It was definitely a dark night. The night sky, sprinkled with stars like fragments, spread out beyond the window, so she hadn’t mistaken the time.
“What are you doing right now?”
“I saw some dust, so I thought I’d shake it out.”
Kaon looked at Alessia as if wondering what the problem was, then resumed shaking out the blanket. Each time it flapped in the air, the familiar “bang, bang!” noise echoed. He was doing a job that usually took two maids by himself. He seemed to have energy to spare.
“Shaking out dust at this hour?”
The maids in charge of the bedding were diligent. They had already changed the linens while the castle was empty. The blankets were as good as new, so why was he doing this at such a time?
Ignoring Alessia’s bewildered look, Kaon continued a few more times before putting the blanket back in place. His satisfied expression left her even more dumbfounded.
“I guess I noticed the dust because it’s been a while since I was back. You know I notice a lot, right?”
“…….”
Kaon shrugged theatrically. He almost seemed to be enjoying himself, but Alessia could only stare at him, stunned. It was the first time Kaon Ferdinand had ever mentioned his secret so casually.
“What did you just say?”
“What? My sight? What’s the big deal? It’s just the two of us here. Besides, there’s no one else I can talk to about it.”
Kaon raised his eyebrows slightly, as if asking if she disagreed.
“You said it yourself. We’re in a relationship where we hold each other’s weaknesses. But I only remember being shaken.”
She had said that. But she had meant it as a way to keep a proper distance, not to live like this.
Alessia wasn’t even sure how much longer she could stay in Ferdinand. If she had to return to Ingelos and couldn’t come back, she had less than a year left.
Time was short, and there was much to do. She painfully realized she didn’t have time to waste on meaningless emotions with Kaon Ferdinand.
“Why did you come here? Did you have something to say?”
“It’s too noisy. Do I really need to explain that we should be quiet late at night?”
“Oh, you heard me?”
Kaon asked as if he hadn’t known something so obvious. Her head, already throbbing from lack of sleep, ached even more. Alessia, frowning slightly, responded with a sigh.
“Of course I heard you. At a quiet time like this, making such a racket…”
“I thought you couldn’t hear me since you keep ignoring me.”
The white hand that had been pressing her temple froze. Alessia slowly lifted her head to look at Kaon. His eyes, looking down at her, held a multitude of emotions.
If she looked closely, she might have been able to identify one or two of them, but she avoided his gaze, turning her eyes outside.
“If I knew you could hear me so easily, I would have done this sooner.”
“…Just ignore me. That way, it’s easier for both of us.”
Maybe spending time together in Bellum was the problem. Or perhaps it was her failure to be as cold-hearted as she intended from the beginning.
It was her fault for not being able to ignore Kaon Ferdinand lingering around. No matter how harshly she spoke to drive him away, Kaon would forget after a while and come back, and she knew this about him.
Even though she instinctively knew that ignoring him was the answer, she couldn’t do it. Because, as he said, Kaon was the only person she could be honest with. Whether in Ingelos or Ferdinand, he was the only one in the world.
“Who finds that easier? You? I don’t feel comfortable at all.”
Kaon took a step towards the window, following her gaze. With his tall frame blocking the view, Alessia had no choice but to face him.
“You’re engaged to me, Alessia Ingelos. We live in the same castle, share the same room, and you expect us to ignore each other? I can’t do that.”
Kaon’s words, delivered with deliberate emphasis, made him seem angry. She felt like she understood him, yet not at all.
Kaon had once liked her, but those feelings had surely shattered and vanished. To him, she was someone he couldn’t reject but couldn’t fully accept either.
Despite this, Kaon acted as he did because he was inherently unable to ignore others. Moreover, even though she was an imposter, her skills as a mage were beneficial to his domain, making it hard for him to disregard her.
But even his patience would have limits. When the ring’s magic wore off and he realized she was nothing without it, any lingering goodwill would disappear, leaving only the memory of her deception.
When that day came, Kaon would feel nothing for her, and they would simply wait for the moment they could part ways forever.
“I’ll make sure you can’t ignore me.”
Rather than waiting for that day, Kaon Ferdinand seemed unwilling to let things be.
“So go ahead, keep trying to ignore me if you can.”
No matter how much she pushed him away, he kept coming back. Alessia was suddenly afraid he might keep closing in until she had nowhere left to retreat.
***
In the beginning, Kaon’s attitude was more like, “Let’s see how far this ignoring game goes.” He expected Alessia to eventually get angry or coldly warn him, or at least react in some way. After all, she had come to his room the night they returned from Bellum.
“You’re mispronouncing that on purpose.”
“Am I? Maybe I’m just too dumb to know.”
Since that night, Kaon had tried various ways to get Alessia’s attention. He would loudly mispronounce ancient texts or have dishes served that he knew she disliked. His tactics were petty and annoying but effective.
His plan worked, and Alessia found it harder and harder to ignore him. She seemed to realize that ignoring him wouldn’t make him stop.
‘She can’t pretend anymore,’ he thought, chuckling to himself. He was already anticipating her next visit, feeling a thrill at the thought.
However, Alessia Ingelos was not one to back down easily. She responded in a completely unexpected way.
She started getting back at him.
***
Spring had given way to the heat of summer, with the once cool breeze now carrying a hint of warmth and the sun’s rays becoming harsher.
Kaon was shedding his armor after a morning of sword training when a shadow fell over him. He didn’t bother looking up; he could tell who it was by the lightness of their step.
“Kaon! Wow, not just anyone gets to become a knight at twelve. You must really be something to have your ceremony while others are still running errands.”
As expected, it was Maurice. His tunic, drenched in sweat, suggested he had discarded his armor long ago. Instead of cleaning up after training, he was here, chatting away with a hint of sweat-induced odor, throwing out uncharacteristic compliments.
“Did you mess up?”
“Me? What do you take me for…?”
Maurice muttered, sounding offended. Despite his usual lazy demeanor, he hadn’t really caused any trouble.
“Then what’s with the sudden flattery?”
“I’m just in awe of your dedication, Kaon. Volunteering for outdoor training in this heat! I can’t imagine doing that myself.”
“What?”
Kaon, organizing his discarded armor, frowned and looked at Maurice. Maurice flinched under the glare that seemed to ask what nonsense he was spouting.
“You signed up for additional outdoor training, didn’t you? Pierre and Yvonne always do, but the commander was especially pleased, saying it looks like you’ve come to your senses.”
Kaon’s face twisted angrily. Maurice, realizing something was wrong, cautiously asked.
“Wasn’t it you who put your name on the list?”
Without responding, Kaon immediately strode out. He stopped in front of the bulletin board in the hallway, where a notice for outdoor training was posted.
This was a special training session conducted by Commander Alain for knights who wanted extra practice. Despite Alain’s decades of experience with the sword making the training incredibly valuable, outdoor sessions weren’t very popular.
Sure enough, looking down at the signup sheet, Kaon saw his name written in his handwriting.
“Look here, it’s clearly written.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Yes, it is? Didn’t you write it? But who would be crazy enough to sign you up without your permission?”
There was someone crazy enough. And they were in his room.
Kaon stared at his name, which he definitely hadn’t written, with eyes blazing with anger.
‘So, we’ve come to this now. Let’s see who wins this.’
Determined, Kaon stormed off.
🍉🍉🍉
