Chapter 83: Countdown(2)

 

“.....Ah.”

 

I awkwardly waved my hand, finding myself in an uncomfortable position.

 

Asena must also know that when I said “such things can happen,” I was just making an excuse to ease the atmosphere. But despite knowing this, she, yearning for love, was asking me again to cross that line.

 

And the most troubling thing was that Asena looked more serious than ever before.

 

Biting the edge of her lips slightly, she was looking up at me as if urging me to hurry up.

 

Today, everything felt strange and awkward.

 

Both Keirsey and Asena… Why were they both acting this way?

 

I wondered if I was being overly sensitive, but today, their eyes seemed more desperate, and their actions, a tad more aggressive.

 

Do they want more affection because I’m leaving? But that can’t be it; Keirsey hasn’t really yearned for my affection.

 

She merely exposed her skin to me.

 

Amidst my confusion, Asena spoke up.

 

“...Why? You said we could do such things.”

 

“...No... I misspoke because of the unexpected situation. You know that.”

 

“...No, I don’t know.”

 

“.......”

 

“...Just once more, even if lightly.”

 

At that moment, the door to Keirsey’s room flung open.

 

Asena stiffened her expression and distanced herself from me.

 

I immediately turned to look at Keirsey and thanked her internally.

 

Thanks to her, now I would be able to divert the topic.

 

“Keirsey, are you ready?”

 

“......Um.”

 

She glanced back and forth between Asena and me, then, swallowing as if holding back something, she flashed a smile.

 

I didn’t ask and since their dormitory had a different atmosphere today, I urged them to leave quickly.

 

“Let’s go then.”

 

****

 

It’s troublesome.

 

I thought it was only an issue inside a closed space, but it was the same outside as well.

 

Asena was tolerable, but Keirsey tightly wrapped her arm around mine, using her entire body to trap it securely.

 

I repeatedly told her to let go, to consider the public gaze, but Keirsey ignored all of it.

 

It’s not like I’m going to change my mind because of her aegyo.

 

Moreover, it’s not good to show this kind of behavior in front of other nobles.

 

Regardless, she wouldn’t let go.

 

I initially left her be, but as we got closer to the academy and as more gazes fell upon us, I began to feel this wasn’t right.

 

“...Keirsey. Let go of my hand now.”

 

“........”

 

Instead of replying, she gripped my hand even tighter. Blood stopped flowing to my fingers that were caught in her grip.

 

I finally stopped in my tracks.

 

“Let go.”

 

“.........”

 

She buried her head into my arm and gripped my hand even more tightly. I could feel her determination not to let go.

 

Was she shocked because I left them to talk with Daisy the previous night? Clearly, something had changed with them, especially with Keirsey.

 

“......”

 

In times like this, I needed to be a bit stern. Also, I decided to also hint about what’s to come. Because if everything changed due to my conversation with Daisy, they still had a long way to go.

 

“Why are you like this today? Is it because I talked to Daisy yesterday?”

 

“.......”

 

“Just for that reason? Can’t I even talk to my fiancee? If that’s causing the issue, there will be more issues in the future.”

 

“......”

 

“...Well, since there are many eyes watching, let go now. We should also reduce such displays of affection in the future.”

 

“......Huh?”

 

“...I mean, I’m now engaged. What will others think when they see us?”

 

“...Where... where did you get that idea...?”

 

Keirsey tightened her grip on my hand.

 

“What will they think...?”

 

Asena voiced her doubts in response to my words.

 

I replied to both of them at once.

 

“It’s not right anymore, Keirsey. I have a fiancee now. And Asena, what would they think... It would be strange if an engaged person is clinging so much to their siblings.”

 

“...But you like us more. What’s wrong with clinging to those you favor more?”

 

Of course, Asena must have found fault in her own statement. So, it was just an excuse to convince me. Nothing more and nothing less.

 

“......”

 

I silently gazed at Asena for a moment. She turned her head, perhaps feeling a sting from my stare.

 

Slowly, Keirsey began to loosen her grip.

 

“...Fine... No... I understand.”

 

After letting go, Keirsey walked a step ahead of me.

 

“......”

 

After a while of walking, when we arrived in front of the Political Science building, the first people we met were Judy, Daisy, and Sir Horslow.

 

When Sir Horslow, a professor of the Knights Department, saw the twins, he bowed his head briefly.

 

Asena acknowledged the greeting and shifted her gaze to Judy and Daisy.

 

Then, with a cold tone completely opposite to what she had used with me in the morning, she asked, “....What is going on?”

 

“Ah, I came to inform you that their escort training ends today,” Sir Horslow responded calmly.

 

Asena tilted her head menacingly. “....Excuse me?”

 

“Cayden Praister and Judy Ice. They will return to the Knight Academy as of today.”

 

“...I was under the impression that the escort training ends in 20 days. Roughly two weeks before the end of the term.”

 

“They’ve both excelled and gained ample experience, hence the shortened period. The evaluation is also complete.”

 

Asena paused for a moment, then sharply inquired, “......Did Grandma intervene?”

 

“....?”

 

For me, this context was hard to understand. Why would Grandma intervene?

 

I thought maybe Asena misspoke.

 

However, Sir Horslow didn’t respond to her question. With a stiff posture, he conveyed only his own message.

 

“.....I’ve explained the reason. Now, Cayden. Judy. Follow me. I’ll wait for the farewell greetings.”

 

Immediately after, he distanced himself.

 

The situation was so sudden that I awkwardly glanced between the twins, Daisy, and Judy.

 

The first to act was Judy.

 

She didn’t hesitate. Avoiding my gaze, she promptly bowed to Daisy, and then approached Asena and gave her a bow as well.

 

Even though she’s currently escorting Daisy, Judy had been Asena’s escort for a long time, so it was only natural for her to greet Asena as well.

 

While I could let it slide, because of yesterday’s events, facing Judy was awkward for me. More than awkward, it was a feeling heavily tinged with guilt.

 

She seemed angry at me, avoiding even looking at my face. In a way, maybe that was fortunate for me. After all, I had no idea how to face her either — Her voice, pleading, still felt fresh in my ears.

 

I pushed those useless thoughts aside.

 

Seeing Judy take the lead, I started to move as well.

 

Honestly, I felt relieved that it ended earlier than expected. Leaving the twins aside, I was worried about Judy.

 

Her position was complicated, whether she was escorting Daisy or the twins. And the reason for that was entirely because of me. Hence, when the situation unraveled this way - it brought me some relief.

 

So, I stood still, watching the twins slowly turn toward me. It was also the end of my time as an escort.

 

“...Then, I should go.”

 

Keirsey once again grabbed my wrist.

 

“Ah...no.”

 

“...Don’t do this again.”

 

“...If you do, the plan...”

 

“...?”

 

Thinking she was speaking to me, I tried to pay her attention, but she just mumbled with a vacant look in her eyes. On closer inspection, her gaze seemed unfocused, as if she were talking to herself.

 

“...Keirsey. I’m leaving.”

 

I called her name, trying to snap her out of it.

 

Like waking from a dream, Keirsey looked up at me with surprise.

 

Her mouth opened and closed, suggesting she wanted to say something, but it seemed she knew it wouldn’t sway me.

 

She surely wanted to tell me not to go. Of course, I would say it’s not possible.

 

Knowing both those facts, Keirsey just looked at me with a gaze full of longing.

 

I shifted my gaze from her to Asena.

 

Asena’s expression was stern. There was a faint hint of displeasure in her eyes, but it wasn’t entirely clear.

 

After gently brushing Asena’s cheek, I walked over to Daisy.

 

“...This is it,” I told her.

 

“...It’s a pity, Cayden.”

 

“It’s kind of you to say so.”

 

“Cayden… isn’t sad?”

 

Just as the twins had changed, so had Daisy. She wasn’t blatant about it, but she clearly displayed a fondness for me.

 

I replied, “We have plenty of time ahead of us. You know that.”

 

- Grind!

 

A noise came from the direction of the twins, but I ignored it.

 

My words seemed to soothe Daisy’s slightly disgruntled expression. She closed her lips, lowered her gaze, nodded a few times, and said goodbye with a look that held no regrets.

 

“...That’s right. Cayden, then, take care.”

 

“Thank you. You too, Daisy.”

 

Immediately after, I turned and approached Professor Horslow.

 

Judy still wasn’t looking at me.

 

I didn’t really spend much time observing her either.

 

From behind me, I could feel the gaze of the twins, but I acted as if I was oblivious to it.

 

****

 

During class, Asena’s expression hardened even more.

 

The content of the lesson never registered in her ears.

 

She was preoccupied with fixing her shattered plans.

 

The physical time she could spend with Cayden had significantly diminished.

 

An even greater concern was that he currently did not want to see them.

 

What this implied was... in the future, she would only become more clingy, desperate, and ugly in his eyes.

 

Appearing before him, who desired a break,

 

Following him, who wasn’t bound to her,

 

And emotionally shaking him somehow…

 

Asena didn’t want to do that.

 

She’d tried that approach until now, but nothing had properly resolved.

 

She felt a headache coming on, as no viable solution appeared.

 

What should she do?

 

All five methods to solve the problem had been useless.

 

Avoidance. Concession. Confrontation. Compromise. Collaboration.

 

Avoidance... was absolutely not an option. If she avoided the problem, hoping for it to resolve on its own, Cayden would eventually leave.

 

Concession was also impossible. In this context, concession meant giving up on Cayden entirely, and that was even more out of the question.

 

Confrontation. Competing with other women for him was a fight she couldn’t win. She had tried several times but never achieved a positive result... it only led to more arguments with Cayden.

 

Compromise. She had already asked Daisy for a concession. Daisy remained unwavering, rejecting all of Asena’s proposals.

 

Collaboration. With everyone wanting Cayden, collaboration seemed impossible.

 

Only 4 days remained... and another obstacle emerged: Cayden not being her escort anymore and leaving her side.

 

Again, deep in thought, she tried to think of a solution, but…

 

...The mounting stress was becoming unbearable.

 

Her thoughts shifted and while pondering ways to alleviate this piled-up stress, Asena absentmindedly licked her lips.

 

---  End Of The Chapter ---

 

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