Chapter 321
Chapter 321
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 321
Chapter Title: Isabelle's Disappointment, and...
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***
“You did great today.”
“Not at all. You worked much harder, Instructor Kalli.”
“Nonsense. I was just doing my job as an instructor.”
She smiled faintly and waved, and I waved back.
By the time we left the training grounds, it was time for us to part ways. Kalli walked away from me.
“...”
Beneath the dark night sky.
I watched her retreating figure for a long time before slowly turning around myself.
*Thud.*
As I headed back to the dormitory, my eyes were drawn to the inky blackness above.
“...”
My heart felt as if it were steeped in warmth as I walked.
The affection I had received from her in the training grounds just moments before was so immense that its lingering presence refused to fade.
It was a love so vast it made me wonder if I was worthy of receiving it.
It made me feel that, at times like these, I had to do even better.
‘Yes, I have to do more…’
The affection she showed me felt like a gentle push at my back, urging me to climb higher, to move forward.
It was a reminder that I couldn't afford to feel relieved or satisfied with where I was now. And that the various forms of affection and goodwill I received were not things to be taken for granted...
*Thud…*
Just as I steeled my resolve with that thought.
*Tap.*
I abruptly stopped walking.
*Swish.* My head turned on its own.
It was neither intentional nor conscious.
“...”
As I stared intently at a section of the dark night sky to the north, I felt an eerie sensation.
It was a feeling that originated from a place I knew was incredibly far from the academy... yet it struck a chord deep within my chest.
My lips parted in a daze, but no words came out.
-What was that?
-No…
-Why am I.
-This sensation…
The words that should have escaped me echoed in my mind.
After a few seconds passed, I was finally able to let out a heavy breath.
"Hah... hah..."
I gently placed a hand on my chest, my heart feeling as if it would burst.
The sound of my own breathing was ragged, a testament to a level of tension I had never felt before.
—Something is there.
Despite the immense distance, a peculiar sense of wrongness seemed to press down on me.
My body registered it as my instincts screamed, a relentless pressure bearing down on me.
I could even feel the distant aura ‘reacting’.
Just as I was tensed by this bizarre sensation, the presence on the other side seemed to shimmer and shift, as if it had become aware of me.
And though it should have been impossible, the eerie energy felt incredibly familiar, as if it were tightening its grip around me.
I have to run.
No…
‘I have to face it.’
My thoughts shifted constantly, churning my emotions.
My body reacted as if it weren't my own, and my feelings were in a state of constant flux.
*Rustle.*
I buried my face in my hands, my vision blurring.
I couldn't understand it at all.
Why was I thinking this way, and how could I sense that eerie energy from such a great distance?
“Is something the matter?”
A calm voice spoke from beside me, and I blinked blankly.
At some point, she had appeared before me. A female knight in elegant golden armor, her brilliant blonde hair shining even in the darkness...
“Lady Isabelle…”
“Yes.”
As she replied calmly and approached, I felt a great weight lift from my shoulders.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“You looked quite serious. Are you certain it’s nothing?”
I faced her as she asked again, managing an awkward smile.
“My thoughts were just a bit tangled. It’s nothing for you to worry about, Lady Isabelle.”
Even as I gave a vague reply, my heart calmed to a surprising degree.
...I had felt like I was about to be crushed by the pressure, but her presence seemed to bring me back to reality.
‘That’s right, I’m not alone.’
She was here, a formidable force protecting me. And if I truly felt I was in danger, I could always ask Kalli for help.
So, I’m fine.
With that thought, I began walking again.
*Thud…*
Feeling grateful for Lady Isabelle’s presence as she matched my pace, I soon struck up a casual conversation with her.
We mostly talked about training, enlightenment, and knowledge. Through our conversation, I was able to sort out my thoughts.
‘That eerie sensation I felt just now…’
I would remain vigilant, but the threat was so unknown that it was impossible to even guess what it was. Dwelling on it was pointless.
***
“Thank you again for today.”
Isabelle gave a slight nod as Cheon-seong bowed deeply to express his gratitude.
“It was nothing. You should rest now. You look very tired.”
“I will. I hope you also have a restful night, Lady Isabelle.”
After their brief exchange, Cheon-seong entered the dormitory. Isabelle watched him go before slowly turning away.
*Thud…*
With the day—and her escort duty—at an end.
Her eyes were still filled with questions.
“...”
She had hesitated, feeling she had missed the right moment to speak.
There were so many things she wanted to ask the man named Han Cheon-seong, but the words wouldn't come out.
The atmosphere had been too strange.
After parting with Instructor Kalli, she had seen his body suddenly tense up.
She saw him stare into the distant void and mutter strange things.
Worried about a potential threat, she had deliberately revealed herself and approached him, but she saw him try to deflect with an awkward smile.
Whether he was unable to speak or if there was something only he knew, she couldn't tell...
‘I’ll have to be more careful for the next few days.’
As she decided to raise her level of alertness, the thoughts that had been swirling in her mind began to create a new kind of chaos.
It was about the man's relationships with women.
Being by his side constantly, she couldn't help but know.
How he acted, and who he met with.
“Did I misjudge him?”
The words escaped her lips, and her heart grew heavy.
As a knight, it was only natural to take an interest in the person she was assigned to protect.
A thorough understanding of her charge was essential for responding to unexpected situations and carrying out her duties without friction.
So, she had observed him closely as a matter of course.
And the man named Han Cheon-seong continued to confuse her.
—He has a lover.
A lover named Karite.
She had been genuinely impressed by the various ways he showed his dedication to her.
She thought his desire to train and improve himself for his lover’s sake was quite admirable.
But today.
Today, she had seen a different side of him.
“Hah…”
She let out a soft sigh and ran a hand through her hair.
The disheveled golden strands blurred her vision, and a tightness constricted her chest.
‘I never thought he was that kind of man.’
Honestly, she was very disappointed.
The sight of him pursuing a relationship with another woman despite having a lover was so different from the good impression she had of him.
“Thinking back…”
It wasn’t as if there had been no signs at all.
‘I felt it too.’
Especially when they were alone, the man sometimes gave her a strange feeling.
It was as if he were flirting with me.
It was a bit strange to describe a man that way, but there were times she got the distinct impression that he was trying to seduce her.
But she had dismissed it, sensing that he wasn't consciously acting that way.
She thought that would be the end of it, but…
“He even initiated a kiss with the student named Millia.”
That was a deliberate act, an expression of affection for another woman despite having a lover.
She just couldn't understand it.
‘What on earth is he thinking…’
Is he trying to get involved with multiple noblewomen?
Putting aside her personal impression of him, it was something he shouldn't do, given his social standing. It involved relationships that were generally unacceptable, and the women's families would never approve.
If it became an issue, it could blow up into something huge.
In the current empire, the officially recognized system of a harem was permitted only for high-ranking nobles, those who could take responsibility for it.
*Click.*
...Arriving at her personal quarters, she tried to relax, but another sigh escaped her.
“Really…”
The disappointment that filled her refused to dissipate.
She would continue to perform her escort duties with unwavering diligence.
That much would not change, but for the first time in a while, she had felt she had met a good person in him.
A decent man, regardless of their respective statuses.
And now, that man, who she believed was worth protecting... was trying to get entangled in such complicated relationships with women.
Honestly, she wanted to stop him.
To tell him he shouldn't act that way…
*Click.*
As she unfastened and removed her armor, she shook her head.
“That... would be overstepping my bounds.”
She corrected her wavering heart and erased the futile thought.
She had no right to tell him how to live his life.
The fundamental duty of an escort was to focus on the safety of the person being protected, to eliminate any threats to their well-being.
She wasn't there to interfere with their personal affairs or overstep her boundaries.
*Thump.*
Once all her armor was off, she sank onto her bed.
“But...”
Then, her thoughts abruptly shifted.
She tried to find a way to make sense of the incomprehensible relationship, to find something she could at least grasp.
“Still, I suppose it’s a relief he’s not secretly adding lovers…”
Didn’t the man say it himself? That he had another woman.
When she tried to understand it, it wasn’t entirely impossible to grasp.
He had asked for the other party’s consent, asking if she would accept him as he was. He hadn’t forced the relationship on her.
…That made it even stranger.
The attitude of the woman who accepted it also caught her eye.
The student named Millia.
Even after hearing it, she didn't seem to have any major reservations.
After all, in Han Cheon-seong’s arms, she showed no sign of resistance, no attempt to pull away.
It was as if she was perfectly fine with it…
As she thought about it, her heart suddenly began to pound.
‘This is completely…’
Could he be using something like a forbidden relationship or a strange attraction?
In the past, there had been a lot of talk among her fellow female knights.
She had mostly ignored it, but the content of those conversations strangely stuck in her memory.
...It was mostly about the opposite sex.
And the topic of attractive men had come up as well.
Things like how a man who knows women is far more attractive than one who doesn't.
And other strange talk about being drawn to a man who's already in a relationship.
She had dismissed it all as nonsense, but…
*Gulp.*
“...”
She swallowed hard, then suddenly ran her hands roughly through her hair.
*Smack!*
Then she slapped her own cheek.
“Stop... just stop thinking about it.”
She didn't know why her thoughts kept drifting in such a strange direction.
In the end, it was his personal business, not something she needed to concern herself with.
*Thud.*
She picked up a towel and some underclothes and immediately stood up.
*Swoosh—*
Stepping into the shower, she let the pouring water wash over her, trying to clear her mind.
But the thoughts... just kept coming.
Even though she felt she should stop, the strange romantic entanglements piqued her interest.
"..."
Objectively speaking, the man had several attractive qualities.
His looks, while distinct, could be called handsome, and his kind, gentle nature would surely appeal to most women.
...And he also had a side to him that was strangely direct.
"For now, I'll just watch."
I’m watching to protect him, after all…
Yes, just watching should be fine for now.