Chapter 24
“Senior! Sis!”
Ryan, who had apparently been about to leave the mansion, was already dressed in outdoor clothes when he spotted the two returning together. Isabella tilted her head.
“Ryan. Where are you going?”
“I heard you went to the Lascelles ducal estate, so I was going to follow you, even if it was late.”
Even Dylan, who hadn’t known about this, looked surprised.
“Isabella, you went to the ducal estate alone?”
“Ah… well. It just sort of happened?”
“Are you okay? Did that man do something again…?”
Ryan looked genuinely worried, apparently having heard from Selly about how she had gone to see Ikanuel early at dawn. Isabella quickly shook her head to ease his concern.
“I handled it, so don’t worry anymore.”
“Sis.”
“You’ve really grown up to even worry about your sister now.”
Isabella tried to brush it off casually, but Ryan let out a small sigh. Then, slightly awkward, he took her hand.
“If anything happens with the Lascelles family in the future, come with me. That’s why I came up to the capital with Senior during this break.”
“Huh? I thought you came for training?”
As Ryan wore a slightly sulky expression, Dylan chimed in in his defense.
“Ryan has been worrying about you since before the semester ended.”
“Our parents always say you’re doing well, Sis, but living at the academy made me slowly realize how hard it must’ve been for you.”
He just wanted to stay with her during the break, that was all.
Hearing his honest feelings, Isabella let out a soft sigh.
Looking at her younger brother, who had grown so much, her emotions became complicated. She had always thought she was alone, but there were more people worrying about her than she realized. Her chest felt warm and unsettled.
“Thanks for worrying about me.”
“That jerk isn’t still dragging out the engagement with weird excuses, is he?”
“Hmm… it’ll be over soon. I don’t want to delay the breakup any longer either.”
“Whatever you decide, I’m always on your side.”
Hearing that made her feel deeply reassured.
Isabella ended the conversation, telling them they should talk properly later, and asked Selly to prepare something light for Dylan after training before heading upstairs.
It felt like she had left the mansion early in the morning, yet it was already time for lunch.
“Today really went by fast…”
She let out a small laugh as she checked the time. Despite her exhausted body, her heart felt far steadier than before. She no longer wanted to be controlled by Ikanuel.
“I don’t want to just receive help while doing nothing.”
Like when she had graduated top of her academy class—she needed to use her abilities fully. But where should she start?
“Ah.”
She suddenly remembered Kairus’s letter she had almost forgotten. She opened the bedside drawer, took out the letter, and read it again.
“I will wait here for as long as it takes. I hope you come back to me with a positive answer.”
Yes. From now on, not as Lascelles’ fiancée, but as Kairus’s special aide. She would show those who mocked her and Ikanuel exactly what she was capable of—and then leave for Korea.
She made up her mind to give Kairus her answer today.
Just as she was about to take out her smartphone—
Knock, knock.
A polite knock interrupted her, followed by Dylan’s voice.
“Isabella. Do you have a moment?”
“Ah! Yes, just a second.”
She quickly hid her phone and the letter back in the drawer. Dylan entered with a small tray.
“Please sit here.”
“No, it’s fine. I just came to bring this.”
On the tray were a glass with lemon slices, two spoons, and a warm damp towel.
“I heard you were crying earlier. Was it because of the engagement issue?”
“Ahaha… yes. That’s right.”
In truth, she had cried not because of the engagement itself, but because of sincere warmth and comfort. Unable to tell Dylan about Kairus, she answered vaguely.
“I heard the young lord caused quite a scandal by announcing an almost-immediate marriage. Quite unlike the famously cold Lascelles heir.”
Even a third party found Ikanuel’s actions absurd. Isabella shrugged weakly.
“That’s true. Fortunately, the articles were all taken down, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“I brought these in case they might help with your swollen eyes.”
Dylan placed two chilled spoons in her hands.
“For swelling caused by crying, cold compresses work best.”
“Wow. Thank you, Dylan.”
She placed the spoons over her eyes, blocking her vision. Even so, she felt as if Dylan was smiling.
“You’re laughing right now, aren’t you?”
“No.”
“But your voice sounds like it.”
“That can’t be.”
As she sat there, the image of herself with spoons over her eyes made her smile too.
“You’re really very considerate, Dylan.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Even my younger brother knows a lot about treating injuries, but he doesn’t really know simple remedies like this.”
“Then Ryan must be living quite energetically at the academy.”
For a moment, Dylan’s voice seemed slightly subdued.
Is he tired of Ryan?
A thought flickered through her mind, remembering how Ryan followed Dylan around like an overly enthusiastic student.
Worried, Isabella slightly lifted one spoon. Through her blurred vision, she saw Dylan’s faintly bitter smile.
“Ever since I was young, I couldn’t keep up with the training demands, so I often cried at night.”
“But now you’re an excellent knight, unmatched by anyone.”
“Yes. But back then, even seniors and teachers punished me for crying, calling it pathetic.”
“That’s awful…”
To reduce swelling, he would do cold and warm compresses several times a week before dawn.
“Meeting expectations is always difficult.”
“I understand that very well.”
Isabella lowered one spoon, speaking from experience.
“If you fall even slightly short, people rush to tear you down. Sometimes it even feels like they’re waiting for you to fail.”
Dylan looked at her with a more serious expression.
“Isabella…”
“Yes?”
“Do you regret your past choices?”
He meant her engagement with Ikanuel.
Without hesitation, she nodded.
“Of course I do.”
For ten years, she had endured comparison, criticism, and humiliation as Lascelles’ fiancée. Just thinking about it made her exhausted.
“I cried so much living as that family’s fiancée.”
“The Ludia family is a very respectable house.”
“That’s just not how most people see it. To them, I was an easy target.”
But she quickly smiled it off.
“I don’t want to stay trapped in the past forever.”
Because she had something that illuminated her dark days.
A memory of her “bias”—the one who lit up her world.
“Rather than regretting the past, I want to move toward the future.”
“….”
“Even if we both made choices we regret, we’re still living moments that aren’t so bad, right?”
Dylan stared at her, momentarily speechless.
Unaware of his gaze, Isabella continued.
“No matter what the past was, you’re still an outstanding knight.”
“Right?”
She lightly took his hand as if seeking agreement.
Dylan’s hand felt unusually cold.
