The situation that was too embarrassing to even call it a duel ended shortly thereafter. Hiriya, who had fallen to the ground, got up from her seat and left immediately.
I’m not sure if she couldn’t do anything and felt embarrassed or if there was some other reason, but her footsteps seemed a bit hasty. What’s more, as she left, she gave me a lingering look.
In any case, as the duel ended too easily, the onlookers started going about their own business. A few people applied for a duel with Adelia, but she rejected them all and came back to me.
“It’s been a while, Your Highness. Have you been well?”
“Yeah, it seems like you’ve improved your skills in the meantime”
“You’re too kind.”
After returning, she greeted Leort first, who was sitting next to me. Leort responded with a friendly gesture.
Adelia politely bowed and then met my gaze directly. At first, she hesitated, then blushed and spoke shyly.
“So, what did you think? Did you like it?”
“Yeah, it was really impressive.”
To be honest, I didn’t know how Adelia had defeated Hiriya while I was talking to Leort. Since there was quite a commotion, I guess Adelia didn’t even realize my lie. She only smiled brighter than before. I could feel the innocence of a young girl when she lowered her head slightly.
I guess we’re done with the duel. I don’t think there’s any need to stay here any longer. I decided, getting up from my seat.
“We’ll be leaving now.”
“Okay. Have a nice day.”
“Thank you. Let’s go, noona.”
“Yeah.”
I didn’t seem to sweat at all, and it didn’t look like she needed to shower. I planned to finish the exercise I hadn’t done in the remaining time.
I didn’t know what Hiriya was going to do next, but for the time being, she wouldn’t harm Adelia. Even if she did, I had confidence that I could repay her several times over.
“Noona, if Hiriya comes to see you separately and says something, please let me know right away. Okay?”
“Don’t worry. Hiriya won’t be that reckless.”
Adelia cut in, showing that she knew Hiriya well. It would be great if it turned out that way, but you never knew how people’s hearts might change. Especially since she had suffered such a humiliating defeat, there was a high chance that she would harbor resentment internally.
I was worrying about the future for a moment, but then a question popped into my head, and I glanced at Adelia. It might be a sensitive topic for her, but I felt like I needed to ask.
“Um… noona.”
“Yeah?”
“Was the power gap between you and Princess Hiriya always this big?”
“… Originally, it was.”
Adelia smiled bitterly at that question, as if thinking about something from the past. She maintained the bitter smile for a moment before speaking quietly.
“That child may seem calm on the surface, but she’s secretly quite hot-tempered. She has a hard time controlling her emotions when provoked even a little. Even if you exclude that, I’m still more skilled than her…”
“Didn’t you keep losing to Princess Hiriya back then?”
“I thought it would get better if I kept losing. I thought that if I gave in, we could return to the time when we were close, and she would follow me around again, calling me ‘sister’ and all. I realized it was all in vain not long after… but it wasn’t easy to let go.”
The more she spoke, the more a sense of nostalgia crept into Adelia’s sky-blue eyes. Hope is something that feels within reach and elusive at the same time.
Adelia, too, had struggled to hold onto that hope, but it shattered into pieces during the exhibition. If I hadn’t been there to support her at that time, she would have surely crumbled beyond recovery.
I thought I could be her hope. To comfort Adelia, who was feeling down, I called out to her.
“Adelia noona.”
“Yes?”
“So, what do you want to ask me for?”
“…Huh?”
At my question, Adelia blinked her sky-blue eyes and stared at me blankly. At first, her expression seemed to convey that she didn’t quite understand the situation.
“Have you already forgotten? I told you that if I win, I’ll give you what you want.”
“Uh… well, that…”
“It doesn’t matter what it is, so don’t feel pressured and just tell me. Of course, it shouldn’t be something inappropriate. Marie has to approve of it first.”
“Um…”
Adelia’s face rapidly turned red as she made a pained sound. Even though I indirectly mentioned it, Adelia would know what I meant. I inwardly chuckled as I watched her blush like a persimmon. Adelia blushing out of embarrassment was always refreshing to see.
She had a lively and open-hearted personality, always hiding her wounds with laughter, but deep down, she was an incredibly gentle woman. Like a flower blossoming from nourishment and love, she became more beautiful as she received more love.
I’ll say it again, Adelia was by no means a person who wouldn’t receive love. If she had been born into an ordinary family, she would have received more love and grown up with it than anyone else.
“Don’t be embarrassed. I told you about it, didn’t I?”
“Well, then…”
As I reiterated, Adelia hesitated, showing signs of wanting to say something. She looked around, lowered her head, and then quietly made her request.
“…Um, my head… could you?”
“Huh? What did you say?”
She had her head down, and her mumbling made it difficult to hear. I leaned in closer to her face and asked again.
Adelia, when I brought my ear closer, she twitched and soon whispered so that I could hear her.
“Hug me… and stroke my head…”
“… …”
“Is this… okay?”
Adelia, who had lowered her head and timidly made the request as her sky-blue eyes met mine head-on, became moist and shiny.
Adelia is a person who exercises, so she’s quite tall like Nicole. However, right now, because of my sudden growth spurt, she was looking up at me.
I momentarily froze, facing Adelia’s expectant expression. How can she be so lovely? Compared to her usual behavior, I wondered if she was the same person.
Maybe it’s her charming twist, or perhaps this is the true Adelia.
Gently, I held her slender body with both arms without saying a word, and Adelia let out a soft sigh. There’s no need to worry about anyone seeing us since there’s no one around.
Next, I tenderly pet her brown hair like I was handling a precious work of art. Every time I stroked her head, her body trembled.
“How is it? Is this okay?”
“Ah…”
As I deliberately lowered my voice and whispered, she let out a sweet sigh. I’ve felt it before, but she has some subtle cuteness.
It was when I had been holding Adelia like that for a while, stroking her hair. She buried her face in my neck and spoke in a small voice.
“…Isaac.”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you. Really.”
Swoosh
Adelia, who had just been clinging to me, seemed to gather her courage and hugged me. Unlike before, her actions seemed to be crossing a line little by little.
Still, it wasn’t a completely inappropriate gesture, so I let her be. Adelia seemed to realize that I had allowed it, and she put strength into her arms that held me.
“I’m not sure if I should say this, but I feel like I have to.”
Her husky yet charming voice pierced my ears.
“I’m so happy right now. I’ve never felt this kind of happiness in my life.”
A redemption from a troubled past.
“I’ll definitely protect you.”
A firm resolution. And…
“I love you, Isaac.”
A sincere confession. But one that I couldn’t accept immediately.
Instead, as if asking me to wait just a little, I gently stroked her head and quietly opened my mouth.
“Then that’s enough.”
If she has moved from the dark shadow of the past.
“If my sister is like that, that’s fine.”
All she has to do is envision a bright future ahead.
*****
“Darn it! Darn it! Darn it! To someone like that…!!”
Meanwhile, in a girls’ dormitory around the same time.
After a humiliating defeat to Adelia, Hiriya was expressing her intense anger in the dormitory. The previously clean interior of the dormitory had become messy, with evidence of her frustration vividly marked on the walls, perhaps from her throwing things around haphazardly.
If she were to damage the facilities, it could potentially lead to eviction, but she was a princess. This level of damage could be overlooked with some leniency.
“Whew… Whew…”
Hiriya, panting heavily as if she had let out all the built-up anger, had her once tidy hair now disheveled, and her cold beauty was tainted by her anger. Nevertheless, even in her enraged state, her beauty resembled a work of art, despite the chaos of broken objects around her.
After a while, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her heated emotions, and sat down on the bed.
“When… did she acquire such skills…”
She recalled the events from a little while ago, particularly the moment when she had swung her sword and Adelia had defended herself.
However, the actions that followed, like the flow of water, were enough to shock Hiriya greatly and still lingered. She could somehow block the next attack by anticipating it and kicking her leg, and she seized the opportunity to strike the throat.
Even she knows that she couldn’t control her emotions at the time of Adelia’s provocation. She had always tried to maintain her composure as much as possible to hide her choleric nature, but it wasn’t easy.
Furthermore, she had never expected Adelia, who she had easily overwhelmed in the past, to have grown this much. In reality, Adelia had intentionally lowered herself to improve their relationship, but Hiriya had no way of knowing that.
‘When did she start growing stronger?’
As she ground her teeth, Hiriya predicted the catalyst for Adelia’s growth. The most likely scenario was that she had unexpectedly developed her talents at the academy.
If not, there was no way the gap in their abilities would have become this wide. However, there was one thing that bothered her the most.
‘You’re happiest now?’
Adelia confidently stated, pointing her sword at Hiriya, who had fallen to the ground. She claimed that she was happier now than before. She asked if Hiriya was happy.
She had become a knight to avoid becoming a ‘thing,’ and she had gained the corresponding skills. However, she couldn’t easily answer the question of whether she was truly happy.
The reason she had become a knight was to surpass Adelia. At first, she had followed her, calling her “big sister,” but at some point, she had come to despise Adelia, who had exceptional talent despite being an illegitimate child.
So, she had tried to defeat Adelia and emphasize the difference between real royalty and half-breeds. Thanks to the support of the royal family in her youth, she had been able to easily overshadow her.
But now? She had been easily subdued without even doing anything. The gap in their abilities had become insurmountable.
More than that, the question of whether she was happy with herself had turned her insides upside down. It was akin to denying her entire life.
‘Come to think of it…’
Before anger consumed her thoughts, Hiriya thought of Isaac, the object of Adelia’s affection.
A distinctive combination of long red hair and golden eyes. His beauty was exceptional, enough to captivate many women. According to rumors circulating at the Martial arts department, he was already in a relationship with the beloved daughter of the Duke of Requilis. Yet, even Adelia had fallen for him, indicating how great his charm must be.
‘Every time she looked at that red hair, Adelia’s gaze changes.’
In other words, the source of her happiness lay in Isaac. As these thoughts crossed her mind, Hiriya raised the corners of her mouth.
If the source of her happiness were to disappear, would Adelia crumble once again? Hiriya knew all too well how deeply a woman who lost love could fall into despair.
Of course, it wasn’t about getting rid of Isaac. If that were to happen, it would not only result in severe diplomatic losses but also, as he was soon to be the son-in-law of the Duke of Requilis, it could potentially lead to war.
The best solution was one: finding a way to bring Isaac into the Ters royal family in any manner possible. In other words, a strategic marriage.
The novels were filled with lovely stories, but reality was always a cruel law. Even if Isaac was in a relationship with Lady Requilis, the situation changed when they officially pursued marriage from the Kingdom of Ters. The son-in-law of the Ters royal family and the son-in-law of the Duke of Requilis, the decision of which side to choose has already been made.
Even if the Minerva Empire and the Kingdom of Ters clash with each other, they won’t hesitate to go through with the marriage.
‘The Michelle family is a baron rank, so there shouldn’t be any problem sending him as a son-in-law. He’s also good-looking.’
Upon closer examination, it’s not as bad of a choice as one might think. Hiriya can still maintain her knighthood, and Isaac is handsome enough that just looking at his face was enough to make a decision.
Most importantly, they can take away the man Adelia loves. If the marriage is finalized, the anticipation of how desperate she will be is something to look forward to.
“First… I should find out who that child is. It should be interesting.”
As Hiriya was secretly making sinister plans in her mind.
“Achoo!”
Isaac sneezed loudly, from some unknown chill while trying to write.
“Ugh. Fuck.”
The Ink had smeared because of the spittle.
