Chapter 48
Vivian stepped out of her room and strolled around the Castle of Rondore.
Listening to the pouring rain, she tried to calm her troubled mind.
Maybe it was the night, but she felt a little lonely and a bit emotional.
She had taken a little walk to forget someone, yet that someone was even more on her mind.
“…?”
As Vivian passed by the castle, she spotted something.
Looking down through the window at the training grounds, she noticed something out of the ordinary.
Frowning in concentration, she realized there were two small figures standing out in the rain.
One was practicing with a sword, and the other was watching him.
Could they be a boy soldier and a maid?
Vivian pondered for a moment.
The one she assumed was the boy soldier was swinging his sword with determination, while the one she thought to be the maid kept circling around him.
The excitement and happiness emanating from the maid were enough to reach Vivian, watching from afar.
“…”
It was fascinating how everyone was busy searching for a partner.
Training together in the rain late at night and cheering for each other.
They say love is such a hard-to-understand and inefficient act, but seeing this made her think they might have a point.
Just as she was about to move her feet again, an odd sensation halted Vivian.
The boy soldier’s posture and movements looked oddly familiar.
Caught in that strange feeling, Vivian couldn’t help but stare a little longer to clarify who it was.
“…Huh?”
The longer she spent looking, the more her heart raced.
Her expression grew tense, and she cocked her head in disbelief.
…But Vivian couldn’t possibly be wrong.
“…Kyle…?”
She whispered.
Doubt turned into obsession, and obsession blossomed into certainty.
That was definitely Kyle.
Though obscured by the heavy rain and darkness, his dark hair became increasingly visible.
…Before she knew it, she had stepped out of the castle.
In bare feet and thin pajamas, she looked ready to crash on her bed but stepped outside anyway.
-Whoosh…
Even under this torrential downpour, she felt unaffected.
This was her first time experiencing rain like this, without any hesitation, in her 15 years of life.
But this icy rain didn’t seem to affect her at all.
Her sore feet didn’t bother her.
No matter the obstacles ahead, the fierce flame in her heart refused to die out.
As she walked, she thought.
Maybe it was arrogant, but she had clear certainty.
…There was no one but herself for Kyle.
Just as she was the only one Kyle could truly rely on, he was certainly the only one she could turn to.
Though they were enemies, they shared many similarities and were so deeply entangled that they could read each other’s hearts better than anyone else.
Without words, hadn’t they drawn the closest to each other?
Wasn’t Kyle himself filled with feelings enough to risk his life to protect her?
Whether it was guilt or a sense of obligation… didn’t he harbor positive emotions for her?
He most…
…most…
“…”
…most cherished her, didn’t he?
Vivian arrived at the training ground and looked at the maid beside Kyle.
…But who was that?
Could it be Serena?
If she was there even after the warning, Serena must truly feel the wrath of Vivian.
Determined to figure out her identity, Vivian moved forward.
Even as her feet got muddy, she didn’t stop.
“…Ha.”
In an instant, a deadly grin appeared on Vivian’s face.
The one next to Kyle wasn’t just a maid.
Lani Dubos.
She had been holding back from meeting Kyle to prevent them from encountering each other… and now they were together as if to mock her!
Especially at this late hour.
When more than anyone, emotions run deeper and things can go unnoticed.
Vivian couldn’t help but chuckle incredulously.
If this was going to happen, why had she held back all this time? The time spent sulking felt utterly foolish now.
Moreover, seeing how Lani was behaving with Kyle, it was clear this hadn’t just started yesterday or the day before.
Lani was happily laughing as she fluttered around Kyle like a little bird.
Once, Vivian envied Lani’s lively personality, but now it only annoyed her.
Vivian steadily walked, taking in their antics.
Rainwater clung to her shoulders and obscured her vision, but she pressed on with determination.
Lani then playfully hit Kyle’s arm, then suddenly closed the distance and placed her hand on his chest.
“…”
For the first time, Vivian felt an urge to cut off someone’s hand.
Kyle was hers.
He was one of her few prized possessions.
Seeing someone else act so freely with him was intolerable.
Vivian watched as the wet shirt clung to Kyle’s body.
His muscles were clearly defined.
In a mix of rage or something unnameable, Vivian’s heart raced even faster.
When did he get so big? When did he become so… unfairly attractive?
A strange sensation buzzed around her chest.
Maybe the anger dialed up her violent thoughts, but she even had the urge to bite into Kyle’s neck.
Among all these questions, the one thing for sure was that Lani, stroking her property as if entitled, was more irritating than ever.
Lani was touching Kyle’s body without a second thought, while Vivian felt like she would never dare to do such a thing.
As Vivian’s fury grew, her pace quickened.
-Tap!
At that moment, Kyle grabbed Lani’s shoulder.
And he said something serious to her.
The expression he wore while talking to Lani was one Vivian had never seen before.
Worry and affection were all but obvious on his face.
That made Vivian’s heart tighten.
Anger and frustration, and hate burst forth in the form of overwhelming thoughts.
Could they truly be finding happiness in each other while being so intimately close?
Already wet, they were creating a strangely charged atmosphere, especially out in the open at night.
This was all so displeasing, Vivian was determined to interrupt Kyle’s happiness.
“Kyle.”
How deeply immersed had they been in each other’s world that they hadn’t noticed her arrival?
After raising her voice, they flinched like caught children doing something naughty.
It angered Vivian to see them so focused on each other.
…She wanted to rip Lani from Kyle’s dark eyes.
“…W-What are you doing?”
Vivian stuttered again, but she had no intention of correcting herself.
Dealing with the immense feelings crashing over her was overwhelming enough.
Five days had passed.
After five days, to talk to him like this didn’t sit right with her.
For the first time, she saw Kyle genuinely flustered.
She didn’t want to see him looking so discombobulated because of Lani, either.
With each moment, Vivian’s rage swirled like flames swallowing the Castle of Rondore.
Kyle hesitated for a long time before finally asking.
“…Why are you here?”
“What about you?”
“…”
When Kyle fell silent again, Vivian’s aim shifted to Lani.
“What are you up to?”
Lani instinctively turned pale as fear washed over her and slinked behind Kyle.
She clutched at his collar, shivering.
Looked as if Kyle had become Lani’s knight.
Vivian’s teeth gritted as she commanded.
“Kyle, come here.”
“What?”
Vivian felt her patience running thin.
Perhaps because of that, her words came out rougher.
“If I have to command you again… I’ll gouge your eyes out.”
It was a burst of violence she never knew she had.
Kyle stood firm, but he slowly walked over to Vivian.
Lani remained frozen in place, bewildered.
Kyle approached and casually grabbed Vivian’s shoulder.
His warmth brought her back to her senses for a brief second.
Kyle said,
“…What are you wearing?”
“And you… How dare you say that?”
“Look at yourself, then tell me again.”
For the first time, Vivian looked down at her own outfit.
Her thin pajamas clung to her body.
Her recently growing breasts and widening hips were all too apparent.
Her belly button, toned abs, and slender waist were all on display.
Her pale pink skin was accentuated in spots.
It was only then Vivian realized her body could be this seductive.
She glanced back up at Kyle, and he was filled with turmoil.
She could feel him doing his utmost to avoid looking at her body.
“…”
But at the same time, Vivian felt an unexpected emotion coursing through her.
…It would be easier if he just looked.
While lust was usually something disgusting and revolting, she oddly wanted to embrace that feeling right now.
It infuriated her even more to think of him looking at Lani that way.
Why? When she thought it over, the answer was clear.
Lani might welcome Kyle.
Lani might quench his desire.
But she wouldn’t.
If she showed her own desires, Kyle would carry a suffocating burden for life.
Vivian thought to herself that must be the reason.
But such thoughts didn’t linger long.
The anger towards both him and Lani jolted her into clarity of mind.
It irritated her to think of the memories they were creating together in the pouring rain at this late hour.
There was certainly a lifetime’s worth of memories developing in their minds.
“Does that even matter…?”
Vivian asked Kyle, droplets of rain falling from her face.
“Who gave you permission to be doing this right now?”
“…Vivian—”
“Did you think I came to this land to be happy?”
Vivian asked, scanning Kyle’s body up and down in a teasing whisper.
“…Is it because you grew up that your desires are flipping out? Where do you think you’ll let them out?”
With each insult spilling from her mouth, Kyle’s expression hardened.
The steam pouring from his body made the air thick.
To Vivian, it seemed strangely sensual.
Kyle fell silent for quite a while before finally responding with difficulty.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Not like that?”
“…My desires… it wasn’t like that.”
Vivian scoffed.
She looked at Lani for a moment, then back at Kyle and coldly stated.
“Try lying to me again. You really don’t feel anything?”
Vivian could believe Kyle when he denied it.
But Lani was different.
It had been her, constantly flitting around him, placing her hands on him.
Even a child who knows nothing about sex would catch the unmistakable vibe flowing between them.
Kyle may not have been attracted, but Lani certainly was.
There was clearly a fault on Kyle for not pushing her away.
“You both snuck out at night, soaking wet, playing around… clinging to each other in such a tender way… how could that not mean anything?”
“…Vivian.”
-Tap.
Vivian placed her hand on Kyle’s cheek, warning him once again.
“Say that again, Kyle Allen. Where do you think you can lie to me?”
They were two who knew each other exceptionally well.
Even if they didn’t want to, they could see right through each other’s lies.
“…”
Kyle frowned but couldn’t answer.
Now that he recognized Lani’s wrongdoing, he wouldn’t escape blame with his usual personality. He certainly wouldn’t accuse her entirely of the fault.
Vivian felt a strange anger surging forth in her chest.
She was grateful for the rain.
If any uncomprehended tears had gathered in her eyes, she could easily hide them.
No matter what, she had no intention of crying.
She would never yield to Kyle.
Vivian declared.
“Please… Kyle. Get a grip. Do I have to say it out loud…? You shouldn’t think about living a normal life on this land. Your happiness is managed by me, got it?”
“…”
Finally mustering some courage, Lani Dubos rushed in front of Vivian.
“Vivian, I… I did everything wrong—”
-Slap!
Without hesitation, Vivian smacked Lani’s cheek as she came closer.
That image of Lani’s hand on Kyle’s chest was still fresh in her mind.
-Tap!
Kyle instantly grabbed Vivian’s wrist in response to that slap.
His face bore a resolute anger.
There was a clear warning written all over it: don’t go any further.
Vivian shrugged off his warning.
Instead… she felt let down. So much so that she barely contained her urge to sulk.
Vivian fiercely disguised this feeling and spoke out.
“In front of me…”
“…”
She pulled her arm free from his grip.
Kyle’s face inched closer.
While gazing into his eyes, an unfamiliar pang of jealousy washed over Vivian.
“In front of me… don’t protect other girls.”
