Chapter 14
Kailian quietly looked down at Rune before opening his mouth.
“If that’s what you want.”
Then, leaning close, he whispered softly into her ear.
“I’ll be your key.”
Her blue eyes widened in surprise.
‘What did he just say?’
Before she could reply, Kailian flashed his usual elegant smile, spurred his horse, and rode out through the castle gates.
As if he already knew her answer without needing to hear it.
With the ringing neigh of horses, the Dark Knights followed after him, raising clouds of dust as they quickly disappeared from sight.
Rune watched their retreating figures grow smaller, tightly gripping the dagger in her hand.
Even after a short rest, the Dark Knights seemed to have recovered completely. Their horses were already galloping past the edge of the Marquis’ territory.
Riding beside Kailian, Ethan couldn’t hide his puzzled expression. It was truly difficult to understand.
‘No wonder he delayed more than usual.’
Perhaps Kailian had lingered at the training grounds earlier only to return the dagger to the Este heir.
The memory of him sharpening the blade in the dark before dawn came back to Ethan, and a chill ran down his spine.
“You spent the whole night working on it… and really returned that dagger, didn’t you?”
“I only kept my promise.”
“I thought you took it just to sulk over being forgotten.”
Kailian raised a brow, then shrugged in agreement.
“It did annoy me, admittedly.”
“What exactly did you say to the young lord just now?”
“A promise.”
“Huh? But when will you even see him again to be making promises?”
“We’ll be meeting again soon enough.”
Kailian recalled the sight of that bowed round head from earlier. If there hadn’t been so many eyes watching, he surely would have ruffled it messily.
At moments like that, when Rune looked up at him with those blue eyes, her face became that of the child from long ago.
The hand that had almost reached out was restrained only thanks to a brief moment of self-control—helped along by Ethan’s constant nagging about Rune’s dignity.
“In any case, that fever must have been truly vicious. To have lost years of memories all at once.”
Ethan clicked his tongue, shaking his head.
“It’s fortunate the young lord recovered, but now we’ll never know whether that expensive fever remedy really worked or not.”
No matter how much he’d tried to stop him, Kailian had stubbornly bought it. He’d even gone all the way to the desert to obtain the Grand Duke’s antidote, only to waste a fortune.
“A medicine to restore memories would’ve probably cost the same, anyway.”
“You’re still hung up on that price, aren’t you?”
Kailian chuckled faintly at Ethan’s relentless nagging, which had continued all the way since the desert.
“Those memories don’t matter anymore.”
Even if they remained only as faint habits rather than true recollections, he didn’t think that would be so bad.
Rune’s days returned to their usual rhythm. She practiced swordsmanship alone in the training yard at dawn, attended lessons to prepare for succeeding Baron Conrad, and kept herself fairly busy.
“But after only a few days here…”
In the midst of her routine, she suddenly felt a hollow emptiness in her chest. Sitting at her desk in the study, she recalled Kailian’s whispered words and tugged at her hair in frustration.
“Honestly. He should try speaking so people can actually understand him.”
She muttered with a pout as she stroked the dagger he had left her.
“How on earth is he supposed to be my key?”
Even if it wasn’t because of those words, lately she had been thinking about Kailian more and more.
Having finally met him after only imagining him for so long, she could now vividly recall his appearance.
‘He was… more handsome than I expected.’
Those deep, abyss-like black eyes, the sharp line of his nose, the smooth lips beneath…. Before she knew it, she was tracing his features in her mind.
“My lady.”
“…?!”
Startled by the sudden voice, Rune snapped her head up, as if her thoughts had been caught red-handed. Marlene stood there with a worried expression.
“Marlene.”
“Oh dear, I didn’t mean to frighten you. Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, I’m fine. But I told you not to call me that.”
“Hoho, forgive me. I called several times but you didn’t hear me.”
“So what is it this early in the morning?”
Noticing Rune’s flushed cheeks, Marlene smiled brightly.
“You’ve received letters. Two of them, in fact.”
With the air of someone presenting a surprise gift, Marlene brought forward the hands she had hidden behind her back.
As expected, one was a standard envelope from Lepium Academy, bearing Jun’s name. Rune had written to him recently and had been awaiting his reply.
“But what’s this other one addressed to me?”
Picking up the black envelope, Rune leapt to her feet. The seal’s black wax bore the clear imprint of a wolf.
“It was sent to you from the Grand Duke of Heraith’s household.”
On its front, written boldly, was Kailian Heraith.
And the addressee, without doubt, was Rune’s own name.
“Where did I put the paper knife…?”
Uncharacteristically flustered, Rune hurriedly searched her desk drawers. With a gentle smile, Marlene found the knife on the desk and handed it to her.
“You’re always waiting for Jun’s letters… That poor boy would be hurt if he saw you this excited.”
“No, it’s not like that.”
Though she denied it, Rune couldn’t calm the pounding in her chest as she sliced open the envelope.
Inside were academy documents adorned with Lepium’s rose crest, and Kailian’s letter.
As she unfolded it, his elegant handwriting—so much like himself—leapt out at her. Rune bit her lip, unable to hide her flushed cheeks.
**“Rune Adeluz Este,
How have you been?
Now that I’ve given you the key,
you should be able to open the door on your own.
I’ll be waiting at Lepium.
This time, you come to me.
—Kailian Heraith”**
She read the words again. And again. Over and over.
“My lady, are you alright?”
At Marlene’s question, Rune pressed the letter to her chest and lifted her head.
“If that’s what you want. I’ll be your key.”
Kailian’s voice echoed in her ears as if he were right beside her. Her blue eyes shimmered as she asked Marlene:
“I must see Father immediately. Where is he?”
The Marquis rubbed his weary eyes, then turned his gaze toward Rune, who sat properly on the office sofa.
“I heard it was you who found the powder on the outer wall.”
Sitting straight-backed, Rune nodded as she sipped her tea. The Marquis’ own cup, set beside hers, had long gone cold.
“Yes. I heard you plan to have the guild analyze the black powder. If I can be of any help—”
“Enough. Useless meddling ends here. The knights are already investigating internally, so don’t concern yourself further.”
Rune gripped her teacup handle tightly, staring back at him.
‘Useless, is it?’
It felt like the words were directed squarely at her.
Despite having been knighted, her father still completely excluded her from the Light Knights.
“I’ve heard you continue your dawn training. With Baron Conrad’s lessons as well, surely it’s too much.”
As always, surrounded by towering stacks of documents, her father rebuked her. Rune swallowed a bitter smile. He himself clearly began work before sunrise, yet he nitpicked only her efforts.
“…I only made time where I could.”
She recalled the day she first cut her hand on a sword. His horrified face. The long period she was forbidden from holding a blade until the scar healed.
If she showed weakness now, he could just as easily strip her of the sword again.
“What business brings you here?”
The Marquis pressed his temples, then sat beside her, clearly suffering from his chronic migraines.
“I want to finish our earlier conversation. About Lepium Academy.”
As expected, the mere mention of the academy soured his expression. With a heavy sigh, he looked exhausted even of anger.
“You truly don’t know when to quit. My answer won’t change. The application was already rejected. Stop clinging to what’s over.”
“No. It’s not over yet. The registration deadline is still two weeks away, and the academy isn’t limited to only one way in.”
He frowned, as if not understanding what she meant.
“You should know, since you’ve sponsored students yourself.”
Rune placed the black envelope on the table.
“This was addressed to me.”
“…This is—”
The Marquis’ eyes flickered with unease as he saw the Heraith family crest on the seal.
He pulled out the document and quickly read it through.
“A letter of recommendation from the academy.”
Even without an application, one could be admitted with an official recommendation from a noble house.
It wasn’t uncommon for commoners with talent to receive such sponsorship, and noble families could also recommend one another’s children.
The Marquis swallowed hard as he recalled his recent conversation with Kailian.
“I remember the day my father first placed a sword in my hand…”
He brushed his face with a rough hand. Now he finally understood the meaning behind Kailian’s enigmatic gaze.
His throat felt dry, words catching.
The Marquis knew better than anyone how exceptional Rune’s swordsmanship was, far too great to confine in this remote land.
Not even Kailian—who had reached the realm of the Sword Emperor—could have seen it otherwise.
It was inevitable he would take interest in her.
‘I expected it, but to be so blatant…’
With Kailian Heraith’s name backing the recommendation, it would be difficult to refuse.
The Grand Duke of Heraith was not a name to take lightly.
But the Marquis had long resolved to resist such chains, no matter how heavy.
He downed his cold tea in one gulp, the bitterness lingering on his tongue.
“Did you ask him for this?”
Rune, holding her breath under the sharp atmosphere, quickly spoke to keep Kailian from being blamed.
“I didn’t ask him. I only sparred with Lord Kailian, and—”
Riiip—
Rune froze as the paper was torn before her eyes.
Kailian’s recommendation letter fell apart in white scraps, fluttering to the floor like snow.
