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Chapter: 45
‘But that’s hardly enough,’ she thought, not feeling satisfied.
They should have apologized more sincerely and actively corrected their wrongs.
Even if they did, it wouldn’t erase the abuse they had inflicted all this time.
“Thank you. For taking my side.”
“What’s there to thank me for? It’s only natural. We’re family.”
“Vin. Thank you to you too.”
“It wasn’t only natural for me, so… may I hope for some kind of reward?”
My sister shot Vin a glare that clearly said, You cheeky brat…
But she soon withdrew it, letting out a small snort of laughter as she asked,
“What reward?”
“From now on, please leave Irillin’s heart to Irillin alone.”
“You mean… stop interfering between you two.”
“Yes.”
“You’re brutally honest, aren’t you? It’d be nice if you were just a little less so.”
“What good would that do for you, Sister?”
“…Fair enough.”
My sister swallowed her words for a long while, as if deep in thought.
Vin didn’t rush her at all, simply waiting for her answer.
At last, she spoke with a calm, settled expression.
“Just like our parents… I overstepped too. Whatever happens, it’s something Irillin has to handle herself.”
“When you say ‘handle,’ what exactly do you mean?”
“…Who knows. Whatever it is, Irillin will manage just fine. Like you said, I won’t meddle in your affairs anymore. Do your best.”
Tap, tap. My sister lightly patted Vin’s shoulder and stood up.
Her retreating footsteps—step, step—faded into the distance, mingling with the chirring of insects in the grass.
Then another voice followed, tickling both my ears… and my heart.
“So that’s what she says.”
“……”
“Well? Not Sis—what do you think?”
“……”
“Say something.”
“…About what.”
I muttered curtly, avoiding the gaze that seemed ready to bind me in place.
A gentle yet rough hand lifted my chin.
Our eyes were forcibly aligned, and those blue eyes filled my vision.
It felt like I might be pulled in, so I squeezed my eyes shut.
Then the hot breath brushing my ear was sweet enough to make me want to throw my life away.
“Can you handle it… me?”
My eyes opened on their own.
Because I wanted to capture that affectionate gaze—those lips speaking such heated words.
Because I didn’t want to look away.
“…What exactly do you want with me?”
“I want to keep you by my side. And—”
“And?”
Maybe it was because I wanted to hear what he would say next—my eyes kept drifting to his lips every time they parted.
An unfamiliar desire wrapped around my heart.
No—desire wasn’t quite the right word. It was something even more overwhelming.
I felt like I might be devoured by that burning emotion.
Like I wanted to be devoured.
“I want to touch you.”
Vin’s finger hovered just above my lips.
If I breathed even a little deeper, it felt like I might break through the air and reach that desire.
“But if I do, you’ll cry.”
As if I’d cry just because he touched my lips a little.
It’s not like I cry that much. How much of a crybaby does he think I am?
“If you run, I want to catch you… and make you completely mine so you can’t even think of running.”
“…If I cry, will you stop?”
“Sorry. I can’t—no, I won’t stop.”
“Pfft—”
I burst out laughing.
Vin stared at me with a sulky look that clearly said, I’m being serious and you’re laughing.
“Then first—”
I wiped the smile from my face and spoke.
Vin’s eyes sparkled as he listened intently.
“Let’s do this first.”
* * *
“Then first—”
Vin watched with bright, expectant eyes, waiting for Irillin to speak.
“Let’s do this first.”
“What?”
“The thing you’ve been wanting to do so badly.”
The thing I’ve wanted…
I wanted to caress those tempting lips, crush that slender body in my arms so she couldn’t escape, share heated breaths…
Did she somehow read all those desires?
…Judging by those innocent eyes, there was no way she knew.
Vin felt like a wolf eyeing a lamb. He withdrew his hand from Irillin’s lips.
Something he wanted to do… something that would come to mind behind that innocent face…
It wasn’t like he lacked those kinds of desires.
If anything, he had far too many.
After a moment’s thought, he spoke.
“…There are too many things I want to do. So you’re saying we pick just one?”
“Yeah. Sparring. That’s what you wanted most, right?”
“…Not really.”
The words slipped out while he was unconsciously staring at her lips.
Startled, he quickly moved his gaze back to her eyes.
Irillin was already staring straight into his.
But she soon looked away as if she hadn’t noticed anything, deliberately putting on a calm expression.
“What? You were the one always going on about sparring. Why the cold reaction?”
“…You said you don’t like men weaker than you.”
“That’s not true. Sis lied. And how do you know you’re not stronger than me?”
“I can tell just by looking. You already have the skill of a captain-level knight.”
It made no sense for a rookie knight who had just been living as a mercenary…
And yet, sometimes he had the feeling she had already surpassed captain level.
At first he thought it was just love-blindness clouding his judgment.
But when others also started saying Irillin’s skills rivaled a captain’s, Vin realized he had underestimated his own judgment.
“Anyway, even if you lose to me, I won’t be disappointed. So don’t worry.”
“……”
“Let’s spar.”
Truthfully, after their reunion, sparring hadn’t been that important to him.
Vin had only hovered around Irillin bringing up sparring because he needed some excuse to stay close to her.
So it would be more accurate to say he wanted Irillin herself, not the spar.
But still—what did it matter?
Whether it was sparring or Irillin herself.
Both were more than welcome. There was no point weighing them.
“…Alright.”
In truth, anything that let him be with her was good.
* * *
“Good day, my lady!”
The marquis household knights, who had been focused on their individual training, all sheathed their swords at once and greeted loudly.
“Good work, everyone. Sorry to interrupt your training, but do you have any spare practice swords and armor not in use right now?”
“We do… but may I ask what you intend to use them for, my lady?”
One of the knights approached me, eyeing me with heavy suspicion.
I recognized him. Sir Hogarden, was it?
He was one of the most senior knights of the marquis household and, unlike the younger ones, had crossed paths with Irillin quite often in her childhood.
Right now, he was probably imagining the marquis’s daughter using precious swords and armor to ski or sled across bare ground.
Given her past, that wasn’t an unreasonable assumption.
So I smiled as sweetly as possible without showing any annoyance.
“For sparring.”
“You’re using sparring gear… for sparring?!”
…Then what else would ‘sparring’ gear be used for?
This old man must have heard Irillin had changed.
Did he hear it and still not believe it?
No wonder he always looked at me suspiciously in the hallways.
“She’s not using it for skiing or sledding.”
“Gasp! I was wondering if you might! As expected, my prediction was right! Hahaha!”
…He really was imagining that.
More importantly, I said I wasn’t—why is he only hearing what he wants?
“But there’s no snow right now—will that be alright? Ah, my mistake. My lady wouldn’t care even if it’s bare ground!”
The fact he even predicted I’d do it on bare ground is honestly impressive.
Even after seven years, this is still the reaction she gets… Irillin really must have been quite the menace.
No wonder she caused such scenes in public back then.
How did I end up in this girl’s body, suffering like this…?
“…Sir Hogarden. Stop being noisy and just bring the sword and armor. I really am going to spar, so quit the nonsense.”
From long experience, I knew:
With people who still thought I was crazy, it was easier to meet their expectations than try to convince them I’d changed.
“Yes, my lady!”
Sure enough, Sir Hogarden brought over the practice sword and armor without further fuss.
Grinning the whole time for some reason.
“By the way, who will you be sparring with? If you don’t have an opponent, would you like to try the new recruits?”
“Why do you think I came here with the young duke?”
I gestured toward Vin behind me.
Sir Hogarden merely frowned, still not grasping it.
“What do you mean?”
“Obviously—to spar.”
“…You mean to say, my lady, that you will spar with the Empire Knight Order’s vice-captain?”
“That’s right.”
Sir Hogarden sucked in a sharp breath.
Then he hurried off.
When he returned, he handed me a sword twice as light and armor twice as thick as before.
“My lady. Practice swords won’t cut, but they can still bruise, so please be careful. Young Lord Ortega, I’m sure I needn’t say this, but please ensure my lady does not get hurt—”
“Hey. I think you’re forgetting something.”
Before I could speak, Vin cut in.
Unlike when he looked at me, his blue eyes held not a trace of softness.
“Irillin is a knight too. Not some immature kid who skis with a sword.”
