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Chapter 25
“What, what is it?”
“Bianca, just be honest and tell us. You did get confessed to, right?”
“Who was it? Which guy confessed? Was he handsome? Did you accept him?”
“Lucia, when did you get here? No, more importantly, why are you acting so pushy?”
Bianca, who had looked a little unwell, suddenly let out a dry laugh and pushed away the two girls who were pressing in close.
“Don’t hide it, just tell us. What exactly did he say to you?”
Even though Bianca tried to dodge the question, Christine and Lucia clung to her persistently.
After looking troubled for a while, Bianca finally let out a deep sigh.
“So yeah… I did get confessed to.”
“Oh my, oh my, oh my!”
Christine and Lucia’s eyes lit up. Their intensity was overwhelming, and Bianca grimaced.
“It’s already the seventh time he’s confessed to me.”
“What? Seven times?”
Christine and Lucia both jumped in shock.
“Yeah. I guess you’d call him a childhood friend? Not as close as you and Herwin, Lucia, but our parents know each other, so we’ve been around each other since we were kids.”
Bianca explained.
The boy was Kalypse Cherville, the second son of Count Cherville.
He had fallen for Bianca after seeing her a few times as a child, and had been nursing a one-sided love for two years now.
In fact, this was already his second confession since entering the academy. The first had been on the very first day of the entrance ceremony.
After hearing Bianca’s brief explanation, Christine squealed with excitement, while Lucia thought Kalypse’s situation oddly resembled her own.
“That’s true devotion. It’s rare to find a guy like that, Bianca.”
“So what? I’m not interested.”
Bianca snorted with a crooked smile.
“Oh dear, so the young master of House Cherville doesn’t catch your eye?”
“More than not catching my eye—I really wish he’d stop confessing.”
Lucia suddenly felt her heart drop with a dull thud.
“If someone says no once or twice, shouldn’t you take the hint? Even when I said, ‘I can’t stand guys like you,’ and ‘Don’t even talk to me from now on,’ he either doesn’t get it or pretends not to. He doesn’t listen at all.”
“Uh…”
Christine was bewildered by Bianca’s harsher-than-expected reaction.
Lucia stared at Bianca without blinking.
…Her words are different.
Just a week ago, Bianca had criticized Herwin for not accepting Lucia’s confession, saying that after sixty attempts he should have given in by now.
But now her stance was completely the opposite.
“I honestly don’t even know what kind of confidence he has, coming after me like that. It’s not like he’s particularly handsome, or from an especially great house.”
“B-but he seemed kind-hearted, though.”
“There are plenty of kind people in the world. That’s hardly a special trait.”
Bianca’s tone was firm. Even Christine, who didn’t personally know Kalypse, couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him.
“Oh! Lucia! You’ve been gone for quite a while. Did you go somewhere?”
Trying to ease the awkward mood, Christine hurriedly changed the subject.
As she spoke, she suddenly noticed something in Lucia’s hand.
“Oh my, why are you carrying your wallet?”
Bianca, who had been blankly watching the swordsmanship class, snapped her head around.
“Ah… I just thought of buying something, so I dropped by the classroom on my way back.”
“Really? Did you buy it?”
“No, turns out I didn’t need it. A wasted trip.”
Lucia gave an embarrassed smile—only to meet Bianca’s sharp gaze.
Why did you bring your wallet?
It was a silent demand: why hadn’t she left it at her seat or in her bag?
Lucia clearly understood but awkwardly looked away from Bianca’s eyes.
Bianca faintly frowned.
“Luci—”
Waaaaaah!
Her voice was drowned out by the roar erupting from the training ground.
When they turned their heads, something violet was shimmering among the resting students.
“No way, is that…?”
“It’s aura!”
The cheers were for none other than Arista, who was radiating aura.
Ever since she defeated the ogre, she had worked relentlessly to use aura again.
And today, at last, she succeeded.
The swordsmanship students around Arista gasped in admiration.
Herwin was among them. Seeing everyone rejoice like children left Lucia with a bitter feeling.
“What’s going on?”
Taking advantage of the noise, Bianca stepped closer.
“Why’d you bring your wallet?”
She glanced at Christine, who was just standing up, then lowered her voice again.
Lucia instinctively edged away, a sense of resistance rising in her.
“I decided not to do anything.”
“All of a sudden? Did you get scared? If you can’t do it, then I’ll—!”
“No, it’s not that. I just… don’t think this is the right way. And I don’t want to hate Arista anymore.”
Though her words sounded resigned, Lucia’s face looked calm, even serene—as if she’d found peace for the first time in a week.
That unfamiliar sight made Bianca bite her lip.
Tch—
Lucia, still looking at Arista, thought she heard the clicking of a tongue by her ear. She turned, but Bianca was only resting her chin in her hand with a sullen look.
Did I imagine it…?
An uneasy feeling lingered.
“Lucia!”
Suddenly, someone called her name urgently. Startled, she jerked her head up.
On the steps below, Christine was reaching out in a panic. When Lucia turned, she saw a glint of steel flying straight at her from alarmingly close range.
Death.
The sensation of death branded itself into her mind before she could even react.
Eyes wide, she could only watch the blade racing toward her.
Kaga-kang—!
Just before it struck her face, a screech of clashing steel rang out. Another sword had intercepted the attack.
The deflected blade spun off and buried itself deep into the ground.
“Hah… hah… hah…”
Through her blurred vision, she saw red aura burning vividly.
Somehow, Herwin—who had been across the field only moments ago—was standing right in front of her.
Pale-faced and panting hard, he glared furiously.
“What the hell are you doing! Someone could’ve been killed!”
His roar shook the training ground. Silence fell instantly. Then he spun around.
“Lucia! Are you okay?”
But Lucia couldn’t answer. She could only stare at him with wide, trembling eyes.
Though its color was different, the aura blazing around Herwin’s body was exactly the same as Arista’s.
“Lucia!”
He seized her shoulders, shaking them, his crimson eyes locked on her vacant blue ones.
“Lucia!”
And then—she fainted.
When break time came, Herwin gulped down water, wiping sweat roughly from his face. Then he scanned the stone steps surrounding the training ground.
Several students were sitting there watching the swordsmanship class.
“Looking for Lucia?”
A sly voice came from behind, and Herwin swung a fist immediately.
Brian dodged easily, chuckling.
“Hey, if not, just say so. No need to throw punches.”
“Stop creeping up behind me.”
“What, I was just asking. But you know, it’s been about twenty minutes since Lucia left her seat.”
“Hm? Really? That’s longer than I thought.”
Ethan, who had just arrived, pointed out Lucia’s absence.
Herwin frowned, his red eyes clouded as he glanced at the steps where only Christine remained.
Brian grinned knowingly.
“I wonder when you’ll finally make up with Lucia.”
Herwin’s face stiffened instantly, glaring daggers at him.
“I don’t know what happened between you two, but just patch things up already. We’re the ones stuck in the middle here.”
“Yeah, it’s suffocating. You’re always watching Lucia, so why not just reconcile?”
“When did I ever—”
“When? You’re doing it right now.”
“Man, you’re so damn dishonest.”
Brian and Ethan kept needling him, half-serious, half-teasing.
Herwin opened his mouth, then sighed heavily in irritation and walked off without another word. The two called after him, but he ignored them.
“Ohhh!”
“It’s happening! It’s happening!”
Excited cries broke out around Arista. From her sword, a faint haze was rising.
Sensing it was aura, Herwin’s eyes widened, and he rushed forward with the others to watch.
Arista’s breathing turned ragged, sweat dripping down her forehead. Then she snapped her eyes open wide.
Her sword trembled—and with a sharp burst, a violet aura, the same color as her eyes, flared from the blade.
“She… she did it!”
“Whoa! That’s real aura!”
“The rumors were true!”
Cheers exploded. Beaming, Arista proudly held up her sword wreathed in aura.
“Arista! Let’s test it against this!”
One boy stepped forward with a real blade. There was a saying that a sword wrapped in aura, though only crafted by its wielder, could cut through anything—even a masterwork blade.
Everyone was eager to see if Arista’s aura could really slice steel.
“Alright, let’s try. But it could be dangerous, so everyone back up.”
At her command, the crowd gave them space, especially clearing the area where the blades would swing.
“Think her sword will really cut it?”
“Herwin, what do you think?”
“In theory, it should slice it like a log.”
His red eyes gleamed with excitement and competitiveness.
“Here I come!”
The boy opposite her gripped his sword tightly and swung at her.
Arista mirrored him, striking in the opposite direction.
When the blades met, there was no clang of steel—only the smooth sound of something being cut. Her aura-wreathed sword had sliced his weapon clean in two.
The severed half spun through the air at frightening speed toward the open space—and then…
“Lucia!”
The fragment was flying straight at her, who had just returned unnoticed.
Ethan spotted it and cried out in alarm.
Arista and Brian both lunged toward her, but the broken blade was faster.
“Wa—!”
Brian reached out desperately, but a sudden gust of wind shoved him aside.
Kaga-kang—!
The sound of steel rang again.
“Huh?”
Brian blinked stupidly at the source.
In the blink of an eye, Herwin had appeared before Lucia, intercepting the flying shard. His body flared with roaring crimson aura.
Brian’s gaze shifted to where Herwin had been standing moments ago—deep footprints gouged the ground from the sheer force of his leap.
“What the hell are you doing! Someone could’ve died!”
Herwin’s furious roar thundered through the training ground. His rage was directed not only at the boy and Arista, but also at himself.
If not for him, someone might truly have died.
While everyone else was frozen, Herwin turned at once to check Lucia.
Even though he had just awakened the aura he had long yearned for, all his focus was fixed only on her.
“Lucia!”
His torn cry echoed. In his arms, Lucia had fainted.
