Chapter 12 – Have You Never Read a Romance Novel? (3)

“Where do you think you’re going at this late hour?”

I froze mid-leap, halfway out the window. My mother stood in the garden below, her expression unreadable in the dim lantern light.

“……” I landed softly, my excitement evaporating like mist.

“Another nighttime excursion?” Her voice was quiet, but there was a steeliness to it I hadn’t heard before.

“……”

“Why don’t you answer me?”

The cheerful facade I had carefully constructed crumbled.

“I’ve overlooked these… outings… out of respect for Luelde’s wishes. But the situation has changed, Cariel. You are now betrothed to the princess.”

“The ceremony hasn’t even taken place.”

“His Majesty’s public declaration is binding.” My mouth went dry.

“Rumors are spreading, Cariel.”

“I…”

“I know you haven’t… crossed any lines.”

“But the world doesn’t see it that way. Such indiscretions are no longer… acceptable.”

“……”

“You are the son of Luelde and Ermina.” The words were a weight, pressing down on me. I almost bit my tongue, clenching my jaw instead. I bowed my head, struggling to control my breathing.

“And I hear you’ve been… neglecting your swordsmanship training. Care to explain?”

She knew that, too? How could she notice such trivial details while ignoring the things that truly mattered?

“……”

“Answer me, Cariel. Do you think silence will solve anything?”

“It’s… pointless,” I muttered, the words escaping before I could stop them.

“Pointless…? What did you just say?”

I would never normally speak to her this way. Defiance? Disrespect? But I couldn’t hold back the words, the bitter frustration that had been simmering for so long.

But it is pointless.

A strange, grinding sound echoed in my mind.

“What’s more foolish than clinging to something impossible?”

“……” My mother stared at me, her expression a mixture of shock and… confusion.

“Is that… an excuse?”

“Do you honestly think it’s an excuse?”

“Then what is that disrespectful tone?!” Her voice rose, sharp with anger.

“My Lady! Please, calm yourself! The stress isn’t good for the baby!” A young woman rushed forward, her hand on my mother’s arm. Patina. The youngest member of my father’s knight order. The Golden Dragon, despite her black uniform. What was she doing here?

My mother took a deep breath, composing herself with remarkable speed. “I apologize. I’ve shown… a regrettable lack of control.”

“Not at all, My Lady! Please…” Patina glanced at me, her expression hardening. “I’ll speak with the Young Master. Please, return inside. For the baby’s sake.”

“But—”

“Trust me, My Lady.”

With a sigh, my mother turned and walked back towards the house, her gaze lingering on me for a moment before the door closed between us.

“Young Master. It’s been a while.” Patina’s voice was quiet, but there was a steeliness to it. Her light brown hair, almost black in the shadows, shimmered silver in the moonlight, like my father’s. An illusion. But her eyes, a startling shade of green, held a sharp, unwavering intensity.

“I’m… disappointed.”

“What?”

“I refused to believe the rumors. But this… arrogance… this… disrespect…”

“Have you become… bitter in my absence, Sister?”

Her expression flickered, surprise giving way to a wry smile. “You still call me ‘Sister’. I was afraid you might have… forgotten.”

“……” A strange ache in my chest. Not heartbreak, but something… heavier. A dull, persistent pressure on my soul.

“Sir Luelde asked me to… keep an eye on you. And Lady Ermina.”

“……” Pointless. Though protecting my mother… that was necessary, I supposed. But why involve me?

“……” So what?

“How dare you speak to your mother that way?”

“You’re clearly unaware of the situation. Let’s just… leave it at that.”

“Unaware? The situation is perfectly clear.”

“Clear?” How can you judge me without understanding anything?

I sighed. From her perspective, I was just a rebellious teenager disrespecting his pregnant, emotionally volatile mother. There was no defense against that. I was the villain in this story.

“You can’t even offer a proper excuse. To think that you, of all people, would give up on reason, on persuasion… Have you simply accepted your own failings?”

“Ha!” Damn it all. I bit back the curses that rose in my throat.

“Young Master. You made me a promise.”

Together…

“To succeed Sir Luelde. To ease his burdens.”

“……” Did I? When? I didn’t want to remember. If that memory surfaced… it would be another curse.

But… nothing. A blank space where that promise should have been.

“Have you… forgotten?” Her voice was quiet, almost… heartbroken. Why was she looking at me like that? As if I were the one who had betrayed her?

“I see.” The anger faded, replaced by a quiet resignation. She had hoped… and now… she had given up.

“I was the only one… trying. Foolishly.”

“……”

“I didn’t want to believe the rumors… that you had given up… on the sword…”

Cariel…

“You’ve truly…”

“What right do you have to be disappointed?” In the past, I would have remained silent, letting her wallow in her misguided assumptions. But now…

–Well, well. A golden opportunity, indeed.– Just when I was thinking he needed some… practical experience. –That boy… he’s a walking disaster.– He was cursed with misfortune the moment he crossed paths with me.

Normally, he would have caved under the pressure, but this time… he actually stood up to his mother. And now… this.

I floated high above, watching the scene unfold. Accused, blamed, betrayed… and finally… defiance.

“Pick up your sword. I’ll teach you some respect.”

“Why should I? Aren’t knights supposed to protect the weak? Or is violence your only means of communication?”

“Such fine words. But who’s the one hiding behind them, afraid to face the consequences?” Patina’s anger was palpable. He failed to meet my expectations. He broke his promise. He… forgot. And beneath the anger… a deep sense of betrayal.

He must be furious. Why do you expect anything from me? Why set yourself up for disappointment?

Their feelings were a tangled mess, a chaotic collision of misaligned expectations.

–Interesting.– Someone else’s misery was, as always, a source of endless amusement.

He finally took the bait. He followed her to the training grounds, wooden swords drawn.

–Let’s see what you’ve learned, little bird.–

–And what you still lack.– True understanding came from experience, from necessity. A pampered child could never truly appreciate the value of food until they had known hunger.

–At least he’s showing some spine. Overcoming that ingrained sense of helplessness is no easy feat.– A small step, perhaps, but a necessary one.