Chapter 13
“…If I had to say what I want… I wish to attend the Academy.”
Once he opened up, the words tumbled out without shame. After all, hadn’t Cailien already learned everything about his situation the night before?
“My father is firmly against it, but I will definitely graduate from the Academy’s military academy and become a Master.”
“You’ve got some spirit.”
“Don’t mock me. I’m being serious.”
At Cailien’s playful tone, Rune kicked at a random pebble by his foot.
“You command knights fairly well. You’d be able to lead the Light Knights just fine as the Marquis’s successor.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I’m asking why you feel the need to become a Master, when you’ve already been knighted officially.”
Rune glanced up at Cailien walking beside him. It was the very same sharp question Marquis Este had thrown at him not long ago.
Even against his father’s objections, Rune’s insistence on the Academy wasn’t simply about being acknowledged as the Este heir.
His sword’s aim and his ideal lay elsewhere—because Cailien, heir of the Sword Master lineage, was at Lefium, like Rune’s father, a Magic Swordsman.
“Because you’re in Lefium.”
At that reply, Cailien looked down at Rune with an unreadable gaze.
“…How many gates lead out of Este territory?”
A sudden question made Rune tilt his head. He had been asking a lot today, but now he seemed curious about the strangest things.
“Are you planning to invade our domain or something?”
Rune shot him a glare, and Cailien let out an incredulous chuckle.
“Coming from the one who just spoke of attacking the Grand Duchy, that’s not what I want to hear.”
Damn it. So he had heard that earlier remark. Rune bit his lip in frustration.
“No matter how many gates there are, a door that won’t open is nothing more than a wall.”
“…What?”
“Think carefully. Is it a door that won’t open, or a door you’ve simply chosen not to open?”
For once, Cailien’s voice was gentle as his hand brushed over Rune’s head in a comforting pat.
“In the end, it depends on your will.”
Rune touched his hair where his hand had been as she watched Cailien walk ahead.
* * *
Late at night, Ethan hurried down the Marquis’s corridors with a small folded note.
Knock, knock. He rapped lightly on Cailien’s door. No answer came, so he carefully pushed it open. The room was pitch dark. Cailien, who had only returned late, seemed fast asleep.
“Tch, looks like I’ll have to wake him… but what’s that sound?”
Shhhk, shhhk.
A chilling noise scraped unpleasantly at his ears as he stepped inside. Turning toward the window, Ethan saw the curtain billowing in the night breeze, moonlight spilling faintly into the room. And then—
“UWAHHHH!!!”
A dark figure loomed behind the curtain. Ethan nearly collapsed in fright, his body trembling violently.
“Lord!! You scared me half to death!”
Cailien, holding a dagger in hand, frowned deeply.
“Did it never cross your mind that I might have been startled too, barging in like that?”
The dagger’s blade gleamed, freshly sharpened. He had asked Ethan for a whetstone earlier—so he’d been grinding the blade all this time. Sniffling, Ethan wiped tears from the corners of his eyes and muttered.
“What in the world are you doing in the middle of the night? My heart can’t take this anymore!”
“Enough chatter. What brings you here at this hour?”
Sliding the dagger back into its sheath, Cailien stood. Relieved, Ethan hurried forward and offered the neatly folded note.
“Lucky you were still awake. A messenger has arrived from the Grand Duchy.”
*
Maybe it was thanks to last night’s walk.
Unlike the night before, Rune slept soundly, and awoke earlier than usual, eyes clear and bright.
“I’ll go down to the dining hall today.”
She waved off the servant who offered to bring her meal. One day of eating cooped up in her room had been more than enough.
At the mirror, she lightly combed her hair. It would tangle again soon, but there wouldn’t be many more chances—Cailien was set to leave for the Grand Duchy by morning.
‘Well… it’s worth putting up with a few times.’
The dining hall buzzed with busy servants, though the table itself was empty.
‘Hmm… maybe I came too early.’
The faint blue of dawn was breaking outside. Embarrassed, Rune sat down, and soon a potato soup with bacon and freshly baked bread was set before her. Steam rose warmly, and a few spoonfuls spread a pleasant heat through her body.
‘He should be coming down for breakfast soon…’
But by the time her soup bowl was half empty, the silence persisted. Rune frowned and cleared her throat before casually asking Hudson.
“Ahem… has Father already eaten?”
For a moment, puzzlement flickered in the old butler’s wrinkled eyes. Since when had the young master shown concern over the lord’s breakfast? It had been ages since the two last shared a meal.
“His Lordship already dined with Lord Cailien.”
“…What?”
Her hand, halfway to dipping bread into soup, froze.
“A messenger came from the Grand Duchy at dawn. His Grace Duke Carlo has fully awakened. Lord Cailien seems to have hurried his departure.”
“…Why wasn’t I told?”
Seeing Rune unusually shaken, Hudson chose his words carefully.
“His Lordship… did not wish to wake you.”
“I still should have—at least—to see him off…”
The Dark Knights had already finished their preparations before sunrise. Hudson added with difficulty.
“They must be leaving the outer walls just about now. If you hurry, you might still catch him.”
Rune immediately left the hall and headed straight to the stables. The stablehand, grooming a mare’s mane, looked up in surprise as the young master appeared.
“Good heavens, young master! At this hour—”
“Sorry. I’ll just borrow her for a moment.”
Without waiting, Rune mounted the brown mare.
She spurred the horse forward, faster and faster.
If not now, who knew when she’d see him again—unless he chose to return here himself.
He had once relentlessly sought her out, shaken her thoughts until she was in turmoil. And now, he was leaving without a word. Rune felt both anger and hurt.
Why? She couldn’t even understand the reason herself. All she knew was that she had to see him.
*
“This is troublesome, young master.”
“Can’t I even go see off a guest?”
Convincing the inner gatekeeper was no easy task. Rune’s probationary status didn’t help, but still—was this really worth such fuss?
“You know as well as I do the eastern outer gate is right nearby.”
With a little more speed, it would take less than a quarter of an hour. Thinking how close it was only made her more impatient.
Rune even dismounted, clasping the guard’s hands desperately.
“Just a moment. Just one moment!”
The man shook his head frantically, unable to meet those pleading eyes.
“…I’m sorry, young master. I really can’t.”
Seeing the guard’s earnest distress, Rune bit her lip hard. Forcing her way through would only make trouble for this man.
‘So frustrating.’
She tugged at her collar as if it were choking her and exhaled.
“A door that won’t open is nothing but a wall…”
Cailien’s words from the night before struck her sharply. Never had she felt so powerless as now.
“There you are.”
A familiar voice.
“Shouldn’t you be at the training grounds right about now?”
Rune turned. A tall man on a great warhorse looked down at her. Cailien, clad in black armor, was flawless as a statue.
Behind him, his Black Knights stood in formation, but Rune barely noticed. His presence alone was overwhelming.
It was the face she had longed to see—so why were her words caught in her throat?
As she stared dumbly, he rode closer.
“Good. I have something for you.”
From his breast, Cailien casually handed her an object.
The gilded sheath was familiar—the dagger he had taken from her after their sparring match.
“I promised I’d sharpen the blade for you whenever you used it as a real weapon.”
Again, he spoke easily of memories she herself couldn’t recall. Seeing her confusion, he simply nodded.
“Just the look I expected. Take it.”
When she slowly extended her hand, he placed the dagger into it. Its weight and grip fit perfectly, as if it belonged there.
“We’ll meet again soon.”
Did that mean he’d return?
Rune stroked the sapphire embedded in the hilt, unable to lift her head. She hated that she hoped for more, even knowing it might just be polite words.
“Your answer.”
Maybe it was just because he’d been a rare guest. But the ache of parting pressed heavily inside her chest.
“…Yes. I’ll see you again.”
Cailien watched her quietly, then turned his horse toward the gate.
“Open the gates.”
The guard, glancing nervously at Rune, hastily obeyed. The massive doors that had been firmly shut parted wide.
“Think carefully. Is it a door that won’t open, or one you’ve chosen not to open?”
Rune felt as though she’d been struck. Grinding her teeth, she rushed forward, spreading her arms to block his path.
“Wait, just for a moment!”
She wanted to know. Who had she been in the past? And what had she meant to Cailien?
To learn that, she would have to stay here inside these walls until he returned.
But she didn’t want to keep waiting passively behind locked gates.
All those years in the castle—why did they now feel like she had merely been waiting for someone, weary and painful?
“Do you think I can open the door, my lord?”
Cailien looked down at her in silence, then spoke.
“If you desire it.”
Then, lowering himself from his horse, he leaned close to her ear and whispered—
“My…”
At the low murmur, Rune’s blue eyes widened in shock.
