Chapter 71
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: 25. Wilderness Festival
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Before the echo of the sharp scream had even faded.
"Ah, watch out behind you..."
Thud!
...Oof.
Before my warning could even reach her, Kaien scrambled backward in a panic and tumbled off the bed as if rolling right off it.
Seemingly more embarrassed than hurt from landing on her rear, she clutched desperately at the hem of her shirt, her face flushed bright red.
"...Y-You, you, you! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Her shout, laced with shock, anger, and humiliation, rang in my ears.
But I just raised both hands while sitting on the bed, putting on my best innocent expression.
"I get what you're thinking, but it's a misunderstanding."
"I was just sitting here minding my own business. You crawled into my bed and hugged me."
"L-Liar! Why would I ever climb into your bed, you creep?!"
She tried to stand up, sputtering in outrage at what she called an absurd lie—but her movements halted abruptly.
Her face drained of all color.
"...Huh?"
"Remember now?"
Her own bed sat untouched across the room.
Clothes strewn messily on the floor, along with white compression bandages.
And the fact that she was sprawled out under my bed right now.
All the evidence backed up my story—it wasn't a lie.
"Ah... ahh."
Thud.
Fragments of last night's memories flooded back.
In her extreme exhaustion, she'd unconsciously stripped off her clothes and burrowed into someone's warm embrace seeking heat.
The firm arms she'd dismissed as a dream were real, and the realization hit her like a hammer.
With all the pieces falling into place, Kaien's legs gave out, and she staggered.
Her face burned crimson, as if it might burst at the slightest prick, her eyes darting wildly.
"Th-This... has to be a dream. Yeah, a nightmare..."
She kept muttering, desperately denying reality.
But unfortunately, this was no dream.
'...Tsk tsk tsk. Even exhausted, that's taking it too far.'
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is reality. And it's true that you fell asleep in my arms."
"...Shut up! Just shut your mouth!"
Kaien screamed, her ears turning scarlet.
Her high-pitched voice pierced my eardrums, but I didn't flinch.
What was the point now that she'd been caught?
"How could I make such a stupid mistake."
Her face twisted in a mix of bewilderment, shame, and despair at being exposed.
She looked pitiful, but somehow oddly cute too—was that just my imagination?
'Well, even in disguise, her true self was stunning.'
Not my imagination—she really was cute.
Wearing nothing but a white shirt, desperately trying to cover up.
Honestly, the bandages coming loose revealed her femininity that a shirt alone couldn't hide.
"So."
I propped my chin on my hand, feigning seriousness.
"What now?"
"...W-What are you talking about?"
Kaien clutched her collar tight and backed away, eyes wary like a cornered animal on a cliff's edge.
Probably afraid I'd pounce.
"What else? It's all out in the open."
I pointed my index finger at her chest.
"That you're a girl."
"...!"
Confirmation kill.
At those words, all the blood drained from Kaien's face.
"...Urgh."
She bit her lip, unable to even argue back.
The situation was too clear to deny.
She bit down so hard it almost seemed like blood would well up.
After a long silence, she finally seemed to steel herself.
She lifted her gaze from the floor and met my eyes.
"...Fine."
She'd been quiet for ages before murmuring softly.
"What?"
"I'll kill you... and then myself."
Shing.
She slowly backed away and picked up the sword from the floor.
Her hands trembled, but her eyes burned with resolve.
To protect her secret, or her pride.
She was mad enough for an extreme choice.
Sure, fine, whatever.
She looked kinda cool, like a knight facing death.
The problem was that sword tip aimed at me.
"Whoa, calm down first?"
Put the sword down.
Let's talk this out.
I tried my best to soothe her as she aimed the shaking blade with both hands.
Sure, getting outed as a girl would freak anyone out.
But trying to kill me over it? That seemed excessive.
"If I let you live, my secret spreads. Then... my family..."
Kaien's voice grew choked.
The burden of being the Raven Ducal House's sole heir.
The pain of living as a man all these years.
All of it teetered on the brink of collapse.
"D-Don't worry. I won't let you go alone to the afterlife."
She squeezed her eyes shut and raised the sword.
It looked more tragic than threatening.
'If I leave her be, she'll really come at me full force.'
She wasn't thinking straight.
I sighed deeply as she edged closer bit by bit.
Things could get ugly if I didn't intervene.
"Hey. Relax."
I held up a hand to stop her.
"Why would I blab your secret? What do I gain from it?"
"...What?"
Her eyes narrowed, as if questioning my sanity.
She clearly couldn't believe me.
Given my awful reputation, that was fair.
At least she seemed to pause her impulsive swing.
I let out a quiet breath of relief and pressed on quickly.
"Think about it. If I tried blackmailing you with this, you'd come at me to kill me, right?"
"Then I'd make enemies of you and your whole family. What's in it for me?"
"...That..."
"Still don't believe me?"
I slid off the bed and approached her slowly.
Kaien flinched and gripped the sword tighter, but I kept walking until I was right in front of her.
One step. Two steps.
The wobbling blade tip reached my throat, but I stared into her shaking eyes and took one more step.
"W-Wait! One more step and...!"
Poke.
The razor-sharp tip dug into my neck.
And in that instant, hot blood welled up and spilled over.
"Ah! You idiot...!"
She clearly hadn't expected me to press forward like that.
Her eyes widened in horror at the blood trickling down.
She tried to pull the sword back too late—
I leaned in even closer instead.
Shunk. Gush! Gush!
I tried to play it cool.
But the alien sensation and pain of the blade piercing my throat weren't nothing.
If Kaien weren't watching, I'd probably be rolling on the floor screaming.
But I had to do this to get through to her.
"If you're gonna stab, then stab."
The metallic tang filled my mouth as I spoke as calmly as possible.
"To keep your secret, you'd be prepared for that much, right?"
"A-Are you insane? Do you actually want to die?!"
Kaien stammered in panic.
She'd braced for me charging wildly, not offering my neck with a 'go ahead.'
"No, I'm perfectly sane."
...I just knew you wouldn't listen otherwise.
I met her eyes firmly and spoke resolutely.
"Man, woman—it doesn't matter to me. As long as it doesn't cause me trouble."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. I swear."
I raised my right hand.
"If I ever tell a soul, you can kill me then."
I had no intention of spilling it anyway.
Nor of dying easily to her.
"..."
She stared at me, eyes tangled with murderous intent and confusion, silent for a long moment.
The sword tip at my throat trembled faintly once more—then dropped limply to the floor.
Clang.
The sound echoed through the room.
All tension drained from Kaien's body at the same time.
"...Haa."
She collapsed to her knees, a deep sigh mixing relief and exhaustion escaping her.
"Sorry. I... must have lost my mind for a second."
Head bowed, she murmured weakly.
She looked so fragile, I couldn't help a wry smile.
"It's fine. I'd do the same."
I wiped the blood from my neck and grinned.
It stung like hell, but luckily it wasn't deep.
Still hurt like a bitch, though.
'Damn, that burns.'
"Be grateful it ended like this. Right?"
"...Sorry."
Kaien still wouldn't lift her head, speaking softly.
"F-First, treat that wound."
Seeing the blood soak into my collar, her eyes filled with guilt as she stared at my neck.
"It's nothing. Saliva will fix it."
"...Don't be an idiot. I'll get medicine—wait here."
She staggered up and rummaged through the wardrobe for a first-aid kit.
She looked so frantic, I couldn't help chuckling.
Moments later, she returned with ointment and bandages.
"Hold still."
She carefully applied the medicine and wrapped my neck.
Up close, her face was still flushed, but her eyes were serious.
"Sorry."
In the quiet, filled only with the sound of bandaging.
Neither of us spoke first—until she apologized again, her voice glum.
"For what?"
"...Trying to kill you."
"Forget it. I'd have done the same."
I answered brightly to cheer up her gloomy face.
Honestly, I didn't think she'd really kill me.
But it had been risky deep down.
You never know what someone might do when they snap after their deepest secret's exposed.
"You..."
She looked like she wanted to say something, lips moving silently a few times.
Seizing the moment, I decided to ask something I'd been curious about.
"How long have you been disguising yourself as a guy?"
The question hit like touching a sore spot.
Her face stiffened as she paused mid-wrap.
"...Since birth."
Kaien stopped bandaging and answered bitterly.
"The Raven Ducal House only allows male heirs. But I was born a girl."
Reliving painful memories, perhaps.
She paused, staring into the distance.
"Father raised me as a son from the start to make me his heir. I gripped a sword before I could walk, and I couldn't cry even when I wanted to."
Her voice was calm, but the weight behind it was heavy.
A life denying her own gender from birth.
I couldn't fully grasp it, but it couldn't have been easy.
"Must've been tough."
The words slipped out unbidden.
Cliché, but it felt like even that might comfort her now.
"...I've never thought of it as tough."
Kaien shook her head with a wry smile.
"I just saw it as natural. I'm the Raven Ducal heir. For the family, this much sacrifice is expected."
She tied off the bandage.
"But sometimes... I wonder who I even am. Am I Kaien, or..."
"Hmm."
She trailed off, biting her lip.
Identity crisis, no doubt.
The pain of suppressing her true self to live as a man—hard to imagine.
"No real name, then?"
The abrupt question made her look at me quizzically.
"What do you mean? My name is Kaien."
Ah, poor phrasing.
I shook my head and clarified.
"No, your real name. As a girl."
"...I don't have one."
She answered firmly.
"I've been Kaien since birth."
"I see."
Born as Kaien.
Meaning even her parents never acknowledged her as a daughter—only as the son to carry on the line.
Harsh. Cold, even.
The Raven Ducal House, called the kingdom's sword.
They prized family honor above life itself.
I could imagine how tightly they'd bound her to hide the truth.
'Poor girl.'
Ah.
"Want me to make one up for you?"
"What?"
Kaien stared at me like I'd lost my mind.
"...Are you mocking me? Who are you to name me?"
"No, come on. Wouldn't hurt to have one, right? Something to call the girl version of you, not Kaien."
"A name... for when I'm a girl?"
She mulled it over blankly, like tasting a foreign word.
I nodded at her.
"Yeah. As a friend."
"F-Friend?"
"We share a secret now, don't we? That's friends."
"...Friends."
Kaien rolled the word around her mouth.
A strange emotion flickered across her face.
"Not bad."
She turned away, embarrassed.
"S-So, what name?"
"Hm... How about Karin? From Kaien."
"...Lame."
Shot down instantly, despite my thought.
"Kairen?"
"Too childish."
"You're picky."
I scratched my head, pondering.
I knew my naming sucked, but this fired me up.
"What about... Seren?"
"Seren?"
Kaien paused.
"Yeah. From the night raven, symbol of House Raven."
She blinked, then pressed her lips together.
I'd planned to suggest more if she hated it, but her reaction was odd.
...Maybe?
"...Not bad."
She murmured softly, avoiding my gaze.
"Seren..."
Seren.
She savored the name quietly.
The first name just for her, since birth.
Its unfamiliar ring tickled her heart.
"Then, when it's just us, I'll call you Seren."
"...Do what you want."
She replied curtly, but her reddened ears betrayed her.
'She's got her cute side.'
I chuckled inwardly and stood.
"Anyway, now that we're up, let's grab food. You woke me right up."
Kaien—no, Seren—shook her head with a sigh and followed me out.
Her back looked a little lighter than before. Not my imagination.
Oh, right.
"Almost forgot."
"...?"
She tilted her head questioningly.
I pointed at her chest.
"First... put some proper clothes on."
Her eyes followed my finger down to her chest.
Realizing she was still in an unbuttoned shirt—
"Kyaaah!"
A second scream echoed through the dormitory.