Chapter 7.7

When he heard Brienne was entering the Academy, he thought about how to stay close to her. The disciplinary action from the Association was a convenient excuse, and Herace had successfully carried out his plan without any variables.

He’d even asked Diashi for help because he was so concerned about Brienne.

Since his soul was bound to Brienne’s, being apart for too long might affect her mana circuits.

He couldn’t explain all this one by one without forcing his feelings. There was no way to express his love without it seeming like a demand.

So,

Maybe he was just making excuses for his selfish wish to be with Brienne.

“Brienne, from you…….”

His restless heart finally calmed down. Brienne was happy—not about anything else, but about his news.

“There’s always only the scent of flowers from you.”

With a fresh smile, Herace gestured toward Brienne’s hair. Following Herace’s gaze, Brienne looked down at her own hair, and her face instantly turned red.

“……Herace!”

Brienne sprang up, glaring sharply as if angry. Herace, grabbing Brienne’s wrist, teased her playfully.

“I mean it. No matter what scent may come from you, Brienne, to me it’s just a sweet fragrance.”

“…….”

“If it were up to me, I’d stay by your side all day, breathing in this scent…….”

“S-stop teasing me!”

Brienne, her face flushed bright red, bit her lip and glared at Herace.

“I’m going in for today, so don’t even think about following me.”

“Not even escorting you to your room?”

“No, you’re forbidden from getting any closer today!”

Declaring boldly, Brienne turned on her heel and strode quickly out of the garden. With a light laugh, Herace stood up and slowly followed after her.

The two walked with a measured distance between them, their gentle banter floating beneath the dusky early evening sky. Even as Brienne kept telling him not to follow, a smile began to spread across her face whenever she glanced back.

She wished this peacefulness would never end.

Their gentle gazes and honest words mingled with the breeze, carrying the deep scent of flowers. It was a quiet afternoon, as if nothing else in the world could ever disturb it.

* * *

Since it was a new place, Brienne worried she might not sleep well, but exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep almost instantly. The bedding was soft, and the room was quiet. Waking up early, Brienne washed up and opened the curtains to look out over the Academy grounds.

Seeing the sun already up, she thought today’s weather would be bright all day. She needed to find the Student President and apologize about the notebook as soon as possible.

Brienne turned away from the window, ready to go see Felix.

Knock, knock.

“B-Brienne? Are you inside?”

Just as she was about to open the door, a knock came from outside. Startled, she opened the door to find Felix standing there, once again wearing his navy cardigan. He seemed to have come looking for the notebook.

“Ah, Student President, I actually have something to say…….”

Brienne, flustered, began to speak carefully, but Felix also held out a wallet to her at the same time.

“Um, d-did you perhaps lose your wallet yesterday?”

“Oh, yes……!”

Brienne’s eyes widened as she accepted the wallet without thinking. 

‘Why did the Student President have it?’

“I-I didn’t find it myself, but just now, a man came looking for me and…….”

Avoiding Brienne’s gaze, Felix awkwardly held up a notebook.

“He also gave me my notebook. I’m sorry if I caused you trouble. I only realized today that I gave you the wrong notebook…….”

“What?”

No way, the notebook was found!

A delighted smile spread across Brienne’s face as she blinked, trying to process the situation. She had thought she’d never find it, but now the worry that had weighed on her seemed to melt away.

“No, I’m the one who should apologize, Student President. I’m just so glad the notebook was found.”

‘But why is he giving it to me?’

Looking down at the notebook in confusion, Brienne watched as Felix, with an “ah,” moved it aside to reveal a small, long box underneath.

“He also gave me this…… I thought it might be yours, Brienne.”

“Huh? What is it?”

Brienne narrowed her eyes as she took the black box from Felix. She untied the ribbon and opened it to find a fountain pen inside.

‘What’s this?’

She’d never seen this pen before……

Brienne tilted her head and picked up the pen. But as she looked closely at the clip, her face stiffened.

Her name was engraved on the silver clip.

Realizing this, she was startled, and then her gaze caught a white piece of paper stuck to the inside of the box lid. It seemed to be a note. As she carefully read it, Brienne’s eyes trembled.

[Congratulations on entering the Academy.]

A handwriting she could never mistake……

……Kaiden?

“U-um, is it not yours, Brienne?”

As Brienne’s expression froze, Felix spoke cautiously. His urgent voice filtered into her dazed mind.

“If it was that man, he just left, so he should still be outside…….”

Following Felix’s gaze, Brienne looked toward the curtain swaying in the light breeze. As if drawn by something, her steps moved that way on their own.

Standing in front of the window, half fearful, half hopeful, Brienne paused for a moment.

She could recognize him even from afar.

Hair black with a bluish sheen. Upright posture, a steady, measured gait—neither fast nor slow.

It was Kaiden.

“…….”

It felt unreal, as if she were dreaming. At that moment, she felt as if her eyes met Kaiden’s as he turned toward her. But Kaiden soon turned away and continued walking.

‘Should I call out to him?’

‘Why are you here, when you should be in Rontiano? Should I ask what happened?’

“……Felix, I’ll be right back!”

Her reason was no match for her impulse, just as before. Brienne hurried past the stunned Felix and rushed down the stairs.

Her heart pounded. But by the time she made it outside the dormitory, Kaiden was already far away, getting into a carriage.

“Kaiden……!”

Her desperate voice echoed across the summer campus. She tried to catch up, but the carriage door closed in front of her as if mocking her.

No matter how hard she ran, it was useless. The carriage departed before Brienne even reached the gate.

‘Kaiden, why……’

‘Why did you have to come here?’

As Brienne stood frozen, a faint memory of a conversation with Kaiden from years ago drifted through her mind.

<Don’t you want to visit the Holy Kingdom of Roeta?>

<……Roeta?>

<Shylo said the capital of Roeta is beautiful wherever you go. There’s a huge train station, so lots of people come for summer vacation every year. If you’re okay with it, maybe together with me……>

<Sure.>

<……Huh?>

What kind of expression had Kaiden made then? What had he said? How had he looked at her?

<Let’s do that, if you want to.>

He probably smiled as he said that. She wasn’t sure. It was always like that. Whatever she said, Kaiden would just go along with it because she wanted it.

“…….”

Her legs gave out and her breath caught in her throat. Realizing that Kaiden was safe, the emotions she’d buried deep inside surged up.

She’d worried that something might have happened to him. She hated him enough to never want to see him again, but she’d desperately wished he’d be safe, that nothing bad would happen.

“Kaiden…….”

His name slipped out.

Kaiden drifted away like a breeze from afar, but Brienne couldn’t get up so easily. For some reason, the sunlight of Roeta lingered on her stinging eyes for a long time.

* * *

“It seems our tail has been stepped on.”

In the Duke of Bannon’s office. The secretary, who had come urgently, reported with a dark expression. The Duke, who had been looking over documents, lifted his head and fixed his gaze on the secretary.

“Explain in detail.”

“When the Harrington Earldom’s prison was burned, it seems someone escaped. When the knights tried to apprehend him, he insisted on meeting you, saying he had something you must know, Duke.”

As the Duke raised his eyebrows, the secretary hurried on.

“He said Brienne Ford was not the only person in the prison that day. They tortured him, but he insisted he’d only speak in person to you, Your Grace.”

“……Not alone, huh. Where is that man now?”

At the Duke’s question, the secretary glanced at the knight who’d entered with him. The knight nodded and opened the office door, and other knights came in carrying a large sack.

“Open it.”

The Duke, looking annoyed, gestured and stood up. The knights pulled off the sack, revealing a man with his hands tied and a cloth over his face. He seemed unconscious. The Duke’s gaze fell on a vase of flowers on a side table.

Without hesitation, the Duke picked up the vase, approached, and poured water over the man’s face. Fresh petals stuck messily to the white cloth. The man gasped for air, coughing and jerking his head up.

“Gah, c-can’t breathe…….”

At the Duke’s signal, a knight pulled off the cloth covering the man’s face. Blinking at the sudden light, the man’s eyes gradually focused. He looked around the dark room, then up at the Duke standing before him.

“D-Duke Bannon…….”

Recognizing the Duke, the man gaped. A knight drew his sword and whispered,

“Get a grip. This is your last chance. If you know who you’re facing, you’d better behave.”

“Y-yes!”

Hurriedly nodding, the man shakily got to his knees.

“Th-thank you so much for granting my request, Your Grace.”

“With a sword in front of you, you’re truly grateful? I hate pointless talk most of all. Get to the point. Who else was in the prison that day?”

Swallowing hard, the man trembled as he bowed his head.

“T-two other men. One could use magic, the other was clever. B-both were from Roeta.”

“Do you remember their faces?”

“Yes……! I remember them clearly. Not just their faces—I also have a magic tool containing that man’s mana.”

“A magic tool?”

The Duke asked, intrigued, and the man nodded urgently.

“Yes, I closed off his mana circuit myself……! Y-your Grace, you want to keep this hidden, right? As long as we don’t know where those men are or what they’re doing, burning the prison isn’t enough to be safe.”

The man’s voice trembled pitifully, but his eyes did not. The Duke, meeting the man’s gaze, broke into a wry smile.

“So, you’re saying I need you.”

“Y-yes. I’m the only one who can find them. Please, just spare me this once……!”

Seeing hope in the Duke’s eyes, the man crawled forward on his knees, begging for his life.

“I still have two young siblings. If you spare me, I swear I’ll find those men and devote myself to you, Your Grace. I truly mean it.”

“How can I trust you?”

In a situation where a single misstep could mean death, any promise was meaningless. People would say they’d do anything if spared, then stab you in the back as soon as the sword was gone. The Duke, well aware of this, approached the man.

“A deal must be clear. Tell me where your siblings are. If you handle this well and return, I’ll promise to send them back safely.”

“……What?”

“You’re asking me to trust you, but you don’t trust me?”

The man’s eyes shook as he stared at the Duke’s impassive face. Just before the Duke turned to the knight, the man desperately grabbed the Duke’s leg.

“N-no, I’ll tell you……!”