Chapter 2

Judith couldn’t move for a moment. It was as if she were captured by that gaze.

Meanwhile, Axel’s light gray eyes moved slowly. He examined Judith’s eyes, nose, and cheeks thoroughly, then moved down to her lips, where his fine eyes frowned slightly.

Axel reached out his hand. His long, straight fingers lightly brushed Judith’s lips.

Though it was a brief touch, she felt dizzy for a moment, as if she had caught a terrible cold.

“Look, your lips are bleeding.”

Her head spun, and she quickly lowered her head. But soon, Axel held her chin.

It was a careful yet firm touch. Axel lifted her chin without hesitation.

While Judith tightly closed her eyes, his thumb lightly brushed over her lips.

It was soft and warm.

Judith, who had been stiff like a fish on a spear, startled and pushed Axel away.

“W-what are you doing!”

Her heart raced. Wildly. Her face must have been flushed even without looking.

Unlike her, who was flustered to the point of breaking out in a cold sweat, Axel remained calm and composed.

Axel took something out of his jacket pocket.

It was a white handkerchief, embroidered with the Zernias family crest.

It felt like waking up from a dream.

“This…”

“I don’t need it!”

Suddenly.

Transparent tears welled up in Judith’s eyes.

“Do this kind of thing with your fiancée!”

Judith bit her already bitten lips once more to hold back the tears threatening to spill.

But she couldn’t stop her voice from trembling pathetically.

“Axel, I really hate you. To the point of loathing.”

Everything is terrible.

Judith ran out as if escaping.

* * *

Even though she said she hated and loathed him with her own mouth.

In truth, Axel Fedelian had done nothing wrong.

Judith knew that. Probably better than anyone else.

If there was any fault, it was that he was too kind and made people misunderstand.

But Axel was originally that kind of person. He was naturally sympathetic and deeply empathetic to others’ circumstances, a warm person.

And it was foolish of her to fall for that aspect.

Stupid, foolish, selfish.

Judith banged her head on the pillow, cursing herself.

But the persistent thoughts wouldn’t go away. The more she tried to forget, the clearer they became, as if mocking her.

The last expression she saw on Axel’s face. It was vivid.

His wavering light gray eyes and his stiffened lips.

It was the first time Judith had seen such an expression on Axel.

Was he hurt? He must have been hurt.

Unable to hold back the emotions that surged for a moment, she ended up hurting Axel. This was why she had been avoiding him.

Axel seemed to know that Judith had been avoiding him for some time, as he kept asking to meet.

If it became a rumor that the future head of the Fedelian family was struggling over a mere orphan commoner, Axel’s honor would be tarnished.

That’s why she had no choice but to meet Axel today.

The reason Judith had been avoiding Axel was simple. She didn’t want to be hurt by him anymore.

Not long ago, Axel had asked her this question.

‘What are you going to do after graduating from the academy?’

Judith couldn’t answer. She just opened and closed her mouth.

It was because she had never thought about it. Life after graduation had always felt like a distant future.

But graduation was approaching quickly. Realizing that, Judith felt dazed as if she had been hit on the head with a hammer.

Axel cautiously asked her.

If she had any thoughts of working as his assistant in the Fedelian family.

He even offered a salary that was far more generous than she could ever receive, even if she worked in the capital.

But.

‘No.’

Judith refused without a moment’s hesitation.

Axel’s eyes widened, as if he hadn’t expected Judith to refuse his offer. Her reflection was in his round, light gray eyes.

‘Why?’

He looked like he couldn’t understand.

‘Or is there some other condition you want?’

‘…’

‘Tell me. I’ll do anything.’

But Judith silently shook her head.

No matter how good the conditions were, she had no intention of accepting Axel’s offer.

Becoming Axel’s assistant meant staying by his side forever.

In other words, she would have to watch Axel get engaged, married, and live happily from the closest position.

It was a living hell. Just imagining it was so terrible and despairing.

‘I just want to be with you as a good friend and colleague for life. Just like we’ve always been.’

Axel spoke those cruel words with eyes full of earnest longing.

The words were like sharp daggers that slashed Judith’s heart. Of course, he would never know.

That’s when it started. Judith began avoiding Axel.

And as if they knew about Axel’s offer, a letter soon arrived from the Fedelian family.

As if telling her not to get any more entangled with Axel.

In the end, following their advice, Judith, who had announced her engagement, habitually bit her lips.

She felt a sting from her already torn lips, and again…

The fingers that lightly brushed her lips, warm and soft.

Suddenly.

Judith’s face turned red in an instant. She buried her face in her hands.

I must be crazy. Really crazy.

Judith cursed herself again. And at the same time, she resented Axel.

For a mere commoner, an orphan who barely entered the academy with the family’s sponsorship, she thought he was clueless.

It would have been easier if he had just scolded her like that.

It was obvious what Axel would say when they met again.

‘Judith, if I’ve unknowingly upset you again…’

He would whisper kindly.

‘I sincerely apologize. If I’ve made a mistake, please tell me.’

He would add cautiously, lowering his gaze.

‘I’ll fix it no matter what.’

“Ahhh!”

Judith couldn’t hold it in any longer and pulled her hair. Her scalp tingled with pain.

Hannah, Judith’s roommate, shook her head as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

Hannah lifted her black-framed glasses with her index finger and said,

“Judith, it’s not even exam time, so why are you going crazy already?”

At those words, Judith stopped pulling her hair and screaming.

“Sorry, Hannah.”

It wasn’t a room she used alone. Nobles had single rooms, but commoners like her used double rooms. Judith gave an embarrassed smile.

Hannah stared at Judith for a moment, then turned her gaze to Judith’s desk.

On the brown wooden desk, there were piles of letters from suitor candidates selected by the Fedelian family.

They were stacked so tightly that they seemed ready to collapse at any moment.

“You’re lucky. You’re getting love calls from everywhere.”

Hannah, unaware of the situation, muttered. Judith could only give an awkward smile.

“So, you’re getting engaged? Who are you going to do it with?”

“Well…”

Judith trailed off.

In fact, she had decided to get engaged, but she hadn’t specifically thought about who it would be with yet.

But it was time to start thinking about it.

If she started sending replies and meeting the candidates now, she could proceed with the wedding in time for graduation.

“Who would be good?”

“Hmm.”

Hannah tilted her head as if pondering for a moment. Judith didn’t expect Hannah to come up with a suitable answer, even though she asked.

But surprisingly, Hannah, who was examining the pile of letters, spoke easily.

“Chase Cardandy?”

Hannah added briefly.

“His family is good, and he’s the most handsome. I don’t know about his character, though.”

“Ah.”

Judith let out a short exclamation.

If it was Chase Cardandy… wasn’t he the man whose first priority in life was solely the sword?

A man who skipped academy classes to practice swordsmanship in the training ground. That was the general assessment of Chase Cardandy.

Her hesitation was brief.

For Judith, he was the perfect groom, so much so that she wondered why she hadn’t thought of it before.

“Thank you, Hannah.”

“Huh? For what all of a sudden?”

Hannah, who had tilted her head, opened her mouth wide.

“No way… you.”

Hannah approached Judith and grabbed her shoulders. She fired off words as if to bring Judith to her senses.

“Judith! I’m kidding. So what if he’s handsome? He’s obsessed with swordsmanship and won’t take care of the family! He won’t even care about his fiancée and will only practice swordsmanship every day!”

Judith smiled brightly.

“Yes, I like that.”

Leaving behind Hannah’s astonished expression, Judith found the Cardandy family seal in the pile of letters on her desk and held it in her hand.