Chapter 33

It would be strange if she said it was a lie, and it would be awkward to talk to him about it again.

“Yes. That’s right. By the way…” she responded moderately.

“Aron, can you give me the sword? Maybe I can fix it.”

“Thank you, Citrina.”

Aron slowly handed his sword. His innocent face as a boy turned into a young man shining brightly.

“I also want to give you a lot of things.”

“Yes. When we see each other again in the empire, I’ll give it to you when I become an adult.”

“Yes. I’ll give it to you, since we’re family.”

He still remembers the word family. It seems like the young man still retained his affection as when he was a boy.

But for now, Citrina took Aron’s words as a greeting. It was such a long time not seeing each other, and it will continue to be so.

*Tuk Tuk*

Then, someone knocked on the door of the reception room.

“Lady Citrina, the sun will set soon,” her escort reminded in a small voice.

Although she still had a lot of questions to ask, Citrina slowly stood up. The meeting was short but she needs to leave.

“I’m sorry that the meeting is short.”

“Yeah. But we will see each other again soon.”

Faced with Aorn’s bright smile, Citrina nodded.

She left the academy with her escort, just like when she first came. And Aron sent her off to the gate.

“Then, farewell, Aron.”

After hearing his simple answer, Citrina tried to get in the carriage, however, she couldn’t.

She saw a woman standing in front of it. It was her younger sister, Elena.

“Sister.”

Elena restrained Citrina from riding the carriage with a light touch.

When Citrina couldn’t get in the carriage, embarrassed, Aron stood in front of Citrina with determination.

“Aron, stay back.”

“… Will you be okay?”

“I’ll take care of it.”

He looked impatient but did not neglect Citrina’s words. He stepped to the side with steady steps.

As Elena watched their interaction with her arms folded, she said with a sarcastic tone, “Ha! Did you meet Lord Aron privately?”

“Sister, you look happy alone.”

Without much response, Citrina passed by Elena, but Elena grabbed her shoulder with a twisted face.

“Aren’t you worried about the duke’s curse?”

“Yes. I was already cursed of having to work tirelessly.”

Elena and Aron weren’t on friendly terms. In the novel she had read in her previous life, Elena didn’t even care about curses.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

Citrina didn’t want to consume useless emotions.

The guards Oslo sent looked at the situation and gradually moved away. Looking at the escorts, Elena smiled with a foolish face.

“Anything else to say? Of course there are. We’re family, aren’t we?”

“Family?”

‘It’s a word that’s completely different compared to when it’s from Aron’s mouth.'

The word ‘family’ that comes out of Aron’s mouth was extremely sweet and lovely.

But that’s not how Elena says it.

Citrina let out a low laugh. The family who obviously exploited her.

“Don’t twist your words, speak frankly.”

Citrina’s answer was concise that Elena’s face turned red.

“I heard that my sister became a disciple of sir Oslo. I’m envious of the person who destroyed my family’s lives. My mother told me not to tell my sister about it even if she died, but I really needed to say it.”

Elena clenched her teeth. As Citrina just stared at her, Elena was angered even more.

“My life is ruined because of you. Because you left me! I had to drop out of the academy. What do you have to say about that?”

“Really? What a pity.”

“Citrina Foluin!”

“You want to receive my support, right?”

There are many people who can give support to a knight. It’s not like Elena doesn’t know that, but she didn’t want to bend her pride, that’s why she tried to hold onto Citrina.

“Do I look like a person who will go under, like you?”

Unlike Citrina’s calm voice, Elena’s crazed voice was exceptionally loud.

“Elena Foluin, was your pride that precious? Enough to mortgage my life?” Citrina replied in an empty voice.

Speechless, Elena bit her lips.

“Thanks to you, I worked for over twelve hours a day. When I hear insults for doing a maid’s job beyond that of a playmate’s,I give them no heed when I think of you. I had to give you something better, and if you succeed, then our family would be happier, is what I thought. Did you know?”

When she remembered her past life, everything became clear, and so was the fact that Elena doesn’t think of Citrina at all even if she succeeds.

Elena nervously parted her lips, but Citrina spoke again, monotonously, “One day everyone avoided me. Dirty water was poured all over my body and I was told not to go there anymore, and that all I had to do was to go to the cursed house of the Duke.”

Citrina sighed deeply and continued in a soft voice, “I left because I didn’t want to live like that. What about you? What did you sacrifice?”

“My, my, my pride! You ruined my pride! You’re, Citina Foluin, because of you, I had to drop out of the academy! I don’t want to make any concessions. Anything I can have, I must have.”

Deep down, Elena must have known that. However, pride was the most important to her than anything else.

So, she will never bend her pride.

“You have the guilt that ruined my life. Understand? Because of you, I can’t register for the next semester.” (t/n note: … your pride? Girl, we have a freakin’ pandemic, hbt. Many would bend and twist their backs for a shitty semester. And if we get a scholarship, we’d be howling, and here you are talking about pride. Roar)

The person who made Citrina’s life hell so far told her to feel guilty.

Even though she was a noble, she struggled through several jobs while living in her clothes. She risked everything and barely survived herself.

“I can’t stand it.”

With that said, Citrina raised her hand.

*pak!*

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