CPBF 8

Chapter: 8

However, after closing and opening his eyes once, only that icy expression remained on his face.

It felt as if I’d seen a hallucination.

Bin stared at me for a long time with that same expression.

I asked the same question again.

“…Do you have anything more to say?”

“No.”

If he has nothing to say, then why is he just staring at me? And he isn’t even going home…

Now that I think about it, in the novel, it was always Irilin who had to go home, not Bin…

Unless Bin said I should go first, it seems Irilin never returned home before him.

The line that came up each time was probably this:

“Escort the marquis’s daughter home.”

Could it be that he’s waiting for me to tell him to go first?

“…If you have nothing else to say, why aren’t you leaving?”

“I’ll go.”

Only then did Bin brush himself off and stand up.

He casually left the garden, but somehow he looked lonely.

Even as a young duke, is he going alone without any guards?

“Escort the marquis’s daughter home.”

That line from the novel might not have been a command but rather a polite formality.

Realizing this belatedly, I hurriedly shouted,

“Is anyone there? Escort the young duke to the marquis’s residence!”

“You really do some ridiculously foolish things, as if you’re trying to get yourself in trouble on purpose.”

For some reason, my sister’s sarcastic words came to mind.

Even in my own head, I argued with myself. Forgetting the warm feeling from just a moment ago, I became displeased again as usual.

“I got kicked out… didn’t I?”

Turning his back on the marquis’s residence, Bin muttered.

I couldn’t believe I was witnessing this while being held by the guards.

It felt strange to experience the same treatment he had always given to others.

It wasn’t a completely new feeling; I’d felt it quite often lately. Oddly often.

Even if I wanted to deny it, the clear truth kept rising to the surface.

At this point, I had no choice but to admit it:

The situation had reversed.

“Don’t think about it. Just don’t think.”

I had a premonition that I wouldn’t be able to follow the Crown Prince’s advice.

A few days later, the day of the lecture Bin mentioned arrived.

Excited, I finished preparations early and headed to the meeting place.

I thought no one would be there yet, but I was wrong.

Countless knights had surrounded the fountain, the designated meeting spot.

I immediately realized why they were there, away from the lecture hall.

It was to guard that boy standing cockily in the center.

As I approached, the knights stepped aside, and I stood in front of the Crown Prince.

“I didn’t expect you to come out even though I’m here, Your Highness.”

“I asked Bin to go first, but you got caught in the middle.”

His red eyes scanned me from head to toe, full of discontent. Then his gaze settled on something.

It was the sheath I was carrying.

The Crown Prince snorted and asked,

“What’s that?”

“This? A stick.”

I pointed to the branch I’d placed in the sheath instead of a sword, answering casually.

Since I was attending a swordsmanship lecture, having a sword would be ideal, but I didn’t have the courage yet, so I used a stick.

Unaware of my situation, the Crown Prince openly mocked me.

“This isn’t child’s play. What are you trying to do?”

“It’s for him. Not for play, though.”

“….”

Our young prince seemed speechless at my audacity.

Seven more years and maybe you could challenge me, kid, I mocked silently.

I turned my head, sensing someone approaching.

Sure enough, several footsteps came shortly after.

Bin appeared, accompanied by guards almost equal in skill to the Crown Prince.

“Bin!”

The Crown Prince immediately ran to greet him.

I could see the kindness in his eyes that had been absent when looking at me.

It was obvious, yet no one knew of their relationship because same-sex love was rare…

Well, it made my eyes happy.

“Huhng…”

Ah, I tried to hold it back, but laughter slipped out.

Bin and the Crown Prince looked at me with cold eyes.

Hmm… how should I fix this atmosphere?

No choice. I had to use my secret weapon.

“I brought something special. Want to see?”

It wasn’t just the branch I brought; there was something else.

In front of their curious eyes, I slightly opened the small cloth pouch in my hand.

“Guess what this is?”

“What is it?”

“Yeah, what is it?”

I smiled and whispered conspiratorially:

“Black water.”

The secret weapon I brought to win the Crown Prince’s favor—“black water”—was the life-giving drink he constantly cherished in the novel.

But I knew from the book that he couldn’t drink it freely yet.

Because “black water” was too advanced for a child.

In other words… I meant coffee.

“Adults say it’s bad for your health and don’t let you drink it… How did you get it?”

“Just… asked nicely.”

I told Wendy to fetch the black water immediately every day as if fulfilling a quota, threatening her, “If you’re late, I won’t forgive you!”

Ugh… thinking about it now, I feel guilty.

Once I return to the mansion, I’ll secretly leave it on Wendy’s bed like a gift from Santa.

When I arrived at the lecture hall—the Imperial Knights’ training ground—I immediately had to open the pouch.

The Crown Prince had been giving me a piercing stare the entire time.

As I took out the bottle of coffee, I shouted suddenly:

“Nooo way!”

“What?”

“I only brought two bottles of black water!”

Even I thought my acting was pathetic. Damn it.

The Crown Prince and Bin looked at me like, “So what?” but I pretended nothing had happened.

“Then you two will have to share the same bottle. Neither of you would want to drink from the same bottle as me, right?”

I inserted two straws into one bottle and handed it to them.

‘I’m cheering for you two! So please don’t kill me, okay?’ I silently begged.

“You’re ridiculous.”

The Crown Prince grumbled but couldn’t hide the smile creeping onto his lips as he took the bottle.

Watching that happily, I also took a sip of coffee.

Then it happened.

“Ugh!”

Bin nearly spat out the coffee, covering his mouth in distress.

He looked at me in disbelief.

“It’s bitter! How do you drink this?”

Why is he only complaining to me? I thought the Crown Prince was drinking it fine… but no.

“Why is it so bitter? Is this really black water?”

“Yes? It is.”

“Don’t lie. The one I had before didn’t taste like this. It was much sweeter.”

Ah… maybe it’s because I didn’t add syrup.

Like children who can’t handle adult flavors.

I silently handed syrup to the Crown Prince, who was acting like it was poison, and focused on the lecture.

“Greetings, everyone. I am Raphel Isden, the chief knight of the Abert Empire.”

Finally, the lecture began.

“Are you surprised that the strongest knight here, apart from the two officers, is such a young woman?”

Raphel Isden asked the audience, and most of the kids looked slightly surprised.

There were very few female students among them.

“That’s understandable. Women who aim to become knights are extremely rare, and it’s not easy to surpass male knights in skill.”

Raphel Isden would later serve as Bin’s mentor and help him become chief knight, eventually reaching the position of commander.

Moreover, in the story, she was the strongest.

Why the strongest? Raphel Isden’s true identity was actually Mona White, a magician with infinite life.

“Even so, I hope there’s a female student here willing to take the difficult path and see the light.”

Raphel scanned the few female students and finally landed on me.

I gasped.

Raphel Isden resembled me greatly.

Red-dyed hair, black eyes, even the facial features were identical.

It was like meeting a doppelgänger, and I was extremely flustered, but not entirely surprised.

Raphel wasn’t merely influenced by me; I was her very inspiration.

Her original name, Mona White, was a variation of my name, Baek Mona.

So I knew a meeting like this would eventually happen.

I didn’t expect it to come so soon…

“In that spirit, I’ll give a special opportunity to a female student who chose the difficult path. Any female student want to spar with the chief knight?”

The two boys next to me looked at me simultaneously.

Bin’s gaze was particularly intense.

‘Are you really going to pass up such a good opportunity?’

He seemed to say.

Sparring with another woman was rare and symbolically meaningful—perfect for overcoming trauma.

But why her? Why must I face my original healthy self?

If I failed, I could fall deeper into despair.

So I stayed silent, not raising my hand.

Other female students did the same, and Raphel’s expression became complicated.

“Really? No one? If sparring is too stressful, I can just show you some positions.”

Raphel’s gaze kept drilling into me.

Why… why is she staring only at me?

“Raphel wants you.”

The Crown Prince said indifferently.