Chapter 287
Chapter 287
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 287
Chapter Title: Adelia's Heart (7)
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***
*Swish.*
With the sound of the curtains being drawn back, Adelia's seemingly endless treatment finally came to a close.
"...Hah."
As Adelia appeared, letting out a faint breath,
"You've worked hard..."
Cheon-seong immediately approached her, speaking cautiously. Facing him, Adelia shook her head with a faint smile.
"Cadet Karite had it much harder than I did. She must be... truly exhausted. She'll be fine with some rest, so don't worry anymore."
At her words that it was all over, Cheon-seong's expression brightened, and his gaze soon turned to Karite, who lay on the sickbed, completely disheveled.
"..."
"..."
Just then, Karite was also staring blankly at Han Cheon-seong, so their eyes met.
"Han Cheon-seong..."
"Yes, Karite. I'm here."
As he answered reassuringly, Adelia watched them with a faint smile and quietly stepped aside.
Although giving the man she loved time with another woman should have been uncomfortable, Adelia accepted it calmly.
*She must be having a really hard time.*
In fact, looking at Karite, that was the main thought on her mind.
She had already faced two crises that would have been difficult to endure under normal circumstances, and had miraculously survived an Apostle.
First, it was Cadet Han Cheon-seong, and this time, it was Cadet Karite.
To her, the mere fact that they had kept their minds intact through such great crises made them seem admirable.
*Click.*
Just as she was stepping aside to let the two talk.
Her eyes suddenly met with the blonde knight standing guard not far away. Isabelle.
"..."
*Nod.*
When Isabelle gave a slight nod, as if to acknowledge her hard work, Adelia smiled gently once more.
"Can you... hold me now?"
But at Karite's weak voice that followed, Adelia stopped in her tracks.
*Click...*
Having stopped awkwardly, her gaze inadvertently... turned to Cheon-seong.
"...Ah."
As if by chance, Cheon-seong also looked at Adelia, and before she knew it, she was nodding.
—To grant Karite's request.
In that instant, Adelia had responded to his gaze with an action.
In her view, he had no choice but to grant Karite's request.
Because she knew the full extent of the pain the girl she had just treated had endured.
She had held on so well that one could only call it remarkable she had maintained her sanity in such a difficult state... Karite, who had endured so much, needed someone to give her strength, someone to lean on.
Adelia unconsciously realized.
That for Karite, such a person was the very man she loved...
"...Alright."
As if he had received some kind of permission, Cheon-seong turned his head from Adelia and gave his answer.
*Rustle.*
As he gently pulled Karite into his arms, she leaned against him, completely disheveled, as if entrusting her entire body to him.
*Whip.*
But Adelia immediately turned her head away from them.
"......"
She felt her heart waver.
It felt as though she couldn't even understand her own actions right now.
Just seeing him hold another woman in his arms made her heart tremble, and a different emotion bloomed in a corner of her chest.
She could clearly recognize what that emotion was.
*Jealousy.*
Yes, it was... a small pang of jealousy.
That's why she had turned her head like this, not wanting to see him embrace another woman.
*Click.*
Resuming her steps toward her seat, she inadvertently bit her lip lightly.
She felt... foolish for being like this.
He was only lending his embrace to Cadet Karite, who was suffering right now.
And she, who was jealous over just that... felt immature.
She definitely knew his personality. Affectionate and gentle, with a maturity beyond his years—she knew he could appear quite attractive to other women.
...So she had prepared herself to some extent.
She had resolved many times not to feel too much pain, even if he formed relationships with multiple women.
That was why she vaguely sensed that Instructor Kalli was in a similar relationship with him, and even Cadet Glacia, who had visited today, harbored strange feelings for him.
Because she loved him, she could see what kind of feelings other women had.
*Rustle.*
As she sat down, she blankly brushed her hair back.
"...Hah."
She let out a faint breath, feeling exhausted.
Nevertheless, she steeled her heart.
She couldn't avoid this reality or refuse to look at it. On the contrary, she had to face it head-on.
Because she had decided to accept this kind of relationship, she turned her gaze back to them.
"...It's all over now. You did a great job holding on, Karite."
Then, the first thing she saw was him patting Cadet Karite, who was held in his arms.
*Rustle.*
And then, Cadet Karite burying her face completely in his chest in response to his tenderness...
"......"
Beneath completely disheveled, light-blue hair, a female cadet drenched in a cold sweat was being held by her man.
And in her unfocused eyes, which had lost their light after a long period of pain, she could see complete 'relief'.
That... somehow captivated her.
Like a baby bird finding peace in its mother's embrace.
She could feel Cadet Karite's emotions just by watching her rely on her man.
"..."
At that, she was able to calm her emotions, as if the jealousy staining her heart was being diluted.
A strange reality where facing the sight of her man holding another woman could quell her chaotic heart.
And she couldn't deny that another feeling was stirring.
*I don't even get to hold him that often...*
A chuckle escaped her lips, even as she felt an undeniable sense of envy.
The times she had held him, or he had held her, were few enough to be counted on one hand.
He and she were now in a relationship akin to lovers. Even if they couldn't be called an official couple, they had confirmed their feelings for each other.
They had even given each other an answer regarding their hearts.
And yet, their meetings had been truly scarce.
Their schedules didn't seem to align, and their once-a-week meetings left her feeling a great sense of longing.
"...Being held by you like this... I think I'd be fine no matter what happens now."
At the sound of Cadet Karite's voice, speaking in a daze, Adelia found her lips faltering.
It was a truly... unreserved expression.
Inside the infirmary were herself, Dame Isabelle, and even Cadet Leonhardt, yet Cadet Karite seemed to have no intention of hiding her feelings in the slightest.
And Cadet Han Cheon-seong, who was accepting it, showed no particular sign of rejection.
*Is it... natural?*
They had survived such a crisis together. Only a single day had passed since yesterday's catastrophe.
It was only natural that they would have special feelings for each other...
*Sigh.*
Inwardly, she swallowed a sigh, but outwardly, a strange, faint smile emerged.
The more she watched them, the more reality set in.
Between her and him was the unbridgeable reality of 'instructor and cadet', and they couldn't approach each other freely just yet.
It was a relationship that would cause a lot of gossip if revealed in front of others, so even she felt it shouldn't be disclosed.
So, publicly, she and he had no relationship.
A close instructor and cadet. That was all.
Perhaps that was why she... was honestly just envious of Cadet Karite, who expressed her feelings and approached him so freely.
And she could tell just by looking.
The way Cadet Karite looked at and acted toward Cadet Han Cheon-seong showed that her feelings weren't half-hearted.
She clearly held 'affection' for him.
Even that felt like a product of their special circumstances.
Cadet Han Cheon-seong, who had overcome numerous crises with a strong will, had to be seen as having transcended the ordinary.
But Cadet Karite was different.
She was frail, groaned in pain, and it was clear her heart was delicate.
The reason she could endure and overcome this harsh reality was also easy to see.
*Because he is there...*
The fact that she hadn't lost consciousness during the excruciating pain of the treatment just moments ago... her actions showed that she had held onto her consciousness because she wanted to lean on him like this.
As her thoughts continued, she suddenly felt an intense gaze.
When she turned her head without thinking,
*Whip.*
Dame Isabelle immediately averted her gaze from her, and Adelia froze without realizing it.
*Did she notice...?*
She didn't think she had shown her emotions on the outside.
Even now, her outward appearance should have been one of simply watching the two cadets warmly. She hadn't shown her wavering heart.
"Ahem."
But the sight of Dame Isabelle turning away with a small cough... was truly strange.
No, that wasn't the only strange thing.
*Why is a woman...*
assigned as Cadet Han Cheon-seong's escort in the first place?
The prestige of a Golden Knight. Considering various factors, it was an impossible situation.
They received special treatment and stood just below the royal family.
She had been simply happy that someone was coming to protect Cadet Han Cheon-seong, but this case was far too different.
If she had come to terms with Cadet Karite being within an acceptable range... then this new woman who had suddenly appeared.
And one who, as an escort, would be spending a great deal of time by Cadet Han Cheon-seong's side. Dame Isabelle felt like a direct threat to her.
The elegance and nobility of Dame Isabelle, felt just by looking at her.
Even her cold beauty, which stood out without much adornment... was more than enough to naturally draw a man's gaze.
"......"
As she subtly controlled her breathing, she thought that perhaps...
she might not have been in a position to worry about Cadet Karite after all.