Wrong Encounters (2)
Kirsi had been in a good mood since morning. After hearing that her older sister Asena had gone to make peace the night before, she felt an immense sense of relief. It was the first time she had ever seen her brother Caiden so angry. He hadn’t directed that anger at her, but she had still been anxious, worried that some sparks might fly her way. The thought of being hated by him was simply unimaginable.
She knew she was weak for needing to rely on him to live. But leaning on him brought her such happiness that she had never considered stopping. Still, just a few days ago, she had begun imagining what it would be like if he disappeared. Asena had said she wouldn’t expel Caiden from the family, yet Kirsi had still pictured herself growing distant from him.
In truth, even if Caiden were driven out of the family, she could simply follow him. So the only thing she truly feared was earning his hatred. She had prayed again and again that his fury would not turn toward her. It seemed the heavens had answered her plea—Asena had returned after reconciling with him, as if to prove it. Seeing Asena’s bloodshot eyes for the first time in a while, Kirsi could tell just how worried her sister had been too.
Still, everything was fine now. Kirsi thought they could all come together again at the entrance ceremony. And then morning arrived. She hadn’t been able to sleep much, but her heart felt incredibly light. The unpleasant pressure that had weighed on her chest for days had finally vanished. Once more, she could approach Caiden with coquettish charm. Once more, she could receive his affection.
Sure enough, when she visited him early in the morning, Caiden welcomed her warmly. She was able to pour out all the stories that had piled up during the day they hadn’t seen each other. Even if people whispered around them, she couldn’t hear a thing. She was happy.
They were sharing such a warm, peaceful moment when his gaze suddenly fixed on one spot and refused to move.
“...?”
Kirsi had been giggling, but now she tilted her head in confusion. His eyes didn’t return to her. She waved a hand in front of his face, pinched his cheek and shook it—still no reaction.
It was strange. This had never happened once since he became part of their family.
Kirsi pressed herself close to his side and looked in the direction he was staring.
“.............Huh...?”
A woman was standing there. Kirsi couldn’t believe Caiden was looking at another girl, so she hesitantly lifted her gaze to him again.
“.....Wow...”
And Caiden, as if lost in something, kept staring at that spot with a dazed expression, even letting out a soft sigh of admiration.
An unpleasant feeling rose in her chest, as if someone were clawing at her heart. Kirsi immediately shook him. She needed to pull his attention back. When she glanced at her sister, Asena was also staring at Caiden’s face in bewilderment before shifting her cold glare toward the woman.
Clutching her strangely aching heart, Kirsi managed to draw his gaze back. Then came his words.
“That person is pretty.”
“...Ah...”
A compliment about someone’s beauty. Whenever those words came from his mouth, they had always filled her with happiness. Yet now, simply because they weren’t directed at her, they brought the complete opposite feeling. No matter how much she thought about it, Kirsi couldn’t understand why.
Caiden suddenly patted both her and Asena on the shoulder.
“Ah, look at me spacing out. Kids, it looks like it’s starting. We should probably line up by department, so go find your places.”
“...Okay.”
But Kirsi’s feet wouldn’t move. For some reason, she felt like she had to stay by Caiden’s side right now. It was an impossible wish.
Caiden gently pushed her and Asena forward, waved, and then headed off to find his own spot. Kirsi kept glancing back over her shoulder. It felt like something that should never have begun had just started.
Entrance ceremonies always seem boring no matter where you go. I yawned several times. As if it were contagious, yawns echoed from every direction. Everyone seemed to feel the same as me.
But whenever I thought of Daisy Hextor, whom I had seen earlier, the fatigue vanished as if I had taken a stimulant. It was like seeing my favorite celebrity right in front of me. It was deeply moving to know that her clear, pure, and hardworking soul shared the same space as mine.
Wondering if I might spot other characters, my eyes wandered around. I saw a few backs of heads that looked familiar, but none I could be as certain about as I had been with Daisy Hextor.
Then my gaze fixed again. There she was—Daisy. Even in this tedious situation, she stared at the platform with passionate, or rather, resolute eyes. The word “impressive” came to mind without effort.
The Hextor family would eventually be crushed by the Freister family, but until then, Daisy’s overwhelming steadfastness was exactly why I had come to love her. I also knew about the countless trials she had overcome to reach this point. She had been a captivating character even when I read about her in the novel, but seeing her living and breathing before my eyes filled me with admiration and respect.
She would have done well even if she had come to the Knight Department. As I continued watching her, I felt someone’s gaze on me and turned my head. Asena was staring at me intently. I smiled at her, but Asena didn’t return the smile. She simply turned her head back to face forward.
...Why is she acting like that? Well, maybe she doesn’t want to show any silly behavior in front of so many people. I yawned once more and waited for the entrance ceremony to end.
After the entrance ceremony ended, classes began immediately. We in the Knight Department were dragged off somewhere without even having time to greet each other. After passing through several doors, a vast training ground appeared. The professor who had silently led us until now shouted in a loud voice.
“Knight Department! Welcome! I am Hoslo, who will be in charge of you for the next two years. Call me Sir Hoslo.”
The people around me began to murmur. I had never heard the name before, but he seemed quite famous. And it made sense—he looked every bit the knight. Scars crisscrossed his cheeks, and his white hair resembled a lion’s mane. Even at his age, the muscles in his arms hadn’t shrunk at all and proudly displayed their size.
“You probably haven’t gotten to know each other yet. But knights don’t converse with words. They speak with sweat and blood. If you pour in effort here, you’ll naturally grow close to your classmates without even trying.”
His passion came through so strongly it made my skin tingle. I was gradually realizing that this was the place where I would hone my skills.
All the students awkwardly looked around at one another. I took them in as well. As expected of the Knight Department, everyone was in excellent physical condition. It seemed they had all come somewhat prepared. There were even a few women among them.
Sir Hoslo clapped his hands together sharply, cutting through the disorderly atmosphere. At the same time, several workers led horses out.
“We’ll begin practical training right away. Today’s lesson is horsemanship! A knight must know how to ride a horse first. Swordsmanship doesn’t matter. A swordsman who cannot ride cannot become a knight. This is the most basic of basics.”
I examined the horses that had been brought out. Thanks to Lawrence, the Freister family’s training captain, I had already learned how to read a horse’s temperament. Just by looking at them, I could roughly tell their personalities. I was already mentally filtering out the ones I should avoid.
“Those who still cannot ride a horse, raise your hands.”
A few students hesitantly lifted their hands, looking embarrassed.
“Don’t be ashamed. Some of you probably had difficulty even obtaining a horse. This is a place to learn. If you can’t do something, say so with confidence.”
The students who had raised their hands lifted them a little more firmly. At Sir Hoslo’s gesture, other knights who seemed to be his assistants appeared and led those students away somewhere.
“The rest of you know how to ride?”
We nodded.
“Then each of you, choose a horse and mount up.”
At his signal, everyone awkwardly approached the horses and took hold of the reins. Some classmates struggled with spirited horses, while others were flustered as horses playfully tried to bite their hands.
I walked toward the horse I had been watching from the beginning. But the moment I reached for the reins, a small hand suddenly shot out and grabbed the same horse’s reins.
“...?”
When I turned, a woman was standing there. Gray hair with a hint of blue. A modestly sized chest. A tall, well-balanced frame befitting a knight. A beauty on par with Asena and Kirsi. On her shoulder was the emblem of a bear’s paw print.
But she was the one who noticed my emblem first.
“...Freister.”
She spat the word as if it were something filthy in her mouth. She was from the Ice Duchy.
…Our rival family.
Caught off guard, I let go of the reins and offered my hand first.
“...I’m Caiden Freister.”
But the woman from the Ice family didn’t answer. Instead, she simply tugged the reins and led the horse away.
“...Hmm...”
I was left standing there alone. Sir Hoslo, who must have been watching, approached with a hearty laugh.
“...Didn’t I say knights don’t converse with words? Hurry up and get on another horse.”