Chapter 319
Chapter 319
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 319
Chapter Title: Kalli's Jealousy
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***
*Clank.*
At the sound of the training hall door opening, Kalli smiled brightly.
“Welcome.”
“Yes, Instructor Kalli.”
Kalli stared at Cheon-seong as he naturally picked up a training spear, and in that moment, she felt a sense of discord.
“...?”
There was nothing strange about the way his eyes met mine, or how he picked up the spear as soon as he entered. Even his composed expression was the same as always.
So why did I feel this sense of unease from him?
‘He should be the same as usual…’
Mulling it over, she picked up Ellimiang's Consideration, which she had prepared nearby.
*Tap.*
She approached him with familiar steps, closing the distance.
“……”
He was calmly looking at her, ready.
Just like any other day, his face seemed to be waiting for her to put on Ellimiang's Consideration for him.
…The face I always adore is right in front of me, so why am I like this?
*Thud.*
She stopped in her tracks and simply stared at him.
Her hand, holding Ellimiang's Consideration, wouldn’t move toward his earlobe.
“Instructor Kalli?”
His voice, calling out to me in confusion, finally broke through my daze.
“…Ah. Yes.”
Even as I gently raised my hand to put on the earring, the feeling… was truly strange.
I finally understood.
I knew why I felt that sense of unease when I looked at him. It was because of the faint, yet distinct, scent clinging to his body.
It was something I instinctively sensed now that I was close enough to put the earring on him.
‘Who could it be…?’
Cadet Han Cheon-seong’s body carried the scent of another woman, something akin to a fragrance.
*Click.*
As I finished putting on the earring and pulled my hand away, my mood seemed to sink even further.
“Thank you.”
Right in front of me, he expressed his gratitude with a small smile.
It was all so… nonchalant.
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong.”
“Yes, Instructor Kalli.”
Seeing him answer while looking at me, I hesitated for a moment.
‘When I think about it…’
From the beginning, our relationship was one where I had decided to understand him.
I, the instructor, was the one who approached the cadet first, seeking to develop our relationship. That in itself was something that should have never happened, but I had considered and accepted even more than that.
I had frequent drinks with Instructor Adelia, sharing our true feelings and agreeing to understand our situation.
The fact that our circumstances might not allow us to be the only ones to have Cadet Han Cheon-seong.
Therefore, even if Cadet Han Cheon-seong had another woman, I was to understand…
“It’s nothing.”
I shook my head with an awkward smile.
…So, I decided not to ask. Even if my heart was troubled, this was something I would have to endure from now on.
“Ah, yes…”
Perhaps my complex emotions were showing on my face. I saw Cadet Han Cheon-seong flinch as he looked at me, but it was too late to take it back.
“Well… we’ll start with a spar today. Warm up and prepare lightly.”
“Understood.”
With a quiet reply, Cadet Han Cheon-seong immediately picked up his spear and began to warm up.
*Whoosh!*
As I watched him spin his spear and stretch his entire body, I swallowed the sigh that threatened to escape.
‘…As I thought.’
My mood isn’t good.
To be honest, I couldn’t deny that my mood had soured considerably.
Of course… how could I feel good when I could smell another woman’s scent on the man I love?
And above all, today was the first time.
The first time he had come to see me with another woman’s scent lingering on him…
*Shing!*
Gently gripping my sword, I tried to calm my wavering heart. I had to maintain my composure.
During the upcoming training session, I had to focus solely on that, to be a proper opponent so he could advance further.
There was no room for stray thoughts.
‘Even if I say something… let’s do it after training.’
If my feelings hadn’t settled by then, I felt I would need to have a sincere conversation with him.
…….
*Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!!*
As our cold weapons clashed, a series of sharp, metallic sounds rang violently through the air.
A spar with mana moderately restricted.
In this exchange, which was closer to a duel of pure skill, the outcome became clear.
“Ugh…!”
He was pushed back, sliding across the ground as if overwhelmed by the force.
…And seeing him, I paused in my spot.
*Glance.*
I looked down at the hand holding my sword.
‘Why do I keep…’
Along with technique, my sword had been imbued with more force than necessary. I could feel Cadet Han Cheon-seong struggling more than usual in our spar.
And yet.
…It was hard to control the excessive force that kept flowing into my sword hand.
*Thump!*
At the sound of him kicking off the ground, my body reacted instinctively.
*Kaaang!*
With a metallic clash even more intense than before, I slammed the incoming spear down toward the ground.
*Chiiiing—!*
The spearhead seemed like it would pierce the floor, but he must have just barely managed to reduce the force, as the blade bounced off the ground and he transitioned back into an attack.
‘…Impressive.’
Contrary to my own chaotic mind, Cadet Han Cheon-seong’s instincts for split-second reactions were improving at an unbelievable rate.
*Clang-clang!!*
And as I met his renewed barrage of attacks with my sword.
“…”
I saw his eyes.
Fixed squarely on me, his completely focused eyes seemed to hold no distractions.
Pure and unwavering.
A desire for endless improvement—the heat from it was so palpable that I could feel it myself. I felt a warmth spreading through my own body as I swung my sword.
It was as if his passion was infectious, spreading to me with each exchange.
*Swoosh!*
Then came the moment I parried a spearhead that cunningly aimed for my blind spot.
*Chaaang!*
A strange metallic sound, one that shouldn't have been there, rang out, and the spear shaft went flying through the air.
“Ah…”
His hands seemed to be numb, as if he couldn’t hold onto the spear. Seeing his reaction, I finally seemed to snap back to my senses.
“Sorry… did that hurt a lot?”
“N-No, not at all. It just made me realize how much I’m still lacking.”
He immediately shook his head and smiled, but I felt truly sorry.
‘Again.’
Without realizing it, I had put too much force into my sword.
As the spearhead fell to the ground with a series of clatters, Cadet Han Cheon-seong moved to pick it up.
*Grab.*
…And in that instant, I instinctively grabbed his arm.
“Instructor Kalli?”
Startled, Cadet Han Cheon-seong called my name, his entire body already drenched in sweat.
His face was slick with it, and I could hear his ragged breaths.
“Let’s stop here for today.”
“Yes… I will.”
As he answered cautiously, I absentmindedly let go of his arm… and a faint sigh escaped my lips.
‘It’s his limit.’
Since he had reached his limit, the spar had to stop here.
That was the right thing to do.
That was the logical reason, but…
As I watched Cadet Han Cheon-seong pick up a nearby towel and water bottle, I couldn't help but wonder.
‘Was that really why I grabbed his arm…?’
No, it wasn't.
I knew why I did it.
I didn’t want to spar anymore, and I felt that if we continued, I might end up hurting him.
My personal reasons were a bigger factor than his physical limit.
“Thank you again for the spar today.”
He soon handed me a towel and water with a warm smile. I took them awkwardly and nodded.
*Rustle.*
As I sat down nearby, my gaze drifted to him as he sat next to me.
“…”
It was harder to speak to him than usual, and I didn't feel much like responding either.
I thought I needed to understand and move on, but my heart wasn’t cooperating.
It felt like I was forcing myself through training while leaving something unresolved. Since that fundamental issue wasn't addressed, I couldn't treat him as I normally would.
*Gulp.*
Whether he knew my feelings or not… Cadet Han Cheon-seong wiped his face with the towel and drank the water refreshingly. My eyes were drawn to him without my realizing it.
“……”
And suddenly, my resentful feelings dissipated, almost absurdly.
‘Because he’s handsome…’
It was something I occasionally noticed in the lecture hall, but it was especially striking when we were alone like this.
He seemed more charming when he was more natural and unguarded.
Even without any intention, there were times when a strange sensuality emanated from his smallest actions.
For example, like now.
The water trickling down from his lips, or how his well-trained body, revealed after taking off his jacket, was faintly visible through his sweat-soaked shirt, always drew my gaze.
‘I’m really something else…’
Then, it suddenly struck me as funny.
The foolish fact that my feelings had been soothed just by watching Cadet Han Cheon-seong drink water.
“…”
As I cautiously took a sip of my own water, another thought occurred to me.
Despite the spar being more unfair than usual, Cadet Han Cheon-seong hadn't uttered a single word of complaint.
He was clearly struggling and overwhelmed, yet he had responded just as he always did, with a sincerity that showed he was genuinely grateful.
“Instructor Kalli.”
“…Huh.”
His voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I answered blankly.
“Can I kiss you right now?”
The question came out of nowhere, and I blinked blankly for a moment.
“…What?”
Without thinking, I put down my water bottle and turned my head toward him.
“...!”
The sensation on my lips made my body freeze.
…I knew he was approaching me.
I wasn't so unskilled that I couldn't sense that much movement.
But I never imagined he would kiss me so directly.
*Slide.*
As his hand naturally wrapped around my neck, I accepted his kiss, and my thoughts completely blanked.
“…”
“…”
As our lips met again and again, the suggestive sounds echoing in my ear…
Left no room for me to think about anything else.