A Depressed Kendo Player Possesses a Reckless Aristocrat - Chapter 137



The Age of First Love (2)

Thump thump thump…

A loud throbbing stained her chest.

Lost in the chaotic waves of trembling, Lucy held her breath without realizing it.

“……”

Her legs, devoid of strength, wobbled helplessly.

As she stood frozen for a moment, the hand on her back pulled her closer, wrapping tighter around her.

The warmth of his body spread over her.

The subtle scent of him made her feel faint for an instant.

While she was still frozen, unable to collect her thoughts, a low voice tickled her ear.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

Blurring in her vision was dark hair, the color of the pre-dawn sky.

It was an impossibly alluring light.

Lucy felt the heat rising in her face.

Like a snowman standing in the hot summer, it felt like her heart was melting away.

“Uh, uuh…”

Only strange groans escaped from her lips.

The girl recognized that something was deeply wrong with her.

This wasn’t normal.

Why was she like this?

It was even training time. A time when she shouldn’t lose focus more than ever.

The moment she met Raiden’s eyes, her mind went blank.

‘What should I do… I can’t calm down…’

Her heart was pounding like crazy, showing no sign of slowing.

Lucy hung her head low and her shoulders shook.

It was Raiden, of all people, who brought the girl back from her panic.

“Your Highness…?”

A call that held a hint of worry.

Had something gone wrong? The boy was looking down at Lucy with a serious expression.

His eyes were kind.

For what reason, she didn’t know.

Lucy was glad for Raiden’s response, filled with tenderness.

She belatedly came to her senses and pulled away from the embrace that had held such addictive warmth.

“Ah… S-sorry.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little dizzy…”

“Your complexion isn’t good either. I’m worried you might be coming down with something.”

With those words, Raiden brought the back of his hand to the girl’s forehead.

“Uh, uuuh…”

“You definitely have a fever. It seems we’ll need to stop training for today.”

“Okay…”

Lucy winced, but managed a weak nod.

I wanted to continue training, but it was clearly too much for me in this state.

Lucie regulated her ragged breathing.

Each heavy step back to her spot was laced with a profound sense of exhaustion.

“Your Highness… are you alright?”

Lost in my own sigh, Ariel, who had been watching the spar, approached and spoke.

She drew near cautiously, asking softly,

“Is something the matter? You’ve seemed so out of focus ever since earlier…”

“I’m really fine… but thanks for the concern, Ariel.”

Lucie forced a smile.

She ruffled Ariel’s hair a few times to reassure her, but inside, she was still reeling.

Her flushed face was still hot.

Even though it had only been a brief embrace from Raiden, the imprint felt vivid.

His broad, comforting embrace, the warm body temperature, his unique, cool scent.

Ruminating on all of it made her heart, which had finally settled, speed up again.

‘This is weird… really weird…’

Lucie pressed her throbbing chest and muttered to herself.

It had been like this for a while now.

More accurately, ever since Raiden had gently embraced her when she was crying and begging.

She kept thinking about Raiden all the time.

The way he looked lost in thought, exuding a cool aura, his acts of selflessness disguised as indifference, the rare gentle smile that peeked out from behind his stoicism.

Whenever these images of the boy filled her head, it was hard to remain composed.

Her heart pounded.

Ferociously, like it was about to burst.

‘I really feel like I’m coming down with something… I should rest for a while.’

Lucie slowly brushed aside her intrusive thoughts.

Yeah, it’s just a simple cold.

If I just tough it out, I’ll get better.

Unfortunately, the girl, still unfamiliar with the emotion of love, didn’t realize her own desires.

She pushed the tangled skein of complicated feelings to the back of her mind.

Believing that she’d be fine before long.

*

Sadly, the girl’s faith was destined to be betrayed.

Rather than improving with time, her confused state was only worsening.

It had now reached the point where she was struggling with daily life.

“What is it… why can’t I get myself together…”

Lucy, who had never taken any interest in saccharine love stories.

Her usual reading material consisted of political or academic texts; she didn’t even indulge in the common romance novels.

As indifferent to the idea of romantic affection as she was, she was bound to be ignorant of her own situation.

The ailment the girl was suffering from was ‘love’.

And among them, the most agonizing and severe kind, first love.

“Raiden… I miss him.”

As each day passed, Lucy’s affection swelled in size.

Whenever Raiden was not visible, she would be overcome by a senseless anxiety.

It was as if he might vanish into thin air if she took her eyes off him even for a moment, so she tried her best to stay close to him.

A longing ache kept gnawing at her, and sleepless nights, tossing and turning, became more frequent.

Was it because she had taken her first step so late that the emotions were crashing in so forcefully?

Lucy spent her days tormented by a pining, lovesick heart.

So much so that even her attendant, Alice, became worried enough to voice her concern.

“Surely nothing happened at the Academy…?”

“No, I’m really okay.”

“But you’ve become noticeably gaunt recently.”

“Haha… is that so? I’m not sure either.”

“Please know that I’m always worried about you. Your Highness’s well-being is precious.”

“I get it… it’s just that I’ve been busy with Sentinel-related matters lately.”

Although she said it as if to put her mind at ease, Lucy was actually afraid.

This was a new experience for her.

Being swept away by an uncontrollable storm of emotion felt as if even her own existence was becoming hazy.

But at the same time, it was a sensation so sweet that she couldn’t possibly resist.

Sometimes, she even considered confiding her worries in others around her, but she didn’t.

Because it felt somehow uncomfortable to her.

A worry I want to keep only to myself.

I wanted to cherish it deep inside, without anyone noticing.

It was definitely painful and hard, but it was also so precious that it could erase all that pain.

“I don’t know anything… I just, want to be by Raiden’s side.”

Lucy von Lietro. Nineteen years old.

A little late, but the age to start her first love had finally arrived.

*

Even as someone’s affection bloomed, the academy flowed on as usual.

Winter passed, and May arrived with the falling of spring.

The world was dyed the clear season of flowers that no one could deny.

The students, each filled with their own fragrance and freshness, were continuing their busy studies.

There was nothing different about the Sentinels.

If anything, as a group comprised mostly of top-tier elites, the competition was even fiercer.

“Haaah…”

“Haaah…”

Two figures, groaning, exited the lecture hall.

Lucy, and Raiden.

Completely exhausted, they were trudging along, step by step.

“Today’s class wasn’t easy either, it seems.”

“Professor Sharon’s classes are always like that… It’s hard to keep up.”

“In the first place, I don’t understand why she keeps trying to teach concepts used in the Magic Tower, when there’s an established academy curriculum.”

“I guess… she’s just too passionate about it?”

Lucy let out a bitter, dry laugh.

Raiden rubbed his temples for a moment, then sighed and swept his bangs back.

“I’m exhausted. It’s a relief that there are no more classes today.”

“……”

“Lady…?”

“Ah, ahh… Sorry. What did you say?”

Lost in thought, Lucy belatedly came to her senses and replied.

Her pale cheeks were already flushed red.

Again, my gaze was stolen.

The sight of Raiden, his forehead swept back, was just too stimulating.

Lucy desperately tried to ignore the familiar flutter in her chest.

“Hehe… I just got lost in thought for a moment.”

“It wasn’t anything important, so it’s alright. Where are you planning to head now, Your Highness?”

“I have an appointment with Neria later, so I think I need to go towards the annex.”

“Then I should also head back to the dormitory early today.”

Thump-thump-thump…

But it wasn’t an emotion that could be escaped simply by averting her eyes.

A slender knot weaves the heart together.

An unbearable churning tormented the girl.

Her reason, melting into a soft glow. Lucy couldn’t hold back any longer, and moved her lips.

“Um… Raiden.”

Her voice soared on the fresh breeze.

What that delicate call snagged was, in fact, the sleeve of the boy who was just about to walk away.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Raiden stopped right in his tracks.

Lucy, hesitating, still articulated the sentence calmly.

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

“You can feel free to tell me anything at any time.”

“The truth is… I think I’ve been a little strange lately.”

Why was this moment so agonizingly nerve-wracking?

Lucy had no idea.

That’s why she wanted to ask.

Not anyone else, but you.

You who made me feel so flustered, so happy, so sad, so blissful.

“There’s someone… and when I think of that person, my heart feels like it’s about to burst.”

What state am I even in right now?

Just what are you to me, that I feel this aching longing?

“When I’m with that person, it’s as comfortable as lying on a cloud, and I’m just so happy… but conversely, when I can’t see them, I get depressed, like the world is turning dark, drenched in blue…”

I want to hear it from your lips.

“Why is this happening? It’s frustrating and painful, but I like them so much I want to forgive it all.”

The name of the fever I’m suffering from.

“Does Leiden know, maybe?”

From noble mtl dot com

“……”

The boy was silent for a moment.

His expression was serious, as if he was lost in thought.

Lucy waited.

It was only a brief silence, but the girl felt it last an eternity.

It was as if only the two of them remained in the world.

If she were to fully understand the name of the emotion she held.

Could she then also explain the brilliant rays of light that filled the present moment?

“Your Grace.”

The boy opened his mouth.

And the heightened silence was broken.

“Congratulations. It seems you’ve begun your first love.”

It was the moment the girl realized her own feelings.