RHEIN'S POINT OF VIEW
Wait—did he just call my name so casually?
I let out a long sigh. I can't tell if this is his way of pretending he is fine or if he has finally lost a screw in his head.
I shrugged, unable to stop my brows from lifting. "What do you think, Brother Dylan?" I asked him back.
"Let me guess." He touched his chin as though in deep thought. "You want to ask about the details of the test? Oh, wait—I just realized something. I'm only a year older than you. Drop the 'Brother.' It makes me feel like an old man."
I rolled my eyes automatically. Of course, he'd twist things around and avoid the topic again as if I would let him.
Taking a deeper breath, I asked him directly, "Aren't you mad?"
He laughed as though my question were a joke. "Why would I be angry?"
"Cut the crap." My tone hardened. "I know that you know what I did earlier. I tried to uncover your past. That's why you snatched the mnarill book from me in the underground library, right? So why are you smiling at me like nothing happened? Shouldn't you be mad?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, still smiling.
"I did something wrong to you. I even tried to hide it. Shouldn't you be furious with me?"
"And why should I be?"
"Because you don't want anyone to know about your past! I tried to find it out from that book. That should make you angry, right?"
"And why should it?"
"Because it's an invasion of your privacy!"
"And why should it matter?"
My palm smacked against my forehead. I was barely holding back my frustration. Instead of guilt, all I felt now is confusion—because of how stubborn this man is. He is acting like a child.
"Brother Dylan, can you at least stop smiling for once?"
"And why should I?"
Clearly, he was teasing me on purpose. I gave up trying to draw out his real emotions. I inhaled deeply, steadying myself. Fine. Whatever happened after this, at least I'd said what I needed to say. "I'm sorry," I murmured, bowing my head. The guilt swelled again, so much that I couldn't even look him in the eye.
He didn't say a word. I thought at first that my apology had finally pierced his mask. But then, after a long pause—
"Why should you be sorry?"
That did it. The annoyance I felt boiled over when I saw that damned smile still plastered on his face.
Is this really the personality of the last surviving meithi mnarillaza? He is absurd. Completely absurd.
"Fine. Do whatever you want. I'll just take the test tomorrow. It's not like it'll be that hard." I turned on my heel, intending to head back to my room. Frustration pushed the words out of me: "Keep smiling. Let's see if you can still smile when I finally learn the truth about your past."
"You knew it was wrong to meddle," he uttered, voice heavier now. "So why did you do it anyway?"
My ears perked up at the sudden change. Ah, so this is what it takes to snap him back to reality.
I spun around, locking eyes with him. His stare was as dark and sharp as it had been in the underground library when he grabbed the book from my hands.
"You knew I was meddling," I pressed, "and that you hated it. So why were you smiling back then?"
"People are different. They deal with emotions differently," he replied.
"True," I admitted. "Some show them openly. Others hide them. Some pretend to mask what they're really feeling. And some... try to forget those emotions altogether."
"Then I hope you'll understand." This time, his smile carried a shadow of sadness. "Yes, I'm upset you tried to uncover my past behind my back. But I'm not upset because I don't want others to know. The king and queen already know. I told them before. Even Princess Rona—I once tried to tell her, but I think she got scared. She asked me at the worst possible time, though. I was pulling a prank on her then—stuffed her pillows with lizards." He gave a short laugh, shaking his head. "Terrible timing. I didn't answer her right away, and maybe she thought I was punishing her for asking. But oh well. Let it be."
I rubbed my temples. So that's why Sister Rona warned me never to ask him about his past. And why she always seemed so irritated with him.
But you know what they say—the more you hate, the more you love. My imagination spiraled before I could stop it. I decided right then: I am shipping them: Sister and Brother Dylan. They are not even that far apart in age. My sister is baby-faced, anyway. And besides, age doesn't matter when it comes to love.
"Hey."
My daydreaming had drifted too far. I startled when I realized Dylan had stepped closer without me noticing. I stumbled back. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Brother!"
I ignored his insistence about dropping the honorific. If he was fated to end up with Sister, I might as well call him 'Brother' now.
"Not my fault. You were spacing out." He smirked. "Are you still guilty about what you did?"
"Of course I am. That's why I apologized." I sighed again. "Sorry once more, Brother."
"Apology accepted. But you must promise not to do it again."
Relief swept through me, light and freeing. I broke into a wide smile. "Promise."
"Good."
The heaviness in my chest vanished, replaced by a burst of energy. "Now that everything's cleared up, let's go."
His brows furrowed. "Go where?"
"To the training area, of course. You're supposed to test my capabilities, right?"
"You said you'd do it tomorrow. Don't you remember?"
"I changed my mind. I'm in the mood now. Let's go."
I didn't wait for his reply. I strode ahead, feeling his silence trail behind me.
The wooden double doors swung open before we even reached them, and the lights flickered on as soon as we stepped inside.
The chamber was vast and empty, save for the glow of the lights. Its walls and floors gleamed pure white, like the exam hall we'd once been in. My shoes felt almost out of place here. No doubt, the room was protected by a self-restoration mnarill spell.
I walked straight to the center, then glanced back. Dylan had paused by the doors, closing them shut behind us.
"So," I asked, "what's the test I need to do?"
He smiled—and that smile sent a shiver crawling down my spine.
"Have a duel with me."