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chapter 05…
“What happened?”
When Tislin dragged herself back to the dormitory, Sierra—who had taken over her room—looked up with sparkling eyes.
“…It’s a disaster.”
“You got rejected but ended up engaged—that’s the problem? Are you embarrassed? Sir Xsanov doesn’t seem like the type to care about that. It’s not like you suddenly can’t stand the sight of each other after the rejection. Wouldn’t it be better to marry someone you actually like?”
“No.”
Tislin answered firmly.
“Absolutely not.”
More than anyone else, the one person she must not marry was someone she liked.
It was Tislin’s misfortune that she couldn’t explain the reason to anyone. But that didn’t change her mind.
“Sierra, you’ll help me, right?”
“With what? Wait—don’t tell me you’re trying to break off your engagement?”
Sierra Fontaine gasped, but Tislin didn’t back down. In the end, Sierra reluctantly nodded and collapsed onto the sofa. Honestly, it sounded a little interesting too.
“So what are you going to do? Do you even have a plan?”
“I thought if I told Damian, he’d agree to cancel it. There’s no reason for him to marry me. …Is there?”
If there was a reason, Damian would never agree to break the engagement until that reason disappeared.
“Shouldn’t you figure that out first?”
Who would know something like that?
“Adelinde. Or Arkin Rudera?”
Arkin Rudera had gone to war with Damian, so he might know something. Tislin rolled the name around in her mouth. She wasn’t particularly close to Arkin either, but this wasn’t the time to be picky.
“Tis. But listen.”
“Yeah?”
“Why don’t you just ask Sir Xsanov directly? Ask him why he wants to get engaged to you.”
“I don’t think Damian would answer me even if I asked.”
It was instinct. And more than anything, whenever she talked to Damian, Tislin felt shaken and influenced too easily. It hadn’t been like that before. When had it changed?
“I’ll ask Arkin Rudera. And Sierra, I have one more favor.”
“What is it?”
“Introduce me to a man.”
Sierra’s mouth fell open.
“H-Hey. You already have Damian Xsanov as your fiancé—”
“I’m going to break it off.”
Tislin stood firm.
“I will never marry Damian.”
Sierra let out an impressed sound. After three years of going to school together, she knew that when Tislin spoke this firmly, even if she wasn’t always right, she definitely had a reason.
“Well… good luck.”
“I said help me.”
After being pestered for quite a while, Sierra finally replied weakly, “I’ll… look into it.”
Tislin sighed deeply. When the other party was Damian Xsanov, even finding someone willing to help was difficult. Everyone backed away before even trying.
First, she needed to understand the situation properly. Before sunset, she planned to visit the Knight Department where Arkin Rudera was.
The path there was not smooth.
“Oh, it’s Tislin! Tislin, wait, let’s talk!”
As she passed the hallway in front of the lounge, students from her earlier classroom called out excitedly. They seemed to have been playing a game; they even threw down their dice while waving at her.
“I’m busy right now!”
She practically slid down the stairs to escape, only to bump into another classmate.
Of all people, this chatterbox.
“Oh? Tislin, what were you talking about with Sir Xsanov today?”
“It’s hard to explain. See you later, Lint.”
“Huh? Wait!”
Tislin gave a vague reply and hurried out of the dormitory building. She was out of breath, leaning on her knees, when she spotted another group of friends and quietly slipped away again.
This was all Damian’s fault. She never wanted to become the center of gossip like this. Couldn’t he have called her quietly? Sent a letter, maybe? Did he really have to show up in person?
She wouldn’t deny that she was happy to see him after so long. But the aftermath was overwhelming.
Students in the Administration Department didn’t usually tear someone apart over engagement gossip, but like typical young people, they spread rumors about famous figures quickly. Like Prince Anatis, who had just enrolled in the Liberal Arts Department this year. Or the rumor that Marcel Dant, the most famous student in the Fine Arts Department, was the illegitimate son of Count Hogan.
Anyway, it would be better if no one found out more than necessary. The best option was to end this engagement as soon as possible.
Once she left the Administration building, no one paid attention to her. Tislin headed straight to the Knight Department building. She had been there a few times last year for a final project, so the way was familiar.
“…Why is a senior from the Administration Department here?”
And she occasionally recognized people too. Tislin quickly grabbed a junior’s fiancé from the Knight Department. Even if she knew the way, it felt awkward barging into another department’s building.
“Is Arkin Rudera here?”
“I’m not sure. I think third-years have personal training time.”
“Can you check?”
The kind student went inside without asking how she knew that foreigner.
After about ten minutes, Arkin Rudera came out, red hair messy like he had just woken up, hands shoved into his pockets.
“Tislin Ermiz? What brings you here?”
They had met at the Duke of Ruksen’s estate. That was the extent of their acquaintance. Arkin probably knew her as a noble from Cassedy-Manorca who always stuck with Adelinde. As for Tislin, she knew Arkin as—
Damian’s friend. And the strange guy who followed Damian into the Royal Academy for no particular reason.
But because of that, he might know the internal affairs of the Grand Duchy of Ruksen better than someone like her.
“I have something to ask. Do you have a minute?”
“Well, I came out, didn’t I? But not here.”
The Knight Department was heavily male, so they were sensitive about women—especially from other departments—visiting. Arkin could practically feel the red-eyed stares from inside the dorm.
“Why?”
“Rumors. Those guys gossip worse than noble ladies in high society.”
That seemed believable. Tislin glanced up at the dorm windows and saw at least ten pairs of eyes stuck to the lounge window. She shivered.
“Follow me.”
Arkin walked ahead as if to say, “There’s nothing between us.” Tislin followed at a slight distance.
The quiet place he chose was the training ground.
“Isn’t it strange for the training ground to be empty?”
“They’re replacing the soil today, so it’s off-limits. Anyone assigned to a unit went to the other field—including Damian. Perfect timing.”
She couldn’t deny that.
“So, what did you want to ask?”
“Do you know about my engagement?”
“Of course I know.”
“What exactly happened? Fine, maybe my parents suddenly went crazy and proposed to the Grand Duke. But why did the Grand Duke accept? And why did Damian agree?”
Faced with the rapid-fire questions, Arkin blinked in confusion. Then he gently pushed her shoulders back upright.
“Wait. Just wait.”
When Tislin stopped talking, he immediately removed his hand.
“As far as I know, your parents didn’t send that proposal.”
“…What?”
That didn’t make sense.
Tislin stood frozen like a wax figure.
Arkin ran a hand through his hair, trying to recall.
Last month, Damian had briefly gone back to Ruksen. Before that, the Grand Duke had tried introducing him to several well-regarded young women, but Damian had declined each time.
Arkin had assumed Damian wasn’t interested yet because he still had things to achieve as a knight.
But after returning, Damian suddenly announced his engagement—to Tislin Ermiz, whom he had known since childhood.
At the time, Arkin had simply assumed Damian had his reasons.
But if Tislin was only asking about it now, then the engagement must have been finalized last week, considering the time it took for letters to travel.
That meant the decision to propose to the Ermiz family had been made last month. The timeline fit perfectly.
“Damian went back to Ruksen last month, right? It must’ve been decided then.”
Tislin knew exactly when that was.
‘It was after I confessed.’
He rejected her confession—yet agreed to the engagement?
