Ch.33Wake Up (4)

Asena found herself trapped in a situation where she could do nothing.

In her heart, she wanted to turn everything upside down, grab Caden, and return to their territory.

There was nothing left to learn at the Academy anyway, and she had already met everyone she needed to meet, so there was no compelling reason to stay here.

Asena understood her social position perfectly. She was someone who didn’t need to put herself forward.

Only the weak needed to dress themselves up, form groups, and work to create connections. Asena Praester had no need for such things.

But even she became weak before one person.

Caden Praester.

In front of him, even Asena would dress herself up, work to create connections, and do foolish things.

Her emotions kept grabbing and shaking her, preventing her from thinking clearly.

As a result, her reason telling her to stay still and her desire to explode in anger were now playing tug-of-war.

She couldn’t believe the current situation.

Was all this created by her own mistake?

…She was beginning to regret.

She had only wished that no woman would desire him.

She had only wanted others to stop thinking of her and Caden as siblings.

Because of these two seemingly simple goals when summarized, he was drifting away from her.

“……”

Caden slowly began to kneel on one knee. Then, his hand—which had only ever touched her and Kirsy—took Daisy’s hand.

Asena unconsciously clenched her fist. It even trembled.

Seeing Caden pledge loyalty to another woman was unbearable.

When Caden kissed the back of Daisy’s hand, Asena simply closed her eyes.

‘Just endure for a moment.’

She thought.

‘Just until I come up with a plan.’

****

“Sister.”

Kirsy called out to Asena, who was walking down the corridor with her expression hidden.

“…Why is that person behind you…?”

Kirsy frowned as she looked at Judy Ice. Having seen her every time she went to find Caden, Kirsy’s hostility toward Judy was quite high.

Judy gave Kirsy a brief bow, and Kirsy awkwardly returned her greeting.

“….It’s the Knight Department’s Student Council escort practice. It’ll be like this for the next few weeks.”

Asena said.

Kirsy was showing hostility toward Judy but reacted to the words “Knight Department.”

“…Huh? If it’s the Knight Department… what about brother?”

Asena deliberately didn’t answer. She didn’t want to. She couldn’t bring herself to say that he had become Daisy’s knight instead of hers—it felt like admitting defeat.

Besides, she didn’t want to acknowledge that she was the cause of it all.

Kirsy’s curiosity didn’t last long.

As Kirsy looked at Asena, her eyes shifted beyond Asena’s shoulder, and her expression turned pale.

“….Huh?”

“……”

“…..Sister… no way?”

“…..”

“………Brother didn’t become Daisy Hexter’s knight, did he?”

“……”

When Asena didn’t respond, Kirsy didn’t wait.

She began striding toward Daisy, determined to find out what was happening herself.

“Brother! Daisy—”

But before she could finish her sentence, Caden stepped between Daisy and Kirsy.

“………”

Kirsy was taken aback by his action, which seemed like he was protecting Daisy from her.

“….Brother..”

And she began to feel hurt. Not only did he fail to protect her, but he was protecting another woman. As if she was going to harm Daisy.

She had always looked up to his broad back as she grew up. For the first time, his back had turned to another woman.

But Kirsy swallowed her resentment and asked him:

“….What’s going on?”

“There’s an escort practice.”

“…..Brother, shouldn’t you be Sister’s knight? Isn’t that right?”

Kirsy actually wished that if he couldn’t be her escort, he wouldn’t be anyone’s, but she could tolerate it if it was Asena.

And that would be correct.

Caden belonged to their family, and Asena was the head of the family.

Rather, she was curious how Caden had become Daisy’s escort when Asena was in the Student Council.

Could it be that he had volunteered?

A suffocating tightness found Kirsy.

And just as anger was about to rise from this tightness, Caden spoke.

“Ah, Kirsy. I have something to talk to you about tonight.”

“….Huh?”

“I’ll come find you after escorting Lady Daisy to her dormitory, so wait for me.”

Kirsy hesitated at his voice for a moment, then came to her senses.

“…Brother, don’t change the subject. I’m asking what’s going on—”

-Thud.

A hand gripped Kirsy’s shoulder.

It was Asena.

With an expression Kirsy had never seen before, Asena advised her:

“…..Kirsy. For now… listen to your brother.”

“…..”

Kirsy didn’t understand a single thing about this absurd situation. But instinctively, she could tell something was wrong. That uneasiness stopped her.

****

“….Thank you for your hard work today.”

Daisy said.

“…It’s nothing, it’s my job.”

I answered, adjusting my posture.

She was standing in front of her dormitory door, looking at me.

Occasionally, some interested young ladies watched us, but I was getting used to it.

It was my first time inside the women’s dormitory. Normally it wouldn’t be possible, but it was temporarily allowed under the pretext of practice.

“…Then have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Daisy broke the awkward silence that had fallen between us with a final greeting.

But I still had something to say to her.

“…Ah, Lady Daisy?”

“….Call me Daisy. This is just practice, not like you’ve really become my knight.”

“…Then Daisy… I’m sorry. You must have been uncomfortable today, getting caught up in my family matters.”

Daisy turned her body, gave a small smile, and then looked at me directly.

“….I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t uncomfortable at all. But, Sir Caden.”

“Call me Caden.”

At my words, she smiled shyly.

“Then Caden. Don’t worry about me. I feel more rewarded than uncomfortable.”

“…..What?”

Rewarded?

I wondered what part of this made her feel rewarded.

I tried to understand her words, but I couldn’t figure it out.

And for my benefit, Daisy explained:

“….Caden. I feel sorry for you.”

“…..What?”

“….Just because you were adopted, you’re resented by the twins. Despite your outstanding abilities, you’re treated like a burden that should be hidden… and because of that, there are bad rumors about you. This is more than uncomfortable for me to see.”

“…..”

“Because I respect capable people. I understand the times you had to endure to gain those abilities.”

All I could do was smile awkwardly.

The more I listened, the more I felt like I might tear up.

It was hard being treated that way by the twins. I understood, but that didn’t make it any less difficult. But now the character I had admired most in the novel was acknowledging me. How could I not be moved?

“Winning the jousting tournament wasn’t simple. You won by unseating everyone in a single round.”

In fact, my lance was even shorter. As she said, I had put in blood and sweat to achieve this skill.

“….And yet someone as amazing as you. Someone who worked hard to be recognized by others…. being disrespected by the twins… your siblings… I didn’t like that. So I feel rewarded. Because when you’re by my side… at least I won’t disrespect you. Maybe by my side, you can escape the twins’ disrespect a little.”

“……..”

Then, with an expression that seemed to say “oops,” Daisy said to me:

“Ah…! What am I doing, criticizing your siblings right in front of you…. Of course this stays secret from the twins, right?”

“…Haha… don’t worry.”

Daisy placed her hand on my arm.

“…It’s been hard for you, hasn’t it?”

I bit my lip.

I took a deep breath.

“….You’ve worked hard. Today too.”

Daisy smiled once more.

Yes, this is why I liked her.

Strong yet kind.

I had liked this about her when reading, but now that this kindness was directed at me, it moved my heart even more.

“…Daisy.”

I called her name.

“Yes?”

“…..I swear again, while I’m in charge of your protection, I’ll give you my complete loyalty.”

Daisy smiled as she turned around.

Then, opening the dormitory door and entering, she quietly said:

“…I’ll trust you. Sleep well…?”

“Sleep well.”

****

Immediately after, I headed to the twins’ room.

I didn’t run into Judy on my way there. Since it was a dormitory, I figured she had probably returned to her own room quickly.

But strangely, my heart felt lighter on the way. Maybe because I had sorted out my feelings, or maybe because Daisy’s words had comforted me.

I didn’t feel the uneasiness, fear, or frustration that was hard for me to understand.

It felt like a cool breeze was blowing through my chest.

When I arrived at the twins’ room, I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

-Knock knock

Before I could knock a third time, the door burst open.

Sure enough, Kirsy had been standing by the door the whole time.

As soon as she saw me, she ran to me with tears in her eyes.

Her momentum was too strong to block, so I just opened my arms.

She clung to me and began to sob.

“Brother…! I heard from Sister…*sob*..it’s not true…! Brother, I don’t hate you..!”

I walked inside carrying her clinging to me.

“Stop!”

Commanding her to stop crying, I lifted her thigh that was wrapped around my waist.

Asena, whether she had calmed down or not, was waiting for me again with a hardened face.

My neck was getting soaked with Kirsy’s tears.

“Come on, let go. This is uncomfortable. My neck is getting all wet.”

“*Sob*…! *Sniff*..!”

I looked at Asena.

“Asena, how much did you tell her?”

“….Just that. That you know everything, brother.”

“Hmm.”

I stroked Kirsy’s back to calm her down.

“Now, get down. We can’t talk like this.”

Kirsy shook her head and clung to me, but this time I grabbed under her armpits and gently pushed her away.

With that force, Kirsy had no choice but to get off me.

Her nose, which had been buried in my neck, left a trail.

“Ugh.”

Smiling slightly, I cleaned up Kirsy’s messy face and said to her:

“….Kirsy. As I told Asena… I’m okay.”

“…..Huh?”

She looked up at me even as she was crying.

Her eyes were sparkling with melancholy.

“I understand. Yes, I had forgotten. How strict the social hierarchy is in this world. And how symbolic a noble house the Praesters are.”

“…I was wrong too.. I won’t do it again. This time it’s a real promise..”

Kirsy sat down on the floor and reached out to grab my sleeve.

But I wasn’t finished speaking.

Asena, perhaps anticipating what I was about to say, began to clench her fist.

“So, I’m planning to leave the family.”

“…………….”

Kirsy stopped crying in an instant and blinked at me. Her trembling eyes looked at my left face, then my right cheek, then my left eye, then my right ear, repeatedly.

Blinking continuously, she said:

“…..Brother, did I hear wrong…?”

“It might be painful to hear… but we should never have been family.”

Bitterly, I revealed the truth to her.

I bent my knees to meet Kirsy’s eyes.

Her eyes were still wandering.

“Oh my… your pretty face will be ruined.”

I wiped away her tears and gave her a small smile.