Ch.196Ill Fate (3)

It was a day like any other. The weekend had arrived, and as promised, I began physical training with Adelia.

Nicole was gone, so there was no need to go to the training grounds, and there was a high possibility that Hyria would be there. There was no need for high-intensity exercise, and there were plenty of places to work out besides the training grounds.

So I was walking around the entire academy to warm up and build stamina when it happened.

“Why are you here?”

As luck would have it, we ran right into Hyria, who was jogging to build her basic stamina just like us. Surprisingly, she was wearing ordinary workout clothes, but they were all light blue and strangely suited her.

It was like leaving a tiger’s den to avoid the tiger, only to encounter the tiger that had just come out to hunt. You could say my luck was absolutely terrible.

I looked at Hyria’s face, which was a mixture of discomfort and disgust, then observed Adelia’s reaction. She was the most important concern.

And sure enough.

Despite my previous consolation, Adelia’s sky-blue eyes were trembling violently. She hadn’t shed a single drop of sweat while jogging, but now cold sweat was running down her face.

Again, trauma deeply etched in one’s heart cannot be fixed even if you want to.

“Noona.”

“Ah.”

At least she was better than before, as she regained her senses when I tapped her arm. At the exhibition, there were three of them, but now Hyria was alone.

Having regained her composure, Adelia looked at Hyria, who was frowning, and gulped. Then, with an expression that could have been either a smile or a cry, she quietly opened her mouth.

“Ah, hello. It’s… been a while since the exhibition…?”

“…”

Hyria remained silent even as Adelia waved her hand in greeting. Instead, she shifted her gaze to me, demanding an explanation for what was going on.

I had a strong feeling that the situation would become complicated, but she was a foreign princess, and I was a baron’s heir. Given the clear difference in rank, I had no choice but to explain.

“Lady Cross has been assigned as a knight to the Mayshall family. Currently, she is my guard knight at the academy.”

“…Guard knight?”

At the answer “guard knight,” Hyria made a surprised expression and looked back and forth between me and Adelia. Adelia’s body stiffened every time their eyes met.

Then Hyria scratched her chin, pondered deeply, and soon curled the corner of her mouth slightly. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but I could sense it wasn’t a good situation.

“This works out well. Follow me to the training grounds.”

“What?”

“I said follow me to the training grounds. I think I need to catch up with an old acquaintance.”

Hyria said this as she spun around. I stared blankly at her back as she walked toward the training grounds, then shifted my gaze to Adelia.

Adelia seemed to understand what Hyria meant by “catching up,” as she was trembling while holding her left arm with her right hand. It seemed like past memories were resurfacing.

‘Is she suggesting a duel?’

There’s really no other reason she would ask us to come to the training grounds. The problem is that Adelia has a history of being severely beaten by Hyria under the pretense of a duel.

No matter how much stronger she’s become since then, the deeply rooted sense of helplessness and fear is the problem.

Like an elephant that has been tied with a thin rope around its ankle since childhood, the terrible memories of the past bind her.

“What are you waiting for?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll follow. Noona?”

“…”

Adelia didn’t move from her spot, as if nailed to the ground, even when I called her. She wasn’t just hesitating; she was backing away as if she might run at any moment.

Her confident demeanor had completely vanished, leaving only a small animal filled with fear. I looked at her with sympathetic eyes and gently took her hand.

When I took her hand, she flinched greatly and looked at me with a startled expression. At the same time, her trembling immediately subsided.

“It’s okay. I told you before. I’m on your side.”

“…”

“I won’t be disappointed, so don’t be afraid. You can’t just keep running away, right?”

Adelia seemed to gradually calm down at my words, delivered with a gentle smile. Her trembling had now completely stopped, and her constricted pupils were slowly returning to normal.

Eventually, even her rapid breathing returned to normal, and finally, the corners of her mouth turned up. She squeezed my hand that I had offered her.

She looked at my face, smiled, and quietly expressed her gratitude.

“…Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Now that Adelia had calmed down, I gently held her hand and followed behind Hyria. Adelia also finally moved her feet, which had been reluctant to budge, and walked forward.

To an onlooker, we might have appeared like a couple affectionately holding hands and going somewhere together. Adelia even seemed to want to subtly express her desire, as she fidgeted with her hand.

Originally, we were simply holding hands, but she began to interlock our fingers one by one. However, as if she didn’t have the courage to cross the line completely, she stopped after interlocking only between the index and middle fingers.

“Hmm…”

Hyria, who was leading the way, gave us a subtle look before breaking into a wicked smile. Both Adelia and I couldn’t help but flinch.

“You two look close. Almost too close to be just a guard knight and her master.”

“Ah. This is…”

“No. You don’t need to explain. Such dalliances are common among nobles. I can understand.”

As I was about to explain, Hyria waved her hand dismissively. I’m not sure what kind of understanding she came to, but it was certainly not a good one.

Then she turned her gaze to Adelia and spoke in a sneering tone.

“It suits that woman quite well, actually. In the end, she’ll be abandoned after all her begging, just like always.”

“…”

Squeeze!

Hyria’s verbal attack was like touching a sore spot. I could clearly feel Adelia’s hand tightening in mine.

That was essentially a personal attack. If not for the difference in rank, it would have been justified to punch her in the face for such a severe insult.

Moreover, since Adelia was an illegitimate child, those words must have felt like daggers repeatedly stabbing her heart.

‘Wow… I’m just amazed.’

How could someone have such a despicable personality? I knew she was rude from the beginning, but I didn’t expect her to say such things to someone’s face.

I wanted to reveal that I was Xenon right then and make her kneel, but it was still premature. To deliver a spectacular blow later, I needed to let her accumulate bad karma step by step.

Above all…

“…You.”

Adelia’s demeanor was concerning. She had been trembling with fear just moments ago, but now she was trembling for a different reason.

Anger. Yes, anger.

The woman who had shown anxiety symptoms whenever she encountered her family was now displaying clear anger. It was the first time I’d seen Adelia angry, which gave me an unfamiliar feeling.

Regardless, Hyria wore a vile smile that marred her beauty and continued to mock.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that expression too. Well, in the end, you’ll just cry and beg again.”

“…”

“Issac, was it? I recommend not getting too close to that woman. Before you get disappointed.”

She’s just begging to be hit, isn’t she? Hyria left those words behind and spun around to continue walking.

I made an incredulous expression at her behavior, saying whatever she wanted before going on her way, then shifted my gaze to Adelia.

Her face was still filled with anger, but she seemed anxious and was watching my reaction. The strength in our joined hands had weakened, showing signs of her inner conflict.

She seemed to have realized once again after hearing Hyria’s words. That she was neither here nor there, an illegitimate child with only half-shared blood.

Moreover, she was despised by her family and might bring harm to those around her. She was likely thinking along these lines.

‘She’s really…’

Too kind for her own good. Her family environment was beyond terrible, yet she turned out like this, which speaks volumes about her true nature.

If she had been born as a normal noble daughter, she would have grown up to be a tomboy with an innocent heart. Her only misfortune was being born into the wrong family.

But where there’s misfortune, there must also be fortune. As Hyria moved away, I made an offer that Adelia could not possibly refuse.

“Noona. Can I make a suggestion?”

“What… suggestion?”

“If you defeat Princess Hyr— no, that woman…”

When I referred to her as “that woman” instead of Princess Hyria, Adelia’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. However, what followed was enough to startle her even more.

“I’ll do anything you want.”

“W-what? What do you mean, anything I want?”

“Exactly what I said.”

I smiled brightly, then whispered in a small voice near her ear.

“Do you think I don’t know what’s in your heart?”

“…!!”

With those words, Adelia’s body jerked noticeably. The grip on my hand tightened even more.

I slowly moved my face away from her ear to face her. I could see Adelia with a completely flushed face, not knowing what to do.

The woman who had been confident and self-assured in front of me was now flustered… it was really cute. I suppose any woman in unrequited love would be like this, but Adelia was especially different.

“If you’re going to hide it, hide it properly. It’s too obvious.”

“B-but you… with Princess Marie and Princess Cecilly…”

“I know. I can’t accept your feelings right now. But instead…”

I paused briefly, then gently caressed her cheek with my hand. Adelia flinched once more as my hand touched her cheek.

As I said, it would take time to fully accept her. I would need to reveal my identity, and crucially, I would need Marie’s permission.

Given that she accepted Cecilly, the possibility was quite high, but Cecilly was the princess of Helium. She came with many merits, which is why Marie gladly accepted her.

But Adelia’s situation was very different. Although she was physically strong, she had the major flaw of being an illegitimate child.

Whether she would become royalty of Teres or remain as my guard knight to eliminate that flaw would depend on her choice.

“I’ll make my choice after seeing yours. So please be patient until then. Understand?”

“…”

“You must win. If you want what you desire.”

People need a clear goal to develop passion and determination. The same applies to Adelia.

As I caressed her cheek and encouraged her in a gentle voice, Adelia smiled softly and answered energetically.

“I’ll definitely win!”

“Yes. Yes.”

I wonder what favor she will ask of me.