[ T/N: For the fastest release, read on ReadingPia.me ]

 

“Is it okay, Daisy?”

 

After Cayden told Asena about his choice, he asked Daisy.

 

Daisy couldn’t answer, and just looked at Asena; She, too, had her own conflicts.

 

Daisy liked people who work hard. And Cayden was a person who quietly did what he had to do and did not complain much. So, Cayden looked even more pitiful in her eyes.

 

He was good enough to become a champion in the jousting match, but nevertheless… perhaps because he was an adopted child, he was oppressed by twins.

 

She wanted to say it was okay. It was hard to see a person like Cayden not being recognized.

 

However, she was hesitating because of Asena’s warning that she had just received.

 

Cayden noticed her subtle mood; Daisy’s expression wasn’t good from the moment she came in with Asena, so it was something he couldn't help but know because her uneasiness intensified at his question.

 

“Excuse us.”

 

He first apologized to Sir Horslow and the student council president, then grabbing Asena’s wrist, he dragged her outside.

 

“oh..!”

 

Asena could not resist his power.

 

After leaving the student council room and crossing the hallway, Cayden didn’t let go of Asena’s wrist until he was sure only the two of them were left.

 

“…Oppa, I’m not okay. Why do you want to be Daisy’s knight? You should be my knight-”

 

As Asena was dragged away and spoke, Cayden turned and cut her off.

 

“Asena. Did you say anything to Daisy again?”

 

“…..”

 

“Like don’t be friends with me?”

 

“…”

 

“Didn’t I warn you last time? I’m not going to forgive you after just a warning again.”

 

But Asena did not back down.

 

“…Oppa. Forget your dreams.”

 

“….What?”

 

“Don’t even think about connecting with Daisy.”

 

“What does it mean?”

 

“It is best for Hexters and Daisy, Daisy marries someone... someone other than Oppa.”

 

“…I never thought of that, Asena.”

 

“But the actions I see tell me otherwise.”

 

Asena seemed to be bursting with the anger she had been holding back.

 

“You give flower at the jousting match. Asking for a dance at the prom. Now you’re trying to become a knight. How am I supposed to take this?”

 

“As long as you come to the academy, you have no choice but to connect with people. If I really only wanted to develop my skills as a knight, I would have just stayed in the Pryster Territory, why did I come all the way here?”

 

“…can’t we just go back to the estate, oppa?”

 

“What?”

 

Cayden frowned. There was a faint rage on his face. It’s a look she had never seen before.

 

“…I will finish the work here and return. Just go back, Oppa.”

 

“…Phew..”

 

Cayden turned his head and smirked, then shook his head.

 

Asena took a step closer and tried to grab the hem of his robe, but Cayden gently blocked her hand.

 

Cayden took a deep breath and seemed to have made up his mind.

 

He looked at Asena with a stiff face.

 

“……Asena. Now, let’s just open up and talk.”

 

“Uh?”

 

“I’m tired of hiding all these things. From now on, let’s talk only about the facts. I will answer your questions truthfully, and you will answer my questions truthfully.”

 

Asena showed an expression as if she was interested, then after hesitating for a second, she nodded.

 

“…Then I’ll ask you a question first, Oppa. Do you like Daisy?”

 

“I don’t like her. Now let me ask you. What do you think of me?”

 

“……”

 

At Cayden’s hooked question, Asena stiffened. Her silky black hair seemed to turn white.

 

The answer to the question was ‘I love you. I want to be married and have your children. I don't want you to pay attention to others. It’s always been like that since I was a kid.’ But even if she wanted to say that now, she couldn’t.

 

Because Cayden sees her as his sister, so talking about her true feelings would push him back forever.

 

“….I like you. Why are you curious about that now?”

 

So Asena hid the words that she loved him. She couldn’t even decide what was the right choice. Because the usual calculative Asena always got emotional when the topic was about him.

 

“……We decided to be honest, Asena.”

 

But as if he had read her mind, Cayden didn’t believe it. Asena’s heart began to pound. Maybe he already knew?

 

“…uh…?”

 

But the words that followed were not so affectionate.

 

“I… In front of Student Council Members...”

 

Cayden said in a subtly shaky voice. The feeling of excitement was quickly replaced by anxiety. Asena understood the world didn’t always go the way you want it to.

 

“...I heard everything, Asena.”

 

Asena’s mask was broken. The eyes were drooping, and the lips were gently opened. Her breathing quickened and her legs lost strength.

 

“……What…”

 

At the small question that came from not believing the situation, the words she wanted to hide the most began pouring out of Cayden’s mouth one after another.

 

“You say you don’t think of me as your brother. Saying that we don't share blood and that I am just an adopted child. Saying that you are more comfortable when I’m not at the academy…”

 

Asena was stunned for a moment, reflexively she reached out for him, but Cayden was not caught.

 

No words came out of her mouth. It just felt like Cayden in front of her would disappear like a mirage, her heart was beating like crazy.

 

It was hard to squeeze out even excuses, but she somehow squeezed them out.

 

“Ah… no…”

 

“…I heard everything. Why can’t you just say you feel ashamed of me?”

 

Asena shook her head vigorously.

 

“No..! Why would I be ashamed of my Oppa-”

 

“-If not ashamed, why did you tell others that we are not family? Why didn't you want me to appear in a jousting match, and at a prom, didn't you put me up like a folding screen behind you? Asena, there is no excuse. You even told me to return to the territory just earlier.”

 

“……ah..”

 

“I told you to tell me openly.”

 

Asena needed time to think. She needed a break to figure out how to best deal with this moment.

 

“…Oppa, let’s go to my room and talk.”

 

“While leaving everyone else in the student council room?”

 

“Are those people important now?”

 

“What will change if we go somewhere else and talk?”

 

But Cayden didn’t give up. Asena was still buzzing in her head and could not come to her senses.

 

Knowing Asena's temperament, she was sure, Student Council Members wouldn't dare to tell Cayden about her words.

 

This was the first time she heard she had made such a big mistake. Her heart was pounding and she was sweating profusely. Perhaps she would not have been so embarrassed even if her life had been at stake.

 

“…Oppa...I was wrong. It’s not like that… So…”

 

Cayden let out a long sigh.

 

Then, he grabbed Asena’s hair little by little and swept it away.

 

“….it’s okay. I’m not mad…I’ve decided to understand.”

 

“Uh…?”

 

Seeing Cayden's distant eyes, Asena choked on her breath. She was neither able to inhale nor exhale; She was like a fish out of the water.

 

“…the Pryster family… well, I can accept the fact that I am the only flaw in such a strong family… to a certain extent. Even Grandma told me to beware in the Academy due to my past.”

 

“……”

 

“Of course…I didn’t expect you to do this to me…but anyway. I love you so much I can’t easily hate you. I understand...Your choice.”

 

“….Oppa..”

 

Cayden smiled, let go of her hair, and touched Asena’s cheek with his hand.

 

“..but it hurts as much as I love you.”

 

Asena swallowed her saliva. His wounds felt as vivid as her own. It would be more painful for him, but it was already an unbearable pain for her.

 

“…we decided to be honest, right?”

 

Asena looked up at him. Now the words that came out of his mouth were terrifying. It was the first time she had ever felt what fear meant.

 

“……I want to leave the family, Asena.”

 

“……………….uh……?”

 

Cayden said with a bitter smile as he gently stroked Asena’s cheek with his thumb.

 

“…how should I say…”

 

“Oppa, what?”

 

Asena thought for a moment that she had heard it wrong. No, she wanted to believe she heard it wrong.

 

“…if there is a flaw in the Pryster. It is right to leave and erase it, no? Now, are you going to be honest and tell me how you feel? I just don’t want to get hurt anymore.”

 

“Leave… you’re leaving…? Is my Oppa…?”

 

As if it were difficult for both of therm to speak out, Cayden also said while slowly nodding his head while repeating ‘ah’ and ‘um.’

 

“…I think I put a lot of effort into it. As you said…I am an adopted child and a commoner…but I tried my best to be confident.”

 

“Why…why are you doing this… are you kidding me?”

 

“But now that I see it, I think the direction is wrong. If I’m by your side, I can’t stand tall. I was too greedy. Just looking at Judy, the youngest daughter, made me understand that. Yes, as an adopted child I was asking for too much.”

 

Asena grabbed Cayden and shook him.

 

“Oppa!!”

 

Because of Asena, Cayden shook for a moment, then used force to stand upright and exhaled once more.

 

“…ah…why…”

 

Cayden said, soothing Asena whose expression looked hurt.

 

“I don’t mean to break the relationship between us. Because I understand. Politically, you might be ashamed of me. There is nothing wrong with being alone.”

 

“It’s not…! Why would my Oppa leave me..! You promised to always be by my side…”

 

“Why are you surprised, Asena? You decided to expel me after graduation anyway.”

 

Asena opened her mouth, but nothing came out as if a stone had blocked her throat.

 

“Isn’t that what you said?”

 

It was only after she began to choke that Asena took another deep breath and was able to find something to say.

 

“…that’s just…! I said I was just taking off the Pryster family name…! You don’t have to go anywhere else, and I'll treat you better…?”

 

“I don’t want to live like that.”

 

“…what?”

 

“It’s a life of livestock, not the life I want. Whatever you do to me, I’m a Pryster. And as a Pryster, I want to help the family.”

 

Cayden loosened his neck and opened his chest proudly. It was as if he was trying to tell who he was.

 

“I'll become a vassal of another family. If I use my abilities, I’ll be able to become a knight. If there is a dispute with the Prysters, I will mediate. It’s better to act like a window sitter than to live with the people who are ashamed of me.”

 

“……”

 

“You see why I want to be Daisy’s knight? The Hexters also came into my sight.”

 

“….No. No. For that reason, I can’t allow it even more.”

 

“Permission?”

 

“Yes. I can’t allow it.”

 

Asena hardened her expression again and looked at him. But it didn’t seem too intimidating to Cayden.

 

“Asena, I don’t need your permission.”

 

Asena shook her head. He was not shaken by any words, so all that was left was disbelief.

 

She grabbed Cayden’s hem again with both hands and said:

 

“….It is a lie. Are you lying? Oppa… no matter what I did, you came back to me.”

 

“…you keep telling everyone I'm not your family. But you want to keep me without a family name….I am so sick now... Or what, would you suddenly change your posture and say that you like me in front of people? That makes no sense. Then there’s no reason why I’ve suffered so much. Rather... It would be better to spread the story that I'm not part of the family. Wouldn't you gain what you wanted after expelling me then?”

 

“No, from now on, I won’t say strange things in front of others. Okay? So…”

 

“If it was last time. I wish you clearly said what you honestly feel…”

 

Asena instantly remembered an article about generous people she had read a few days ago.

 

The article said that if you cross the line, they won’t come back.

 

When that came to mind, Asena’s heart squeezed again.

 

If she had already crossed the line, would he not come back again?

 

Asena didn’t know what her expression was, but Cayden came and took her face in his arms.

 

“Asena, are you okay? This conversation is now over. Talking more… well… we don’t have to go fighting around, right?”

 

Asena couldn’t say anything. Her mind was not working at all.

 

The conversation with Cayden was very emotional.

 

She was swept away by that feeling and her vision narrowed.

 

She didn’t know which was the right choice.

 

Even if she wanted to ask for an apology, he already said it was okay with a smile on his face. At the same time, he did not recall the word leaving no matter what she said.

 

If he had been angry, then she would have somehow begged for forgiveness.

 

But he smiled and hugged her like this, so she had no idea how to ask for forgiveness.

 

“Oppa… not really… where are you going…”

 

“This conversation is over. I’ve said my opinion, so let’s talk in front of Keirsey again later.”

 

Asena was unable to respond.

 

She couldn’t accept that the warmth she felt right now would leave her.

 

✧ ✧ ✧

 

As the two returned to the student council room, the moment of truth came.

 

Daisy’s eyes fell on Asena, who followed behind Cayden; She looked dead.

 

Seeing Asena like this for the first time, Daisy had a strange feeling.

 

To make that Asena die... Was that why Asena hated Cayden?

 

Was he the only one who could suppress her?

 

“…Daisy. Is it ok if I escort you?”

 

Cayden asked. At that moment, Asena stared at Daisy.

 

It seemed to tell that she should not forget the previous warning.

 

But Daisy was shaken by a feeling she couldn’t understand.

 

Cayden, who stood in front of her, was an unusual person.

 

He was the adopted child of the Pryster family.

 

It was said that when he was an orphan, he grew up in an orphanage run by her own family. She didn't know how much effort he put in, but he showed overwhelming skills in the jousting match… Now that she saw, even Asena could be shaken to some extent. She always thought he was just being beaten up, so this was completely unexpected.

 

Before making a decision, she approached Cayden closely.

 

Asena looked more uncomfortable from behind, but Daisy wasn’t the type of person to be swayed by that.

 

She was someone who could call right things right and wrong things wrong.

 

“…?”

 

As Daisy approached, Cayden gave her an ear.

 

She whispered:

 

“…Asena doesn’t want me and you to become friends.”

 

Cayden heard it and pondered for a moment, then whispered to her as well.

 

“…I just found out. I thought it wouldn’t have happened since I warned her once before… I’m sorry. Are you in a difficult position?”

 

“…it’s not like that, but are you okay, Cayden-sama?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“If you come to me, won’t you be discriminated against more by your family…? Otherwise, I'm OK. It would be an honor to have someone as talented as you escort me.”

 

“…I’m fine too.”

 

Daisy pondered for a while again and asked one last time.

 

“…just one more thing. If I get to know you… Asena told me that she would torment me…”

 

“….yes?”

 

Cayden looked back at Asena, who was standing behind him.

 

Asena looked at them with cold eyes, and as Cayden’s head turned, she hid her expression.

 

Cayden sighed and thought.

 

‘…to be like that…’

 

Disappointed once again, Cauden thought, 'Why is Asena turning into a villain again?'

 

Cayden looked at Daisy and declared.

 

“..Do not worry. I will protect you.”

 

[ T/N: Join Patreon to support the translation and to read 3 chapters ahead of the release: https://www.patreon.com/DylanVittori

 ]