CPEB Chapter 46

At that moment, the unpleasantness of being handed a forget-me-not washed away.

I wasn’t Irillin, the immature little girl who used to ski with a sword.

Irillin the Knight.

That’s who I am.

My heart flutters in my chest.

“Put down what you just brought. The sword and armor you brought me earlier are enough.”

I strapped them on aesthetically and turned back to see Vin ready to go.

I snapped and turned my head around and picked up the sword and armor Lord Hogarden had set down earlier.

When I turned my head again after completing the aesthetic wear, I saw Bin who was ready.

He couldn’t have looked better in his all-white armor and silver hair.

“Are you done?”

“……Yes. Let’s go.”

I couldn’t make eye contact as usual, so I walked with my eyes on the ground and led Vin to the training center.

The sounds of knights practicing nearby could be heard.

“Lady and the Duke of Ortega are going to spar?”

“Can we call it a duel? I’m afraid she’s going to get her *ss handed to her.”

“Ah. I’m sure the Young Duke will treat her fairly, she’s his fiancée.”

“Don’t you know, the Young Duke hates the Lady.”

“Oh, that’s right. Then he may take this opportunity to eat to avenge himself.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You must be covered in bruises.”

“I can hear you guys!”

Lord Hogarden’s shout silenced the knights.

But I couldn’t help but wonder if he agreed with them.

“Well, my lady. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“You’ll have to see for yourself if it’s okay or not.”

“Well, then, I’ll be the judge, and I’ll stop you as soon as you’re not.”

“Sure.”

That probably wouldn’t happen.

Neither Sir Hogarden nor any of the other knights would worry about it.

If anything, Vin would be the one to get the short end of the stick.

“En garde.”

Sir Hogarden declared, all preparations were completed.

Vin and I simultaneously took up our stances and faced each other.

Neither of us could have looked more serious.

“Allez!”

The duel began, but neither of us stepped forward.

It’s a moment I’ve been looking forward to for seven years. I wanted to fully feel the tension and expectations before the two swords were swept in earnest.

I think it’s likely Vin feels the same.

---

Irillin held her eyes on Vin’s bobbing throat, the rapid rise and fall of his chest.

And then.

She took a step.

A straightened blade, thrusting toward where her gaze lingered.

“Don’t you always attack from the shoulders first?”

Just before it reached his chest. Vin exhaled heatedly as he blocked her outstretched blade.

It was a secret attack. He couldn’t believe he blocked it!

It wasn’t for nothing that he’d been training all this time, even abandoning his duties as Vice Captain.

“I know how long you’ve been waiting for this moment, and it’s not polite to be so obvious.”

“Why did you keep me waiting so long knowing that?”

“I’m sorry.”

The words were short, and Irillin thrust her sword again, aiming for his shoulder. This time, Vin narrowly blocked it.

“You said you wouldn’t be brazen.”

“Don’t make it obvious?”

“That’s good.”

Irillin slashed again.

Vin wondered what she was going to do, and as he waited for the next attack, Irillin ran.

Right behind him.

---

Fencing matches are usually fought with opponents facing each other, and so it was in this world.

But what Irillin had been doing in Serom for the past seven years was nothing so noble.

Fierce battles, where lives are easily taken.

There is no discipline, no rules, and no one follows the rules.

Unlike in Dalian, the fighters move around, stabbing their opponents in the back, and sometimes using weapons other than swords.

However, this is just training for the real thing. There is no law that says you can’t use practical moves.

Therefore, my actions are perfectly legal.

“This kind of…!”

Vinn, who had caught on, turned quickly, and my attack on his back was blocked.

But I wasn’t discouraged. I expected it.

“Do you want to have me?”

Vin stamped his foot opposing the clashing swords.

The strength to hold on, not to let go, is stubborn. If so-.

I have no choice but to stop him from holding out.

“Do you-“

I wrapped my legs around his waist, which stiffened for a moment, and pinned him to the ground with force.

“You can’t have me.”

I could feel a pulse, pounding somewhere in his back.

The tightly gripped sword was already out of Vin’s grasp.

“You could only defend against me, not attack me. What can I say, you’re not the kind of person who can be that determined, and I…”

“…Do you mean you’re disappointed?”

“No. I knew this would happen a long ago.”

“Then why can’t I have you?”

He could probably get away with punching my legs with all his might, but that didn’t seem to be in Vin’s head.

He just stood there, pressed under me, waiting for his defeat.

Fool, what’s a duel if you can’t even swing a sword at me?

Slowly, I brought my sword to Vin’s shoulder.

Then I spoke in a dry voice.

“Because I don’t love you, that’s all.”

---

I’m not stupid enough to throw myself into a fire and say, “Wow, I’m free!” when my sister steps back.

You trusted me to be a good judge of character, and I’m not going to betray that trust by dying.

If I disappear from this world, Vin will have many people, but not y siterm.

So I chose to abandon him.

I gave him the spar he so desperately wanted and turned away coldly, as one might give candy to a crying child.

…… But it wasn’t easy to get away completely.

The next day, the Marchioness apologized for offending him and hosted a tea party.

It was hastily organized and well attended.

The Marchioness of Heather’s family, the Callihants, and the Duke of Ortega.

What a close-knit group.

“Irene. Isn’t this chocolate Vin’s favorite? He’d love it if you brought him some.”

Perhaps because of my last declaration of separation, the Marchioness was desperate to get Vin and me back together.

I took the chocolate the Marchioness pointed to and popped it all into my mouth as if I hadn’t noticed.

“Mmm, indeed. This looks like something Vin would like.”

“…… My daughter liked this chocolate a lot, too. Yes, eat a lot. I’ve got a mountain of it anyway because it’s Vin’s favorite.”

Sure enough, one of the servants came back with a whole tub of the same chocolate on a plate.

……Ah, now I can’t eat anymore.

“Oh, by the way, Vin is carrying a bottle of wine, it would be so nice to share.”

“Mother, didn’t I tell you the other day, I can take care of myself?”

“I know. You’ll take care of it. I’m just giving you advice.”

“Then I won’t listen.”

I hissed and walked away from the Marchioness.

As I walked away from the Marchioness, I stopped in my tracks.

Callie was in front of me.

“Heather, my dear. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Or should I call you Lord(It seems that they have been referring to Irilin as Lord because she is a knight, I will go back and fix that.) Heather now?”

Callie scoffed, looking me up and down.

The young ladies around me snickered in response.

“Of course you should, Hant. I’m afraid you’re a little too bouncy under that dress for the noble title of ‘young lady’.”

“I heard you even danced in your uniform at the last Gun International party?”

“Oh, I guess you didn’t have a dress that covered your muscles.”

I wondered why I went along with the farce when they were openly antagonising me.

Was it just to engage in this kind of childish bickering?

“My lady, on the other hand, is very frail.”

A man pushed his way through the crowd and placed a hand on Callie’s shoulder.

He had a dirty, bored look on his face.

“Nix Heyman? You weren’t invited.”

“I’m accompanying Hant as her fiancé, do I really need an invitation?”

Fiancé?

Was Nix Heyman’s family so well off that he was fiancé? to the Hant family?

I didn’t know because I wasn’t interested, but I guess they were.

“Not necessarily, but just because you’re a guest doesn’t mean I can’t kick you out.”

“Ha, so you’re going to kick out the grateful guests who came to your party? I wonder who’s going to attend a party at Heather’s if word gets out!”

“A grateful guest behaves himself and puts food in his mouth, not one who is a nuisance to the hostess.”

“Excuse me? A nuisance?”

Callie snapped, stepping forward.

“That’s the best you can come up with, after all the evil you did to me seven years ago?”

I’m sorry, I don’t know.

Because I didn’t it.

“How shameless of you. I mean, I guess that’s why you can go after someone you don’t like so much. I feel sorry for you. A lifetime of being unloved.”

“She is loved.”

Vin, appearing from behind me, put a hand on my shoulder and huffed.

But then he rested his chin on my shoulder and looked down at me with nothing but kindness in his eyes.

“Trouble is, you don’t take what I give.”

At the last words, everyone’s faces stiffened, including Callie’s.

“The Duke of Ortega is actually after Irillin?” they must have thought.

I was flustered.

Did you not understand what I said yesterday?

I drew the line at having no feelings for you, so why hasn’t your attitude changed?

“Why…….”

I tried to ask Vin, but I had to swallow.

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T/n: I’m back ┬┴┬┴┤( ͡° ͜ʖ├┬┴┬┴