Chapter 4: The Responsibility of a Noble
The walk to the duke's office was an uneventful one. I was still tired from the early morning training, and it seemed like Ana was nervous about my meeting. We had some small conversations throughout the walk, but I was mostly thinking of what to tell the duke. I had a feeling I knew what the topic of discussion would be, and I wanted to make sure that my responses would satisfy the duke.
By the time we arrived at the front of the duke's office, I had run a few scenarios in my head. Ana gave me a small thumbs up and some words of encouragement. I knocked on the door and announced my presence.
"Ray Glouse, present for the duke!" I said in a confident tone. I waited until I heard a response through the door, "You may come in."
I opened the door and walked through remembering to bow down in front of the duke. The duke had paperwork all around him, and I could tell from the cup of coffee next to him that he had been up early attending to this. I waited patiently for the duke to finish with the paperwork he was currently attending to. Once done, he looked me in the eyes and said, "Ray, I heard from Lloyd that you collapsed after your physical training. He said that you pushed yourself well beyond your limits today." His eyes were deadly serious while I thought of a response.
"Duke Glouse, I have been bedridden for the majority of my life. My body is weaker than anybody else my age and if I wish to be a strong leader like you, I need to be able to confidently stand on my two feet. I am the future heir of the Glouse Duchy, and I will not bring shame upon it by being a feeble, lazy young master." I looked the duke in the eyes as I responded in a serious tone. I was serious about this. Now that I was here, I would utilize the unknown factor known as the Glouse Duchy to the fullest. In order to do that, I needed to ensure that I would be seen not only as the heir, but as someone worth following.
I could see the gears turning in the duke's head as he reflected on my answer. When he finally spoke, I could see him smiling a bit throughout his response.
"Looks like my little boy is finally growing up. Your mother and I have been so worried about you these past few years, especially when we were told you wouldn't make it past 13 years of age. We were absolutely devastated at the news. We brought the best doctors and medicines from across the country, but they all had no effect on you. When you finally turned 13, your mother was beside herself with grief. Then, out of the blue, you were healed. It was as if you were never sick in the first place. I had never seen your mother that happy before. I just want you to know that being the heir of the duchy will not be an easy task. We may not be a family of swordsman or mages, but we are renowned for our strategic minds and political maneuvers. You will be learning many things alongside the usual classes nobility receive."
"I understand father. I will not disappoint you or mother in anything I do. My goal is to always strive for the best and to give my all for what I believe is right. I will do all that I can to earn the respect of everyone here so that I could be successful in leading us in the future!"
"I hope you remember those words far into the future Ray. The responsibility of a noble is to protect the happiness of their citizens. Our duty is always to the people, never forget that."
He gave me a proud smile as he opened up one of his desk drawers, pulling out a sheet of paper. I could see a list of names on the sheet of paper and could guess what the purpose of the paper was.
"Here is a list of tutors we hired along with the schedule for the classes you'll be taking. Since you want to give it your all, the schedule is packed. If you're able to complete everything, you'll have no problem getting into the Royal Academy by your 14th birthday."
I accepted the sheet of paper and quickly looked it over seeing nothing out of the ordinary. I had expected a tough schedule since I had insisted in attending the Royal Academy as soon as possible. The duke and I discussed a couple of other casual things before I was dismissed. Ana was still waiting for me outside, and guided me to the dining room so that I could have breakfast. I was eager to have some food since I was basically starving the entire time I was conversing with the duke. Now that my body had more than enough time to cooldown, it was demanding food to replenish its energy. The servants immediately brought out some fresh eggs, bread, cured meat, and even some sliced apples. My mouth was watering at the sight of the feast in front of me, but I had noticed that Ana was still standing beside me.
"Ana, why are you just standing there? Come sit next to me and have some food!" I said this in a cheery manner since the day had been going well so far.
"Young master, I have already had breakfast while you were resting. If you do not mind, I can sit next to you while you eat instead." Her response was formal as she sat down next to me.
Since we were the only two in the dining room I decided to tell Ana something that had been bugging me for the past couple days because of my memories.
"Ana, I want you to speak casually with me like before. Nothing's changed now that I'm healthy. You're the only friend I have here, and I don't want to feel alone again. You did nothing wrong, and instead I'm grateful that you accompanied me throughout the entire time I was sick." I said this gently as I had notice Ana treating me differently the past couple of days. It seemed that now that I was healthy again, she was treating me as an heir instead of as a friend.
I could see her tear up a little as she responded, "Young master, thank you for your kindness. I'll try my best to be more casual from now on. I know that I am lucky enough to be your maid and that I have had your blessing to be your friend for years now. As I stated years ago, I live only for you and will do whatever you command. I'm also happy to be able to call you a friend, Ray."
Her expression softened after that, and the awkward air that surrounded us finally lifted. It felt great talking with Ana casually, and I wanted to keep this relationship the same as I moved forward with my plans. I finished my breakfast and asked Ana to take me to the study so that I could brush up on this world's literature and knowledge. Since one of my missions was to impress the tutors, I wanted to get a good idea of what I would be learning so that I could facilitate the tutoring process. Ana seemed surprised by my inquiry, but guided me to the study.
I spent most of the day studying various topics such as politics, mathematics, literature, and history until my head started hurting. Having Ana with me was a good way to relax as well as I would take breaks in order to not overwhelm myself. Ana was also surprisingly knowledgeable about certain topics, and even helped me understand some of the political relationships between families. I guess it makes sense that she would know more than me given the fact that she was roughly four years older than me. Before heading to bed, I thanked Ana for her company and she anxiously told me that I didn't need to thank her for something that is to be expected. I laughed it off as we split up for the night. The people I've met so far have been pleasant, and I hoped that it would stay that way for as long as possible before I drifted off to sleep.
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