Chapter 201 - 199: Detour.

Chapter 201: Chapter 199: Detour.

And today is no different.

​After all, it’s not every day the best swordsman in the kingdom shows up to train , let alone puts on such a show.

There’s chatter rising up from every table like the steam off their stew; most of it is confused, and a lot of it as rude and distasteful as it usually is, but some of it isn’t.

Some of it is even deeply, wildly impressed.

​But Loac’s not there, so he’s not to know.

...

" Maan ~ I totally overdid it today."

​It’s the understatement of the century. Binny massively overdid it today.

He can’t remember the last time his body ached so entirely ; there’s not a bone or muscle left on him that’s escaped unscathed, and even his bruises feel like they have bruises.

So far he’s dropped his spoon twice from his hands shaking so badly. He hopes that settles down before tomorrow.

​His sister has very little sympathy for him.

​"And who’s fault is that?" she sniffs from across the table, immune to the dramatic way he hangs off the table in agony.

"You’re making a mess."

​She’s got a point. Two, even. He is making a mess. There’s soup sloshed all over the table in front of him.

And it is his own fault. Sure, Khobi had invited him into the ring, and told him to fight, but he needn’t have tried so hard.

Probably shouldn’t have, even.

​But he hadn’t been able to help it.

​No one likes to be underestimated, even servants.

And even though they’re not equals, it had been nice to be able to pretend, just for a little.

​It’s like his sister can read his thoughts. Or maybe just his face. They have the same eyes, after all.

​"You just wanted to show off." It’s more of an accusation than a question. Binny just sighs, and slumps into his hand.

​"...Is that so wrong?"

​They both know it is.

​They’re servants, after all. To be there but unseen, and to hear but not be heard.

They’re not meant to draw attention, let alone be the centre of it. Which he certainly had been, for a moment.

And he’d done pretty well for himself –at least against the soldiers.

For all the tricks he has at his disposal, men like Khobi and Rogard are a different breed entirely, and he’s well aware of where they would stand in a fair fight.

​He wasn’t even going to entertain the thought of going head to head against his own prince.

The soldiers and the nobles could brag and bray all they liked about getting a chance to cross swords with Loac, but Binny knows his place just well enough to know that there are paths afforded to others that he wasn’t meant to walk.

​In their wake, perhaps. If they’d allow it.

​"...Be careful, Kazunari."

​Ah, shit . He must’ve zoned out again. His sister makes such a face when he does that. At this rate she’s going to get wrinkles before him.

And he can’t have that, so he grins wide enough for the both of them.

​"Aren’t I always?"

​" No ."

​Well, she’s got him there.

​"Where did my sweet little sister go?" he laments, because he’s certain she never used to give him quite so much grief as she’s started doing.

"You know what it is? You’ve been talking to Khobi too much."

​"...And you haven’t?"

​This is exactly what he’s talking about.

​" Touch é ."

​They eat in silence. Binny manages not to drop his spoon again, but it’s a hard task. He’s more shattered than he can ever remember being; physically and mentally spent.

The daily life of a servant that he faces come morning –because Khobi’s bargain doesn’t grant him the life of a soldier, merely a taste –is going to hurt more than it ever has before, and this time it will genuinely be entirely his fault.

​"...Thanks, by the way," he adds, after a long moment has passed, "For looking out for Rogard. You didn’t have to do that." The lives of nobles and servants, while loosely entwined, have always been separate.

Their business is their business, and the servants are intimately aware of said business but they don’t intervene.

It’s not their place to meddle, only to watch and whisper. Meddling is for nobles.

​She looks down into her food, stirring it distractedly.

​"...Well, he seems like Khobi-san’s friend," she says, as though that should explain it. It does, and doesn’t at the same time.

The servants have long regarded the Lord Rogard and his family with fear and have thus avoided him and his business wherever possible, but a large number of them have developed a soft spot for Khobi, and it’s well documented that Khobi has a poorly disguised soft spot for Rogard Spidra. "...He would have been sad if something happened."

Binny wonders if his sister realises what an understatement that is. She frowns, and quits playing with her food, as she adds, "Soldiers sure are loud though. And they made a real mess of the infirmary."

​"They are loud, aren’t they?" Binny muses apologetically, "Sorry, when I heard I didn’t have much time to explain anything to them. Gandy didn’t really hold back.

It’s fine, though. Montrel gets his nose broken all the time." He can tell she notices how casually he refers to them, but she doesn’t comment, and for that he’s grateful.

He knows he shouldn’t, but it’s so hard when they talk to him like there’s no difference between them.

He’d impressed some of them, for sure, and has a feeling he’s going to come away a bit worse off next time, when they aren’t taking him quite so lightly.

​Next time .

The thought makes him smile.

​His sister sees it, and sighs.

​"I’m glad you had fun," she admits, and to Binny’s relief, lets herself smile too.

...

It’s late by the time he leaves her, and even though he promised he wouldn’t skive off (any more than he already does), he finds himself taking a detour from the usual servant trails, and through the emptiest of the dark castle halls instead.