The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 173

Tomorrow is the engagement ceremony.

The plan to run away holding hands during the ceremony was still in place, so it felt more like we were going to cause a scene rather than actually go through with the engagement….

But there was no denying the strange feeling that lingered.

Confusing thoughts floated in my mind.

Among the persistent thoughts was Adela.

‘I don’t want you to get engaged.’

I pushed Adela away coldly.

After that, we only worked on developing the Smartphone together out of obligation, and Adela never brought up the same topic again.

On the surface, our relationship seemed patched up as it was before, but there was a noticeable distance between us.

I hadn’t been able to tell her the truth about our plan to crash the engagement ceremony and run away.

How many more lies will I have to tell from now on?

“Sigh.”

I let out a bitter smile and a sigh.

For some reason, my legs felt heavy.

Step, step.

I climbed the stairs with sluggish steps.

Won had decided to stay at the plaza late into the night, so when I returned to the dorm, I knew an empty room would be waiting for me.

I’d hole up in that room until the engagement ceremony, staying awake through the night by thinking and overthinking.

It would be a lonely and miserable night, but I could endure it.

Thinking such thoughts the day before an engagement… It’s a bit ironic, isn’t it?

I chuckled to myself as I stopped in front of the tightly closed door.

Without much thought, I reached for the doorknob.

The thick darkness wrapped around my ankles.

“Huh?”

The dorm room was pitch black, making it hard to see ahead.

I took one step forward.

Then another.

At first, I entered the room without a second thought, but then a memory flashed through my mind.

“Wait a second.”

Did I…

turn off the lights before leaving?

As soon as I felt the odd sensation, I stopped.

That was when it happened.

Swish—

The cold edge of a blade touched my neck.

The chilling sensation grazed the nape of my neck.

I slowly turned my head.

“….”

Trembling.

The blade wavered up and down, shaking severely.

The hesitation in the blade was evident; it was too conflicted to actually strike someone.

In the darkness that swallowed the room, my eyes met with another’s.

I didn’t need words to know who it was. I looked down to confirm the identity of the sword pressing against my throat.

The sword currently aimed at me was the one Han taesu had given me.

The sword that had brought down Katablam.

And now, that sword was pointed at me.

“You… you….”

Adela clutched the sword, her voice trembling.

With an old sword that couldn’t even cut me.

Adela glared at me with sorrowful eyes.

Even with the blade at my neck, I wasn’t afraid.

It was just…

I spoke sadly.

“So you found out, didn’t you?”

You found out after all.

* * *

Clang—

The sword fell to the floor.

Adela, who had dropped the sword weakly, turned to me.

Her red, tear-streaked eyes were trying to say something but struggled to find the words.

“Why… why….”

“Why does it have to be you…?”

Adela choked back her tears, clenching her teeth.

Her words came out haltingly, as if stringing them together was a painful effort.

“Of all people… why you…?”

I couldn’t say anything as I watched her.

I just looked at Adela in silence.

“It could’ve been anyone. I could’ve fought anyone. I would’ve found a way to get revenge no matter what. Solia, Lee Han, or even Won—it wouldn’t have mattered.”

“….”

“But why… why does it have to be you?”

Her voice trembled.

I didn’t want to hurt her any more than she already was.

That’s why I tried to avoid this.

But it was too late.

“I wouldn’t have cared if it was anyone else in the world! Why does it have to be you?!”

I should have ended this sooner.

If this was how it was going to turn out, we should have become enemies.

Just like the third-rate extra Han Siha was meant to be.

I should have walked that path.

If I had—

At least I wouldn’t have to see her looking so heartbroken.

“I’m sorry.”

I knew everything.

I knew this would happen, and yet I couldn’t sever the ties.

Trying to hold on was a mistake.

What once seemed like the best choice had now become the worst.

There was only one thing left to say.

All I could do was apologize for deceiving her.

“I’m sorry, Adela.”

Adela wavered even more at those words.

She staggered as if she couldn’t bear it. Her eyes, filled with despair, glared at me.

“Why… why are you talking like you knew everything?”

When Adela walked into the room—

Just from the look in her eyes, I already knew everything.

Only then did I realize the mistake I had made.

“You… you didn’t know.”

Adela stared at the sword on the floor with a look of contempt.

Then she shook her head vigorously.

“You… you couldn’t have known.”

“Adela.”

“You didn’t know anything. You were too young. It wasn’t even something you did. It happened when you were as young as I was, so… so… you absolutely….”

“….”

“Don’t say you’re sorry.”

Adela’s shoulders trembled violently. The torrent of words she had been spitting out suddenly ceased, and she collapsed.

“You shouldn’t be apologizing to me.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“You didn’t know anything.”

“It was just something your father did.”

Those words pierced my heart like a dagger.

Adela, seeing my shaken eyes, began to sob.

Clear tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Please say you didn’t know, Han Siha.”

“….”

“Please….”

I couldn’t respond to her plea.

Adela waited in the darkness for my answer, but I had no excuses left.

And so, we stayed like that for a long time, frozen in place.

* * *

The day of the engagement ceremony.

The carriage rattled as it entered the venue.

I had been in a daze the whole time.

My mind was still clouded by what had happened the night before.

“What do we do? I’m so nervous.”

“Huh?”

Solia’s voice snapped me back to reality, and I turned to look at her.

“I’ve never been to a place like this….”

Solia kept her head down, her face showing clear signs of tension.

The white dress that brushed her ankles, her cheeks flushed in a way that never happened at the academy. Solia’s silver hair sparkled in the sunlight.

Seeing her dressed like this instead of her usual dull uniform….

“You look beautiful.”

“Oh… uh… thank you.”

I responded calmly and turned to look out the window.

The awkwardly tight tie around my neck felt uncomfortable, so I fiddled with it a little.

I was just as unfamiliar with this situation as Solia was.

Some of our academy friends were in attendance.

Won had eagerly made time to be here.

Yoon Haul, too, had declared she’d come just to cause a scene.

But Adela was not there.

Of course, there was no way she would come.

She had been the one crying in the darkness, unable to bring herself to strike me and turning away instead. I hadn’t been able to stop her as she disappeared in an instant.

I probably would never be able to hold onto her again.

I let out a bitter smile, rubbing my chin.

Outside, Han taesu was talking to other nobles.

The distance was close enough that I could hear snippets of their conversation clearly.

Even Duke Becken’s voice reached me.

“Haha, Count. Why did you rush this engagement? Was there some prior agreement with the Arkenent family?”

“I just thought the two would make a good match.”

“Still, isn’t the Arkenent family a bit….”

Muttering.

Hearing people gossip about my family wasn’t exactly pleasant.

Solia glanced at me nervously, gauging my reaction.

She probably thought this engagement was a bad idea too.

Not that she needed to look to me for reassurance.

I took the initiative.

“What do you think?”

“Huh?”

“About this engagement.”

We planned to crash the ceremony and run away together.

Han taesu and the Count of Arkenent would be furious, but I didn’t care.

I’d caused worse trouble before; I still had enough guts for that.

But I was curious about Solia’s thoughts.

In truth, this plan had been my idea all along.

Solia didn’t want to get engaged.

She’d made it abundantly clear how much she hated it.

But maybe, because of her family’s needs, she might have wanted to go through with it.

Even if Han Siha didn’t want it, the Castica family might have.

I had never asked her what she thought.

I hadn’t told Adela in time, which led to this mess. Perhaps, once again, I’d made decisions on my own, thinking they were for the best.

I looked at Solia and chuckled softly.

“Now that I think about it, I never asked what you thought.”

“…About what?”

“Do you want to run away from here?”

“Huh?”

Solia’s eyes widened at my question.

I stared at her and asked directly.

“Do you want this engagement or not?”

* * *

Inside the cramped carriage.

Outside, decorated almost like a banquet hall, people were bustling about, but inside, where just the two of us sat, it was completely quiet.

Rattle, rattle.

The carriage shook as it went down a slope, and Solia sat frozen for a long time.

It was because of Han Siha’s question.

“Do you want this engagement or not?”

She had always thought of it as an engagement that wouldn’t happen.

The fact that it was even being discussed felt like a miracle.

‘I know this is too much of a mismatch.’

It was a chance to elevate the Arkenent family’s status.

It wasn’t that Solia didn’t covet the power and influence of the Castica family.

But perhaps because she did want it, the engagement felt even more unreasonable.

That’s why, when Han Siha wanted to break off the engagement, Solia agreed with the plan.

It was too early for an engagement in the first place.

The conditions didn’t match, so breaking it off seemed right.

But—

If she thought only about the engagement itself….

What had she really wanted?

‘What did I… want?’

Solia stared out the window with a blank expression.

In an hour, they would have to cause a scene and flee the venue.

They were planning to escape and nullify the engagement. Even if it had to be forced, they would break it off.

Was that really what she wanted?

Solia swallowed dryly.

It was a feeling she had tried hard to ignore.

But maybe….

She didn’t completely hate the engagement.

No, maybe she actually wanted it.

Forget the family’s conditions.

Forget the stares of the nobles.

Forget that it was a bit too early.

If she could set all that aside….

Solia looked up at Han Siha and carefully spoke.

“I want to.”

Let’s be honest.

“I want this engagement.”

“…That’s a relief.”

Han Siha nodded, speaking as if it was the most natural thing.

“Then let’s do it.”

“Huh… what? What did you just say?”

Solia froze at Han Siha’s sudden words.

“Are… are you serious?”

She wondered if she had misheard.

But there was no trace of a joke on Han Siha’s face.

He leaned back in the carriage, his expression calm as he continued.

“We’re going to get engaged.”

For someone uttering the word “engagement,” his face was filled with endless sadness.

Han Siha glanced back at her, wearing a faint, sorrowful smile.

Solia didn’t know why, but fear suddenly welled up inside her.