Chapter 33

Though he was as playful as usual, was it only her imagination that there seemed to be a little more force in his eyes and voice? It felt as though he was interfering between the two of them.

“You should be enjoying the ball too. It must have been hard on you.”

She knew what Raon’s fixed gaze on her meant, but Seorin smiled as if she did not.

“When have I ever enjoyed a ball with an easy mind? It’s all karma, karma. I told you earlier how hard it was taking care of the Commander during the expedition, didn’t I?”

At Seorin’s gaze naturally turning toward her, Kina nodded.

He spoke more ridiculously than it really had been, and Kina listened earnestly. Raon quietly watched the two of them.

Along with the gazes of Chris and Bersha that also reached those three.

Thus the night of the victory banquet passed.

* * *

“How about a sparring match, Commander?”

On the day the training of the Imperial Knight Order resumed after a long time, once the simple warm-up was over, Seorin was the first to make the suggestion. It was not a bad way to loosen up lightly.

“Then volunteers—”

“I thought it might be good if you and I did it, Commander, since it’s been a while.”

His face made it clear that he very much wanted to do it.

“All right.”

Seorin and Raon warmed up lightly as they prepared. And then—

“Begin.”

The moment the signal was given, Seorin charged in fearlessly. The ringing clash of metal against metal was loud. It was a fierce attack, as though he were facing an enemy. So fierce that Raon’s steps, though he blocked them, were pushed back little by little.

The Knights watched the sharp rush of steel with admiration.

“Are you going easy on me?”

Seorin asked Raon, now as close to him as the swords locked between them. Raon slowly studied his face. He, who was trying from the start to overwhelm his opponent with fierce attacks, was unlike his usual self.

“Of course not.”

Raon pushed back Seorin’s sword with force and adjusted his own. This time, it was his attack. The sharp sound of metal rang out again. Raon’s face still looked more relaxed than Seorin’s, but the situation was now the complete opposite of before.

‘If there’s even the slightest opening…….’

Even as Seorin gritted his teeth and blocked the attacks, refusing to lose, he did not give up searching for an opening. And when a fleeting gap appeared, Seorin rushed in without hesitation. Then, clang, his sword fell to the ground.

“If I had been the enemy, you’d be dead.”

Raon’s sword was close enough to seem ready to pierce Seorin’s heart.

“It’s commendable that you fought with the sole intention of killing your opponent.”

Though they had just sparred together, Raon looked entirely unaffected as he straightened his sword.

“But excessive emotion only clouds the eye instead. Let that be a lesson to all of you.”

Even through that brief sparring match, he had noticed Seorin’s emotions, and yet why was he so slow only when it came to useless things? Seorin was irritated by Raon, who scratched at his insides while wearing a face that knew nothing, but he was not wrong.

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

“……Let’s take the next volunteer.”

While answering obediently, Seorin still gave off an oddly impure attitude, and after looking at him for a moment, Raon resumed the training.

* * *

“Kina!”

The children of the poorhouse ran up and threw themselves at Kina, who had come to visit carrying heavy things in both hands.

“Whoa, careful, you’ll knock me over.”

So many children ran at her all at once that Kina staggered. The heavy bundles in her hands made it worse. Then someone caught her.

But not having even noticed Dave coming close, she was startled far too much and brushed away the helping hand. He froze as he was, his face shocked by the cold rejection.

“Th-thank you……Dave. I didn’t realize you were there.”

Feeling sorry that she had overreacted, Kina awkwardly greeted him while rubbing the arm he had touched. Dave was hurt by the way she had hurriedly pulled away from him, but he did not show it. He only nodded to mean that it was fine.

“Whoever comes late doesn’t get a choice.”

“I was the earliest!”

“Me too!”

As Dave picked up the bag of gifts that Kina had dropped and spoke, the children followed after him. Thanks to that, Kina’s hands grew lighter and her heart heavier. She looked around at the surroundings, which had suddenly gone quiet.

“They were happier about the gifts than about seeing me. That’s hurtful.”

Kina said that from behind as she watched the children chasing after Dave, but the children, already absorbed in the gifts, did not hear her. She too headed belatedly toward the poorhouse.

“Look at this, Kina.”

The children clumsily copied after Kina. Their small hands moving because they wanted to help were adorable. Then they called her and looked at her with sparkling eyes. The results were awkward, but their hearts, wanting to help, were lovely, so Kina smiled.

“You did well, especially for your first time.”

When she praised one child while patting the small head, a shy smile appeared on the child’s face.

“Me too, Kina!”

“I folded one too.”

“I folded mine better.”

Then children all around brought over the clothes they had folded. Holding out garments that had become rumpled on the way over, they waited for praise.

“One at a time, one at a time.”

Kina patted every child on the head, straightened the clothes again, and naturally guided the children. Because of that, the work that had seemed like so much decreased in an instant.

Kina and Dave decided to finish the final arrangements of the neatly organized items. The teachers of the poorhouse and the director had already headed to the dining hall with the children.

“It’s finally all done.”

After even the final tidying was finished, Kina moved her stiff body.

“Kina.”

Dave, who had been staring at her, took one step closer. This time, perhaps because he had given notice first, she was not startled, but she could not help her body stiffening naturally.

But Dave did not come any closer than that. Looking down at Kina, he carefully tugged at her sleeve. Then he took her hand, which naturally rose following his movement, and plopped it on top of his own head. Of course, Dave was taller, so he had bent at the waist to match her height.

“I helped all day today too.”

Rub, rub.

As Dave moved while still holding Kina’s sleeve, it made it seem as though she were patting his head.

Kina only blinked and stared at him. Dave met her eyes. His eyes resembled the children’s from earlier, so rather than frightening, he seemed cute.

“……You want me to praise you?”

He nodded in agreement.

When Kina put strength into the arm that had been moving under Dave’s hand and patted his head herself, he let go. Then he smiled shyly like a child.

At that pure and guileless face, Kina’s tension naturally eased as well. After patting him a few more times, Kina lowered her hand, and Dave looked disappointed. She let out a small laugh.

“Dave, you seem rather unique.”

From all she had heard about how he often came to the poorhouse and competently handled even difficult tasks, he was clearly an adult. And yet, judging by the way he squabbled at the children’s level, or how he opened his eyes wide and did not hide his feelings like this, there was also a childlike side to him.

“It’s a compliment.”

No sooner had she added that, just in case he might take it badly, than Dave subtly pushed his head forward again. At that, Kina ended up laughing after all. Together with the busyness of the day, her worries were forgotten for a little while.