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~Chapter 29~
“What are you talking about?”
Aveline was confused by Ares’s reaction.
“Who’s more famous or skilled than our teacher?”
“Huh?”
“Don’t you know about all his rumors?”
Ares sounded frustrated.
“He turned down offers to join the Royal Knights more than once!”
“Royal Knights?”
If he was offered a spot in the Royal Knights, he had to be really skilled.
So why was he at the Herolds estate?
Ares quickly explained.
“He said he wanted an irregular, easy life, so he turned them down. He wanted to relax, so he came to our house instead.”
“…Is that okay?”
Aveline wondered if her house was safe enough.
“Our teacher alone is worth ten knights, so we’re grateful to have him.”
It was like saying a university professor had come to teach toddlers how to walk.
“You have no idea how often he compared me to you. ‘If your sister can do it, why can’t you?’”
Aveline had no clue; her teacher always seemed bored when teaching her.
“No way. I just learned a few basics. I’m nothing compared to you,”
Aveline protested.
Ares looked at her suspiciously.
“Didn’t you learn to jump on a moving horse?”
“Isn’t that basic?”
“How about knocking arrows out of the air with a dagger?”
“I did it, but the arrow didn’t have a tip.”
“How about spinning in place twenty times and then going straight into defense?”
“That one was hard, so I only tried it a few times.”
Ares’s face looked more and more downcast with each answer.
“How many times did it take you to get on a moving horse?”
“Maybe three tries? You?”
“…Ten.”
Ares looked grumpy.
“Why the face?”
“It took me ten tries, that’s why.”
“Oh…”
So Ares had been comparing Aveline to his own struggles.
“See? No wonder he always compared us. If the Crown Prince hears about this, he’ll want you to join the Royal Knights right away,”
Ares grumbled, his lips sticking out.
“No way! I don’t want to be anywhere near the royal family,”
Aveline said. She hated the idea of being noticed by the palace.
“Anyway, where is Sir Lydon now? I haven’t seen him since I stopped training.”
“He retired and went back to his hometown.”
“Without saying goodbye?”
Aveline had suspected as much, but she still felt sad.
Ares shrugged.
“Don’t worry. He didn’t say goodbye to anyone. So, are you coming with me?”
“No. After what happened yesterday with the Crown Prince, I’d rather not.”
She’d burst into tears the moment she saw him—she didn’t want to face him again.
And besides, I’m still not ready to let go of seeing the real Edward in person.
She’d just met her favorite character, and seeing the Crown Prince’s identical face again would be too confusing.
“Oh, speaking of yesterday,”
Ares said, suddenly remembering.
“Did you come up with an excuse? I bet he’ll ask me about it today.”
“For what? Why I cried yesterday?”
“Yeah. I told you to be ready.”
“Would saying he looks like someone I know work?”
That was the excuse she’d used with the Crown Prince yesterday.
Ares looked unimpressed.
“Are you kidding? Everyone knows you’ve been hiding away for four years. Besides, His Highness will definitely want to know who you’re talking about.”
Uh-oh.
She hadn’t considered that the Crown Prince had to get to the bottom of anything he was curious about.
“For now, I’ll say I didn’t ask you yet, but you’d better come up with something. He’ll ask you sooner or later.”
“Okay…”
As soon as Ares left, Yoni came in with a basin of water.
“You’re up early today, my lady!”
“Yeah, I just wanted to be productive for once.”
“Wow, miss…”
Yoni looked shocked, as if she’d never expected to hear that from Aveline.
A little embarrassing,
Aveline thought, but pretended not to notice and washed her face.
She changed her clothes and let Yoni do her hair.
Knock, knock.
Someone gently knocked at the door.
“One moment, miss,”
Yoni said, putting down Aveline’s hairbrush and opening the door.
“Oh, Emma?”
Emma stood there holding a huge basket of flowers—so big her face was hidden behind the blossoms.
“It’s for you, miss,”
Emma said, putting the heavy basket on the table.
“For me?”
Who would send her flowers?
“I tried to check who sent them, but there’s no name. Oh, here’s a note!”
Emma searched the flowers and pulled out a small note.
“Did you carry that all by yourself?”
Yoni asked, amazed at the basket’s size.
“I’m handling deliveries today since the regular person’s on leave,”
Emma explained.
While Yoni and Emma chatted, Aveline opened the note hidden among the flowers.
To my jewel.
There was no name, but she could guess who sent it.
Not only did Theron send this suspicious flower basket, he also wrote a note anyone could misunderstand.
Jewel meant the magic stone inside Aveline, not her personally—but anyone else would misread it.
Why would Theron do this all of a sudden?
He was unpredictable, but never did things for no reason.
Then she remembered last night’s dream.
Let’s spread a rumor that we’re a couple.
No way… That crazy man!
She couldn’t believe the dream was real—and that he’d sent a flower basket right away.
“Who are they from, miss?”
Yoni and Emma asked, noticing the letter.
“It’s nothing,”
Aveline said quickly, shoving the note in her fist.
“Anyone want these?”
She pointed at the fancy flower basket.
“…These?”
Yoni and Emma looked confused, not interested at all.
“Never mind. You can go now.”
Once they left, Aveline glared at the flowers.
What if he hid something in here?
Maybe Theron put something in the flowers. She could use magic now, even if only a little.
Let’s try.
Aveline closed her eyes and concentrated.
“Hiyah!”
The room stayed quiet.
“Yap! Hup!”
Aveline tried again and again to use magic.
“Why isn’t anything happening?”
She thought she’d gotten better at using magic, but nothing worked.
“Wait.”
The magic inside her was Theron’s.
So if he put something in the flowers, it should react to her magic.
“Did he really just send me flowers?”
Suddenly, chills ran down her back.
In romance novels, the heroine often got flowers and felt excited.
Aveline’s heart was pounding now—
but for a completely different reason.
“Isn’t he seriously crazy?”
The fact that Theron sent only flowers made her even more scared.
The huge basket of flowers looked like proof of his madness.
“I need some fresh air.”
She tied her hair back and ran out to the training grounds.
“It’s been so long.”
She hadn’t been here since she stopped training with Sir Lydon.
The training ground was empty—probably because it was break time for the knights.
Aveline grabbed a wooden sword and swung it, trying to remember what she’d learned.
“I have no idea if I’m doing this right.”
It had been too long; she didn’t feel confident at all.
Clap… clap, clap, clap!
Suddenly, someone nearby started clapping.
