Ch.9Are You Serious? (2)

After saying goodbye to Kirsy, I attended the afternoon class.

Lord Hoslow was still our instructor.

He had brought a chair to the training ground and was sitting, waiting for us to gather.

My peers were returning one by one after finishing their meals.

I could see Judy Ice returning with her equipment.

I waved at her, but she avoided my eyes.

I was satisfied just that she didn’t show any signs of dislike.

I couldn’t understand why I felt such familiarity toward her.

Perhaps it really was just because we were both the lowest in our families.

Or maybe I was excited about making a new friend.

Like with Kirsy.

I didn’t feel any guilt about becoming friendly with someone from the Ice Family.

Grandmother Riana hated the Ice Family… but that was her case.

Those emotions took root because of her own history and memories.

Not me.

I hadn’t suffered anything at the hands of the Ice Family.

Rather, they were a family I had liked when reading about them in novels.

I couldn’t cultivate hatred toward them just because grandmother told me to be cautious and wary of the Ice Family.

She was standing in one area of the training ground, waiting for class to begin.

But from what I could tell, class wouldn’t start for a while.

Not even half of our peers had gathered yet.

Instead, this time could be considered a chance to get to know each other.

Looking around, I could see people awkwardly trying to break the ice in conversations here and there.

I took this as an opportunity and confidently approached Judy.

“Did you eat?”

“……Yes, I did.”

Thankfully, she answered me.

“Where? I tried to find you but couldn’t see you.”

“You probably couldn’t see me because you were busy having fun with your sister.”

I scratched my head awkwardly.

“Oh, you saw us?”

“Your affection for each other is extraordinary. I couldn’t tell you were the lowest in your family.”

Judy Ice looked at me.

Her eyes seemed somewhat sorrowful.

I asked her.

“….Do you and your siblings-“

“-Of course we don’t get along like that. You’re the unusual one.”

“Hmm…”

“You said we should share our grievances, but you’re doing just fine. Were you deceiving me?”

Seemingly upset, Judy glared at me sharply.

But… it wasn’t deception.

In a few years, I’ll be the one expelled from the family.

Like being thrown away after all the sweet juice has been sucked out…

But there was no need to mention that.

“……It’s not deception.”

I just told her calmly.

I don’t know what my expression looked like.

But Judy looked at my face,

And didn’t say anything more.

It was quite fascinating.

From our brief conversation, I could sense her position within her family.

She didn’t seem to get along well with her siblings.

I didn’t think the children of the Ice Family would ostracize her… but I didn’t know the reality.

What was her childhood like?

If her siblings couldn’t be her friends,

Did someone else become her friend?

Or was she still a loner?

While I was lost in these thoughts,

Judy carefully said.

“…..I’m sorry.”

“…What?”

“……..I said something unnecessary. You must have your own hardships.”

Her apology lifted my mood.

It made me smile.

Now I truly wanted to become friends with her.

I playfully pushed her shoulder.

Judy, who was pushed away, looked at me with surprised eyes.

Before she could say anything, I spoke first.

“But why do you keep speaking informally to me?”

“……Huh?”

“Didn’t you enter right after becoming an adult? I think I’m older than you.”

“…Um… well…”

Her reactions were indeed amusing.

Seeing her flustered only fueled my mischievous side.

“How old are you? I’m 21.”

“…..21…?”

“I waited to enroll with my siblings.”

“………”

Judy Ice hesitated, unable to answer.

Just from her expression, I could tell she was younger than me.

She seemed to be the type who couldn’t hide her emotions well.

“…..I’m sorry. My mistake-“

“Hehehe.”

“?”

When she corrected herself to speak formally, I couldn’t hold back my laughter anymore.

Unlike my first impression, she seemed to have a cautious personality.

Both her apologies and her attentiveness showed this.

“Keep speaking informally. I’ll do the same. That works, right? Since we’re friends.”

“……..Friends…?”

“I said speak informally. Let’s just talk comfortably like this. Okay?”

I was trying to close the distance quickly.

I didn’t know how I could speak so comfortably either.

But somehow, Judy was like that.

Sometimes there are people you meet for the first time but feel comfortable saying whatever you want to.

I never thought such a person would be the illegitimate daughter of the Ice Family.

“…Friends..”

Judy kept repeating the word “friends.”

It seemed like an answer to the question I had earlier.

Had she had other friends?

She seemed to have lived a lonely life.

I could just feel it.

“Are you just going to forget about how you adjusted my stirrups this morning?”

I pulled her in with my words once more.

Judy looked at me with surprise again.

Her gaze had lost much of its hostility.

“…..I don’t really know what friends are supposed to…”

“Just talk to each other. Support each other. That’s all. Don’t overthink it.”

“……..”

“Let’s do this. We help each other whenever we need help during class. If we need to form teams, or need a training partner, or have a favor to ask, we look for each other. How about that?”

Judy fidgeted with her fingers.

I had said all I wanted to say.

If she rejected me here…

Well, I’d have to find another way, but I’d done my best to become friends.

It was up to her to choose now.

I started feeling a bit nervous about it.

“……”

But fortunately,

Judy nodded.

“……..That sounds good.”

I smiled.

“You made a good choice.”

“……I never thought I’d become friends with a Praester…”

“You never know what life will bring. Right?”

She adjusted her posture and looked back at Lord Hoslow.

She seemed to be waiting for class to resume.

But I wasn’t done talking yet.

“So, Judy. You didn’t tell me your age.”

“……Ugh.”

“How old are you?”

There was something about Judy that made me want to keep teasing her.

“…….”

“Tell me quickly. We’re friends now. What kind of friends don’t know each other’s age?”

Judy turned her back to me.

“….19….years old.”

Her reaction was deliciously satisfying.

****

The afternoon class consisted of familiar training.

Sword training.

It was also my strongest area.

After everyone—my peers, Judy, and Lord Hoslow—had passionately worked up a sweat, the day’s schedule came to an end.

I could say I had become friends with Judy.

She now asked me questions when she was curious about something.

She especially asked a lot about posture.

Even to my eyes, Judy’s swordsmanship skills still seemed awkward.

That’s not to say Judy’s skills were a complete mess.

It’s just that I, having practiced two years longer, had a few things I could teach her.

After class, we went to the stable together to look after the horses.

“Goldie” was my source of laughter.

It was the kind of name 10-year-old Kirsy would give to a doll.

I kept teasing Judy about it.

Dinner time was approaching.

After parting with Judy, I was going to find Asena and Kirsy.

I thought it would be nice to talk about the day’s events and wrap up the day.

Even though we had spent a lot of time together, I missed the twins after not seeing them for a day.

Especially Asena.

I had last seen Asena only in the morning.

Navigating the vast Academy wasn’t easy. I walked toward the political science department, asking questions here and there and following the posted signs.

As I walked, I found myself reflecting on the days I had lived in this world.

I think I was quite lucky.

Even though I was reincarnated as a commoner, I had survived so smoothly.

And I eventually entered this Academy.

And I was able to reform Asena and Kirsy.

The setting sun makes me sentimental.

I saw a familiar silhouette in the distance.

A smile came to my face.

“Asena…”

I started to speak but stopped.

She wasn’t alone.

Asena,

Daisy Hexter,

And one woman and two men I didn’t recognize yet.

All of them were wearing black clothes instead of Academy uniforms.

They were the Student Council.

Seeing them in person, their clothes were quite stylish.

They were engaged in a heated discussion.

It didn’t seem like the right atmosphere for me to interrupt.

So instead of speaking, I quietly followed them.

I thought it would be fun to surprise Asena after their conversation ended.

Asena was talking with a red-haired woman.

From my memory, that person was the Student Council President.

Lucil Hover, probably a second-year student.

Asena’s voice echoed.

“……Please don’t ask me, Madam President. It makes me uncomfortable.”

“Why, Asena? Everyone else has shared. Quickly tell us-“

“-I said no,”

Suddenly, her sharp voice startled me.

“I told you. Don’t you know it’s rude to casually ask about family matters?”

I knew Asena could be cold and detached, but I had never heard her speak in such a tone.

Daisy Hexter approached Asena’s side and gently grabbed her shoulder, as if trying to calm her down.

I quickened my pace, wondering if I should intervene.

If they were fighting, I should stop them.

“…Besides, I had an unfortunate childhood. I have nothing worth sharing.”

Her next words made my legs freeze.

It felt like a hand had emerged from the ground and grabbed my ankle.

Even without understanding the context, I could tell.

Asena was lamenting that her past wasn’t happy.

I don’t know why such words came up… but it was related to me.

……Hmm.

So that’s how it was.

I felt somewhat disappointed.

I wasn’t expecting her to say she was happy because of me… but

Hearing that she had no good memories sapped my strength.

I knew the pain of losing parents was great, but I thought she had healed while being with me. Was that just my delusion?

Had she been hiding her true feelings? My past arrogance now feels shameful.

“For someone with such a background, you seem to have grown up quite properly. Your emotional expression may be stiff, but you’ve already integrated well into the Student Council, and from what I’ve seen, you get along well with your sister. Who was she again..?”

Lucil Hover tried to lighten the stiffening atmosphere by praising Asena.

“Kirsy?”

Daisy Hexter also tried to change the mood, matching Lucil Hover’s rhythm.

She answered instead of Asena and continued the conversation.

“Ah, yes. Her. She also seems to have grown up beautifully..”

Daisy began praising Kirsy with her characteristically gentle voice in response to Lucil Hover’s words.

“That’s right. Kirsy is also such a kind person. She approached me first when I was feeling awkward. We’ve already become friends.”

“….Kirsy is indeed a bright child.”

Asena also agreed in her calm tone.

Thankfully, Asena also seemed to be calming down.

Then Daisy snapped her fingers as if remembering something.

“Ah! Come to think of it, don’t you also have an older brother, Asena?”

My body twitched nervously.

Looking at Asena, I noticed her previously straight head was now fixed on Daisy Hexter.

“I haven’t met him so I don’t know… What kind of person is he? His name is Cade-“

“-That person.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere was dominated by Asena.

With a cold but loud voice, she spoke steadily and directly.

“Don’t be curious about him, Daisy Hexter.”

Those words felt like a warning.

It was so chilling that even my chest felt cold.

“….What?”

A confused Daisy murmured.

She wasn’t the only one confused.

I couldn’t understand either.

Why would she react like that

When talking about me?

Where were all those small smiles she always showed me, and why was she making such a serious and cold expression?

People are more honest behind your back.

They can freely express emotions and words they couldn’t say to your face.

They can speak from the depths of their hearts, things they couldn’t say out of consideration for the other person’s feelings and relationship.

So, although I didn’t want to believe it, Asena talking about me when I wasn’t around felt more honest and sincere than ever.

It was just a feeling.

I felt like I would regret staying here.

I turned around.

Let’s postpone meeting Asena.

“That person isn’t a Praester. You have no reason to be interested in him.”

While you can look away from things you don’t want to see, you can’t avoid hearing things you don’t want to hear just because you want to.

A dagger flew at my retreating back with unavoidable speed.

“He’s just a stranger. Please don’t consider that person as my family.”

I never thought my Asena, on whom I had poured all my love, would say such things behind my back.

Was I the only one who thought of you as family?

The smiles she showed me, the affection she directed at me. The skinship we shared, years of memories.

Was all of this just a mirage with form but no substance?

Just when I thought my mood couldn’t sink any lower, Asena’s words continued relentlessly.

“In two years, that person will be expelled from the family. Because he’s adopted. It’s not like we’re connected by blood anyway.”

I never thought my heart could crumble so quickly.

Too rapidly, too suddenly, I hear facts I didn’t want to hear.

I turned to look at Asena.

I couldn’t believe she was saying such things.

I felt like I needed to see her expression.

I could see Asena’s profile.

Her rigid expression.

Without a hint of wavering, without a hint of hesitation.

“…I have never, not even once, thought of that person as my brother.”

Those shocking words drove a nail into my heart.