Episode 67
"Frey, get under the desk."
"Serena, it's fine. I'm actually..."
"I know you're strong, so just get under there."
Hearing Serena's firm voice, Frey began to hesitate.
Looking at Frey, Serena grabbed his arm and pushed him under the desk while speaking urgently.
"You're practically half-dead right now. No matter how strong you are, in that state you'll definitely get hurt."
"No, but still..."
"I will protect you. So stay right there."
When Frey still wouldn't let go of his sword, Serena raised her eyes and struck his hand with her fan.
"Ow."
"I told you not to worry. I've already finished calculating everything."
Hearing those words, Frey crossed his arms with a sulky expression and quietly began staring at the floor.
Seeing this behavior that reminded her of how Frey used to act whenever he sulked at her pranks in the past, Serena smirked and unfolded her fan.
"Guu!!"
When the owl perched on her shoulder let out a cry and flew out through the slightly open window, Serena, who had been watching it, closed her eyes gently and fell into thought.
'...In 5 seconds, the window will shatter and a man will burst in. His weapon will be a dagger, and he'll aim for my left shoulder.'
And the very next moment, the window on the right shattered and a masked man burst into the room.
"Heup!!"
Realizing that Serena in the room was watching him, the man immediately made his judgment and began targeting Serena's left shoulder.
It was a cold and fearsome judgment that came from being trained as an assassination machine his entire life in the Moonlight family.
"It's within my expectations."
However, Serena lightly blocked the attack with her fan, then quickly spun and deflected the dagger before starting to look at the door on the left side of the room.
'Feeling the flow of air coming from outside the door... there's one person standing on each edge of the door. Judging by their build, height, and standing posture, both are ranged attackers.'
Having seen these people constantly since childhood and in her previous life, Serena knew all the strategies and tactics they used.
That was why Serena, with just a slight deduction from her perspective, could easily predict what actions the assassins would take as if she had foresight.
'So the moment the door opens, the two standing at the edges will throw themselves to the right and left respectively and throw daggers at me. In that case...'
Having finished her judgment, Serena kicked the shin of the man who was bewildered after his dagger was deflected, then grabbed him by the collar and stood him in front of her.
- Bang!!
And at that moment, the door opened forcefully and the two assassins who entered threw daggers at Serena before throwing themselves to both ends of the room.
"Kehek!!"
However, the daggers they threw ended up hitting the man Serena had already prepared as a shield.
'Next, two people will come down from the ceiling simultaneously and try to stab me with their swords. At the same time, the ones who went to both ends of the room will prepare follow-up attacks.'
Thinking this, Serena twisted the neck of the man who had stiffened after being hit by the dagger, then kicked a chair lying nearby to the right while grabbing the limp man and starting to run to the left.
- Kugung!!
And at that moment, the ceiling collapsed and two assassins landed on the floor.
The two who had been trying to stab Serena who was right in front of them moments ago discovered Serena now far away and began gathering sword qi into their blades.
"Kheuk!"
"W-what?"
But one of the assassins gathering sword qi suddenly fell with his head pierced by a dagger.
It was because the chair Serena had kicked earlier scored a direct hit on the man throwing a dagger from the right end, altering its trajectory.
"...Damn!"
At the same time, the woman on the left who had been about to throw a shuriken gave up on her ranged attack because of the man Serena was using as a shield, drew her dagger, and began preparing for close combat.
'Soon the one below will target my feet, right? He always liked to intervene at crucial moments and steal the credit.'
Having finished that judgment, Serena dropped the limp man and climbed on top of him.
'The woman in front of me has no talent for close combat. So she'll probably attack exactly as she was taught, not from experience.'
Soon recalling her combat style, Serena smiled and began waving her fan.
Having blocked the escape route with moon mana, Serena twisted her body angle to narrow the attack range of the woman in front of her and momentarily fell into thought.
'This way, the only attack she can make with her dagger is a thrust.'
"Huaaat!!"
Just as expected, the woman who had been looking at the moon mana surrounding her in bewilderment squeezed her eyes shut and thrust her dagger at Serena with all her might.
Then Serena grabbed her arm and instead used that force against her, pulling her toward herself.
- Pazizik!!
And at that moment, the man behind her forcefully sent the sword qi he had gathered on his blade toward Serena.
"Heup!"
Then Serena pushed the woman she had pulled toward her with her foot, sending her right in front of the sword qi, and swung her fan widely.
- Sseogeok!
The woman who was pushed forward was bisected by the sword qi and died instantly, and with half of them dead in an instant, silence briefly flowed through the room.
- Tuduk!!
What broke the silence was a spear that pierced through the skin of the man Serena was standing on.
"Heup!"
However, having read the slight vibration from the man she was stepping on and predicting where the spear would emerge, Serena quickly lifted her foot to avoid it and then kicked the spear's tip.
"Kheuk!"
Then the poisoned spear tip began flying forward, and the man holding the sword who saw this made a terrified expression and threw his body to the side.
- Puk!
But because of that, the ranged attacker who had been defenseless behind him fell with the poisoned spear embedded in his eye.
"Kullok kullok! Keheuk!"
And at the same time, the assassin who had been waiting for an opportunity from below the floor inhaled the moon mana that had filled the space below, fell to his knees, vomited blood, and collapsed.
"...Damn!"
The man holding the sword who had been watching this scene with a stunned expression urgently shouted and started running toward the window.
"Guuu!!"
"Khak!"
But just as he reached right before the window, Serena's owl suddenly popped out and began fiercely clawing at his eyes with its talons.
"S-Serena-nim! Please spare me!"
Having lost his sight thanks to that, the assassin panicked, looked around, then urgently fell to his knees and began begging.
"You should have given up on the mission when I gave you the chance."
"P-please! I beg you..."
"Did you want to kill my husband that badly?"
But looking at the assassin coldly, Serena twisted his neck without mercy and headed toward the window.
'The moment I try to close the window, the assassin who was watching the situation will fire a poison needle. After avoiding that, if I throw the hidden weapon in my fan toward where he is...'
Just as Serena was about to carry out the final action she had calculated, she suddenly screamed and collapsed from pain spreading throughout her body.
"Ha, hahk...!"
On her body, a complex magic circle had risen.
- Pushung!!
And not missing that gap, poison needles were fired at her, so Serena smiled bitterly and muttered.
"I told you to hide under the desk."
"Euryaat!!"
At that moment, Frey popped out from under the desk and deflected the poison needles with his sword.
"By the way, husband?"
After quietly gathering star mana in his hand, Frey asked Serena in a low voice.
"I've never taken a wife?"
The moment he finished those words, a silver light that shot from Frey's finger pierced through a tree far in the distance.
"Kek!"
Then a short death rattle was heard from somewhere, and silence began to flow.
"...Please marry me, Frey."
What broke the brief silence was Serena, who had been tearing up.
"Even if it's for a short time... let's have a wedding, go on a honeymoon, have children, and live happily together. Okay?"
"Serena... I told you I'm fine?"
"What's fine! I've already read your thoughts! You're not even sure if you'll survive either!"
Saying that, Serena stood up from her spot and began crying sorrowfully in Frey's embrace.
"Please. Before it's too late, marry me. I'm begging you."
"Serena."
"I'll never remarry. I'll spend my whole life raising your child. So please..."
"You idiot."
Having been stubborn for a while, Serena heard Frey's words and opened her eyes wide and asked.
"What did you just say?"
"Idiot."
Then Frey made a mischievous expression again, and hearing those words, Serena began looking at Frey with a dazed look.
"This is the second time in my life I've been called an idiot."
"Really?"
"Yes, the first person to say it was you too."
As Serena smiled bashfully while saying that, Frey sighed and stood her up.
"Anyway, I won't die. I will definitely survive."
Hearing those words, Serena momentarily made a dark expression, then soon deliberately brightened her expression and nodded.
"Then, shall we go to our next date course?"
"No, that won't do."
When words that were scary in multiple meanings popped out of Serena's mouth who was smiling, Frey shook his head firmly and looked around as he spoke.
"We just committed murder in the middle of the imperial capital. Not in a back alley, but in an ordinary dessert cafe."
"That's true."
"Right, so we need to clean up quickly. First... the money I have right now is..."
Frey looked at the blood-stained room with a serious expression and began rummaging through his clothes to check the money he could currently use, but...
- Clap clap!
Suddenly Serena clapped her hands, and he began looking at her with a bewildered expression.
"...Clean it up."
""Yes.""
And when the dessert cafe staff who opened the door and appeared shortly after began moving in perfect unison with cold expressions at Serena's command, Frey who had his mouth hanging open asked in a quiet voice.
"There was someone who said you can't bring animals in earlier too?"
"There's a saying that to deceive your enemy, you must first deceive your ally."
"...Don't tell me this place was like this from the beginning?"
"Still, the desserts were tasty, weren't they?"
When Serena smiled with her eyes after saying that, Frey who had been staring at her blankly suddenly broke into a cold sweat looking at the staff who had entered the room.
"It's fine, those people have such poor eyesight that they can't distinguish faces well without glasses. Of course they can distinguish overall outlines and colors so..."
"...I surrender."
Frey cut off her explanation with a voice of resignation, then quietly began following her out of the dessert cafe.
It was a night with unusually bright moonlight.
.
"Frey. Did you enjoy today?"
"...Yes."
I had been quite shocked because of the terror dessert cafe incident, but fortunately, I was able to spend quite an enjoyable time after that.
The play we saw together after so long was really fun, during shopping in the back alley I was able to find regular candidate shops, and at the bar we went to, I discovered that Serena's weakness was alcohol.
If she hadn't come to her senses at the end and used a sobriety magic, it really would have been a big problem.
"Look over there. The moon is so bright today too."
"It's already fading away though?"
"In times like this, just say it's bright."
Like that, rushing against time on our date, Serena and I lay on the ground of the playground we used to frequent and began looking up at the sky.
"Aren't you going to be reprimanded because of the assassins who died today?"
"I'll fabricate it as an accident."
"Didn't the Elders Council directly order it?"
"I've already planted a mole in the Elders Council. So don't worry too much."
Hearing those words, I looked at Serena who was gazing at the sky beside me and said.
"Who is that mole?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I'm planning to take down the entire Elders Council, so I shouldn't take down your mole too."
Hearing that, Serena burst into laughter.
"Kukuk... How will you do that?"
"The friends I've gotten close to recently are quite useful. So, I can sweep away something like the Elders Council quickly."
"Can I trust that?"
"If you keep doing that, I'll give you an order."
When I frowned slightly and said that, Serena answered with a pleasant smile.
"From now on, let's share information at night, through letters. I'll send you an owl every night."
"Hmm... there might be times when it's awkward to receive it?"
"My owl will judge that on its own. He's as clever as I am."
I nodded at those words, then asked with a curious expression.
"By the way, how exactly did you find out all these facts? And how did you avoid the penalty at the beginning?"
"Who knows?"
Then she used the phrase she used to often say in the past and began teasing me.
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you right now."
Thanks to that, I made an annoyed expression as memories of being pushed around by Serena in the past came up, and Serena smiled and opened her mouth.
"When everything becomes certain, I'll tell you then. There are still too many things I can't be sure of."
Hearing those words, I began staring at Serena for a while.
"Why? Are you sulking?"
"No, you just look pretty today."
I gave a compliment to repay her for doing her best for me, but suddenly Serena began making a mischievous expression.
"More than Kania?"
"Huh?"
"Is Kania more precious to you? Or am I more precious?"
Hearing the words she eventually spat out, I began thinking all sorts of thoughts in that fleeting moment.
Perhaps, my brain catching up to Serena's calculation speed was unique to that moment.
""Kania is precious to me as my confidant, and you are precious to me as my fiancée.""
No, that wasn't it.
Far from catching up, my thoughts had been read.
"See, you're in the palm of my hand."
"...Haha."
As Serena recited my lines along with me simultaneously with a cold smile, I laughed awkwardly and looked back up at the sky.
"I have one question."
"Hmm?"
But Serena suddenly frowned deeply and asked.
"...Whose handkerchief were you holding earlier?"
Hearing that, I took out the handkerchief in my pocket and said.
"My younger sibling gave it to me."
Listening carefully to those words, Serena stared piercingly into my eyes, then smiled and said.
"So it seems to be true."
"Would I be crazy enough to lie in front of you?"
Saying that, I tried to put the handkerchief back in my pocket, but suddenly Serena snatched it from me.
"Here, take this."
"This is..."
Soon in my hand was a handkerchief with a small moon embroidered on it.
"My, morning seems to be coming."
As I quietly stroked the handkerchief feeling the subtle energy that had no toxicity for moon mana, Serena frowned and said.
"I should go now."
Saying that, as Serena tried to get up, she suddenly looked at me as if remembering something and began speaking.
"This exam was something Klana-ssi planned in cooperation with the Moonlight family."
"Right, I figured as much."
"However, things went awry due to Professor Isollet's unilateral decision."
"What?"
When I frowned at those words, Serena whispered in a low voice.
"Due to Professor Isollet's unilateral decision, each team's commander was changed, disrupting the plan. Do you understand what that means?"
"...There's an assassin among the commoner students."
"Be careful, Frey."
Serena nodded quietly at my words and looked at me with a worried expression.
"I'll share any more information I find out through the owl."
"Wait, don't go yet. Serena."
"Yes?"
When Serena tilted her head at those words, I quietly whispered to her.
"You said I'd die if I don't drink the antidote before morning comes? Aren't you going to give me the antidote?"
"Ah..."
Hearing those words, Serena quietly took out a medicine bottle from her pocket.
"Is this what you're talking about?"
"What, it was real?"
I was flustered when an antidote actually came out since I had asked just in case, and I urgently reached for the medicine bottle she was holding, but...
- Gulup gulup
As Serena opened the bottle's cap and drank the antidote inside, I watched her with a blank expression.
"What are you doing right now...!"
I was about to shout with a flustered expression when suddenly Serena grabbed me and pushed me down to the floor, and I ended up pinning her underneath me in the confusion.
"...Drin it (Drink it)."
As I looked at her with a puzzled expression not understanding what was happening, Serena spoke with a smile in her eyes while holding a lot of antidote in her mouth.
"...Okay."
I couldn't just die like this, so it seemed I had no choice.
.
After quite some time had passed and Frey had headed back to the ducal residence.
"Guu!"
The owl that had left to give them some time alone returned to Serena's shoulder and began looking at her quietly.
"You're back."
"Guuu!"
Then Serena, who was gently stroking the owl perched on her shoulder, began muttering with a completely different dark expression from before.
"It was really true. What was written there was true. Then, then you ultimately..."
The owl looked at her with a worried expression and tapped her with its wings, but.
"I was wrong, Frey. I... I was wrong... so..."
Serena began muttering with a trembling voice, even shedding tears.
"...Please never leave me again."
The sun had begun to rise in the sky.