Wake Me Up
Philia’s words hung in the air like a blade drawn too slowly. Infante’s face flushed crimson with rage. The porcelain teacup in his hand shattered as he hurled it across the room.
“Kyaaaah!”
The hot liquid missed Philia by a hair and splattered against the wall behind her. A nearby maid gasped, then forced herself to swallow the sound, glancing around with practiced eyes.
“You insolent whelp! How dare you speak the name of the Serios family! This is what happens when you let the dirty blood of commoners twist your brain!”
“Please, Elder, calm yourself.”
Infante’s steward stepped forward, voice tight with concern.
Philia watched the exchange with cool detachment, but her heart twisted at the familiar words. The Serios motto—Always Repay in Kind—had once meant honor and balance. Now it was twisted into a weapon for blackmail, a reminder that power alone decided who owed what.
She was legally an adult. One word from her father and she could refuse the arranged marriage. That was her final concession.
Infante’s hand shot out, slapping the steward’s arm away as he roared, “My daughter has become a shameless brute who dares to disgrace the family name! What kind of gutter rat dares raise her voice to me?!”
“Miss, when the elder speaks, you will listen.”
The steward’s warning tone made two knights step forward. Philia felt the weight of their steel. They were the same type of men she had grown up around—loyal only to their master, contemptuous of anything beyond his will.
‘Just like him.’
The thought was bitter. She met the knight’s gaze and spoke without raising her voice. “Ordo. Remove your hand.”
“Miss, you’re making a mistake.”
Ordo’s tone was not as harsh as the steward’s, but the threat was unmistakable. Philia let him reach for her shoulder, then caught his wrist. A sharp twist sent him spinning, and her fist crashed into his jaw with bone-crushing force. He flew half a circle and slammed face-first into the floor.
“Kuhk…”
She stepped back. Blood poured from his ruined nose as he lay there, teeth scattered across the marble. The other knights drew steel. Philia was already moving. One kick to the shin, a second to the elbow—both men crashed to the ground before they could raise their blades.
“Is that all?”
She muttered the words with genuine disappointment, as if she had hoped for something more entertaining.
The Serios family’s knights were competent, but nothing compared to the brutal efficiency she had learned from her two mentors. Selma’s explosive speed and Rye’s overwhelming physical power had carved a chasm between her and the men who had once trained her.
One knight pressed a blade to her shoulder. “Miss, you should consider further training. Your father is busy with protection duties.”
Philia tapped the steel lightly, then stepped away, returning to her original spot as if nothing had happened.
Infante stared, mouth open, utterly speechless.
“I have no intention of getting married while I’m still at the academy, Father.”
Infante’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve spent years inside that pathetic academy and now you act like one of those brash street thugs. What’s the matter? Too scared to let me cut your throat?”
“There’s no need for that. I’m not some beast wearing human skin.”
Philia swallowed the rest of her thought—Like you. Infante’s lips curled into a cruel smile as he looked down at the groaning knight.
“Then what do you plan to do? Will you try to cut me down with that ridiculous sword of yours? You know every blade in this house, every servant, every coin in your pockets—all of it belongs to the Serios name. You understand that, don’t you?”
Of course she understood. That was why she had accepted the marriage in the first place. The family’s power had bought her the freedom to breathe. By sacrificing herself, she hoped her mother and younger siblings would never feel the Serios shadow again.
But Infante had been the one to break the first promise.
With her mother’s help she had barely passed the academy entrance exam. She had agreed to stay only if she stopped resisting. The favor had been repaid in full by her current rebellion. The debt of gratitude and the debt of hatred were both hers to settle.
“You can do nothing, and neither can you do anything to me. What are you going to take from this house? What else are you going to steal? I don’t need anything you’ve ever offered.”
Infante’s face twisted with humiliated fury. Philia turned on her heel.
“Wait—!”
She kept walking. Behind her she heard her father’s roar, but no one moved to stop her. The only person watching with open worry was Emma, the housekeeper. Philia offered a small, reassuring smile and stepped outside.
The summer evening air was still cool. She walked without direction, needing only to put distance between herself and that marble hall. One place had come to mind immediately—Seset. But after the fight with her father, even Seset would be unreachable. Selma, too. The peace they had fought so hard to earn could not be risked for one foolish student’s troubles.
Her mind drifted through familiar faces. Emilia Shane Bernies was out of reach. Celenas and Bright were both inconvenient. Too many names flashed past her thoughts… until she stopped on one.
Rai Redford.
“…Ah…”
She had no idea why his face had appeared. She only knew she could trust him. He possessed power that could cut through any threat, and he had no reason to fear the Serios name. She had heard rumors of his connections—Headmaster Celenas’s favor, ties to intelligence officials through Zeroa and Aslan. Even if the exact rank remained unclear, he was clearly someone who could move in the upper circles.
His home was inside the academy walls, a place dangerous people rarely entered.
‘It’s still an imposition.’
She was still blushing when she reached the academy gates. The path to Rai’s residence was short, and before she could finish rehearsing what to say, she stood before the gate.
Inside the yard, a massive black horse lifted its head at the sound of footsteps and let out a curious whinny.
“Whew… Instructor Rai, could you… sleep with me for a while? I don’t have anywhere else to go… No, no, that sounds weird. Just say it straight.”
The horse looked at her as if she were an idiot, then lowered its head and lay down.
“Fighting with Father… No, no, it wasn’t that bad. We just had a disagreement…”
Philia was still trying to decide how to phrase the rest when the door opened.
“What the hell are you doing making such a racket in front of my house? What the—? Philia? What are you doing here?”
Aslan stepped out, clearly annoyed by the disturbance, then froze when he saw her. Philia’s eyes widened at the sight of him in his usual light training clothes.
Zeroa and Abigail knew Aslan lived here. Philia had not. She had always left first for training with Selma.
“Do you have something to say to Raikang? Come inside and talk.”
Aslan offered the natural invitation. Rai immediately kicked the air in protest.
“My house? Your house? Are you going to throw around words like ‘sleepover’?”
“Ah! I’ll pay double later! Stop it!”
Aslan finally registered that Philia was here. He gaped at her, then sensed movement behind him and turned.
“Good evening.”
Agnes emerged shyly, offering a small greeting.
“I’m sleepy—”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go inside and sleep.”
Sena rubbed her sleepy eyes and gave a polite bow.
Agnes carried the maid inside with a gentle apology, leaving Philia standing in the yard. She stared at Agnes’s retreating back, then at Rai.
“You’ll stay at my house for now. I’m the only one who can control you.”
Agnes had no choice but to stay inside before sunset. Philia understood.
“Speaking of which… what did you want to say? About sleeping?”
Rai, who had assumed she only wanted to talk, felt his face heat up. Philia’s blush deepened until her cheeks were scarlet.
She opened her mouth, closed it, and tried again.
“It’s not… it’s not like that at all!”
“…What did you do?”
“Hiiik!”
Rai’s voice came from behind her. Philia jumped, spun around, and froze.
Rai stood in the moonlight, his usual playful grin replaced by something sharper, more dangerous. He looked at her as if she had grown a second head.
“I-I wasn’t—! It’s not like that! I swear!”
“…I didn’t do anything?”
Philia’s face burned. She repeated the denial like a broken record. Rai, cornered, started denying it first, even though nothing had happened.
“I wasn’t talking about women or anything. I just… never mind.”
At that moment the door opened again.
“What the hell are you all doing out here making noise? Philia, what the hell are you doing?”
Aslan stepped out, still muttering, then blinked at the sight of her. Philia stared back at his casual clothes, equally stunned.
She had no idea Aslan lived here.
“Do you have something to say to Raikang? Come inside and talk.”
Aslan invited her naturally. Rai immediately kicked the air in protest.
“My house? Your house? Are you going to throw around words like ‘sleepover’?”
“Ah! I’ll pay double later! Stop it!”
Aslan finally registered that Philia was here. He gaped at her, then sensed movement behind him and turned.
“Good evening.”
Agnes emerged shyly, offering a small greeting.
“I’m sleepy—”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go inside and sleep.”
Sena rubbed her sleepy eyes and gave a polite bow.
Agnes carried the maid inside with a gentle apology, leaving Philia standing in the yard. She stared at Agnes’s retreating back, then at Rai.
“You’ll stay at my house for now. I’m the only one who can control you.”
Agnes had no choice but to stay inside before sunset. Philia understood.
“Speaking of which… what did you want to say? About sleeping?”
Rai, who had assumed she only wanted to talk, felt his face heat up. Philia’s blush deepened until her cheeks were scarlet.
She opened her mouth, closed it, and tried again.
“It’s not… it’s not like that at all!”
“…What did you do?”
“Hiiik!”
Rai’s voice came from behind her. Philia jumped, spun around, and froze.
Rai stood in the moonlight, his usual playful grin replaced by something sharper, more dangerous. He looked at her as if she had grown a second head.
“I-I wasn’t—! It’s not like that! I swear!”
“…I didn’t do anything?”
Philia’s face burned. She repeated the denial like a broken record. Rai, cornered, started denying it first, even though nothing had happened.
“I wasn’t talking about women or anything. I just… never mind.”
At that moment the door opened again.
“What the hell are you all doing out here making noise? Philia, what the hell are you doing?”
Aslan stepped out, still muttering, then blinked at the sight of her. Philia stared back at his casual clothes, equally stunned.
She had no idea Aslan lived here.
Before she could answer, Rai’s voice cut in.
“She’s staying the night. End of discussion.”
Aslan’s eyebrows rose. “Raikang, you’re really letting her stay?”
Rai shrugged, completely unbothered. “She has nowhere else to go. Besides, she asked nicely.”
Philia’s face burned hotter. She turned to Aslan, hoping he would intervene, but he only sighed.
“Fine. But if you cause any trouble, I’m telling the headmistress.”
Philia bowed awkwardly. “Thank you… I’ll try not to.”
Sena peeked out from behind Agnes, still sleepy, and gave Philia a gentle smile. “Come inside. We’ll get you settled.”
As the group moved toward the house, Philia caught Rai’s eye one last time. He gave her a small, teasing wink.
“You’re late, Philia. Did you come to sleep or to beg for something?”
She elbowed him lightly, cheeks still red, but the corner of her mouth lifted in the tiniest smile. For the first time all day, the knot in her chest loosened.
She was home.