“……Klein?”

So if Klein’s name is there, it means Ian was chosen for the subjugation team?

Ian is clearly of royal status, is it okay for him to go subdue magical beasts?

Thinking back to the original story, Ian does leave the White Knights soon…

But looking at Ian’s current actions, it didn’t seem like he would suddenly leave this place as he did in the original.

The variable was the nature of the curse manifesting in Ian. While the exact timing of the curse’s manifestation couldn’t be known, it was clear that it was at least after leaving the White Knights and before the crown prince’s investiture ceremony.

“As expected, Klein was chosen too.”

“Ed, did you anticipate this?”

Edwin opened his mouth with a smug expression.

“Klein beat me in a duel. So his skills are proven, and he deserves to be chosen.”

The logic was somewhat strange, but it wasn’t wrong. While it’s uncertain how he’d fare against magical beasts, at least in swordsmanship, Ian was clearly superior to Edwin.

“By the way, until now you were the only new knight chosen for the subjugation team. I didn’t expect a newcomer to follow in your footsteps so quickly. How do you feel about it?”

“I don’t think my feelings are important right now.”

“Come on, don’t be like that…”

Edwin playfully nudged my shoulder. Judging from his bright smile, he didn’t seem to be concerned about the state of his ankle at all.

“What are you going to do?”

“Huh? About what?”

When I gestured towards his leg with my eyes, Edwin flinched his nose as if flustered.

“Rose, how about we talk about that later?”

“It’s not like it’ll be resolved by postponing it, right? Lady Vanessa will surely notice your leg condition…”

Feeling the subtle gazes gathering, I stopped speaking mid-sentence.

Signaling to Edwin that we’d talk later, I quietly slipped away from the group of members. Then, pretending to head towards the annex, I made my way to the outer castle walls.

After quickly surveying the surroundings, I lightly jumped onto the castle wall.

As if it had been waiting for me to arrive, a cool sea breeze enveloped my entire body. The clear blue sky without a single cloud over the vast sea looked like a decalcomania.

When I come here, the worries tangled in my mind feel like nothing.

I closed my eyelids tightly and steadied my breathing. There was a time when I was thrilled with the expectation of being able to change the original story, but at some point, the changes weren’t entirely joyful anymore.

Whenever I witnessed points that differed from the original, I felt both glad and inwardly anxious.

Because I couldn’t know where these small changes would lead me. The fear of potentially leading to an even worse ending than the original would occasionally overwhelm me.

The original itself was already a sad ending, so how much worse could it get other than dying sooner?

Letting out a self-deprecating laugh into the wind, I slowly raised my gaze. As I watched that static scene where only the movement of ripples existed, my lips moved on their own.

“It’s still just the beginning of the original story. I have no choice but to believe I can change it the way I want…”

Wait, the way I want?

What is it that I want?

At that sudden question, several faces flashed by in succession.

Daisy, Edwin, Cayden, Vivian.

And Ian.

Unlike when I first opened my eyes in this body, now I wanted to find a way for everyone to be happy.

Of course, I should be happy too.

“It would be nice if I could know exactly what happened to Rosebelia in the original story.”

Compared to the original, many things were already changing. But for everyone to be happy, ultimately I had to prevent Daisy’s death, the extermination of the Winters family, and the duel between Ian and Rosebelia on the battlefield.

“War…”

If I don’t go into exile in the Kingdom of Lenoir and somehow endure here, at least I won’t meet Ian on the battlefield, right?

I couldn’t ignore the original story, but there was no need to obsess over it either. There might still be parts that haven’t changed, so I should just refer to it appropriately.

‘Could you please kill me?’

I hope that one thing I saw in my dream doesn’t happen…

I raised my head and once again took in the peaceful scenery.

Somehow, I’ll solve things one by one in my own way.

*

It was a leisurely tea time spent in the garden where the sunlight lazily settled. Olivia, who had put down the fan in her hand, carefully surveyed her surroundings.

‘Where on earth did Margaret go?’

Her gaze stopped in front of the main building. Olivia, who spotted Margaret coming out of the main hall, raised her teacup.

By the time she put the teacup down again, Margaret had approached her side.

“My lady, just a moment.”

Olivia, with a gentle smile on her lips, leaned slightly, and Margaret whispered something. Olivia nodded lightly and carefully asked the noble ladies,

“May I excuse myself for a moment?”

“Of course.”

“Please, go ahead, Marchioness.”

Leaving the laughter of the noble ladies behind, Olivia strolled through the garden with Margaret.

“It was as you expected, my lady.”

“Is that so? I’m not sure whether to call it steadfast or just foolish.”

Recalling Schultz’s oddly upright attitude, unlike those who always bowed to her, Olivia twisted her lips.

“Young Master Cayden has been changing his clothes by himself since last night. He said he would continue to do so and told them not to assist him.”

“He’ll try to hide it somehow. If they find out he has wounds on his body, it will immediately reach my ears.”

“What shall we do about Schultz?”

Fiddling with the tip of her fan, Olivia smiled widely.

“Approach him at the right time.”

She had already figured out Schultz’s weakness. The trap was set, all that remained was for him to step into it.

“Understood, my lady.”

*

As if drawn by a magnet, my feet led me to the training ground near the annex. It was a place rarely visited by members, so I thought it would be empty as usual, but…

“Klein?”

Surprisingly, Ian was inside the training ground.

It was the first time I had seen his face in half a day since I had fled to my quarters last night.

I thought I had been avoiding him well, but…

No, there’s no evidence now. I can just insist it wasn’t blood.

“I thought you might be here, so I came.”

His voice was quite different from yesterday when he seemed to be under interrogation. I can’t define it exactly, but it was a somewhat slurred voice, you could say.

Could he have come to ask for a duel?

“Right, we were supposed to spar today. Is that why you came?”

“Rather than that… Did you see the subjugation team list?”

“Yes. I did.”

For a moment, I saw Ian’s Adam’s apple bob greatly. He just stared down at me without saying anything more.

That gaze was as if he was expecting something from me…

“Just in case, are you asking if I saw your name on the subjugation team list?”

“Yes. I wanted to let you know that I was chosen based on my skills by diligently attending classes as per the standard.”

‘Every knight who enters the White Knights dreams of subduing magical beasts. I understand that feeling, but I can’t take you with me just because I know you’re skilled. Attend classes diligently according to the standard and try to catch the captain’s eye.’

Recalling what I had said to Ian when we were heading to the outskirts of the capital due to magical beasts, I cleared my throat softly.

“Yes, I knew you would be chosen. I told you you were skilled, didn’t I?”

“But are you going on this subjugation too, senior?”

“Yes. Of course I have to go.”

Ian’s lips, which had been about to say something, closed again. Guessing what he had swallowed, I quickly changed the subject.

“Shall we spar? I said I’d spar with you today.”

“…Will you be alright?”

Ian seemed to be conscious of last night’s incident.

“My condition is great, you know?”

I lightly shrugged my shoulders as if there was no problem. As I picked up a wooden sword from the storage box, Ian also picked up one that had fallen to the floor.

Holding the wooden swords, we narrowed the distance, and just before our toes touched, we deflected each other’s swords and stepped back, beginning the sparring.

I had become quite accustomed to Ian’s sword tip pointing towards me, but whenever his gaze turned to me, I kept hesitating.

Is it because of what happened yesterday?

Focus. Too much thinking is poison in a match or sparring.

Despite that determination, I felt my feet gradually slowing down. Thinking this wouldn’t do, I was about to end the sparring by knocking Ian’s sword away.

Wait, the timing might be too late at this rate?

I did knock Ian’s sword away, but it was half forced, and as a result, my wrist stung from the recoil.

“Are you alright?”

Ian quickly approached and examined my wrist.

“I’m fine. It’s because I couldn’t concentrate properly…”

Ian, who had been examining my wrist, briefly raised his head.

“Do you have something on your mind?”

I couldn’t bring myself to say that my head was briefly complicated by the fact that you were chosen for the subjugation team, unlike in the original story. I tried to think of something light to say, when a sudden thought came to mind.

“You probably saw too, but Edwin was also chosen for the subjugation team. But I think there’s something strange about Edwin’s leg.”

As soon as I said that, I saw Ian’s expression harden. Just like someone who had expected something and was disappointed…

“You always…”

“Huh?”

“Why are you so concerned about others but so careless about yourself?”

His unusually low voice carried a faint hint of anger. While I was briefly pondering how to respond, Ian spoke again.

“…Your wrist might swell. Let’s go to the infirmary.”

“No, I can just apply a hot compress when I get back.”

Ian, as if he had expected that answer, let out a small sigh and left the training ground, saying to wait a moment. He soon returned with a thin, long linen in his hand.

“I said I’m fine.”

Ian, who had been looking down while holding my wrist, slowly raised his head.

“That word…”

Our eyes met. Ian also stopped speaking. As even his slightly vibrating eyes came to a stop, a moment of complete stillness arrived.

In that instant, as if even the flow of air had slowed, he slowly reached out his hand towards me while staring intently at my face.

I was about to ask if something was on my face when suddenly, a strange light gleamed in his eyes. It was then that he hastily lowered his hand.

“What I did was just light compression.”

“Uh-huh.”

If my eyes weren’t mistaken, Ian was clearly flustered.

No, I didn’t even touch him, and he was the one who reached out his hand towards my face.

Why does he look so dumbfounded?

“So make sure to treat it when you get back.”

Before I could respond, he turned around. Ian seemed to be leaving the training ground, but then he came back and stood in front of me. In his hands was the cloak I had taken off in the corner of the training ground.

“Why is this…”

Ian didn’t say anything. He just draped the cloak over my shoulders with a somewhat stubborn look on his face.

Only after tying the knot neatly did he turn around, giving me a slight bow before turning his back. Soon, his footsteps filled the training ground.

It was a sound that seemed somewhat hurried, as if he was trying to get out of here right away.