Chapter 61: 61 Raw Emotion.

“Fuaah~!”.

A gentle yawn escaped Silvia’s mouth as she covered it to mask her appearance. Tears accumulated in the corner of her eyes, her whole body seemed sluggish, and her mind dulled.

“I’m sorry, Silvia. You must be tired and yet”.

Sullivan knitted his brows together, his concern written on his gentle face. If not because his brother, the King, had not asked for their presence, he would let Silvia take a rest or maybe explore the capital with Jin.

“Hmm, it’s okay, Father. I’m already used to it”. Silvia shook sideways, her gleaming azure eyes brightly staring ahead, thinking about the future when she met with Jin.

After meeting with Jin, Sullivan noticed a significant change in her daughter’s demeanour. Ever since they left the village, inside the rocking carriage, Silvia couldn’t stop her mouth from talking about the experience she learned inside the Dungeon, especially about a certain boy.

Silvia regained her life, cheerfully spreading her lips open, showing her a bright smile like she used to when she was a child.

The vivid picture of the battle in the Dungeon and her first kill. She told everything to him, including when she first touched the abyss, making her body turn lifeless.

Thanks to Jin’s help and care, she was able to regain her spirit and travel to the capital despite the experience. ’I’m happy for you, Silvia.’

They were walking in the castle hallway. A red carpet lay upon the floor, stretching into every corner. The sun hung above, casting a golden light toward the room through the filtered glass of the window.

Both shadows intertwined, softly drowned in the day’s ambience. Silvia’s lips parted in slight joy, thinking of what Jin would bring in his adventure from the capital.

It didn’t take long for the meeting with the King to conclude, and they were planning to return to their inn to rest for the day. As for the Midnight spouse, they were separated from them to greet other guests who took care of their other son.

Slowly, as they made their way toward the castle’s entrance, they saw the figure of Ryan and Marina with two other people.

“Ah, Your Highness, have you finished your business with the King?”. Ryan placed a hand on his chest and greeted the Duke and Silvia, who were approaching.

“Yeah, we are. My brother seemed pleased after seeing Silvia’s for so long.” Sullivan glanced at Ryan’s side and saw Marina nod her head timidly. A person he recognized stood not too far away from him.

The man recognized his gaze and promptly stepped forward, followed by two youngsters. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duke Frost”.

“Oh, Count Magna, I thank you about the matter for Silvia”.

“I’m glad to help”.

Count Magna is a man in his late forties. He has a handsome face, short brown hair slicked back and a formal outfit that matches his calm demeanour.

Beside him, a girl the same age as Silvia pinched her long pale green dress and greeted the Duke and Silvia at the same time.

“It’s been a while, Duke Frost and Lady Silvia”.

“Yes, It’s been a while, Lady Finne”. Silvia answers the woman’s greeting with the same courtesy.

Her name was Finne Magna, the eldest daughter of Count Magna. Standing beside her was her guard.

He was a promising man who graduated from Knight School with high praise. He caught the attention of the Count and now acts as Finne’s personal knight.

Count Magna also had a son who was currently busy handling the matter of his territory. He attended the New Year celebration with his daughter to see her debut at the party, the same reason as Jin and Silvia’s parents.

“Excuse me. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duke Frost, Lady Silvia. My name is Victor Midnight. I am very thankful for your hospitality in bringing my parents along to the capital.”

A figure of a young man stood beside Lady Finne, he reached out to his chest and lowered his head toward the Duke family.

Victor Midnight is a man in his early twenties. He has a sharp appearance like Ryan’s and striking red hair that resembles that of his mother.

Hide behind those formal military outfits was a medium-built physique packed with strong muscles, a testament to his effort in striving to be a knight.

Silvia’s gaze wanders toward the man; she unconsciously covers her mouth to hide her snickers. ’They are truly brothers’.

All the people presented looked toward the flinching girl, Silvia’s gaze turned sideways and soon dyed with the flame of embarrassment. Her face, tainted with blush, averted her gaze to the side.

“Um, is there a problem in my face?”.

Victor tilted his head. He gulped his saliva to moisten his parched throat. Hidden beneath his calm facade, a pounding heart kept drumming his consciousness for meeting Silvia Frost, the girl he admired.

As someone who walked in the path of a sword, he knew Silvia’s talent and the bad rumour that swindled around her.

However, as someone who admired his father’s honesty, he never took the rumour at face value and strived to pursue his own path and have a taste of her sword if fate wielded it.

“No, pardon me for my rudeness”. Silvia raised her hand to apologize and gazed at the man before her with a smile that enchanted everyone around her: “It’s just that your appearance reminds me of Jin.”

“Jin!?”.

The people from Count Magna’s side blinked, unsure how to respond to that unfamiliar boy. But Victor took matters into a different case. His face knitted in a deep frown, and he looked toward his parents.

“Father, Jin was also here? Why didn’t you bring him?”.

At first, those words mean good, coming from a big brother who rarely sees his little brother. But for Ryan and Marina, who noticed a slight venom hid inside, their face clouded and bit their lips.

“Oh, he is exploring the capital right now?”. Silvia answered the man’s question with a smile, but the atmosphere froze.

Victor exhaled sharply, his face crumpled in a deep frown, ’That brat always acts so carefree’.

His shoulder slumped, and he shook his head to the side before turning to Silvia. “Is that so? It seemed Lady Silvia was close with my little brother. I apologize if my brother troubles you.”

Silvia’s brows furrowed, seeing Victor’s response. She is unsure about any of those words’ meaning, but something stung her heart.

Somewhere deep in her chest, a sharp needle put a hole in her consciousness, flooding her entire mind with a hollow and a tinge of spark. ’Trouble? Jin was troubling me?’.

Silvia stilled, her face gazing blankly at the man, “N-No, he was never…”.

“It’s okay, Lady Silvia. You don’t have to cover for that boy. His carefree attitude always brings nothing but trouble near him.”

’No!’ A loud thumping from her heart awoke her from her daze. Silvia reached out to the fabric on her chest and clenched it tight.

“When he was a child, that kid refused father’s intention of teaching him swordsmanship. Then instead he stubbornly clung to the uncertain”.

Victor continued his rambling, unaware that the girl before her had an empty gaze. The Duke and Midnight family’s faces tightened for the unfair treatment the man had spat toward a certain boy.

“Also,”.

“Enough!”.

Silvia’s loud and solemn voice broke the calm atmosphere the world had to offer. The warm light that bathed the place turned chilled as the winter breeze passed by.

An icy edge pressed against Victor’s throat. Its sharp and glittering shards sent chills creeping through his body, making him shudder as cold sweat trickled down his back.

A gentle tap from her shoulder woke her up from her absentminded state. “Silvia, calm down”.

“Ah?”. Silvia’s breath stopped, and she turned to see her father’s face darkening.

The uncontrolled emotion that leaked from her was dissipated like a fleeting mist in the morning. Silvia’s body loosened the tension that left a red mark on her palm. She inhaled deeply and bowed her head to the guest.

“I’m sorry for my outburst”.

“…”. The people from the Count Magna faction gulped their saliva, barely noticing the oppressive aura that choked their throat had gone.

“Ahaha, I’m sorry. It seems my daughter is tired from the long journey.” Sullivan turned to Ryan and Marina, who nodded their heads in understanding and shifted toward Count Magna.

“Count Magna, I will excuse myself. Silvia seemed to need some rest”.

“…Ah, right. Be careful on your way”.

After a brief farewell, the father and daughter duo left the group and entered the carriage, waiting near the second gate that surrounded the castle.

“Go to the inn.” The coachman nodded his head and began flicking his hands to control the reins, letting the carriage drive silently on the street.

Sullivan looked ahead; his daughter gazed down. She was still bothered by what the man had said earlier. He opened his lips to find the right word to break the subtle awkwardness in the room.

“Silvia, you don’t have…”.

“I’m sorry, Father”. But Silvia beat him to it. She lifted her gaze and met her father’s worried expression. “I let my emotions get the better of me”.

She lowered her head, lips curled in deep frustration. This was the first time Silvia had shown the world her raw emotions, such as anger.

In his dark period, whenever the swordmaster cursed or ridiculed her for her abrupt swordsmanship, she never spat them back. Silvia stood still, receiving everything thrown at her with an open arm and closed heart.

However, after knowing Jin and experiencing a short and hectic day with him, her once-closed gate slightly opened, freeing up the raw emotions she sealed deep inside.

Silvia’s chest tightened in pain like something was prickling it with a sharp object when hearing someone else dismiss Jin like a problem child. ’I must calm myself’.

Sullivan’s face broke into a wide grin, seeing that his daughter could change her expression freely. He exhaled softly, thanking the boy who was now exploring the capital.

’Thank you, Jin. For bringing salvation to my daughter’.

The two rode the carriage silently until they arrived at the inn. They then felt restless because the boy still did not show his face until the day changed to night.

At first, Silvia was drowned in longing for his absent presence, but when she heard, “I’m sorry, I’m late”. Coming from the neighbours, her tightened expression melted, breaking into a smile so radiant that even the blooming flower pale in comparison.

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