Chapter 137
Today is finally Recovery Day—the day of our crepe party. Ronny has been nervous about it ever since it was decided.
Today, I'm going to do my best to help Ronny relax, even if only a little. Though I suppose he's been nervous this entire time simply because he's staying at a ducal estate.
And right now, I'm in a carriage to pick Ronny up. Stefan and Martine apparently plan to come to the estate around noon, so I'm going to get Ronny before then.
Even when I said I'd come pick him up, Ronny repeatedly refused, saying he'd pull the handcart himself. But he has a lot of luggage, and the ducal estate is even farther away than the plaza, so I insisted on coming to get him.
This is a carriage from the ducal family, but it's a plain one that often came to my family's house, so it should be fine.
After riding from the ducal estate for a while, we arrived near Ronny's house. The road was too narrow to reach his house, so I had the carriage wait a little way off and walked the rest of the way.
I had planned to go alone, but Roger followed me as though it were the most natural thing in the world, so now there are two of us.
At first, I thought having a retainer follow me everywhere would be confining, but I've gotten used to it lately. I don't really realize it myself, but maybe I've already grown accustomed to noble life.
Thinking about that, I made my way through the back alleys and reached Ronny's house. Then I knocked on the door to his room.
"Roger, I'll do it, okay?"
"Understood."
Naturally, I was the one who called out to Ronny. Roger seemed to think I shouldn't have to do it myself, but if Roger called out in his voice, it would only add to Ronny's mental burden.
"Ronny, are you there?"
"Yeees. Just a minute."
When I called to Ronny, he answered in that bright voice, and the door opened almost immediately. His voice was fairly cheerful, so maybe he wasn't so nervous that he was about to break down.
"Leon, sorry to keep you wa—"
Ah... Ronny had finally opened the door with a bright, cheerful smile, but the moment Roger entered his field of vision, his face stiffened and froze.
Roger was expressionless, so I suppose he might seem frightening to someone meeting him for the first time. His formal clothing also made it obvious that he was a servant of the ducal household, and I had initially thought he was an unfriendly, frightening person too.
Now I'm glad that Roger is my retainer, but his good qualities aren't apparent at first glance.
"Ronny, this is my retainer, Roger. He looks expressionless, but he isn't scary, so don't worry."
"I'm Roger. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Ah, y-yes! Um, my name is Ronny. It is a pleasure to meet you."
The two of them exchanged greetings, but silence immediately took over. Roger didn't speak more than necessary, and Ronny wasn't the type to casually start a conversation. If I left the two of them alone, the atmosphere would become incredibly awkward.
I raised my voice with deliberate cheer to break the awkward atmosphere.
"Ronny, since there are three of us, do you think we can carry the luggage without the handcart?"
"I-I think the three of us can just barely carry it, but is it really okay for you to do that?"
"Of course. Come on, let's carry the luggage."
The three of us divided up the luggage and carried it back to the carriage. Roger carried a huge amount, so Ronny and I had it easy.
Ronny felt guilty about that and tried to carry some of it himself, but Roger kept taking more and more, so he eventually gave up.
"Leon, you have a retainer? You never told me!"
As we walked, Ronny spoke to me in a low but forceful voice. Come to think of it, I might never have told Ronny about Roger.
"I never told you about Roger, did I?"
"Tell me beforehand next time! You surprised me!"
"Were you really that surprised?"
"Of course I was! A commoner under a noble's patronage might work as a retainer, but they wouldn't have a retainer of their own!"
I knew it. Rongo-sensei had been surprised before, too. My treatment really must be remarkably favorable. I was truly grateful to the Townsend ducal family.
"But Roger is with me. I suppose my treatment really is quite favorable."
"Quite favorable? It's beyond that! This is an unheard-of level of preferential treatment!"
"That much?"
Was my treatment really that unbelievable?
Well, I suppose it would be if I were considered an ordinary commoner. My receiving this treatment probably also had a lot to do with my ability to use all attributes.
"Come to think of it, you've never asked me this before, but why did the ducal family agree to become my patrons?"
It was a natural question. But when he asked why, I had trouble answering.
At first, it was just a coincidence... and my status and abilities happened to be useful to the ducal faction, right?
"Hmm... It's difficult to explain, but I suppose it's because my abilities and status were useful to the ducal faction."
"But even if that were true, a commoner normally wouldn't receive treatment this favorable."
When he put it that way... Why was that, anyway? Hadn't I received this treatment from the very beginning? Maybe it was because I had things in common with Apostle-sama. Martine had told me before that she thought I was Apostle-sama, after all.
If that was the case, I had to be even more careful not to be elevated as Apostle-sama. If I were punished by divine retribution for pretending to be Apostle-sama, there would be no way to protect myself.
"Well, maybe it's because everyone in the ducal family is so kind. So you don't need to worry, Ronny."
Since I couldn't tell him about my ability to use all attributes, I gave that evasive answer. Ronny nodded, though his expression remained unconvinced.
"I'm not convinced, but... okay."
We walked for a while longer and reached the carriage, where we loaded all the luggage and climbed aboard.
Ronny sat there looking relaxed. Was he not as nervous as I had expected?
"Ronny, aren't you very nervous?"
"Hmm, I guess I've given up and decided that things will turn out however they turn out... Maybe I'm getting a little used to it. I'm not very nervous right now. But once we get to the estate, it might be a different story."
Oh! Ronny was growing. He would probably have more opportunities to interact with nobles from now on, and getting used to it would make things easier for him in the future.
"I hope you gradually get used to it."
"Yeah. Though you're way too used to it. Are you really a commoner?"
Ronny stared at me with an almost resentful look.
"I was nervous at first too, but now I live with them... I don't know if I should say this, but they're almost like another family to me."
After talking with Lucien and Richard-sama the other day, I had begun to feel that way. By now, the ducal estate was a place I could return to, a place where I felt at ease.
"Sigh... I already knew that, but I understand it even better now. You really are special, Leon. Since you're Leon, I'll just accept all of this."
Somehow, that made me sound as though I were abnormal. Well, it was true, and I couldn't argue with him, but I still didn't want to nod along so readily.
"...I don't think that's true."
I offered that quiet reply as the least resistance I could manage. Ronny gave me a sidelong look and opened his mouth.
"Leon, you aren't normal! You're definitely special! Stop saying that you're a commoner!"
"But I am a commoner..."
"A very, very special commoner!! You definitely aren't an ordinary commoner!"
"Well, maybe..."
"Not maybe—definitely! Got it!?"
"O-okay..."
Ronny was getting stronger. Was it my fault for dragging him into all sorts of things? Maybe it was a good thing, but still... sorry.
While we were talking like that, we arrived at the estate. When we got down from the carriage, a servant came over and unloaded the luggage.
"Could you have all the luggage taken to the dining room?"
"Understood. I will have the servants carry the luggage, so please wait in your rooms, Leon-sama and Ronny-sama. We have also prepared a guest room for Ronny-sama; would you like to use it? I can have tea prepared in Leon-sama's room as well."
"Ronny-sama!? My own guest room!?"
Ronny cried out in surprise at Roger's words, then suddenly covered his mouth with his hand when he realized how loud he had been.
"Ronny-sama is a guest of Lucien-sama and Leon-sama, so we have prepared a guest room for him as well."
"Th-thank you. But, um, I'll use Leon's room, please."
"Understood. Then I will show you to your room."
Roger started walking, and Ronny and I followed him.