Side Story 1

Until now, he had lived life like someone tied up in a mudflat, just staring at the incoming tide. He knew he’d soon be submerged, but never thought to untie the chains binding his limbs. Was there any reason to? He’d never felt the need.

The names of the chains binding his limbs were family and lineage. No one knew of his feelings, but if they did, they’d say he was complaining with a full stomach. It was understandable.

As the heir to the Odenwald Dukedom, the most noble family in the Kingdom of Konstanz, who would understand if he said he felt suffocated and dying because of his family and lineage?

The wealth, honor, and power built up over many years all belonged to the name Odenwald. From the moment of birth—no, from the moment of conception—the path laid out for him led to a place just below one and above ten thousand.  

To finally reach that seat, there was much to be done. The education, so strict it felt harsh, was something any heir of Odenwald was expected to endure.  

But that wasn’t what made him feel suffocated. He was grateful for all the education given to him. The knowledge, swordsmanship, and culture learned under excellent masters—things not easily found elsewhere—were his nourishment, and he accepted them naturally.  

What suffocated him wasn’t those matters. The life set for him as a matter of course was the seawater coming to block his breathing holes.  

“You are my one and only heir, Reinhardt.”  

Whenever he showed outstanding achievement, his mother, the Duchess of Odenwald, would stroke his hair with a pleased smile. His father would pat his back as well.  

To them, he was not just a beloved child, but the excellent heir who would further glorify the name Odenwald. Any other path was unimaginable. Other than cultivating the qualities needed for an heir, he never held anything else in his hands.  

That must have been their own kind of love. He didn’t deny that. But as he grew older, doubts began to creep in. Was his value truly only in inheriting the name Odenwald?  

After receiving all the education required of a grand noble’s heir, he entered the academy as a duty, graduated with excellent grades, served the royal family as a knight, then inherited the family and prospered as a duke. There was nothing else he could do.  

Even trivial affection was something he dared not hold in his heart.  

“Someday, we’ll find you a suitable match and start with an engagement.”  

When he had just turned fourteen, his mother casually said this at dinner. He just blinked. He knew that nobles usually married by arrangement between families. But for some reason, her words made his stomach twist. Why was that? He had always obeyed his parents’ words as truth.  

‘Is there really anyone who suits me?’  

Those words rose to his throat, but he swallowed them. There were hardly any families that could compare to Odenwald. And it was a strict family rule never to marry into the royal family. They were loyal subjects, but would never let the royal family hold their leash.  

As choices in life were gradually erased, he became like a person lying in a mudflat waiting for the tide to drown him.  

His face grew less expressive, and he spoke less. Some said he was disciplined, some called him arrogant, others thought him cold. But in truth, he was simply bored.  

When all of life is predictable, what joy can there be?  

So, at eighteen, he went to take the entrance exam for the Konstanz Royal Academy, as expected. It was just a formality. There was no way the academy would reject the heir of the Odenwald Dukedom, but procedure was procedure. He had to take the exam.  

About half the people waiting at the exam room were familiar faces. The children of the capital’s noble families had all met somewhere before. Most were boys, but there were a few girls. Judging by how he didn’t know most of the girls’ faces, they were probably from humble border families or were commoners.  

He watched the exam with boredom. With a glance, he could tell who would fail and who wouldn’t. By then, he had long surpassed his peers in skill. He excelled in most areas, but especially in swordsmanship, he was unmatched.  

The former Captain of the Royal Knights, Wiesbaden, who taught him, had said, “Just a few more steps and Young Duke Odenwald, you will soon be able to use aura.”  

So it was just a formality.  

Anyway, as he watched the examinees, a ripple of red appeared. Not as bright as a flame, but it caught his eye.  

Her round white face had a slight blush, and a few freckles on her nose. Her slightly upturned eyes were full of determination. She pursed her red lips into a circle and exhaled, trying to calm her nerves. The way she shook out her hands and feet seemed very practiced.  

She turned her head this way and that, and her eyes met his.  

In that moment, all the sounds around him disappeared.  

Before he knew it, he was sitting up in the mudflat. The chains binding his limbs were gone. The seawater that had risen to suffocate him was held at bay by her—she was standing on dry land, looking at him. Far away, with eyes as blue and deep as the sea.  

Those piercing blue eyes sparkled the moment they met his. Her eyes widened, then her eyelids blinked several times. He even saw her eyelashes tremble.  

At that moment, he thought:  

‘…Adorable.’  

And he was startled by himself for thinking such a word. Adorable? He’d just seen this girl for the first time, and now he was thinking that?  

But there was no other word for her but adorable. Her height might barely reach his shoulder? She was quite petite, but her body looked toned from training.  

And her slender waist. He had the illusion that he could hold it completely in both hands. Such a small, cute girl wielding a sword? His lips felt dry, so he licked them.  

Her earlobes seemed to flush slightly, but he didn’t know why. When she looked away, he felt disappointed. He wanted to meet her gaze a little longer. If only this weren’t the exam room, he would have gone straight over to ask her name, which family she belonged to, where she lived, and so on.  

While he was thinking all these things, he didn’t even realize he was desiring another person.  

“Examinee number 56, 57. Draw your swords!”  

The girl, soft and small like a young beast, changed the moment she drew her sword.  

Her sword was fast, unpredictable, unorthodox, and hard to anticipate.  

He’d never seen such swordsmanship before. It clearly wasn’t the standard noble style. Where had she learned such interesting techniques? Her opponent couldn’t even respond properly. She wasn’t of ordinary skill.  

For the first time, he felt the urge to compete. No one had ever sparked his interest in swordsmanship before. But this girl he’d just met made him want to draw his sword immediately.  

‘Who are you?’

He was so curious about her.  

But there was no chance to ask her name. The exam continued, their seats were far apart, and as soon as it ended, she was swept away by the crowd and disappeared.  

But one thing was clear—they met eyes two or three more times after that.  

‘Did she have some interest in me too?’

The thought made his heart ache.  

He knew well that his looks were very attractive to others. Even knowing he would marry the family’s chosen match, countless noble ladies had boldly courted him. But he’d never accepted any of them. None had moved him enough to defy his parents.  

But the fact that the girl looked back at him several times made him happy. He was genuinely grateful to his parents for his attractive appearance.  

That night, he dreamed.  

The girl appeared in his dream just as she had during the day, except her beautiful reddish-brown hair was let down instead of tied up. When her blue eyes met his, his insides churned. His mind was the same—he couldn’t think at all.  

Caught in strange heat, he took a step closer, and the girl approached him too. Before he knew it, they were standing less than half a step apart.  

Somehow, he put both hands around her slender waist. She lifted her hands and placed them on his cheeks. Then she smiled.  

Her lips slowly parted, showing neat white teeth between her red lips. The shape her lips formed was familiar.  

‘Rein-hardt.’  

When she called his name, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. He wanted to kneel before her, hug her slender waist tight, and bury his face in her flat belly. Tell me your name. I want to know your name.  

But his body wouldn’t move. It was as if he’d turned to stone.  

Whether she knew his state or not, her hands slowly moved. Her slightly cool hands slid down his neck, brushed his chest, passed his navel, and reached behind him. Then she stepped closer.  

Before he knew it, they were holding each other’s waists, still meeting each other’s eyes.  

She smiled brightly.  

‘Ah, d*mn.’

He cursed in his dream. Words he’d never uttered in real life spilled out. Her body pressed against his was so warm, soft, and tender… Why couldn’t he move?  

Now the girl started to laugh aloud. Her laughter was light, like bursting soap bubbles. She squeezed his arms around her and rested her cheek on his chest. Her soft body pressed close, and he gasped for breath. His breathing grew faster.  

‘Reinhardt.’  

When she recited his name against his chest, the vibration spread through his whole body.  

He woke with a start. The sky was pale through the window. He sat up in the dim light and buried his face in his hands.  

“D*mn……”  

This time, he ended up cursing for real. How old was he to be having such a shameful… To get aroused over a girl whose face he only knew, to dream about her and even have a wet dream…  

He couldn’t believe it. He sat frozen for a long time.