Ch.22Unknown Knowledge (1)

Asena found it unbearable to hear Caden call another woman the prettiest when he had always said that about her. She didn’t care who was objectively more beautiful; she was just angry about being displaced in his subjective ranking. The fact that he was sharing his attention with someone else infuriated her to the point of sleeplessness.

When Asena arrived at the Student Council room after a restless night, she was stunned to see a flower on Daisy’s desk—the same flower Caden had given her. It felt like salt in her wound, twisting her heart. She couldn’t understand why Daisy had displayed it so preciously instead of just throwing it away.

Maintaining her composure, Asena asked about the Student Council president, who had called them to settle accounts for the jousting tournament before classes. She wanted to finish quickly and return to class, as the flower kept bothering her.

Daisy mentioned the president had gone to the bathroom and would return soon. Asena’s eyes kept drifting to the flower despite her efforts not to look. It was a flower Caden had cultivated with care and affection—not just picked from a field—and it wasn’t hers. Though she had been somewhat comforted by his explanation that he had originally prepared them for the twins, the reality remained that it wasn’t hers. Another woman was enjoying the flower that contained his accumulated feelings.

Daisy noticed Asena’s gaze and asked innocently, “Oh, this? Isn’t it pretty?”

Though Asena tried to ignore the question, her bubbling emotions made it difficult. “No,” she replied as expressionlessly as possible, hoping it would sound true and diminish Daisy’s interest in the flower.

“Oh… I see. By the way, did you not like your brother much?” Daisy asked cautiously.

Asena coldly looked up at Daisy’s presumptuous comment. “I never said that.”

“But—”

“Just don’t concern yourself with it. Stay out of our family’s business,” Asena interrupted, feeling uncomfortable and wanting to end the conversation.

Daisy scratched her head and said, “I guess there are complicated circumstances. Still, please tell your brother thank you for me.”

“Absolutely not,” Asena thought to herself. She had no intention of helping their relationship progress, not even if it killed her.

Silence followed. Asena closed her eyes to suppress her unpleasant feelings, finding peace by recalling good times with Caden. When the door opened and the rest of the Student Council members entered, she was too busy composing herself to greet them.

“I miss my brother,” she thought, imagining conversations they might have. “Today I couldn’t even kiss—”

Suddenly, a voice interrupted her thoughts. “Well, look who it is! The most beautiful person in the Academy!” one of the male Student Council members joked to Daisy.

Asena’s eyes snapped open involuntarily, forcing her to look at Daisy again.

The man continued, “I heard some negative rumors and wondered what kind of person you were… but you’re quite impressive, Caden.”

“That’s right,” Daisy replied.

Asena gritted her teeth, deeply disliking Daisy’s response.

The man persisted, “So, Daisy, do you think you might become closer with him?”

To this, Daisy didn’t wave her hand dismissively or draw a clear line—she just blushed and smiled shyly.

BANG!

Everyone’s attention was drawn to the loud noise. It was Asena, though the Student Council members doubted it was her since she rarely showed emotion. The irritated sound of someone hitting a desk seemed unlike her.

Asena stood up with her usual expressionless face. “Daisy.”

Everyone swallowed nervously at the Praester duchess’s words. They all knew who shouldn’t be crossed in this Academy—something their parents had reminded them of.

“Yes?” Only Daisy looked at Asena with unwavering eyes, showing concern for Asena’s feelings rather than fear.

“Throw that flower away,” Asena said, unable to hold back any longer. “The smell is giving me a headache.”

***

After classes ended, Kirsy called for Daisy, with Asena accompanying her.

“Kirsy, what is it?” Daisy asked, confused as she was led away by Kirsy.

While everyone else went to eat, the three women walked to a secluded place. When they reached the bottom of a long, empty corridor staircase, Asena and Kirsy cornered Daisy against the wall.

Sensing the potentially intimidating situation, Kirsy started with an awkward smile. “Haha… sorry, Daisy. Could you spare us a moment?”

“Sure, anytime.”

Asena interrupted, “Before we start, Daisy, I want to apologize for this morning.”

She spoke with perfect posture and no change in expression, but Daisy was surprised by the apology itself. She understood that for a family as powerful as the Praesters, apologizing required caution, even for wrongdoings. Daisy found this dignified behavior impressive.

“It’s okay. I should have considered the flower’s fragrance too.”

With the morning’s incident settled, the atmosphere lightened slightly, and Kirsy began again, “There’s something I don’t want you to misunderstand…”

Kirsy had been thinking about how to explain this clearly since the previous day.

“What is it?” Daisy asked.

“Yesterday, my brother might have given you the wrong impression. Ah! I’m not saying you’re not pretty, but he didn’t really mean much by saying you were the prettiest…”

Kirsy spoke hesitantly but delivered her intended message directly. She didn’t think she was saying anything wrong—the flowers were originally meant for them, and they had missed the chance to receive them because they were being considerate of others.

“I’m telling you this first so you don’t have unrealistic expectations and end up disappointed.”

“What expectations?”

Kirsy didn’t think Daisy misunderstood her words. Daisy’s gradually hardening expression was evidence of that.

Though unspoken, that hardening expression somehow bothered Kirsy. It seemed like Daisy really had expectations—without knowing her place.

“The expectation that my brother might like you.”

“…”

Kirsy swallowed hard. If there was someone who bothered her most recently, it was Daisy. She wished Daisy would just disappear completely.

So she pulled out a card she hadn’t used recently—risky but effective.

“I… told you. My brother isn’t as nice as he seems.”

“…”

Daisy remained silent for a long time. Kirsy disliked this situation too. If she could, she would prefer to say only nice things like Caden did. She had expected the Academy to be full of laughter and happiness, and she had looked forward to it.

But after arriving… it had become somewhat frightening. It seemed full of people who might take away her most precious person.

It was fun and happy, but also filled with fear and anxiety.

She thought it would have been better to stay in the Praester territory if it was going to be like this.

When Daisy slightly bowed her head and remained still, Kirsy placed a hand on her shoulder to salvage the situation.

“I’m sorry for saying this—”

“Kirsy.”

At that moment, Daisy raised her head straight up, looking into Kirsy’s eyes with a dazzlingly upright demeanor.

“I’ll judge people based on what I see. Your brother doesn’t seem like a bad person to me.”

Kirsy liked this aspect of Daisy. She thought she was a truly wonderful friend who wouldn’t be swayed by others’ opinions due to her firm beliefs.

If only it wasn’t directed at Caden. Then it would have been perfect.

Kirsy’s expression hardened unconsciously, colder than ever before. There was nothing amusing about this. It wasn’t funny at all.

Daisy continued, “I don’t understand why you dislike your brother so much. You seem so kind… but you’re only like that with your brother? Badmouthing him behind his back…”

“…”

Though her heart stung, Kirsy decided to ignore Daisy’s words. She had only one warning to give her.

“Daisy, nothing good will come from getting close to my brother.”

Just then, a male voice echoed in the place they thought was private.

“Hey! What are you doing there!”

“Huh?”

Kirsy’s hardened expression softened. Caden was walking toward them from a distance.

“Why is my brother here…?”

***

I was on my way to find Lord Hoslow regarding the tournament awards.

I passed through places I wouldn’t normally go.

I think I did well in today’s classes without being arrogant about winning. Though I was sweaty and uncomfortable… there wasn’t much I could do about it.

If there was something bothering me today, it was Judy. She didn’t come to class today. Since she lost the jousting tournament to me… I think it might be related to that. I should talk to her later.

“…brother…said…”

As I walked along, focused on my own business, a familiar voice reached my ears.

There are times when I can clearly hear someone calling me from anywhere. The cocktail party effect, was it?

This situation was exactly that. I heard my sister calling me.

Why are they here?

I walked toward the sound.

Turning toward where the sound was coming from, I saw my sisters standing at the bottom of the stairs in the distance.

“Huh?”

And I also noticed Daisy being cornered.

She was facing the twins with unwavering eyes, just like in the novel.

My feelings were complicated when I first saw this.

I wasn’t sure whether to like it or not.

It was obviously bullying, but… the “bullying” by the twins that I had read about in the novel wasn’t like this.

Their method was to drag people into family matters. If they didn’t like someone, they would destroy their entire family and give them no chance.

In contrast, cornering someone against a wall to talk… it seemed almost cute to me.

Perhaps I had been able to suppress their aggression to some extent.

“…”

But that didn’t change what I needed to do. I had to stop them. Wrong is wrong.

The funny thing is, in situations like this, I wasn’t afraid of the twins. It was a situation where I needed to scold them, to guide them back to the right path when they went astray.

Maybe it’s because it’s my duty as their brother. Or perhaps because I’ve known them for so long? When it comes to scolding them, I’m not afraid of them.

Just as I was about to speak, I heard Kirsy’s voice.

“Nothing good will come from getting close to my brother.”

“…”

This was the second time I’d heard it directly.

Like a spark, a small fire momentarily ignited in my chest.

I took a breath and shouted, “Hey! What are you doing there!”

For the first time, I addressed them with a term that conveyed no affection.

Kirsy was startled by my voice.

All three women looked at me.

I positioned myself between the twins and Daisy, placing Daisy behind me.

“Hey, what are you two doing?”

“…Huh?”

Kirsy blinked with a lost expression.

“B-brother, why are you here… no… did you just call me ‘hey’?”

“Just answer the question. What are you doing?”

“B-brother… what’s with ‘hey’… I’m Kirsy…”

“The Kirsy I know doesn’t bully others.”

Of course… that’s a lie. The Kirsy and Asena I read about in the novel were experts at bullying others. I just said it to make them feel guilty.

“We weren’t bullying her,” Asena said from the side. Not the answer I wanted to hear.

“Asena.”

She lowered her eyes. It was what she always did when she had something she didn’t want me to discover.

“If you keep lying, I’ll get angry.”

“Ugh…”

She clenched her fists on her clothes. I had suppressed the twins’ momentum for now.

Since it would be inappropriate to show more in front of others, I turned to Daisy.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah… yes…”

She answered with embarrassment. She seemed to sense that she should leave.

She truly is beautiful. Her beauty rivals that of the twins. Perhaps it’s because she was always my favorite character… that might be why I think so.

“I’ll talk to the twins properly, so if they bother you again, please tell me. I’m Caden Praester.”

Daisy waved her hands.

“Ah! But they really weren’t bullying me.”

“Pardon?”

“Well…”

Even in this situation, I could see Daisy trying to help the twins. What a kind-hearted person.

“They were just giving me… advice for my own good.”

I felt something stirring inside me. A desire to express my hurt feelings toward the twins.

“You mean that nothing good will come from getting close to me?”

Behind me, I heard both Kirsy and even Asena gasp in surprise.

When I turned around, they were already rolling their eyes and blinking, not knowing what to do.

Daisy was equally surprised. I patted her shoulder.

“Anyway, please excuse us for a moment. I need to talk with my sisters…”

“O-okay.”

Daisy gave us space, leaving just me and the twins.

Earlier, they had cornered Daisy, but now I was cornering them.

I loosened my tie slightly and pulled it down.

“Did you think I wouldn’t hear you?”