CHAPTER 5
“Just how many people have you killed?”
Her body stiffened at the question that struck straight to the heart.
Blood dripped steadily, soaking the collar of his shirt.
The cut seemed deep, but Gilead didn’t appear to care at all.
His clear golden eyes demanded an answer.
‘That was a mistake.’
She had been too eager to land a blow.
Attacking so viciously out of nowhere—it was only natural that he became suspicious.
But confessing she had come back from the future would only make her sound insane.
As Sia stayed silent, Gilead reached out.
Just as his bloodied hand was about to touch her face—
“What in the world is going on here?!”
A thunderous voice echoed through the training ground.
A middle-aged man stormed in and frowned at the bloodstained scene.
“Instructor Rygles, it’s one thing to let a duel between cadets happen—but you? Drawing real swords with a candidate? Have you lost your mind?!”
“My apologies, Lord Everett.”
“We’ll discuss this in my office. Candidate Ermodian! You will come with me as well!”
The principal of the Rivendell Military Academy, Lord Everett, barked the order and stormed off the way he came.
Gilead closed his mouth and followed without a word.
Sia, unexpectedly freed from a dangerous situation, let out a short sigh.
Riana had come up beside her and tightly gripped her hand.
“Sia… I’m so sorry. This all happened because of me…”
“It’s fine. At worst, I’ll probably just get a disciplinary notice or something.”
Though she answered coolly, Sia knew better than anyone—
Cutting a fellow cadet’s hair, and slashing an instructor’s face?
This wasn’t something that would end quietly.
She might really be expelled this time.
The knight candidate scratched her head and quietly followed the principal.
The duel by one of the few female knight candidates had turned the academy upside down that morning.
Sia now stood in the center of the principal’s large office at attention.
The instructors seated in a circle around her whispered among themselves, gossiping freely about the earlier incident.
Only after the crowd of cadets had been shoved out of the office did the hearing begin.
“Candidate Ermodian. Explain the situation in your own words. Why did you engage in a duel with a classmate using real swords?”
No matter what she said, that pig would surely wriggle out of it.
Since things had come to this, Sia decided to stick to the truth—plain and simple.
“I proposed the duel. Because Cadet Drake insulted a female classmate first.”
“He insulted someone? That can’t be—”
“He did. He said, and I quote, ‘Women should act like women and just go get married.’”
Her voice was flat, but the content was explosive.
Murmurs erupted, and Principal Everett coughed awkwardly.
“Even if that were true, you should have reported it to your instructor. Drake is now in bed, mentally devastated from your unprovoked assault. And not only that—you scarred your superior’s face! How do you plan to take responsibility for all this?”
Look at this. Would’ve been nice if they held a hearing when I was the one being harassed.
When she was being bullied, no one lifted a finger. But now?
This was unfair, yes—but the thought of Krion moaning in bed made her want to hum a little tune.
Still, Sia held it in and continued with a calm tone.
“We’re taught: ‘Draw your sword for the weak. Be angry for the weak.’ I acted according to those knightly values. I have no regrets. If those values conflict with what this academy stands for, then please expel me. I’ll gladly leave.”
“Candidate Ermodian! Even if you belong to House Rygles, those are dangerous words—!”
“Excuse me for interrupting, Lord Everett. May I say something as well?”
It was Gilead, who had stood silently beside her until now, who spoke up.
All eyes turned to him.
Several layers of gauze were taped to his left cheek, and the blood had already seeped through.
At the principal’s nod, Gilead straightened and spoke.
“This entire incident was my fault. I ask that Candidate Ermodian not be punished.”
Sia thought she had misheard him.
This wasn’t the scenario she had envisioned.
She had been certain Gilead would be the first to punish her, as he always did.
He never once gave her a chance to explain herself, no matter how unfair the situation.
Principal Everett, equally surprised, blinked before responding.
“Why would you say that?”
“I’ve long been aware that the two cadets didn’t get along. But I thought it was a personal issue and stayed out of it. Today made me realize how deep that conflict actually was. The same goes for the incident three days ago. If I had paid more attention, this could have been prevented.”
“No matter how bad things were between them, that doesn’t justify a sword fight.”
“Then Cadet Drake should be punished equally. I have a witness who saw him tampering with training swords in the armory. That’s a clear violation of the rules. Or… is there some other reason he’s being spared?”
The more they spoke, the more confused Sia became.
What is going on? This is the same guy who wanted my head just three days ago.
Principal Everett let out a long sigh, then turned back to Sia.
“Candidate Ermodian!”
“Yes.”
“At Instructor Rygles’ request, I will not punish you severely this time. However, injuring an instructor cannot be overlooked… so you’ll be cleaning the kitchens today. Reflect on your actions—deeply.”
“Yes, sir.”
The hearing she thought would lead to her expulsion ended with… kitchen duty.
It was a completely unexpected outcome.
The assembled instructors murmured among themselves as they exited the office.
Sia’s eyes followed them until her gaze met his.
The dark-haired man glanced at her sideways before leaving the room in silence.
She was relieved the punishment had been light—but still stunned.
She stared blankly at the door he had just walked through.
He was long gone, but his back lingered in her mind like an afterimage.
Late at night.
The silver-haired knight candidate stood alone in a dark hallway.
She had been loitering in front of the door for ten minutes already.
She knew full well that if you couldn’t avoid something, it was best to face it quickly…
Sia sighed deeply.
“You have to go. After all, he did stick his neck out to keep you from being punished.”
That’s what Riana had told her after she returned to their room post-cleaning.
Sia had tried to brush it off, but Riana wouldn’t let it go.
“At least say thank you. I overheard something at the infirmary—he even refused treatment for the cut on his face.”
“What kind of stubborn nonsense is that…”
“Exactly. It’s weird, right? So go see for yourself. I don’t want a scar on that handsome face either. Maybe you can convince him.”
And so, Sia came here.
Riana had pushed her to come, but honestly—her own conscience had driven her more.
Torn between pride and peace of mind, Sia finally raised her hand and knocked.
A moment passed.
“…?”
The silence beyond the door was anticlimactic.
After hesitating for a moment, Sia carefully opened the door.
It might not have been long ago in this life, but for her, this was her first time stepping into this room in five years.
The familiar furniture and bookshelves, all reflecting the owner’s quiet taste, were exactly as she remembered.
It made her unintentionally let out a soft laugh.
Right. Back at the Rygles estate, his reading taste was just as odd.
Obscure myths, legends, and the like.
If she ever showed interest, he’d promptly close the book and say, “That’s not something you need to know.”
“I warned you not to enter an unattended room uninvited.”
His voice hit her like a whip.
She spun around—and froze.
Standing there was Gilead, upper body bare, with only a towel wrapped around his waist.
