Ch.31Wake Up (2)

“You want to become a vassal of our family?”

Judy’s voice seemed to reveal how surprised she was.

“Shh…!”

I gently covered her mouth with my hand and looked around.

People were staring, but they quickly went back to what they were doing.

“…I want to keep it a secret for now. I haven’t completely decided which family to join yet. I’m just asking first.”

Judy removed my hand and spoke in a much lower voice.

“..You seem to forget sometimes, but we’re enemy families…! I shouldn’t be the one saying this, but… wouldn’t it be humiliating for you to join our family and follow our orders?”

“It’s meaningful because it’s the Ice Family, Judy.”

“What?”

“Because we’re enemies… if problems arise, I could be helpful. I could be a communication channel between the Praester Family and the Ice Family.”

“…..”

“To exaggerate a bit, I might even prevent future wars. Even though… the twins are ashamed of me and don’t want to consider me a Praester, we can still communicate. Whether I persuade the twins or persuade Duke Ice. I could step in when conflicts escalate, couldn’t I?”

“…”

“And as for humiliation…. having my efforts ignored by my siblings is quite…”

Judy crouched down. She rested her elbows on her knees and sighed.

“Despite what you’re saying, doesn’t it mean you’re still living for the twins?”

“….Well, I can’t help but love those kids. But being around them keeps hurting me. It doesn’t feel good.”

“…There’s no bigger pushover than you.”

“…..Think whatever you want.”

Judy squinted in the bright sunlight as she looked up at me.

“….Will you treat everyone you like the same way?”

“Hm? What way?”

“…Will you love them like you love the twins?”

“……”

I scratched my head.

“I don’t know.”

Judy also scratched her head like me and said.

“…..Our family always accepts vassals. But…. you’re a Praester. I can’t be certain.”

“….Really?”

“Yes. So I’ll send a letter to my father.”

I was surprised by her choice.

I had brought this up hoping something like this might happen, but I was touched that she would so readily offer to write to Duke Ice.

“…Is that okay?”

I asked out of courtesy.

Judy replied with a very faint smile.

“….Father will be fine with it.”

“……”

I didn’t say anything else.

I just patted her shoulder to thank her.

****

After class, Sir Hoslow stopped our class.

When he acted like this, major events usually followed.

When we first received our horses.

When the jousting tournament was announced.

Based on experience, another event was approaching.

Sir Hoslow climbed onto the platform, received a list from a worker assisting with the class.

He examined the list carefully, then scanned each of our classmates with his eyes.

Not knowing what was happening, we could only exchange nervous glances.

“What could that be?”

I was also growing curious as Sir Hoslow’s eyes passed over me.

When I asked Judy, she shook her head, indicating she didn’t know either.

After maintaining silence for a while, Sir Hoslow lowered the list and spoke.

“Now! Several weeks have passed since we began training. From what I see, many of you still seem unskilled, but there are also many good ones.”

My classmates stood rigidly at attention at his voice.

No one even dared to glance sideways. They were showing that much respect for Sir Hoslow.

“The good ones have developed their fundamentals through bloody effort. And such people don’t need to waste time in a place like this.”

“…Huh?”

Thinking he couldn’t possibly be suggesting we leave the class, I listened carefully to his words.

“Don’t be nervous. In most cases, you’re still lacking and will remain here. But I’ll call two names. These two will begin practical training from now on.”

With a strange feeling, I looked at Judy.

Judy was looking at me too.

We instinctively sensed who the two would be.

Because we were the most outstanding students in this class.

“Caden Praester! Judy Ice! Come forward!”

At Sir Hoslow’s call, we walked to the front of the platform.

He reassured us once more.

“…Don’t be nervous. I said practical training, but it will actually be more comfortable for your bodies.”

When we climbed onto the platform, Sir Hoslow placed a hand on each of our shoulders and said.

“From now on, you will be doing escort training.”

“Escort?”

“It’s one of the important roles of a knight. Continuing to train here would just be a waste of time for you. Gaining experience would be much better.”

Judy gave me a questioning look again.

I knew what she was curious about. I was curious about the same thing.

“….When you say escort, who will we be escorting?”

Sir Hoslow replied as if it were obvious.

“Members of the Student Council, who else?”

****

Even after a day had passed, Asena still hadn’t calmed down.

She couldn’t erase the image of Caden dancing with Daisy from her mind. That intensity deepened as the night went on, reigniting anger in her heart once again.

Caden had temporarily extinguished that fire. She wanted to say something to him that day, but ultimately crumbled before his affection.

When he hugged her and said he was sorry, when he kissed her and asked for forgiveness… Asena couldn’t help but forgive him.

But this incident involved two people at fault.

Caden was Caden, and Daisy was Daisy.

She flung open the door to the student council room and entered.

As the door opened with a loud noise, all eyes turned to her.

“Asena, next time please be more careful when you come in-“

The student council president, Lucil Hover, began to speak, but Asena ignored her.

She walked straight toward the woman who had taken her brother and beloved man from her at the ball.

“…..Daisy.”

“…Yes?”

“I need to see you for a moment.”

.

.

.

Asena stared at Daisy with a hardened expression.

The two were facing each other in the bathroom.

Not knowing what was happening, Daisy only tried to gauge Asena’s mood.

“Asena, if something’s bothering you-“

“Daisy.”

As if she couldn’t stand to hear her voice, Asena cut Daisy off as soon as she opened her mouth.

“…Yes?”

“Since you don’t seem to understand from our previous conversation, I’ll make it clear.”

“…What?”

“My brother. Don’t get close to Caden Praester.”

“……”

Daisy blinked.

“I’m pretty sure I told you before that nothing good would come from getting close to him.”

After slowly processing Asena’s words, she fell into thought briefly before expressing her doubt.

“….Asena, why do you hate your brother so much?”

“What?”

Asena asked coldly, but she felt her composure cracking.

“…You prevent him from talking to others at the ball. You badmouth him behind his back. You try to stop him from becoming friends with people. Why do you torment Caden so much?”

“….I came to warn you, not to have a conversation.”

Asena took a step closer to Daisy.

But Daisy didn’t yield to the pressure and continued to express her thoughts.

“…He seems like a kind person. From what I saw at the jousting tournament, he seems to work hard too. He looks admirable to me, so I don’t understand why you hate him so-“

“-Daisy. Shut your mouth.”

The atmosphere grew even colder.

Daisy felt the air changing with the words that had just left Asena’s mouth.

She decided not to provoke Asena further and kept quiet this time.

“…..Don’t be curious about the reason. Just don’t get any closer to him. I said it’s a warning.”

“….Asena, I understand, but it wasn’t me who approached Caden this time.”

Daisy didn’t want to blame anyone, but she did feel somewhat wronged.

It was Caden who had asked her to dance. It was Caden who had approached her.

But Asena wouldn’t accept that.

“You could have rejected my brother when he offered his hand.”

“…And damage your brother’s reputation?”

“That’s not your concern.”

“……”

Daisy couldn’t help but think to herself that Caden was truly pitiful. It was so obvious that he loved his siblings, but they didn’t seem to love him back.

Although Kirsy had been seen being held by Caden a few times, even she ultimately disparaged Caden behind his back.

Suddenly, Daisy thought that Asena truly matched the snake emblem of the Praester family.

“….Daisy. I don’t want to say this anymore.”

“……”

“…If you ignore me, I’ll make things difficult for you. Remember that.”

Asena spoke with a weight that was hard to ignore despite her simple words, then turned away.

****

Caden saw Asena and Daisy entering the student council room with Sir Hoslow and Judy.

Asena entered with a stern expression but was surprised to see Caden.

“…..Brother.”

“Hello.”

He smiled and waved his hand. He also waved slightly to Daisy who was right beside her, but Daisy only gave a slight bow.

Asena quickly approached and stood in front of Caden.

“…Why are you here…?”

“..Just a moment.”

Caden glanced at Sir Hoslow, asking to maintain decorum for now.

This wasn’t the time for sibling-like conversation.

A more formal atmosphere was needed.

The student council president, Lucil Hover, spoke.

“Asena. As I was trying to tell you earlier, from now on there will be escort training for outstanding students from the knight department.”

“Escort training…?”

“Yes. From now on, one of these two knights will accompany you in everything you do.”

Asena’s heart began to race at these unexpected words.

“…My brother will be protecting me from now on?”

“Yes. As escorts, the knights will be with you from the moment you leave the dormitory until you return. We received escorts last year, so this year it’s your turn. Actually, having an escort isn’t always comfortable.”

Sir Hoslow interjected.

“That’s correct. Having an escort won’t necessarily make things easier. If these two perform their duties well, that’s one thing, but they’re still young knights. They might make clumsy mistakes that could trouble the student council members. I ask for your understanding in this matter.”

Sir Hoslow spoke with knightly courtesy to the student council.

But Asena had stopped focusing on his words partway through.

She hadn’t expected such a gift.

She would be able to be with Caden continuously from now on.

Apart from the small advantage of being able to enter his dormitory, the student council had been nothing but frustrating since she had to be separated from Caden all the time.

But now this opportunity had come because of the student council.

She had to restrain herself from smiling.

She knew many things would become easier from now on.

She wouldn’t have to worry when he wasn’t around, or force herself to speak ill of him.

Even the warning she had given to Daisy today had become unnecessary, since Caden would now be closely by her side.

“Now, Caden. You first, greet your lord.”

Sir Hoslow commanded, and Caden moved.

He slowly approached and stood before Asena.

Asena’s body twitched with the desire to offer her hand to him.

He spoke.

“Asena.”

“….Yes.”

Caden’s head turned slightly.

It was in a direction where there were no people.

What was in the direction he was looking at was a desk.

“…..?”

As Asena followed his gaze, she suddenly felt a burst of anxiety. What he was looking at was a now-withered flower that Daisy had received from someone.

Caden said.

“….I’ll be taking charge of escorting Daisy Hexter.”

In that moment, Asena felt as if her breath had stopped.

“….What?”

Caden was considering that not only the Ice Family, but also the Hexter Family could be a good choice.