Chapter 64

Judith stared blankly at the white hand extended to her and then turned her gaze away.

Already, many students had begun dancing with their partners in the center of the hall.

Seeing Judith hesitate, Axel tried to persuade her again.

“We promised to make good memories one last time, didn’t we?”

Hearing Axel’s earnest voice, Judith’s resolve wavered.

As he said, this was the last time. Dancing together shouldn’t be a problem.

When Judith cautiously nodded and extended her hand, Axel smiled brightly and began escorting her to the center of the party hall.

Students who recognized the two of them stole curious glances in their direction.

They hadn’t intended to draw attention, but now that it had happened, they had no choice but to endure it.

The moment Judith met Axel’s gaze with a resigned expression, he wrapped an arm around her waist and naturally began to lead the steps.

The truth was, Judith had only learned to dance a few times during etiquette classes. She worried what if she makes a mistake.

Worried that she might accidentally step on Axel’s foot, Judith decided to confess her lack of skill.

She tugged lightly on Axel’s sleeve and spoke.

“Axel, I’m not good at dancing.”

“That’s fine.”

“I might misstep and step on your foot.”

“That’s fine too. Besides, I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Axel reassured her in a confident tone.

And it seemed his confidence wasn’t entirely unfounded, as Judith managed to follow his skilled lead and mimic the movements like the others.

When others moved right, she moved right; when they moved left, she followed. 

Whenever she got confused and made a mistake, Axel immediately corrected her.

From an outsider’s perspective, they appeared to be dancing gracefully and effortlessly.

As Axel looked down at Judith, who was focused on the dance, he smiled faintly and opened his mouth to speak.

“It’s been a while.”

“What has?”

“Since we’ve spent this much time face-to-face like this.”

“…….”

“And isn’t this more fun than you thought?”

Just as Axel said, as the music played on, Judith’s initial tension from being conscious of others’ stares gradually melted away.

Before long, she found herself moving freely to the rhythm of the music.

So this is why people enjoy dancing.

Focusing solely on the steps, her worries and concerns seemed to disappear.

But it didn’t last long. The music soon came to an end, and she felt as though she had been pulled back into reality.

Now, all that was left was to part ways with Axel.

Judith withdrew her hand from Axel’s arm. Feeling an inexplicable sense of regret, she avoided his gaze, but Axel extended his hand toward her again.

“Judith, shall we go watch the fireworks now?”

“Fireworks?”

“Yes, remember I said I knew the perfect spot?”

She had planned to part ways with him after their dance, but unable to resist, she found herself taking his hand once more.

***

The Eastern Garden of the Academy.

This place, with its winding paths like a maze, was easy to get lost in.

Moreover, the overgrown rose vines, with their sharp thorns, often deterred most students from visiting.

Why would the perfect spot for fireworks be in such a place?

With no sign of people around, the garden felt even eerier at night.

A chill crept up her spine, and Judith shivered slightly. Noticing this, Axel once again took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

“No, I’m fine…”

She tried her best to refuse, but perhaps because she had accepted his kindness earlier, Axel didn’t back down easily this time either.

He insisted it was the proper thing for a gentleman to do, leaving her no room to argue. In the end, Judith gave up and let him have his way.

After struggling through the maze-like garden, they finally reached a low hill.

“……Wow.”

Judith couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

Axel’s claim about knowing the perfect spot for fireworks wasn’t empty. She hadn’t even known that such a small hill existed within the academy grounds.

As they climbed the hill, the sky seemed so close that it felt like she could reach out and grab the stars.

Moreover, thanks to some magical illumination, small lights floated gently in the air, creating an enchanting, fairytale-like atmosphere.

And then it began.

Bang— Bang, bang—.

Fireworks exploded in the sky. The vibrant, colorful lights were so dazzling that Judith found herself frozen in place, completely captivated.

Blinking her eyes, she finally tore her gaze away after a few seconds. She noticed Axel’s white profile bathed in the reddish glow of the fireworks.

He wore a small smile, as if he were enjoying the moment. That gentle, relaxed expression made her heart race again, just like a bad habit.

Quickly, she turned her gaze back to the sky. The bursting fireworks would at least hide her flushed face.

After a while, the fireworks ended, and the noise subsided. Since the fireworks marked the finale of the summer festival, the event had now officially come to a close.

This seemed like a decent way to end things. She felt like she could finally distance herself from Axel.

After watching the last of the fireworks, she resolved to turn away without looking back.

As the brilliant afterimages of the fireworks lingered on her eyelids, she blinked quietly. That’s when a low voice reached her ears.

“Judith.”

“Yes.”

Perhaps it was the surreal scenery unfolding before her, but she felt dazed. Judith responded as if she were walking in a dream.

Hearing her reply, Axel continued in a calm voice.

“I actually know everything now.”

“……What do you mean?”

“I know that you were forced into an engagement with Chase by my mother’s orders.”

Though his voice was calm, the weight of his words was anything but.

What did Axel just say?

Judith instinctively held her breath.

When she looked at him with startled eyes, Axel wore an apologetic expression.

“I’m really sorry that my family caused you trouble because of me… I can’t blame you if you hate me for it.”

“…….”

“But when you visited me while I was sick, it felt like you still cared about me. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but…”

Judith gripped her arm tightly, wondering if this moment was a dream.

She pinched herself hard enough to feel a sharp pain. It was as if the pain was confirming that this was, in fact, reality.

Madame Fedelian wouldn’t have told Axel about this. How had he found out?

Could Cedric have told him?

She was overwhelmed with confusion, but she forced herself to stay calm and spoke.

“Axel, what are you talking about all of a sudden? Being forced into an engagement? I don’t know what you’re imagining, but that’s not—”

“There’s no need to hide it from me. You’re as important to me as my parents are. You’re family.”

“…….”

“So, Judith, please be honest. If you’re continuing this unwanted engagement because of my mother, it’s okay to break it off. I’ll handle everything.”

After finishing his words, Axel bit his lip a few times and lowered his head.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been such a fool. I didn’t even realize you were going through something so difficult on your own. It’s no wonder you’ve grown distant from me.”

He sounded so certain. Seeing him like this, Judith realized that he had indeed figured everything out.

At the same time, watching him blame himself so relentlessly made her heart ache.

Knowing how noble and privileged his upbringing had been, it was strange to see him belittling himself like this. 

And all for someone like her, a mere commoner…

But a surge of resentment rose within her.

If Axel valued her so much, why had he never truly acknowledged her feelings?

If he had, she wouldn’t have ended up resenting him and ruining their relationship like this…

The thought made her eyes sting, but she managed to maintain her composure and spoke in a cold tone.

“Axel, I think you’re misunderstanding something.”

“……?”

“It’s true that your mother gave me such an order. But that’s not the reason I decided to distance myself from you.”

“Then why…?”

“It’s like I said before. You and I don’t belong together. You’re destined to become the next Duke, and I’m just a commoner student.”

Before she could finish, Axel placed both hands on her shoulders. The warmth of his touch shook her resolve.

“Don’t say that, Judith.”

“…….”

“What’s wrong with you? Why does status matter? You’re my precious friend, and that’s all there is to it. Nothing else matters.”

Axel gently patted her shoulder as if to comfort her. But Judith shook her head firmly.

She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should say what was on her mind. But thinking about their future, her hesitation vanished.

Why, though? Why was Chase’s hurt expression suddenly flashing through my mind?

“No, it matters a lot. Because I…”

Meeting Axel’s trembling gaze, Judith spoke slowly.

“I don’t want to suffer anymore from a hopeless love.”

Her voice was clear, leaving no room for misunderstanding. Even so, she repeated herself once more, firmly.

“I love you. That’s why I’m leaving you.”

“…….”

“If I stay by your side with these feelings, the one who’ll end up troubled won’t be me—it’ll be you.”