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Chapter 10
Kata looked away from the large slice she had been staring at.
Zenon, instead of handing it over, was gripping the fork as if he intended to “kill” the apple.
Why are you like this?
Kata blinked.
Was that the same kind of “why are you like that” as earlier?
Now that she looked closer, Zenon also seemed angry.
“This was a spar with sword aura. You could’ve lost your head. Do you even know what Sorem would’ve done if things went wrong? And you still rushed in like you were ready to die?”
“It was… dangerous, sure. But if Sir Sorem had followed the rules, I wouldn’t have been seriously injured.”
“Sure you wouldn’t.”
Zenon scoffed. His tone carried long-held irritation.
“And what was that ‘embodiment’ technique? Who the hell holds their breath during combat?”
“Sir Simon even yawns. Losing tension during battle is also dangerous. And Sir Richard also—”
“Don’t talk nonsense. They’re different from you. They’re second awakeners.”
Kata slowly fell silent.
Does he still dislike me?
The sweetness of the apple in her mouth and Zenon’s cold voice felt impossible to reconcile.
“….”
She felt oddly deflated. Not because she thought his criticism was wrong, but because his tone was so cold.
She said quietly,
“Can I eat the rest of the apple?”
Zenon frowned, but then wordlessly offered the fork with another slice.
Crunch, crunch.
The last piece was just as sweet as expected.
Kata placed the fork down and pulled the blanket up.
“Thanks, Zenon. But I’m really okay.”
“You were having a nightmare earlier.”
Kata froze.
“And you still call for Hettashi—the maid—when you do.”
Zenon deliberately avoided her gaze. His grip tightened on the knife.
“You… back then. When you returned to your territory…”
He inhaled sharply, like someone unsure how to continue, staring at the frayed edge of the blanket.
Silence filled the room. Kata waited patiently.
And then—
The door suddenly burst open.
“What, you’re fine?”
The intruder was Simon. He held a basket decorated with fruit and flowers.
“I came to visit. Oh, and this is my newly appointed squire.”
Behind him stood Perinem, wearing a deeply displeased expression.
Simon casually patted his back.
“My squire position was vacant anyway. My high-and-mighty cousin was begging to serve under me, so I had no choice—blood ties, you know?”
“Please stop that.”
Perinem shoved his arm away, then smirked when he met Kata’s eyes.
“Looks like you got wrecked in a spar.”
“….”
“See? No matter how strong a first awakener is, a second awakener is on another level.”
Kata smiled awkwardly.
“Hey, Perinem. You do know you’re a first awakener too, right?”
“Of course. I just want you to understand that the world is wide and there are many stronger people.”
His smug expression reminded her of her younger brother Therion.
After losing to Kata repeatedly, he used to desperately want to see her humbled by a sword instructor.
“Please make my sister lose her confidence!”
A small laugh slipped out at the memory.
Perinem’s face hardened, mistaking it for mockery.
Meanwhile Simon pulled up a chair casually.
“Mind if I sit?”
“You’re already sitting.”
“True, but it’s polite to ask late too.”
“….”
* * *
“I should’ve heard how loudly the vice-captain was yelling.”
Simon muttered while chewing strawberries.
“Sir Sorem got a one-month pay cut and three days of confinement.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s common for knights of similar rank to get injured in sparring, but a senior nearly killing a recruit is a different matter. Did you think he’d get away with it?”
“…Yes.”
“Oh dear. You really don’t trust the knight order at all.”
As the plate emptied, Zenon neatly removed strawberry stems with a knife.
Meanwhile Simon rummaged through the basket and pulled out a purple-skinned fruit.
“Oh, this is kioya. Zenon, could you peel this too with that artistic skill of yours?”
Zenon paused mid-motion.
He glanced at Kata sitting awkwardly on the bed and said flatly,
“Donovan can’t eat kioya.”
“How do you know?”
“…She stayed in our territory for three years while recovering. She once collapsed after eating a sauce made with kioya juice.”
“Three years?”
Simon turned to stare at Kata.
“For what reason?”
Kata swallowed a strawberry.
“…I had long nightmares. My father thought it was because I stayed inside the mansion too much. So he asked Count Korel, an acquaintance, to send me to the southern region to recover.”
“Nightmares?”
Perinem cut in.
“Nightmares? That’s all?”
His smile was sharp.
“Your mind must be rotten. Or maybe your father was just a peculiar man. Or maybe the opposite.”
His scarred lips curled slightly.
“Maybe he just wanted to get rid of you. Sending his daughter away for three years over something like nightmares.”
A faint sting hit her chest.
When their eyes met, Perinem smiled.
“Hit a nerve?”
Kata’s expression hardened in a way unusual for her.
Perinem didn’t look away either, still trying to repay yesterday’s defeat.
Silent tension crackled between them.
Then Kata slowly reached out.
The only usable “weapon” nearby was Zenon’s knife—but Perinem instinctively tensed.
Fortunately, he still had his wooden practice sword attached to his uniform. And Simon, apparently, was the type who could weaponize even a fork.
Kata grabbed something from the edge of the bed.
A ripe strawberry.
“….”
Perinem stared at her as she calmly chewed it.
She looked less like she was eating fruit and more like she wanted to chew him instead.
Simon sounded impressed.
“Smart. You’ve realized you need sugar to talk to Perinem.”
“Yes.”
“I feel the same sometimes. Talking to him makes my head spin.”
He tossed a kioya fruit at Perinem.
“Order from your superior: eat it and shut your mouth. You’d be much more pleasant if you just smiled with that pretty face.”
“….”
“What, you gonna challenge me to a duel too?”
Perinem’s face twisted in irritation.
Just then—
A heavy bell rang through the air.
Zenon placed the knife on the plate.
“I should go. Training is about to start.”
“Right. Time went fast.”
He bowed slightly, glanced once at Kata, and left the room. The door shut firmly behind him.
Kata looked at the dried fruit juice on the plate.
Zenon, who never said anything sweet but carefully peeled fruit for her anyway, felt oddly amusing.
Even as the door closed completely, her mood stayed light.
The pain was already something she had nearly forgotten.
Because for years now, Zenon had always been that kind of presence in her life.
