* * *
“Haah.”
A sudden sigh escaped me.
My feet, which had been walking non-stop, finally halted.
As I stood there, the dry leaves beneath me crunched softly.
I caught my breath and looked around.
At some point, the loud sound of the waterfall had faded into the distance.
That’s when I realized I had unconsciously wandered in the opposite direction of the campsite.
I glanced down at my partially soaked clothes, sighing at my state.
I had come here to wash up, but instead, I’d ruined my clothes without even washing myself.
At least I had thought to bring my robe and a change of clothes, even in my distraction.
“Idiot…….”
As soon as I got my bearings, I collapsed on the spot.
Curling up and crossing my arms, I pressed my forehead into them.
Was I shivering from the cold wet clothes, or was it something else?
Though I pulled my robe on, the biting cold still clung to my skin.
I might be used to washing in cold water, but I had never gotten used to the cold itself.
“Idiot.”
I muttered softly. The knot of discomfort in my stomach was unbearable.
I felt embarrassed thinking of the look in Kaindel’s eyes when I left the spring.
But it was hard to pinpoint exactly why.
Maybe I regretted confessing to him.
Or maybe I just wished I had phrased it better.
Still, I didn’t regret it. As awkward as it was, it was a necessary step for our relationship.
Even if I didn’t regret it, the embarrassment was the same.
“Did I do the right thing?”
Another sigh escaped me.
I hugged my knees tighter, feeling warmth around the spot where Kaindel’s arms had briefly rested.
“I don’t know.”
My confession today had been an impulsive decision.
Seeing Kaindel compliment me made me think of the fairy, and I had acted out of spite.
For a moment, I had hated him for giving me a glimmer of hope when he had no intention of following through.
But impulsive or not, it was something that needed to be addressed sooner or later.
If I let Kaindel continue to touch me as he pleased, my heart would only rot away.
Especially since he made no effort to acknowledge or reciprocate my feelings.
Unrequited love is supposed to be like that, I guess.
But if that’s the case, Kaindel should stop avoiding the issue and give me a clear answer.
I knew he didn’t love me yet, but without confirmation from him, that was only my assumption.
Besides, I was tired of being strung along by Kaindel’s mixed signals.
Yes, but still.
“Idiot, idiot.”
Even so, after saying everything, I started second-guessing myself.
I slammed my forehead against my arms a few times.
Only when it began to throb did I stop, pouting to push down the gloomy feeling.
“How am I supposed to face Kaindel now? We’ll have to ride together too.”
And that wasn’t the only issue.
We would be staying here for the next week, meaning I’d have to stay close to Kaindel the whole time.
I was just about to choke back a sob when someone approached.
“Esi?”
“Huh.”
I knew immediately who it was from the way they addressed me.
There was only one person in our group who spoke to me that way.
Daniel.
Seeing that I recognized him, Daniel offered his hand to help me up.
After hesitating for a moment, I took his hand and stood, awkwardly brushing off my wet clothes.
“What are you doing here?”
“Well, I was just taking a little walk…”
“Dressed like that?”
“…Yeah, it doesn’t really make sense, does it?”
I hadn’t expected my excuse to work anyway.
Sitting down, drenched from head to toe, claiming I’d been out for a walk—completely absurd.
I let out a weak laugh and glanced at Daniel.
“But what about you, Daniel? Where are you off to? The camp is that way.”
“I’m heading out for training.”
Daniel held up a dagger, as if to prove his point.
It was the same rough-looking dagger I had used to destroy the Mother’s egg.
Training, though?
I was taken aback.
We’d been riding all day through the birch forest, and even Ruen, with his stamina, had passed out from exhaustion.
Though I’d somewhat recovered thanks to Owen’s powers, Daniel, who hadn’t received any help, must have been just as tired.
I wondered if he had any energy left to train.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“I am.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better to rest today?”
“If I skip training even for a day, my body stiffens up. Plus, just like with the Mother, you never know when something might happen. It’s better to be prepared.”
It dawned on me why he was forcing himself to train despite being exhausted.
The shock from the Mother’s attack still lingered in him.
I nodded, parting my lips hesitantly before finally speaking.
“Can I join you?”
“You want to watch?”
“No. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to learn how to use a dagger too.”
I remembered Sehir’s suggestion that I should learn from Daniel.
I had agreed, thinking that I needed to be able to protect myself in case of danger, but I hadn’t had the chance to bring it up until now.
I’d always felt bad asking Daniel, who looked constantly worn out, but since he was already heading for training, I figured I could tag along.
Daniel raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by my response.
“Wouldn’t it be better to learn from Sir Kaindel?”
“It’s… a bit uncomfortable learning from him.”
“Ah.”
After the awkward confession I made today, it would be even more uncomfortable asking Kaindel to teach me how to use a dagger.
Daniel, perhaps picking up on my unease, let out a dry sigh.
He shrugged, as if deciding not to insist I learn from Kaindel.
“I don’t mind teaching you, but if you train like that, you’ll catch a cold.”
At his remark, I wrapped my robe tighter around my clothes, which were starting to stiffen like ice.
Not that it would ward off the cold or hide me from his gaze.
I clutched the spare clothes in my arms, wondering if I should quickly change.
Just then, Daniel ran his fingers along a tree trunk and spoke.
“There’s a small stream to the left. You can wash up there. I’ll wait here.”
He handed me a bar of soap from his pocket, and I couldn’t help but grin widely.
I’d been worried that he might postpone teaching me due to my appearance, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
“Okay, I’ll be quick!”
“Take your time.”
Daniel watched me with sparkling eyes before letting out a soft chuckle.
After carefully washing up in the flowing stream, I returned to find Daniel in the same position as before.
He led me to a nearby clearing, where broken trees lay scattered, their stumps protruding from the ground.
It seemed like the perfect place to train without worrying about being disturbed.
“Daggers, by nature, have short reach. Because of that, their killing power is significantly less than other weapons. Would you stretch your arm out toward me in this position?”
“Like this?”
“Yes.”
Daniel stood three steps away from me, observing as I stretched my arm out, holding the dagger straight.
The tip of the dagger hovered just shy of his chest.
If he moved just a bit forward, the blade would pierce his chest.
I hesitated, unsure whether to lower my arm, when Daniel gave a faint smile.
“You said you learned hand-to-hand combat, and it shows. Your stance is clean and without unnecessary movement.”
Flattered by his compliment, I smiled back.
Though my training under Jerome had been brief and incomplete, I didn’t bother correcting him.
Perhaps my experience carrying trays and serving food at the inn had helped.
Daniel, stepping aside, lightly tapped the dagger in my hand, signaling that I could lower it.
As I obediently lowered the dagger, he spoke in his usual flat tone.
“As you can see, even with your arm fully extended, the dagger doesn’t reach my chest. If you were holding a longsword instead of a dagger, you’d have already cut me by now.”
“Right. It’s because of the short reach, right?”
“Exactly.”
* * *
Thanks
Nice
Nice
I hope Isa gonna slay
Gracias
👍
Mais um flashback