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Chapter: 10
“Since I can’t spar with His Highness, I need you to improve my skills.”
“Alright, but tell me why you followed me. It’s not like you want to go back with me, right?”
“Exactly. You understand me well. I like that—it seems your delusions have lessened lately.”
…He likes it?
Has Vin ever spoken to Irilin with such kindness? No. Not in my memory.
Now that Irilin has changed, he shows kindness. If she found out, how devastated would she be? No—rather than devastated… would she fly into a rage and cause chaos?
“I came to ask how your day went.”
“Why are you curious about that?”
“If it had a good influence, you’d be able to spar with me.”
Technically, we had sparred with the sticks, and even though I lost, it motivated me. So does that count as a good influence?
But the feeling of frustration hadn’t entirely left, so I couldn’t easily answer.
Seeing me hesitate, Vin asked again:
“So, how was it today?”
“…Annoying.”
“Why?”
“Because I lost too easily.”
“Lost easily? Even though you defended against the top knight’s attack without difficulty?”
“Defending isn’t that hard if you have the skill.”
“I don’t have that skill. At least three more years, I’d say.”
No matter how young he is, someone like Vin Ortega couldn’t fail to defend against such a simple attack? Apparently, the limits of a thirteen-year-old are greater than I thought.
The reason I blocked Raphel’s attack is likely the only ‘experience’ left in me as Baek Mona.
“You pretended not to draw a sword at the academy, but did you practice alone when no one was around?”
“…No.”
“Then how did you do it? The you I know wasn’t like this, for sure.”
His sharp eyes examined me deeply.
Vin, as a partner, must have seen Irilin wield a sword more than anyone else. Even if it was momentary, he must have sensed something off.
Being perceptive, he’d likely watch me more closely from now on.
To prevent that, I decided to poke at his weak spot.
“Whatever the reason, isn’t it better for you if my skills improve? Why ask the reason? All you wanted from me was my skill. Oh, could it be… you’re interested in me?”
“Absolutely not!”
Vin immediately took a step back from me.
It was like a child instinctively trying to run away in panic. Well, he is a child.
“If that’s not it, then stop bothering me.”
“…Bothering you, me?”
“Yes.”
“I’m bothering you? Not the other way around?”
“Yes.”
“Now you’re saying I’m bothering you….”
Vin muttered, looking stunned, as if realizing for the first time that his actions were imposing.
And the next behavior was just like before:
“…….”
He froze, saying nothing, doing nothing.
Before, when sparring with the sword master, this silence was broken by an accident with the crown prince.
“Vin!”
Ugh. Déjà vu. The prince’s voice followed the silence exactly as before.
Vin must turn his head toward the prince.
“…….”
But this time, the déjà vu was broken.
Contrary to my expectations, Vin’s silence didn’t end.
It was as if he couldn’t even hear the prince, lost in a daze.
Not until the crown prince came right up and shook his shoulder to wake him.
Hmm… is it really that shocking for him to realize he’s bothering me?
“Vin Ortega. Can’t you hear me?”
“Ah, Your Highness.”
“What were you thinking that you didn’t even hear me?”
“Nothing important.”
“Nothing important? You stubbornly refused to be taken to the duke’s mansion, went off somewhere, and ended up meeting Lady Heather. And until just now, you were only looking at her! And you say it’s nothing?”
…Oh my God.
So the crown prince was planning a private date with Vin.
Vin was so focused on sparring, he didn’t even notice his lover’s wishes.
Vin clings to me solely for sparring. He wants to improve his skills, and he wants to do that to be of help to the prince in the future!
Since Vin never explained, the crown prince would naturally blame only me.
So unfair!
I wanted nothing to do with Vin, yet he keeps doing things that make me suspicious.
“Vin only wants to spar with me. He wants to improve his skills to fulfill his duties as Your Highness’s loyal subject in the future.”
I defended Vin to the crown prince.
In the novel, Vin rarely revealed his feelings, causing many conflicts. Back then, I’d always thought, “I want to tell them!” Finally, my wish was fulfilled!
Now that I explained, they won’t fight anymore, right?
You won’t kill me, right, Your Highness?
I was filled with hope, but the prince’s expression didn’t change at all.
His eyes, glowing red, burned into me.
“Why are you telling me this, Lady?”
…Screwed.
Now that I think about it, my words sounded like something a mistress would say to protect her partner.
At this rate, he might try to kill me before the story even begins.
Goodbye, sister. I guess this is the end…
“That won’t happen again.”
Breaking the long silence, Vin spoke.
His gaze was still fixed on me, not the prince.
“I won’t bother you anymore.”
Having said that, Vin turned away.
The crown prince chased after him into the distance.
For the next two months, Vin didn’t speak to me at all.
It seemed he was keeping his word: I won’t bother you.
The two months felt like walking on thin ice every day.
Now Vin no longer sparred with me during sword training, either standing idly or practicing alone.
When I wielded my stick across from him, it was the crown prince who would talk to me instead.
“Lady, your neck looks beautiful today.”
“It seems so fragile that a sword would penetrate easily.”
“Oh, that was a slip. I meant it looks like you could wield a sword well even with a delicate body.”
…Can you believe a thirteen-year-old said that?
In the novel, the crown prince never expressed his hatred so openly and cruelly.
He acted this way because he likely thought Vin’s feelings had changed.
Even though it was only natural kindness toward a normal person…
Receiving more hatred than in the original story, I’d inevitably be sentenced to death, no matter how hard I struggled.
Then another event occurred.
“Irilin, Vin, why aren’t you sparring together and only practicing separately?”
The sword master called us out for training apart.
“Did you even fight? You’re about to move to the middle class, so I won’t force you to reconcile. If you want, I can change partners. How about it?”
Vin and I nodded simultaneously.
The crown prince quietly raised a corner of his mouth behind the sword master.
Everything was going as we wanted!
Vin and I didn’t have to face each other forcibly, and the crown prince had no reason for jealousy.
Although he was just an extra in The Crown Prince’s Lover, the sword master was a shining savior to me!
“Vin, I’ll spar with you. And Irilin… you’ll be the prince’s opponent!”
Ah, forget what I said earlier. Savior? Ha.
Actually, you’re someone trying to kill me, aren’t you?
I wanted to say, Can’t I just avoid them?
If this weren’t a class-based society, I would have said exactly that. Damn it!
“Good.”
The crown prince, pinnacle of the class system, smiled with full confidence.
Vin, however, remained silent, looking slightly gloomy.
Since the prince approved, teams were formed as the sword master instructed.
“Shall we see the incredible skills honed with sticks?”
Vin’s eyes looked like they would dissect me thoroughly, while the crown prince’s looked like he’d carve me apart.
Naturally, I shrank a little before these two.
Especially since I had to spar. Facing someone who would eventually kill me with a sword… is this really okay?
I swallowed hard, unable to blink, tension blazing.
Suddenly, the crown prince disappeared from sight.
But his aura didn’t. I could feel the killing intent close to me.
Then, I realized more clearly through sight than intuition: the sword was coming toward my neck.
Unlike Raphel’s attack, the sword sliced through the air slowly and clearly.
I could easily block the prince’s attack.
“You’re good at blocking, just like with Raphel.”
“You’re good at attacking too.”
Since becoming Irilin, I’d lost some strength, but I was naturally more of an attacker than a defender.
The power I’d built over the last two months finally had a chance to shine.
Exhaling sharply like a kiai, I crouched and thrust the stick forward.
Since I hadn’t fully mastered Irilin’s body yet, the movement was somewhat slow.
The prince tried to block immediately.
Surprisingly, even that was visible clearly.
I dodged his sword and thrust again.
This time, he couldn’t block. My movements seemed invisible to him.
“One point, scored.”
I said casually after quickly striking the prince’s right chest.
It was so effortless it felt almost routine.
