Miya was running as fast as she possibly could, with Lana closely following behind her.
"My lady, I am sure it's fine." Lana tried to calm Miya, but it wasn't working.
"How can that possibly be?!" Miya's expression was drowning in worry. "You heard and felt all of those explosions right, they all came from the direction of the knights order!"
"My lady..."
"And... and he said he would be back before dinner, there is only thirty minutes until sun goes down!"
Lana gave up it seemed, even trying to assure her only brought more worries.
"Hurry!" Miya yelled.
"Yes..."
...
About twenty minutes later.
"What...?" Miya looked absolutely dumbfounded.
"What did I say, my lady." Lana looked annoyingly smug, but it didn't help to understand the situation.
In a distance was Alan, Miya could tell he was fighting because his neat clothes were now torn in several places.
But what she could not understand was why the hell the entire knight's order was kneeling before him.
Even Gavin, for whatever reason, was kneeling at the front and just behind him were about twenty horribly battered up individuals including Edward.
Only Lucian stood beside Alan, as Alan barked intangible stuff to the soldiers, who nodded their heads.
"Alan...?"
Soon enough, Miya reached a certain distance from the group and called out to Alan.
Alan quickly whipped his head towards her and smiled before once again facing the soldiers.
"Everyone! Just like we practiced!"
"YEAH!!!"
The entire knight's order roared back.
Alan spun around and raised his hands in the air.
"What is lady Miya?!"
"LADY MIYA IS THE GREATEST!!!"
"And?!"
"THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IN THE WORLD!!!"
As the entire knight's order chanted praises for her, Miya stood petrified, only Lana next to her was giggling to herself.
"What do we say to someone on their birthday?!"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!"
"GO!"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LADY MIYA!!!"
All the soldiers stood up and threw flowers in the sky, as the petals rained down from above, Miya only stared at her son with dumbfounded eyes.
In fact, it was her 26th birthday today, every birthday Alan always done something quirky, and it lifted her mood, but this was something else entirely.
"Who is lady Miya?!"
"THE GREATEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD!!!"
"And?!"
"THE MOST VALUABLE PERSON IN THE ESTATE!!!"
"And what do we do to people who talk bad about her?!"
"BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF THEM!!!"
"GO!"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LADY MIYA!!!"
The soldiers all yelled in chorus wishing a happy birthday to her.
Miya covered her mouth in shock as tears started flowing down her cheek, even Lana stood slightly confused, unable to understand what was happening.
How the hell did Alan even turn the entire knight's order upside down in just one day.
Suddenly, Gavin appeared in front of Miya with an extremely luxurious cake he got from who knows where.
From behind, two soldiers approached carrying a fancy round table, while another appeared carrying a cushioned chair.
Then, placing the chair behind her and the table in front of her, Gavin placed the cake in front of before speaking with a soft smile.
"Happy birthday."
Unable to keep up, Miya belatedly seated herself and nodded to Gavin's gentle voice.
Soon Alan appeared in front of her with a wide grin.
Snap
He snapped his fingers and the moment he did all the candles lit up.
Gavin reappeared with a small knife and placed it beside her hand.
"Make a wish!" Alan urged her.
Miya stared the lit up cake for a moment, it was the most luxurious cake she had ever seen.
Smiling softly, she uttered her wish.
'May my son be blessed.'
Still, her wish wasn't for herself but for her son because to her, he was her greatest blessing.
"YAY!!!"
The soldiers all erupted into cheers once more.
"Come on, cut the cake." Alan urged her.
Miya smiled and cut the cake, then immediately fed it to Alan.
"Ah!" Though surprised, he still ate it with delight.
Then Alan cut a piece then fed her, all the while laughing.
Slowly some soldiers came and took a piece, the cake was massive.
After a while, Alan sitting next to his mother suddenly gasped.
"Ah!"
"What's wrong?" Miya asked.
"I forgot to tell you." Alan looked at Lucian next to him. "I made a friend today!"
Miya's eyes widened and immediately turned to look at Lucian standing next to Alan.
The young boy who looked to be as young as Alan, and for whatever reason currently shirtless.
She always feared that her son might potentially never make a friend due to his status as an illegitimate child, but now he found a friend, the thought alone made her smile.
"Hello there~" She smiled and greeted him warmly.
His eyes widened slightly, then in the next moment he knelt in front of her.
"I, Lucian, dedicate my entire life to protect lady Miya's life!"
"... There is no ne—"
"I will sacrifice my life!"
Although it seems his friend isn't quite right in the head either.
Well, what does that matter, as long as her son is happy so is she.
...
After a long celebration, Alan and his mother were starting to leave, but before they left, Alan asked her.
"Mom, can we take him back with us?" While pointing at Lucian.
"Of course."
"Yay!" Alan smiled, started skipping, while Lucian nodded with a pleased smile.
Still, why the hell is he shirtless.
As they were leaving, the entire knight's order knelt again.
"FAREWELL TO THE FAIREST LADY OF THEM ALL!!!"
Miya's face now blushed deep red in embarrassment, before she was too shocked to process what was going on, now it was far too embarrassing.
She pouted and said to Alan as they were leaving.
"How did you make them do that?"
Alan smirked. "Do what?"
Miya giggled and just ruffled his hair.
***
The next day, Alan returned to the training grounds.
But this time, however, he wasn't alone, besides him was Lucian, maid Lana and more importantly his mother, she looked breathtaking in her elegant outdoor gown.
Her long brunette hair cascading to her waist, with her light-brown eyes and natural poise, she looked every bit the high-born noble.
Ever since she was young she was called a beauty, once dressed up no one would doubt she was a noble.
The reality was far different, despite her beauty, Miya was no noble, and the etiquette of the upper class had always made her feel painfully improper.
But today she came with her son to the knight's training ground to make a change of herself, she decided to leave the estate more often.
And so she was walking behind Alan with a determined look, holding on to a basket.
The moment she entered the grounds, every soldier stopped and yelled.
"GOOD MORNING TO THE EMPIRES GREATEST FLOWER!!!"
Even Alan was surprised he didn't tell them to do any of this.
Miya's cheeks turned rosy red, but even so she tried confidently walking behind Alan.
To be honest, the majority of the knight's order didn't hold any prejudice against Miya, they were mature, and when considering her age it was quite easy to piece together what really happened.
Only young immature brats in the knight's order said anything bad, but even they got their reasons knocked out but Alan.
But the entire empire probably doesn't view Miya the way the knights do, as it is one of the three grand duchy, news about the bastard child is likely a large topic of gossip and ridicule.
Alan simply wants to beat the shit out of all of them as well.
As he was lost in these idle thoughts, Gavin approached the group.
"Good morning, lady Miya." He said with a gentle smile.
"G-good morning to you too."
Gavin simply smiled despite her stuttering and asked.
"Will you be coming more often?"
"Mhm."
Even if Gavin were to ask her to leave, she was resolute to be stubborn and stay.
"I see." But Gavin instead nodded.
Then turned away with a fierce expression.
"You heard the lady! Hurry it up!"
"Captain, we didn't hear anyth—"
"Shut it!" Gavin yelled and pointed to a spot which gave the most open view of the training grounds.
"Build the most comfortable resting spot over there!"
"Captain? We are soldiers, not constru—"
"Get to work!"
Scared to even object to the commander, numerous soldiers quickly started doing whatever they could as Gavin slowly led Miya and Lana towards the construction site.
And by the moment they reached there, the construction was finished.
A giant umbrella stood in the middle with a comfortable sofa to lean on, next to it a table and another chair for the maid.
"Please be seated." Gavin led her to the comfy sofa and seated her, then provided her with sunglasses.
Lana was already sitting on the seat next to the sofa, wearing sunglasses and drinking from a coconut.
"My lady, you should really try this." Lana suggested.
"W-wait, w-what is going on."
Seems the lady finally came to her senses.
Before she was too pulled along to even process what was happening.
Seemingly enjoying her flustered look, Lana smiled and drank more coconut water.
Gavin smiled too. "If you require anything, please ask this man here."
Then he dragged someone from behind him, a familiar blonde.
It was Edward, the very same man who badmouthed Alan's mother and got his ass handed to him.
"Y-yes, please ask."
The very same man who called her a whore the day before, now humbly bowed his head towards the lady.
"Um... yes..."
Still progressing too fast, Miya weakly nodded her head.
...
The next day.
"GOOD MORNING TO THE LOVELIEST LADY!!!"
...
Three days later.
"GOOD MORNING TO THE GREATEST LIVING BEING OF ALL TIME!!!"
...
Two weeks later.
"GOOD MORNING TO THE OMNISCIENT MOTHER!!!"
Where did that title even come from?
It seemed, as the days passed, the more eccentric the soldiers became.
Even so, Miya seemed to have finally gotten used to it as she naturally made her way towards her resting place, which seemed to have gotten even more luxurious as time passed.
It had a proper roof, a bed, sofa, chair, table, even a cooking station.
Lana quietly looked at her lady as she naturally sat down on her sofa to look at Alan training, he was currently running laps while chasing Lucian.
"Edward, could you bring me something to drink?" Miya called towards Edward.
"Yes, my lady." Edward bowed, then went to retrieve something suitable.
Lana silently looked at Miya from her seat and smiled.
It seemed Miya didn't realise it herself, but Alan and Lana sure did.
Whenever the knight's order greeted her in the morning with questionable titles, she smiled brightly, and she also grinned watching Alan enjoying himself.
Lana thought back to when she started working at the annex, back then Miya always averted her eyes and only looked at her son.
She was too scared to even look at the maids in the eyes.
But now she confidently walked into the knight's training grounds and interact with the soldiers with a blooming smile.
Lana smiled and looked at Alan, who was chasing Lucian with a sword for whatever reason.
'It's all thanks to you.' Even though Alan seemed to have a talent for turning everyone around him into eccentric lunatics, it made her lady happy.
And if her lady is happy, then so is she.