I Was Confessed to by the Golden Sun

63 – 63. Reunion with the Prince

Having sailed, with Dylan’s support, finally reaching the academy.

“I never thought I’d come back here during the exam…”

Perhaps due to staying up all night, Lucia looked at me with a slightly pallid face, complaining.

The member of Dylan’s organization at the wheel drove a bit rough, maybe because I urgently requested the journey.

“Ugh…”

As a result, she experienced motion sickness she’d never had before, vomiting repeatedly.

Is she enduring it because I’m by her side?

“Lucia, if it’s tough, you can go and vomit…”

“Hey, how can you say that in front of him!”

Just in case, I asked, and Lucia, seemingly confirming its accuracy, nodded and tears welled in her eyes.

“…What’s the matter? Are you not going?”

Dylan, devoid of any sensitivity, tapped my shoulder, urging us to hurry, but I expressed my intention to pause for a moment by giving him a brief, reproachful glare.

Under the large tree planted in front of the academy, I sat her on a bench and made sure she could catch her breath. Lucía, who reluctantly raised the corners of her mouth, said, “I’m fine, let’s not waste time and leave quickly…”

But after I managed to sit her down, Lucía tried to stand up, waving her arms. I pressed her head firmly, sat down right next to her, and tightly held her hand like reins. “You can’t move when you can’t even focus your eyes. What will we do if you faint?”

“I’m strong, even if I faint, just leave me on the ground and I’ll quickly recover… Ouch!”

Even though I lightly tapped her head with my knuckles as she avoided eye contact and babbled nonsense, there wasn’t much of a threat. Honestly, there wasn’t really a need to feed her honeyed words. Lately, she keeps saying self-sacrificial things, and it worries me.

“You worry too much unnecessarily; your body is much weaker than mine.”

Lucia must have understood my sentiment because she avoided eye contact and squeezed my hand with added strength.

After a short time sharing each other’s body heat, she hugged me tightly and stood up first. I tried to ask if she was okay, but Lucía already looked fully recovered.

“It’s not an empty claim to say you’re strong…”

It’s strange how she was feeling better just because she took a short rest while she was feeling dizzy. It couldn’t help but amaze me. As I looked at her with eyes full of curiosity, she stretched her arm up to the sky as if loosening her stiff body and then held out her hand to me.

“Ugh! Let’s go, Jack.”

I willingly took her hand and stood up, and Lucía, who glanced at me slightly, seemed quite satisfied.

Even though she urged me to walk faster, her raised corners of the mouth clearly showed that she was enjoying the situation.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“Huh? I think I’ll be really happy if I marry you later.”

I had a vague idea of the reason, but she was laughing in a mischievous way that didn’t quite fit the situation, so I asked her teasingly.

“Who said I would marry you?”

Seeing her cute expression, I couldn’t resist playing a little joke.

“What? You can’t live without me now. It’s not easy to find a woman who is as pretty and capable as me and still submissive.”

“…”

She skillfully parried his attacks, leaving him no room to counter.

With no prior experience in successful romantic conversations, how is she so adept at handling people?

“To be honest, I don’t think I could find a cute guy like you, so let’s call it a tie and live together forever.”

“Seriously, Lucia handles people so well. She might as well be a fox.”

“hehehe.”

As I gently stroked Lucia’s sunny hair, she purred like a fox, reveling in the affection.

In a fleeting moment, I thought if there were a national cuteness competition, Lucia would undoubtedly take first place.

-Clang!

A dull sound, akin to something heavy colliding, echoed in our ears.

It wasn’t the sound of wood or some brittle material; it was the resounding thud of something as solid as iron.

“It seems the exam is taking place over there. Let’s go quickly.”

Although it had been mentioned before, only the elite A-class were allowed to take the exams on the island.

The rest of the classes, which didn’t qualify for the elite A-class status, had to take the exams within the academy, as it had been the tradition.

‘One could argue that it’s somewhat unfair.’

However, given that this exam was exceptional, incorporating tactics derived from pirates, it was traditionally conducted within the school regardless of the class.

The students beneath A-class in this term had accumulated discontent about not being able to go somewhere, yet they hadn’t really expressed it.

Or perhaps, I had thought they wouldn’t express it.

“They’re ruthless, why are they like that?”

“..I don’t really know either.”

They swung their weapons as if trying to release the pent-up frustrations of being stuck at school, exerting all their strength.

Of course, it was only natural to put in effort for this sparring, considering it was part of the exam.

“Their skills are quite impressive, aren’t they?”

Considering the abilities of the students below the A-class, who were considered one level lower, they were remarkably outstanding.

I didn’t know about the other classes as the original work only focused on A-class, so I wasn’t aware of such incidents.

‘Indeed, nothing motivates students like a field trip…’

In the world I was in before I was reincarnated into this one, global field trips and the like were all canceled due to a worldwide epidemic.

The anger I witnessed at that time from the students was almost indescribable.

It’s a bit surprising, but perhaps the factors moving the students in this academy are no different.

“Hmm…”

And among them, one distinct and sinister aura was palpable.

I was looking at a place where everything around it felt intense and menacing, as if it could engulf everything.

“Phew..”

In coNT*Rast to the splendid golden color that used to come to mind, it was covered in a dark black hue as it brandished a sword.

The Crown Prince had a distorted expression that could be called a malicious grin.

All of these changes happened in just a few seconds after he recognized me from afar.

“He must hate me enough to die.”

Although it was partly my fault for being complacent, it’s strange that he doesn’t seem to have any hatred towards me, considering the shallow tricks I planned resulted in my downfall into the abyss known as Class E.

But then again, perhaps it’s because he’s the Crown Prince; the place he stood was where Class C was.

Judging from his condition, it seemed like he intended to do well in this test and ascend to Class B.

“It seems like things might get a little messy.”

The Crown Prince stared at me, looking like he could kill only me without paying any attention to his opponent in front of him.

“Hyaaah!!”

Thinking that was his chance, a student who was trembling with fear in front of the Crown Prince rushed towards him with a sword in hand.

-Clang!

The Crown Prince easily blocked the sword with his left hand and swiftly swung his right hand, drawing a clean X shape as he crossed his swords.

The perfect utilization of the [Displacement Sword] exactly as described in the original work.

“How can he have such power..?”

As I looked at him, I couldn’t help but shudder from head to toe.

The Displacement Sword is essentially a technique that slightly extracts the power of the first strike and amplifies it in the second sword.

Of course, since the first sword he wields is practically an empty shell, it is no better than a fake.

He usually quickly thrusts the second strike without having time to react or wields both swords simultaneously.

“He must have practiced to death.”

At this moment, the first sword he swung effortlessly blocked the sword of a Class B student.

It is a considerable leap in growth that cannot be achieved without obsessing over the Displacement and maintaining its power.

“And the momentum of the Displacement has not been weakened either.”

While the original powerful force is still maintained.

If the Crown Prince’s Displacement used to feel uncoNT*Rollable and scattered his power indiscriminately, now it looks like a solid and steady blow that conceNT*Rates all of his strength into one point.

In the moment when everyone is stunned and confused by the scene, Theo sharply criticized the professor who was evaluating the test in a prickly tone.

“What, you’re not going to grade or announce the results?”

“Oh, no. I have to. The winner of this contest is none other than… Theo Calix!”

Satisfied with the answer, Theo slowly twisted the corners of his mouth, glancing at me while clashing his twin swords together.

What’s this? Is he expressing the intention to cut me down with those twin swords?

I was quite tense, but fortunately, he chuckled and sheathed his sword.

At the same time, a supremely martial energy emanated from Theo’s body.

“…I never thought I’d understand the description of martial arts in a novel.”

The arrogance imbued in Theo’s sword, a haughty martial spirit that seemed incomprehensible in any other way.

Apart from that, it seemed impossible to clearly explain with anything else.

“Prince Hwangtae, he won’t come to seek revenge on you.”

While pondering about that, Lucia, who had completely built up the flags, looked at me with a surprised expression. When I stared back in surprise, she realized her mistake a bit late and covered her own mouth.

But it was already too late, or maybe because of that, Theo, who had descended from the stage where the duel was taking place, immediately began to approach me.

With one hand on the hilt of his sword, he smiled and spoke.