Ch.47Shining Knight (5)

“But, what did you mean earlier when you said ‘fortunately’?”

Kirsy asked while holding Ewin’s hand. It was Ewin’s words that still lingered in her mind.

“Pardon?”

Ewin paused her actions and answered cautiously.

“Why is it fortunate for you that I’m his sister?”

“Ah… that…”

“I don’t know if I’m jumping to conclusions, but… did you see some kind of possibility?”

“……”

Kirsy continued to look down at her, pressing Ewin relentlessly.

“You weren’t saying it’s fortunate that I’m not in a romantic relationship with my brother, were you?”

“N-no, not at all.”

“Right? I understand you were ‘briefly’ close during childhood, but I hope you’re not dreaming about having any kind of relationship with my brother. He’s nobility, so he can’t be with a commoner.”

There’s no law preventing commoners from marrying nobles. It’s not impossible for them to be together. But Kirsy spoke to Ewin as if it were an established rule.

“Ah… yes. O-of course I know that.”

“I’m not saying this because I dislike you, but because it’s just common sense. If you were to develop feelings… wouldn’t it be painful when you eventually have to let go?”

“……”

“…I think people are most beautiful when they… work hard in their proper places.”

After that, Kirsy released Ewin’s hand. Ewin tried to lighten the mood by scratching her head and smiling sheepishly, but to Kirsy, she just looked foolish.

‘Lowborn trash.’

She spat in her mind.

It was an extreme insult she had never used before, but somehow imagining saying it to Ewin made her feel relieved.

Afterward, they both focused on cooking.

Kirsy finished preparing the food for Caden with heightened alertness. Once the garnishing was complete, even to her own eyes, the dish looked quite good.

Kirsy immediately prepared two plates and approached Caden.

Ewin didn’t follow. Since she didn’t come along, Kirsy was able to leave some of her unpleasant feelings behind in the kitchen.

“Food’s ready, brother.”

With a brightened mood, somewhat deliberately elevated, she presented the food to Caden.

Caden nodded appreciatively toward Kirsy with admiration.

“…This looks really delicious.”

“Hehehe.”

As Kirsy scratched her head awkwardly, Caden asked:

“What about Ewin?”

Kirsy’s scratching fingers froze.

She could feel the emotions she had been suppressing starting to leak out.

Yes, she understood. He might be happy to have found a sister he hadn’t seen for years. But while her head understood, her heart couldn’t accept it.

She didn’t want to give up Caden in any situation. Especially not for him to meet another woman. Kirsy hated the idea of being pushed aside for another woman.

She desperately wanted to express her frustration.

She understood his happiness, but she wished he wouldn’t forget that today was also important for her. She hated the thought of all her efforts to reconcile with him going to waste.

But Kirsy knew that if she couldn’t control herself now, she wouldn’t be able to handle the aftermath.

This was finally a chance for reconciliation. She knew that if they raised their voices and pointed fingers at each other even now, they would truly grow apart.

So she had no choice but to let it slide for now… but she couldn’t hide her contorted expression.

It was driving her crazy with jealousy that he kept looking at Ewin, neglecting her.

“…Brother… I know you’re happy to meet your old sister, but can you focus on me right now? I worked hard on this.”

“…Ah. Sorry.”

Caden quickly acknowledged his mistake and looked up at Kirsy with a genuinely apologetic expression.

Normally, he would have stood up to comfort her when apologizing, but today there was still a gap of affection that needed to be bridged.

So he only apologized verbally, slightly bowing his head in an effort to meet Kirsy’s eyes.

“…It’s just that I haven’t seen my sister for so long. Um… but would it be awkward if Ewin sat with us and talked too?”

“…Brother. Today is an important moment for us too.”

“…Right. You’re right. Sorry, Kirsy. Just a moment.”

After saying that, Caden stood up, pulling his chair back. As Kirsy watched, he walked to the kitchen and seemed to find Ewin hiding behind an invisible wall, speaking to her.

“Ewin, today is an important day with my sister, so let’s talk next time, okay?”

Ewin’s quiet response could be heard.

‘Okay!’

Immediately after, Caden returned with a smiling face and sat down.

They exchanged glances for a moment. Caden spoke first.

“Well, we said everything we needed to yesterday. So… let’s not fight anymore and get along well from now on, Kirsy.”

“…Yes.”

****

The meal went well. They shared stories they hadn’t been able to tell each other, exchanging details about their daily lives.

In this happy moment, Kirsy kept feeling uncomfortable, as if something was weighing on her chest. She didn’t usually have these thoughts when looking at Caden, but she kept feeling anxious.

She felt like he was both present and absent—as if he might disappear if she took her eyes off him. Was it because of Ewin’s appearance, or because of all the other women who had recently appeared?

This anxiety stemmed from her desire for him.

It was surprising even to herself that her affection for him hadn’t diminished at all, even after all this conflict.

Rather, she could feel his preciousness more vividly.

So when the meal ended and it was time to return to her dormitory, Kirsy’s heart was pounding.

Her anxiety kept growing, tormenting her.

She couldn’t understand why there were suddenly so many women trying to take his side recently.

Judy from the same department.

Then Daisy who appeared after her.

And now Ewin.

Wherever he turned, he was forming new connections with new people.

Caden’s behavior also fueled these feelings.

At the end of their post-meal stroll, Kirsy threw herself at Caden for a hug.

Caden no longer stopped her, but he didn’t give her the strong embrace he used to.

Even the hug he had given Ewin earlier was much more intense than this. For some reason, he only gave her a hug that was far from satisfying.

“…..?”

Kirsy looked up at him with an expression of incomprehension after receiving such a hug, but Caden just led her along with a smile on his face, looking elsewhere.

Was he looking for someone else to hold tightly?

Now that he had found his old sister, was he only going to embrace Ewin that way, pushing Kirsy aside?

Thinking like that made it impossible to maintain her sanity.

In the end, Kirsy returned to her dormitory room without even remembering how she had parted with Caden.

“….”

Kirsy blinked her eyes to regain her senses. One moment she had been beside Caden, and the next moment she had arrived here.

Only after slowly realizing she had entered her dormitory room did Kirsy feel the emotions she had been suppressing come rushing in like a tide.

She simply couldn’t handle this suffocating feeling alone.

She approached Asena’s room, which had been tightly closed recently.

-Knock knock knock!

“Sister..! Sister… please open the door.. I need to talk to you.”

-Knock knock knock!

“Sister!”

After knocking for a while, a cold, dignified voice responded.

‘…Did you meet with brother?’

It was so chilly that even Kirsy found it strange. But since Kirsy was also in an emotionally charged state, she couldn’t think to be considerate of Asena.

“I… met with brother. But-“

‘…Did you reconcile?’

“…….”

Interrupted by Asena’s question, Kirsy hesitated momentarily before answering that first.

“…We did. But that’s not the issue-“

-BANG!!

A tremendous noise erupted from inside Asena’s room, followed by the sound of something breaking.

Startled by the noise, Kirsy finally twisted the doorknob and opened the door.

“………..Sister.”

The room inside was a mess.

Nothing was intact. The pillow had burst, scattering feathers everywhere. The chair was broken. The teacup was shattered, and one door of the wardrobe had fallen off.

With the curtains completely drawn, not a ray of light entered the room, giving it a desolate feeling.

Only then could Kirsy understand how Asena had managed to remain so quiet all this time.

She had thought Asena wasn’t going crazy like she was. Now she saw that wasn’t the case.

In a space where she could be alone, Asena had been suffering all along.

“…Aren’t you going to tell me your story?”

Asena asked Kirsy, rolling only her eyes toward her, her face hidden behind her hair.

“………”

Kirsy shook her head, unable to answer.

-Crunch…

Kirsy could see Asena’s fist digging into the bedsheet. She had never seen Asena so broken before. She hadn’t witnessed this side of her because Caden had always been there to help her through difficult times.

“…For the reconciliation… did brother approach you first?”

“…No, I approached him first. But sister, that’s not what’s important.”

“…Then what is important?”

When it came time for Kirsy to speak, Asena’s emotions surged. Without realizing it, she spoke with a voice full of malice, almost like spitting out a curse.

“…Brother found his old orphanage sister.”

“…What?”

Asena raised her head. Snake-like eyes turned toward Kirsy. And gradually, those eyes began to shake violently.

“He had a sister from even before us…”