A Depressed Kendo Player Possesses a Bastard Aristocrat
chapter-109-2

* * *

Some time later, things had finally calmed down.

The sun had begun its descent, casting long shadows across the room as it painted the sky in hues of orange and purple.

“I think they’re finally done crying.”

“I could still cry more, you know…”

“Sniffle… Me too…”

Ariel and Rachel looked up at me with watery eyes, their voices thick with unshed tears.

I couldn’t help but laugh, relieved that the worst seemed to be over.

“If you two cry anymore, you’re going to dehydrate yourselves. Come on, let’s sit down.”

To my relief, they didn’t put up much of a fight.

I guided them over to the sofa and sat down, flanking them on either side.

Perhaps it was the soft cushions or the warmth of our combined body heat, but as we settled into a comfortable silence, a sense of peace settled over me.

I leaned back, closing my eyes for a moment as I listened to the soft sounds of their breathing.

Ariel and Rachel were now leaning against me, their heads resting on my shoulders.

Their eyes were still red and puffy from crying, but there was a sense of contentment in their expressions that warmed my heart.

“Heh…”

I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

I shouldn’t be laughing.

And yet, the sight of these two girls, who had every right to hate me, clinging to me with such trust and affection… it filled me with a warmth I hadn’t realized I was missing.

“Is this amusing to you, Young Master?”

Rachel’s voice was sharp, laced with a hint of annoyance.

She turned her head away, as if embarrassed to have been caught crying.

But even her attempt to appear angry was adorable.

I almost blurted out the words before I could stop myself…

“Well, you are rather cute when you’re flustered.”

Oops.

Too late.

I looked up to see Rachel staring at me, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Ehhh…?”

Her voice came out as a soft squeak, and I watched in amusement as a bright red blush spread across her cheeks.

“Um… I… What…?”

She was completely flustered, her usual composure nowhere to be found.

It was… strangely endearing.

Rachel was always so composed, so in control of her emotions… it was almost as if the events of the past few weeks had stripped away her carefully constructed walls, revealing the vulnerable girl beneath.

A strange tightness gripped my chest, and I stood up abruptly.

“Ariel… Rachel…”

I turned to face them, my heart pounding in my chest.

There was something I needed to say, something I should have said a long time ago.

“I’m sorry.”

I didn’t even know where to begin.

How could I possibly put into words the depth of my regret, the shame I felt for all the pain I had caused?

So I kept it simple.

But the sincerity in my voice was undeniable.

“I never meant to hurt either of you…”

And yet, that was exactly what I had done.

In the most cruel, most selfish way imaginable.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine what they must have gone through, seeing me like that, on the brink of death.

The sheer terror, the helplessness, the despair…

-Brother! No! Don’t do this!

-Y-Young Master… Please… Don’t say such things! To just… give up on life… how could you even…?

It wasn’t just me who had crumbled that day.

While I had shattered and broken, consumed by my own self-hatred… they had withered alongside me.

A bitter taste filled my mouth, but I forced myself to smile.

This time, I wouldn’t cry.

I would smile.

Because that was the least I could do for these two girls who had shown me such unwavering love and support, even when I was at my worst.

“I promise…”

My voice cracked with emotion, but I pushed on, pouring every ounce of sincerity into my words.

“I promise… I’ll never leave you again.”

I felt them stiffen slightly in my embrace as if surprised by the conviction in my voice.

I tightened my grip on them, drawing strength from their warmth.

“I won’t run away anymore… I’ll keep fighting… for as long as it takes…”

My throat felt tight, but for some reason, the tears wouldn’t come.

Perhaps I had already cried all I could that morning, standing by the window.

All that remained now was a sense of… peace.

A fragile peace, easily shattered, but a peace nonetheless.

“So please…”

I whispered, my voice barely audible.

“Will you… stay by my side?”

I had hurt them.

I had made them cry.

But if there was even a shred of love left for me in their hearts…

If they were willing to give me another chance…

Then maybe… just maybe… I could finally leave the darkness behind and bloom into the person they deserved me to be.

“Will you… give me another chance?”

I had no right to ask such a thing.

And yet… I couldn’t help but hope.

“Yes…!”

“Sniffle… Of course, we will…!”

Their answers came without hesitation, filled with a love and acceptance that brought tears to my eyes.

“Thank you.”

I whispered, my voice choked with emotion.

I pulled them close once more, burying my face in their hair as a wave of gratitude washed over me.

***

Meanwhile, on the road leading to the Lishite Dukedom…

A single carriage sped along the path, its horses’ hooves pounding against the dirt road.

“Please… please…”

The carriage was adorned with the royal crest, its golden surface gleaming in the afternoon sun.

Inside, a young woman with long, flowing platinum blonde hair sat hunched over, her body trembling slightly.

Her sapphire blue eyes, normally so full of life and laughter, were dull and lifeless, her gaze fixed on some unseen point in the distance.

Her lips, usually curved into a mischievous grin, were drawn into a tight line, her teeth worrying at her lower lip.

She looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown, her entire body radiating an aura of barely suppressed panic.

“Please… Raiden…”

The name escaped her lips like a prayer, her voice a mixture of desperation and longing.

She was looking for her knight.

“Don’t leave me like this… Please… Don’t leave me behind…”

Her voice broke on a sob, her carefully constructed composure crumbling like a house of cards.

The carriage sped onward, its destination clear.

The Lishite Dukedom.

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