19 For yourself

José Oliva inquired, "What is it?" as he was not even looking at his son, who had come to his office.

The thirteen-year-old son of the Marquis smiled brightly at his father as he happily announced that it was dinnertime. The Marquis lost his grip on his pen and looked at his son.

It flabbergasted Jose. He thought his son had enough trouble that he was bothering him at this time.

"What?"

"Father, aren't you cleaning your ears? It is dinner time."

Ernesto walked closer to the Marquis table, but a butler blocked his way.

"Young Master, the Marquis is extremely busy; please have your bu—."

The rest of the butler's words stuck in his mouth as he was sent flying.

It made Ernesto wonder, "Does this butler love to fly?"

Ernesto cast a wind magic on the butler that sent him flying into the corner. He didn't want the butler to get hurt and just swept him out of his way.

Ernesto could use a little of magic since he spent his afternoon stabilizing his magic. He forced Ndulou to tag along with him inside his room, and Ndulou spent his time reading random books in his room.

"M–magic? When did you?"

It shocked Jose to see his son use magic for the first time. He never thought that Ernesto had the aptitude for magic.

Ernesto ignored his father's shocked expression and said, "Father, kuya is waiting. Come on, let's eat"

"I regret not spending enough time with my children." were Jose Oliva's final words on his deathbed. Ernesto could clearly remember it and wished his father wouldn't have the same regret.

Knowing this, he did not let Ndulou go home tonight and called the Marquis to eat.

The wrinkles on the marquis's face folded many times in confusion as he didn't know whom Ernesto was calling his brother.

"Kuya? Who?"

"The fifth son of Baron Miyano, Kuya Ndulou, agrees to be my friend." Ernesto proudly and excitedly shared this with his father. He even lifted his chin and his chest as if he were bragging about it to his father.

The marquis felt iffy while watching his son look so excited and innocently smiling that it made him think inwardly, "Did someone swap my son for another soul?" He doesn't know what to feel and doubts that this might be a dream.

"Ah! May I ask a favor?"

José was about to feel the joy of his son's sudden change, but he instantly scowled after hearing him ask him a favor and concluded, "Ah, I thought so. He's scheming something!"

José clenched his fist, and Ernesto noticed it.

"Father, I am not scheming about anything or whatever. I was thinking if you could do me a favor by making Kuya Ndulou my study buddy."

"Study buddy?"

The Marquis slightly loosened up and asked his son for details.

"Mmm. I am planning to learn magic, and will it be boring if I do it alone? Plus, I don't want to go to an academy. I don't want to see a bunch of spoiled kids."

"Look who's talking?"

José crossed his arms, but he didn't look like he didn't like Ernesto's suggestion.

"Ah. Haha, yeah, right? Anyway, Father, just ask the Baron to let Ndulou be my study buddy."

"The baron? Not the child?"

Of course, if the Marquis asked the baron directly, the result would be obvious. The baron would naturally agree with open arms. Even if the child disagrees, the baron will force him at the end.

"Kuya doesn't know the importance of magic yet and thinks of it as bothersome, so I cannot ask him directly."

"Why do you think he needs it?"

The Marquis brushed his curly hair with his hand as he felt proud of their first sensible conversation with his son.

"Does he need to protect himself, at least?"

The father and son stared at each other like they were trying to read each other's minds.

After a long pause, the marquis finally breaks the silence.

"Okay, I will think about it. But don't think of schemi—."

José Oliva could not finish his sentence and looked at the hand of Ernesto, who suddenly held his hand. He froze at the touch of his son's smaller hands and the look of his sweet smile.

"Of course no scheming. Let's go eat. Kuya has been waiting for too long." Ernesto slightly shakes his father's hand to ask him to walk with him, holding hands, and tries to record the warmth of his father's hard, calloused hand.

As if Jose was being hypnotized by Ernesto's innocent look, he just quietly held Ernesto's hand and didn't even argue anymore.

It brought warm feelings for the father and son.

They walked to the hallway as if it were the best day for them, while Ernesto was talking to the goddess in his mind.

"Goddess, this father of mine will also be happy living with me."

He doesn't know if the goddess could hear him, but he was extremely grateful for this chance that made a huge difference compared to his previous regressions.

….

….

….

A servant in his early twenties fidgeted in front of his thirteen-year-old master.

The black and white uniform of the servant was not properly dressed and had many creases because of the rush from coming over to his master's immediate call in the middle of the night.

"Young master, I thought it was tomorrow. It's not going to be n—."

"Shhss!"

Ernesto quiets down the servant, named Lucas, who observed Ernesto change his pajamas into a training outfit. It was the same servant who had the same one line every time he regressed back into his room on the 89th day of the 3037th year.

Meanwhile, Ndulou was deeply asleep in Ernesto's bed. Ndulou was against sleeping with Ernesto, but his persistence left Ndulou with no choice. Ernesto does not want to leave him in the guest's room because he is still wary of Fenrir.

After changing into his white training outfit, which emphasized his dark skin, he immediately cast a magic barrier and handed a communication device to Lucas.

"Your job for tonight is simple. Guard and protect him. Never let him leave my room without my permission. Use this device to contact me if something else happens."

Lucas was stunned by the sight of his young master effortlessly using magic. He fiddled with his tie and timidly said, "B-but young master, it'll be appropriate if a knight guards him. I am a mere server."

But his acting wasn't effective for Ernesto anymore. Ernesto snorted and said, "You're stronger than any of our knights."