As several more sparring matches took place and conversations continued, Violet thought about Cairn.

To be precise, she couldnt get Cairns expression out of her mind.

Even while Violet was distracted, the sparring matches continued diligently.

The final winner was Aldin.

The iron-blooded old knight, who had been silently observing the results, picked up a sword himself. Although their future was promising, he deemed it necessary to teach the still inexperienced geniuses.

Though she could have left, Violet deliberately stayed to watch them.

It was at this moment she fully realized why Roen had slipped away. Feeling a sudden surge of irritation, she let out a deep sigh.

The margraves ploy to make the imperial knight and the third son of Everett the guardians of the borders was obvious, but it was not Violets concern.

In the end, after Cairn was quite practically given a beating by the margrave, he gritted his teeth and stared at the ground

At that moment

Lets talk, you idiot.

Violet couldnt hold back and finally spoke.

* * *

Talk about what? If its not something urgent right now

Are you out of your mind?

What? Do I have to listen to that just because I lost a sparring match?

Do you think I called you here to talk about your loss in the match? Fine. You must be feeling all sorts of complicated emotions. But why? What are you suffering from?

I know that youve been avoiding me for a while now. I was the one who told you to get lost in the first place.

The more Violet spoke, the more Cairns expression crumpled. Calling someone out just to say such incomprehensible things.

Gritting his teeth and looking at the ground, Cairn shouted.

Yeah! Ive been staying out of your way like you wanted! So what else do you want from me?!

You might as well have gone back to the academy.

!

Or you could have chosen to leave the capital and return to the estate. Yet you insisted on staying here. You came up with nothing but a sword, so you could have just gone back down.

Why are you still here, just watching everything? Its like youre staging a protest.

Im not staging a protest.

Cairns expression looked like he was about to cry at her criticism. However, Violets face remained unmoved as she looked down at her younger brother.

Do you now understand what you did wrong?

It seems you do. Then why dont you say it yourself?

Every time Violets voice dropped coldly, Cairns shoulders trembled. With his head down, she couldnt see his face, but she was certain he was crying.

His shoulders quivered with a myriad of emotions. Violet quietly waited for him to speak.

I was reckless and violent.

And?

I got angry without listening to the full story, cursed at you, and acted entirely according to my whims.

After this, a string of confessions continued to spill out.

Rather than explaining his wrongdoings, it was more like an apology thats drowning in self-criticism. Sorry, Im sorry. The words, delivered in a faltering voice, were not pleasant to hear.

A person who had thought highly of himself all his life was now confessing how incompetent he was.

His apology, steeped in self-loathing, eventually turned into a lament about what he felt sorrowful about, before devolving into more confused apologies.

After listening for a long while, Violet finally opened her mouth to speak.

Yes. Now you understand what the problem is.

The head of the crying person drooped down. Like a sinner who couldnt face the sky, Cairn just stared at the ground.

Watching her brother, Violet tilted her head slightly.

Of course, its not entirely your fault. Its not like Ive lived a completely righteous life either.

Whatever the case, just stop. I dont want to keep seeing you walking on eggshells like that.

There were still many unresolved feelings, like tightly tied knots, but she didnt point them out.

He was already drowning in guilt and self-loathing. She had no intention of adding more fuel to the fire.

Was she being a bit petty? As Violet swallowed her complex emotions, Cairn cautiously spoke.

Then, are you forgiving me?

Asking this, Cairn finally lifted his head. His face, covered in tears and snot, looked utterly pathetic.