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Chapter 63: Alice Vert (3)
In life, you often hear this saying:
Knowledge is power.
Or ignorance is bliss.
Neither of these sayings is entirely wrong, but if you were to ask which one is more correct, it wouldn’t be easy to judge.
So, what if we try to find a good balance between the two?
Here’s how I’d define it:
Not knowing can make you foolish, but knowing allows you to handle things.
When my sister witnessed Cranz’s assault, our household was turned upside down.
Of course, it didn’t last long.
She soon had to return to the academy, and if I lost my only protector, I would once again be left alone.
After that, Cranz tornted even more persistently and cunningly, while those around us continued to watch without lifting a finger to help.
Before leaving, my sister said:
If you ever have a hard ti, talk to anyti.
But I didn’t say a word about anything.
I didn’t want to see my sister angry or sad again.
Not back then, not now; I didn’t want to hide from reality under the guise of a woman’s skirt.
But as I ntioned earlier, not knowing makes you a fool, and without knowing, you can’t handle whatever cos your way.
I wished my sister understood.
I wished she understood how pathetic and miserable it was to uphold the dignity of this family, even at the cost of one’s own self.
That’s why I’m saying this now.
“…!”
My sister’s right hand was trembling violently.
She seed ready to draw her sword and rush to Velias at any mont.
For now, I silently waited for her to speak up.
“Is what you just said true?”
“I wouldn’t joke about sothing like that.”
“Then how did you manage to survive and co this far?”
Just then, a man approached us and bowed his head imdiately.
“W-who are you?”
He was a young man, probably in his early twenties, with neatly grood brown hair and innocent eyes. His na was Brian.
“I am Sir Brian Kendrick, a knight in service to Velias. Currently, I am tasked with protecting Lord Cyan as his guardian knight, by his side at all tis.”
“A guardian knight?”
Brian explained the events of the past three years with unwavering precision.
He had received a mission from the Duchess but judged it unfair, so he dismissed her and imdiately beca my guardian knight, escorting safely to the academy.
In essence, he attributed everything I had done to himself, as I had instructed him to do so.
“I-I can’t understand! Why didn’t you inform anyone else?”
“There was no one to inform. Isn’t our father always busy with matters on the front lines?”
“Well, at least you should have told !”
Honestly, this feels like the first ti my sister has genuinely been angry with .
But you know what?
I’ve never had anyone in my life get angry on my behalf like this.
Usually, being scolded makes you feel down and worse, but strangely enough, I keep wanting to laugh.
Even I think it’s a bit perverted.
I casually spoke while suppressing the emotions inside .
“Just as you’ve traveled the continent for your own life for three years, I’ve also kept my mouth shut for the sake of my own life. The Duchess didn’t take any further action after realizing her mistake, and Cranz, too, remained quiet knowing his fault. The fact that I’m telling you this now ans it’s all settled.”
“How can you call this settled!”
My sister suddenly grabbed my shoulders and began to protest loudly.
I t her tear-filled eyes without flinching.
“I’m sorry, Cyan. I promised to live for you, yet I didn’t even know what you’ve been through.”
I kept talking, but my sister is smart and strong.
By conveying these words, she quickly understands what she needs to do.
“I wanted to chat with you slowly and even visit your dorm, but it seems difficult now. I have sowhere urgent to go.”
Anywhere else might be fine, but there could be trouble there.
If our adorable little troublemaker wakes up from his nap, it could be a disaster.
I asked clumsily.
“Will you co back?”
“Of course.”
Once again, she gently stroked my head, then this ti, she wrapped her arms around .
“You don’t have to bear it all alone, Cyan. It’s okay to say it’s tough if it’s tough.”
Her soft breath against my ear brought a sense of unparalleled tranquility.
It was cozy.
Yet incredibly warm.
I thought I’d never feel like this again.
Returning to this feeling makes truly grateful.
Now, all that’s left is to preserve this warmth.
The day my sister’s warm touch turns cold will never co as long as I’m alive and kicking.
My fist, filled with determination, clenched tightly.
* * *
“Ar-are you alright, my Lord?”
Brian, who had been by my side after my sister left, asked with a worried tone.
“Why?”
“I-I might be overstepping, but I’m concerned if I’ve caused unnecessary worry to Lady Alice. In fact, your ntion of it was quite unexpected…”
I shrugged my shoulders and said.
“The human heart is like a swaying reed, yet sotis it’s as unyielding as a rock.”
People like my sister are especially like that.
“So, we need to be vigilant. We need to gradually realize that everything we’ve believed without question so far may actually be going wrong. Otherwise, we’ll reach a point of no return and ultimately face ruin.”
If soone asks if it’s from personal experience, I don’t really want to answer.
I just hope my disguised advice as counsel will help her cope well with what lies ahead.
I’m sure she’ll overco it well.
Anyway, it seems my sister’s business is settled for now…
My gaze shifted to Brian beside .
“W-why are you like this, my Lord?”
“You did quite well acting, didn’t you? I thought you’d be trembling without saying a word.”
Brian scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Haha! W-well, I couldn’t sleep at all last night and kept practicing! I’m not sure if Lady Alice actually accepted it, but…”
Still, compared to his immature self from two years ago, he has made significant progress.
I guess he can be serious when he needs to be?
“Would my sister have lived hearing about being a child of the gods for no reason? Even if I fumble through half of a sentence, my sister understands it easily.”
“Is that so? Well, that’s a relief.”
I stared at the guy who was smiling smugly.
“Why are you blushing?”
“W-what!?”
Even a girl in love wouldn’t blush this much.
“Oh, um, well, this is the first ti I’ve seen Lady Alice! And she’s really as beautiful as the rumors say! Oh, please don’t misunderstand, my Lord! I never harbored any strange feelings!”
Strange feelings, huh.
Well, you’re a guy, so I guess that’s understandable.
I still think I haven’t seen a beauty surpassing our sister.
Why do I feel such a strong urge to punch this guy?
I unconsciously looked at my clenched fist.
It was a mont of deep contemplation whether to punch this guy in the head or not.
* * *
After seeing off my sister, I headed back to the principal’s office once again.
As I opened the door after the knock, the principal, who seed to have anticipated my arrival, gave a knowing glance.
“It seems you’ve already checked.”
The principal was reading the white paper docunt I had handed over earlier.
“As always, I won’t ask where you got this information from.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Instead, I’ll ask sothing else. Do you really expect to believe this?”
The glare he gave was anything but friendly.
“If we summarize the docunt you provided, it goes sothing like this. So high-ranking knights of the Order of the Light are connected to the royal family. The most prominent figure is Prince Louisnel Sevellerus. They are planning to provoke the monsters in the frontline area soon, leading to a major conflict. And this timing coincides with the royal family’s visit to the frontline… Even if I wrote a novel, it wouldn’t be this absurd.”
If such an intriguing plot suddenly popped into my head, who would bother attending literature classes?
Unfortunately, the words the principal spoke were not fiction but cold, hard facts.
Judging by the principal’s expression, he still seed sowhat skeptical.
“It’s been over ten years since I left my family, but that doesn’t an I turned a deaf ear. But the family and Louisnel were planning this without my knowledge? Honestly, I probably would have torn it up without a second thought if soone else had handed it to .”
Although it seed a bit inconsistent with his usual disregard for family honor, I decided to overlook it.
“After all, it’s not like I’ll be the one to confirm the truth, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. My informants, even if you deceive , will soon bring back so news to keep an eye on.”
Perhaps it’s because of his experience, but he speaks quite bluntly.
“Is this related to your sister?”
“Why do you think that?”
“Experience isn’t gained for nothing. Your dry eyes, which couldn’t betray any emotions, trembled the mont they t Alice.”
It seed futile to deny it.
“Frankly, it was a bit surprising. I thought you wouldn’t care about anyone, let alone have any feelings for your family, but it seems you had strong blood. Well, co to think of it, there’s no reason to hate that child. Among the countless students who passed through the academy, she was the only one I wanted to treat as my daughter.”
“You’re talking big trouble.”
He was serious.
For a mont, I wondered if he had gone senile.
But even so, that was crossing the line, Principal.
The principal continued without batting an eye.
“So, by giving this novel-like information, what do you expect from ?”
I’m not the kind of person to not expect sothing in return for an act of kindness.
The principal knows this, which is why he keeps asking what I want in return, but I’ve already been receiving more than enough compensation.
“Isn’t what you’ve already done enough?”
“Hah, your careless school life, is that what you call enough?”
Careless…
I thought I had quietly lived without much trouble, but hearing those words makes feel strange again.
I smiled and replied.
“As I ntioned before, there’s no need to think too hard about it. Just consider it a gift for looking out for .”
“It’s not a gift, it’s a bribe. Well, I understand your intention. Just don’t co up with any other nonsense later.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the word ‘bribe’.
“Indeed, you’re soone whose thoughts are hard to read.”
Hearing that, suddenly one thought popped into my head.
Should I ask once?
“I have one question to ask.”
“What is it?”
“A while ago, during your conversation with my sister, I heard that there was a student who couldn’t be read through your hands.”
It was more of sothing I overheard than actively sought out.
“Yeah, that’s the standard before you entered the academy.”
The principal said dismissively.
“Could you tell who that person was?”
Why ask?
Just plain curiosity.
I was curious about the extent of his insight.
The principal chuckled and then spoke up.
“Asking a question when you already know the answer, what’s the point? There’s no need to ask. It’s that person in your mind.”
Indeed, our principal.
As sure about others as one can be.
Ironically, he can’t see his own future.
[TL/N: Lord, sleep when?]
[PR/N: None for u, go back to the basent.]
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