Wrong Encounters (1)
The Academy, which every noble in the kingdom passed through without exception, was enormous. It was wider and taller than even the Freister Duchy’s castle. Countless buildings of unknown purpose gleamed with splendor, proudly showing off their majesty.
“We’ve arrived!” The guard captain’s shout rang out from ahead. The long, grueling journey had finally reached its end. The carriage and escort party came to a halt. We had reached the Academy—the place where we would spend the next two years.
But I didn’t linger in sentiment. I jumped down from my horse, thanked the servants for their hard work, and began walking toward what looked like the central building.
“...B-Brother!!” Kirsi called out loudly, but I ignored her. I still needed more time.
Of course, my heart had calmed somewhat. While riding here, I had spent several days reviewing the contents of the novel. There were parts I couldn’t remember clearly, but I could recall that the political battles between families had been fierce. Any weakness was twisted and exploited without mercy.
…Perhaps I was the weakness the Freister family needed to hide.
That was why I could understand Asena to some degree now, and why my turbulent emotions had settled. Still, I wasn’t ready to sit down and talk with her face to face.
Lost in these complicated thoughts, I soon found myself near the reception desk. I needed a space of my own. After receiving my dormitory assignment as quickly as possible, I headed straight for my room.
Once I entered the dormitory and was alone, I realized how spacious it was. There was a luxurious wooden table and chairs, various decorative plants, a high-end carpet, windows with a pleasant view, and a comfortable-looking sofa. There were even two separate bedrooms.
And just as I had read in the novel, this massive space was meant to be shared by only two people.
…Of course, I wasn’t in any state to care about that right now. I set my luggage down roughly, sat on the large central sofa, and clutched my head.
There were still things I needed to think about. Setting aside the sense of betrayal I felt toward Asena, I considered what it would be like to return to being a commoner.
…Honestly, I didn’t like the idea. Living as a noble and then going back to being a commoner wouldn’t be easy. Asena had said there would be no change in how I was treated, but if that were true, she wouldn’t have taken my surname away in the first place.
What would Grandmother say about Asena’s decision? Would she get angry like Kirsi, or would she side with Asena as the family head?
‘Charm the daughter of a great noble family.’
Her sudden request came to mind.
…If I could actually manage that, maybe returning to commoner status wouldn’t be necessary.
I let out a long sigh. In a situation like this, all sorts of thoughts ran through my head.
I pushed away the useless ideas and suppressed my emotions. I couldn’t accept every order without question. In reality, the Academy was a rehearsal for the political arena. I had to be careful not to show weakness and choose which families could become allies. I couldn’t waver here.
This was the time when I needed to stand firmly with the twins. I couldn’t distance myself. If I faltered now, I would truly become nothing but a weakness for the Freister family.
I had only just taken my first step, so I couldn’t let this happen so soon. For now, I had to set my emotions aside. And I had to accept it.
That’s right. I came here for the Knight Department anyway. For knights, skill was everything. It didn’t matter what surname you carried. Combat ability and leadership were what counted.
It was just my own greed. If my determination to become a solid pillar for the twins could be shaken by something like this, then it was never real to begin with. I hadn’t made the decision expecting anything in return. I simply wanted the twins to be happy.
Calming myself one step at a time like this, I slowly came to accept Asena’s decision.
The dormitory door suddenly burst open with a loud creak.
A young man entered, carrying a mountain of luggage on his back.
“Ah, hello.” He greeted me with a nod.
A kind impression. Tall stature. An aura that was hard to ignore.
“...Haha.”
I had expected something like this might happen, but now that it was actually here, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“My name is Eric Endra.” He set his luggage down nearby and walked over, offering his hand.
The protagonist of the novel was standing right in front of me.
Eric Endra. The eldest son of a small border baron family. Honest, upright, and good-natured. He preferred resolving problems peacefully whenever possible. He disliked violence and cherished peace.
Although the Academy claimed everyone was equal inside its walls, that wasn’t as simple as it sounded. Especially for someone like Eric Endra—a powerless noble from the borderlands—the disregard and threats he faced were considerable. The novel’s main story followed him as he shattered those barriers and made his mark at the Academy.
Of course, even he could never overcome Asena and Kirsi until the very end.
I naturally accepted the protagonist’s handshake.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Caiden… Freister.”
Saying the surname Freister had already become difficult. Something inside me caught on the words.
“Caiden…” Eric Endra waited for the rest of my name. In truth, he was probably more curious about my family than my given name.
I sighed inwardly and answered.
“Caiden Freister.”
His eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he smiled and shook my hand.
“Ah, so you’re the eldest son of the Freister family. I look forward to getting along with you.”
Eric Endra was also in the Political Science Department. There was no way he wouldn’t know me. I was quite the special case, after all—a commoner who had been adopted into the powerful Freister Duchy.
Seeing Eric’s reaction, I could understand Asena’s choice. If even this kind-hearted Eric was surprised, how could others be any different?
“Which department are you in, Caiden?” Eric asked as he picked up the luggage he had set down. With the protagonist’s natural friendliness, he continued the conversation. He didn’t seem particularly wary of my family.
“The Knight Department. As you can probably guess, it’s difficult for me to extend my reach into politics.”
“The Knight Department?” He looked me over and nodded. “Ah, that explains why you’re so well-built.”
I smiled faintly and replied. Talking with him made my heavy heart feel a little lighter.
“You’re too kind. And you, Eric…?”
“Please speak comfortably. You’re older than me, after all.”
…Eric knew more about me than I had expected.
“Alright. Then you speak comfortably too, Eric. So your department is…?”
I already knew he was in the Political Science Department, but I couldn’t let that show, so I asked anyway.
“Political Science. I’m the eldest son of my family.”
Eldest son or eldest daughter. The heirs of noble families were required to enter the Political Science Department. Failing to do so could mean being ostracized among the families after graduation, so it was a choice no one could avoid. It was also easier to negotiate later if you had already built connections at the Academy.
“You’re in the same department as my younger sisters. I’ll be counting on you to look after Asena and Kirsi.”
I made the request lightly. Eric looked at me with surprise.
“...You must be very close.”
“Haha, did you think an adopted son like me would be on bad terms with them?”
Eric panicked and began to explain himself.
“Ah, no, that’s not it… It’s just that the rumors I heard were different… Um… I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”
He openly admitted his mistake and bowed his head deeply.
“Rumors? What rumors?”
His words bothered me, so I asked again. Eric blinked a few times before answering honestly without hesitation.
“The rumor that you’re isolated within the family. That you don’t get along with the rest of the Freisters…”
A question mark floated above my head. We were currently fighting, but until recently we had been closer than ever. There was no reason for such a rumor to spread, so it felt absurd.
“That’s not true?? Why would a rumor like that spread? We’re close.”
“I see. As expected, rumors really can’t be trusted.”
“Exactly.”
At the same time, an uncomfortable feeling settled over me. It felt as if other families had already begun their interference. I had no talent for politics. I didn’t know how to push back with words. In the end, the only way to erase a rumor like this was to clearly show that it was false. In this case, that meant visibly getting along with the twins.
……It looked like I would have to reconcile with them.
If I didn’t want to be shaken by such petty rumors.
“Hyung, shall we unpack together? You can choose your room first.”
At some point Eric had started calling me “hyung” and was already suggesting we unpack. What a guy.
A knock sounded at the door. It was already late into the night. We had been sitting on the sofa talking. I wondered who would come looking for us at this hour. Maybe one of Eric’s guests?
When I glanced at Eric—whom I had grown comfortable with by now—he simply shrugged.
‘Brother.’
The voice came from outside the door. I knew immediately who it was.
“...Asena.”
Eric straightened his posture as well. He asked carefully,
“...Hyung, why would the Freister Duchess come at this hour…?”
“...There’s a reason.”
Perhaps, like me, she had realized we needed to reconcile quickly. Or maybe she simply hated the idea of us staying in this awkward state.
I opened the door. Asena stood there with a stiff expression, but I could see the sadness hidden in her eyes. The moment I saw it, my heart weakened despite how pathetic that was. Still, I held onto the last shred of my pride and didn’t let it show. I kept my own expression just as rigid.
When she saw my face, her eyes wandered uneasily. I could tell right away how shaken she was. Asena didn’t know how to reconcile. Since this was the first time I had ever gotten angry at her like this, she seemed lost on how to approach me or what to say.
I let her inside and closed the door. She stood there as if trapped between me and the door.
“...Why are you here, Asena?”
I felt Eric’s presence behind me, but he seemed to have read the situation and remained quiet.
Asena swallowed hard. Then, instead of speaking to me, she addressed Eric first.
“.....The person behind you. Please leave the room for a moment.”
“Asena.”
She looked up at me like a child caught stealing. I said,
“I told you not to order people around like that.”
“.......”
Considering the power of our family, the words she had spoken to Eric were clearly an order. She knew that perfectly well. Her gaze slowly dropped, and she blinked anxiously. It seemed she still couldn’t decide what to do.
“.....”
After swallowing again, she carefully raised both arms as if to hug me. It looked like she had decided to ignore Eric.
I pushed her hands away. It was still too soon. I wasn’t ready to accept her apology yet.
When I pushed her back, tears began to fill Asena’s eyes. No matter how hard she tried to hide her expression, she couldn’t stop the tears. It had been a very long time since I had seen her cry. Had being rejected by me been that much of a shock?
“...I asked why you came.”
Asena pressed her lips tightly together and held back her tears.
“Do you need a reason…?” she asked.
It was a heartbreaking answer, but I tried not to waver.
“Right now, yes.”
At my reply, Asena looked up at me with determination. Then she spoke clearly.
“.....I came to reconcile, Brother.”
“......”
“...I can’t attend the Academy like this.”
“.....Sigh…”
“...I know you’re angry, Brother… But this is for our future.”
Even though I had rejected her, she didn’t give up. She carefully reached out and grabbed the hem of my clothes. When I didn’t push her away this time, she took it as permission and stepped closer.
“Just this once… please understand.”
My head understood. Asena was simply making a choice for the family. It might have been a decision she had to make as the future head. I should be angry at the position of family head itself, or resent my own origins—not at Asena. She had done nothing wrong.
But this childish, hurt feeling kept turning toward her.
Asena, now pressed close against me, rested her forehead on my chest. When I didn’t stop her, she spread both arms and hugged me, just as she had tried to do earlier.
“...Please… just once…”
She was acting like the young Asena again, throwing a tantrum. Honestly, I was a little surprised. I hadn’t known that side of her still remained. As expected, I couldn’t stay strong against her when she was like this. They were my first family, after all. I only felt deep affection for them.
In the end, I let out a sigh and stroked the back of her head.
Let’s bury it for now. It was something I couldn’t fully accept anyway. If we kept fighting, we would only be targeted constantly at the Academy. So for now, let’s bury it.
Asena flinched, then her breathing grew ragged. They were the sounds of someone holding back sobs.
“Does it really have to be this way…?” I asked.
Asena nodded. “...It has to.”
I closed my eyes and sighed again. “.....Alright.”
At my words, Asena hugged me tightly. With trembling hands, she stayed in my arms for a long time right there in front of the door.
After Asena left, it was time to sleep. We still hadn’t gone to our separate rooms and were sitting on the sofa discussing what had just happened. Eric spoke first.
“.....You really are close.”
“...I told you we were.” I answered almost defensively. I still didn’t understand why the rumor that I was isolated in the family had spread.
“Still, I was a little surprised.”
“Why?”
“Leaving aside the rumors about you… it’s a well-known fact that Lady Asena is cold and expressionless. I never imagined she would show that kind of side…”
I placed my hands on my knees and stood up from the sofa. It was true that she became more reserved when dealing with people outside our family. Asena wore a mask for the sake of the family. Having risen to a high position at a young age, she had reduced the emotions she showed others so they wouldn’t dare look down on her.
Since Eric had seen the truth, there was no need to hide it anymore.
“.....Asena is actually very soft-hearted.”
…Not that she was fragile like a young girl. She had her own resolve and stubbornness. I simply meant she was softer than the rumors suggested.
“That’s why I asked you to look after my sisters. And don’t go around telling people what she’s really like, Eric.”
“Why would I spread rumors like that? Don’t worry.”
“...Yeah, thanks. Good luck with your first class tomorrow.”
I offered the protagonist a small word of encouragement.
“You too, hyung. Don’t get hurt.”
He worried about me as well. After that, without further words, we each went to our own rooms.
The day of the entrance ceremony dawned. I put on the Academy uniform bearing my family’s crest and left the dormitory. Perhaps because news of my reconciliation with Asena had spread, the moment I stepped outside I met Kirsi, who had clearly been waiting for me.
“Brother!!” She flew into my arms and hugged me tightly. She was trying to act cheerful and playful, but her voice was trembling. She must have been very worried.
I played along with her antics for a moment, then brushed her hair back from her forehead and said simply, “...It’s okay now.”
Kirsi swallowed her tears, her nose turning red, and laughed with a shy “Hehe.”
Asena stood behind Kirsi. She had erased the emotions she had shown me yesterday and was once again wearing that stoic expression.
“Did you sleep well?” I asked Asena, trying to ease the still-awkward atmosphere. It had been a long time since I—the one who always woke her—hadn’t been there to do so.
Asena glanced around before stepping closer. No one was watching us. Except for Kirsi.
“...Kirsi. Can you look over there for a moment?” Asena pointed in a strange direction. There was nothing there.
“Huh? Where?” Kirsi turned her body to look where Asena was pointing. I also tried to see if something was there.
—Chu.
At that moment, I felt a soft touch on my cheek. Asena had closed the distance and given me a kiss on the cheek, just like she did every morning. It seemed she was trying to melt away the awkwardness in her own way.
I stood there stunned for a second before her cute gesture made me laugh. At the sound of my laughter, Kirsi turned back around.
“Brother, why are you laughing?”
“Ahaha… It’s nothing.”
As we walked toward the plaza where the entrance ceremony would be held, we talked about all the light topics we hadn’t been able to discuss before. Even though we had only been apart for a day, there was so much to talk about that the conversation never seemed to end.
Among the many topics, the one that stuck with me most was about the dormitories. Asena and Kirsi said they were sharing a room. That matched the novel as well. If they had been assigned separate rooms… well, with their current personalities it probably wouldn’t have been a problem, but I would have worried. It was a relief.
We soon arrived at the plaza. A great many nobles had already gathered. I could hear whispers coming from every direction as people looked at us. That was how powerful our family was.
Kirsi didn’t seem to hear any of it. She kept her arm linked with mine, chattering away excitedly like a bird.
“Ah… I’m so nervous, Brother. We’re really starting our Academy life now, right?”
Asena must have wanted to join the conversation, because she turned to look at us. The three of us created our own little space and began talking comfortably.
“We are. Don’t worry too much. The guy I’m sharing a dormitory with is in the same department as you two, and he seems like a decent person. I’m sure everyone here is like that.”
“Really? Who?” Kirsi asked. Asena answered,
“.....The eldest son of the Endra family, Eric Endra.”
She had seen him when she came to my room yesterday.
“...How did you know right away, Asena?”
“I saw the family crest when I left. I also heard that the Endra family’s eldest son would be enrolling this year.”
“I see…”
It was still impressive. Out of hundreds of families, she knew and remembered the crest of the Endra family—one of the weakest. I continued speaking, then paused to look around. The atmosphere was becoming noisy.
“It’s about to start… Huh?”
My gaze suddenly fixed on one spot.
“...Brother…?”
“......?”
When my attention shifted elsewhere, Asena and Kirsi looked at me in confusion. But I couldn’t answer them for a long time. My mouth hung open.
She was there at the end of my gaze.
Golden hair. A warm, kind impression. At the same time, she was taking deep breaths as if nervous.
The character I had loved most in the novel. The eldest daughter of the family that had sponsored the orphanage where I had lived for two years. Daisy Hextor.
Seeing her in person felt completely different. I recognized her the moment I saw her.
“...Wow…”
I let out an involuntary sigh of admiration.
In that instant, Kirsi’s anxious voice snapped me back to reality.
“B-Brother…?”
“Ah… Uh… Sorry. Did you call me?”
At some point Kirsi had clutched her chest and was tilting her head at me.
“...Um… Yeah… Why does my heart feel like this… Who… who were you looking at like that?”
Her gaze swept over me uneasily.
“Ah… It’s nothing…”
I scratched my head awkwardly and said,
“...She’s just really pretty.”