Gyemyeong quietly stared at the squire with plump cheeks.
Like most squires, he had only barely received his opportunity in his late teens, and his not-quite-fully-grown height and lingering baby fat stood out all the more because of it.
“…I see.”
There had once been a time when she thought those round cheeks were nothing more than ordinary fat.
Fat gained because he had trained too little, eaten too much, or simply had a body prone to it.
In other words, evidence that he had failed to work hard enough.
“I look forward to working with you as well, Jardin.”
But when she saw him again in the north, he had become so thin that if one pinched his cheek, it seemed only skin would be caught between one's fingers.
More accurately, his baby fat had disappeared and only muscle and skin remained, but the summary was much the same.
His plump cheeks had not been excess fat.
They had merely been a feature unique to someone who had not yet finished growing.
“You have too much excess fat.”
The small problem was that she had not known that at the time.
“Ah……! I-I'm sorry. I-I haven't been neglecting my training, absolutely not…….”
“If you have something to say, convey it accurately and calmly. Stammering in panic lacks dignity.”
“I'm sorry…….”
But thinking back on it…