It wasn’t long into their walk that Klarion and his friends parted ways. Their apartments were a ways away from where he was staying, much like the majority of the other scions in their year. Perhaps in the future, he would look into a way to reclaim the buildings on either side of the Blacksword manor. He would have to ask them, of course, but the possibility of having his new friends living next door was one that he hoped worked out in the future. But that was a concern for later.
With barely anyone else on the street they were walking down, Klarion adjusted his pace to walk beside Hatsune. The two of them were an odd pair, a fact made clear to him by the occasional glance and murmurs directed their way as they made their way to the Blacksword manor. For her part, Hatsune ignored the looks and comments directed her way, choosing instead to focus on their surroundings. Her eyes darted around, ears twisting here and there, tracking sounds that Klarion could not quite pick up. Klarion, still riding high on the fun that he had shared with Valdre and Redrek over their meal, tried to break the silence that hung awkwardly between them.
“So, Hatsune,” he began, glancing down at her as they made their way to the next street on their way back to his — their — quarters. “What do you think of the Imperial Academy so far?”
Her gaze landed on him for a moment before looking away again. “It’s… big,” she replied curtly, her voice quiet and tinged with unease.
Klarion chuckled lightly, hoping to ease her nerves. “Big is an understatement. I’m still getting lost in it myself. I’ll probably have to rely on a map for weeks at this rate.”
Hatsune offered no response, her posture remaining stiff and her eyes focused around them. Klarion frowned, not wanting their relationship to start off on a cold note. “I know this is new — probably for both of us,” he said, trying again. “But if there’s anything you need, or if something feels off, you can tell me. I’d like us to —”
She interrupted him, her voice firmer than before. “With all due respect, my lord, I’d prefer to focus on my duties for now.”
Her ears twitched again, and Klarion thought that it was a sign of her discomfort. He noticed that one of her hands was gripping the hilt of her new sword tightly. “I’m not familiar with this place or its rules,” she continued. “It’s best if I concentrate on understanding the area and my role as your bodyguard.”
The formal tone caught him off guard, and he blinked, processing her words. “Ah… of course,” he said after a moment, trying to mask his disappointment. He thought the Leporine had begun opening up over the dinner with his friends, but perhaps he had been mistaken. “I understand. You’re right to take this seriously.”
Hatsune gave a small nod, and the two of them continued walking in silence.
The path to where Klarion was staying wound through quieter parts of the campus, where the grandeur of the Imperial Academy felt less overwhelming as true night began to descend. The ornate architecture was still evident, with towering spires and carefully maintained gardens lining some of the walkways, but with the gradually fading noise of other students and their own bodyguards, Klarion was increasingly aware of the woman who walked at his side. Her demeanor was professional, though even with them now being by themselves there remained tension in her movements. She was on high alert, a stark contrast to Garran and Kael from earlier, let alone some of the other bodyguards they had already passed on their walk.
He wanted to ask her more questions, to learn about her background and what had led to her becoming a prospective bodyguard at the House of Bonds, but he held back. It was clear to him she wasn’t ready for that kind of questioning, and pressing her would only make things worse. Instead, he focused on their surroundings, taking in the quiet beauty of the campus as they neared his assigned quarters.
When they arrived back at his manor, Klarion fished out his key and unlocked the heavy door at the entrance with a metallic clank. He held it for Hatsune to follow him inside, her eyes scanning the towering edifice of dark stone, its once-grand exterior weathered and faded. She stared closely at some of the windows, the glass bearing the grime of years of neglect. The air smelled faintly of damp earth and decay. He gestured for her to follow him inside.
“This is Blacksword Manor,” Klarion said, his tone tinged with embarrassment. He gestured broadly at the visibly dusty interior. “Though it is not much to look at right now, I admit.”
Hatsune glanced at him briefly before turning back to look at the dusty floors he had gestured at. “Not much to look at…” she repeated quietly, though the distaste in her tone was hard to miss.
Klarion chose to ignore it. There wasn’t really anything he could do about the cleanliness of the manor for now, but if he had time tomorrow, perhaps he would start working on cleaning it up. Stepping deeper inside, Hatsune close behind him, it struck him again how stale the air was, and how it carried a faint scent of mildew. The Leporine woman stopped next to him, her nose wrinkling as she took in the smell.
He let out a sheepish laugh. “Uh, it’s been a while since anyone lived here. At least that is my guess,” he admitted. “I guess the Academy didn’t make it a priority to keep things pristine.”
Hatsune’s gaze kept sweeping over the room, her expression now neutral but her ears betrayed her unease as they flicked at every creak and groan of the old building. “I assumed there would be more… activity,” she said, her voice carefully measured. “Where are the other servants?”
Klarion winced slightly, running a hand through his hair. Even though he was still new to the whole nobility thing, even he knew that a manor like this would have a dozen staff, if not more, taking care of it. As soon as he had some more Service Coins, and a better idea of what the manor needed, he would make sure to get some people who could fix things up a bit. But that didn’t really help in the here and now.
“Yeah, about that. Blackwood Manor doesn’t currently have any staff. In fact, it’s just… well… us.”
They moved further into the manor, and the extent of its disrepair became more apparent to Klarion. Perhaps how tired he had been yesterday had blurred some of the details, but walking through with Hatsune by his side, he began to notice just how much work needed to be done to turn this place into a respectable residence. The grand staircase that dominated the main hall, which he had ignored yesterday, was covered in dust, and the chandelier above was missing more than a few crystals, causing it to hang lopsided. Every room they passed was no better: empty rooms filled with dust, and curtains that hung limply, faded by years of sunlight.
Hatsune stopped in the doorway of what appeared to be an empty sitting room, her sharp eyes taking in the disarray. “Why is the manor in this state?” she asked, her even tone giving way to curiosity.
Klarion sighed, gesturing her to follow him as he continued down the hall. “Apparently, it’s a long story. One that I don’t know all the details about yet. From what I was told, I am the first scion from House Blacksword to live in here in some time. Which means it will be on me to get the ball moving on putting this manor back together. Given how new I am to the Academy, I’ll probably need some time to sort everything out.”
Hatsune nodded slowly, her expression back to unreadable. She followed him into what appeared to be the dining room. Unlike many of the other rooms, there was furniture in it. A long table stretched the length of the space, its surface covered with dust as well. A complete set of chairs was also there, though the one at the head of the table leaned precariously on three legs. The missing leg was nowhere to be found.
“Are you planning to hire staff, then?”
Klarion shrugged, brushing some dust off one of the chairs before sitting down after taking off the harness that held his greatsword. The chair shifted slightly underneath him, but it held his weight. “Eventually, yes. But for now, it’s just us. We’ll just have to make do.”
Hatsune remained standing, her posture rigid, and her hand remained tight on the hilt of her new sword. Whether her uneasiness was the result of the state of the manor or the lack of other people, Klarion was not able to tell.
“I know it’s not ideal,” he said, his tone apologetic. “But it could be worse. The building seems to be sturdy, and once everything is cleaned up, there will be plenty of room. Plus, it’s quiet and away from other scions like Chadwick.”
Hatsune shifted at Chadwick’s name, and she regarded him for a moment before nodding slightly. “It will suffice,” she said, though her tone was less than enthusiastic. She looked like she was about to say something more, perhaps a complaint when it happened.
A low, unmistakable growl came from Hatsune’s stomach.
Her cheeks flushed, and she turned her head away, muttering something Klarion could not quite pick up.
“What was that?”
Hatsune turned back to Klarion, her cheeks even brighter, “Ignore it.”
Klarion raised an eyebrow but kept his smile under control. “That didn’t sound like something I should ignore.”
“It’s nothing,” she insisted, folding her arms as if the action alone could silence her stomach’s protests. “Just — let’s keep moving.”
“You didn’t eat enough at dinner, did you?”
“I can wait until tomorrow,” she said, her voice a mixture of embarrassment and defiance.
“No, you shouldn’t have to,” Klarion said. “Come on. Let’s get you something to eat.” He started walking, fully expecting her to follow.
She hesitated, her feet rooted in place. “That’s not your responsibility,” she said, though her voice lacked conviction.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
Klarion glanced back over his shoulder. “You’re my bodyguard,” he said. “If you’re starving, you won’t be able to do your job. So let’s fix that.”
With a reluctant sigh, Hatsune fell into step behind him. “You’re awfully persistent.”
“So I have been told,” Klarion replied, his tone light but firm. “You’ll get used to it.”
The oppressiveness of the manor’s hallways began to fade as they came closer to the kitchen, where Klarion’s previous visit had stirred the dust to settle closer to the walls. He opened the door of the kitchen and led Hatsune inside. Everything was as he had left it that morning.
Klarion moved to the counter and began opening cabinets, searching for supplies. Hatsune lingered near the doorway, where she looked around as if she was unsure what to do.
“I, uh… I’m not much of a cook,” she admitted. “I can manage basic things if I need to, but —”
She stopped mid-sentence as she noticed Klarion shrugging off his school coat. He draped it over the back of a chair, leaving him in a simple shirt that clung to his muscled frame. As he reached up to a high cupboard, he knew the exact moment she caught sight of his arms, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows. Her breath hitched, and he could guess why.
His forearms and hands were covered in scars, each telling a story of pain and survival. He could tell she hadn’t expected it, even if the scars on his face had been a hint that he likely had more beneath his clothes.
He tried to ignore her staring. “I was thinking rice and fish. Sound good to you?” he asked casually, his focus on gathering together the ingredients he would need.
Hatsune tore her gaze away, her ears twitching yet again as she tried to compose herself. “Y-yes, that’s fine.”
Klarion smiled over his shoulder. “Great. Why don’t you take a seat? I’ll handle the cooking.”
For a moment, the Leporine hesitated, unsure if she should offer to help. But the determined look on his face dissuaded her. She moved to the table, brushing dust off a chair before sitting. From her spot, she watched as Klarion worked with an easy rhythm, moving about the kitchen as though he had done this countless times.
He measured out rice into a pot and filled it with water, setting it on the stove. Then he retrieved a small bundle of wrapped fish from an icebox, unwrapping it carefully. He began seasoning it, adding a pinch of salt and a dusting of herbs he had found in a cupboard.
While he worked, Hatsune’s gaze drifted back to his arms. The scars were so numerous and varied, that they looked almost like a patchwork. Her thoughts swirled with questions she didn’t dare voice. What had caused them? How had he endured so much?
Klarion, focused on cooking, was oblivious to her renewed scrutiny. He turned on the stove and began heating a skillet, adding a small amount of oil. Once it was hot enough, which took a surprisingly short time, he placed the fish in the pan. The sizzle filled the kitchen, and a savory aroma began to waft through the air.
“You’re lucky I know a bit about cooking,” he said with a grin, glancing briefly at Hatsune. “Otherwise, we’d both be stuck eating cold rations or something equally depressing.”
Hatsune forced a small smile, though her mind was still on his scars. “Did you learn to cook out of necessity?” she asked, hoping to steer her thoughts away.
Klarion nodded as he flipped the fish. “Yeah. My mother used to say that a man should be able to take care of himself, no matter where he ends up.”
She watched as he moved between the stove and counter, his movements fluid and efficient. Despite the scars, there was a grace to him she hadn’t noticed before. He seemed at ease here, in this kitchen, as if it was one of the few places where he could truly relax.
The rice finished cooking, and Klarion removed it from the stove, fluffing it with a fork. He plated the fish and rice, arranging them neatly before bringing them over to the Leporine.
“Here you go,” he said, placing it in front of Hatsune. “Hope you like it.”
She looked down at the simple meal. “Thank you,” she said, her tone genuine. She picked up the fork he’d set beside the plate and took a tentative bite of the fish. The flavors were well-balanced, the seasoning enhancing the natural taste without overpowering it.
“This is… pretty good,” she admitted after she swallowed.
Klarion grinned, returning to where he had been cooking to begin cleaning up. “Glad you like it.”
She ate in relative silence, the clinking of her fork against the plate the only sound in the room apart from Klarion’s scrubbing. For the first time since coming into the manor, Klarion thought Hatsune seemed almost comfortable. As she finished eating, he put the pot upside down to dry.
“We’ll have to figure out a proper system for meals in the manor, but for now, I’m happy to cook.” He returned to the table, only to see Hatsune with a strange look on her face.
“Yes?”
“I’m just… a bit surprised.” At his gesture, she continued. “I didn’t think Imperial nobles ever did things like cooking for themselves, let alone others.”
Klarion smiled, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table, noting how her eyes drifted down to his scars as he did so. “I get that. I guess you could say I’m not a typical noble.
”Where would a noble even learn to cook?” she asked. “Some expensive academy? A private chef?”
Klarion shook his head with a chuckle. It was almost funny how people continued to assume things about him. “Nothing like that. You know how I said my mother said a man should know how to cook?” At her nod, he continued. “Well, my mother was the one who taught me — or at least, the woman I thought was my mother. It’s… complicated.”
The feeling he had had about Hatsune earlier returned. Despite his focus on keeping his background as secret as possible from the other scions of the Imperial Academy, something was telling him that he could, he should, trust the Leporine woman. After all, if he couldn’t trust a bodyguard bound to him by a Mark of Bonds, who could he trust?
Hatsune’s ears perked up at his choice of words. “You thought she was your mother?”
Klarion looked down at his scarred hands resting on the table. Nothing for it now. He would just have to trust his gut. “I grew up so far outside the Empire, I’m not even sure how to put it into a context you would understand,” he admitted, his voice softer. “Far from anything resembling nobility. My ‘mother’ — or at least the woman who helped raise me — taught me to cook because it was something we enjoyed doing together.”
Hatsune stared at him, trying to reconcile the image of this man with strange eyes — a scion who had nearly drawn his sword in her defense — with the life he described.
“Outside the Empire?” she asked cautiously. “Where exactly?”
Klarion shrugged. “Like I said, I don’t know how to explain where. It was different than all this though,” he said, gesturing at everything around them, which Hatsune took to mean the Academy itself. “It was a place without classes, without magic, without the System. When I came here and learned about scions and all the rest… Honestly, I’m still figuring it all out.”
Hatsune’s lips parted slightly in surprise, but she quickly shut them. What he was saying sounded impossible — how could a scion grow up without magic? Without access to the System? But there was something in Klarion’s tone, in the quiet sincerity with which he spoke, that made her believe him.
“So… this scion thing,” she said after a long moment. “It’s new to you?”
“Completely,” Klarion said with a laugh. “Some days, I feel like I’m playing a role I barely understand. There are rules, expectations… and I’m just trying to make it through without making a fool of myself. Or becoming a target for some enemy of House Blacksword.”
She looked down at his scars again, and he curled his fingers into fists. “And the scars across your body?” she asked hesitantly. “Are they also from where you came from?”
Klarion’s smile faded. “Yeah,” he said, then reached out to take her empty plate and fork. “But that’s a story for another night.” He stepped back over to the sink to clean them.
“It’s just hard to imagine,” she said, as he stood up. “A noble who doesn’t act like one. Who doesn’t look down on people like me.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing,” he said, scrubbing the dish. “I’d rather be someone who understands what it’s like to struggle than someone who takes everything for granted.”
As he was finishing up, Hatsune surprised him by coming up next to him by the sink. She picked up a clean towel that he had set out and began to dry what he had just cleaned. Once he was done with her plate, she gestured for him to hand it over. After drying it as well, she returned it from where Klarion had gotten it.
“Thanks for helping,” he said.
Hatsune shrugged, though a faint blush had returned to her cheeks. “It’s only fair. You cooked, and cleaned the dishes after all.”
“True. Maybe next time, we’ll switch roles.”
Hatsune’s eyes widened slightly at the suggestion. “I told you, I’m not much of a cook.”
“Then it’ll be a learning experience,” he responded lightly.
With the last dish now dry, Klarion stretched his arms over his head, yawning, before glancing down at Hatsune who was now standing awkwardly. Not wanting her to grow uncomfortable again, he said, “I think I’m going to call it a night.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” she replied, though she seemed almost hesitant.
”You should get some rest too. There are plenty of rooms in this place — take your pick. It’s not exactly luxurious, but I’m sure we can make it more comfortable in the coming days.“
Hatsune’s response was immediate, her back straightening. “No, I can’t do that,” she said firmly, her eyes meeting his. “It’s my duty to stay close to you. To protect you. It is all I have right now.”
Klarion blinked, caught off guard by the intensity in her voice. “Hatsune, you don’t have to —”
“I do,” she interrupted, her tone leaving no room for argument. “It’s why I agreed to be your bodyguard.”
Her explicit reference to her choice stirred an uncomfortable knot of anger in his chest. He couldn’t help but think back to the Hall of Bonds, to the dismissive and predatory way Chadwick had spoken about her. Had spoken to her. It was a good thing he hadn’t run into Chadwick after dinner. He pushed the thought aside.
“Alright,” he said after considering his response. “If that’s what you’re comfortable with. There’s a couch in my room. It’s not ideal, but it’s close and you’ll have a place to sleep.”
Hatsune stood, posture still tense, as if bracing for some kind of reprimand. When none came, she gave a small nod. “Thank you.”
Klarion’s chest tightened at her reaction, but he didn’t let it show. Instead, he led the way out of the kitchen and through the halls towards the room where he had slept last night. When he opened the door, it was exactly how he had left it that morning.
Hatsune looked around the room, taking in every detail before she moved toward the couch. She paused, glancing back at Klarion as though seeking permission.
“It’s all yours,” Klarion said with a small smile, then tossed her a spare blanket. “I’ll be over here, snoring loud enough to scare away any intruders.”
The corner of Hatsune’s mouth twitched, almost forming a smile before she put her back to him. She reached up to unclasp the straps of her scale mail, the sound of metal shifting and leather creaking breaking the silence. Klarion’s gaze immediately went to the most interesting corner he had ever seen. It was simply amazing how perfectly it had been made. Yep. Perfect.
“I’ll just… give you a moment,” he said, face heating.
“You don’t have to,” Hatsune replied, her tone unconcerned. “I do this every day.”
Was she teasing him? He glanced back over his shoulder, catching sight of her long silver hair falling over her back, the curves of her form outlined subtly beneath the padded tunic she wore under the armor. When she tentatively reached for that as well, Klarion spun and crossed the room, almost throwing himself into his bed, pausing only to kick off his boots and pull off his own clothes as quickly as he could. In moments, he was safely beneath his sheets. He was relieved, and somewhat disappointed, that Hatsune was also done undressing and under her blanket as well.
“Hatsune?”
“Yes?” she said, turning under the blanket to face him.
“I know you take your duty seriously, and I respect that,” he began. “But you don’t have to be on edge around me. I’m not… like those other nobles. You’re a person, and I want you to feel safe too.”
The Leporine’s eyes widened slightly, and she stared at him for a long minute. He thought he had upset her somehow when she eventually nodded.
Klarion ran a hand through his hair. “Alright. Goodnight, Hatsune,” he said, sinking deeper into the bed, and pulling the blanket over himself.
“Goodnight, Lord Klarion,” she replied, her voice low.
As the room fell into silence, Klarion stared at the ceiling, his thoughts churning. He couldn’t shake the image of Hatsune’s tense posture, the way she had braced herself for something unpleasant when she insisted on staying close to him. And then to disrobe so casually in his presence. It probably was a cultural thing, but it still made him wonder just how much she had been through to cause her to act as she had since she had become his bodyguard.
His hand clenched around the edge of the blanket. He couldn’t change her past, but he could make sure that her future was different.
With that thought, Klarion closed his eyes in search of sleep.