I bit into the cookie.

Chewing, swallowing. I took a sip of the water offered to me and let out a breath.

"Why did you infiltrate the Lehan Knight Academy? Was your goal to assassinate His Majesty Kilpus?"

"Nope, that was unexpected. I never imagined the king himself was the chairman. So honestly, that summons really caught me off guard."

As I thought. That level of surprise wasn’t an act.

I don’t know what kind of information channels she had been relying on until now, but even Void, who had officially allied with Kilpus, hadn’t been informed about his appointment as chairman.

"Then what was your goal? Be it sabotage or espionage, a school hardly seems worth the effort."

"That's not true. My mission was to assassinate the War Maiden, Lili Ituka."

"...!"

That's reckless. Absolutely impossible.

The superior officer who devised this mission must be some out-of-touch strategist with no field experience. If they'd ever crossed swords with her even once, they’d know. That is, if they even survived the encounter. And if they hadn’t, they would at least realize how hopeless it would be to get close to her.

Riona continued.

"Even though she's retired, Lili was responsible for as much damage to the Republic's army as Blythe. And given her age, there's a chance she might rejoin the military someday. More than that, the ever-victorious War Maiden serves as a powerful symbol of unity for the kingdom’s people and knights. I think they wanted to shatter that pillar of morale."

"You say that so casually. Listen, let me be blunt—there’s no way in hell you could kill her."

I'm the one who trained her. I would know.

The gap in skill is too great. Killing Lili is as difficult as assassinating me when I was still Blythe.

In my previous life, I lost count of how many so-called elite assassins I sent to their graves. Not once did I consider them a real threat. Their attacks weren’t some rare event; they were just another part of my routine.

Lili, who has reached the level of a Sword Saint, is no different. And besides, I’m by her side. Even if I’ve weakened, I’m still a former Sword Saint.

There’s no way I’d allow it. Even if the assassin was Riona.

"Yeah, I figured. There weren’t any openings. Even though I spotted her first, the moment I got closer, she’d always notice me. Probably even if I used a bow from beyond her detection range, she’d react to the incoming arrow, wouldn’t she?"

"Yeah."

During the entrance exam, she even noticed my gaze.

Maybe not to Riona’s level, but at least more keenly than Blythe ever did.

And I have proof.

Oujin, Void, and I all believe that sensing presence is the result of combining all five senses. Most warriors think the same way. But by that logic, Lili shouldn’t have been able to react to someone's gaze during the exam. After all, sight has no sound, heat, or scent.

That means Riona and Lili possess a skill I never mastered—something akin to a sixth sense.

"And then there’s you, El-tan, for some reason living together with Lili. You two don’t look alike, so you’re not her son or brother, right? My intel said the War Maiden has no children, not even family."

…Huh? What did she just say?

"Ah… Don’t tell me, the secret you were holding over me was—"

"That’s right. Hey, you know, for a student dormitory, doesn’t it seem kind of indecent for a teacher and student to be living in sin together?"

I pressed a hand to my forehead and looked up at the sky.

Shit!! That is the most meaningless, pointless secret ever!

I'm a child in body only. If she wants to gossip, she can do whatever the hell she wants. And for the record, there is nothing indecent happening.

"Say that sooner!"

"If I did, you’d realize it wasn’t that big of a deal…"

I buried my head in my hands.

She really knows how to manipulate people.

"Huh? El-tan? Eeel-taaan?"

"...Nothing… Forget it…"

My voice cracked.

"Mmm, that reaction..."

Like a cat, Riona nuzzled against my cheek and whispered into my ear.

"There's still another secret you don’t want anyone knowing, isn’t there?"

"Alright, alright. Yeah, there is. But if you're an informant, find it out yourself. Otherwise, just quit. You have no talent for gathering intel. You’re not suited for this. And you take too damn long with assassinations. You're beyond third-rate. Just give it up."

A prince is sitting right in front of you. You don’t even have the faintest clue.

If you had used me as a hostage, you might have actually been able to kill Kilpus. What an idiot.

"Ughh…"

Riona let out a faint groan.

I continued, lowering my voice, almost as if in prayer.

From the bottom of my heart. Pleading. Hoping. Begging.

"Quit. All of it. Assassination, espionage."

"El-tan…?"

Ah, again. I hate this. I hate how pathetic I am.

I clenched my hands over my eyes.

The emotions surged up. This weak, fragile existence of Eremi infuriates me. And the frustration makes it worse. My forehead heats up, my eyes sting.

And then the tears come. Always, whenever I try to say something important.

"...Live properly. What the hell are you doing…?"

My voice shook and caught in my throat. Through the gaps in my fingers, the tears ran down my arms.

Riona. Lili. Every woman who gets involved with me—why do they all end up like this?

"..."

"...What the hell are you doing…? You idiot…"

Silence fell.

Only the sound of our breathing and the rain remained.

Eventually, Riona squeezed out her voice, a breath-like whisper.

"...Because this is the only way I know how to live…"

"Then tell me. Everything. From the beginning. We have all the time in the world."

"Don’t cry, okay…?"

She said that, and then, trembling, Riona embraced me.