“It’s ti.”
Grandma stood up from her seat and spoke.
Although Asena had been told to reconcile with Grandma, it wasn’t as easy as it sounded, and a cold atmosphere still lingered between them.
I was concerned that the eting would proceed with such an atmosphere, but since I couldn’t forcibly reconcile Grandma and Asena, I let things unfold naturally.
And upon closer observation, it wasn’t just Asena who had a strained relationship with Grandma. Keirsey also seed unhappy and didn’t exchange glances with Grandma. What was strange was that even Grandma seed aware of Keirsey’s displeasure and maintained a certain distance from her.
“....Ugh.”
While I groaned, Grandma left the room first. Thein and Helen, who had been waiting in front of the door, greeted her.
While Grandma waited for us outside, I called the twins.
“Guys.”
Despite Asena clearly expressing her discontent, she still responded to my call and turned to face , and Keirsey also did the sa.
“Co here for a mont.”
“......”
“Uh?”
The twins approached with a hint of doubt but without saying a word.
Although there was so unnecessary closeness, still, it was better for them to hear clearly, so it was good.
I spoke to them.
“...I know you two have complaints. But let’s control ourselves at least during the eting.”
“.......”
“.......”
“Through this, we can achieve peace with the Ice Family. You two, who are involved in politics, know best how much it will help the people of our territory as well as the people of Ice territory.”
“......”
Keirsey remained silent, but Asena finally exploded with her pent-up frustration and spoke to with an exasperated voice.
“.....Oppa, being by your side is more important to than the happiness of soone I don’t even know.”
“...Asena, listen to .”
“...Ugh, seriously...”
Asena expressed her dissatisfaction in a way I had never seen before.
“.....”
I doubted my ears and furrowed my eyebrows.
Then, Asena glanced at a couple of tis and took hold of my hand, leaning her head on my shoulder.
It seed like her way of apologizing, but she didn’t verbally apologize, whether it was due to her pride or because she was still angry I didn’t know.
Perhaps because we had grown up together… or perhaps because I played an important role in their lives as they grew up, she apologized to right away. However, I quickly realized that if it weren’t for , she wouldn’t have done it.
Instead, she would have acted as she pleased. In fact, if we weren’t together since childhood, I wouldn’t have been able to fight her like this; She would have destroyed everything before I could have a chance to stop her.
‘At least, that’s what their recent actions entail.’
Honestly, I was confused if the reason they beca villainesses in the novel was really because they lost their parents and were broken by that loss.
Involuntarily, the possibility that their nature was just inherently evil also crossed my mind several tis.
However, I wanted to believe it was not the latter.
Fortunately, she hadn’t committed any serious unforgivable act so far to make doubt too much.
I gently stroked Asena’s head as she leaned on .
The fur on her shoulder added to her dignity, but Asena remained unchanged to .
I reminded her once again.
“....Let’s behave properly during the eting. If you cause a scene just because you don’t like it, I’ll get mad. I’m telling you in advance.”
“.........I don’t want to.”
This ti, it was Keirsey who answered.
“...What?” I turned to her.
“I don’t want to.”
“Keirsey, you can’t just do whatever you want. I said I would get angry.”
“.......?”
Keirsey continued to pout, and eventually, just before crying, she slumped down and sat with her legs folded.
She buried her face in her knees and complained.
“Why did you dress well for the people who’ll take you away from ...”
“They’re not taking away. It’s what I want.”
“....Because of us?”
“.......?”
“Oppa... I said I was sorry... I won’t gossip behind your back anymore...”
I spoke without letting her continue.
“...I’ve made my decision.”
Keirsey asked coldly at that mont.
“...Are you already so fond of Judy?”
“...It’s not necessarily like that.”
“......”
In the montary silence that followed, I realized that we were already a ss. Keirsey was on the verge of tears, tightly holding my hand, and Asena was barely holding herself back with her head leaned against .
After taking a deep breath, I spoke again.
“...Let’s calm down.”
“......”
“......”
“Will this be the impression we give to the Ice Family?”
The twins reacted to my words. Keirsey wiped away her tears, and Asena raised her head.
Keirsey stood up and said,
“...Unnie, don’t show any weakness to Judy, even if it kills you.”
“...Stop putting on a pedestal like that.”
Asena played with her fingers and suddenly put on a serious expression as she spoke.
“...Oppa.”
Was it her way of sulking?
Asena looked up at and whispered, making a request.
“...Kiss .”
“..................What?”
Asena looked straight at and said,
“Kiss... .”
As if to prove that what I heard was not wrong, she said it slowly and rhythmically, almost like a command.
I was montarily taken aback and felt embarrassed about what I was thinking.
Even if Asena’s words were confusing, I should have understood them perfectly.
There’s no need to feel embarrassed about it. I muttered.
“...You’ve always asked for pecks, why specifically ask for a kiss now?”
I chuckled lightly as if finding her prank amusing and gave her a peck on her forehead.
“Why? Does the word ‘peck’ sound too childish now?”
“......”
But even after receiving a peck, Asena showed no reaction. She didn’t let go of my hand, tightly holding onto it as if she were a stone statue.
I felt the atmosphere shift in Asena’s silence. Seeing Asena, who seed to want sothing more, I couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t a slip of the tongue.
It was an absurd assumption.
What was I even thinking?
Of course, I knew she liked a lot, but this and that were different.
‘No, she doesn’t want a kiss, she just wants more pecks.’
I lowered my head towards Asena’s frozen face.
She was startled for a mont. But I made the first move.
I pecked her on her left cheek.
I could feel the softness of her cheek against my lips.
Asena blinked and looked at , once again freezing in place. Apparently, it wasn’t enough yet.
This ti, I pecked her on her right cheek.
Asena’s frozen expression gradually broke. Her cheeks turned red in embarrassnt, and her downturned lips slowly lifted upward.
Despite her efforts to maintain a stiff expression and repeated attempts to lower her arced lips, she couldn’t do it. Finally, she let out a sigh and smiled.
I stood up straight, caressing her head. It seed like she was satisfied with that.
I let go of her tired hand and said to them,
“Alright, let’s go. Grandma is waiting.”
As I was about to leave after saying that, soone embraced from behind.
It was Keirsey.
She said,
“... too, Oppa.”
****
We took our seats one by one, facing each other.
On the opposite side of Grandma was Ice Duke.
Next to her was Asena, and the man sitting facing her was Ice Family’s eldest son, Sid Ice.
I and Judy sat next.
And finally, Keirsey and Nera Ice, Duke Ice’s youngest daughter, sat down opposite each other.
Suddenly, there was a strange tension in the air.
However, seeing Judy, who was stiffer than , I smiled.
For so reason, whenever Judy gets tense, my tension seems to ease.
When Judy is scared, I gain courage, and when she’s struggling, my determination strengthens.
I felt the sa way when dealing with the twins. Unconsciously, I beca their pillar of support, maybe because I wanted to be there for them.
And now, seeing such a reaction from Judy as well, I felt a growing sense that I really needed to protect her.
Even though we were close as friends, and events that made us aware of each other as lovers were only limited to holding hands and making an unofficial verbal promise, emotionally, we were continuously getting closer.
That aside, I felt sorry for Judy’s stiff appearance. As expected, she couldn’t relax among her family mbers.
I never heard about how she had been in the Ice Family, so I couldn’t understand why she acted that way... But still, I felt the need to be cautious of the Ice Family more than I had initially thought.
They may be a family on the good side in the novel, but since the Ice Family’s eldest son, Sid Ice, and their eldest daughter, Nera Ice, didn’t appear in the novel, I didn’t know their personalities well.
The only person I could sowhat deduce their personalities from was Duke Ice.
The awkward atmosphere lasted only for a mont.
After exchanging greetings, Duke Ice looked at .
“I’ve been thinking for a while, but... Cayden, how should I put it? You’re an impressive young man.”
He initiated the conversation by praising .
“Thank you.”
Grandma Liana also patted on the back while nodding her head.
“We don’t accept just anyone into our family. Cayden has always been different from the rest.”
“Haha... Grandma, you embarrass .”
“It’s because people who don’t know him can only attack his birth. I proudly say that he is my child.”
Duke Ice stroked his chin.
“Hmm, well, I’m glad then. Judy has found a good person. But I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to push for an engagent.”
“...Even though we’re opposite factions, you know I don’t make empty promises.”
Duke Ice let out a smile.
“Haha... You’re right. I know that well. I still vividly rember when Jas got married.”
Whenever he had a conversation, Duke Ice often ntioned Jas, the twins’ father.
Sotis it felt like he was provoking us, but now I realized that he truly honored and cherished his rival in his mories.
The lancholic emotions reflected in his eyes assured us that his words were not intended to insult us.
Grandma seed to understand that as well and didn’t point it out.
Duke Ice changed the subject.
“Cayden, it seems like you have so familiarity with Judy.”
“That’s correct.”
“Can you share the story of how you beca close?”
“It’s not difficult. Our connection was ford when Judy interrupted during the first class of knight training.”
“Cayden...!”
Judy was surprised by my words and her face turned red.
I continued speaking to alleviate her tension, although I didn’t want to mock her in this situation.
“It was really sweet... She didn’t even tell who she was. She just took my horse and left.”
“...Because you were a Pryster...!”
Duke Ice also sided with Judy’s words.
“...Yeah. Actually, that’s what I was curious about too. Considering our families, how did you beco close?”
“Should I say I felt a sense of affinity? It’s a bit hard to bring it up here, but I was an adopted child... and Judy, well….”
“Honesty… I see.”
“And choosing the sa knight departnt also played a role. I thought she had the sa interests as ... or at least, that’s what I believed.”
The truth is, I don’t know exactly why I was drawn to Judy as a friend. But since I couldn’t admit that to Duke Ice, I had to co up with so reasons.
At that mont, Asena loosened her throat. All attention shifted to her.
For a mont, she remained stiff and glanced at .
And those eyes were already apologizing to .
...I clearly asked her not to do anything strange. However…
Asena spoke.
“...There’s one thing Duke Ice should keep in mind.”
“...Please go ahead.”
Despite realizing that Asena was about to say sothing negative, the Duke responded calmly.
Asena remained silent for a mont and spoke with a stern face.
“When he graduates, he will be expelled from our family.”
“........”
I looked at Asena and remained silent.
Yes, it was definitely a problem that needed to be addressed. It was fortunate that it wasn’t just a trivial matter.
This topic wasn’t a secret either. I had told Judy and Daisy. There was no point in hiding anything.
But at the sa ti, it was critical. Even if this engagent was imdiately terminated, there was nothing I could say.
It would be beneficial if I were a Pryster, but since I was a commoner, there was no advantage for the Ice family to make connections with the current .
I suddenly felt ashad. It was to the extent that lifting my face felt disgraceful. Perhaps I had only wasted everyone’s ti.
That’s also why I had planned to improve my skills as a knight and enter as a vassal. But I had forgotten about this aspect due to the hasty engagent.
“.....?”
However, what surprised us was the reaction of everyone except and the twins; They seed calm as if they hadn’t heard anything shocking.
Duke Ice spoke.
“...I am aware of that.”
“...What?”
Asena asked with rare hesitation.
“I heard about it even from Judy’s letters before... Cayden had already told her about his intention of joining the Ice family as a vassal.”
At that mont, I felt a warm sensation in my right hand. It was Kerisey holding my hand under the table.
“...Is it true, Oppa?”
She opened her eyes as if she couldn’t believe it and asked.
“.....”
I didn’t answer and gently brushed her face.
Duke Ice continued.
“...I won’t ask for the reasons. I won’t make hasty assumptions. Anyway, the only thing that matters to us is Lady Liana’s promise.”
“......?”
Asena’s gaze shifted to Grandma, who replied.
“...Yes. After graduation, Cayden will live as an Ice, but we will not abandon him. If there are any problems in the Ice family, we will definitely give our support.”
“That settles it.”
Although I didn’t show it, I couldn’t help but admire her internally. How far had Grandma planned ahead?
I could speculate on the reason why Duke Ice was so quiet. It seed that Grandma and Duke Ice had many conversations. So there was no need for Duke Ice to probe further into this situation.
And yes, if it went according to Grandma’s promise, there would be no problem even if I were to be a commoner.
Indeed, I didn’t need the Pryster na. It was the power of Grandma that was needed.
“Since I can gain Pryster family’s support when things go wrong, I have no issues. The only concern might be... Judy, right? After all, it ans marrying a commoner...”
Although Duke Ice said there was no problem with the engagent, as he scratched his cheek awkwardly, an unhesitant voice spoke up, making lift my head.
“...I don’t mind.”
The owner of the voice was Judy.
“...Even if Cayden is a commoner.”
Unlike before, Judy now held her shoulders confidently. She still had a shy expression, but it seed more like she was uncomfortable saying such words to than being oppressed by her family.
And at that mont, I beca convinced that we would continue to be well-suited for each other. Because she had beco so brave. And just as I had said to her, she also wanted to support .
“....”
While smiling at Judy, I felt another cold sensation in my right hand.
When I turned my head, Asena was looking at .
Her eyes were shaking vigorously.
We didn’t say anything, but it was probably her plan—A plan to keep close to her. However Grandma had stopped it.
Asena briefly shook her head as if telling not to go.
I just gave her a reassuring smile.
‘Even if I move away, I will always think of you. That’s why it’s okay.’
I conveyed this with my eyes.
And in the next mont, the door opened, and various dishes were brought in by the servants.
The eting was not over yet.
--- End Of The Chapter ---
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