Chapter 21
Evans’s usual smile had completely vanished, and his sharp features looked even colder and more distant than usual.
Riette, who was about to ask if he had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed, collapsed back onto the bed with a sharp pain in her side.
“Ah…”
“Stay down. The wound’s not deep, but it’s pretty big.”
Thankfully, Evan’s voice wasn’t as cold as his expression.
Riette lay quietly and looked around.
“…Why am I in your house?”
It didn’t make sense. She wasn’t at school where she got injured, nor in her own bedroom.
“Because I brought you here.”
With no context, Riette became curious about what happened after she collapsed.
The last thing she remembered was seeing Lucas. So why was Evan the first person she saw when she woke up? The training grounds were quite far from Evan’s classroom too.
“Did Lucas call you?”
“…”
Evan didn’t respond. Instead, a slight twitch appeared around his eyes—an expression he made when he was irritated.
‘…Does he really hate Lucas?’
Suddenly, Lucas’s words came to mind:
“Did you know? Evan’s stare is scarier than a hundred people glaring at me.”
‘Whatever. You two figure it out.’
Riette didn’t care whether they got along or not.
She was just a bit surprised.
Right now, there were more important things than Evan and Lucas’s relationship. Like the wound on her side.
“Evan, do you know what happened?”
She should have been handed a wooden sword for the sparring session. Unless… no way…
“Samuel switched the wooden sword with a real one.”
The dreaded answer came out.
Ignoring her pain, Riette sat up in bed.
“Is that true?”
Evan nodded.
“He must’ve planned it from the beginning.”
It seemed like Evan already knew all the details about Samuel and the incident. He was always quick to find things out.
“What happened to Samuel? Was he punished?”
Evan shook his head.
“Someone else confessed. Said he handed Samuel the wrong sword by mistake.”
Riette shut her eyes in frustration, feeling like she had just swallowed a whole bucket of sweet potatoes.
She cursed inwardly. She didn’t expect Samuel to actually do something so low in front of so many people. And then he pinned the blame on his underling and walked away scot-free.
Lucas had been right.
“They’re trash.”
Utter scumbags.
Riette pushed through the pain and got up, not wanting to say something weak in front of Evan.
“Whatever happened, thanks for bringing me here.”
“This is just the beginning.”
At Evan’s warning, Riette let out a deep sigh. She already felt humiliated showing this side of herself to him, and it seemed he wasn’t going to let it slide quietly.
But today, she didn’t have the energy to argue with Evan.
“Evan, just let it go for today.”
Riette looked at him with tired eyes. Evan stood above her, his expression dark.
Why did Evan look so worried, as if it was his problem? His black eyes trembled slightly.
Looking at him like this reminded her of when Evan used to look up at her climbing trees as a child. No, this seemed even more serious.
Seeing this unexpected side of him softened her heart a little.
“…I get that you’re worried. But I’ll figure something out, so don’t stress too much.”
That was all she could say right now. Her head was still ringing from having just regained consciousness.
“How?”
“…Huh?”
“How will you fix it?”
But Evan didn’t let her off easily. Riette was tired of how persistent he was today.
“I’ll think about it now. There’s got to be a way, right?”
“…Why are you being so carefree?”
Evan bit his lip as he stared at her.
“It’s not someone else’s problem. It’s yours!”
Evan shouted.
Riette froze for a moment, shocked by the sudden outburst. Evan rarely raised his voice.
“…Why are you getting so mad?”
“Look at yourself right now! What if that sword had hit your neck or your heart instead of your side?!”
Faced with the horrifying what-if, Riette blinked slowly. If that had happened, she wouldn’t be alive right now.
But Riette believed Evan was missing something important.
“I know you’re worried. But do you think he’d try something like that in front of so many people?”
“What if it happens when no one’s around?! What then?!”
“Evan! I’ll obviously be careful to make sure that never—!”
Driven to the edge by Evan’s fury, Riette finally snapped and raised her voice. But Evan didn’t stop. Instead, he stepped closer and grabbed her wrists.
“What are you—”
“Can you guarantee you’ll be safe just by being careful?”
“Let go of me!”
Riette struggled. But Evan had no intention of letting go.
He pushed her onto the bed and climbed over her, still holding both of her wrists tightly.
“If that bastard grabs you like this, do you think you could escape on your own?”
His sharp words cut at Riette’s pride. Her eyes flushed with anger.
She knew he was right. She couldn’t win against a man in a physical struggle.
That’s what made her even angrier.
“Riette…”
Then why was he looking at her like he was the one about to cry?
Evan leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. His skin was burning hot, like someone with a fever.
“Please…”
“…”
“I feel like my blood is boiling dry.”
As Riette moved her hands, Evan finally released his grip. Then he slowly climbed off her.
Riette sat up and approached him as he sat with his head down. Then, with some force, she punched his chest.
“If you ever try to lecture me like that again… I won’t ever speak to you again.”
Leaving Evan without waiting for a reply, Riette stormed out of the room. Her already-messy thoughts were completely tangled now thanks to Evan’s emotional outburst.
Standing alone in the hallway, another worry popped into her head.
Had her parents heard about what happened? If they knew she was hurt, they would explode the moment they saw her.
Her mother would likely suggest she withdraw from school again. Her father might even try to confront the school directly.
But none of that was what Riette wanted.
She hadn’t found a clear solution yet, but she was confident she could handle Samuel on her own.
No—she had to. She couldn’t throw away the dream she’d worked so hard to protect because of a loser like Samuel.
‘I miss Uncle.’
Riette suddenly thought of Duke Croyt. He was a wise man. Surely, he would help her somehow.
She made her way to the duke’s study and knocked lightly on the door.
There was no response, but through the slightly open door, she could see the duke sitting with his head bowed.
He looked quite serious, and Riette hesitated.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t go in?’
Just then, the door creaked open where Riette was leaning.
“Who’s there… Riette?”
“Sorry, Uncle. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Interrupt? Of course not.”
The Duke stood and greeted her warmly.
“I was just thinking of you. I rushed back to the mansion when I heard you were injured.”
Ah…
Both he and Evan always got information way too quickly.
“Shouldn’t you still be resting, Riette?”
“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch.”
It still stung a little, but she was starting to get used to it. As long as she didn’t move too wildly, she’d be okay.
“Do you have a moment now?”
“For you, I always do.”
Riette smiled and sat across from the duke. His expression was dark.
“…You must be feeling down. I expected it would be tough to adjust…”
“Please don’t say that, Uncle. I just had this argument with Evan over this.”
She stopped herself mid-sentence, remembering Evan’s anxious eyes. Thinking of him made her feel uneasy.
“Never mind.”
“Alright. I won’t nag you.”
Quick to catch on, the duke gave her a warm smile again. Riette was glad she’d come to him.
“How was it for you? You graduated top of your class. You must’ve had similar experiences.”
“Sorry, but it was more like Evan’s case for me. Not many people challenged me.”
I see…
She didn’t resent being born female, but at times like this, she couldn’t help but sigh.
She knew how hard Evan and Lucas worked, but they still had it easier than her. They were accepted more quickly. And if someone like Evan was a genius on top of that, it made things even harder for her.
“…Honestly, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. It’s not just Samuel—other students are the same.”
Opening up like this made her feel a bit embarrassed to meet the duke’s eyes.
She fidgeted with the teacup the maid had brought.
“They think I’m being greedy trying to be in the top three. Like I have marriage as a fallback option.”
At her vulnerable confession, the duke gently patted her head.
“There’s no such thing as someone who isn’t desperate to reach their goal.”
As expected, the duke understood her feelings. Riette smiled faintly.
“You really are the only one.”
Her thoughts weren’t untangled yet, but she felt much lighter.
“Riette, I want to give you practical help.”
The duke spoke seriously. Riette slowly set down her teacup.
“Practical help…?”
“Whatever you need.”
Riette hesitated.
She knew the duke could do a lot for her, but honestly, she didn’t want direct help from him.
It felt like cheating.
“I could assign a personal guard to you.”
Before she could refuse, the duke listed options.
“I could pressure the school to ensure nothing unfair happens again.”
But his voice was strangely calm… too calm.
“I could even make sure you never see that student again.”
No—his tone was downright cold now.
Somehow, he reminded her of Evan.
But Riette knew—this uncle of hers would never do something so ruthless.
“You joke around too much, Uncle.”
She waved her hands with a chuckle. The duke’s stern expression softened into a smile.
“None of those sound appealing?”
“I like them all… but I still want to solve it myself.”
She spoke playfully, but her red eyes were filled with determination.
“Oh, there is one thing I want to ask.”
“What is it, Riette?”
“How can I protect myself?”
This incident made her realize:
If she didn’t set a clear example, Samuel would keep targeting her. As much as she hated it, one day it might go too far—just like Evan feared.
Even if she could win in a one-on-one fight, Samuel always had lackeys. That made things harder.
“Hmm, a way to protect yourself…”
“Not with guards. I mean like magic—or divine power.”
In this world, both magic and divine power existed. It’s just that only a select few could use them.
The original heroine had divine powers, and Evan would eventually reach a level where he could wield aura energy.
Riette looked at the duke with eyes full of hope.
