Ch.73Origin Point (1)

With a cool breeze, my eyes open naturally.

I wonder how long I’ve been sleeping. I feel incredibly refreshed.

Raising just my head after opening my eyes, I see the twins sleeping with each using one of my arms as a pillow.

Carefully, I sit up and wake them both.

“Kids, wake up.”

In this comfortable atmosphere, my body feels light as air.

A drowsy, relaxed state without any bitter emotions or tears mixed in.

Though I was playing hooky, I thought having days like this occasionally wouldn’t be so bad.

****

“Alright. Go on in.”

As I wave my hand, the twins obediently head to the classroom for their afternoon lecture.

Perhaps it’s because we went for a walk, but unlike this morning, we could part smoothly.

They did glance at Judy standing behind me for a moment, but that was all. They didn’t say anything to her.

With all the firstborn sons and daughters of the families entering the classroom, now only Judy and I remain standing in the hallway.

Now this moment has come.

The moment I’m alone with Judy.

Being conscious of it makes things awkward again.

Looking at Judy from the corner of my eye, she was staring straight ahead like a statue, rigid and stiff.

Finding it funny, I eventually burst into laughter.

“Pfft.”

Seeing me laugh heartily, Judy finally blushed and glanced at me sideways.

But even then, she wouldn’t face me directly. She seemed incredibly shy.

Since she was more nervous than I had imagined, I actually started to calm down.

It was just refreshing to see this new side of her, and I also felt that the emotions we were experiencing were natural.

After laughing as much as I wanted, I exhaled comfortably and said:

“Why are you so nervous, Judy?”

“……”

She couldn’t answer my question. Instead, her face just grew redder. She seemed embarrassed by her own behavior but unable to do anything about it.

“Are you going to be like this the whole time we live together?”

“…ugh.”

She lowered her reddening face and turned her body away. She seemed to not want to show me her face right now.

Teasing Judy is always fun.

It was already entertaining normally, but with these ticklish feelings mixed in, it couldn’t be more amusing.

I deliberately take one step toward her with a loud sound, walking sideways like a crab.

Judy flinches in surprise and takes one small step away.

Again, I take a big step toward her, and she takes a small step away from me.

Just as I was about to take another step, Judy spoke.

“Yuh-heon..!”

She was so nervous that her voice cracked once, and she cleared her throat.

“Aren’t you… affected at all…?”

“…No? My heart is racing a little?”

I said this thinking it would elicit an even more amusing reaction from her.

And sure enough, she turned her flushed face stiffly and checked my expression.

After glancing at me briefly, she quickly turned her head away again.

“Y-you’re lying. You don’t look affected at all.”

“I’m human too, Judy. Of course I feel awkward and my heart is racing.”

“……”

“If you were just someone I’d never met before, it might be different… but how could I not feel something when a friend becomes my fiancée?”

It seemed pointless to hide my feelings here. And honestly, there was no need to hide them.

I leaned my back against the wall after teasing her, as it was time to reveal my true feelings.

“…I’m nervous too. I’m just hiding it.”

“……….”

“It’s sudden for both of us. Did either of us expect this would happen?”

“…..”

“Ah, though we did joke about it before. I said I’d have to marry you to become a retainer, right?”

“…….”

“…Say something, Judy. I’m feeling awkward too.”

“Are you okay with it?”

“…What?”

“Are you… okay with marrying… me?”

I try to guess what she means by this question. Does she dislike this marriage? Or is it because of low self-esteem?

After much deliberation, I finally gave up thinking and answered honestly.

“I’m fine with it.”

“….Huh?”

“I prefer you, someone I know, over some stranger. Plus, you’re from the Ice Family. This could bring peace between our families. And even putting the families aside… I have no complaints because it’s you.”

“…….”

“What about you?”

“…….Huh?”

“How do you feel about it?”

I asked casually, but it was just an act. Since she was being shy, I was trying to maintain composure. If I showed embarrassment too, it would seem foolish. And the conversation might not continue.

But my heart was beating fiercely. The more we talked, the more real it felt that Judy and I would be together.

If she didn’t say she disliked it, our union was almost certain.

“……”

Judy mumbled something.

“What did you say, Judy?”

“…..I said I’m fine with it too.”

“……”

“……”

At her answer, we both fall silent simultaneously.

But even without saying anything, we had to focus all our attention on suppressing our emotions.

This first-time flutter. And that tension. It was hard to describe in words.

I hadn’t realized it, but I think I had positive feelings for Judy.

Since when? Since I felt a kinship with her as a bastard daughter? Since we went through countless training sessions together? Since we made silly jokes? Since we comforted each other? Since we crossed the line of death together with swords in hand? Since we joked about marriage? Or since we actually became betrothed?

I felt more anticipation than resistance to this developing relationship with Judy.

Without realizing it, the corners of my mouth curled up at her words.

Judy, who had been taking deep breaths with her back to me, took one big inhale as if gathering courage and turned to face me.

Then, this time she took a step toward me and stretched out her hand.

It seemed like she wanted something.

“…..?”

I was cooling my heated cheeks with the back of one hand, but raised a question mark at her strange behavior.

“…What is it?”

“……We can’t keep being awkward.”

“….I can handle it. Aren’t you the one struggling?”

“….Anyway.”

“So what’s with the hand?”

At my question, Judy’s shoulders, which had been puffed up like a pufferfish from taking a deep breath, gradually deflated.

As her courage seemed to drain away with it, her eyes began to waver and her head slowly turned away.

“…..Give me your hand.”

She muttered.

Again, a chuckle escaped me. Judy, as expected, only blushed at my laughter. There was no anger like before.

This is actually her true self.

From when we first met, she was wary and snippy with me. Looking back, she was just awkward with forming relationships.

Just look at what she’s doing now.

“So suddenly?”

“…..What else can we do? I don’t know how to break the awkwardness.”

“No… won’t we get used to it if we just keep going like this?”

At my question, she blurted out:

“…..We’re going to get married. Is holding hands such a big deal? Can’t you even do that?”

She seemed to be trying to provoke me. Or pretending to be tough.

“…It’s not that I can’t… it’s just such a blunt approach.”

Even as I said these things, I wasn’t opposed to doing what Judy suggested.

In fact, I thought it would be better if we did. Since my heart was racing too, I didn’t mind.

Despite refuting all her words, before she could say anything else, I reached out and took her outstretched hand.

“……”

Judy might think it wasn’t noticeable, but the momentary tension in her hand revealed her agitation.

Anyway, it’s not right to keep embarrassing a woman. Especially one who will be my partner.

Thinking of her as my partner made my heart race again.

It was hard to believe that this person in front of me would be the woman I’d spend my life with.

A relationship where I could entrust everything to her, and I would be her support.

Judy’s face grew even redder as she held my hand. She was so flustered despite being the one who suggested it.

Her intense reactions started to seem cute. Judy’s response triggered my mischievous side again.

I released the simple handhold and interlaced our fingers instead. I could feel Judy’s fingers between mine.

“…ugh.”

She finally couldn’t bear it and turned her face away again. But she didn’t pull her hand away.

I couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. The difference was that this time, I was somehow embarrassed to show my laughter, so I had to turn my head away too.

After that, we didn’t say anything.

We just held each other’s hands, looking in opposite directions, standing still.

Whether it was my hand or hers, sweat began to form, making our hands moist, but neither of us let go.

As time passed sporadically, I would look at her, and she would peek at me.

How much more time passed?

My heart was still racing, but as we got used to this feeling, our atmosphere gradually became more natural.

Though Judy’s method was rough, it was definitely effective.

Evidence of this was how our heads, which had been facing opposite directions, gradually began to face forward.

Suddenly, Judy looked up at me.

I pretended not to notice and looked ahead.

Then I felt a cold touch on my neck.

It was Judy.

I covered the spot she touched and looked at her.

“….?”

“Ah, sorry.”

“…It’s okay. But why?”

“…Move your hand, Caden.”

“Huh?”

I remove my hand as she says.

Judy stares at my neck for a long time before asking.

“…Did a bug bite you?”

*****

Perhaps it was because Kirsy had kissed Caden, but she was able to let him go more easily than usual during the afternoon class when she had to leave him with Judy.

Especially when she found it so distasteful that he and Judy were alone together after becoming a couple, but each time she recalled the kiss they shared.

The soft sensation of his tongue. That warmth. That feeling.

Thinking about it made her feel more at ease and able to let him go.

But that was only temporary.

As the class dragged on and the time they spent together increased, her anxiety grew.

She began to regret leaving the two of them alone.

Though there was nothing she could do about it, she still hated it.

The effect of the kiss with Caden was wearing off. She wanted him again and was growing impatient. If only she could kiss him again right now, she might be able to endure for a few more hours, but since that wasn’t possible, Kirsy began tapping her fingers on the desk.

When would the class end? It seemed like it should be ending soon.

“-Well then, today’s class-“

At that moment, the professor announced the end of the class, and Kirsy’s legs reacted just as quickly.

She wasn’t the only one who moved.

Asena also rose from her seat with elegant movements.

Kirsy didn’t have time to wait for Asena.

She left her seat and hurried to the classroom door with quick steps.

And flinging the door open, she headed toward her brother who should be there.

She prayed that nothing had happened.

-Slide, bang!

But what she had to see as soon as she opened the door was Caden and Judy, startled and letting go of their held hands.

Her heart sank, and she let out a scoffing laugh in disbelief.

How could they already be holding hands when they’d only been together for such a short time?

It was the first time she’d seen him have physical contact with another woman.

And it shook Kirsy more than she expected. Her body reacted violently, perfectly fitting the expression “blood boiling.”

In contrast, Kirsy felt her eyes growing cold.

Before she knew it, her legs were moving on their own, approaching him.

“Kirsy, why did you open the door so forcefully?”

“….What were you doing, brother?”

“Huh?”

Kirsy wedged herself between Judy and Caden.

She placed both hands on his chest and pressed her body against his.

“What were you doing?”

Caden didn’t answer and looked at the few students exiting the classroom.

“Kirsy, don’t cling like this in front of people-“

“-Focus on me in front of you, not on other people.”

“What?”

“Brother….what were you doing with Judy?”

The last words didn’t sound like a question. They came out flat, like an order to answer.

Caden scratched his head and easily admitted it.

“…I was holding hands with Judy.”

Kirsy’s grip tightened, capturing Caden.

But Caden didn’t seem to mind.

“We’re going to get married eventually, so what’s the big deal about holding hands, Kirsy?”

“Bro-“

“-It’s fine, it’s fine. Why are we talking about this? Anyway-“

“-I’m not done talking, brother..!”

Caden ignored her and changed the subject.

“How was class today, Kirsy?”

But Kirsy wouldn’t let the topic go either.

“Brother, how could you already be holding hands with Judy-“

Caden cut her off once more and changed the subject.

“-Oh right, Kirsy. Take a look at this. Is this a bug bite?”

“……..”

And Kirsy, who had been trying to hold onto the topic, couldn’t help but pause at his casually thrown words.

Because Caden was pointing with one finger at the kiss mark she had left.

“You don’t have one?”

He asked.