Chapter 48: Reysir’s Wounded Smile

“You’re really blunt with your words today, too. I even wished you a happy birthday. At least ask me if I’m doing well or not.”

In my sight, Reysir’s hand held a practice spear with an unsharpened blade.

It didn’t seem like he came here intentionally after hearing I was around.

He must have come to train as usual, and just happened to see me, so he started talking.

“I never asked you to congratulate me on my birthday.”

“But weren’t you even a little happy?”

“Not at all.”

That was the honest truth.

When I heard those words from Reysir, I wasn’t happy in the slightest.

My mind was cluttered and noisy.

Even now, thinking back, the guilt weighs heavily on me.

“You don’t seem like you’d lie out of embarrassment…”

“……”

“You really weren’t happy?”

“Why should I be happy just because you congratulated me on my birthday?”

“Well, I can’t really argue with that…”

When I demanded a logical reason, Reysir averted his gaze with an embarrassed expression.

He must have just thrown out those words casually, so it was inevitable.

‘Anyway… why did he come to talk to me?’

Reysir had never approached me without a reason before.

Even if today’s meeting was a coincidence, he must have had something to say.

Just as I was about to ask what his business was, parting my lips, someone interrupted.

“Um… hello? I’m Vigdis Shalbrady. You’re Reysir, right? This semester, you sparred with Kar in the first martial arts class, and… last semester, you were supposedly tormented by Kar…”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

Vigdis showed interest in Reysir.

‘Could it be she already likes him? Without any special trigger?’

‘No, that’s not it… There was some cause. Both of them have been using the Public Training Hall since last semester, right?’

Though they may not have talked directly, they must have met repeatedly while training.

Moreover, sharing the common experience of being bullied by Karvald Austri might have made them sympathize with each other.

So, Vigdis probably started noticing Reysir, stealing glances at him while he trained, and gradually developed feelings without realizing it.

If that’s how it went…

‘It’s plausible. It might still be just a liking rather than love, given the timing, but it’s only a matter of time before it grows!’

The original story never mentioned that ‘Vigdis had feelings for Reysir since her days at the Academy.’

But it’s possible the author, Senna, had set that up but omitted the description because there wasn’t a good moment to reveal it.

“Nice to meet you. You’re the fiancée Karvald was said to obsess over, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. Though I’m no longer obsessed over…”

“That’s a relief. I’m not bullied anymore either.”

“Reysir, you’re lucky too.”

‘By the way, why is this conversation so strange?’

Since when did this place become a victims’ meeting for Karvald Austri’s misdeeds?

Should I complain about how hard it is for me, having possessed Karvald’s body?

“I heard you’re older than us, so can I call you ‘noona’?”

“Ah, no… you can just call me by my name. And speak comfortably, since we’re classmates…”

“Got it. Then Vigdis, feel free to call me however you want. And speak casually too.”

“I’m more comfortable and used to polite speech… but I’ll just call you Reysir.”

Vigdis awkwardly permitted casual speech, and Reysir accepted it without hesitation.

Reysir’s reaction was expected—he’s naturally like that.

What caught my attention was Vigdis’s side.

‘She must be drawn to Reysir.’

Though the first thing she said when greeting him boiled down to ‘You’re the one who was bullied by my fiancé, right?’

If that’s just her nervous attempt to form a connection, it’s not too strange.

It’s still very strange, but at least it wasn’t said with malice, so it’s probably just a blunder.

“So, has Reysir decided to become friends with Kar?”

“Not friends yet. Maybe because Kar feels sorry about the past, he’s been trying to keep his distance.”

I was dumbfounded by Reysir’s words.

Since when did I start feeling guilty about the past and try to avoid Reysir?

No wonder I kept pushing him away, but he clung on and begged to be friends.

So he misunderstood all along.

“I heard the bullying was pretty bad… but you still want to be friends with Kar?”

“Yes. I got an apology, and after calmly talking it over, I found some good points in him. Our tastes seem to match well, too.”

Have we ever talked ‘calmly’?

Reysir always shouted excitedly, and I just got irritated or sarcastic.

By ‘tastes’, he must mean in novels, right?

“And a few days ago, I found out by chance that he’s surprisingly kind, too.”

“Oh, yes… he really is.”

Reysir glanced at my baby dragon Yor and said that, and Vigdis nodded in agreement.

Now that I think about it, both of them had seen how kindly I treat Yor.

“Did you know? Well, I guess it’s natural since you’re his fiancée.”

“Th-That’s right?”

“Even though Karvald was obsessive, he must have been a kind fiancé when alone with you.”

“That-That could be true, or maybe not…?”

Vigdis gave an ambiguous answer, looking at me as if sending a distress signal.

I understood. She probably wasn’t comfortable telling her ideal type that she was close with another guy.

‘Because of Clause 3 in the contract, I can’t interfere with Vigdis forming relationships with others. But since she asked for help first, it should be fine for me to step in now.’

I was already feeling awkward just standing there doing nothing.

Since Karvald Austri was the only common topic for them, and I kept being mentioned, it made things even more uncomfortable.

“Reysir. Didn’t you come to talk to me because you had something to say?”

“Something to say? I don’t have anything.”

“…Nothing?”

“Yeah.”

I was about to tell him to finish his business quickly and leave.

But his answer was so unexpected that I couldn’t say the line I had prepared and ended up dumbfounded.

“So you came to talk to me because you were interested in Vigdis and wanted to talk to her through me?”

“Why would I be interested in someone else’s fiancée and use her fiancé to talk?”

What if I answered, ‘I came to save Vigdis from the villain Karvald Austri’?

‘How would the two people in front of me react?’

A little curiosity popped up, but I didn’t voice it.

I thought it would only make them misunderstand that I was asking because of low self-esteem.

“If you didn’t have anything to say and weren’t interested in my fiancée, then why did you talk to me at all?”

“Just… because I saw you.”

“…What?”

“I came here to train, and since I saw you, I just talked to you.”

“……”

It’s not like a mountaineer who climbs a mountain because the mountain is there; he just talked because I happened to be here?

I couldn’t understand it at all.

I was momentarily speechless and let out a hollow laugh.

Perhaps interpreting my laughter as a friendly response, Reysir spoke to me again, familiar as ever.

“By the way, this is really unexpected! I didn’t expect to see you here. You could have used that expensive private training hall, so why are you here instead?”

Was I going to snap at him, ‘What’s it to you?’?

No, that would be unwise.

What Reysir asked was a topic anyone would be curious about.

‘If Vigdis were asked the same question when alone, could she handle it properly? Would she hesitate and accidentally reveal that it’s just a show?’

For that reason, I decided to draft a model answer right here and now.

“…I thought Vigdis might be scared if we trained together in an enclosed space, so I had no choice.”

“I don’t know whether to call that kind or just karma.”

Reysir clicked his tongue at me as I subtly glanced at Vigdis.

Vigdis widened her eyes briefly, then looked embarrassed and suddenly tilted her head with a questioning ‘Huh?’

She was surprised, thinking I was considering her feelings.

Then she remembered that we decided to train here to show others we’re getting along well.

All of it.

Watching Vigdis’s changing expressions, I unconsciously analyzed her thoughts.

Then I realized the important thing wasn’t Vigdis’s reaction.

I shifted my gaze back to Reysir, glared, and parted my lips.

“I think I misjudged. After all, Yor is with me, so it’s not like we’re meeting alone. And since we ran into each other like this, it’s just a waste of time.”

“You’re also to blame for the long conversation, you know? You just said ‘Hi!’ and accepted my greeting. We could’ve ended it right there. Even if we talked more, it would have been just polite words about training hard.”

I wanted to refute this ridiculous claim, but hearing it, it wasn’t wrong.

If the conversation had ended quickly, Vigdis wouldn’t have had a chance to speak to Reysir.

But accepting greetings like that goes against Karvald’s character.

Moreover, if I had done that, Reysir might have gotten closer to me.

“You shouldn’t have spoken to me in the first place.”

“That’s true, but…!”

“If you admit that, then don’t ever talk to me without a reason. No, even if you have a reason, don’t talk to me. Hearing your voice is unbearable.”

“……!”

Reysir’s eyes widened, and his expression was hurt.

I thought maybe I had been too harsh, but I couldn’t take back what I said.

He would probably yell at me again today.

Recalling this repeated cycle, I wondered if I should just cover my ears.

But unexpectedly, he asked in a quiet, subdued voice.

“Why do you keep acting like you hate me?”

“I’m not acting. I really hate you.”

“Then… why?”

“You don’t always need a reason to hate someone, do you?”

“……”

Reysir glared at me silently, biting his lip.

Seeing this unusual reaction made my heart feel as if a heavy stone had dropped into it.

I never thought I’d feel this way, but I wished he’d just shout at me.

That would have been easier on my heart.

“I understand. Sorry for bothering you all this time… But is this really something I should apologize for? Who bullied and annoyed me first, anyway…”

“……”

“Anyway, I won’t talk to you again…”

“……”

His words trailed off as if unsure how to end the conversation.

Reysir turned around with a wounded expression and strode away.

He probably came here to train, but…

“Vigdis.”

“Y-Yes?!”

“From next week, it’d be better if we meet at the private training hall. That way, there won’t be any interruptions like today.”

I deliberately raised my voice so Reysir could hear.

I hadn’t even handed him the private training hall key yet, so I couldn’t just forbid him from using the Public Training Hall.