EP.170 Welcome to Jonathan, Little Chicks
"Um, excuse me! H-hello!"
On the path leading to the Baron's mansion.
Tisha gathered her courage and approached Leo and Lea who were walking ahead.
At her greeting, the siblings turned around almost simultaneously.
Lea's side was fine. She was a woman with classic beauty.
She had a firm, curved figure, but it wasn't excessive.
If anything, the female knights of the Empire she'd occasionally seen seemed more robust.
She even gave off the impression of being quite delicate.
But the moment she saw Leo standing beside her, all those thoughts vanished.
'Ughh...'
Her first thought was 'scary,' or rather 'I hope I don't see him in my dreams.'
Tisha had seen Kyle truly angry exactly once before.
It was when the Kingdom Alliance launched an indiscriminate attack on the Academy.
Kyle's expression from that moment was still vivid in her mind.
'He looked... like a demon.'
How angry must that kind person have been to make such an expression?
She wondered what horrible things the Alliance must have done to make him like that.
A face she never wanted to see again, a primal emotion that gave her goosebumps.
But now Leo's appearance was even more frightening than Kyle's angry expression.
"...?"
What's even scarier is that Leo isn't even angry like Kyle was.
This is just his normal, expressionless face!
"Hello. Let's see... ah yes. You're Tisha, right?"
Fortunately(?), it was Lea who approached Tisha first.
As Lea approached with a bright smile, Tisha smiled back.
"Yes, yes! I'm Tisha. I'm, well..."
"Kyle's girlfriend?"
Just as she was about to say "friend!", Tisha's face instantly turned bright red.
It looked like it might burst at any moment. That's how red it had become.
Blinking her eyes, Tisha responded with an "Eh?" after a moment, completely flustered.
"Ah, um, uh, eek!"
"Hmm? You're not?"
"What?! Ah, um! That's..."
Girlfriend? No, that's not right. I'm not yet... not yet!
Kyle said we were somewhere between friends and lovers.
So introducing myself as his girlfriend would be premature. Yes, premature...
"Strange. Aren't you his girlfriend?"
"Um... yes, yes. Actually, I am Kyle's g-girlfriend."
"Heeh."
A lie that slipped out unconsciously. Tisha covered her mouth with a "hah."
Why did I say that? I was just going to say we were friends!
What if Kyle hears about this later and says 'But she's not my girlfriend?'!
And if these two become disappointed that I lied...
'...No. No. This is my chance to make it real!'
Tisha clenched her fists. She'd get a definitive answer now.
Not just someone he's seeing, but a real relationship. Me as Kyle's girlfriend. Kyle as my boyfriend.
If what I just said becomes truth rather than a lie, there won't be any problem!
"Ahem."
Leo, who was walking beside Lea, cLeoed his throat and cut in.
"You said you're Tisha?"
"Yes, yes! That's right!"
"What did you like about our youngest?"
"Pardon?!"
"What made you want to date him, is what I'm asking."
"Brother. You shouldn't ask such things so suddenly!"
"Is that so. But I'm curious. Why our youngest?"
Lea scolded Leo for making their guest, Kyle's friend, uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, Leo stared at Tisha with an unwavering expression, cLeoly wanting an answer.
"Tisha. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. He's not asking to pressure you."
"No, no. It's fine. Um... well..."
What do I like about Kyle? Why am I dating him? That question.
Thinking about it now, the reasons weren't particularly extraordinary.
Just really simple reasons. Answers that might prompt someone to say 'Is that all?'
But that really is everything. Nothing else comes to mind.
"Well... first of all, Kyle takes really good care of me."
"You mean teaching you exercise?"
"That too! But there's more than that. Actually, I have something I really want to achieve. But it's such a difficult path that I sometimes hit walls. In those moments, Kyle came to me. He encouraged me and helped me work hard..."
Helping someone in need. What could leave a deeper impression than that?
Both Leo and Lea nodded their heads as if they understood perfectly.
"Is there anything else?"
"Yes, of course. First, his dedication is so admirable. Others might seem to be making an effort, but they get swayed by temptation or become complacent from overconfidence, but Kyle never does that."
"The youngest is certainly diligent."
"That aspect was impressive, and I admired that dedication, and I wish I could be like that too. It's amazing. Even though it's really hard, he works on improving himself every single day without fail."
Nod nod
The Jonathan siblings nodded their heads once again in understanding.
This should be enough, she thought. This was certainly enough reason to like someone.
Just as Leo was about to part his lips to change the subject—
"Ah, and also! He's... he's just naturally cool, isn't he?"
"Hmm?"
"Like Kyle's brother and sister here, everyone is incredibly cool and beautiful. I know it's foolish to judge based on looks alone... but something cool is still cool, I think."
"Aha. So you're saying Kyle is handsome?"
"Y-yes."
At those words, Lea let out a soft laugh.
There was a genuine sincerity felt in Tisha's honest answers.
Gratitude for his help, and admiration for his efforts.
He was going to ask if that alone wasn't enough.
Romantic feelings between the sexes involve internal factors, but external factors are just as important.
Those who hide this fact, or deny it, are actually less trustworthy.
One must be honest. To oneself and to others. Only then can you move forward.
"Well, that should be..."
"That's right! He's so kind to everyone. Even though Kyle could be a bit arrogant and no one would blame him, he never is. A man who knows how to be humble - isn't that just amazing?"
The reason why Kyle is kind to everyone and never shows any arrogance.
While part of it comes from his personality, there's a more decisive reason.
It's because he's the youngest of the Jonathan family. He simply can't dare to act up against anyone.
With a father, mother, brother, and sister around, how could he become arrogant or conceited? No way.
If he did, who knows what kind of stern command would come down. A hellish training routine would definitely be added as punishment.
From the start, Kyle himself thinks he's nothing special compared to his family.
"Um, and also..."
"Enough, enough. That's sufficient."
Tisha was trying to continue her praise of Kyle without pause.
Finally, it only ended when Leo stepped in to say that was enough.
"May I call you casually?"
"Yes, of course."
"Alright, Tisha. I understand well how highly you think of our youngest. I want to thank you for that. I was worried about how the youngest was doing at the academy, but now I know he has a good friend."
"N-no, it's nothing. I just..."
"Take good care of our youngest from now on."
Leo's signature expressionless face that could freeze blood softened into a slight smile.
Though he still inspired fear in those who saw him.
Still, this face was a hundred, no, a thousand times better than that terrifying expression from earlier.
"She really seems to like Kyle a lot, brother."
After sending Tisha back to Kyle's side, the Jonathan siblings were left alone.
Leo nodded in agreement to Lea's words.
"Indeed. She's quite different from that Imperial Princess who came last time."
"What do you think, brother? I think this Tisha is quite nice."
"But isn't she too weak? Look at those arms. They look like they'd break with just a little force."
"But her lower body is quite decent, isn't it? Looking at her now, her core is well-developed too. You know she hasn't just been skipping exercise or doing it half-heartedly."
Leo nodded in agreement with Lea's opinion, muttering "That's true."
"Why don't you take this Tisha under your wing as well?"
"Well... I'd like to, but she's Kyle's girlfriend. They should stay together - it wouldn't be right for me to thoughtlessly take her away."
Fortunately, Lea took after the Baroness rather than the Baron of Jonathan.
If that weren't the case, she would have immediately gone to Kyle and said, 'I'll train both Nel and Tisha.'
"We can discuss the rest after meeting father and mother."
At last, the group had arrived at the Jonathan family mansion.
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"Welcome, young master."
The people helping the Baron and his wife bow politely in greeting.
Up to this point, they seem like typical servants of a noble family.
Except for those muscles rippling beneath their skin.
"It's been a while. Where is father?"
"He actually asked for you to come see him when you returned, young master."
"Father did? Where to?"
"The training grounds. He said it's leg day and wanted to work out together."
That's father for you, that's Baron Jonathan alright. Even greetings have to be at the gym.
He probably wants to discuss everything else while destroying our legs together.
"Well then, while I'm gone. We have guests with us, so if you could show them to their rooms..."
"Ah. The Baron specifically said to bring all the guests along as well."
"All of them?"
"Yes, young master. All of them."
After double-checking his father's intentions, Kyle slowly turned his head.
Ian, Nel, and even Tisha. Everyone... hmm....
'Let's all suffer together.'
It's definitely not a bad thing. The training grounds are the alpha and omega of the Jonathans.
Being invited there means they'll be treated as proper guests.
Of course, the process won't be easy at all.