Love Letter From The Future

The brown eyes and aquamarine eyes met in the void. An unexpected cold wave mixed with heat. As the cold front met the warm front, onlookers scattered around like a rainy season front.

Celin’s mouth smiled, but her eyes were chillingly cold. Ceria’s eyes were equally frigid.

The clash between the two women, who had been ignoring each other, instantly tightened the atmosphere. Celin reattached the canteen she had been holding to her waist and slowly walked closer to Ceria.

Until that moment, Ceria had only been staring at Celin without saying a word. It was unclear whether she was watching like a predator eyeing its prey or merely displaying indifference.

No one had the answer yet, except for one person—Ceria.

Celin stopped right in front of Ceria.

She let out a sigh, then placed one hand on her waist. And then, in a soothing tone, she began to speak.

“You might not be feeling great these days, right? I understand… I feel the same. But if you react so sensitively to everything, it makes others uncomfortable, you know?”

It was somewhat reasonable. That is, except for the fact that Celin herself had been walking around with a gloomy expression.

However, no one was in a position to point that out at the moment. Rather, the onlookers began to silently agree with Celin’s words.

Celin was skilled at such things. Creating a favorable atmosphere and using it to push through her arguments.

Thus, she excelled in relationships. Along with her naturally sociable temperament, Celin had an exceptional ability to read the atmosphere.

She did not want to conflict with Ceria right now.

Celin still remembered the time when Ian had been incredibly angry just a while ago. If things turned worse with Ceria over some trivial matter, it could lead to an even worse rift with Ian.

It was better to keep the competition hidden and out of Ian’s sight. Above all, Celin preferred not to expose conflicts in a public place like this.

After all, she would only fall into weakness. She at least wanted to project an image of reconciliation outwardly.

“So, let’s understand each other little by little, Miss Yuridina… If we think about it, we’re in similar situations. If you keep sulking like that, brother Ian will dislike it as well.”

As she said this, Celin forced a smile.

“Similar situations,” who would have imagined that that woman, Delphine Yuridina, would suddenly appear?

Still, her attempt to establish common ground with the opponent was also a signal to seek cooperation. It was a signal to end things this way. Through this, Celin could gain several advantages.

First, she turned Ceria, who had ample reason to be angry, into the overly sensitive woman. While Ceria did show somewhat heightened reactions compared to normal, they were still understandable. Celin tried to categorize this as “sensitivity” to protect the women of the group.

Second, even if conflicts arose in the future, she could at least claim in front of Ian that “I made an effort to reconcile.” Even if she fought with Ceria, if Ian’s feelings drifted away, it would mean nothing. She needed at least some minimal safety net.

Lastly, by suggesting reconciliation first, she could instill the perception of being broad-minded in those watching. This image could be useful in future conflicts.

Anyone would naturally support someone emotionally close, and romance wasn’t something you did alone. The influence of those around you sometimes played an unrecognized role.

The more the perception spread that Celin was better than Ceria, the more advantageous it became for Celin. Though how effective it would be was uncertain.

Celin’s instinctual conclusion was thus. The structure of suggesting reconciliation was beneficial to her in many ways. And since she had initiated this gesture, the opponent couldn’t refuse it. At least, if they had the minimal sociality required.

Yes, at least if they had that minimal sociality.

Unfortunately, Ceria was a person with no connection to the term “sociable.” She turned her gaze away as if contemplating for a moment, then quietly spoke.

“…You just don’t understand.”

It was a statement born after long contemplation. Yet, upon hearing Ceria’s words, only confusion flashed through Celin’s eyes.

What Ceria truly wanted to say was, “You don’t know enough about my sister.”

But Ceria had extremely limited dialogue experience. So, she omitted even the necessary parts for precise communication. It was a setup for misunderstandings.

As Ceria’s words left her, Celin wore a bewildered expression when another line followed from Ceria.

“Doing so will lead to you losing something.”

That was the decisive blow. Celin’s gaze instantly turned fierce.

Ceria had meant that as a warning—a caution about Delphine, a woman who would stop at nothing for what she desired.

However, without any explanation, the words sprang from Ceria’s lips and could only be interpreted by Celin as follows: “If you keep doing this, you’ll lose Ian to me.”

It was a blatant provocation. If Celin could maintain her composure after hearing that, it would be unnatural.

He was the man she had loved for over ten years. To suddenly appear and declare oneself a rival was ridiculous, and now there were taunts in a public place.

With surging emotions, Celin bit her lip. Intense rage coiled within her eyes. Before long, there was even a chill of animosity felt in those brown eyes.

“…Ah, I see.”

The voice was as sharp as a blade. It felt as though jagged ice shards had embedded themselves in her words. Celin’s face, now devoid of a smile, was left with only irritation and anger.

The students who had gathered around fell into silence. A few signaled quietly that perhaps they should intervene, but Celin was quicker than them.

With a step, the distance between the two women instantly shrank. Almost face-to-face, Celin twisted her lips into a smirk.

“Have you lost a lot to your sister? Now you’re even giving up on men… That sisterly bond of giving way is lovely to see, isn’t it?”

At that moment, Ceria’s eyes turned murky and sunk. Celin’s mockery pierced the deepest weakness Ceria sought to conceal.

And now, what Ceria feared the most was the possibility of losing Ian. She didn’t want to lose him to anyone, especially not to Delphine.

It began as mere misunderstandings. However, for the two women, whose emotional rifts had grown deep, there would be no better opportunity to resolve lingering feelings.

Cold words slipped from Ceria’s lips. Her frigid voice felt like ice against flesh.

“Brother Ian is not someone who leaves without a word, so don’t worry. He promised last time. But as for you, it seems you don’t have much faith in brother Ian.”

“Brother Ian is indeed reliable. But sometimes, he’s too nice… He ends up wasting time with some loser girl.”

Celin scoffed as she spoke. Her sharp gaze scanned Ceria’s face. Ceria’s complexion had already long since turned icy.

“Come to think of it, it’s funny. Why do you look so miserable? You’re just receiving back what you did to others, aren’t you?”

“I don’t really understand what you’re saying…”

Ceria genuinely couldn’t grasp Celin’s words. With no friends, understanding the complex world of romance was out of reach for her. She still defined her emotions as ‘friendship.’

But sometimes, it is only the ignorant who can discover truths. Ceria thought simply, and thus could directly touch the essence of the matter.

“If you don’t like me being around brother Ian, just tell him directly. Don’t whine to me from the side.”

“…What?”

Celin’s brows narrowed. Her reaction was clearly one of surprise. Ceria was quick to notice.

Though she had no talent for speech, she possessed the instincts of a competitor honed through hunting monsters. She instinctively understood that knowing the opponent’s weakness and relentlessly exploiting it was key.

Ceria’s cold voice flowed smoothly. Since she had no intention of fostering goodwill with the opponent, Ceria was fundamentally articulate. She only needed to express her thoughts in words without filtration.

“I mean, go tell brother Ian to stop meeting me, or else… Do you not even have the courage to say that?”

“I’m not saying I want brother Ian to cut ties with you…”

“Or else?”

Silence fell, and Celin’s lips closed. She simply stared at Ceria without speaking.

“It sounded like you wished he would, at least to my ears.”

Celin cast her gaze down slightly. Once the structure was set, there would be no way to respond. Honestly, she wished brother Ian wouldn’t even glance at other girls.

However, Celin knew well enough that this was an excessive desire. Yet, she couldn’t hide her wish to avoid encounters with rivals like Ceria.

Acknowledging this would only strengthen her stubbornness to interfere in their friendship. Most importantly, Celin was still not officially in a relationship with Ian.

That fact stripped Celin of her words. She quietly bit her lips.

As the silence stretched, Ceria sighed deeply. It seemed she felt there was no value in continuing the fight if Celin had nothing left to say.

She simply left one final remark.

“If you keep behaving like that, you’ll lose him, Celin Haster.”

Just like I did.

Ceria swallowed those final words. However, it was certain that those words severed the last thread of Celin’s patience.

Celin’s brown eyes glared fiercely at Ceria. Her hand unconsciously moved towards her waist. While she had no intention of drawing her sword, any swordsman instinctively reaches for their blade when sensing hostility. It was merely a gesture.

However, in a situation such as this, that was enough to raise concern. In the next moment, Celin had to hear the cold warning.

“Don’t draw that sword.”

The sword hanging at her waist was a real one, with a keen edge. It was on a different level compared to a practice sword. Yet, Ceria, warning Celin, didn’t even place her hand on her own sheath. As if there was no need for that.

“…You’ll come to regret it.”

The tone was calm, as if stating a simple truth. It was an insult that crossed the line of rudeness. Even onlookers who weren’t directly involved found themselves holding their breath momentarily.

At the moment those words were heard, flames erupted in Celin’s eyes.

She had already been feeling inferior to high-ranking nobles. She couldn’t tolerate overt insults from one of her targets of hatred.

Light rays clashed, embedding themselves into the void.

Celin’s drawn sword, remarkable in magical energy, moved in an instant. If she could take advantage of the surprise of her continuing attacks, it would be possible to subdue an opponent several levels above her. But the opponent was Ceria.

With a strange noise, Caak, Celin’s blade sparked, skimming off Ceria’s sword, which had suddenly emerged.

Only when the clash of swords occurred did the surrounding crowd begin to stir. Voices calling to intervene arose, but the practical problem persisted—who could dissuade Ceria, who had drawn her sword?

In theory, “swordsmanship training” required supervising professors since it was a class. However, that day was preparation for self-training due to personal circumstances of the professor. The assistant, who had briefly checked attendance and left, would take time to return.

Someone shouted, running out of the swordsmanship training hall. They were off to find help. Whether it be a professor, a senior, anyone would suffice.

They had to prevent bloodshed. Getting injured could be grounds for expulsion, a serious crime.

The commotion drew more attention to the swordsmanship training hall. After trading several blows, Celin and Ceria took a few steps back, glaring at each other.

In that moment, the outcome seemed apparent. Despite Celin’s all-out attack, she couldn’t even brush against the hem of Ceria’s clothes. However, the marks of Ceria’s counterattacks were now engraved all over Celin’s body.

“I’ll acknowledge your courage to draw your sword with such skills, but…”

Ceria continued nonchalantly. The phrase ‘Yuridina’s inconsiderateness’ formed from her excessively straightforward manner of speaking.

“…Let’s stop. The match seems already decided.”

Celin felt her emotions swell again, hitting the ground in frustration. Ceria sighed as if there was nothing she could do, re-assuming her stance. And at that moment.

“Hey!”

A man’s shout made both women pause their sparring. However, the disparity in their abilities was a factor.

Ceria still had plenty of time to retrieve her sword. Her blade came to a halt and was soon returned to her sheath.

But Celin wasn’t so fortunate. Her blade faltered, unable to regain control but still pressed forward. Celin bit down hard, attempting to halt her sword, yet it narrowly brushed across Ceria’s forearm.

Blood spatters everywhere. It was a superficial wound. However, when the onlookers parted and a man emerged from within, the sight he encountered was clear.

Celin with her sword raised, and Ceria bleeding from her forearm.

At least for that moment, it seemed evident who was the aggressor and who was the victim.

The man with black hair and golden eyes, Ian, placed a hand on his forehead. He moved with an irritated step.

Celin fumbled to retract her sword. She still seemed unable to comprehend the situation properly, wearing a dazed expression. The same went for Ceria, who had unexpectedly found herself injured.

Celin appeared as if she wanted to say something to Ian, parting her lips, but Ian passed her by with a cold demeanor.

Ian approached Ceria, who was kneeling blankly, holding her arm. He sighed deeply and pulled bandages from his pocket.

They needed to leave. An instinctive sense of crisis crashed upon Celin’s mind. She stammered as she spoke.

“B-brother Ian… I, I…”

“Celin.”

Ian spoke in a cold tone without even looking back at her. It was the first time Ian had treated Celin so coldly.

The shock left Celin speechless. When Ian briefly glanced back, his golden eyes that looked at Celin were on the chillier side.

“…Please, let’s talk about this later.”

Celin froze in place.

Ceria also seemed to be desperately searching for words, but the usually inarticulate girl couldn’t cope with such a sudden situation.

“Are you okay, Ceria? Just in case, let’s head to the temple for now.”

Simply following Ian’s lead, she was supported as she left the area.

Only Celin remained, standing alone.

Dazed, with eyes filled with despair, she looked down at the ground.

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