CPBF 9

Chapter: 9

“You want me? Why?” I asked, feeling utterly flustered.

“Huh? You want me? Why?”

“You’re the only one I’m looking at.”

“I know, but there are so many other female students… why me specifically…?”

“Probably because you’re the only one among the girls I know.”

“You know me? Why’s that?”

“I don’t really know. I heard you’d be attending this lecture, so I asked if Irilin would come too.”

Rafel knows Irilin?

Their paths shouldn’t have crossed until after Bin joined the knight order. So why would she know him?

I couldn’t tell why there were these subtle differences from the original story, even if they weren’t major. Nothing big had changed in the plot yet…

“What are you doing? Get out here quickly. Seems like you want to spar with me.”

“But I…”

“If no one volunteers, can I choose someone arbitrarily? Student over there! Want to come out?”

Naturally, Rafel gestured toward me. The crowd’s piercing gaze fell upon me.

Next to me, the Crown Prince said what everyone else wanted to say.

“Why aren’t you going out? You’re prolonging the lecture.”

“If you don’t want to come out, you don’t have to.”

In contrast, Bin said the opposite of the Crown Prince. His red eyes sharpened like a blade.

“Hmm… if you’re scared, you don’t have to come out. Let’s see… another female student…”

“I’ll do it.”

I blurted it out before I realized it.

If she’s saying I don’t have to come out if I’m scared, it sounded like a challenge.

If I had to choose between fleeing before the fight or fighting and losing, of course I would choose the latter.

Why? Because Baek Mona is someone who’s nothing without her pride!

And if it’s a fight against no one but myself, the humiliation is even greater.

That sparring session—bring it on!

Honestly, I figured I could manage if I just held a stick instead of a sword.

I knew it was insane to think of sparring with a stick, but I’d deal with the consequences later.

“Oh, I thought you’d be scared. How admirable, you’ve summoned your courage.”

Rafel’s smile, looking at me as if I were laughable, was annoyingly persistent.

“Thank you for coming out. What’s your name, student?”

Since the lecture hall was basically just a training ground, I quickly reached Rafel’s side.

I could see Irilin reflected in her eyes.

Seeing “myself” as “someone else” in someone else’s eyes… that gave me chills.

“…Irilin Heather.”

“Irilin Heather. You have a pretty name.”

She already mentioned Irilin to the Crown Prince, so why act like she didn’t know? And that last comment felt oddly significant.

“Having a pretty name.”

It sounded like she knew I hadn’t had this name for long.

Probably just my imagination… right?

“What do you want, Miss Heather? Sparring? Instruction?”

“Sparring.”

Honestly, I wanted both sparring and guidance since I had decided to face my fear, but I thought, why would I need instruction from myself, and let it go.

…Come to think of it, if Rafel Isdun’s skill level matched mine, I’d already be a top knight—or rather, a future Grand Master of the knights.

At this point, Rafel would still be less developed than my original self.

I had to hide my strength.

A 13-year-old kid couldn’t let anyone know she had the skill of a Grand Master.

A little confidence began to rise.

I would beat Rafel Isdun—myself. I could.

Reciting the resolve I always reminded myself of before a match, I drew my weapon.

Well… a stick.

“Puhahaha!”

Laughter erupted from the crowd. The loudest was the Crown Prince.

“A stick…? Didn’t you bring a practice sword?”

“I didn’t prepare my mind.”

“I see. Well then, shall we begin?”

She didn’t question my absurd excuse and jumped straight to the point.

As expected of me! Cool! Amazing!

Could I really afford to intentionally lose against someone like this?

If she had the same instincts as me, she might notice.

“Let’s keep it simple, 1 point. En garde, Allez!”

Rafel shouted the command in place of a referee.

I never thought I’d hear that phrase again…

My heart pounded as if I were holding a stick for the first time.

I could really do this.

Here standing now wasn’t Irilin Heather—it was Baek Mona.

“….”

Rafel assumed the ready stance, and I frowned.

She must have noticed that our stances were identical, like a reflection in a mirror.

Before she realized anything more, I struck first—and instantly regretted it.

My body wasn’t cooperating as I expected.

Why were my arms so short, and legs so stiff?!

Rafel easily parried my clumsy attack, even smiling confidently.

“You’ve clearly rested your body a lot. Your posture is decent though.”

“I said I wanted to spar, not to be taught.”

I snapped back defensively, like a prickly hedgehog, and immediately regretted it.

Who else would I be so foolish to get snappy at but myself?

While I was thinking that, Rafel readjusted her stance—her counterattack timing.

And I knew exactly what was coming.

A stab to the left shoulder, then retreat.

My typical opening attack pattern.

Having used it countless times, it wasn’t hard for her to block with minimal effort.

“Uwaaah!”

The mocking crowd cheered. Even the drowsy students perked up, eyes gleaming.

“How did she block that?”

Even the Crown Prince, scrutinizing me for weaknesses, was surprised.

Hmm… I just blocked an attack. Was it too much for a 13-year-old?

As I let my guard down slightly, she struck again.

“One point.”

Before I could readjust, Rafel swiftly stabbed my right chest and withdrew.

Her tone made it clear it had been effortless.

Regret flooded me.

I’d tried to hide my strength! I thought I could win!

How could I think I could win while being so careless?

This fight wasn’t meant to be won anyway…

There’s a difference between intentionally losing and just being defeated.

I lost to myself today.

Not due to fear, but arrogance…

Pathetic.

I don’t know how much time passed afterward.

While I was dazed by my defeat, Rafel’s lecture ended. During the official sparring time, I was benched because I couldn’t spar with a stick.

Honestly, I had expectations.

I wanted to dominate a current knight while hiding my true strength, feeling smug that their guidance was already known to me.

But it was all just my vain pride.

Watching from the bench, I realized that I only managed to block Rafel’s attacks because I knew her patterns.

I couldn’t even follow the movements of other knights. Not just my body, but even my vision seemed weaker.

To fully regain my true strength, my body would have to grow again.

Until then, the skill of “Baek Mona” existed only in my mind…

I resented myself for hiding in the shadow of fear, neglecting my training.

I had finally gained a healthy body, longed to wield a sword again, and yet I wasted the chance!

“Excuse me, I’ll go ahead.”

When the lecture ended, I greeted the Crown Prince and Bin and hurried away.

I wanted to return to the manor to start training.

I was still afraid of wielding a sword, but training didn’t have to be only with a sword! I had my special “stick” weapon.

Plus, they were letting me go on my own so they could have a date without me.

Feeling slightly uplifted, I left the Royal Knights’ building with a lighter step.

“Irilin.”

A voice drifted on the lazy afternoon breeze.

The setting sun shone on silvery hair.

What? Why are you here?

Wasn’t this the Crown Prince’s date?

“Bin? Weren’t you going back with His Highness?”

“The Prince has his place here. Why would he go back with me?”

“No, but the schedule he had with me was already set before I joined. Can’t we at least do something together? Eat… take a walk…”

“You’re not joining, the Prince joined. Originally, it was just going to be you. I said I need you, not him.”

…Oh my god.

The Crown Prince hadn’t said he joined midway—was he lying?

My pride hurt, jealousy surged!

Anyone else would think this was a sordid drama.

It sounded like, “I like you more than His Highness!”

Bin seemed to feel the same, continuing to explain.

“So… your skill…”

If it sounded more pathetic than before, maybe it was just my imagination.