The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 228

With Han Taesu having resigned, Han Siha had become the chief commander of Castica territory.

Although the Count still governed the land, it was Han Siha, his successor, who fought on the front lines of the battlefield, giving him most of the decision-making power.

Thus,

The fact that Adela was constantly being sent to remote battlefronts to deal with common soldiers.

The fact that she was working harder than any other mage, running around directly in the field.

The fact that she hadn’t had a single day of rest, constantly rolling through battle.

All of it was under Han Siha’s orders.

Adela clenched her fist tightly.

She had been the first to volunteer for Castica territory after the war.

However, she hadn’t been able to visit Han Siha’s camp even once and was instead sent off to grueling battlefields where she was pushed to her limits.

‘I didn’t come here for this.’

She hadn’t come just to be near him, only to end up physically and emotionally drained on the battlefield, without a chance to see the person she had sought out.

She had complained numerous times.

She had even barged in unannounced.

Every time, she was ignored.

And so, more than half a year had passed.

Adela bit her lower lip and sighed deeply.

“What’s your reason?”

If I did something wrong, you could at least tell me.

When you suddenly behave like this, I don’t even have time to prepare myself.

She spent one month resenting him, and another month trying to understand.

She convinced herself that something must have happened, that perhaps he was simply worn out by the war.

She believed he just needed a little time to gather himself.

That self-reassurance had lasted six months.

She had fought under Han Siha’s orders in battles that were intense enough to make every day feel like a gamble for survival.

Even in the moments when she felt like collapsing, she never received a single word of comfort.

Feeling miserable, Adela had even considered leaving Castica territory to be reassigned elsewhere.

At least in another territory, she wouldn’t be treated this poorly.

She could rest relatively comfortably, celebrated as a hero under far better conditions.

But Adela couldn’t leave Castica.

If she left, she feared that he would truly never see her again.

She didn’t know what she had done wrong, but she desperately wanted to understand.

The frustration was driving her mad.

She wanted to grab him and demand answers.

But knowing that he wouldn’t see her, and wouldn’t answer her calls, she spent three sleepless nights thinking it over.

And then, Adela reached a conclusion.

“…I can’t take this anymore.”

The knot of unresolved tension.

Even if she couldn’t untangle it and had to cut it, she couldn’t continue like this.

Adela, resolute, sat down at her desk.

“I’ll send a letter.”

Since he wouldn’t answer her calls, she didn’t expect much of a response.

“If that doesn’t work, I’ll go to him myself.”

It didn’t matter if they tried to block her at the entrance.

She’d tear down the barracks if that’s what it took to get inside.

The time for waiting was over.

Adela took a deep breath and unfolded a thin sheet of paper.

Though it was more of a warning than a letter, it was her last chance to calmly express her feelings.

If she met him face to face, she might cry from all the resentment and sorrow.

At least with a letter, she could hide her tears, so Adela steadied her racing heart and picked up her pen.

What should she say first?

What emotions should she convey?

After a long moment of hesitation, Adela began to write carefully.

Her handwriting was as neat and meticulous as her personality.

* * *

A letter had arrived from Adela.

I hadn’t opened it.

I was the one who had deliberately sent Adela to those harsh battlefields and had chosen not to see her.

I feared that if I faced Adela, I wouldn’t be able to hide the things I was concealing.

So I kept running away from her, refusing to give her even a moment’s rest, so she wouldn’t have the time to think.

I didn’t regret my decision.

But it made me a complete bastard.

To avoid lying, I ended up living a lie.

I couldn’t turn back now, so I kept avoiding Adela.

I had assumed that by pushing her away, she would eventually give up.

That was my mistake—I had underestimated her determination.

I was afraid that if I opened Adela’s letter, I’d waver, so I tried to keep it at a distance.

I left her letters piled up in my mailbox, untouched, for ten days.

“Hey, the eagle brought another letter.”

Won picked it up.

“This is the tenth one. With this much dedication, can’t you just read one?”

I had no intention of reading it, but Won waved it in front of me.

Through the translucent paper, I could see Adela’s neat handwriting taunting me.

It was clearly a long letter.

I didn’t know what emotions had driven her to send ten letters, but I still couldn’t bring myself to read them. Not until Won’s final comment.

“This one’s a voice message. I’m opening it. Should I…?”

“You idiot.”

“Too late.”

“Don’t you dare open it! You—!”

But I had no choice since it was an audio message.

Before I could stop him, Adela’s voice began to echo inside the barracks.

The first line of her meticulously penned letter.

I couldn’t bear to listen, guilt stabbing my chest—

“Hey, you bastard.”

W-Wait, what?

“Han Siha!”

Huh?

“I thought long and hard about how to ■■■ you, so I’m going to ■■■ right now, so you ■■■ immediately….”

Thud.

“Wait a minute!”

Won, who had expected a heartfelt letter, hurriedly stuffed it away with a panicked expression.

“Uh, um. Was the letter sent to the wrong person…?”

Had we just listened to a string of curses?

“Who knew she could say things like that?”

Sure, she had a temper, but she was always so pure.

She might curse or get angry from time to time, but this wasn’t just a gradual build-up of anger; this was her going full throttle.

Is this for real?

Was she always like this?

Momentarily stunned, I struggled to find words.

Won tried to calm the situation, stammering as he spoke.

“Uh… looks like she’s really pissed off.”

“…”

“See? I knew it would come to this. I think you went too far.”

That was an undeniable fact.

Won, seeming to understand the contents of the letter to some extent, added to the conversation.

“It’s not like she was your sworn enemy in a past life. What the hell did she ever do to you that you keep making her suffer like this?”

Yoon Haul, who had been quietly sitting beside them, also spoke up.

“I heard she can’t even sleep properly because you keep sending her to the toughest assignments.”

It wasn’t that I didn’t feel guilty.

But all I could say was this:

“I never forced her.”

I never dragged her to Castica territory with threats or force, making her endure this unfair treatment.

“If it’s too hard, she can request to be reassigned somewhere else.”

There were plenty of territories that would gladly take Adela.

“She can just pick whichever one she wants.”

“Hey, it’s not that simple….”

I mumbled coldly, trying to keep my composure as I shuffled through the stack of paperwork in front of me.

Even if she hated me for it, my stance remained unchanged.

Just like her, I had a mountain of responsibilities, so I pushed aside the topic of her letters and refocused on my tasks.

But then…

A chill ran down my spine.

“…Hmm?”

I felt like someone was watching me.

A foreboding shadow loomed overhead. I slowly turned my head to look up at the figure casting it.

Standing there was a girl with shoulder-length hair, eyes still as indifferent and earthy as ever.

She carried her sword slung over her shoulder, just like always.

“O-Oh?”

It was Adela.

“Well, well. Just the person I wanted to see.”

“…W-What the—?!”

* * *

Crash, bang!

I barely managed to catch myself before toppling over backward.

What is she doing here?

When did she even arrive?

Trying to calm my racing heart, I managed to stammer out a greeting.

“You scared me, showing up like that.”

“You’re just startled because you’re feeling guilty.”

Sure, I was in the wrong.

I couldn’t deny it even if I had ten mouths!

But this was still my barracks.

I fought to regain some semblance of control, responding with what little calm I could muster.

“I don’t recall giving you permission to come here.”

Adela looked down at me, completely unruffled.

What came out next was a tone so cold it gave me goosebumps.

“Whether you granted permission or not, I intended to come. For official business, no less.”

Adela gritted her teeth and added.

“Official business…?”

“I’m here to formally request a duel.”

“So you just want to beat me up legally.”

I could see it in her expression.

“I’m still good at burying people like before.”

“….”

“Want me to bury you?”

“No, thanks.”

She was dead serious.

I gulped and waved my hand dismissively.

“Could you stop talking so formally? It’s even scarier that way.”

In my words, Adela stopped in her tracks.

Her eyes met mine, full of something I couldn’t quite read.

“Are you… really that angry?”

It’s not like I did it for no reason.

I wanted to explain that I had my reasons, that I hadn’t meant to hurt her.

But it was too late, and I knew I couldn’t say that now.

All I could offer was an apology.

“….”

Adela’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“Why did you act like I didn’t exist?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have no idea how much I’ve been struggling.”

She had been thrust into the hardest, most brutal places, where soldiers were sent to die, facing danger alone.

“I didn’t expect comfort. I didn’t even ask for special treatment.”

Adela’s voice wavered as she spoke, each word heavy with pain.

“I just wanted you to be there….”

Having severed all ties with her so coldly, I found myself at a loss for words.

As a suffocating silence hung between us, Adela spoke again, her voice sharp and icy rather than tearful.

“Forget it. I don’t want to hear your excuses.”

She must have had something she wanted to hear, coming all this way.

Adela gritted her teeth and continued.

“Just be honest with me. Why? There must be a reason why you left me in the outskirts for half a year without even a visit.”

“Well, that’s…”

“Is it because of a woman?”

Huh?

“Well, technically, yes….”

At that moment, Adela’s gaze landed on Yoon Haul.

“Hey.”

“What? What did I do?”

Yoon Haul shrugged, still munching on an apple.

“I’ve been eating quietly….”

For a moment, a tense, dangerous look flashed between them.

“Yeah, okay, it’s not her.”

“….”

Adela sighed deeply before turning back to face me.

“Are you the one in the wrong?”

“If you really want to get into it, yes, that’s probably fair.”

“Are you not going to tell me?”

“It’s a complicated matter.”

I wasn’t hiding it on purpose.

I just didn’t think it was the right time.

But Adela repeated my words, her voice laced with bitterness.

“So, to sum it up, it’s a woman’s problem, you’re at fault, and it’s too complicated to talk about…”

Then Adela’s eyes locked onto mine.

“That… that fortune-teller….”

The mystic from the Odrysean Mountains.

The one who had given me that prophecy.

That… so then….

“No way.”

Adela covered her mouth in shock.

“You… Did you get married?”

What?

“…Do you have a kid?”

Why on earth would you jump to that conclusion?!