The Radiant Young Lady of the Dark Family - Chapter 17
They were organized chronologically. Hasa checked the oldest letters first. Most were evaluations from the Academy regarding Dayan’s grades or behavior. Surprisingly, he had never missed being the top student in his year since enrollment.
While feeling proud of her clever brother, Hasa stopped as she read the comments about his behavior. The evaluations were quite lengthy, but most of them amounted to this:
-Conflicts with classmates due to differences in opinion. Please visit the Academy if possible. -High frequency of disputes with classmates. Please visit the Academy if possible. -Physical altercations with classmates. Please visit the Academy if possible. -Does not get along well with classmates. Please visit the Academy.
Though they seemed slightly different, ultimately they showed that Dayan had difficulties with his Academy peers, and the school was requesting parental visits.
Hasa quietly stared at the behavior evaluation section, which had been empty since two years ago, before speaking. “Have you never visited the Academy?”
To her soft question, Vanwilhelm, who sat across from her with crossed legs drinking tea, answered briefly. “No.”
At Vanwilhelm’s plain response, Hasa felt something surge within her. Suppressing her rising questions, she looked up at him. “Why?”
It was a short question. Hasa continued speaking, unaware that the paper in her hands was being crumpled. “Looking at this, he fought, got hurt, and later seemed isolated…”
Even as she asked, Hasa imagined possible answers. She knew he was busy, and knew that as head of the family, he had responsibilities beyond just her and Dayan, but wasn’t he a father before being the family head?
Hasa thought of her brother, who had grown to find comfort in spending time alone in quiet rooms. The thought that this familiarity might not have been her brother’s choice made her heart ache.
“Were you that busy? Too busy to spare even one visit?”
Usually, she would have smiled with sparkling eyes to win her father’s favor, but somehow now she couldn’t manage such an expression.
She wondered if she empathized so much with his situation because she had spent these past few days with Dayan, but that wasn’t it.
It felt like long-suppressed resentment was bursting forth – resentment toward a father who had been too busy managing the family business to know about Dayan’s circumstances, or even her own, while wandering outside.
As she stared directly at her father, he briefly lowered his dark gaze before speaking in a cold tone. “As a Cellie, one must naturally pass through such phases, Hasa.”
At this brief answer, she felt the distance she had believed they were closing. Hasa’s lips trembled before she blurted out. “…I heard you took away the mansion’s authority from aunt. Why did you do that?”
“That was because I worried about you…”
“So until then, you didn’t worry, thinking it was just a phase that Cellies naturally go through?”
At these sharp words, Salam swallowed dryly and stepped back. The father-daughter relationship had been unusually good these past few days, making even him feel inappropriately excited, but now the atmosphere had turned as cold as walking on thin ice.
Vanwilhelm gave no response to this, and Hasa, after staring at her father’s tightly closed lips, left the room.
***
“I’m done.”
“Ah, sorry.”
Only then did Hasa take the paper handed to her from across the table. Noticing that Hasa had been distracted and dazed for a while now, Dayan disapprovingly tapped his index finger on the desk.
Hasa couldn’t concentrate, her thoughts kept returning to her meeting with Vanwilhelm from a few days ago. Today was also the last day she would help with Dayan’s assignments. Dayan would return to the Academy in two days.
Though she had felt the workload was heavy, Dayan had managed to complete all of it. Hasa reviewed all the papers and smiled brightly.
“Everything’s correct. Why did you find it difficult before? You’re doing so well after just learning a few interpretation methods.”
At Hasa’s praise, Dayan scratched the back of his neck and answered dismissively.
“That’s because your interpretation methods are more logical and easier than the Academy teachers’.”
“…Was that a compliment just now?”
When Hasa pressed for confirmation, Dayan grumbled in response.
“Do you need to check that?”
Dayan stuck out his tongue and added “stupid” at the end. Seeing him grumble more out of embarrassment made him look his age. Yet this image overlapped with memories of Dayan submitting to forceful tones.
At first, she had laughed it off, thinking it fitting for the Cellie heir to be already familiar with such organizational speech at a young age, but looking back, it wasn’t something to laugh about.
Because he had lost his mother even younger than her, and their family had fallen apart. The caring and doting tone of the speech was unfamiliar to him. Trying not to show her gloom, Hasa changed the subject while looking at his interpreted papers.
“By the way, was this really a class assignment? Even after solving it all, it’s just recipes. Was it a cooking class?”
“It’s not just recipes. They probably gave other students familiar texts about practical things like sword forging or chair assembly instructions. It’s hidden in there.”
“Hidden? What?”
“Ancient artifact usage methods.”
Dayan explained matter-of-factly while pointing to spots on his interpreted paper.
“For example, there are many beef-based recipes here, but if you substitute ‘beef’ with artifact essence, terms like ‘mincing’ or ‘mixing’ can be interpreted differently…”
Dayan, who had been explaining continuously, suddenly stopped when he looked up and caught Hasa’s sparkling eyes. Uncomfortable with the gaze, he asked what it was, and Hasa showed him a bright smile.
“I only interpreted the literal meanings, but Dayan, you’re really amazing.”
“It’s not that impressive.”
Dayan seemed uncomfortable with Hasa praising things that were considered basic at the Academy and avoided her gaze.
In Dayan’s memory, Hasa was like a faded landscape painting. After their mother passed away, Dayan soon left for the Academy after his abilities were recognized. Each time he returned home, his sister’s impression had changed.
There were many days when they wouldn’t even greet each other when their eyes met, and later she would only look at the ground while walking, making encounters rare. Though Helena was suspicious, she seemed to be the only one taking care of Hasa, so Dayan could only endure in his position.
But now she had come to him first.
“I came because I was worried. To feed you.”
Really now. Who had been worried all this time? Seeing her smile so naturally as if nothing had ever happened, Dayan unconsciously muttered softly.
“…Hasa’s the really amazing one.”
“What did you say?”
Dayan shook his head vigorously and answered as if nothing had happened. “Thanks for your help. Thanks to you, I could finish all my assignments before returning to the Academy.”
“Speaking of which, you’re leaving in two days?”
“Yes, I only came because of the dormitory renovations.”
At his answer, Hasa’s eyes drooped with disappointment. Feeling guilty at her expression, Dayan quickly added. “I’ll be back when the semester ends, so don’t make that face.”
To that, Hasa mumbled a small “still,” before clapping her hands as if she had a good idea. “Still, since we won’t see each other for a while once you’re back at the dormitory, let’s spend time together before you go.”
Hasa expected Dayan to reluctantly agree, but he let out a small “ah” and continued apologetically. “Sorry about that. I have some unfinished business to take care of before I go back.”
“Unfinished business?”
***
Hasa felt sorry for having thought Dayan’s genius was simply innate.
Dayan said he needed to complete work he had postponed due to helping Hasa with ancient language interpretation these past few days. Hasa, feeling competitive, insisted on joining him even for that, and Dayan, though troubled, reluctantly allowed her to at least stay nearby.
When he mentioned postponed work, she thought he might be packing for his return, but Dayan headed to the training grounds for physical conditioning, doing bodyweight exercises followed by sword training and sparring until sunset.
Despite the flying sand, Hasa stubbornly stayed at the training grounds. As a result, she got filthy without having done anything herself.
When she thought he was finally done as the sun set, Dayan merely grabbed a quick dinner before heading straight to the library. When she saw what he was doing, he was studying family succession matters.
Dayan was a genius through relentless effort.
