"H…hello, it is nice meeting you," Salena stammered, her voice soft and uncertain. Her face flushed red as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing, "I'm Salena Draken."
Vern gave a small nod, his expression calm but polite. "And I'm Vern Kael," he said, introducing himself in turn. His eyes then shifted toward Edward with a questioning look. "Didn't you call her your sister earlier?"
Edward chuckled lightly at the question, as though he had been expecting it. "Oh, right. My mother is her aunt," he explained with an easy smile, glancing at Salena for a brief moment before looking back at Vern. "So, technically, we're cousins. But since we grew up together, I just call her my sister."
Salena lowered her gaze shyly, her cheeks still tinged pink. "He's always been like that," she muttered under her breath, though a small smile tugged at her lips, betraying her embarrassment.
Vern arched a brow slightly, observing the way the two interacted, before allowing a faint smile of his own. "I see… that explains it."
The air between them softened, a quiet warmth settling into the moment, though none of them said it out loud.
"By the way, how did you meet Charlotte?" Vern asked, his gaze drifting toward the girl beside Salena. Charlotte was nervously fiddling with a lock of her hair, avoiding eye contact. Vern found it oddly amusing. Strange… someone as clumsy and timid as her still manages to make friends. But then again, maybe people like her make friends more easily than any so-called 'sane' person.
"Oh, it was a coincidence," Salena replied with a small smile. "We had met before in House Kael, during the birthday party of Ronan. Later, we ran into each other again during the exam. That's when we really started talking."
"Birthday party?" Vern echoed softly, tilting his head. Now that I think about it… her last name was Draken… His mind wandered back to a hazy conversation he'd had with Lady Elena a year ago. So she was talking about her all along?
His train of thought was cut short when Charlotte, who had been quietly observing him, finally spoke up. Her eyes widened slightly as they fell on his arm. "U-um… how did you get injured?" she asked, pointing hesitantly at the bandage wrapped around his elbow.
Vern glanced down at it, as though he had almost forgotten it was there. A faint smile touched his lips. "This? Nothing serious," he said casually, though his tone carried a weight that suggested otherwise.
Edward, standing nearby, narrowed his eyes at Vern's nonchalant response. Salena, however, leaned forward a little, concern flickering across her face.
Charlotte clutched the end of her sleeve nervously, clearly wanting to press further but hesitant to pry.
"Ahem." Edward cleared his throat loudly, trying to draw everyone's eyes. He shifted his stance so the bandage wrapped around his head caught the light, making the wound more obvious. But no one seemed to notice—or rather, no one cared.
"Hey!" he finally burst out, his voice tinged with frustration. "I'm injured too, you know! Why are you all showing concern only for him?" His tone was sharp, but beneath it was the unmistakable sting of feeling wronged.
The sudden outburst made Salena flinch. She instinctively took a small step back, her eyes widening at Edward's sulking expression.
"Ahem…" she coughed awkwardly into her hand, her gaze darting from Edward to Vern and back again. The air had grown stiff in an instant, and she struggled to smooth it over. "W-well, you did say it was just a scratch earlier… so I thought it wasn't that bad…"
Edward's face darkened further, his lips tightening in annoyance. "When did I say it was nothing? It was Vern who said that, not me!" he added quickly, as though trying to defend himself.
"Brother, you're really childish. Okay, just tell me—how did you get injured?"
In the end, Salena conceded. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her. It was strange enough that both of them were wounded after what was supposed to be nothing more than a test.
"Can you guess?" Edward's sulking expression brightened as if he'd suddenly found a chance to turn the situation around. He leaned forward, trying to build suspense, but his attempt at creating tension fell flat almost immediately.
Salena narrowed her eyes at him, unimpressed. "Really? Even now you're playing games?"
Edward shrugged, lips quirking as though he found her frustration amusing.
With a faint sigh, Salena shook her head, deciding not to push further. She turned her gaze toward Charlotte instead. "You're heading to the lodgings, right?"
"Hey, I was just about to explain!" Edward cut in quickly, not giving Salena the chance to speak. "Vern and I had a duel… and do you want to know who won?" His gaze flickered between Salena and Charlotte, as if daring them to guess.
Salena, however, didn't seem particularly eager. She already knew her brother was an overwhelming genius whose abilities couldn't be measured by common sense. More than that, she didn't want to hear the possibility of Vern's loss.
Charlotte, on the other hand, leaned forward slightly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Edward straightened, drawing out the moment with an air of suspense he clearly thought was impressive.
"The winner of this duel was…" He paused deliberately. "…Vern."
"What?!" Salena gasped in shock. On the other hand, Charlotte lifted her chin proudly, as though it were her own victory. She looked thoroughly pleased.
"You mean… you lost?" Salena questioned, her voice wavering. Though surprised, the faint smile tugging at her lips betrayed that she was secretly pleased by the outcome.
"It wasn't a fair duel this time," Vern interjected quickly. "Edward had to hold back—it was a duel fought only with mana."
"No, Vern, it was a fair duel," Edward countered firmly. "In the first place, it was about swordsmanship. And you proved that your swordsmanship was better than mine."
Salena's brows lifted slightly, her mind drifting back to her father's words. Father always said Vern wasn't talented… that there would be many better candidates for me to marry. Hehe… but now, even defeating Edward—who's hailed as a genius unseen in a hundred thousand years—how interesting it will be to see Father's expression.
The corners of her lips curled into a smile. Her father, Patriarch of the Draken household, was known for his stern, unyielding nature. Yet with her, he always softened, showing a rare gentleness. It was precisely for her sake that he had begun drafting letters to Vitra regarding the matter of her engagement.
"Charlotte, have you written everything in the exam?" Shifting the topic, Vern turned toward her, curious whether she had managed to finish it all.
"Yes, I wrote everything without holding back!" Charlotte declared proudly, puffing out her chest and planting her hands on her hips as if she had just achieved something monumental.
Vern gave a small nod, amused at her confidence.
"Vern, if you're going to the lodgings, we can—" Edward began, but before he could finish, a voice suddenly cut in.
"Excuse me."
Following the voice, a boy around the same age as them stepped forward. His short gray hair fluttered slightly as he moved, and his eyes, narrowed like a fox's, gave little away. The moment he approached, Salena frowned and instinctively stepped closer to Vern.
"Hello. My name is Kazik Nathan. I didn't get the chance to introduce myself earlier, but I was in the same test as you and Edward." He spoke calmly, his gaze locking on Vern with a stern, unblinking intensity.
So this is the guy they were talking about? Vern's eyes narrowed. He doesn't seem that impressive, though.
Edward, too, shared the thought. Compared to themselves, Kazik's body didn't bear the same refined polish. His hands lacked the marks of strict training, his frame the sharpness of honed discipline. More than that, he didn't exude that unmistakable presence— the aura that drew in those who lived for battle.
To them, he appeared more like a fox: calculating, hiding something behind a veneer of calm, his intentions uncertain.
In a way, he's similar to me… but still too young. He doesn't know how to conceal or control his intentions. Good. People like him are best used, not relied upon. Vern's gaze sharpened as the thought crossed his mind.
"Ah, Lady Salena," Kazik said as he stepped closer, his foxlike smile faint but persistent. "Did you receive my letter? I sent it a month ago."
Salena's expression hardened. "No, I didn't. And I asked you not to send me any letters, didn't I?" Her voice was clipped, refusing him without hesitation.
Kazik's smile faltered slightly, though his eyes remained narrowed, unreadable.
Noticing Salena's discomfort, Edward moved forward smoothly, placing himself between them. "So, you're Kazik Nathan, huh?" he said evenly, extending a hand as if in casual courtesy, though his eyes carried a sharp glint.
It was a deliberate shift—an attempt to draw Kazik's attention away from Salena.
Before Kazik could respond to Edward's gesture, Charlotte suddenly tilted her head and frowned. "You don't look any different from the people in the city. Are you really even a warrior?"
"Charlotte," Vern's voice cut in immediately, calm but firm. "That's enough." His words carried a quiet weight, and Charlotte quickly fell silent, though she pouted at being scolded.
Turning back to Kazik, Vern gave a polite nod. "We'll excuse ourselves." With that, he started forward, Edward and Charlotte following alongside.
Salena walked close at his side, her cheeks faintly flushed. He spoke up for me… in front of everyone. The thought alone was enough to make her flustered, though she tried her best to keep her expression calm.
Together, the four of them headed toward the main gate to exit the grounds.
Behind them, Kazik's foxlike eyes followed their retreating figures. The polite mask he wore slipped for just an instant, replaced by a gaze heavy with something ominous—silent, calculating, and far too intent.