Chapter 76
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------
Chapter 76
[Master, surely you're not—]
Yurien de Harden Kirie moved before the Holy Sword could finish speaking. His reaction was faster than expected. He yanked open the Stable door with rough urgency.
"Right, and technically you should brush the mane before bathing—"
Echinacea Loaz and Baraha Islaf turned toward the entrance in unison. Echinacea was nearly buried in Baraha's embrace, standing pressed against him from behind. Their fingers intertwined as they held the mane together. They looked remarkably intimate.
The sight made my mood plummet further. A twisting sensation in my chest. This was the moment that emotion—the one some poet had called the green-eyed monster—was born within me for the first time. Jealousy.
What calmed me was Echinacea's sudden tension the moment she saw me. Her sharp senses bristled with wariness, directed at me. She had looked so at ease beside Baraha, yet the instant her eyes found me, she stiffened completely.
Recognizing that, it felt as though ice water had been poured over the churning magma inside me. I approached them while reminding myself of reason. Whoever she grew close to was her choice. I had no right to interfere in her relationships. Yet despite these reminders, my mouth moved of its own accord.
"Baraha."
"Yes, Commander."
"Baron Tillius is looking for you. Go see him."
Baron Tillius had indeed been searching for Baraha. This morning, he'd mentioned in passing that after giving Baraha preliminary training, he should leave early—but something had come up, so Baraha should stop by before departing. So it wasn't a lie. I justified it to myself that way.
"Understood. Echinacea, finish grooming and head back. We can continue later. Oh, Commander, were you here to use Silphid?"
Echinacea. He called her by that nickname. Baraha used the familiar form of address, calling her by the shortened version of her name. I had only spoken with her once—that single time at the Fountain—and we hadn't known each other long, yet Baraha was already using her nickname. I answered calmly, concealing the turbulence within.
"Yes. Were you in the middle of squire preliminary training?"
"Yes, sir. We were only grooming, so it's fine to stop."
As I spoke, my gaze drifted toward them, still standing close together. The monster-like emotion was truly monstrous—it didn't listen to reason. I felt violently agitated.
Whether my unconscious will reached him or not, Baraha took a step back from Echinacea. The churning inside me settled slightly.
'What am I doing? I'm losing my mind.'
While I was bewildered by my own state, Baraha was speaking to Echinacea.
"Echinacea, finish up and head back."
"...Yes, senior."
Her voice trembled noticeably at the end. Baraha seemed puzzled and was about to say something more. I reflexively cut him off.
"Baraha. I thought I told you to go see Baron Tillius."
"Ah... yes, thank you."
Baraha finally left the Stable. With only her and me remaining, the twisted turmoil inside me fell completely silent.
[Master, what on earth did you just do?]
The Holy Sword asked in exasperation. Since I didn't understand it myself, I had nothing to say, so I remained silent.
Echinacea was hastily organizing the tools. Her movements were rushed. A brush struck the rim of the bucket and bounced away, rolling until it stopped at my feet. I bent down to pick it up. As I held it out to her, Echinacea went rigid as if a sword had been pointed at her. It contrasted sharply with how relaxed she'd seemed beside Baraha. A bitter taste flooded my mouth.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?"
"Pardon?"
Though her discomfort was plainly obvious, I asked anyway. Her reflexive question and expression answered for her. She dislikes me. I had pretended not to remember, and deliberately hadn't sought her out since. Had challenging her to a duel been a mistake?
If she disliked me, it was better never to duel her again. It was truly regrettable, and her talent was immensely coveted, but if that was why she avoided me, it was something I could give up.
"If the duel challenge was burdensome... you can forget about it."
Even as I said this, I didn't realize I wanted Echinacea herself far more than I wanted her as a knight. My heart had simply, naturally chosen her.
She hesitated, then accepted the brush.
"No, Commander."
"No? What do you mean?"
"It's not that the duel is burdensome—it's just that I felt unworthy. Once I'm mentally prepared, I'll let you know. And... thank you for the cloak before. I'll return it soon."
She spoke very rapidly, then spun around abruptly. It was painfully clear she wanted to escape my presence. Was it not because of the duel? Was my very existence uncomfortable for her? Did my appearance truly wound her? I felt an unexpectedly profound sadness.
"So you're saying it's inconvenient for you."
"...."
She froze at his words. All I could see of her from behind was the undulating pink hair and the delicate lines of her slender frame, no longer those clear eyes. Would her shoulders be trembling like they had been at the Fountain? If she despised him this much, perhaps the kindest thing would be to never appear before her again.
But he had already appointed her as his squire. She would remain at his side.
"You will soon become my squire, and I would prefer that you not find me inconvenient."
He spoke casually, pretending to retrieve his beloved Silphid to avoid burdening her. Since the formal appointment ceremony hadn't taken place yet, he could cancel the squire designation at any moment. Yet his thoughts never reached that conclusion. It would be more accurate to say he unconsciously turned away from that choice.
Echinacea Loaz said nothing. She neither turned around nor left, but simply stood there. Yurien de Harden Kirie led Silphid forward as if he had come to speak rather than to see her. His departing steps were slow, as though waiting for her response.
Echinacea Loaz's shoulders heaved sharply. She turned to face him.
"May I ask you one thing, Commander?"
The fact that she hadn't dismissed him and left filled me with such joy. Could I dare to hope? If I opened my mouth, my voice would betray my excitement, so I simply gazed at her in silence. Echinacea Loaz hesitated, her lips parting and closing. Her pale lips trembled. It was a trivial movement, yet I found myself captivated by it.
"You said you saw me at last year's birthday celebration. But I've never spoken with you before—how did you know me? Did I... do something rude?"
Yurien de Harden Kirie stopped before her. Standing so close, my gaze kept tracing the contours of her face. That pale, beautiful face looking up at me. Those lips moving as she spoke.
Seeing myself fixate on such things felt shameless, so I opened my true sight. Through it, she was a blazing sun. That dazzling soul wavered, drenched in anxiety. She was anxious because of me. It was heartbreaking.
"Nothing of the sort occurred. You simply caught my attention."
"Caught your attention? Was it because of my hair?"
If I affirmed it now, would she feel reassured? I didn't want to lie. Yet I couldn't tell her the truth either. I couldn't say I had seen the spark within her soul. And besides, that spark had been the beginning of tragedy. Yurien de Harden Kirie deflected his answer.
"...No, it was personal interest."
The movement of her soul changed. What had been wavering anxiously now seemed to tilt in confusion. I closed my true sight. Her body, like her soul, tilted its head slightly. It was an answer she hadn't anticipated at all—her large eyes blinked slowly. The tension that had gripped her entire body loosened in bewilderment, becoming natural.
"Personal interest? What do you mean by that...?"
The way she asked, bewildered and hesitant, was so beautiful and endearing that I found myself smiling without thinking. As I smiled, she became even more defenseless. Her eyes fixed on me. Without tension or wariness, she simply gazed. My mood lifted so remarkably that my smile deepened of its own accord.
'If I smile more, might she smile back? I want to see her smile. I've never seen it before....'
With such thoughts, I reached out absently. Only after feeling the smooth texture of her hair did I realize what I was doing. I had unconsciously tried to touch her.
'I've lost my mind.'
I should withdraw my hand, but if I did now, I'd have no explanation. What excuse could I possibly give? While I deliberated, my fingers continued to follow the grain of her hair. The sensation of it wrapping softly around my fingertips was so pleasant that I felt a slight chill.
Fortunately, I noticed a strand of straw caught in her hair. I made an effort to appear natural as I grasped the straw and withdrew my hand. I spoke evasively.
"I'll answer that question after our match."
Her brow furrowed. A displeased expression, as if to say I was being unfair. She spoke with a hint of complaint.
"...You said I didn't have to worry about the match request if it was burdensome."
The way she said this while subtly glancing at me sideways was strangely adorable. I had felt many emotions toward her, but this was the first time I'd found her cute. That girlish face. Perhaps this was who she truly was before that nightmare.
Discovering this entirely new side of her, I let out a short laugh. Just moments ago my heart had been terribly bitter, yet it lifted so easily now. Simply because she had relaxed her guard and faced me naturally. Perhaps if time passed like this, the way she regarded me would become natural as well. That hope began to bud within me.
"If you truly dislike it, I cannot force you. But it means I desire a match with you that desperately."
I hope that someday you will be ready to accept everything. I've resigned myself to the possibility that day may never come, yet I still hope for it. For a truly new life to begin, one no longer bound by the past.
Of course, when that day comes, you may come to hate me—the one who cast you into the abyss.
At the end of my smile, guilt welled up, tearing at my insides. Fearing it might show on my face, I hurried away. Only after leading Silphid out of the Stable did I catch my breath.
Yurien de Harden Kirie looked back at Silphid. I hadn't planned to bring her out—what was I to do? Work was piling up. The horse blinked her innocent eyes and nickered. It felt wrong to put her back in the Stable the moment Echinacea Loaz left. I decided to let Silphid run for a while before returning her to the Stable.
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------