This quest will be told from the perspective of the young boy.
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"Aqua. This is sudden, but I’ve decided to assign you a bodyguard."
"Huh...? Wh-what do you an...!?"
One day, my father suddenly called into his room and dropped those words the mont I walked in. I was so shocked and confused that I asked him what he ant. With a complicated expression, he slowly began to explain.
"Just the other day, an intruder was caught on our estate. One of our guards spotted him hesitating near the mansion and apprehended him imdiately. When we questioned him, he confessed that he had been hired to break in. After further investigation, we discovered that assassination requests targeting you are circulating in the underworld."
I stood there frozen, unable to process what I was hearing.
"I don’t know who placed the request or why they’re after your life, but since an actual intruder has already appeared, we can’t ignore this. We intend to identify and apprehend the one behind it."
"B-but... that ans I’m really being targeted...!?"
My father continued with a heavy tone.
"We don’t know how long it will take to find the person who made the request. If sothing were to happen to you before then, it would be the worst outco. We considered strengthening security, but the captured intruder revealed that there were insiders helping him. Although we’ve already caught those involved, there may be others still hiding. That’s why simply increasing guards might not be enough."
He looked at seriously.
"Therefore, we’ve decided to assign you a completely independent, dedicated bodyguard."
"Oh... so that’s why..."
Seeing my reaction, my father nodded and kept explaining.
"To avoid arousing suspicion from any suspicious individuals, I’ve hired her under the pretense of a personal tutor. I interviewed her myself—she’s an excellent person. I’d like her to stay with you not just during this crisis, but indefinitely. I’m sure you’ll like her too. I’ve already hired her, and she’s waiting in the reception room next door."
"Huh!? She’s already here...!?"
I was startled. Before I could even prepare myself, my father urged .
"Now then, Aqua. Go and greet her right away."
"U-um... okay..."
Still overwheld by how suddenly everything was happening, I stood up from the sofa and walked toward the door leading to the reception room.
I wondered what kind of person this bodyguard would be. Since it was a bodyguard role, I assud it would be a big, tough-looking man. Even if he was pretending to be a tutor, he’d probably be strict or scary. The thought of suddenly having a stranger around after learning my life was in danger made anxious.
With those gloomy feelings swirling inside, I opened the door.
"Huh...!?"
The mont I saw the person sitting on the sofa in the reception room, all my worries were instantly blown away.
There wasn’t a burly man waiting for . Instead, it was a beautiful young woman.
"Oh...? So you’re Aqua, the eldest son of Baron Sidesea Bright."
"Uh... ah..."
"Nice to et you. My na is Shiori. Starting today, I’ll be your tutor... or rather, your bodyguard. It’s a pleasure to et you."
Shiori placed the small handbag that had been resting on her lap aside, stood up gracefully, and gave a polite bow. When she lifted her head, she gently brushed her lustrous black hair back and smiled.
My heart instantly began to race.
"Y-yes... Nice to et you too..."
The mont I saw that gentle, beautiful smile, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I had never felt anything like this before.
My father soon entered the room behind .
"Please take care of my son, Shiori."
"Yes, leave it to , Lord Bright."
Shiori turned toward my father and replied politely. Even while they spoke, I couldn’t stop staring at her.
She was incredibly beautiful, stylishly dressed in a black turtleneck and white pants, and carried herself with a refined, elegant aura. Just looking at her made my chest feel tight.
"Alright, Aqua. I’ll begin investigating who placed the assassination request. You can rely on Shiori for everything else."
"Uh, yeah... I understand."
After saying that, my father left the room, leaving just the two of us.
"Okay then, Aqua. Could you show to your room for now?"
"Ah... y-yes! This way...!"
Her soft, gentle voice made my heart pound even harder as I led her through the mansion.
"So this is your room, Aqua. It’s very spacious and nice."
"I-is it...?"
When we entered my room, Shiori looked around with a smile. She then walked over to the desk.
"Hehe... Since I was hired as a tutor on paper, shall we start with so studies, Aqua?"
"Ah, yes...! I’ll get my things ready right away...!"
Normally, studying didn’t excite at all, but the thought of doing it with Shiori made my heart flutter with unexpected eagerness. I quickly took out my textbooks while Shiori picked them up one by one, flipping through the pages.
"...The content seems to be standard elentary level. This shouldn’t be difficult to teach..."
"Huh? Did you say sothing?"
"...No, it’s nothing."
Shiori smiled softly.
"So, where would you like to start? I’ll adjust to whatever you want to study, Aqua."
I pointed at one of the textbooks, my cheeks feeling warm.
"Ah... then, this one...!"
"Understood. Let’s begin..."
As I prepared my notebook and opened it on the desk, I kept stealing glances at Shiori. My heart wouldn’t stop racing.
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