lisriel smiled warmly at Lua.
“Hello.”
“Hello.”
Lua bowed her head politely. Lisriel seemed pleased by her modest gesture and opened her mouth with a playful smile.
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It was an instant spark of fondness.
—
“So, you had a fight with Instructor Haron.”
Felicia parted her lips as she led Philip to the second-floor terrace.
Philip was taken aback. But upon reflection, it was unsurprising. Considering the incident where Instructor Haron attempted to draw his sword, it would be odd if Felicia was unaware of it.
“Oh, right. I didn’t want it to happen… I’m sorry.”
Felicia couldn’t believe Philip’s apology and let out a hollow laugh.
“Why are you apologizing? I heard Instructor Haron crossed the line first.”
“It was a situation where I could have held back too.”
“You? Holding back?”
“… Isn’t it okay for me to hold back?”
“No, you did well by holding back… It’s just, I mean…”
Philip stared at Felicia, who was stumbling over her words.
‘Is she going through puberty?’
“Is it okay if we go back to what we were doing unless it’s something important? I have a lot to do from now on.”
“I have to do lots of shopping.”
Felicia’s eyes narrowed, and she abruptly turned her head.
“… Do as you wish.”
Philip hesitated for a moment as it seemed like she was upset. But since Felicia didn’t seem likely to speak up, he moved to return to the study room.
Then he heard Felicia’s calm voice from behind.
“Philip Oswald.”
“Why?”
“Why do you want to sponsor that child?”
Philip blinked. He couldn’t tell her the truth that the little girl would awaken as a descendant of the legendary hero in about five years.
“She seemed to need help as an adult. If you had seen Lua crying on her dorm bed, you wouldn’t be asking me this question.”
Felicia felt his argument was persuasive. She had also seen Lua, exhausted from crying, and eventually falling asleep.
“It’s not that important, do as you please.”
She couldn’t find any grounds or reasons to hinder Philip.
It was too unreasonable to take away the luck that had barely come to Lua after all the anxiety she had gone through.
“… If you decide to sponsor someone, you have to take responsibility until the end. It was a pretty… excellent choice for you to sponsor that child, but that doesn’t mean I think you’ve changed.”
Felicia spoke in a muddled manner.
She felt quite embarrassed because she never expected to speak to her ignored and resented younger brother like this again.
“Okay, I’m going to buy clothes for Lua. Are you coming too, Noona?”
“What?”
“It’s almost the weekend, so we need an outfit for going out. She needs a decent sword for training, and she’ll need an allowance, right? And we have to do something about her messy hair.”
It seemed like there was no need to worry too much.
Philip had once thought of an interesting idea a long time ago.
It was an incredibly unrealistic imagination of freely swiping an unlimited credit card, a very common but highly unlikely possibility for someone from a humble background.
‘This is the pleasure of irresponsibility.’
————
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