Extra in a Romance Fantasy

41 – Retreat

“Wade! Hurry up!”

Walking as usual, I hear Mary’s voice, livelier than usual.

It’s not just Mary; today, the atmosphere among the rest of the party is brighter than usual.

And there’s a reason for that.

“Wow!”

Mary exclaimed with admiration.

What her gaze meets is a beautiful lake reflecting the warm sunlight like a mirror.

Yes, a lake.

A large and beautiful lake that seems to calm the mind just by looking at it.

We are now at the retreat.

***

“How about a visit to the cottage after a long time?”

During the evening meal where the estate family and guests gathered, Lady of the estate suddenly brought up such a topic.

“Rather than staying here until the end, it might be more enjoyable for the guests.”

The cottage.

With that one word, memories I had unintentionally forgotten resurface.

The existence of the cottage not far from Rainwood.

“That sounds like a good idea.”

The estate immediately endorsed the lady’s opinion.

“That’s great!”

Mary quickly picked up on the suggestion.

The party showed a somewhat puzzled reaction to this sudden development.

Since they didn’t know where the cottage was or what it was like in the first place, such a reaction was expected.

Noticing their confusion, Mary explained about the cottage to the party, and after hearing the explanation, they nodded approvingly.

Thus, our summer retreat was decided, and now, we find ourselves here.

A vast lake not too far from Raykinwood.

This is where the Blue Noah family’s summer villa is located.

The lake is not only known for its vast size and beautiful scenery but also for its clear, clean water, making it suitable for water activities. Moreover, the surrounding area is embraced by a dense forest that complements the lake’s size, providing a perfect escape from the hot summer sun. It is a popular destination for many due to these reasons.

For those living in the vicinity, it’s a well-known place, but beyond that, it’s quite familiar to me.

The Lord and Lady of Blue Noah often brought their daughter, Mary, here for summer vacations. Despite being just the caretaker’s son, I often accompanied them on their retreats. Originally, I wouldn’t have had the chance to join the summer retreats of the Blue Noah family, but they treated me like a half-son since I was young. Besides, Mary’s wishes were strong enough to make it happen.

For these reasons, the lake and the villa are quite familiar places to me.

Well, for the past few years, the Lord had frequent business, so we couldn’t come here, and I had almost forgotten about its existence.

Anyway, we arrived at the Blue Noah family’s summer villa.

“Wow. What a beautiful villa.”

“Y-Yes…”

Rachel murmured in admiration, and Ayla agreed.

Indeed, the exterior of the villa was beautiful and tidy, blending harmoniously with the surrounding landscape. The predominantly white building created a picturesque atmosphere.

Though not comparable in scale to the Blue Noah mansion, it was sufficiently luxurious for a summer villa.

“Not bad.”

Estelle added her rare comment.

“Thank goodness.”

Mary chuckled brightly.

While anyone would feel pleased to receive compliments on their belongings, this villa was particularly cherished by Lady Blue Noah. Mary herself liked it, so she couldn’t be happier.

“The view of the lake is amazing.”

Alexis remarked.

And it wasn’t just about the appearance; the location of the villa was perfect. If you toppled over in front of the villa, you’d land right by the lake. It was not only good for recreation, but simply observing the lake’s scenery from the villa was enough to cleanse one’s mood—it was that beautiful.

“It’s beautiful.”

The entire group stood still, gazing at the lake where the sunlight created waves of light.

“Y-You know… in the middle of the lake… there’s an island….”

“Oh, certainly….”

The gazes of the group converged on the center of the lake.

There, a piece of land that could be called a small island was visible.

Describing it as an island awkwardly placed in the middle of a vast lake might pique some interest, but in reality, it was just an unremarkable island.

Just a few trees scattered around were all there was to it.

However, the view from that island on a brightly lit day with the moon high in the sky was quite charming.

“Well then, let’s go inside for now.”

It’s nice to lose oneself in the surroundings, but it’s better to get things done first.

The servants would handle moving the luggage and tidying up the interior, but assigning rooms and taking care of minor details were tasks for this side.

***

After successfully assigning rooms and organizing their belongings, the group gathered once again in the hall on the first floor of the villa.

“By the way, there are more people here than I thought.”

Alexis spoke while looking beyond the window.

“This area is a well-known resort. Because of that, there are many villas, and there are also specialized inns for vacationers. That’s why it’s always crowded in the summer.”

Mary explained his curiosity with an appropriate answer.

As she said, this place is a famous resort, and not only nobles or the wealthy but also people from the middle class often visit.

It might be a bit lacking if you want a quiet vacation, but it has its own advantages.

“Thanks to that, there are also many businesses and stalls targeting those people.”

Where people gather, money accumulates.

Following this simple rule, various shops have lined up here.

From simple stalls to places selling rare items that you wouldn’t usually find in the city.

“Oh.”

Estelle made an interesting sound.

In a way, it was a natural reaction.

Estelle must have experienced enough of scenic vacations to get tired of them.

Perhaps browsing through regular shops would be a more interesting experience for her.

“Um… then what should we do first?”

“Taking a quiet stroll along the lakeside might be nice.”

“I noticed the water is clean. Trying swimming again after a long time wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

A proper vacation for once in a while.

The group began to discuss their opinions on what to do.

“What about you, Wade?”

I was silently observing the scene from behind when Rachel approached me quietly and asked.

“Well, I’m thinking of just exploring around here.”

“Ah! Th-then, would you like to explore together with me?”

Rachel, showing a hint of embarrassment, made the suggestion upon hearing my words.

Hm… It wouldn’t be bad to explore together.

As I was about to nod in agreement, a familiar voice interjected.

“I, I… Can I join too?”

It was the kid.

What to do? After a brief moment of consideration, I quickly reached a conclusion.

“Why not go together.”

It’s different from the time of the festival.

Back then, we divided our time considering various factors, but now the whole group came for fun. In such an obvious situation with the entire group, refusing someone who wants to join and going alone with just two people would seem odd.

So, there should be no problem going together.

Thinking this way, I intended to include the kid as well.

“I’ll go too.”

Once again, the familiar voice interjected.

Needless to say, it was Estelle.

I wasn’t particularly surprised.

I had somewhat expected it to turn out this way when the kid joined in.

Whenever we entered a city during our journey to Raekinwood, it always felt like this.

No matter who made the suggestion, in the end, the three women always followed along.

Therefore, I calmly decided to include Estelle as well.

“Well then, let’s go together─”

“Huh? Is everyone going together? Then I want to go too!”

“If Mary is going, then I…”

“Hm. It wouldn’t be bad to take a look around the surroundings together.”

“…Then, let’s go together.”

…I couldn’t have anticipated this.

No, if it was going to be like this, why bother asking for opinions?

Even as I thought that, I couldn’t resist the current.

“…Let’s all go together.”

While nervously organizing the situation, Rachel’s face suddenly caught my eye.

“…….”

Her expression was frozen.

Not entirely surprising.

Considering that even I and Estelle didn’t have a particularly friendly relationship, and I hadn’t properly conversed with Alexis and Cedric, it wasn’t unexpected for her to react this way.

Moreover, she didn’t seem to prefer being in a crowd, so it made sense that she would show such a reaction.

“I’m sorry. Things turned out this way.”

“…No need to apologize. It’s unavoidable.”

In response to my apology, Rachel gently nodded.

Despite her discomfort, it seemed like she understood that the situation was beyond control.

Feeling a slight sense of guilt towards her, I led the group and left the villa.

***

“There are indeed a lot of people.”

Estelle remarked with an excited expression.

And indeed, at a glance, there were many people.

To the extent that it reminded me of the recent festival at the academy.

Not only that, but various shops were lined up, selling everything from simple food to jewelry, souvenirs, and even shops dealing in peculiar magical items.

The scene before my eyes, with a little exaggeration, could be likened to the lively atmosphere of a festival.

“It’s been a while since we were here.”

Mary squinted her eyes as she observed the scene.

“That’s true.”

This place was one we had visited every time we came to the villa.

At times, Mary and I had even come here alone.

Due to not visiting in the past few years, there were some changes, but the overall atmosphere and energy were just as I remembered.

Mary is probably feeling nostalgic about that part.

And I was feeling the same way.

Briefly indulging in nostalgia, we began to genuinely explore our surroundings.

There was more to see than I had anticipated, even more than in the bustling streets of Raikenwood.

Well, thinking about it, that shouldn’t be too strange.

This place is fundamentally frequented by wealthy guests, and being a resort itself, it’s enchanted with the magic of lightening people’s wallets.

It’s natural for various goods and merchants to gather here, targeting such individuals.

“…Hmm.”

Casually surveying the surroundings, I suddenly started sensing multiple gazes directed our way.

There was no need to ponder the reason behind it.

‘Plenty worth seeing.’

No, it’s natural to be seen.

Estelle, of course, but also everyone else had an appearance that naturally drew attention.

Not just the women, but even Alexis and Cedric.

Well, at this point, it was hardly surprising.

I myself was gradually becoming accustomed to such attention.

It would be a lie to say it didn’t bother me, but since there was nothing I could do about it despite being mindful, I decided to let it slide.

As I casually glanced around, something caught my eye.

“Oh.”

It was an ice cream shop.

A specialty sold only around this lake.

It was a treat I used to enjoy a lot when I was younger.

Its appearance reminiscent of the lake and a taste crafted in its own way.

While it might not be described as exceptionally unique in taste, I quite liked it.

Perhaps it was due to not seeing it for a few years, but suddenly, I felt an urge to have some after a long time.

Glancing at the group discreetly, seeing each one absorbed in something of interest, I silently decided to quickly go, buy some ice cream, and return.

Stepping away from the group, I briskly headed towards the shop and placed an order for ice cream with the staff.

“Here’s the ice cream─”

“Could I have an ice cream, please?”

However, my timing coincided perfectly with another person who smoothly intervened.

“Ah, excuse me.”

The person over there also seemed to recognize that fact and lightly bowed to me, conveying an apology.

“Oh, it’s okay.”

I graciously yielded my order and stepped back.

At the same time, I examined the impression of the intervening person.

He appeared to be in his late 30s, roughly.

Taller than average, with a sturdy physique that could be described as strong.

His unkempt hair and somewhat messy grown beard may have blurred his appearance, but they couldn’t hide the fact that he had rugged features.

While definitely rugged, his appearance lacked tidiness, and he wore flashy patterned clothes that seemed to have been bought quickly at this resort.

Although his outward appearance was noticeable, I felt no energy emanating from him.

From that standpoint, one would consider him an ordinary person.

However.

I felt an indescribable strangeness from him.

A very subtle peculiarity that wouldn’t be felt from an ordinary person.

In addition, my instincts whispered to me.

Do not get close to that man.

Keep your distance.

“Hmm?”

The man opened his eyes wide.

And he began to scrutinize me intently.

“Hmm… uh? Hmm….”

He narrowed his eyes and studied me for a while.

The man raised his head.

“What is your identity?”

I had a bad feeling.