SWNOVELXO Chapter 10 - A Subtle Emotion
“Rosevelia, senior?”
The one who confessed to Rosevelia that time…
What was his name again?
“Simon?”
“You remembered my name?”
Simon’s face lit up noticeably as he quickened his steps toward me.
“Of course, I remember… obviously.”
“Thank you, senior. It’s an honor for me.”
Simon smiled brightly, showing his neat teeth. Seeing how happy he was, I felt a pang of guilt for not remembering his name immediately.
“…It’s not really something to call an honor.”
“But it’s not flattery.”
I stared at Simon, who was grinning from ear to ear. The tense, nervous image I had of him was gone, and his smiling face was unexpectedly endearing.
He even reminded me a little of Kaiden.
Compared to the time he appeared out of nowhere to ask for an answer to his confession, he seemed much more at ease now.
“Fancy seeing you here, Klein.”
“Indeed.”
I alternated between Ian and Simon, who had begun talking naturally, and let out a small gasp.
Oh, right. They both joined the Order as recruits this time around.
“So, Simon, what brings you to the plaza?”
At my question, Simon blinked as if he’d just remembered something.
“Oh, Edwin, senior, asked me to—”
Edwin?
“Is Edwin back at the Order now?”
“Yes.”
I let out a dry laugh.
So he went back to the Order already?
It’s one thing to throw away an opportunity, but this was just absurd.
He had a golden chance to connect with Daisy, whom fate had tied him to, yet he blew it. How foolish.
“What did Edwin ask you to do?”
“He said he thought Rosevelia might still be at the plaza and asked me to find her.”
I mulled over Simon’s words, tilting my head.
“He asked you to do that? What’s Edwin doing?”
“He seemed to have something else to take care of. I happened to overhear him talking to Lucas, senior, so I volunteered to go to the plaza.”
Something to take care of? Could something have happened to Edwin?
“Well, anyway, thanks for coming all this way. Now we can all head back together.”
As I started walking, I noticed Ian and Simon falling into step beside me.
“But…”
“Yes?”
“What were you doing with Klein?”
“Oh, I was out with Edwin and happened to run into this…”
I stopped abruptly, realizing I’d almost said “Ian.”
“This recruit wandering around the plaza. He said he was running an errand for the Commander, so I helped him out.”
“I see.”
Realizing we were now walking in a line, I glanced at both Ian and Simon.
Ian was silently staring ahead, but when I met Simon’s gaze, he quickly looked away, startled.
Come to think of it, one of them misunderstood that Rosevelia confessed to him, and the other actually confessed to her.
Well, technically, they confessed to Rosevelia, not me.
Still, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant combination.
“Simon, why don’t you walk in the middle?”
“Huh? Why?”
Instead of answering, I handed Simon a piece of candy. It was my way of saying, “Eat this and be quiet.”
“What’s this, senior?”
“Candy.”
“It’s shaped so interestingly.”
Watching him inspect the candy with childlike curiosity was rather endearing. Among the new recruits, Simon had an especially youthful look.
Maybe that’s why he felt more like a younger brother.
Standing next to Ian, who towered over him, the contrast was stark.
At least now it was obvious they weren’t the same age.
Since the White Knight Order had no age restrictions for recruitment, it wasn’t uncommon for recruits in the same year to vary in age.
Rank was based on the year of entry, not age, and once someone became a cohort, they were equals for life. Seniority and hierarchy were also strictly observed.
“Hurry up and try it, Simon.”
“All right.”
Simon wasted no time popping the candy into his mouth.
“How is it?”
“It’s really sweet.”
His honest assessment made me chuckle softly. It wasn’t wrong—there was no better way to describe it.
“Give me one too,” Ian suddenly said.
“What? One of what?”
He motioned toward the remaining candy in my hand.
“Rookie, didn’t you say you don’t like sweets—”
Before I could finish, Ian’s expression noticeably darkened.
“Not dark, exactly… more like, you seem upset.”
Was it because I’d given the “bribe” candy to someone else? Could candy actually be expensive here?
“Here.”
Ian, who had been fidgeting slightly as if he wanted to say something, accepted the candy I offered and slipped it into his pocket.
Then, with a quick glance at Simon, he turned and began walking ahead.
“…What’s this? He’s going ahead of us?”
“Maybe he urgently needs to use the bathroom?”
I was about to firmly dismiss the idea but stopped when I saw Simon’s unusually serious expression. I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
“Well… maybe. Let’s take our time.”
By the time Simon and I returned to the Knight Order, Edwin had already left. According to Lucas, it seemed like something had come up with his family.
Edwin Holton.
Edwin was the eldest son of the Holton Marquessate and heir to the family. If it was a family matter, that meant something had happened with the Holton household.
What could it be?
No matter how hard I tried to recall the original story, nothing came to mind. Edwin hadn’t appeared in the story at this point yet.
“For all the times I read that book, I still don’t know anything.”
The sound of Emily’s hooves, previously heavy on the ground, softened suddenly. When I lifted my gaze, I found we’d already reached the stables.
After handing Emily over to Roy, I walked across the garden. Passing through the expansive flowerbeds, I reached the fountain when—
“Sister?”
It was Kaiden’s voice. I stopped in my tracks as he approached with quick steps.
“Kaiden.”
“You’ve only just arrived?”
The dim evening light had hidden it, but up close, Kaiden was drenched in sweat.
“You were training until now?”
“Yes.”
Had he really been practicing this late?
“Mother wouldn’t be pleased. Don’t you think it’s time you took a little more interest in family matters?”
“I want to be a knight, like you, sister. A knight of the White Order.”
A pure, innocent smile spread across Kaiden’s face.
I found myself frozen for a moment, looking down at him.
The pure desire in his eyes sparkled like stars in the dark night sky.
“Knighthood is fine, but you need to think about succeeding the family.”
“I can succeed the family and still be a knight, can’t I?”
“Well, technically, yes… but if you’re set on becoming a knight, why not consider the Royal Guard?”
The White Knight Order was an elite group dedicated to the kingdom’s defense, unlike the Royal Guard, whose priority was protecting the royal family.
In times of war, every member of the White Knight Order had to go to the battlefield. They also undertook monster extermination missions once or twice a year.
There hadn’t been a war in over a decade, but war could break out at any time, and monster hunts were no walk in the park either.
The White Knight Order’s honor came with a price—undertaking dangerous tasks.
It was honor earned by risking one’s life.
“I still want to join the White Knight Order.”
“If you’re determined to become a knight, I’d recommend the Royal Guard. Think it over carefully.”
I glanced at Kaiden’s resolute face. Saying more felt unnecessary, so I began walking slowly toward the main building.
“Sister…”
“Yes?”
“Could you spar with me sometime?”
“…Why do you want to spar with me?”
Kaiden answered without hesitation.
“Because you’re the strongest. If a Swordmaster were to appear again in the Empire, it would definitely be you, sister.”
It wasn’t untrue, but why did he look so proud?
“You’re still young, Kaiden. Besides, even within the Knight Order, those who spar with me are…”
I stopped myself before saying “nonexistent.”
It wasn’t true anymore. Recently, I’d found a rather suitable sparring partner.
“Sister?”
“They’re few and far between. Do you think you’re ready for that level?”
Kaiden shook his head. He seemed surprisingly composed, as if he had anticipated my answer.
“Not now, but maybe after I’ve improved.”
“Who’s training you right now?”
“Arnold.”
Arnold was a knight Olivia had recently brought in. He was a senior knight from the Riley family, Olivia’s maternal lineage.
“Not Schultz?”
“No.”
Schultz had been the Winters family’s guardian knight for years.
He had also been Rosavelia’s fencing instructor and was the one who first taught Kaiden swordsmanship.
“If anyone could tell if you’re ready to spar with me, it’d be Schultz. But if Arnold’s training you…”
“I understand, sister. I’ll handle it myself.”
“Fine. If Schultz acknowledges your skills, then I’ll spar with you.”
“Thank you, sister.”
The determination in his voice made me smile faintly.
I had always wanted a younger sibling in my previous life. If I’d had one, would it have felt like this?
Looking at Kaiden’s disheveled hair, I instinctively reached out but stopped just before my fingers touched his hair.
“Sister?”
I had paused in place, and Kaiden looked up at me curiously. Forcing a casual smile, I resumed walking.
“Let’s go.”
Elsewhere…
“Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?”
“Me?”
Was there another prince around here he could be addressing?
Nathan resisted the urge to voice his thoughts aloud and instead cautiously observed Ian.
For the past few days, Ian had seemed to be in good spirits, but today, his mood was clearly heavy.
“You don’t look so good.”
Ian appeared as though he were about to reply but then closed his mouth.
Nathan, watching Ian’s contemplative expression, let out a small sigh.
When Ian had abruptly announced he was joining the White Knight Order, Nathan had assumed he wouldn’t last long—at best, a few months, or at worst, less than a month.
‘Could he already be thinking about quitting?’
Nathan had been Ian’s aide for three years now, and in that time, he had come to see Ian as an intriguing figure.
Born into royalty, Ian had never shown greed for anything.
While others clung desperately to the privileges handed to them, Ian seemed indifferent, showing no attachment to objects or people.
He was passive in everything he did, completing tasks only out of obligation, yet he excelled at whatever he tried.
The one thing Ian had ever consistently kept in his hands was his sword.
“Nathan, can I ask you something?”
“Me?”
“Who else is here?”
Ian, now resting his chin on the desk, raised an eyebrow.
The lack of expression on Ian’s face made Nathan fidget nervously as he clasped his hands together.
“Of course, Your Highness. What would you like to ask?”
“Just out of curiosity…”
“Yes, go on.”
Nathan blinked slowly, trying to decipher Ian’s unusual tone.
“Do I… lack presence?”