Chapter 80
The morning air was colder than expected—cold enough to chill the fingertips gripping the sword.
My body felt light, but my mind was still a tangled mess.
The conversation I had with the Marquis a few days ago kept resurfacing in my thoughts. It was the day after I had returned to Rasan and gotten some proper rest.
“Adam. It seems Rivière has recreated it.”
“Adam… Do you mean that drug—the one that was supposedly discarded first?”
“Yes. It’s a kind of stimulant that enhances human abilities. According to records, it activates both physical strength and the brain simultaneously, granting extraordinary intelligence.”
“That’s a chilling thought. It sounds like an attempt to create a new kind of human.”
“If you take Adam, you’ll awaken for sure. But at the same time, you’ll become deeply addicted. You won’t be able to live without Adam ever again.”
“If that’s possible, then in the end, everyone will become Rivière’s dogs.”
The moment I first saw the word Adam, my breath nearly stopped.
Rivière’s vision of the future became vividly clear before my eyes—her unmistakable ambition to seize the empire in her grasp, even without the throne.
I should have dug deeper in Maersen. When Seru reacted to the word Adam, I should have pressed him harder. I regretted not doing so.
The Marquis had vowed to mobilize the full intelligence network of the Valandier family to investigate Adam as the top priority.
And then, the Marquis asked cautiously:
“Shouldn’t we inform His Highness?”
“We… should. As soon as he returns, immediately.”
I knew it was the right thing to do… yet in that moment, I hesitated.
I wasn’t confident. How could I explain Adam to Khalid truthfully, without making a mess of it?
Telling him something uncertain felt dangerous—but that was just an excuse. The truth was, I was afraid. Afraid of how Khalid would look at me after hearing it. That fear kept holding me back.
“Focus, my lady.”
The voice of the sword instructor pierced through my scattered thoughts.
I inhaled deeply and adjusted my stance.
It had only been half a month since I began learning swordsmanship. I had just barely managed to swing a dull wooden sword, so mistakes were unacceptable.
Especially today—we were learning how to avoid attacks. Losing focus even for a moment could lead to a serious injury, which explained the sharp tone in his voice.
Though he was being lenient, his strikes still seemed blindingly fast to my eyes.
Startled, I barely managed to dodge. But perhaps because my thoughts were elsewhere, my balance faltered.
I tried to regain my footing—
“…!”
My knees buckled, and I lost my balance.
I instinctively thrust out my arm to catch myself on the ground, and the wooden sword slipped from my hand with a clatter.
Ugh…!
Pain throbbed in my wrist as it hit the earth, but if I hadn’t done that, I would’ve smashed my face on the rough dirt.
“My lady!”
Startled, my instructor ran over and helped me up.
I felt horribly embarrassed. I could feel the gazes of a few servants who had turned their heads at the noise.
“I—I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention properly…”
I had insisted on practicing evasive maneuvers before I was ready, and now I had bought myself this humiliation. I had pushed for it, only to get distracted and fall like a fool.
I braced myself for a scolding, but instead, he calmly checked me over and asked:
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“…Huh? No, I’m fine. Really.”
His expression was tense, as if he were the one who had made the mistake.
I thought he disliked me…
My knees had only given out for a moment, yet he noticed immediately. He had sharp eyes.
Perhaps he also noticed my wrist injury, because he gently took my hand and examined it, frowning slightly.
“We’ll have to postpone the evasion drills.”
“I’m really fine. Next time I’ll focus better and won’t make the same mistake.”
“No. I shouldn’t have allowed this. It was my mistake for giving in to your insistence. I should have taught you how to fall safely first.”
“Ah…!”
As he spoke, he pressed lightly on my wrist. The pain was sharper than expected, and an involuntary gasp escaped my lips. His face hardened even more.
“Th-that’s my fault.”
“I should have paid closer attention. I’m sorry. And please—don’t take this injury lightly. A small wound can turn into something worse if neglected.”
“…Oh.”
“Today’s lesson ends here. You need to see a physician right away.”
His tone left me momentarily stunned. Was he always this gentle?
My sword instructor, Tailen, was a knight personally assigned to me by the Marquis of Valandier.
Though called an instructor, he was still just one of the Marquis’s knights—yet even Captain Aldin had said Tailen had great potential.
Barely twenty years old, a commoner by birth, yet accepted into the Marquis’s household without any barrier of status. Perhaps that was why his loyalty seemed so deep.
He joined the Marquis’s house quite early, didn’t he?
His quiet, earnest way of examining my wrist was unexpectedly soft.
Though the atmosphere was different, something about his sharp eyes reminded me of Shuruel. Maybe because I missed my younger brother from happier days…
Despite the distance of a student and teacher, he felt strangely familiar to me.
Of course, that was only on my side.
At first, Tailen had spoken nothing beyond what was absolutely necessary for training.
I had assumed he was naturally taciturn, but this side of him was unexpected.
“Thank you, Tailen.”
“…The lesson isn’t over yet. Please call me ‘Instructor.’”
“Yes, Instructor. Thank you for caring.”
His tone was firm, but from the moment he had run to catch me, his soft gaze had held a warmth that matched his gentle eyes.
Even by my current identity, I was three years older than him—yet for some reason, he treated me as if I were younger, like Serel.
Surely… he doesn’t actually think I’m younger than him, does he?
The way he looked at my swelling wrist with such pity, his fingers brushing over it so carefully… It didn’t feel like a misunderstanding.
While I was brushing dirt from my clothes, I suddenly felt a gaze on me.
I turned sharply toward the entrance of the training grounds—and froze.
“…Your Highness?”
Khalid.
He looked as if he had just arrived in Rasan, still in travel clothes. His black cloak rippled lightly in the breeze, and his eyes… his eyes lingered oddly—on the very spot where Tailen’s hand had been.
Compared to the last time I saw him, fifteen days ago, his gaze felt colder… yet still, I was glad he was here.
The moment our eyes met, my heart leapt wildly. For the simplest reason—he had come to see me.
When I return… I will come to you.
He had kept that small promise.
Just that was enough to make my chest overflow with joy.
“Your Highness!”
My heart rushed ahead of my body as I ran toward him. The sword, the dust, the tangled worries that had made it impossible to focus—all of it vanished.
Even if I looked ridiculous, even if I wasn’t in a neat, proper state to greet him… none of it mattered.
The only thing that mattered was that he was standing right there.
But as I ran too hastily, my foot caught—and I stumbled.
In front of Khalid, of all people. I was about to make a fool of myself, falling flat on my face. My eyes squeezed shut. I didn’t even think to shield my face this time.
I braced for pain… but instead, I felt a firm, warm embrace.
“…That was dangerous.”
“A-ah, I’m so sorry!”
I hadn’t hit the ground because Khalid had caught me—almost as if he were holding me in his arms. I ended up practically clinging to him.
My fingers gripped his cloak lightly, reluctant to let go. A silly laugh slipped out.
“I-I’m sorry. I just… I was so happy to see you.”
“You almost fell. What’s there to smile about?”
Khalid frowned slightly as he said that. Since I was still in his arms, I wondered if he was displeased, and quickly pulled away.
The hand that had been firmly supporting my waist fell away, leaving a tug of disappointment at the nape of my neck.
But I couldn’t upset him.
As I steadied myself and looked up at him, I realized—he wasn’t looking at me.
No, to be precise… he was glaring at something.
