Ch.89Extraction (4)

Caden sought out Daisy before leaving.

Finding her wasn’t difficult. Having spent so much time with her during escort training, he could easily guess where she might be.

Daisy was in the Student Council room. Fortunately, she was alone.

When he suddenly visited her, Daisy greeted him with a look of surprise.

“Caden!”

A small smile appeared on Daisy’s face as she welcomed him. She put down the quill pen she was using, stood up from her seat, and quickly stepped in front of him.

“……”

As Daisy approached, her expression hardened while observing Caden’s face. This was the first time she had seen him with such an expression, and it made her feel uneasy.

Her biggest worry was that their engagement might be called off. She thought to herself that it would have been better if their relationship was as unshakable as other nobles’ arrangements, established from the moment they were announced.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t live without Caden or that she would die without him… but if the engagement was broken, she would probably be overcome with sadness for a while.

In truth, Daisy couldn’t be certain about her feelings. This was the first time she had experienced such emotions, and having never lost them before, it was difficult to gauge how important they were to her.

In any case… if there was a problem, they should solve it together. Since they would be together from now on, Daisy wanted to be his strength.

“…Did something happen?”

“……”

Caden closed his eyes and thought for a while, then placed his hands on both of Daisy’s shoulders.

Looking into her eyes, he spoke.

“…Daisy. I’m leaving the Academy.”

“…What?”

Daisy froze momentarily at his shocking words.

There was no deception on Caden’s face. No sign of wavering. This wasn’t asking for permission—it was an announcement.

“……”

After processing his words for a moment, Daisy deduced why he had no choice.

A few days ago, she had spoken with the twins.

They had come to her on the day she had verbally agreed to become Caden’s fiancée.

Hating how the twins tried to destroy all of Caden’s engagement prospects, she had asked them who would satisfy them.

‘Me.’

Asena’s voice echoed in her ears. That seductive, forceful, sorrowful, desperate voice.

Daisy swallowed.

She could guess it was that, but couldn’t ask directly. If… she was wrong? Then she would only be telling Caden something he didn’t need to know.

So she tested the waters.

“…May I know the reason?”

“…Something came up with the family.”

“…Is it because of the twins?”

Caden flinched at that.

From his reaction, Daisy could be certain.

“…Caden. If it’s about the twins… I know.”

“…What?”

“…They told me. That they… love you.”

“……”

Caden squeezed his eyes shut. Had he been the only one who didn’t know? He had heard that the twins’ feelings had existed for a long time, but each time he received confirmation like this, his heart felt heavy.

He couldn’t find an appropriate response. He could only ask something unimportant.

“…When… did you find out?”

“…The day I heard from my father that our engagement was decided.”

Caden recalled the twins’ recent behavior. When he closed his eyes, they would secretly crawl into his bed and steal kisses like villainesses. In other words, they fully displayed their villainous qualities when out of sight.

They had only acted innocent and kind where he could see them.

It was embarrassing that he only realized this now through such a shocking revelation. His rose-colored glasses must have been quite thick.

So he had to ask Daisy.

“…Did the twins hurt you?”

“…They didn’t hurt me.”

Caden found it difficult to believe Daisy’s words.

“What did my sisters say? Please tell me honestly.”

Daisy hesitated for a moment before telling him a softened version of events.

“…That they wished our engagement would be broken.”

“…Sigh.”

Once again, Caden let out a long sigh.

Daisy approached him first.

“Caden, I’m fine—”

“—I’m sorry, Daisy. You had such an unpleasant experience because of me. If it weren’t for me… you wouldn’t have had to experience such an unusual situation…”

At his words, ‘If it weren’t for me, there wouldn’t have been a problem,’ Daisy’s heart began to flutter anxiously.

It felt as though he might say, ‘Find someone good instead of a strange person like me,’ at any moment.

Of course, it was true that the whole experience was unusual and made her slightly uncomfortable, but that didn’t mean she wanted him to leave.

She could spend her life with the Caden she had been watching, and a few obstacles meant nothing to her.

So Daisy blinked anxiously and grabbed his arm.

“I… I’m fine, really—”

Caden interrupted her words.

“So… Daisy. If you marry me… I’ll make up for all of this. The discomfort and dissatisfaction you felt because of me… I’ll make you so happy that you won’t even remember them. Right now… that’s all I can promise you.”

Hearing his warm words, Daisy felt deeply moved once again.

“…Ah.”

Only a weak moan escaped through her teeth.

‘Yes.’

She thought.

‘This is a person worth dedicating my life to.’

Someone who would dig out the discomfort she had secretly harbored, take responsibility until the end, and promise to compensate and make her happy.

This is the kind of person a husband should be.

Tears welled up in her eyes for no reason.

Though she was strong against fear and pain, she was too weak against words that warmed her heart.

Daisy felt ashamed of herself. Caden might have spoken lightly. But if she showed tears and was so moved by it, he might think she was a bothersome woman.

Daisy lowered her head to hide her eyes.

Caden continued.

“…I’m leaving your side this time… but this will clearly remain as a debt in my heart.”

“No… no. There’s no rule that says fiancés have to be together all the time… We can be apart temporarily due to personal circumstances.”

“…..”

After thinking for a moment, she indulged in a selfish request.

“…Caden. Just answer one thing for me.”

“Tell me.”

He asked without hesitation.

“…Will you come back?”

She gripped his forearm more tightly. Though tears were welling up, she raised her head and looked straight into his eyes. She felt she might regret it later if she didn’t do this now.

Caden was also looking straight into her eyes.

Until now, his voice had carried a slight pain when talking about the twins, but he answered firmly and without wavering.

“I will come back.”

Daisy took one step further. Perhaps her heart had weakened because of the tears.

But right now, she didn’t want to hide anything from Caden. She wanted to let him know why she had asked this.

“…I hate to bring this up, but… you broke off your engagement with Judy too. Couldn’t the same happen with me…?”

“…I promise you, Daisy. That… won’t happen.”

“…Give me proof.”

“……”

“…..”

Caden exchanged glances with her, then pulled her in.

He embraced her in his arms.

They had only discussed their engagement; this kind of physical contact was a first.

Of course, they had linked pinkies once if that could be considered physical contact, but embracing like lovers was a first.

The moment he pulled her into his arms, Daisy strongly wrapped her arms around his waist, and Caden placed one hand on her head and the other on her waist to hold her.

Daisy’s heart pounded as if it would burst.

She had already had good feelings for him even before the engagement, but now that he was becoming hers, there seemed no need to hold back.

She was his.

He was hers.

She liked the sound of that.

Whenever she thought about arranged marriages, she always viewed them as homework. Homework she didn’t want to do.

She never expected things to work out so well. To end up with someone they both liked.

It was her first time embracing a man, but she didn’t want to let go.

Even without knowing what he might think of her, she embraced him strongly, very strongly.

****

-Knock knock knock.

The next person Caden visited was Judy.

She was nowhere to be seen, and after asking around, he heard that she hadn’t left the dormitory.

It wasn’t hard to guess that this was probably because she had stolen his lips the day before.

It wasn’t proper for a man to visit the women’s dormitory like this, but Caden had no time.

Also, even though the escort training had ended, people still recognized that Caden might visit the women’s dormitory for work reasons, so no one looked at him strangely.

-Knock knock knock.

“…Judy, it’s me. Open the door.”

There was no answer.

He persistently knocked on the door. He really had no time left now.

“…Judy, it’s important. Open the door.”

Knowing he wouldn’t give up, a response finally came from behind the door.

‘…Go… go away… if… if you’re here about the kiss, I have nothing to say.’

“…Judy.”

‘…My feelings haven’t changed either… I… I now only…’

“Judy, I’m leaving the Academy.”

Caden spoke clearly enough for her to hear.

At that moment, the sound of the lock quickly turning was heard, and the door burst open.

-Bang!

“…What… what?!”

Only then could Caden see Judy. It was the first time seeing her since their lips had met the day before.

Judy stood at the door with a blanket draped over her shoulders, wearing comfortable clothes… that is, clothes that revealed a lot.

Caden turned his eyes away and said.

“…Judy, I’ll give you time to change clothes—”

At that moment, the blanket fell with a thud.

Her snow-white abs were revealed.

As he was about to admonish her again… he didn’t get the chance.

-Tap!

She had already grabbed Caden with the hand that had released the blanket.

At her touch, Caden unconsciously looked into Judy’s eyes.

Her eyes were trembling fiercely.

With an equally trembling voice, Judy asked.

“…Is it because of me…?”