“……..…!”
At my words, Enoch shuddered as if struck by lightning, as if he had an epiphany.
In that change, I saw hope.
“I never thought of getting revenge on Mother like that.”
“Then start now. From now on, stay focused and hold your sword properly. You must never lose yourself.”
“……..….”
“There’s nothing more foolish than losing yourself by your own hand. You are a Gray. Could there be a phrase more ill-fitting than ‘a foolish Gray’?”
At my words, Enoch clenched his fists tightly. Seeing the determination in his eyes, I realized I had successfully persuaded him.
“You’re right. I can’t be a foolish Gray.”
Finally, Enoch Gray returned to the person I knew.
I let out a sigh of relief and extended my hand to Enoch.
“So, let’s do well from now on. Adults have their issues, and we have ours.”
“..……Yes.”
Enoch was still my annoying childhood friend and rival, but at this moment, I felt closer to him.
Comparing him to that despicable Yoon Doyoon.
I think it’s best to be careful not to get too caught up in past memories.
“Cherry.”
Enoch looked at our clasped hands and said,
“I can never love the sword more than you do.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means I can no longer hold the sword purely.”
Enoch’s words were puzzling, and I tilted my head in confusion.
I think there was something about loving the sword in the letter Aunt Diana wrote to Enoch.
Does he still dislike Aunt Diana so much that he doesn’t want to take her advice?
“Even so, I won’t lose to you.”
While I was contemplating, Enoch declared to me.
Just a moment ago, we were quite warm and friendly, but now he immediately sparked my competitive spirit.
“Haven’t we always been fighting not to lose to each other? It’s not new.”
“Yes, it’s new. That’s how I feel.”
Enoch released my hand with a lighthearted face, as if he had made up his mind.
“If I take the position of the Emperor’s Sword that previous Dukes of Gray could not achieve, my mother will regret it.”
I was speechless at his unprecedented ambition. It was true that I had encouraged Enoch, but I hadn’t expected him to ignite such ambition.
“When that time comes, even if my mother begs for forgiveness, I will never clash swords with her. Never.”
“That’s quite a scary revenge. I feel poor for Aunt Diana, really.”
In a lifeless voice, I clapped my hands at Enoch’s ambition.
It seemed like he had made a resolution in a direction slightly different from my original intention, but it’s probably fine, right?
My instincts screamed that this wasn’t right, but I decided to ignore that inner voice for now.
“Thank you, Cherry. Thanks to you, my mind feels clear.”
“That’s really a relief, indeed.”
Enoch, who was thanking me, seemed both the same as usual and strangely tinged with madness.
Previously, even though he seemed like an old soul, I could clearly see what he was thinking. Now, it felt like he was shrouded in fog.
I couldn’t foresee how this change would affect our relationship in the future.
“Then you have return to Gray now. Let’s do well in our respective places.”
“Yes. You do well too.”
Enoch greeted me and crossed the garden of the Emblem with light steps.
Watching him blankly, I suddenly realized I hadn’t returned Aunt Diana’s letter to Enoch and hurriedly followed him.
“Enoch, Enoch!”
“….……?”
“You need to take this. Aunt Diana’s letter! It’s important.”
Enoch stared at the letter in my hand. Instead of taking it, he just looked at it, tilting his head slightly.
“I don’t need it.”
“What?”
“I don’t need it anymore.”
I froze with the letter in my hand. Why is this not needed?
When a person is flabbergasted or extremely baffled, even their mouth can become rigid.
“Take care of it yourself. When can you start your sword training, Cherry?”
“Me? I think I can start in about a week…”
“Then I’ll start in a week too. It’s only fair.”
Should I be thankful for the consideration right now? While I was hesitating, Enoch looked at the deepening moonlight and said,
“It’s getting late, so I’ll head back. If I go in now, I can use the excuse that I woke up from sleeping alone in some corner.”
“Okay, go ahead.”
“Yeah, Cherry. See you next time.”
Without any hesitation, Enoch turned his back. It seemed like the letter no longer mattered to him.
This subtle state pricked my senses.
It felt like something was wrong, but I couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Ah, it must be for the best, right? It’s probably fine, right? I must have done well, right?”
Eventually, with only an uneasy feeling left, I headed back to my room.
***
Melsia stood in the middle of the secret training ground of the imperial palace, deep in thought with a complex expression.
‘Melsia Emblem will fulfill her duty as the Emperor’s Sword and devote all her energy to shadow training.’
The Emperor had ordered Melsia, who acted as if she was ready to sever her father-daughter ties, to cool her head with shadow training.
Training the secret organization, Shadow, which was directly under the Emperor’s command, had traditionally been overseen by the Emperor’s Sword.
Only those with outstanding skills could become Shadows, and no one in the empire except the Emperor’s Sword could train them.
‘Just as training the Shadow once took all your strength, it will now be hard to find a duel that can empty your mind completely. Go and unleash yourself.’
Recalling the Emperor’s indifferent voice that had dismissed her, Melsia’s grip on her sword tightened, veins bulging.
“If it weren’t for my lord…”
Her voice was so murderous that it would have been chilling had the Emperor heard it.
As she imagined various coups in her head, a shadow appeared before her with a soft thud.
The Shadow was dressed in a uniform covered from head to toe in black fabric, even their eyes hidden by a special treatment that allowed them to see through.
Melsia, who trained the Shadows, knew nothing about their gender, family, or names.
The Shadows she had trained so far always had the same physique, indicating some method to obscure even their body type.
“Today’s training will be in the form of duels. The one who drops their sword loses, and the one who endures wins.”
“………..”
“There will be three duels in total. If there are any shortcomings during the training, they will be corrected immediately. After the correction, you will be tested again, so if you receive correction during the duel, prepare that move right away.”
Melsia spoke in a business-like tone, outlining the training.
Personal conversations with the Shadows were forbidden, and violating this rule would result in losing the position of the Emperor’s Sword.
“Begin.”
At Melsia’s signal, the shadow lunged straight at her.
