Chapter 84: Countdown (3)

 

“Begin!”

 

At Sir Horslow’s command, I gripped my wooden sword, swinging it for the first time in ages. Facing me was a hulking figure. My senses sharpened, I parried his relentless attacks.

 

Recent escort training had instilled in me a new personal goal: hold my ground.

 

With the mindset of having someone behind me to defend, I engaged in a blade-lock with my formidable opponent.

 

But as his cautious gaze locked onto my sword, a bead of sweat teetering on the brink of his brow, I seized the moment.

 

In a swift motion, I tripped him and thrust him forward with my shoulder.

 

“Ah!”

 

Caught off balance, he tumbled to the ground, only to find the point of my sword resting against his neck.

 

“...I’ve lost.”

 

“Your skills have come a long way since I’ve been gone,” I remarked, offering a well-earned compliment as I glanced around.

 

Duels were wrapping up across the field. My eyes instinctively scanned for Judy during this fleeting respite.

 

Just like me, she had bested her opponent and was taking a moment to rest.

 

This wasn’t the ideal time to catch her eye, but before I could ponder further, Sir Horslow’s voice rang out again.

 

“Now! Switch your opponents!”

 

After exchanging nods with the man I’d just bested, I meandered through the crowd, scanning for my next opponent.

 

Everyone seemed to avoid my gaze. While I understood it was due to my win record, I wished they’d show some knightly courage.

 

It’s disheartening to challenge someone who’s clearly avoiding you.

 

Then, a figure stepped before me.

 

Silver hair, about my height, and a physique that exuded vitality. The emblem of a bear’s paw adorned her shoulder.

 

It was Judy, who had been giving me a wide berth.

 

She still couldn’t look me in the eye but gripped her wooden sword with resolve.

 

“...Judy.”

 

I spoke her name, yet she remained stoically silent.

 

She wouldn’t meet my gaze, but her emotions resonated through the weapon she held.

 

As Sir Horslow often said, knights speak through their swords.

 

But perhaps because Judy hadn’t fully matured as a knight, decoding her unspoken feelings proved a challenge.

 

Two things, however, were abundantly clear: she was unhappy with me, and she was itching for a duel.

 

With a resigned sigh, I gripped my own sword.

 

“Begin!”

 

Sir Horslow’s voice echoed across the training ground. Just before we both made a move, for a split second, our eyes met for the first time.

 

I felt a momentary weakness in my heart.

 

However, Judy charged, her feet pounding the ground, and her sword swung with the grace of flowing water.

 

- Bang!

 

I parried her attack with ease, but holding my ground wasn’t so simple.

 

A heavy weight transmitted through the sword. As if channeling her frustrations, it was rough and rugged.

 

“......”

 

Suddenly, I began to faintly grasp what it meant that knights converse through their swords.

 

Was it because we were in combat?

 

Judy’s expression was more vivid up close, but her face was still as hardened as if it had turned to stone.

 

Only her actions conveyed what she wanted to say.

 

Unlike her usual self, who wielded her sword elegantly and danced freely within striking distance, Judy persistently closed the gap between us.

 

Without giving an inch, she advanced on me.

 

And so, I found myself gradually stepping back.

 

The me who had decided to swing the sword as if someone was standing behind, was now being pushed back by Judy.

 

Of course, one of the reasons for not showing my true abilities against Judy was my regret.

 

In combat, there is no place to feel regret, but emotions are not so easily controlled.

 

Although I knew our relationship couldn’t progress due to hostility between our families... I felt regret because I deeply understood the weight of her circumstances:

 

The burden of knowing she had to face the hardships of the Ice family alone weighed heavily on my heart, making me ashamed of not supporting her. Also, the fact…

 

When I was lost in such thoughts, Judy thrust her wooden sword towards my burdened heart.

 

Barely deflecting her blade, I finally found my voice.

 

I felt the need to calm her, as she was pouring too much emotion into her swordplay.

 

“...Judy...”

 

Without saying anything further, I simply called her name.

 

A ripple of emotion passed over her face. But it was brief. Once again, she swung her sword fiercely.

 

Her next strike came in sharply, and for the first time, instead of just blocking, I made a move.

 

Pushing away her sword that lunged too deeply, with my free hand, I forcefully shoved her shoulder, throwing her off balance.

 

Seeing Judy wince in that moment of impact tugged at my heartstrings.

 

Yet - despite the visible pain - she didn’t stop.

 

As I positioned myself to block another swing from Judy’s sword, she hesitated midway… But only for a single moment. Changing her trajectory abruptly, she attacked where I hadn’t blocked.

 

Her wooden sword came down heavily on my arm.

 

Had it been a real sword, my arm would’ve been severed, and that would’ve been the end of it.

 

Having landed a hit on me, Judy finally spoke up.

 

“...Do you...!”

 

Her face, which had been stoic, began to contort.

 

“...Do you know how hard I’ve worked?!”

 

Her words pierced deeper - and with more intensity - into my heart than her sword ever did.

 

“...You must’ve worked day and night for your skills too...!”

 

Through that strike, she seemed to want to convey that we both endured pain at the same level.

 

Indeed, as she said, I’ve trained every day to the point of collapsing from exhaustion to hone my skills. Judy, my equal, must’ve endured as much pain as I have.

 

No, perhaps even more than me. After all, she’s two years younger.

 

As she spoke, she swung her sword.

 

From the moment she began to speak, I was, again, pushed backward.

 

“I was humiliated by Nera! Became the outcast of the family...! Yet I believed that one day I’d prove my worth...! I told myself it’s the fate of a girl like me! That it can’t be helped...! All while honing my sword skills..!”

 

- Slam!

 

From above to below, she swung her sword in a slashing motion.

 

At the same time, our swords clashed in a power struggle.

 

Judy’s face came closer to mine.

 

“...I...! I...! I could endure it all...!”

 

Tears started to fill her eyes.

 

“...I never knew any life but that of an outcast...!”

 

“...Judy...”

 

“But then you appeared... Even though we’re from rival families, you approached with a smile...! You, who are in the same position... sharing the same pain as me..!”

 

Tears began to stream down her face.

 

Seeing her tears, strength involuntarily drained from my body.

 

My legs gave way, and I sank to the ground.

 

Judy, relentlessly pressing on, collapsed on top of me.

 

Dropping her wooden sword, she knelt over me and grabbed me by the collar.

 

“I told you I didn’t want to get close...! If it was going to be like this... You should’ve just listened to me...”

 

Her tears dropped onto my face, and the vigor in her voice gradually faded.

 

“Why did you become my support...? Why did you become the shade where I could rest...?”

 

“.....”

 

“Why did you tease me to make me laugh...? Why did you play tricks to lighten my heart...? And let me bask in people’s cheers...”

 

“.....”

 

“Why did you tell me it was okay to marry someone as pitiful as me, raising my hopes... making me imagine a happy future...”

 

She no longer hid her tearful face. From her sorrowfully contorted eyes, large tears fell.

 

It was as if the years of oppression she suffered from the Ice family finally burst forth, making her shed tears so intensely, that her whole body shook.

 

“...I’m sor-”

 

Just as I was about to apologize, she cut me off.

 

“-I don’t need your apologies.”

 

Then, through her tears, she sent me a flashing glance. Her faltering spirit flared up in an instant, as if fueled by oil.

 

“So, if you’re sorry, that’s it? Without fixing anything, you just say it and leave, and it’s over...?”

 

“......”

 

At her words, I was at a loss for what to say.

 

Unable to lift my head in shame, I looked down. Then I heard her choking voice.

 

“...Take responsibility.”

 

“...What?”

 

“I said, take responsibility! You jerk-”

 

Perhaps growing frustrated mid-sentence, she gritted her teeth, shook me, and then suddenly pulled me closer.

 

Her face was right up against mine.

 

Judy lowered her head.

 

“Hmm..!”

 

And then came the soft sensation on my lips. The salty taste of Judy’s tear-soaked lips.

 

She roughly stole a kiss from my lips, then pushed me away, shouting in front of everyone.

 

“Ha! Take responsibility! You damn jerk!”

 

I was in utter shock. Judy had just taken my first kiss.

 

At her actions, my mind went blank, and all the guilt I felt just now vanished.

 

“.......”

 

All that came out was a bitter laugh.

 

“...Hah.”

 

****

 

The academy was abuzz in an instant.

 

Keirsey could feel the change in the atmosphere.

 

After her class, she had been having a brief conversation with Asena. Meanwhile, some students exclaimed in shock, “Really?” or “Oh my gosh!“, stealing glances around them, as if a significant event had just transpired.

 

Keirsey tried to find out the cause of all this commotion.

 

Yet, instead of actively asking, she just waited for someone to approach and tell her about it.

 

Sure enough, Mary Bones, with whom Keirsey had maintained a somewhat friendly relationship, approached.

 

“Ki... Keirsey...! Did you hear?”

 

“...About what?”

 

She feigned indifference, but Keirsey’s heart was racing.

 

Even if she didn’t know the details, she felt it wasn’t good news.

 

“Ca... Cayden...!”

 

“What happened to my brother?”

 

At the mention of Cayden, Asena quickly responded. Her cold gaze pressed Mary Bones.

 

All eyes were on the twins.

 

They were the siblings of Cayden Pryster, the subject of the rumors, so every political science student was now wary of these unpredictable twins’ reactions.

 

Feeling the weight of the stares, Mary Bones hesitated for a moment, but under the twins’ pressure, she hurriedly spilled the beans.

 

“Cayden...! No, Judy of the Ice family... During the class, it’s said that she knocked Cayden down and stole a kiss...”

 

“......”

 

“......”

 

The twins stood frozen in place. It felt as if time had stopped.

 

- Grind!

 

After what felt like an eternity of chilling silence, Asena’s façade shattered, and her brows furrowed in horror. Her breathing became rough, and she clenched her fists tightly. Despite being in front of everyone, she couldn’t maintain her composure.

 

For the first time, the political science students witnessed the breaking of Asena’s mask. Some held their breath, others averted their gaze, and yet others wondered why she was so furious.

 

Asena doubted her ears.

 

Someone had knocked down her brother, her treasure, and stolen a kiss?

 

She was so angry, she could hear her own heartbeat. Such a ridiculous situation was a first for her. Who dared touch him without his consent?

 

‘Judy Ice.’

 

After the engagement was called off, Asena had tried not to think about her. But now, hundreds of cruel plans that she never even knew she had, sprang explosively to mind.

 

Upon hearing the news, Keirsey immediately left her seat. She vanished from the classroom in an instant.

 

As Mary Bones, who had delivered the news, stood there uncertainly, someone approached her.

 

- Tap.

 

A delicate hand rested on her shoulder.

 

“...Mis... Miss Daisy...”

 

Mary Bones shrank back once more.

 

Wiping the smile off her face, Daisy asked,

 

“...Can you tell me what happened?”

 

****

 

By the time Keirsey arrived at the Knights’ training ground, the afternoon session was already in progress.

 

She quickly scanned the area and located her brother.

 

“Oppa!”

 

She called out to him with a forceful shout.

 

Her voice was drowned out amidst the grunts and shouts of those training, but somehow, Cayden turned his head at her call.

 

He quickly excused himself from the person he was training with and ran to her.

 

“Keirsey...! Why are you here instead of attending class...”

 

For some reason, his calm demeanor only stoked the fire of her anger. She grabbed Cayden, her gaze shifting back to the training grounds as she pressed him.

 

“...Where is she?”

 

Unlike Cayden, who she’d easily located, Judy was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Where is she?!”

 

“Who?”

 

She gave him an irritated look as he played dumb.

 

Eventually, Cayden sighed.

 

“...Why are you looking for her?”

 

“Is this the time to be asking that? She stole a kiss from your lips-”

 

“-They’re my lips, not yours.”

 

A whirlwind of thoughts clashed in Keirsey’s mind.

 

No. Those lips weren’t his alone. They were hers. They should’ve been hers. They had to be hers.

 

Hadn’t she already laid her claim on them?

 

But she couldn’t voice such feelings.

 

Unable to conceal her raging anger and with nothing left to say, her chest felt unbearably tight.

 

“You rushed all the way here just for that? Skipping your class?”

 

“Just...? She stole a kiss and you think it’s just a trivial thing?”

 

“It’s my business. It doesn’t mean you should skip class and rush here.”

 

“...So, if some strange guy stole a kiss from me, would you react the same way?”

 

“Keirsey, those two things aren’t the same...!”

 

“Why not? You said it was trivial that your lips were stolen! If it’s not a big deal, then I’ll just give my lips to any man over there.”

 

Keirsey pointed at a knight in training, a stranger.

 

Of course, she had no intention of giving even a handshake to anyone other than Cayden. Her words were merely meant to press him.

 

And they effectively did.

 

“Alright... I’m sorry. But what can I do about what’s already happened? You coming to me in anger doesn’t change the past.”

 

“No? This is all your fault. Your fault for keeping Judy close. Promise me you won’t keep her by your side.”

 

At that moment, Cayden grabbed both of Keirsey’s shoulders.

 

“...Keirsey. Calm down.”

 

“Do I look like I can calm down right now?!”

 

She twisted away, shaking off his grasp.

 

“Isn’t that why I’m trying to calm you down...! And to not see her...what are you even saying?”

 

“Oppa, someone who forcibly stole a kiss is a sexual harasser, so how-”

 

Keirsey’s voice trailed off.

 

The first reason was the pricking of her conscience.

 

If taking a kiss by force made one a sexual harasser... then she was guilty too.

 

Furthermore, unlike Judy, who was his former fiancée, she was his sister.

 

In terms of inappropriateness, she was arguably worse.

 

She couldn’t continue.

 

She scrunched her face, leaving marks around her nose like cat whiskers, unable to speak anymore.

 

“...?”

 

Cayden, looking puzzled, seemed to think this was a chance to smooth things over.

 

“Look... I’ll handle this. I know you’re mad, and I’m grateful that you care. But really, I’m fine. So go back. Attend your class. We promised to attend classes diligently after our last walk, remember?”

 

Cayden gently patted her back, trying to comfort her, and Keirsey slowly turned a little.

 

He continued speaking.

 

“I have to attend my training too. See, everyone’s training hard. If I miss more, I’ll be in trouble. And... please explain to Asena. I think she must also be angry like you.”

 

But none of his words reached Keirsey’s ears.

 

Unable to vent her frustration, her chest felt suffocating.

 

In response to this suffocation, her body instinctively reacted. Searching for a way out, as if trying to find a solution to relieve her stress.

 

Involuntarily, her unyielding gaze was locked onto his lips—lips that had been claimed by another for the first time; someone other than her sister, Asena.

 

She had tasted them just once, and that single experience had left her craving more. But now, someone else had tasted them.

 

Deep in such thoughts, Keirsey’s focus remained unwavering, riveted solely to his lips.

 

Even if just for a moment, they were lips now marked by another’s touch.

 

---  End Of The Chapter ---

 

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