Father, I Won’t Do Anything

Izren approached the owner with confident, squared shoulders.

“Let the young miss enter.”

His usual slurred speech was gone.

Having practiced repeatedly, the words flowed smoothly.

Overwhelmed by the fair-skinned youth’s refined jawline and bright smile, the owner mechanically nodded.

“P-Please, come in.”

Though a demi-human, his appearance sparkled impressively with the Magic Tower’s resources.

Unlike their unkempt escort knights, his toned muscles were cleanly defined, complemented by his striking looks – enough to draw envious stares from a young noble girl standing near the entrance as she gazed at Jaina.

“Where did you find that escort? Him being a demi-human makes it even more intriguing. Look at those violet eyes.”

Jaina whispered to Izren.

“It seems to be trendy these days to have a handsome escort knight. I suppose I’ll be the envy today.”

Until recently, Izren had disliked commenting on his own appearance.

After all, an outstanding look only increased the risk of being hunted as a specimen.

But in this moment, Izren felt joy – that he could be of some help to Jaina, if only a little.

Izren bashfully scratched his blushing cheek.

“Oh my…”

“Lady Betty, look over there.”

As the fair-skinned boy reddened, others around them began blushing too.

If Mikael was a vibrant rose of a youth, Izren exuded the pure, mystical charm of a rain-drenched hydrangea.

In a manner of speaking, though an escort knight, there was something about him that stirred protective instincts.

“Ah… the world is beautiful…”

As the young noble girls discontentedly eyed their own rough-looking knights, Jaina gathered the materials to make ribbons.

‘Just one left. How fortunate?’

It was then that Jaina faintly smiled.

“Want to hand that ribbon over to me?”

Turning, she saw a young girl with reddish hair and a somewhat provocative gaze.

“I won’t mince words. Doesn’t it clearly suit me better?”

Though the girl’s defiant raised chin could have provoked irritation, Jaina calmly responded.

“I’m afraid not.”

“Why not? It seems more fitting for me. The color matches my eyes perfectly.”

Jaina could understand why the girl coveted the ribbon. But she too had an unwavering reason.

“I was here first. Rather than trying to take it from me, shouldn’t you first ask the owner if they have any more in stock?”

“Huh? Uh…”

“I’ll go with you. Let’s ask once.”

Taken aback by Jaina’s composed reply, the flustered girl could only numbly nod in agreement.

Approaching the owner with the girl, Jaina inquired about the ribbon’s stock.

Shaking his head regretfully, the owner replied:

“That’s the last one. And it doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting any more.”

Whereupon the girl said irritatedly:

“See, there’s only one left!”

“I see. That’s quite unfortunate.”

Offering the ribbon in her hand, Jaina said:

“But since I picked this up first, I can’t give it up…”

“What? No way!”

“Of course, as you said, this sky-blue ribbon may suit you better than me. However, the person I wish to gift this ribbon to also has sky-blue eyes like you.”

Unfazed by the girl’s annoyance, Jaina continued softly.

“I understand your desire for a ribbon that matches your eyes. But since I picked this first, could you let me have it? In exchange, I’ll recommend a color that would suit you better. Hmm… with your fair complexion and vibrant features, a pink ribbon would look lovely on you.”

The tense atmosphere gradually loosened as the girl blushed at Jaina’s sincere compliment.

“Wh-What…? You think a pink ribbon would suit me?”

Just as Jaina was about to affably respond, someone sought to reignite the dying embers.

“You, don’t deceive our Lady Marilyn with fancy words!”

“Oh? Deitan?”

“There’s no reason for you to give up what you desire, My Lady. This Deitan shall seize that ribbon for you!”

With sun-tanned skin and an undeniably sturdy build, the man glared menacingly at Izren.

“I can’t tell if you’re a servant or escort knight. Is this how you properly guard your lady? You look as harmless as a green apple.”

Deitan sneered while eyeing Izren’s figure, then rapidly rattled on.

“A single blow would floor you instantly. Punks like you diminish the dignity of escort knights. You may revel in the ladies’ cheers, but you’re useless elsewhere.”

“…”

Narrowing his eyes briefly, Izren tilted his head in seeming incomprehension.

“Pardon?”

Deitan was flustered when Izren responded with just that one word to his lengthy tirade.

Meanwhile, Jaina inwardly shook her head as she watched their exchange.

‘Izren’s grasp of the imperial language is poor, so he can’t understand half of it when people rattle on rapidly…’

As if thinking Izren was deliberately ignoring him, Deitan’s temper flared as he unleashed another unbroken torrent.

“No, no retort, so you’re just feigning deafness! These days, it’s trendy to have pretty-faced punks as escorts, but an escort’s true duty is to serve his lady. Like me, you see.”

“I pretty, you ugly?”

“You little…”

Izren had sincerely asked for clarification, but Deitan seemingly took it as an insult, his face reddening and paling repeatedly. Beside them, Marilyn also bristled as she shouted:

“Deitan, if you’re ugly, you should at least be good with words!”

“You, you go too far. Are you calling me ugly?!”

“Fine. Then you’re less handsome than him! There!”

“…I shall claim victory, no matter what.”

Deitan’s eyes hardened. Before anyone could stop him, he flung the glove he had been wearing straight at Izren.

Fwish!

However, Izren merely caught the airborne glove nonchalantly.

“Littering is bad.”

Izren inwardly felt proud for using the difficult word ‘littering’ correctly.

“You remembered the word I taught you recently.”

Jaina praised his memory from the side.

Having challenged Izren to a duel only for the mood to become lighthearted instead, Deitan bristled as he spoke.

“This brat, it’s a duel! I’m challenging you to a duel!”

“A duel? Ah.”

Izren nodded before addressing Deitan.

“You, not human but orc.”

Izren had simply meant ‘why are you getting so heated up?’, but Deitan seemed to take it as an insult, his face twisting.

“Ah, that’s not what I…”

“Follow me, you gaudy fool! We’ll wager that ribbon in a match!”

However, it was too late to correct his utterance.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen Izren wield a sword?’

Jaina mused that this could be an opportunity to witness Izren’s skills.

“While he may not be a particularly impressive escort knight, his appearance can certainly pull off those shimmering gem-like eyes…”

However, separate from knightly prowess, Marilyn seemed to favor Izren’s looks.

“Fine, let’s duel! We’ll wager the ribbon and your escort knight!”

“Oh? My Lady?”

“Ah, not as an escort, but to have him as a servant! He seems too feeble to handle a sword, after all!”

Though he had agreed to a duel, there were still points to nitpick.

“I’m wagering the ribbon and an escort knight, but what do I get if I win instead?”

“You, do you have no shame?”

“Do you lack any concept of fairness?”

When Jaina softly questioned in return, Marilyn also seemed to get riled up.

Seizing the moment, Jaina quietly looked up at Izren.

“Are you confident you can win?”

“Yes.”

His gaze was unwavering. Seeing this, Jaina nodded and pointed at the bundle in the girl’s hand.

“Then if you lose, you’ll give me one of the jewels from that pouch.”

“Wh-What? A jewel?”

Marilyn was carrying a few jewels, likely meant to decorate the center of the ribbon.

In a low voice, Jaina said:

“If you can’t take responsibility for your words, it would be wise to act with a bit more prudence from now on. I may overlook it since you’re still a child.”

Marilyn took the bait, falling for Jaina’s provocation.

“Fine, fine! I’ll also wager a jewel, so don’t you dare back out of your word!”

She was too young to simply overlook such childish taunting as ‘I’m an adult and you’re a child’.

* * *

Though tall for his age, Izren was still only sixteen.

Hence, compared to the adult Deitan, his build was smaller.

Coupled with his delicate features, he appeared relatively frail.

“Want me to tell you the best move in this situation?”

“I didn’t ask.”

“Kneel and beg me! Then at least you won’t get hurt too badly!”

When Deitan swung his sword with a ‘fwish’, the force generated a gust of wind audible from afar.

“Hahaha, that pretty face of yours will be grotesquely twisted!”

Marilyn’s cheering voice came from behind Deitan.

“Don’t do that! We need him as a servant!”

“Ah, understood… I’ll subdue him with minimal injury.”

As Izren drew his sword, Deitan scoffed dismissively.

“Heh, I’ll go easy on you as the challenger. Come at me first.”

Casually gripping his two-handed sword with one hand, Deitan arrogantly shrugged his shoulders.

“Let’s see if you can even wield that sword properly…”

However, Deitan’s words trailed off uncompleted.

Shing!

Somehow, Izren’s sword was already at his throat.

“Wh-What…?”

“What is this?”

It had happened in the blink of an eye – the incomprehensibly brief bout left Deitan stuttering in disbelief. Even Marilyn seemed flustered.

Izren calmly spoke.

“In a real battle, you would be dead.”

His cold, emotionless gaze caused a chill to run down Deitan’s back.