Side Chapter Two: Leon's unwanted guest

I took a deep breath, then slammed down my sword. It hit the training dummy with a loud thunk. The strike rattled through the sword and numbed my hands. I quickly swung my sword back and attacked again. This time, I put all my weight behind it, and when it connected, it nearly knocked over the training dummy.

I sheathed my sword and wiped the sweat off my brow. It's been a long day, but a good training session always clears my mind. I took a seat on the cobblestone fence where there was a nice shade from the nearby tree. The sun was starting to set over the horizon. I looked over and gazed at the manor in the distance.

"Working hard, or did something catch your eye?" My entire body shivered. I know that conniving voice all too well. "What do you want, Annabelle?" I asked without even looking in her direction. "What, I can't come over and have a little chat with you, Leon?" I looked over and saw that annoying, devious smile she always had. "You and I both know that it's never just a chat with you." "That hurts Leon, but there is something I wanted to ask you." "And what would that be?"

"I heard that you spent most of the day with Mary, and that you had quite the conversation with her." As usual, her loaded question hides multiple meanings, and she won’t settle for a simple answer. This is why I hate nobles. Always condescending and always deceiving others. "Annabelle, just spit it out for once, and ask what you really want to."

"As dense and brazen as ever, Leon, but fine. You spent the whole day with my daughter, but only talked about Lenka. Why?" Of course, she would know about that. It's as if she has eyes and ears everywhere in this city. The only problem is that I know the question is some riddle to get specific answers out of me. What answer does she want this time? Is she mad that I spent time with her daughter, or is she angry that I am asking about Lenka?

"Well, Leon?" I let out a sigh. "Curiosity." "Curiosity? Oh, so you're interested in her." I glared at her in annoyance. She let out a chuckle. "So that's your taste. Well, she is only three years younger than you, so..." I quickly cut her off. "Annabelle, you of all people should know why." She let out a sigh, then sat down on the cobblestone fence and stared off into the horizon.

"You're no fun, Leon." We both sat there in awkward silence for around a minute as the cool breeze blew past us. "Let me guess; you're interested in what Lenka's trying to achieve." "Yes, I never met a noble who is actively trying to help commoners. It makes me uneasy, and I question if it's all an act for some grand scheme of hers." "I see. I'm also curious about what she's trying to accomplish."

"So, there are things not even you know." "Come on, Leon, I'm not a siren. I can't read people's minds." "Yet, you are actively trying to help her." Annabelle looked at me, confused, but I knew she was just pretending to be confused. "I heard that during Lenka's proclamation, everyone was dumbfounded and annoyed by it, but you, of all people, started to clap. And once everyone saw you clapping, they had no choice but to join in."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Leon." "Don't play dumb, Annabelle. I also know that our Lord has been forcing my father to make sure that everyone goes along with whatever Lenka wants. The question is why?" Annabelle turned her gaze towards the manor, and her smile faded. "I can't answer that... at least not now." This was the first time I had ever seen her make a face like that. However, it was short-lived; she quickly resumed her same old fake smile.

"If you're curious about it, then maybe you should just ask Lenka. Her birthday is coming, so use that as an opportunity to talk with her." Annabelle stood up and started walking away. "As for us helping her, well. Let's just say this world doesn't have a future with the way it's heading, but I believe that Lenka might be able to give us one." With that, Annabelle left with her usual ominous exit.

She might give us a future. Sounds nice, but how can I or any commoner trust a noble? Though I admit something about Lenka is different. Like she seems to be straightforward, and unlike Annabelle, she uses her cunning not to trick people but to inspire them. However, she's still a child; how can someone like Annabelle put any trust in her? I let out a sigh and glanced at the manor.

I grabbed my sheathed sword and stared at it. I clutched it tighter as my scars on my back started to itch with slight pain. I don't think the pain from those lashings will ever fade. To think that a noble would have a child lashed for simply bumping into him. Do they think that some simple goodwill will change everything, but what's the point?

In the end, nobles will do whatever they desire with the power they have. Ultimately, we will be left with no choice but to accept whatever punishment they choose to impose. What if Lenka is different and is actually trying to change this world? Can I trust a child like her? I know her father isn't like the other nobles. He was once one of us, so maybe she's different.

I shook my head. No, trust shouldn't be given; it should be earned. I'll keep an eye on her actions, then determine if I can trust her or not. But I can't deny the actions she has already taken. When I was in the city, I berated the commoners for speaking ill of our lords. I fully expected to see them severely punished for their actions, so I stepped in to prevent my father and the other guards from receiving punishment. However, I overheard Lenka talking with Kate, then made up an excuse to make everyone indebted to Kate.

Why did Lenka go out of her way to protect a beastkin? And why did she only punish them with some light labor? Heck, she's now even offering to pay people for labor. What is her end goal in all of this? I scratched my head. Whatever, I'm not smart enough to think of what scheming nobles are up to.

"Oh, and by the way. Stay away from my daughter." The sound of her voice scared me so much that I slipped off the fence. I looked up to see her devious grin as she walked away. What the hell is she? I didn't even hear her footsteps. Man, why is she so protective of Mary? We've been friends since we were children. It's not like I would do anything to harm her. I mean, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree when it comes to her being stubbornly angry at something.

Whatever, I might as well start thinking of a present for Lenka. I relaxed my grip on my sword. Oh, I got an idea, and it will allow me to talk with Lenka. Hmm.... then again, it's not really a gift for a lady, but then again, I never saw a lady work and supervise a mine before. To hell with it, might as well give it a try.