Seraphim is a Bystander

The Young Lady, Same Age and a VIP
 

"Guh...!"
Right after Aoi gave his master a look of pure disbelief, Renka—still expressionless—stepped down hard on his foot. A sharp pain shot through Aoi’s foot, and he couldn’t help but groan. Completely ignoring his pain, Renka turned to the head of the Ichijou family and gave a light bow.
"My apologies. My disciple was being rude."

"!?"
Aoi, reacting even more strongly than before to his master’s sudden politeness, flinched—and was stepped on again. The pain this time was undeniably worse.
"Gah...!!"

"Haha, it’s fine, really."
"If Lord Ichijou says so... (watch yourself)."
As Renka stepped off Aoi’s foot, Aoi nodded nervously, sweat running down his back. While the head and his wife watched quietly, the girl hiding behind them looked at Aoi with a concerned expression.

"So, Morimiya-san, this child is...?"
"Yes. He’s my disciple and will be supporting me during this mission. ...Hey, introduce yourself."
Pushed forward by his master, Aoi straightened his posture and recalled the names from memory.

"Pleased to meet you. My name is Aoi Futaba. I’ll be assisting my master as a bodyguard during the ceremony. Lord Michinari, Lady Mayuko, and Lady Yuna—it's an honor to meet you."
He met eyes with each of them in turn—head of the family, the lady, and the daughter—using the formal etiquette he had once read in a book. The couple seemed impressed, while the girl kept peeking at him from behind her parents.
"Aoi-kun, is it? How old are you?"

"I just turned ten this year."
"I see, then you’re the same age as my daughter. She’s shy, so it’s comforting to have someone her age nearby."
"W-What?! Father?!"

Startled, the young lady looked up at her smiling father in protest. But Lord Ichijou gently pulled her from behind his back and nudged her forward.
"Come now, he’ll be your escort during the ceremony. Introduce yourself properly."
With his hand on her shoulder, she was gently guided to stand before Aoi. She glanced at him hesitantly and mumbled.
"U-Um… pleased to meet you…"

"Likewise, my lady. It’s a pleasure."
"Uuuu…"
Blushing furiously, she quickly hid behind her father again. Lord Ichijou sighed in mild exasperation and ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) turned back to Aoi.

"Anyway, I’d appreciate it if you could stay close to my daughter as much as possible. I’m counting on you, Aoi-kun."
"Yes, of course."
Just as the introductions wrapped up, Fukayama approached and instructed everyone to board the cars for departure. As Aoi was about to follow Renka, Lord Ichijou suddenly called out.

"Aoi-kun? Where are you headed?"
"…Huh? I was assigned to ride with my master, so I was going to—"
"No, no. I said I want you to stay near my daughter, remember? You’re with us, Aoi-kun."

"…Eh?"
Aoi looked completely bewildered at the smiling Lord Ichijou. Renka leaned in and quietly whispered.
"That’s a direct request from the head of the household. Get going."

"Y-Yes, sir!"
Renka gave him a firm push toward the limousine carrying the Ichijou family and a few guards. Aoi tried to follow one of the other bodyguards instead, but Lord Ichijou grabbed him by the shoulder and guided him right to the seat next to the young lady.
"Um… Lord Michinari?"

"Now, the two of you enjoy yourselves."
"Father?!"
Stunned, both Aoi and the young lady were left sitting side by side as Lord Ichijou casually went to sit next to his wife and started chatting. The young lady, clearly embarrassed, apologized timidly.

"Um… I’m sorry about my father."
"Oh, no, it’s fine. As a bodyguard, it’s actually better for me to be close by in case something happens."
"Really? You’re the same age as me, but you’re so composed…"

"Haha… I just enjoy doing this kind of work."
As they talked, the girl gradually opened up, and her curiosity turned toward why Aoi had become a bodyguard in the first place.
"Um… Aoi-san, why did you become a bodyguard?"

"Just Aoi is fine. As for why… It’s because I wanted to learn from my master. A little while ago, he asked me if I wanted to come along on a job."
"Then… by master, you mean Morimiya-san?"
"Yes, he’s been teaching me how to fight. I became his apprentice a few years ago, and he trains me whenever he has time."

The girl began to look at Aoi with eyes full of admiration, making him a bit shy.
"That’s amazing… Aren’t you scared?"
"Scared?"

Her expression dimmed slightly as she continued.
"I’ve started martial arts lessons recently, but I get so scared… My mind just goes blank, and I freeze."
"You’re the same age as me, but you’re not scared…?"

Aoi took a moment to think, gathering his words.
"I do think fighting is scary."
"Really?"

"Yes… But what scares me more is not being able to protect the people I care about if something were to happen. Don’t you have people you don’t want to lose?"
"…I do."
She answered while clearly thinking of someone important. Aoi smiled gently and continued.

"That’s why I want to become stronger—so I can protect them."
"To protect them…"
She murmured to herself, falling silent in contemplation. Aoi scratched his cheek, wondering if he’d said the right thing.

"Though to be honest, I haven’t actually fought any really dangerous people yet. So I don’t know how I’ll react when the time comes."
"…Hehe, I see."
"But I’ll do my best to protect everyone if anything happens."

"Yes… I’m counting on you."
From there, their conversation shifted to their families. The young lady began to relax, and the two chatted happily. Watching them from a distance, Lord and Lady Ichijou smiled warmly.