Chapter 233: Talk with Byun
"Not like this," Jae muttered. His jaw tightened, and he looked away, toward the far wall where sunlight stretched across the floorboards. "This isn’t just a rumor, it’s a sentence. They don’t care what really happened. They see Sun, the crown prince, and then they see me—the reckless farmboy who should’ve stayed in the dirt. That’s all they need to make their judgment."
She sighed, the sound carrying both frustration and empathy. "Jae, you’ve already done more than enough to prove your worth. You don’t need to keep swinging at shadows."
A crooked grin tugged at his lips, though it lacked any real humor. "Easy for you to say. You weren’t the one who nearly burned the prince’s head off."
Lira flushed faintly, caught between the impulse to scold and the urge to reassure. "That duel was provoked, and you know it. Anyone with eyes could see Sun pushed you into it."
"Anyone with eyes chooses not to," Jae said flatly. His voice carried through the vast chamber, unsoftened by effort, the kind of bluntness that left little room for argument. He turned away as he spoke, his hand dragging absently through his hair, fingers raking through the loose strands like he always did when irritation brushed against weariness. His shoulders rolled with the motion, and the faint creak of leather from his training jacket echoed faintly in the empty hall. "It’s easier to believe I’m dangerous. They want to believe it."
For a moment, silence hung between them, not awkward but weighty, filled only by the faint echo of their voices bouncing off the tall stone walls.
Then Jae gave her a sidelong glance, a flicker of mischief in eyes otherwise hardened by the day’s scorn. His tone shifted, a teasing edge slipping in as naturally as the smirk curving his lips. "If you really want to comfort me, there are other ways you’ve tried before."
Her cheeks warmed instantly, color blooming fast across her pale skin. The memory he alluded to pressed itself into her mind unbidden, and she faltered under its weight. She looked away quickly, the fall of her dark hair hiding part of her expression as her arms crossed over her chest with a defensive little shift. "Jae..."
"What?" He smirked faintly, leaning closer—not too much, but just enough to cut down the safe space she tried to keep between them. The glow of a nearby torch caught the glint of his red eyes, making them look sharper, amused, and unyielding all at once. "I’m just saying you were... effective."
She turned her head firmly, hair swaying against her cheek, her denial quick and practiced though the heat in her face betrayed her. "That must never happen again."
The sound he made in response was low, half chuckle, half thought, his voice curling with amusement. "Funny. You say that, but you don’t sound too sure yourself."
Her lips parted as though she meant to scold him, to give him the stern lecture she knew he deserved, but no words came. The silence that filled instead seemed heavier, more intimate, more dangerous. She exhaled slowly, her eyes lowering, lashes brushing faint shadows across her cheeks. The air between them thickened, laced with quiet tension, heavy with unspoken things neither dared set fully into words.
The stillness stretched. His blade rested against the wooden rack nearby, the faint trace of its ember-forged heat seeping into the air. The scent of char lingered, mixed with the faint chill of the stone hall, and for a few long heartbeats the only sound was their breathing, uneven but steady, layered over one another.
Before either of them could break it, footsteps intruded from the doorway. The sound was steady, deliberate, carrying easily across the open chamber.
"Figures I’d find you here."
Byun’s voice slipped into the space like a blade of casualness pressed against the fragile air. It carried the same nonchalance it always did, yet tonight there was a weight beneath it, quiet and purposeful. He strode in, his pace unhurried, hands swinging loose at his sides until faint shadows curled, almost absentminded, around his fingers. Even without effort, his mana bled into the air, dark tendrils flickering like smoke caught in a draft. His blonde hair caught the last dying beams of light streaming through the high windows, and for a moment he looked almost otherworldly, though his face was set more serious than usual.
Jae straightened, spine rolling as though shrugging off the tension he’d let sit too close. He raised a brow at the interruption, lips tugging at a lazy edge. "Came to scold me too?"
Byun’s shoulders lifted in an easy shrug, though his tone held less tease than normal. "Not exactly. Thought I’d drop by before you burn a hole through the floor swinging that flame stick of yours."
Mrs. Lira used the opportunity. She stepped back, the sound of her boots faint against the polished floor, regaining the composure Jae’s teasing had rattled loose. Her gaze lingered for only a breath longer, sharp but soft, half warning, half something that stayed unspoken. Then she gave a small nod and excused herself quietly, the door swallowing her figure as she slipped away. Her absence left the hall colder, emptier, the echo of her presence fading quick.
Byun watched her go, shadows fading back into his hands before vanishing entirely. He shoved both into his pockets as he strolled closer, his usual saunter intact but his gaze unusually fixed. "You know what Sun’s doing, right? This isn’t about a duel anymore. He’s done playing rivals."
Jae snorted, the sound dismissive, though his lips pulled tight at the edge. "No kidding. I figured that out when the whole academy decided I tried to assassinate him."
Byun’s grin made a brief appearance, but it didn’t last long. His expression sobered, his usual brightness dimming like a torch flicked by wind. His eyes carried weight now, steady and sharp. "This is how it’s going to go. Nobles will push you down every chance they get. The more they do, the more the commoners will look to you as proof someone like them can stand tall. And the more they look to you, the more the nobles will fear you."