23: What has Changed (2)

“…?”

Ilya Lindsay had a questionable expression on her face.

Irene, who had never approached her since the midterm evaluation, came for her. She couldn’t understand why he had come.

As if that wasn’t enough, the guy held out his hand.

‘What? Bracelet? And…’

“A letter and a gift.”

A belated answer came out of the boy’s mouth.

His face was no different from the girls. Expressionless.

But Ilya didn’t feel that his actions were cold.

Rather, unlike his usual dry appearance, he felt more humane.

However, Ilya wasn’t in a situation where she could pay attention.

Concealing her embarrassment, she spoke in a cold tone.

“Gift? And a letter? What is all of this sudden?”

“Uhm, is it sudden?”

“Explain this. What are you thinking by giving me all this?”

Ilya couldn’t understand.

In a way, it was like breaking off their relationship, giving her a gift after the last conversation. And a letter too?

Naturally, her tone became sharper and colder.

However, Irene wasn’t affected by it.

Rather, he continued to speak in a calm voice.

“I have a younger sister.”

“What?”

Ilya was shocked by his sudden words.

What the hell was he talking about?

Despite her questions, Irene continued to speak.

“She is bad at dealing with people. Expressing her feelings and sharing her thoughts with others. So, there have been quite a few quarrels and misunderstandings, but when I wake up the next day, there will always be a letter by my bedside. Along with a gift.”

His younger sibling’s way of reconciling, and as he looked into the eyes of Ilya, he said all that.

As Ilya looked into Irene’s eyes, the conversation continued.

“You already know, I am not very good at conversing either. I get lost about what has to be said, and my words aren’t organized, talking is just difficult for me.”

“…”

“Still, I took some time to write, and it came out okay. I think I understand why my younger sister prefers letters.”

“Do you think I’ll help you again because you did this?”

Asked Ilya.

Colder than before. She asked it without even knowing why she acted. Her words were a lot harsher.

Of course, Irene didn’t care about it.

Rather, with a light smile on his face, he handed her the letter and the gift by saying.

“Even then, it’s fine.”

With those words, Irene Pareira left. It’s like he really didn’t care about her helping him train.

Ilya Lindsay stood still for a while.

Then, looking down at the letter the boy handed to her and the flower-shaped bracelet, she set down her weapon in the weapon rack.

And walked.

“What?”

“Lindsay? She is heading back already?”

“Already? Why?”

Some people who were resting because they weren’t feeling well were shocked.

Shockingly, Ilya Lindsay, who never skipped training before, was walking away.

Because she, who was the strongest one in the school, was like Irene, who never stopped training.

But naturally, she didn’t care about their words.

No, she couldn’t. This time, the sounds didn’t even reach her ears. She just walked and entered her room.

And read the boy’s letter.

Again and again.

‘I don’t feel good.’

The content didn’t matter.

But she understood that her actions in the past must have been wrong.

Even so, she didn’t regret acting like that.

But regardless of all that, Irene wanted to reconcile.

But strangely enough, the simple content in the letter was hard to bear.

‘This gift…’

Ilya looked at the bracelet on her desk.

Silver bracelet. Nothing flashy, but it was something that had a strange aura and was precious.

He probably contacted his family and asked them to send it.

But that didn’t matter.

The thing which was engraved on the bracelet, called Adonis, reminded her of something which happened in the past.

“Phew.”

A hot sigh escaped her mouth.

She knew that it had to be a coincidence.

That guy, the one called deadbeat noble, the lazy prince, had no way of knowing her circumstances. No, it wasn’t like knowing it was wrong.

But she was annoyed. Unable to bear.

She stayed in her room for a long time.

“…”

A few minutes passed. And then hours passed.

Even after that, Ilya Lindsay maintained the same standing posture, which was hard for most swordsmen to hold.

And finally realized.

Where did her anger come from?

She muttered to herself.

“It was me.”

Irene Pareira had been the same as she first met.

His feelings, his behaviour and his attitude towards her.

What changed was her.

Nodding her head, she went to bed, despite not being able to sleep all night.

Dawn was bright. No, it wasn’t correct calling it bright.

It was a little past 4 in the morning, and the sky was still dark as summer had passed.

However, despite the early hour, there were children in the main hall.

The number exceeded twenty.

Thanks to their increased stamina, the effective recovery magic, and the competitive spirits of the trainees, the kids could train longer.

And Irene Pareira was one of them. He continued his early training even in the midsummer when most kids were exhausted.

It wasn’t because he changed. He just didn’t have a reason to be lazy.

Whoop!

“Oh oh, right from the morning? I have no strength, you?”

“I’m fine.”

“It’s interesting. I never even saw her sleep in the liberal arts class. Do you think she sleeps at night?”

“It isn’t like that.”

Judith was close to him.

Seeing the girl with a sleepy expression but still using her sword better than others made the trainees around her turn envious.

Although she didn’t receive the guidance of a prestigious family, she could rank among the top three in the school. She had talent, which made everyone jealous.

However, the gazes weren’t just focused on her.

Rather, more and more children focused on Irene Pareira, who was next to her.

‘I’m jealous. Only if I too have the chance to train with Judith…’

‘No, not just Judith, anyone in class A is fine…’

‘Damn. I should have built a friendship with the top rankers.’

Yes. Most of the trainees in the sword hall were jealous of the friendship he built with Judith but not of Irene himself.

Only when a right opponent is present did the true power of a swordsman come out, which made it important to have a good partner.

There is no other reason why so many wandering swordsmen on the continent looked for people stronger than them to ask to spar.

In that sense, it was upsetting that Irene, from class C and not even class B, got to monopolize Judith.

Of course, despite that, not a single trainee thought of approaching her.

Because the red-haired girl had a belligerent attitude.

If it wasn’t for what happened in the midterm evaluation, everyone was sure that Judith would have never gotten along with Irene.

So, the children turned their heads away from the two.

However, before long, their gazes once again turned to Irene Pareira.

It was because Ilya Lindsay of the Lindsay family suddenly approached him.

‘What now? All of a sudden?’

‘Why come into the Sword Hall? Did she come here because she had something to say to Irene?’

‘Did their relationship become worse?’

Ilya Lindsay was reluctant to show her family’s swordsmanship to others.

For that reason, her training was conducted elsewhere, where there wasn’t much of a crowd.

But now, for the first time in self-training, someone who never stepped foot into the Sword Hall was walking towards Irene Pareira, who seemed distant from each other over the past few days.

“Huh?”

“What?”

However, the behavior of the silver-haired girl was different.

She went close enough to Irene, and he noticed her, but then the two began to stare into each other’s eyes for a second.

That was it.

After that, she left the hall as if nothing happened.

Judith, who watched it, asked with a puzzled face.

“What was that?”

Irene didn’t answer.

It was because he didn’t know either, like the others.

However, he saw it. As she turned around, Ilya’s left wrist held the bracelet he had given to her.

‘I’m glad.’

There was no conversation. And the expressions were the same.

Seeing how his sincerity had been accepted. Irene’s mouth formed into a faint smile.

“What now? Did you just smile?”

“I did?”

“What ‘I did?’ what is going on?”

“No big deal.”

“You people are really funny. She suddenly comes and looks at you, then leaves, and the other one who saw her suddenly breaks into a smile. What the hell goes on in your mind?”

Judith looked at Irene the entire time.

Her intention was to infer what had happened between the two of them through his expression.

It made her ask openly, despite not getting a proper answer.

However, the boy’s expression disappeared in an instant and then went back to his original one.

Understanding anything seemed unreasonable.

Eventually, the girl groaned as she raised her sword. Annoying morning.

But then, another person approached Irene Pareira.

This time, the curiosity levelled up for the trainees and Judith too.

She muttered.

“Bratt?”

“Irene Pareira.”

Bratt stepped in front of Irene and called out his name. He was different from Ilya.

Anyone could tell for sure that there was a purpose.

Seeing the deadbeat noble monopolize the attention of all the top rankers, the trainees began to think of various reasons.

‘What day is it?’

‘Why Bratt now? Does he want to duel again? No, not a duel, maybe a spar?’

‘No. It can’t be.’

Right. It couldn’t be that.

Irene Pareira had suffered a unilateral defeat last time.

Bratt Lloyd knew best that in just a month of training, nothing would have changed.

Then what was the reason?

For what reason did he have to approach Irene and talk to him first thing in the morning?

“What is it?”

“Let’s communicate more in the future.”

“… what does that mean?”

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“As I said, literally. Just like Judith and you, I want us to communicate more so we fill in each other’s gaps, in swordsmanship.”

A shocking proposal from a top-ranked trainee to the lowest one.

The children in the hall looked at Bratt Lloyd with startled eyes, just as they did when he requested the duel.

‘Is he being serious right now?’