Namgung Se-ga, the warrior, was reincarnated in Romance

I ate fish dishes two more times during the journey.

The tender flesh was quite delicious. Seeing how much I enjoyed it, my father suggested that when we arrived at the villa, he would try fishing himself, to which I readily agreed.

He even added that we should make it a bet, which made me laugh at how quickly he nodded in agreement—it was both amusing and endearing.

He didn’t know that I had once been called “Old Fisherman” (*Eoyong, an old man who catches fish) in the Central Plains, so it was easy for him to agree so eagerly.

It was not difficult or boring to stop the carriage to eat and then resume our journey, or to stop and rest for a nap.

Even when I was at home, I was busy with training and lessons, so this was the first time I had spent such a long time with my family.

I learned that my father was more talkative than I had thought.

I also found out that my mother enjoyed teasing people with her mischievous nature. The way she spoke was always full of warmth, which made her words pleasant to listen to.

We arrived at Count Serbel’s villa.

It was unusually large for a villa.

At the center was a four-story main building, flanked on either side by two three-story annexes. The three buildings stood together within a low stone wall, arranged in a shape resembling the character *品* (pin, meaning “product” or “a pattern”).

Red flower clusters hung from vines along the wall. The flowers looked more like fruits than actual blossoms, and their appearance was so beautiful that I couldn’t take my eyes off them.

When the carriage stopped in front of the wide open gate, I hurriedly got down and helped the rest of the party disembark. I helped my father and mother down by holding their hands, and I lifted the two young ones up and set them on the ground.

The faces of the Serbel family members who had come to greet us were all familiar.

Count Serbel approached my father, greeting him warmly with a hug. I did the same with the person who approached me, embracing him and patting his back. The person in my arms hesitated before slowly stroking my back.

I waited a moment before releasing him.

“Did you get by well, Mikael? You seem… brighter somehow.”

“Thanks to you. It’s Logan, right?”

“…You really… I heard you enrolled in the academy, and your personality has improved a lot.”

Logan Serbel looked down at me with a somewhat moved expression. We shook hands in the manner of Shieron, shaking them up and down.

Having known him since he was about five years old, I didn’t find it awkward or strange at all, but I could sense some awkwardness in Logan’s eyes, which puzzled me for a moment.

Then again, we only met once a year. Even when he came to visit to check on me, the time we spent together was not long.

For me, it was common to meet my friends from the Central Plains after a year, so even after such a long time, I still felt close to them. However, the young people of Shieron often exchanged letters and checked up on each other, so it was understandable that Logan might feel differently.

I realized I hadn’t made much of an effort to maintain my relationship with Logan Serbel. I felt a little guilty about that.

I looked around, wondering if I should write a reply to the letter he had sent three years ago.

It seemed as if everyone had coordinated their actions. The Count took care of my father, the Countess took care of my mother, Logan took care of me, Raila took care of Asdel, and Evan took care of Mihael.

Looking at them, it seemed that the Serbel family had, just like ours, two sons and one daughter—almost like it was meant to be.

I remembered how, when their youngest, Evan Serbel, was born, I had begged my father for a sibling, and that was how Mihael came to be.

At the time, I had said it out of a desire to have many children, admiring the Serbel family’s good fortune. Now, I thought it had been a good decision.

“It’s good to see you, Ernhardt. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I heard you entered the academy, but I haven’t had a chance to congratulate you yet.”

“Thank you, Count Serbel.”

After exchanging greetings among the adults, the Count and Countess’s attention turned to me.

I offered a simple bow with a modest greeting, as I had learned at the academy. It wasn’t much different from the greetings we had exchanged before, and I was glad there was no need for any extra words.

Following the Count’s lead, we entered the main building.

When he offered us the main building, my father politely declined, but since it was customary in the Serbel family, there was no way to refuse.

The Serbel family would use the east wing of the estate, and if we needed anything, we were told to let the attendants know.

After being shown to the bedroom, reception room, dining area, and lounge, we were told to rest and take a break. The Count and Countess left, but the children remained where they were.

While the attendants moved our luggage, the children energetically ran around exploring the villa.

Seven-year-old Evan Serbel, just one year older than Mihael, was adorably leading Mihael by the hand, telling him about the swings and other fun playground equipment. It was a charming sight.

As I stood by, watching the children, Logan Serbel, who had been standing next to me awkwardly, spoke his first words, which were just as amusing.

“…Well, there’s no training field, but there is an open space. Would you like me to show you around?”

“*Ahem!*”

I tried to hide my laughter by clearing my throat, but since my face was already smiling, it didn’t have much effect.

Logan Serbel turned red, blushing deeply, and I patted his shoulder in a reassuring manner.

“No, I was actually going to ask. Since it’s a family trip, I’m not planning on focusing on training, but I might get bored in the early morning hours. Show me around, Logan.”

“…Okay.”

“If you have something to say, go ahead.”

“Ah, um, that is… when did you start calling me by my name?”

“Hmm?”

When I asked, seeing the awkward expression on his face, the question came right back at me.

Had I never called him by his name before? I thought for a moment but couldn’t recall a time.

Before I entered the academy, I used to speak casually, but I never called anyone by their name in public, fearing that it might lead to awkward situations.

I vaguely remembered a few children who had begged me to call them by their names.

Danbi was probably one of those boys. I couldn’t remember the name he wanted me to call him, so I had given him a nickname that just came to mind.

“I didn’t want to cause jealousy among the other children back then. But I knew your name, Logan Serbel. We saw each other often, and I helped you mingle with the other children.”

“…Wow, ah, really? That’s such an honor… Ah, this way. It’s faster to leave through the back door, not the main entrance. The area is designed to be spacious for picnics, so there aren’t many flowering trees around.”

“Mm.”

Following behind him, I looked around.

True to its name as a villa, flowers were planted all around, their colors intertwining—white, red, and blue—creating a beautiful sight that caught my attention.

Logan Serbel wasn’t walking too quickly, so we ended up walking side by side.

He was about half an inch taller than me, and he was a bit shorter than other boys his age.

When we had met at my birthday banquet, I had thought he was quite lively, but now, standing next to him, I could see that he was actually rather shy and couldn’t meet my eyes.

As he went on about the names of flowers, the distance to the nearby lake, and the activities one could do at the lake, I interrupted him with a question that had been on my mind.

“By the way, why are you here? I heard that after you turn fifteen, everyone has to go to parties to find a partner.”

“…”

Logan Serbel, who had been about to answer, bit his tongue and covered his mouth with both hands, which made me laugh.

His face and neck turned as red as a tomato, and his already dark skin, likely tanned from the sun, seemed to turn even darker, like ink had been smeared on it.

“Ah, well… there’s… um, a lot of things going on…”

“A lot of things?”

“Yeah. It’s just personal stuff… it’s better not to meet this time…”

“Did the other person say that?”

“…Well, not exactly…”

It seemed like he wasn’t without a partner, but I couldn’t understand why he was so embarrassed.

Seeing his flushed face made me lose the desire to ask any more questions, so I decided to remain silent. After a brief hesitation, Logan Serbel brought up another topic.

“How’s life at the academy? Have you made many new friends?”

“Mm, quite a few. First, there’s Shayden Roze…”

“…! Finally?”

“Huh?”

“Oh, no. Roze has been trying really hard to be friends with you, you know? I’m glad you two are getting along at the academy.”

“…He’s been trying to become friends with me?”

He had sent birthday cards with his name written on them consistently, but other than that, I hadn’t known anything about his efforts.

Logan Serbel, who had been fanning himself to cool down, blinked at me in confusion.

“Uh… he really did. Don’t you remember?”

“I don’t at all. Did he talk to me?”

“…I think he must have spoken to you more than a hundred times.”

“…Hmm.”

I felt there was more I needed to learn about this, so I grabbed Logan Serbel’s wrist and pulled him toward a nearby bench at a comfortable distance.

Logan was a bit out of breath, and realizing I had been walking too fast, he looked somewhat embarrassed.

He took out a handkerchief, wiped his forehead and temples a couple of times, and then gently held the handkerchief in both hands.

His actions were careful and composed, and I found myself speaking in a calmer voice as well.

“Do you know more about Shayden and me?”

“Uh?”

“I didn’t want to ask him directly because it might hurt his pride.”

“…So you care about those things now, huh?”

Logan’s expression seemed to say that I was finally becoming more mature.

Feeling a bit awkward, I brushed my short hair back.

After a brief hesitation, Logan Serbel, thinking it would be fine since I was the person involved, carefully began to speak.