The Guardian Knight of Affection-Starved Young Ladies

142 – Daphnis (04)

143.

The night transitioning from the sixth day to the final seventh day.

It was then that Kallen and Daphnis met.

What Kallen referred to as tomorrow was just a few hours away.

Kallen said it wouldn’t take long and told Daphnis to get enough sleep.

With his strength replenished, Daphnis spent four hours getting dressed, just as he had done until now.

He wore the clothes that Kallen had chosen for him, which he really liked.

He didn’t sleep at the inn but returned to his family estate for that reason.

On the last day, they would meet wearing the clothes they had chosen for each other.

It was Daphnis’s suggestion, and although the original plan had gone awry,

Daphnis was able to do what he wanted on the last day.

Thebelt, perhaps shocked by yesterday’s events, did not show up.

Daphnis, dressed by the ever-chattering maids, headed to the main street of Mland.

Thus,

the last day of the week dawned.

“Kallen…”

“Ah, Daphnis. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes… thanks to you, my lord…”

Late afternoon.

It felt somewhat new, as they always met early.

Kallen and Daphnis met on the main street of Mland, as usual.

However, Daphnis couldn’t look at Kallen properly and hesitated in his movements.

Gratitude, guilt, remorse, regret.

Those emotions were clearly visible, and Kallen, unable to bear it, reached out first.

“Hmph…”

No, he went further and grabbed the hand that Daphnis hesitated to extend.

“Let’s go.”

“Ugh… Yes…”

Twitch, twitch, twitch.

Carefully stroking Daphnis’s trembling hand from within.

Kallen led her.

Daphnis bowed her head even lower, quietly receiving the boy’s consideration.

“Y-Young Master… Where are we going…?”

“…You’ll know when we get there.”

“…Alright…”

But Daphnis’s body was now even closer to Kallen than before.

Just like last night, Daphnis’s body remembered Kallen’s embrace as if longing for it.

Slowly like that.

Kallen was considerate of Daphnis.

Daphnis gratefully accepted Kallen’s consideration.

The two walked slowly, retracing the steps of the previous night.

*

“A workshop…?”

The place Kallen took Daphnis to.

Knowing where it was, Daphnis muttered in wonder.

A workshop.

In other words, a place where a craftsman stays.

One who has reached the pinnacle of a field is called a craftsman.

And usually, such craftsmen have their own workshops.

Sometimes, they stay there longer than at home, expanding their own world.

To a wizard, it is like a physically manifested image.

“Young Master…?”

“I heard there haven’t been any visitors recently. When I offered a few gold coins, they agreed to an appointment today.”

Wondering why they suddenly came to the workshop.

Kallen and Daphnis looked around.

Paintings.

The craftsman’s artworks hung on the wall, cherished.

They were all extraordinary.

How much effort would it take to draw such a picture?

As the two were admiring the painting, an old man with a stern look made his presence known from inside.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Kallen, who came this morning. Master.”

“Hmm…? Ah. The handsome young man.”

The old man squinted at Kallen, as if his eyesight was poor.

Since he mentioned the morning, Daphnis looked at Kallen, but there was no response.

Only the old man and the boy were conversing.

Daphnis just stood there, holding Kallen’s hand, watching the scene.

“Ah, the young lady next to you…”

“Yes. She is the fiancée I mentioned.”

“What…?”

The sudden mention of a fiancée.

There were only three people here, and if it was someone next to Kallen, it had to be Daphnis herself.

Daphnis was startled and opened her eyes wide, while Kallen quietly whispered in her ear.

“He said he wouldn’t accept us unless we were at least promised to be married, so I had no choice.”

“…Yes, yes..?”

“Please play along, my lady.”

“But… that…”

Without waiting for an answer, Kallen turned his face away.

The old man, who had approached them unnoticed, looked at the two and nodded in satisfaction.

“This… will make a good picture.”

“Five gold coins. Is that correct?”

“Yes. As I promised this morning… Please come this way.”

What on earth was he talking about?

It didn’t take long for that question to be answered.

Inside the workshop.

Contrary to what she had heard about workshops often being unclean, this one was surprisingly tidy.

The old man moved some miscellaneous furniture aside and placed a chair in the center of the newly created space.

“First, please have a seat here, sir.”

“Understood.”

Kallen, who had cautiously let go of his hand, sat down on the chair, leaving Daphnis, who was staring blankly at him.

“Um… could you sit slightly to the left?”

“Like this?”

“Keep your head relaxed… hmm. That should do. Then…”

The old man seemed to adjust Kallen’s posture, then turned to Daphnis.

“Miss, please sit on your fiancé’s lap.”

“…What…?”

“It will make the picture look prettier.”

“Ah…”

It will make the picture look prettier.

Only then did Daphnis realize what Kallen wanted.

He wanted to draw a picture.

A picture of Kallen and Daphnis themselves.

Now, with the discovery of magic and the invention of magical tools.

People use magical tools to leave records of something.

A fountain pen that never wears out, no matter how much you write with it.

Of course, such objects are truly rare and expensive, but their inferior versions can be obtained quite cheaply.

So, there would be few people who would go through the trouble of leaving their appearance like this.

Kallen wanted to leave a picture of himself and Daphnis.

Though he hadn’t realized the reason yet.

“Miss?”

“Ah… I’m sorry…”

Daphnis, who had been staring blankly at Kallen, slowly moved at the old man’s urging.

As she approached Kallen, he extended his thigh to make it easier for her to sit.

“Is it really okay for me to sit…?”

“It’s okay.”

“But… I might be heavy…”

The hesitation was long.

What happened last night had made Daphnis feel intimidated.

The constant hesitation was for that reason.

Kallen quietly watched Daphnis, who was trying to lower his head again.

“Hii…?!”

He hugged Daphnis and sat him on his thigh.

Daphnis, now seated, naturally wrapped his arms around Kallen’s neck.

“…”

“…”

As their faces got close enough to feel each other’s breath.

Whoosh-

“Ugh…”

Daphnis, with his cheeks and ears turning red, lowered his gaze.

“Do not lower your head. The young master should support your back with his arms, and the young lady should sit facing forward.”

“That’s easier said than… Hii…?!”

A chilling sensation from the waist.

When Daphnis looked down at his waist, he saw Kallen’s thick arm wrapped around his thin waist.

“Haa… Ah…”

When he looked back at Kallen, he was shamelessly looking straight ahead.

Daphnis lightly bit the upper part of his wrist, trying to calm his mind.

He looked straight ahead as the old man instructed.

The old man, satisfied with the sight, smiled and set up a large drawing paper in front of them.

“If it gets tough in the middle, let me know. It might take longer than expected.”

“Understood.”

“Then… let’s begin.”

His whole body felt sensitive.

Daphnis tensed up at the sensation on his waist.

As he squirmed uncomfortably, Kallen patted his waist.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh… Why, why…”

“If it’s hard, relax your strength, Daphnis.”

“But then my posture…”

“I’ll support you.”

“…”

Daphnis looked at Kalen with an apologetic expression.

Hesitating, as if pleased by the consideration, he began to relax his waist.

“It’s, it’s heavy…”

Squeeze…

Kalen’s arms tensed.

Finally able to be comfortable, Daphnis leaned entirely on Kalen.

“Thank you… my lord…”

Swish, swish.

The old man focused on the painting.

Since sitting in front of the huge canvas, he hadn’t said a word, just painted.

In that ticklish silence.

Kalen and Daphnis moved closer to each other.

So their posture wouldn’t falter.

As if they liked each other’s warmth.

But there was a problem.

Painting originally takes a lot of time.

If one is a master, they put even more effort into it.

No matter how much sleep they had before meeting, it wouldn’t be enough.

In that quiet and cozy place.

Daphnis found it increasingly hard to endure.

Wouldn’t it be okay to lean a little more?

With that thought, he continued to lean on Kalen.

As much time passed.

Poof…

Kalen felt Daphnis’s body completely relax.

It was almost surprising how long he had held on, as Daphnis fell asleep, breathing softly.

“…Master. Let’s take a short break…”

Kallen glanced at Daphnis, who had buried her face in his neck, and spoke to the old man.

But the old man only shook his head.

His gaze was fixed solely on the painting, and he spoke firmly.

“Please brush her hair back so her face is visible, and hold her more tenderly, my lord.”

“…Tenderly.”

“Yes. Tenderly. Like a man who loves his fiancée.”

It seemed the master was pleased with the painting.

Masters are known to be stubborn, so Kallen had no choice but to carefully brush back Daphnis’s hair with the hand supporting her waist.

Then he pulled her sleeping form closer into his arms, creating the appearance of a girl sleeping in his embrace.

The burden on his arm increased, but he didn’t mind.

He thought he could take a short break if it became too difficult.

Tenderly.

Kallen pondered for a moment, then gently brought his face closer to Daphnis, who had her face buried in his neck.

Daphnis, asleep with her face resting on his neck.

Kallen, lowering his head to the point where his lips almost touched her.

To anyone watching, they looked like a boy and girl deeply in love.