True to her nickname, 'Cold-hearted Knight,' Irene's gaze at Aisha was icy cold.
Her voice had a chilly undertone that couldn't be ignored.
It was then that Aisha felt her heated anger cool.
'Irene doesn't see Theo as a political fiancé.'
In a way, she was now interrupting the date of an engaged couple.
'Please say something, Theo!'
Aisha pouted as she looked at him, but he remained silent, his face as unreadable as ever.
She felt foolish for having worried about him until dawn.
'Why do I feel like such a fool in front of him?'
Normally, she was proud of her emotional control.
Yet, in front of Theo, her heart raced unpredictably, making it hard for her to stay composed.
'Of course, it's natural for Irene to be close to Theo since they're engaged...'
Seeing Theo and Irene together so affectionately irked her.
After all, wasn't she the one who stayed by his side when he collapsed?
Irene began,
"Tell me, Aisha,"
Irene, still wearing a cold expression, stood with her hands on her hips.
Her icy voice snapped Aisha out of her thoughts.
"·····Yes?"
Only then did Aisha notice.
The ring on Irene's ring finger.
And the identical ring on Theo's.
"·····!"
Aisha's eyes widened in shock.
'When did they become close enough to even wear matching rings?'
Aisha had thoroughly investigated Theo, her biggest competitor for the head of the family.
He had never shown much interest in Irene.
While Irene had followed Theo around since they were children, he never paid her much attention.
'And now they're close enough to wear couple rings? Why?'
That arrogant man who believed the world revolved around him.
That was Theo.
Although he had changed a lot recently, she hadn't expected this.
“Um····· Theo. You're wearing a matching ring with Irene?”
Focusing solely on Theo, Aisha spoke.
"Yes. It's the prize we won from the Knight Department 2v2 tournament. It's quite a nice piece."
"·····I see. Just a... tournament prize, then? It looks pretty. It... suits you well."
Aisha stammered in response.
"I didn't consider the aesthetic aspect. I just wore it because of the special effects. You always complicate things, Aisha."
Theo shook his head, his expression as indifferent as always.
'What on earth...?'
Aisha felt dizzy.
It was difficult to understand the underlying meaning in Theo's words.
However, anyone would recognize the significance of a ring on the fourth finger of his left hand—unless they had lived in the wilderness.
But who was Theo?
A man who adored opulence, beauty, and extravagance, always paying utmost attention to external aesthetics.
The prime example of a vain nobleman.
It was inconceivable that he wouldn’t know the concept of couples wearing matching rings, especially given his relationship with Irene.
It'd be more likely for a puppy to speak.
Of course, Theo and Irene were engaged, so wearing couple rings wasn't odd.
In fact, it was expected.
‘But why do I feel this way?’
However, contrary to her logical reasoning, her heart told a different story.
She couldn't pin down her feelings with just one word.
Various emotions welled up: anxiety, unease, and... jealousy.
"Aisha, don't you want to receive swordsmanship training?"
Irene, with a sharp tone, brought Aisha back from her daze.
"Ah."
Aisha realized her plan to receive swordsmanship training from Theo was falling apart.
From the beginning, she hadn't truly been interested in learning swordsmanship.
Swordsmanship lessons was merely a suitable excuse to be closer to Theo.
Naturally, she had zero interest in learning from Irene.
Desperate, Aisha's mind thought quickly.
"I want to learn from Theo! He's been teaching me... swordsmanship since before!"
She hastily provided a plausible reason.
Irene, who had been expressionless until now, frowned.
'Something's off, very off.'
Of course, Aisha's reasoning was valid.
If one's instructor changed suddenly, it would be natural to say such things.
However, Irene sensed something more from Aisha—a gut feeling.
Flashes of past events crossed Irene's mind.
The time when she first followed Theo to the Hero Department's training ground.
The words spoken by Noctar, whom they met then, came back to her.
[...The friend with the bow who used to follow you around was the same...]
"..."
Any observant person would understand.
The 'friend with the bow' that Noctar mentioned was undoubtedly Aisha, who stood before her now.
With an intensity that felt as if she could shoot beams from her eyes, Irene glared at Aisha.
'So the obvious was overlooked. She was here all along.'
She had suspected that there were others who followed Theo to the Knight Department besides Siena, but she hadn't expected Aisha, from the renowned Waldeurk family, to be among them.
She had let her guard down because they were from the same family.
'Come to think of it, things have been strange for quite a while.'
Aisha was at the restaurant where she her much-anticipated first date with Theo.
Back then, all eyes were on Siena, who was furious.
'Hmph. Just like me, you're just using this as an excuse to stick to Theo, right Aisha?'
Although Aisha is from the same Waldeurk family as Theo, she shouldn't be underestimated.
She's from a branch family, so a marriage with Theo is possible.
Furthermore, being one of the top students at the Hero Academy, the family might even favor her more.
'I won't let things go that way.'
With that thought, Irene spoke up.
"I've been teaching Theo swordsmanship for quite some time. You might not know, Aisha, but I grew up watching the numerous knights in our family. Let me teach you. Is that alright with you, Theo?"
Irene looked at Theo.
Aisha also turned her gaze to him.
“...”
Theo calmly met the eyes of both girls.
Of course, inside he felt different.
'Why has the mood suddenly changed like this?'
Theo realized there was an underlying tension between the two.
He couldn't figure out the reason or the cause behind it.
So, he pondered which choice would benefit him most and the most logical approach.
'Aisha’s swordsmanship hasn't improved at all. I saw no progress since our last duel. However, under Irene’s guidance, my skills improved rapidly. Either Irene is a better instructor than me, or my teaching methods don't work for Aisha.'
Having made up his mind, Theo spoke.
"Yes, Aisha. If you want to improve, learning from Irene seems like the best choice. She's an excellent teacher."
""...!""
At Theo's words, the two girls had contrasting reactions.
Irene wore a smug smile with one side of her lips curled upwards, while Aisha's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth slightly open.
Locking her gaze on Aisha, Irene said,
"Let's get started right away, Aisha. By the way, I believe the best learning comes from actual combat."
"..."
"I'm not familiar with your sword skills, Aisha. So, before instructing you, let's see your current ability. Give it your best shot."
"...Is this really okay, Theo?"
Aisha looked at Theo with a dejected face, her eyes resembling those of a calf being led to a slaughterhouse.
"...Yes, Aisha. As you know, Irene is quite skilled. I've benefited a lot from her teachings. I believe she can help you too, especially since you also carry the blood of the Waldeurk family."
Aisha was silent for a moment.
Then, she finally responded.
"...Okay. But I'll only learn from Irene today. I still want to continue learning from you."
Aisha looked at Theo with pleading eyes.
Her gaze was so pitiful, Irene couldn't just blurt out, 'You can't.'
"I'll observe today's training and then decide,"
Theo responded calmly, his voice and expression as unreadable as ever.
Aisha felt a tightness in her chest but knew there was nothing she could do.
"Alright... Then, Irene, I'll be relying on your guidance."
Irene chuckled lightly.
"Of course. Please, step in first. I'll let you have the first move."
"Don't underestimate me too much. I practiced from time to time,"
Aisha said, staring at the casually posed Irene while gripping her sword tightly.
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