Chapter 89

The warm embrace finally ended, and Chase stepped back.

However, the expression on Judith’s face, which he had expected to be filled with happiness like his own, had instead turned slightly sulky.

Did I do something wrong?

Chase asked in a flustered voice.

“Why the face, Judith?”

“Huh, what…?”

Hearing Judith’s slightly deflated voice, Chase became even more anxious and gauged her reaction nervously.

“…Was hugging you unpleasant? I thought you gave me permission—”

At his words, Judith blinked blankly.

She thought she had managed her expression well, but apparently, it had been quite obvious.

“Ah… it’s not that.”

Judith hurriedly tried to explain, but Chase spoke again before she could.

“I’m sorry. It’s my first time liking someone, so I don’t know what to do. I’m a bit clumsy. If you didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have done it…”

Before Judith could properly explain, Chase was already digging himself into a metaphorical hole.

Watching him, Judith could only open and close her mouth silently.

“Chase, that’s not it…”

Judith racked her brain.

What do I do? Should I honestly tell him that I was expecting more than just a hug?

But that’s too embarrassing.

If I stay quiet, though, Chase might take this to mean he shouldn’t hug me ever again—and he’d probably stick to it.

‘…’

Chase was staring at Judith intently, as if curious about what she would say next.

And yet, why did his expression look so adorable?

Realizing again how deeply she had fallen for Chase, Judith let out a long sigh.

“It’s not that. I just…”

“Just?”

Unable to come up with an excuse, Judith finished her sentence in a voice so small it was almost crawling.

“I thought… you’d kiss me.”

“…Kiss?”

Chase repeated her words with a blank expression. A moment later, as he seemed to grasp the meaning, his face flushed red.

Then, he rubbed his reddened face with his hands, as if trying to wash away his embarrassment.

After a moment of hesitation, he opened his mouth to speak.

“Um… if I misheard, I’m sorry, but… so…”

“…”

“Are you saying you wanted to kiss me?”

Judith looked up at Chase with a resentful expression, annoyed that he was making her repeat such an embarrassing statement.

“I didn’t want it, okay? I just… expected it because of the mood, but you—”

“So, because I didn’t kiss you, you were disappointed?”

The realization that she wasn’t upset because of the hug, but rather because she had been expecting something more, slowly dawned on Chase.

As this new understanding sank in, his expression gradually changed.

Before long, a sly smile spread across his face, as if he were delighted.

At that moment, his expression looked so infuriating.

Judith pouted and pushed against Chase’s chest. However, it seemed to have no effect.

Instead, he ignored her resistance and took a step closer.

“Why, what’s wrong?”

Still smiling, Chase gently tugged at Judith’s sleeve, just as she had done to him earlier.

Then, placing his hand over hers, he spoke in a slightly husky voice.

“What should I do? Until you said that, I didn’t feel any greed…”

Chase continued slowly.

“But now, because of you, I’m starting to feel greedy.”

The once-clear light in Chase’s eyes began to take on a strange heat.

Frozen in place, Judith couldn’t even think of pulling her hand away.

Perhaps taking her reaction as permission, Chase carefully wrapped his arms around her back.

Trapped in Chase’s embrace, Judith felt like her heart was about to burst.

The atmosphere, which had been filled with pure joy just moments ago, now carried a subtly different tension.

“Look at me, Judith.”

At his words, Judith flinched, her face buried against his chest.

When she finally looked up, she saw Chase’s face, which was also slightly flushed, as if he were nervous too.

“Is it really okay?”

Even from a handspan away, she could feel the steady thrum of Chase’s heartbeat.

At this point, Judith no longer wanted to hide her feelings.

She liked Chase so much that she couldn’t help it. He was just so lovable.

Every moment with him felt precious and happy, almost as if they had taken a long detour to get here.

Yes, if it’s you.

If it’s you, everything is fine.

With a faint smile, Judith slowly closed her eyes, signaling her consent.

At the same time, she felt his trembling breath brush against her lips.

Like a pair of lovers who had just confirmed their feelings, the kiss that started gently soon grew clumsy with mounting passion.

***

The path back to the dormitory was chilly, but he didn’t feel the cold at all.

It still felt as though the soft sensation of her lips lingered on his.

Judith confessed that she liked him. She even let him kiss her.

Chase doesn’t think there’s ever been a moment in his life as happy as this one.

His heart was pounding faster than ever, and he felt elated.

Perhaps that’s why.

Even though the path back to the dormitory was the same as always, it somehow looked more beautiful tonight.

But when he arrived at the dormitory, an even more surprising piece of news was waiting for him.

His roommate had left a letter on his desk.

Even without asking, Chase could tell where it was from the moment he saw the envelope.

“This is…”

The wax seal on the envelope bore a crest so famous that anyone in the Empire would recognize it.

I thought it would take longer to get the results, but the notification has already arrived?

The excitement from earlier washed away, as if cold water had been poured over him.

“Ahem.”

Chase picked up the letter with a nervous heart and carefully opened the envelope.

[Imperial Knight Appointment Letter]

“…”

Chase stared blankly at the words on the paper, reading them again and again. But the result didn’t change.

I passed.

I thought I wasn’t expecting anything, but was I secretly hoping for this? 

His heart soared with excitement.

In truth, when he had taken the entrance exam, he hadn’t been confident about the outcome.

While his achievements in swordsmanship tournaments and practical skills had likely earned him good marks, he had been less sure about other areas.

The Imperial Knight Order, which valued honor above all else, was known for scrutinizing not only swordsmanship but also one’s demeanor and conduct.

Given his history of skipping classes as if it were a daily routine, Chase had thought he might fail during the document review stage.

But defying all expectations, he now held the acceptance letter in his hands.

“…I need to thank Professor Karel.”

This result was largely thanks to Professor Karel.

He hadn’t even asked for it, yet the professor had gone out of his way to write a recommendation letter for him.

Considering that Chase didn’t have many memories of being a good student in front of the professor, this unexpected support felt both humbling and deeply appreciated.

It seemed that the professor had taken note of the effort Chase had shown in his final semester.

The recommendation letter from Professor Karel, combined with one from the swordsmanship professor, had played a significant role in leaving a good impression during the interview.

‘Your conduct record is a bit questionable. Normally, we’re strict about reviewing behavior… but these recommendation letters are quite persuasive.’

The Knight Commander who had conducted the interview had even commented on it. Clearly, Professor Karel’s recommendation had been instrumental in Chase’s acceptance.

“Judith will be thrilled when she hears about this.”

Chase felt excited at the thought of sharing the news with Judith.

But his excitement wasn’t just about the acceptance itself.

“Now I won’t have to worry about being independent from my family.”

Joining the Imperial Knight Order would grant him a knightly title.

In other words, he could secure a stable future with Judith without relying on his family.

Smiling with relief, Chase felt reassured about visiting his family to formally introduce Judith.

Even if his family didn’t approve, he now had another option.

But then, his eyes caught a small line of text at the bottom of the letter that he hadn’t noticed before.

[However, a pre-entry training period is required.]

The smile that had been on Chase’s face moments ago crumpled like a sheet of paper.

“…Training?”

That means I’ll have to spend some time apart from Judith.

Of course, he had participated in many training sessions while studying swordsmanship. But this was the first time he felt so reluctant about it.

I just confirmed Judith’s feelings for me. There are still so many things I want to do with her.

Even though it was only a short period of about two weeks, the thought of being apart from her made Chase feel like the world was ending.