CH 46

Lucas stared blankly at the list of rankings hanging at school. His name appeared at the top of the large paper.

‘2nd place, Lucas.’

Just as he had hoped, his ranking had risen. However, when he saw Riett’s name below, he felt a suffocating sensation as if someone were choking him. A bitter smile escaped his lips.

‘I pushed Riett into the pit to save myself’

Was he becoming more like his father without realizing it? Where did the rebellious side of him go, the one that stood up against his father when he forced him to kill the dog they used to raise together in his childhood? The sinking feeling in his chest wouldn’t go away.

A few days later, Riett approached him and asked, 

「Lucas, is something bothering you?」

「Huh?」

「Your expression hasn’t been good lately.」

Finally, Lucas loosened the tense expression on his face.

「Oh, no. Nothing’s wrong.」

His throat felt tight. He was losing his composure to the point where he couldn’t even manage his expression. He should have been more careful with his expression, especially in front of Riett.

‘Am I thinking too much?’

He glances at her. But her eyes show no emotion other than concern.

‘Fear and guilt.’

These two emotions alternately strangled Lucas’ throat.

If he missed this opportunity, the fear of losing the path out of the guild would disappear. The guilt of stepping on others to seize opportunities and climb higher was consuming him.

Amidst the collision of these two conflicting emotions, Lucas, like a ship tossed in a raging storm, was swaying aimlessly.

Lucas quickly changed the subject, diverting his attention from the self-loathing that was overwhelming him.

「By the way… Have you found a partner, Riett?」

Upon hearing the bizarre rules of the election, Lucas immediately thought of Riett.

Riett was a perfect partner for Lucas. He didn’t have to worry that Riett would betray him and steal the answer while solving a problem. Riett was the only person Lucas could truly trust.

However, Lucas expected more than just unwavering trust.

‘Riett will find the answer.’

It was a baseless and vague expectation. If he had to find a reason, he would call it “intuition.”

Lost in his thoughts, Lucas quietly gazed at Riett.

When he first saw Riett, Lucas never expected Riett to endure this much. While Riett’s strong personality was different from other noble ladies, Lucas thought that her determination would break easily when competing among men.

‘What men desire is not a queen, but a flower.’

However, Riett defied Lucas’ expectations with ease.

She triumphed over Samuel, the leader of the delinquent gang, and established a clear dominance at school.

But what surprised Lucas wasn’t the result of the showdown, but rather the process.

After Riett was wounded by Samuel’s sword, she appeared at school the very next day.

‘I recognized it then.’

Her strong determination to seize victory in that confrontation.

Riett knew it. By defeating Samuel, her position at school would become stronger.

As expected, Riett emerged victorious from the confrontation, and afterward, no one at school could provoke her.

‘Moreover, she caught a bear.’

Lucas inwardly clicked his tongue.

Riett, who can defeat men with her swordsmanship, faced a notorious man-eating bear as her opponent. But she managed to bring down such a bear. It was regrettable that he couldn’t witness that sight firsthand.

Her reputation continued even at the dance party. Despite the fear of ruining the dance and missing the opportunity, she was selected as the person of the year for suppressing fire on the rooftop. Her courage to raise her hand alone when no one else would and her ability to adapt to the situation were truly remarkable. Riett always solves problems in unexpected ways.

And how has she been recently? Lucas couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

‘To think he would defeat Evan and take first place.’

Technically, she was tied with Evan, but the bonus points from the dance party pushed Riett to first place. Although she had dropped to fifth place due to his tactics in the recent exam, it was still impressive to have reached first place.

Riett, who had never received a perfect score in swordsmanship class, managed to achieve a perfect score through relentless practice, knowing well that practice was the key. There were days when her finger joints were swollen, and her wrists were wrapped in bandages. If you looked closely, Riett’s body was always injured somewhere, never having a day of rest.

And maybe that’s why. 

‘In the end, she surpassed her physical limits.’

At first, Lucas thought Evan was truly an overwhelming monster. With his genius mind, exceptional physical abilities, and overwhelming presence that intimidated others.

But soon, he realized that monsters weren’t limited to Evan alone. Riett was also a different kind of monster from Evan. He surpassed the natural-born genius through effort, and she knew very well that the process was never easy, yet she never complained and silently endured.

‘This is what it means to break through one’s limits.’ 

That’s why Lucas had high expectations for Riett. In this election, Riett would undoubtedly find the answer to the problem faster than anyone else.

Of course, when Riett finds the answer… Lucas’ expression twisted without hesitation.

「Haa.」

The sound of Lucas’ sigh echoed through the empty classroom.

* * *

It was only recently that Lucas realized that Riett was harboring doubts. He noticed the delay in her response to his partnership proposal and that she was keeping an eye on him.

‘Is it Evan?’

Riett would never have suspected it on her own. For all her outward appearance, she was hairy and aloof on the outside, but Riett had a deep-seated affection for people. Once she trusted someone, she wouldn’t judge them hastily.

‘He did the same with Samuel and me.’

Because he knew that about her personality, Lucas had spent a year building closeness and entering Riett’s territory.

But why was Riett suddenly being cautious without any apparent reason? It couldn’t be true.

On the other hand, Evan was completely different from Riett. He inherently didn’t trust others. Even from a distance, it was clear. Even after a year, no one had entered his territory. Only followers surrounded him. There was an atmosphere around Evan that couldn’t be easily approached.

Of course, there were exceptions.

When Evan’s pretentious smile turned genuine when warmth appeared in his cold eyes when his dry voice softened…

At that destination, Riett was always present. And soon, it became natural to know that only one person was allowed to enter his territory.

‘The reason why he doesn’t leave me alone must be because of Riett.’

Evan’s intense gaze had become even stronger recently. His eyes had already surpassed the level of a warning. Yet, he didn’t take any further action because he knew Riett well.

After spending a long time with Riett, Evan had a clear understanding of her. There was a definite line between them, and it seemed like Evan knew that crossing that line would permanently disrupt his relationship with Riett.

It was the same this time.

‘He may know that I’m the one who discarded Riett’s book, but he can’t recklessly intervene.’

He took a step back and realized that he could provide hints rather than solutions. That was all Evan could do.

‘If he gets more involved, he’ll be hated.’

So, it was fortunate.

‘Riett has been suspicious of me lately, but given her personality, she would never abandon me.’

Until that moment, he could only smile. Riett had discovered the “Ancient Sun” as he had anticipated and chose him as her partner. When he heard the location of the Ancient Sun, he thought it was finally a successful end.

But everything was turned upside down.

‘She tested me.’

He thought he knew Riett well, but it was his arrogance. One of the reasons he held her in high regard was because of her insight, and he had overlooked that part too easily.

She must have been bothered by the change in him, and Evan’s warning must have had an impact.

‘Anyway, it’s all over now.’

The perfect way to escape from his father had completely disappeared. However, something was strange. Why did he feel relieved instead?

Was it because he could finally put an end to the act he had been suppressing in his heart all along?

Although he felt as if his heart was being pricked by Riett’s resentful expression, any further excuses would only worsen the situation.

Now was truly the time to exit.

* * *

“You.”

As Lucas was about to leave the school for the last time, someone called out to him and stopped him. It was Evan.

‘What a coincidence that we meet just now.’

Lucas thought sarcastically. Seeing Evan constantly hovering around Riett, was truly a severe unrequited love.

“Well, goodbye now, Evan.”

“You coward.”

Evan sneered coldly. Lucas’ mouth twitched slightly.

“Is that so? Normally, I would accept it with a smile, but I’m in a really bad mood right now.”

“So, is there a reason I should be considerate of you?”

“….”

“I hate guys like you the most. Disgusting self-pity, believing that vile actions are justified only in your own eyes.”

In an instant, Lucas reached out and grabbed Evan by the collar.

“What do you think you know?”

Unlike the agitated Lucas, Evan calmly took hold of Lucas’ hand and slowly released it.

“I have no interest in knowing about your circumstances, and there’s no reason for me to know.”

It was a condescending gaze. Lucas always disliked Evan’s eyes with that look.

“What makes you different? You can’t even say a proper word without fearing being disliked by Riett! If you genuinely cared about Riett, even if it meant being disliked, you should have told her my true self, shouldn’t you?”

Despite the raised voice, Evan didn’t react and silently stared at Lucas. And then, he slowly spoke up.

“You misunderstanding something.”

“…”

“I didn’t withhold your true self from Riett because I was afraid of being disliked.”

The pupils that stared directly at Lucas were chillingly cold.

“It was because I didn’t want Riett to get hurt.”

At the unexpected response, Lucas became momentarily dazed.

“…What?”

“At least Riett genuinely thought of you as a friend. But do you know what?”

The voice, cold and sharp, resounded through the night air.

“Now that Riett no longer sees you as a friend, it doesn’t matter what happens to you. So…”

Evan’s gaze seemed to flash in the darkness.

“It’s better for us never to cross paths again.”

Issuing a stern warning, Evan disappeared.

“…”

Lucas stood there, dazed, for a while.

The fact that Riett no longer considered him a friend, that he had stepped outside of Riett’s realm.

It was something he had naturally known, but when he heard those words from Evan, he felt his strength drain from his body. It felt as if a part of his heart froze as if it were being confirmed and executed.

‘Will there ever be a day when I can see you again?’

Suddenly, Lucas lifted his head and looked towards the place where Riett had been.

No, he hopes that day will come.

The end of Lucas’ story.