Chapter 81

“……”

It was a question she never expected.

Really, a question she never expected.

Abelin was flustered, but it didn’t take long for her to come up with an answer.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding, Riana. Kairon is just a colleague to me. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Really?”

“Hmm……?”

Even though she gave the answer Riana wanted, Riana still didn’t take her serious, questioning gaze off Abelin.

“Then, it’s true. If anything, I’m the one who’s flustered. Riana, what part of me made you think I might like Kairon?”

“Of course.”

Riana pointed somewhere with her hand.

At the end of her finger was none other than Abelin’s face.

“Abelin unnie, you were smiling so warmly while talking about Kairon oppa. What was that expression? Hmm…… Ah!”

Riana thought for a moment, then clapped her hands and her eyes sparkled.

“A face in love!”

“……That’s a strange thing to say. As I said, Kairon is just a colleague, nothing more, nothing less.”

“Eeeh, why?”

“Why, why are you asking……”

Riana urged, as if she expected something more.

But contrary to Riana’s expectations, it wasn’t that hard for Abelin to think of reasons why she couldn’t like Kairon.

“First of all, I don’t have much in common with him. The units we command are different, and the training methods of the two units are completely different. Of course, the Black Iron Vanguard is an excellent unit, so they often serve as great training partners for our Silver Guards, and we do mock battles.”

“There is. A connection.”

“Hmm……?”

“You said you often do mock battles, right? Who does Kairon oppa face then?”

“……Our entire unit faces him.”

“But Kairon oppa is so strong that he’s even been a one-man unit before, right? There’s no way ordinary Vanguard members could handle him properly. In the end, who do you think ends up facing him?”

“……As you said, it usually ends with me and Kairon fighting.”

“See! Isn’t that a connection?”

“It is a connection, but it’s not something that would make me develop feelings for Kairon! Aren’t you pushing it too hard, Riana?”

“Me pushing it too hard? There’s decisive evidence. It’s something I clearly heard with my own ears.”

“You clearly heard it with your own ears? I don’t know what it is, but tell me. It probably isn’t very substantial evidence.”

In response to Abelin’s indifferent reaction, Riana pursed her lips tightly.

Then, as if to prove a point, she raised one index finger.

“……One!”

“What do you mean by ‘one’?”

“One! No, one drink! Abelin unnie, when you were baiting the Demon in the forest, you asked Kairon oppa to buy you a drink later. Did you make a promise to have a drink with someone you have no connection with?”

“……Ugh.”

It was an undeniable fact that there was a connection.

As soon as she reluctantly admitted it in her heart, numerous connections with Kairon that Abelin had been trying to ignore began to surface in her mind.

The times they trained together before leaving Cressnig and coming to Rostia, the time she followed Kairon to a high place where he was lost in thought, looking at the scenery, and handed him a chocolate milk.

“……I admit it.”

“See. How can people with so few connections get along so well? Just what I’ve seen is a lot!”

“But having many connections and whether I develop feelings for Kairon are completely unrelated.”

“Okay, then I’ll admit it this time.”

“Huh? Why are you suddenly so compliant……?”

“But I’ll ask one more thing.”

“As expected, here we go.”

While Abelin shook her head, Riana, unable to calm her rising excitement, snorted and asked again.

“Do you dislike Kairon oppa?”

“What……?”

Riana continued to barrage Abelin with questions she never expected.

“Why did your question suddenly become so extreme? It was already extreme before.”

“Answer clearly. Do you dislike Kairon oppa?”

“……”

Abelin decided to be careful with her answer this time.

Because little Riana had been hitting the bullseye with every question.

High-level Magicians are all deeply inquisitive and knowledgeable, each one no different from a scholar, and Riana, being a High Magician candidate, was no exception.

Despite her cute personality and appearance, Abelin fully prepared herself, knowing that once Riana started digging, there was no end.

Instead of being swayed by Riana’s sharp and extreme questions, she decided to counter-question Riana.

“Dislike in what way?”

“As a man.”

“Ugh……”

Abelin’s consciousness wavered.

It was a firm attempt to embarrass Riana, but Riana, instead of avoiding the embarrassing topic, decided to confront it head-on.

“I’ve never thought of him that way. As a man.”

“Then think about it now. Do you dislike him? Is it hard to see Kairon oppa as a man?”

“Riana. What’s the meaning of this question?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Abelin unnie and Kairon oppa get along so well. Plus, the atmosphere between you two is so subtle, it’s frustrating, so I’m asking.”

“Ugh……”

There was no more avoiding it.

“I’ll give you the answer you want. Honestly, he’s not bad as a man. But whether Kairon is not bad as a man and whether I have feelings for him are completely unrelated.”

“Oh, really? Not bad means good, right? What part, what part is not bad?”

“Ugh……!”

Even though she nailed it down that having feelings or not was completely unrelated, Riana pulled out the nail and pressed Abelin further.

The confused Abelin finally realized.

No matter what answer she gave, Riana would keep digging, so the best way was to give Riana a satisfying answer and end it.

“Okay, fine. His face, his face is quite good-looking……”

“I’m here.”

The moment she heard the familiar voice, Abelin’s mind went blank.

Before she knew it, Kairon had opened the door and entered the room.

“Kairon?”

“Kairon oppa!”

“Why do you look so surprised? I thought I’d be late, but something came up. So I ended up coming earlier than expected. You haven’t had lunch yet, right? If not, we can eat together. Oh, but……”

Kairon looked back and forth between Riana and Abelin, instinctively sensing that something was off.

“Why is the atmosphere like this? What were you talking about?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

“Huh? Ah……!”

Abelin hastily denied that they were talking about anything.

Seeing that, Riana, who had noticed something was off, started to smirk.

“Kairon oppa, Abelin unnie just said…… Kyah!”

It happened in an instant.

Abelin, who had been lying weakly on the bed, used her signature quick movement ability to pounce on Riana.

Abelin knocked the physically weak Magician Riana to the ground and covered her mouth before she could say anything more.

“Ugh, ugh……!”

“Stay still, Riana!”

“What are you doing, Abelin?”

“It’s unavoidable. If you don’t know, stay still too, Kairon!”

“……”

Riana, who had been caught, completely relaxed her body and gave up resisting as Abelin firmly covered her mouth.

“Good, very good, Riana. What you were about to say is something you should take to your grave. Got it?”

“What kind of big secret did you spill that you have to take it to your grave……?”

“I told you to be quiet, Kairon!”

“Wh-what did I say…… You’ve been nice lately, but that fierce side of you hasn’t gone anywhere.”

“What did you say? What’s fierce about me!”

“Fierce, the way you’re acting now is fierce!”

While Abelin was busy getting angry at Kairon, she momentarily let go of Riana’s mouth, and in that brief moment.

“Huuuuu……”

Riana took a deep breath and shouted with all her might.

“Unnie said you’re handsome!!”

“Huh?”

“Haa……?”

The flustered Abelin couldn’t cover Riana’s mouth in time.

She just stood there, stiff, listening to Riana shout freely.

“Abelin unnie said it! She said she has no reason to dislike Kairon oppa, and that he’s quite good-looking!”

“What is this……?”

Kairon looked at Abelin with a bewildered expression and asked.

“What is this about, Abelin? What were you talking about before I came……?”

“……”

Abelin, her face bright red, couldn’t say anything.

She just slowly turned her head toward the door……

“Hey, hey, Abelin! It’s too cold outside to go out dressed like that……”

Bang-

Before Kairon could finish his sentence, Abelin used her signature ability and dashed out of the room in an instant.

“Riana. You explain. What were you talking about that made Abelin like this.”

“Hehe, why did she become like that?”

Riana, who had made the sick person run out on her own, just smirked and gestured toward the door.

“Go after her. Quickly. Abelin unnie must be cold!”