Crown Prince’s Ex-Boyfriend

“Do you expect me to know why?”

I asked in bewilderment.

“She’s just staring at you.”

“I know. But there are many other female students, so why bother with me?”

“You’re the only one she knows among the female students, right?”

“She knows me?! Why is that?”

“I don’t know. When I said I was attending this lecture, she asked if you would come too.”

Rapel knows Irillin?

The contact between Rapel and Irillin should only come after Vin joins the Knights, so why the hell does she know?!

I don’t know why the it keeps getting bigger(?), but it’s subtly different from the original.

I haven’t changed the plot yet….

“What are you doing? Go out quickly I guess she wants to compete with you.”

“But I….”

“If there are no volunteers, can I randomly nominate them? Student over there! Would you like to come out?”

The one Rapel beckoned to was, of course, mine. The stinging gazes of the people in the crowd flocked towards me.

Beside me, the prince spoke.

“Why don’t you leave sooner? Lectures are getting longer.”

“You don’t have to go out if you don’t want to go out.”

On the other hand, Vin said something completely different.

The red eyes of the prince became sharp as a knife.

“Well….if you’re scared, you don’t have to come out. Let’s see….Another girl….”(Rapel)

“I want to try.”

I unknowingly spat it out like that.

If you’re scared, you don’t have to come out.

Because the words sounded like a provocation.

If I had a to choose between running away and before fighting or fighting and losing, I would naturally have no choice but to choose the latter.

Because? Well, I am a corpse except for my pride!

If it’s a fight with ‘myself’ and not with other others, it’s more likely that my pride would be hurt.

Sparring? I’ll give it to you!

To be honest, I think I could do it with a tree branch instead of a sword.

Of course, I know it’s a crazy idea to spar with tree branches or something, but I’ll think of the aftermath later.

“Oh, I thought you were afraid. Unsurprisingly, you showed courage.”

It’s also because Rapel’s smile as if she is laughing at me now is overly annoying.

“Thank you for coming. Student, what is your name?”

The lecture hall was only a training ground, so I was able to reach Rapel’s side in no time.

I saw the reflection of Irillin in her eyes.

To see the ‘other’ in ‘my’ eyes. Isn’t that creepy?

“It’s Irillin Heather.”

“Irillin Heather. You have a pretty name.”

Why did she pretend not to know that she had already talked about Irillin to the crown prince? Besides those last words are somehow meaningful.

To ‘have’ a pretty name.

It sounds like you know that this name has been around for a while

It must be because of my mood…?

“What do you want Miss Heather? Dalian? Guidance?”[T/N: I’m assuming, ‘dalian’ is sparring.]

“Dalian.”

To be honest, I wanted to receive both sparring and guidance since I decided to face my fears, but I stopped because I wanted to guide myself.

……Come to think of it, if my skill level is the same as Rapel Isdon’s, I’m already at the level of chief engineer. I’m planning to become a Knight Commander in the future, but I’m already Knight Commander Level?

At this point, Rapel is still less developed than the original me.

If that is the case, I’ll have to hide my skills.

It can’t be discovered that a 13-year-old has the skills of a knight commander.

I started to gain a bit of confidence.

I will beat Rapel Isdon, who is like ‘myself’.

I can win.

Recalling in my heart the resolution I always made before a match,I drew my weapon.

So, a tree branch

“Puahahahahahahahaha!”

Laughter erupted from the crowd.

The loudest among them was the prince’s voice.

“Branch….? Didn’t you bring a practice sword?”(Rapel)

“I couldn’t prepare my heart.”

“Okay. Anything is fine, shall we begin?”

You didn’t even bother to ask me anything about my absurd words and went straight to the point.

It’s really me! Cool! Awesome!

Can I deliberately lose to someone like this?

If Rapel has the same senses as me in the first place, she might not even notice…..

“It’s simple, just one hit, one point. En garde, Allez! (Ready, Start!)”

Instead of the referee, Rapel chanted the slogan.

I never thought the day would come when I would hear this slogan again…

My heart was beating like the first time I held a branch.

I really felt like I could do it.

Now, it’s not Irillin Heather standing here.

The original me, Hayan Mona.

“…”

Rapel who took a ready stance, frowned.

It seemed that she already felt that my posture was the same as if reflected in a mirror.

I jumped forward before she noticed anything more. And I couldn’t help but despair.

My body wasn’t going the way I wanted.

Why are my arms so short and my legs so stiff!

Thanks to that, Rapel easily defended against my clumsy attack.

Why are you smiling!

“This show that I let my body rest for quite a while. Your posture is pretty good.”

“I said let’s fight, but I never asked for guidance.”

My pride was hurt, so I come out with a prickly tone like a hedge hog. Then I immediately regretted it.

To put a thorn on me and no one else.

Why can I do something so stupid like this?

In the midst of that thought, Rapel correct her posture. Now is her timing to strike back.

And I knew exactly where the attack was going to be.

Left shoulder stab and fall.

This is a typical attack pattern that I often use early in a match.

Since I had done it countless times before, it wasn’t that difficult to block without using much force.

“Whoaaa!”

The crowd who had been laughing at me cheered. Even the sleepy students woke up and their eyes began to shine.

“What. How did you stop that?”

The prince who was staring at me intently to find the loophole, exclaimed in surprise.

Well…I just blocked the attack. Was it too much for a 13-year-old to do?

It was when I started to loosen up very slightly.

“One point. I won.”

Before I could straighten my posture again, Rapel who had quickly stabbed my right chest, unconciously said.

It was such a light hearted tone.

Regret crept into me, careless…

Hiding my skills! Think I can win!

How did I think I could win when I was careless with a body like this?

It was a fight that shouldn’t have been won in the first place…

But losing on purpose and just losing are two different things.

I lost to myself today.

Not because of self-confidence, but because of arrogance…

It’s pathetic.

I didn’t know how much time passed after that.

Rapel’s lecture was over while I was stunned by the sense of defeat, and during the formal training session, I ended up on the bench, saying I can’t do sparring with branches.

To be honest I was looking forward to it.

While sparring with an official knight, I’ll have the upper hand, but be hiding my actual skills.

Then arrogantly claim that the guidance they receive is all the knowledge I know.

But it was all my petty conciet.

Watching form the bench, I realized that the only reason I blocked Rapel’s attacks was because I was aware of her attack pattern.

The attacks of the other knights could not even be followed by the naked eye. It seemed that not only the body, but the visual activity of this body weakened.

In order to fully regain my original skills, it is likely that my body would have to grow as much.

Until then, the skils of ‘Hayan Mona’ would only exist in my brain….

I resented myself for neglecting my training, hiding in the shadow of fear.

I had a healthy body at best, and how much I yearned to be able to wield a sword again, but I was waiting my chance!

“I will go first.”

When the lecture came to an end, I said goodbye to the Crown Prince and Vin and hurriedly left.

It was to go back to the mansion and start practicing right away.

I’m still afraid of holding a sword, but practice doesn’t have to be only with a aword!

I have a more special weapon called ‘twig’.

Well, the two of them didn’t notice me and let me leave while they go on a date to their heart’s content.

The frustration subsided and my mind began to lift.

That’s why I was leaving the Imperial Palace Knights building with rather cheerful eyes.

“Irillin.”

It was a voice that blew along with the languid afternoon wind.

The setting sun illuminated his silver hair.

What? Why are you here?

What about your date with the prince?

“Vin? Weren’t you going back with the Crown Prince?”

“His Highness is staying back, so why don’t we go back together?”

“No! I…it was a schedule between the two of you before I joined. What can we do together? Eat…take a walk or….”

“It is not your Highness, it’s you. Originally I was going to propose to go with you, I said I need you…. not His Highness.”

……Oh my God!

The prince didn’t tell me this. Did he lie?

His pride will be hurt and the jealousy will rise!

If someone I don’t know hears it, they’ll think it’s an obscene drama.

Doesn’t it sound like ‘I like you more that His Highness!’

Vin seemed to feel the same way, but he continued to talk.

“So…your skills.”

as it my imagination, but was his voice full of pity.

T/N: This chapter was meant to come out yesterday. Sorry…. I actually forgot.