CH 50

Chapter 50: Shining Knight (8)

A few days had passed, and the tense atmosphere with Asena seemed to have gradually settled down. I didn't intend to be the first one to apologize, and Asena didn't seem to be willing to either.

And even though Keirsey had reconciled with me, but since meeting Ewin, she hadn't been herself. Occasionally, when I ran into her, she wanted to embrace me, but I refrained from doing so during work. After all, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to hug my younger sister while serving as Daisy's escort.

And even if the atmosphere with Asena was still uncomfortable, it was not enough for me to take the initiative and make a change. If anything, it felt like a battle of pride, and even though I wanted to reconcile with her in the end, I didn't want to be the one to reach out first.

At the same time, I noticed some changes in Asena. Although she knew she had done something wrong, she didn't want to apologize to me and instead tried to draw my attention. It seemed like she was waiting for me to speak first. Even with a hard expression on her face, I could see a melancholic feeling in her eyes that only I could understand.

Especially when she knew I was looking at her, her tired expression became even more apparent.

To be honest, I found it quite effective. Seeing her look sad and pitiful softened my heart. Although to others, she was the head of the dignified Pryster family, to me, she was just my younger sister, Asena.

At the same time, I realized that if it was that difficult for her, she would have approached me first. If having a restrained relationship with me was causing her pain, she could come to me and apologize. But since she didn't show any signs of doing so, I didn't become obsessed with it either.

In truth, it may not be stubbornness on my part, as I still didn't think I was in the wrong.

Daisy stood up, finishing her student council work, and it was time for her and me to leave the student council room.

Daisy greeted everyone and I stood behind her like a knight. As she turned her eyes, she glanced at Judy and Asena.

Judy nodded her head to greet me.

Asena… was looking at me as well.

This was unusual because she usually ignored my presence and kept her attention on the documents.

It felt like it had been a while since we last saw each other, and her gaze stirred up many emotions in me. However, I turned away, knowing that there was nothing I could do to help her. She would have to take the first step. Even though her eyes were filled with a longing for salvation, I remained unshaken.

I left with Daisy as she went out of the student council office.

.

.

.

“Are you okay?”

As we walked outside the building, Daisy suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" I replied.

“…with Asena. It seems like you’ve been fighting for quite a while.”

“Right, but it would be weird even for me to apologize.”

“…that's true.”

Daisy, who had watched us fight, seemed concerned about the ongoing conflict between me and Asena.

'Well... I’m sorry for making you worry about this over and over again.'

Daisy walked beside me, looking at me in worry. She seemed to have something she wanted to say.

"Do you have anything to say?"

"Oh, that..."

She stopped and spoke carefully to me.

“…Asena is like a fortress… her walls are difficult to break.”

“……”

“Since we are from the same department, I have many opportunities to meet her… She seems to be getting darker. People around her noticed it too... That… I thought I should tell it to Cayden-sama.”

“….okay. Thank you.”

“Ah…! Of course, I didn’t mean to pressure you to reconcile! I can't even imagine how much you suffered from… twins... if you hate them, it’s completely fine… you’ve said that to me before, right? That you guys get along if other people aren’t around. And as long as you don’t interfere with family matters, they’re friendly. So...”

“...yes. I think I know what you mean. Thank you.”

Daisy looked at me and decided that her opinion had been conveyed enough. She nodded her head and moved on. We didn't bring up the topic again.

I felt Daisy had a kind heart, It wasn't that she wasn’t harmed by Asena or Keirsey, but even though she had been harmed by the twins, she still wanted to take care of them like a fool.

Perhaps it was because she was unaffected by their offensive behavior, as she was strong enough to ignore things that would have made others feel bad.

As I walked with these thoughts, I felt a strange sensation.

“……?”

I looked around slowly, from left to right, without showing any outward signs of my unease.

It was a usual day, just like any other. Students from different families were smiling as they headed to their next class, and the academy staff was diligently working. However, something kept bothering my sharpened nerves, creating a sense of unease. Perhaps I was overthinking, or maybe it was because I was a knight with nothing to do. 

Thinking that there was a threat that did not exist, I might have been nervous alone.

But once I became aware of something that triggered this sense, it refused to leave me alone and continued to hover around me. Today, the academy staff seemed to be intentionally looking at us more frequently, creating a subtle difference that no one else could understand.

"Hmm..."

My mind began to focus on this sudden anxiety. After all, the novel I transmigrated in was set in the Middle Ages, where there were no precise security procedures, and many loopholes existed in entering the expansive academy site. If someone approached with malicious intent, we would not know until they struck. Even numerous guards would be useless against a well-planned ambush.

Even in the novel, many characters were suddenly attacked like that, and important characters were even kidnapped from within the academy. It was not common, but the possibility still existed.

A typical example was the informant who stalked Keirsey, Kyle Benthrock. He was also ambushed by the Prysters and kidnapped from within the academy. Even important characters had disappeared like that, so I couldn’t help but keep my nerves sharp.

Until I came into this world, I was also very frustrated with the attack method. But once I came here, I gradually began to understand why such surprises were successful; Because the academy site was vast and got very dark at night. Also, there were fewer eyewitnesses, and tracking the attacker was even more difficult.

Even though I wouldn’t be able to convince myself to do such a crazy thing, I felt that if I ever planned a surprise attack, it could easily succeed if I put my mind to it. It was just a characteristic of this era.

Of course, after the Kyle Benthrock incident, the high-ranking nobles began to have escorts one by one, and even the academy was disturbed, but once all the families were balanced and there was no conflict, nothing more happened.

So these gazes were even more bizarre. I kept wondering if it was just my misunderstanding.

After all, who would care about keeping an eye on Daisy in this era of peace…?

As there were no names to hang on to, reluctantly, twins' names passed through my head.

Even if I didn’t want to think that way, there was no one else who'd dare to take such provocative actions but them.

The vicious appearances they had recently shown me, and the day when I had to fight them while they glared fiercely at Daisy... And even in the novel, the Prysters were the only ones who dared to attempt a surprise attack on the nobles for the first time, so perhaps... it was a natural suspicion.

But it was just a small suspicion that I didn’t even want to believe in.

And I didn't remember Daisy doing something wrong to get such retaliation. How bad the situation would've gotten for the twins to launch an attack?

So, my suspicion was nothing but absurd.

Still, why did I keep wondering if it was them? The fact that the twins were originally villains only heightened my inner anxiety.

With such thoughts, I followed Daisy without showing the inner storm.

On the road we were walking, in the distance, I saw a worker watering the garden. He was whistling happily.

When he saw us approaching from afar, he greeted us slightly, then squatted down and began to work again.

Unknowingly, Daisy glanced over the garden, then with a small smile, continued on her way.

I also pretended to know nothing and move on.

And as we passed the worker, I rolled my eyes and looked at the worker with a squint.

“…..”

The sharp eyes of the squatting worker met mine. He was also staring at me with his head still and only his eyes turned to the limit.

I felt sudden goosebumps on my arm.

Having stopped whistling, the worker let out an embarrassing cough.

“…Ahem… Ahem!..heh heh heh…! Oh, sorry. You’re such a cool person, so I couldn't help but stare at you secretly.”

And he said things that only felt like excuses to me.

Daisy looked back at me and asked.

“What’s going on?”

“….No. Let’s go.”

I waved my hand to make sure Daisy didn’t ask any further questions.

Daisy looked at me, nodded her head, and started walking again.

“……”

Of course, this alone wasn't enough to prove that my suspicion was correct. As he said, maybe he really was looking at me without any intentions.

But my vigilance was gradually rising.

'Please don’t be the one I suspect.'

I desperately prayed that the twins didn’t make a move.