Unfamiliar Knowledge (1)
Asena could barely contain her anger at Caiden’s words—words that praised another woman as the prettiest while leaving her behind. He had always called her the most beautiful. Truthfully, she had no interest in who was objectively more stunning. What enraged her was that she had fallen short by his subjective standard. The thought that his attention was being shared with someone else filled her with fury. It kept her awake all night.
“.......”
That was why, when Asena entered the student council room after a sleepless night, she could only stare in disbelief.
“Oh, Asena. You’re here?” Daisy greeted her warmly. But what caught Asena’s eye wasn’t the greeting. It was the single flower resting on Daisy’s desk. Placed in a dainty vase, it radiated a subtle, elegant beauty. It was the very flower Caiden had given her.
“....”
It felt like salt being rubbed into an open wound. Her heart twisted uncomfortably. She couldn’t understand why Daisy had bothered to display it so carefully. It would have been better if she had simply accepted it and thrown it away. Instead, she treated the gift as though it carried profound meaning.
Yet Asena showed nothing on her face. As the head of House Freister, it would be unseemly to make a fuss over something so trivial.
“....Where’s the student council president?” Asena asked instead of offering a greeting. The president had told them yesterday to gather before class to settle the jousting tournament matters. Asena wanted to finish quickly and return to the classroom. That flower kept bothering her.
“She went to the restroom. She’ll be back soon.”
“....”
Asena’s gaze kept drifting back to the flower. No matter how hard she tried to look away, it drew her eyes. It was a flower Caiden had raised with care. Not something casually plucked from a meadow, but one nurtured with love and affection—and it wasn’t hers. She had felt somewhat soothed when he said he had originally prepared it for them, but the reality remained: it wasn’t hers. Another woman was now enjoying the flower that held his accumulated feelings.
Daisy followed Asena’s vacant stare and spoke up.
“Ah, this?” She asked with a shy smile. “...Isn’t it pretty?”
There had been no malice in the question, but to Asena, nothing could have been more irritating. She tried to ignore it and stay silent, but the simmering frustration made it impossible.
“....No.”
She answered as flatly as possible, hoping it would sound convincing and that Daisy’s interest in the flower would fade.
“....Oh... I see. Right. Asena, you didn’t really like your brother much, did you?” Daisy replied cautiously.
Asena shot her a cold glare. Whatever misunderstanding Daisy had formed, Asena found her presumptuous words intolerable.
“...I never said that.”
“Huh? But—”
“—Just.” Asena cut her off. “Don’t get involved. Stay out of our family’s affairs.”
Asena was displeased. She didn’t want to continue this conversation. She simply wanted it to end.
“......”
Daisy scratched her head. “...Hmm. There must be some complicated circumstances.”
“.....”
“Still, please tell your brother thank you for me.”
Daisy sat down at her desk as she spoke.
‘Absolutely not.’ Asena thought to herself. She had no intention of helping their relationship progress, even if it meant dirt getting in her eyes.
Silence followed. Asena closed her eyes to suppress her displeasure, seeking peace by recalling the good times she had shared with Caiden. Then the door opened, and the rest of the student council members entered. Too preoccupied with calming herself, Asena didn’t greet them.
‘I want to see Oppa.’ She thought. She imagined the conversations they would have. ‘We didn’t even kiss today—’
At that moment, a voice shattered her thoughts.
“Well, well. Who do we have here? Isn’t this the most beautiful lady in the Academy?”
One of the male council members teased Daisy with a laugh. Asena’s eyes flew open without her realizing it. She couldn’t help but look at Daisy again.
The man continued.
“Man... I’d heard some bad rumors, so I was curious what kind of person you were. But you’re quite impressive, Lord Caiden.”
“......That’s right.”
Grind. Asena clenched her teeth. Daisy’s response grated on her more than anything.
The man, oblivious, kept talking.
“How about it? Maybe the two of you could become a little closer, Daisy?”
Daisy didn’t wave her hand in denial or draw a firm line. She simply blushed and smiled shyly.
—Bang!!
All eyes turned toward the loud noise. It had come from Asena. But the council members weren’t sure if she was truly the source. She rarely showed emotion, so the irritated sound of a desk being slammed didn’t seem like something she would make.
Asena rose with her usual emotionless expression.
“....Daisy.”
Everyone swallowed hard at the words of the Freister Duchess. They all knew who not to cross in this Academy. It was something their parents had drilled into them repeatedly.
“...Yes?”
But Daisy met Asena’s gaze with unwavering eyes. If there was any fluctuation in her expression, it was concern and consideration for Asena’s feelings on a humane level—not fear.
“Throw that flower away.”
Asena could no longer hold back.
“....The smell is giving me a headache.”
****
After classes ended for the day, Kirsi called for Daisy. Asena was with her.
“Kirsi, why?”
Daisy, being led by the hand, had no idea what was going on. While everyone else headed off to eat, the three women walked toward a secluded area. Only after reaching the stairs at the end of an empty hallway did Asena and Kirsi corner Daisy against the wall and face her directly.
It was a situation that could have been frightening, so Kirsi smiled awkwardly as she began.
“...Ahaha... Sorry, Daisy. Could you spare me a moment?”
“Sure. As much as you need.”
Asena cut in.
“Before we start, Daisy. I want to apologize for what happened this morning.”
She spoke with her back perfectly straight, her expression unchanged. But Daisy was already surprised that an apology had been offered at all. And when a family as powerful as House Freister apologized, one had to be careful about how they responded. To Daisy, who understood everything, the dignity of House Freister somehow looked admirable.
“It’s fine. I was also at fault for not considering the flower’s scent.”
The atmosphere lightened a little as the conversation began with an apology. Once the morning incident was settled, Kirsi spoke again.
“There’s... one thing I don’t want you to misunderstand...”
Kirsi had been thinking about how to say this since yesterday. She needed to explain it step by step so Daisy would fully understand.
“...What is it?”
“Yesterday, Oppa... might have given you the wrong idea.”
“?”
Daisy tilted her head, her golden hair cascading over her shoulder.
“He said you were the prettiest. Ah! Not that you’re not pretty, but... Oppa didn’t mean anything deep by it...”
Though Kirsi rambled, the message she wanted to convey came out straightforwardly without hesitation. She didn’t think she was saying anything wrong. After all, the flower had originally been meant for them. He had simply missed the chance to give it because he was worried about how it would look to others.
“So... I’m telling you this first so you don’t build up strange expectations and get disappointed later.”
“...What kind of expectations?”
Kirsi didn’t think Daisy had failed to understand her words. Daisy’s gradually stiffening face was proof enough. Though she didn’t say it aloud, that hardening expression somehow irritated Kirsi. It was as if Daisy had truly been holding expectations. As if she didn’t know her place.
“...That Oppa might like you.”
“.....”
Kirsi swallowed hard. If there was one person who had been bothering her lately, it was Daisy. She wished Daisy would just disappear completely. ...So she pulled out a card she hadn’t used recently—one that was risky but effective.
“...I... told you before. Oppa isn’t that kind of person.”
“....”
Daisy remained silent for a long time. Kirsi hated this situation too. If she could, she would have done what Caiden did—only say nice things. She had thought that coming to the Academy would bring laughter and happiness. She had looked forward to it that much. But now that she was here... it was turning into a place that frightened her. People who might steal away her most precious person were everywhere. It was fun and happy, but at the same time, it was also filled with fear and anxiety. If it was going to be like this, she thought, the Freister estate would have been better.
As Daisy stood with her head slightly lowered, Kirsi placed a hand on her shoulder to smooth things over.
“...Sorry for saying that—”
“—Kirsi.”
At that moment, Daisy lifted her head. She looked Kirsi straight in the eye with a dazzlingly upright gaze.
“I’ll judge people based on what I see. Your brother didn’t seem like such a bad person.”
Kirsi liked this side of Daisy. She truly thought Daisy was a wonderful friend—someone who stood by her own firm beliefs without being swayed by others. If only those beliefs weren’t directed at Caiden. Then everything would have been perfect.
Kirsi’s expression hardened without her realizing it. It was colder than ever. There was nothing funny about this. Daisy continued.
“I don’t understand why you hate your brother so much. You seem like such a kind person... but you’re only like this with him? Badmouthing him behind his back...”
“......”
Kirsi’s heart skipped a beat, but she decided to ignore Daisy’s words. She only had one warning to give.
“...Daisy. Nothing good will come from getting close to Oppa.”
Just then, a male voice echoed through the space they had thought was empty.
“Hey! What are you three doing over there?”
“...Huh?”
Kirsi’s stiff expression melted away. Caiden was walking toward them from a distance.
“Why is Oppa here...?”
****
I was on my way to find Count Hoslo regarding the tournament awards. I had taken a detour I wouldn’t normally have taken. I didn’t let the victory go to my head, and I believed I had worked hard in class today as well. I was sweaty and uncomfortable, but there was nothing I could do about it. One thing that had been bothering me today was Judy. She hadn’t shown up for class. Since I had defeated her and taken the jousting tournament victory... I figured it was related. I thought I should talk to her later.
“...Oppa said.............”
As I walked, preoccupied with my own matters, a familiar voice reached my ears. No matter where I was, I could always clearly hear someone calling my name. It was called the cocktail party effect, wasn’t it? This situation was exactly that. I could hear my sister calling me.
Why were they here? I walked toward the sound. Turning in the direction of the voices, I saw my sisters standing beneath the stairs in the distance.
“...Huh?”
And then I noticed Daisy, who was being cornered. She stood facing the twins with an unwavering gaze, just like in the novel. My feelings upon seeing this for the first time were complicated. I didn’t know whether I should be pleased or not. It was obvious this was bullying, but... the “bullying” I had read about in the novel wasn’t like this. Their usual method was to drag someone into family affairs. If they didn’t like someone, they would crush the entire family without giving them a single chance. In contrast, cornering someone against a wall to talk... well, it was almost cute by comparison. Maybe I had managed to suppress their aggression to some extent.
“....”
But that didn’t change what I had to do. I needed to stop them. Wrong was still wrong. The funny thing was, in this situation, I wasn’t afraid of the twins. This was a moment where I had to scold them. When they strayed from the right path, I had to guide them back. Maybe it was because it was something an older brother should do. Or perhaps because I had known them for so long. When it came to scolding, they didn’t frighten me.
Just as I was about to speak, I heard Kirsi’s voice.
“...Nothing good will come from getting close to Oppa.”
“....”
...This was the second time I had heard it directly. Like a spark, a small fire flared up in my chest. I took a deep breath and shouted.
“Hey! What are you doing over there?”
It was the first time I had addressed them without any affection in my voice. Kirsi flinched in surprise at my tone. All three women turned to look at me. I stepped between the twins and Daisy, positioning Daisy behind me.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”
“.....Huh...?”
Kirsi blinked with a look of utter loss.
“O...Oppa, why are you here... No... Wait... Did you just call me ‘hey’?”
“Answer the question. What exactly are you doing right now?”
“..O...Oppa.. what do you mean by ‘hey’... I’m Kirsi...”
“The Kirsi I know doesn’t bully other people.”
Of course... that was a lie. The Kirsi and Asena I had read about in the novel were experts at tormenting others. I had only said it to make them feel guilty.
“....We weren’t bullying her.”
Asena spoke from beside me. It wasn’t the answer I wanted.
“....Asena.”
She lowered her eyes. It was something she always did when she didn’t want me to see what she was really thinking.
“....If you keep lying, Oppa’s going to get angry.”
“...Eep..”
She clenched her uniform with both fists. I had suppressed the twins’ momentum for now. Since it wouldn’t do to show more in front of others, I turned to Daisy.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah... Yes..”
She answered, looking embarrassed. She seemed to sense that she should probably leave. She really was beautiful. Her looks were on par with the twins. Maybe it was because she had been my favorite character from the beginning... that made it even more so.
“..I’ll talk to the twins properly, so if they bother you again, please tell me. I’m Caiden Freister.”
Daisy waved her hands.
“Ah..! But really.. they weren’t bullying me.”
“What?”
“It’s just...”
Daisy was even defending the twins in this situation. She truly had a kind heart.
“They were just... giving me advice for my own sake.”
I felt something stir inside me. It was like I wanted to let go of some of the resentment I felt toward the twins.
“....You mean the part about nothing good coming from getting close to me?”
From behind me, I heard Kirsi—and even Asena—gasp in surprise. When I turned around, they were both darting their eyes around and blinking rapidly, unsure of what to do. Daisy looked just as shocked.
I patted her shoulder.
“....Anyway. Could you give us a moment? I have something to say to my sisters..”
“Th... Yes.”
Daisy hesitated before finally leaving. Soon, only the twins and I remained. Just moments ago, they had been cornering Daisy, but now I was the one cornering them. I loosened my tie slightly and pulled it down.
“...You thought I wouldn’t hear that?”
I asked.