Instructor? What's wrong? (5)
A short while later.
The carriage arrived at Selena's mansion.
"Sere!"
Sedan called out his sister's nickname, a bright smile on his face as he entered the mansion's entrance.
Selena smiled back, happy to see him, but her attention was drawn to Zeke standing behind her, causing the corner of her lips to stiffen awkwardly.
'No! You're supposed to send a letter beforehand to give time to prepare! Who sends a letter and arrives at the same time? He might as well have brought the letter himself instead of sending a messenger!'
He must have departed as soon as he finished writing the letter.
He must have heard the rumors about Zeke being her benefactor, and he even announced it at the Eustia mansion, so it was strange that he didn't come to the Yohaiden mansion.
She had thought about hiding Zeke for a moment, but he came here to check on the instructor himself.
She decided not to do anything that might cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
Sedan spread his arms wide, ready to embrace his younger sister.
However, Selena didn't rush into his arms. Instead, she gently held the hem of her skirt and greeted him with a noble curtsy.
"Welcome, brother."
"Se, Sere...?"
He called her name in a bewildered voice.
"H, hug...?"
"Brother, I'm not a child anymore."
Selena replied with an awkward expression.
"B, but! It's only been two months, twelve days, six hours, and twenty minutes. It hasn't been that long...!"
Sedan exclaimed with a frustrated look.
Selena was embarrassed by her brother.
This was the first time she was introducing her family to the instructor, and this was how they were acting.
He was always a cool and proud brother in front of others, but she couldn't understand why he acted so foolishly only in front of her.
"Please compose yourself, brother."
"R, right...!"
His face hardened in shock, as if it would crumble with a single touch.
Selena tilted her head, seemingly oblivious to his state, and said, "Huh? Did you come alone? The letter said Father was coming with you..."
"Ah, Father had some business to attend to nearby and said he would stop by here afterward. You'll see him soon."
Sedan regained his composure and answered her question.
Selena glanced behind her. Sedan's gaze followed hers.
'Huh?'
A black-haired man stood there blankly.
He had been so preoccupied with seeing his sister after a long time that he hadn't noticed him before.
'Who is this man? Why is he at Selena's house?'
Sedan scanned Zeke from head to toe.
Black hair, black eyes, and a somewhat sly face.
He didn't seem like a very nice person.
He was probably about Selena's age.
Suddenly, Sedan realized that he had made an unannounced visit.
He had arrived here almost as soon as the letter had arrived.
Selena wouldn't have had time to hide anyone she was meeting, even if she had wanted to.
'A friend from the academy... A man...'
Sedan's eyes shook violently.
'Don't tell me...! Se, Selena's, b, boyfriend...?'
Sedan's face hardened, even more so than before.
"Who are you?"
He asked in a low voice, gritting his teeth.
"Ah! My apologies! I forgot to introduce the instructor! Brother! This is Instructor Zeke Clayman! He teaches swordsmanship at Ramielli Academy!"
Selena quickly interjected, unsure how Zeke, who was acting strangely today, would respond.
'What...? This guy is Zeke Clayman!?'
Sedan's eyes widened.
He had imagined a Ramielli Academy instructor to be at least an elderly man, or a middle-aged swordsman at the youngest.
But this man looked like a young man, almost the same age as Selena.
Alarm bells rang in his head.
'I thought he was trying to get something out of the Yohaiden family, but this is... This is even worse!'
Zeke Clayman, this man must be after Selena herself.
Sedan was convinced.
After all, no man could possibly face his beautiful and innocent younger sister without any ulterior motives.
Besides, an instructor meeting a student at their home?
He was already guilty in Sedan's eyes.
'Perhaps, even the part about saving her life was just Selena's misunderstanding...'
Boiling rage.
But Sedan desperately tried to calm himself down.
'But, if I act hostile right away, Selena might be disappointed. I need more concrete evidence.'
"So you're the one who saved my Sere. First of all, thank you. I am Sedan Yohaiden."
"Ah, yes, hello."
Zeke Clayman bowed his head curtly in response.
*Grit.*
Sedan's teeth ground together as he saw Zeke's insincere response, despite the fact that he had introduced himself and his family name.
'What's with this guy?'
He, a member of a Duke's family, had lowered his head first and even expressed his gratitude.
The least Zeke could do was show some respect.
He had no manners, no dignity, no etiquette.
'Is this guy really an instructor at Ramielli Academy?'
This was the first time he had ever been treated with such disrespect.
The fact that the guy he already disliked was showing such an awful side only made his opinion of him plummet further.
Nevertheless, Sedan managed to force a smile and held out his right hand for a handshake.
Zeke stared blankly at his hand.
"You... Don't you know how to shake hands...?"
Sedan asked, his voice laced with suppressed anger.
"Ah, a handshake."
Zeke nodded as if he had just realized what Sedan was doing.
And then, instead of extending his right hand, he offered his left.
"What's the meaning of this...?"
"Ah, I can't use my right hand right now."
Sedan's gaze shifted to Zeke's right hand.
"What's that, a sword!?"
The guy was holding a sword, its blade exposed.
To brazenly walk around with such a weapon in the presence of a Duke's family?
This was simply unacceptable.
He couldn't hold back any longer.
"H-how dare you! How dare you walk around with an unsheathed sword in front of Selena!?"
From Zeke's perspective, the situation was a little awkward.
'This is bad. If he's Selena's brother, then he must be precious to her. Damn it, he can't provoke me right now...'
He thought he had released his pent-up instincts from yesterday's massacre, but the moment he grabbed his sword, they came surging back, incompletely satisfied.
His body craved more blood.
His rationality had returned to some extent, but his instincts refused to let go of the sword.
*Twitch.*
*Twitch.*
'Damn it, stay still. Why won't you listen to me?'
His body, which usually helped him control himself, was unresponsive.
Zeke shook his head.
"What! What do you mean by shaking your head!? Are you saying you disagree with me!?"
“Ah, I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well right now. Would it be alright if I excused myself for a bit?”
"Hey, don't provoke me, you little..."
Damn it. His words and thoughts were coming out backwards.
"What did you say!! How dare you speak to me with such insolence!? How dare you!!!"
"Ah, my mistake. I misspoke. I apologize."
"……You…! Do you think you can get away with such impudence just because you're Selena's benefactor!?"
Sedan roared, veins bulging on his forehead.
'Damn it, he's so annoying. I'm only putting up with this because he's Selena's brother.'
Zeke struggled to calm his boiling anger and restrain his body, which was itching to lash out.
But there was a limit to how much he could endure.
If he was provoked any further, he would eventually snap.
'Sigh. I have no choice. I'll have to use [that technique] that I've been saving.'
To overcome the immediate crisis, Zeke decided to unleash his hidden trump card.
And that was to hide behind Selena!
'Selena shield, activate!'
Selena and Sedan stared at him in bewilderment.
'What else am I supposed to do? I have to do this to survive.'
Zeke nonchalantly turned his head away.
Then he nodded at Selena.
"Y-you, you bastard!"
His face now completely red, Sedan lunged at Zeke.
Selena, who had been observing the situation, decided that she couldn't stand by any longer and stepped in.
"B-brother! Stop it!"
"Selena! Right now! This guy! This guy!!!"
"Don't call him 'this guy'! The instructor is not a bad person! He's just acting a little strange today, he's not usually like this!"
"Se-Selena..."
Sedan's eyes wavered in disbelief.
'Good job, Selena!'
Zeke cheered for Selena inwardly. It seemed like this fool wouldn't dare to lay a finger on her.
"What are you talking about!? D-didn't you hear what he just said?"
Sedan raised his voice, then lowered it again as he remembered he was talking to his sister, trying to reason with her.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about?"
Selena, unable to come up with a good excuse, pretended not to have heard anything.
"Selena! How could you!!"
His heart sank.
His precious younger sister was now standing protectively in front of that punk, arms spread wide as if to shield him.
'Se-Selena, how could you do this to me! How could you!!!'
Sedan couldn't accept this as reality.
His pure, kind, cute, and lovable angel.
His little sister, Selena Yohaiden, was defending another man against him.
And not just any man, but that good-for-nothing Zeke!
Betrayal filled Sedan's eyes.
But there was no way he could bring himself to hurt her.
*Shatter—*
It felt like his world was crumbling around him.
They had only been apart for a short while, how could she have changed so much?
Where did it all go wrong?
'…I should never have sent Selena to the academy. Even if she wanted to go, I should have stopped her no matter what…!!'
Regret washed over Sedan, weighing heavily on his shoulders.
Just then, a spark ignited in his downcast eyes.
Zeke was smirking behind Selena's back.
Sticking his tongue out, mocking him.
Rage twisted Sedan's insides.
And then came the final straw.
"Woohoo! wwwwwww"
Zeke let out a strange exclamation. Something inside Sedan snapped.
'I have to kill him. Right here, right now. I don't even care if Selena hates me for it.'
A dark look settled over Sedan's face.
He was about to rip off the white glove on his right hand when—
"Sir Sedan!!!!!!!!!!"
The scout who had reported the strange phenomenon in the Higma Forest came running towards them, his face frantic.
"What is it!?"
"T-the Lord is in danger!!!!!!!!!!!"
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Makes sense why he doesn't use a sword lmao
ReplyDeleteHahaha 🤣😂
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