Renasu stormed through the manor grounds.
His fists were clenched.
His breathing uneven.
Every step carried frustration.
Jealousy.
Confusion.
And hurt.
He headed toward the training grounds despite knowing full well that nobody was permitted near it while Lucas and Bereshith were training.
Behind him followed Cyte.
At first he remained silent.
Then finally spoke.
"Renasu. Are you okay?"
Renasu didn't answer.
Cyte sighed.
"I know you love Lexy but... aren't you being unreasonable right now? You didn't have to shout at her earlier."
Renasu immediately stopped walking.
He turned sharply.
"What did you say?!"
His voice echoed through the stone pathway.
"I am the first one who loved and cared for her! And yet because another kid suddenly came here, she changes all because of him! And you're telling me I'm being unreasonable?!"
Cyte looked directly into his friend's eyes.
He didn't look away.
He didn't back down.
"Yeah."
That answer surprised Renasu.
Cyte continued.
"Because what did that boy ever do wrong?"
Renasu blinked.
"What?"
"Renasu, wake up."
Cyte's voice grew firmer.
"He just arrived not long ago. He barely knows anything about this place."
The apprentice knight pointed toward the training grounds.
"I know where you're going."
Renasu's eyes widened slightly.
Cyte stepped forward.
"What I'd like to know is this."
His voice hardened.
"Why are you putting your anger on him?"
Silence.
Cyte continued.
"He barely even knows you!"
The final sentence came out almost as a yell.
Renasu froze.
For a moment...
He thought.
Only for a moment.
Then he answered.
"You're right."
Cyte relaxed slightly.
Then Renasu continued.
"This is all Lexy's fault!"
Cyte's eyes widened.
"She should be punished for deceiving me!"
The words had barely left his mouth.
CRACK!
Cyte's fist connected with Renasu's cheek.
Renasu stumbled backward and fell onto the ground.
Shock covered his face.
His hand slowly touched his cheek.
"...What?"
Cyte stood above him.
Disappointed.
Disgusted.
Angry.
For the first time since they met.
"Renasu!"
The boy flinched.
Cyte rarely raised his voice.
"I am warning you."
His tone became cold.
Dangerously cold.
"If you lay a hand on Lexy..."
He paused.
"Or even that boy..."
Another pause.
Then came the words that hurt more than the punch.
"I promise you..."
Cyte's eyes did not waver.
"That will be the day I forget you were ever my friend."
Renasu's face broke.
Not from pain.
Not from the punch.
But from those words.
His best friend.
The friend who had stood beside him for years.
Had just drawn a line.
Cyte continued.
"So whatever you're planning..."
His voice remained calm.
"Whatever you're trying to do to make Lexy's smile disappear..."
He pointed at him.
"I won't just stop you."
His eyes narrowed.
"I'll destroy you."
Silence.
Renasu stared.
Then his eyes watered.
And finally—
He broke.
"I'm not planning anything!"
His voice cracked.
"I just..."
Tears rolled down his face.
"I just want her to notice me!"
His shoulders shook.
"Why is everyone leaving me?!"
The anger was gone.
Only sadness remained.
Cyte stared at him for several seconds.
Then sighed.
A small smile appeared.
"You idiot."
He walked forward.
Squatted down.
And placed a hand on Renasu's shoulder.
"Get up."
Renasu sniffed.
"What?"
"Let's go apologize to Lexy."
Renasu looked away.
Embarrassed.
"I don't want to."
"Too bad."
Cyte grabbed his arm.
Placed it around his shoulder.
And pulled him upright.
"You're apologizing."
"But—"
"No."
"But—"
"No."
"You sound like my father."
Cyte smirked.
"Good."
The two boys slowly made their way back toward the medical ward.
Inside the medical ward, Lexy continued practicing basic bandaging techniques under Karly's supervision.
The room was quiet.
Peaceful.
Until the door opened.
Lexy glanced up.
Renasu and Cyte stood there.
Karly immediately crossed her arms.
"What do you two want now?"
Cyte nudged Renasu forward.
"He has something to say."
Renasu immediately glared at him.
Traitor.
Cyte smiled innocently.
Lexy looked at them quietly.
Waiting.
Renasu scratched his head.
Then looked down.
"...Sorry."
Silence.
Karly raised an eyebrow.
Cyte folded his arms.
Lexy waited.
Renasu sighed.
"I shouldn't have yelled at you."
Still silence.
"I shouldn't have slammed the desk."
Lexy remained quiet.
"And..."
He groaned.
"I shouldn't have gotten angry because of that boy."
Lexy's eyes softened.
Renasu looked away.
"I just..."
His voice weakened.
"I thought everyone was leaving me."
The room became silent.
Lexy slowly stood.
Walked toward him.
And before he could react—
She hugged him.
Renasu froze.
Completely.
His brain stopped working.
"I'm sorry too."
Renasu blinked.
"What?"
Lexy smiled sadly.
"I should have explained myself."
Renasu stared.
"I never wanted to hurt you."
The young maid apprentice tightened her hug.
"You've been my friend for years."
Renasu's eyes watered again.
"I don't hate you."
The words finally shattered the wall inside him.
He slowly hugged her back.
"I don't hate you either."
Lexy smiled.
Then laughed softly.
"Good."
Renasu laughed too.
A little awkwardly.
A little embarrassed.
But genuinely.
The tension disappeared.
Cyte released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
Karly smiled from the corner of the room.
Children.
Always finding new ways to create problems.
And somehow finding ways to solve them too.
For now—
Their friendship remained intact.
And somewhere else within the manor walls...
Bereshith continued his training.
Unaware that a small battle had just been fought in his name.
A battle not of swords.
Not of fists.
But of jealousy.
Forgiveness.
And friendship.
Then.
Renasu quickly pulled away from the hug and wiped his eyes.
"I wasn't crying."
"You were."
"I wasn't."
"You absolutely were."
"I said I wasn't!"
Lexy laughed.
Even Karly had to turn away for a moment to hide her smile.
Meanwhile Cyte folded his arms and looked at Renasu from head to toe.
Then a grin slowly spread across his face.
"Oh."
Renasu immediately became suspicious.
"Oh what?"
Cyte pointed at him.
"I figured out your problem."
Renasu narrowed his eyes.
"My problem?"
"Yes."
Cyte nodded seriously.
"You need to become a knight."
The room fell silent.
Renasu blinked.
"What?"
Cyte continued with complete confidence.
"You should take the knighthood examination."
Karly nearly choked.
Lexy stared.
Renasu looked utterly confused.
"What does that have anything to do with this?"
Cyte pointed toward Lexy.
"Think about it."
Renasu thought.
Nothing came to mind.
"I don't understand."
Cyte sighed dramatically.
"You're hopeless."
Then he began explaining as if teaching a child.
"If you become a knight, you'll train every day."
"Okay?"
"You'll get injured."
"...Okay?"
"You'll come to the medical ward."
Renasu frowned.
"Okay?"
Cyte pointed dramatically at Lexy.
"And then Lexy will patch you up!"
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then—
Karly burst into laughter.
Lexy covered her face.
Even Renasu's jaw dropped.
Cyte continued.
"It's perfect!"
He began pacing around the room.
"You get stronger."
Point.
"You become a knight."
Point.
"You get injured."
Point.
"And then Lexy has to take care of you."
Point.
"It solves everything."
Karly laughed even harder.
"That's not how becoming a knight works!"
Cyte ignored her.
Meanwhile Lexy's face had turned completely red.
"Cyte!"
"What?"
"You can't just say things like that!"
"Why not?"
"Because it's embarrassing!"
Cyte blinked.
Then looked at Renasu.
Then back at Lexy.
Then smiled.
"Ah."
Lexy's face became even redder.
"Stop making that face!"
Renasu suddenly pointed at Cyte.
"Wait a minute."
"What?"
"You sound like you've thought about this before."
The room instantly turned toward Cyte.
Cyte froze.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Oh."
This time it was Karly's turn to smile mischievously.
"Interesting."
Lexy nodded.
"Very interesting."
Renasu grinned.
"Extremely interesting."
Cyte immediately pointed toward the door.
"Look outside!"
________
Renasu suddenly pointed at Cyte.
"Wait a minute."
"What?"
"You sound like you've thought about this before."
The room instantly turned toward Cyte.
Cyte froze.
"..."
"..."
"..."
A faint redness appeared on his ears.
Lexy narrowed her eyes.
Renasu immediately noticed it.
"Hold on."
Cyte slowly took a step backward.
"No."
"Hold on."
"No."
"CYTE."
"No."
Karly watched the exchange with confusion.
"What are you children talking about?"
Immediately, Cyte looked away.
Far too quickly.
His eyes briefly landed on Karly.
Only for a moment.
Then he looked elsewhere.
But it was enough.
Lexy blinked.
Renasu blinked.
Both children slowly turned toward Karly.
Then back toward Cyte.
The room became silent.
Cyte's face immediately stiffened.
"Don't."
Renasu's eyes widened.
"No way."
"Don't."
Lexy's mouth slowly opened.
"Wait..."
Cyte pointed at both of them.
"Don't."
Neither child listened.
The realization slowly settled in.
Karly, meanwhile, remained completely unaware.
She simply looked between them with confusion.
"What?"
Renasu looked at Cyte.
Then at Karly.
Then back at Cyte.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"YOU."
Cyte covered his face.
"Stop."
Lexy gasped dramatically.
"YOU LIKE SOMEONE!"
"STOP."
Karly looked even more confused.
"What is happening?"
Cyte groaned.
For the first time all day, he wished he had never opened his mouth.
Renasu immediately forgot his own problems.
"WHO IS IT?"
"No one."
"LIAR."
"No one."
"THEN WHY ARE YOU RED?"
"I'm not red."
"You are."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Cyte pointed toward the door.
"I am leaving."
"No you're not."
"Watch me."
Before he could escape, Lexy grabbed one arm while Renasu grabbed the other.
The two children looked at him like hunters who had finally caught their prey.
Cyte looked toward the ceiling.
Why.
Why was this happening to him?
Meanwhile Karly simply stood there.
Completely unaware that she was the reason for all of it.
And that somehow made everything worse.
Cyte scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Anyway... it's not important."
"IT IS IMPORTANT!" Renasu immediately shouted.
Lexy nodded.
"Very important."
Cyte groaned.
"Why are you two acting like this?"
"Because you've been hiding it for years!" Lexy accused.
"Years?" Karly asked.
Cyte immediately froze.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The silence itself became suspicious.
Renasu narrowed his eyes.
"Wait."
Lexy narrowed hers too.
"Wait."
Cyte slowly took a step backward.
"No."
The two children immediately pointed at him.
"YES."
Cyte looked toward the ceiling as if praying for divine intervention.
Unfortunately, none came.
Renasu crossed his arms.
"Fine. If you won't tell us who she is, then describe her."
Cyte blinked.
"What?"
"Describe her."
"No."
"Describe her."
"No."
Lexy joined in.
"Describe her."
Cyte stared at both of them.
Then at Karly.
Then away from Karly.
Then back to them.
"...Fine."
The two children immediately sat down.
Karly smiled.
"Now I'm curious."
Cyte immediately regretted everything.
After several seconds, he finally spoke.
"Well..."
He paused.
"She's kind."
Lexy nodded.
"That's normal."
Cyte continued.
"She likes helping people."
Another pause.
"She always treats injured people carefully."
Karly smiled.
"That's a wonderful quality."
Cyte nodded.
"It is."
Renasu looked thoughtful.
"Then?"
Cyte looked down.
"I like the way she smiles."
The room became quieter.
"Even when she's tired..."
His voice softened slightly.
"She still smiles at people."
Karly's expression warmed.
"She sounds very nice."
"Yeah."
Cyte smiled faintly.
"She is."
Lexy tilted her head.
"Then what else?"
Cyte hesitated.
"She rarely goes outside."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because she's always working."
He paused.
"But even in her working clothes..."
Cyte looked away.
"...I think she's beautiful."
Lexy's eyes widened.
Renasu slowly leaned closer.
"Oh."
"Oh?"
"Oh."
Cyte ignored them.
"What's next?" Lexy asked.
Cyte became quiet.
For the first time, genuine nervousness appeared on his face.
Then he spoke.
"One time..."
His eyes softened.
"She told me she hoped she'd someday see a knight."
Karly listened curiously.
"A knight?"
Cyte nodded.
"She said she wanted someone who could protect people."
His voice became smaller.
"Someone brave."
"Someone dependable."
"Someone she could trust."
Renasu blinked.
Lexy blinked.
Cyte continued.
"And she said she would wait."
Karly smiled.
"That's sweet."
Cyte nodded.
"It is."
Then he looked down at his hands.
"That's why I want to become a knight."
The room fell silent.
For once, nobody teased him.
The sincerity in his voice was impossible to ignore.
After a moment, Lexy quietly asked,
"And the last thing?"
Cyte froze.
His face slowly turned red.
Renasu immediately noticed.
"THERE'S MORE?"
Cyte wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
But it didn't.
So he sighed.
"She once told me..."
His voice became barely above a whisper.
"...that she wanted a man who respected her."
Karly smiled warmly.
"That's a good thing to want."
Cyte nodded.
"Yeah."
Then he continued.
"She said if someone truly respected her..."
He swallowed.
"...then maybe she could love him."
The room became silent.
Very silent.
Karly's eyes softened.
"That's wonderful, Cyte."
She smiled.
"I hope you become a knight."
Then she laughed gently.
"And I hope she accepts your love."
The atmosphere immediately brightened.
Everyone smiled.
Well...
Almost everyone.
Cyte smiled.
Renasu smiled.
Lexy smiled.
But all three children shared the exact same expression.
An expression that silently screamed:
She still doesn't realize it.
Not even a little.
Renasu coughed.
"Good luck."
Cyte looked at him.
Renasu smiled.
"I hope your love reaches her."
Lexy nodded.
"Yeah."
Then she patted Cyte's shoulder.
"Good luck."
Cyte chuckled.
"Thank you."
Then he looked toward Karly and smiled.
A genuine smile.
"Don't worry, Aunty Karly."
Karly smiled back.
"I won't."
"No."
Cyte shook his head.
"What I mean is..."
His eyes shone with determination.
"I'll become the best knight I can."
"And when that day comes..."
He clenched his fist.
"I'll make her realize how much I love her."
Karly laughed softly.
"Oh dear."
Then she stood and walked over to him.
Tap.
She poked his forehead.
Tap.
Then rubbed his hair.
"Just remember one thing."
Cyte looked up.
"If you confess and she says no..."
Karly smiled kindly.
"You must respect her answer."
"Women don't like men who are pushy."
Cyte nodded immediately.
"I understand."
Then he stood straight.
Almost like a knight already.
"I'll honor her decision."
His voice was firm.
"But becoming a knight means never giving up simply because things are difficult."
He looked ahead confidently.
"If she says no, I'll respect it."
"If she needs help, I'll help."
"If she needs protection, I'll protect."
"If she needs someone she can rely on, I'll become that person."
His smile widened.
"And if one day I lose her completely..."
He lowered his head respectfully.
"Then I'll accept it."
"But until that day comes..."
His eyes sparkled.
"I'll keep trying to become someone worthy of standing beside her."
Karly stared at him for a moment.
Then laughed.
"I swear knights have the strangest codes."
The room filled with laughter again.
After a while, Karly clapped her hands.
"Alright."
The children immediately looked at her.
"Fun time is over."
A chorus of groans answered her.
"Nooo..."
"Yes."
Karly pointed at the door.
"You boys need to leave."
"Lexy needs silence if she's going to learn anything."
Cyte nodded obediently.
"Understood."
Renasu sighed.
"Fine."
The two boys headed toward the door.
Before leaving, Cyte looked back.
"See you later, Lexy."
Renasu waved.
"Bye."
Lexy smiled and waved back.
"See you later."
The door closed.
Click.
Silence returned to the medical ward.
For a few moments, Lexy simply sat there.
Then she let out a long sigh.
Karly raised an eyebrow.
"Hm?"
Lexy stared at the closed door.
Then quietly mumbled under her breath.
"...That poor Cyte."
Karly only caught part of it.
"What was that?"
Lexy immediately shook her head.
"Nothing."
But inwardly she thought:
She really doesn't know.
Not even a little.
And somehow...
That made Cyte's situation far more difficult than Renasu's ever was.