Chapter 1381. An Unexpected Debut (16)

I felt like it was just me, but I could feel an indescribable and overwhelming determination emanating from her. The idea of slapping your superior to earn their recognition was shocking, but there was no denying that Belier was making the right decision here.

It was the most rational and straightforward way to achieve her goal. Without disrupting the overall flow, she had left a mark in Peneloti’s lore.

‘She’s got some ambition, damn.’

In that sense, she was markedly different from Alps. Belier had to have been determined. She was determined to be acknowledged, even at the risk of danger. It was her unspoken plea not to be seen as a mere rookie anymore.

After all, who in their right mind would slap the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival? There was no need to explain how long she had been agonizing over this decision, especially given her fear of Sun Hee-Young.

I distinctly remembered Belier’s eyes and hands trembling until I silently nodded in approval. She decided to show her abilities, even if it meant accepting whatever penalty came her way, and even if it meant stepping into the secret room with Sun Hee-Young afterward.

‘Good for you, damn it. You’re great. That kind of determination is what it takes to survive in this stagnant guild.’

The problem was that it hurt more than I expected, damn it.

She probably thought she was controlling her strength, but even so, my frail body couldn’t help but fall to the ground. It made sense. She joined the Blue Guild with a combat-type job, after all, so in terms of physical ability, she could easily be considered part of the continent's cream of the crop.

I was sure that if she had slapped me with her full power, my face wouldn’t just have a busted lip; it would’ve been covered in blood. No, I would have died with a broken neck.

‘Should I tell her to stop? Her hand’s stronger than I thought...’

Normally, in this kind of play, one had to decide on a safeword beforehand, but perhaps it was too much to expect that from Belier, who had just stepped into this kind of world. I wanted to dodge, but it would have felt like disrespecting the courage and determination of the youngest guild member.

‘She’s still a bit clumsy, though.’

She probably couldn't fully understand what she was doing, and it was understandable.

However, this wasn’t the right time or place to give her a lecture about it. Since she had already stepped onto the stage, respecting her here was the right thing to do.

If things really got out of hand, I could send her a message or naturally slip in a safeword. Saying “Sun Hee-Young” would probably make her snap out of it. No, she’d snap out of it on her own.

'But you... you look... a little scared. You’re not scared, right?’

“...”

‘It’s because of Alps, huh? You backed down right after hearing one word from her?’

In her eyes, I could see a strange mix of excitement and unease.

‘No, don’t be scared. I like this kind of thing.’

'You’re not losing focus, right? Right? You’re not backing out now, are you? You know that once we've started, we can’t stop, right? You know if you run now, it’ll all be for nothing, right?'

‘You’re really going to back down? Seriously?’

I had to keep the momentum going since I already got hit once.

Normally, I would respect my partner’s freedom, but since Karina Peneloti seemed frightened and was about to slip back into the rookie Belier, I decided the right move was to take the initiative this time.

I obeyed Karina's words and stood up, straightening my back.

Then, I looked up at her while clutching my reddened cheek. I had a mixture of confusion and pain suffused all over my face; there was also a spoonful of fear and disgust toward the older sister who attacked me.

Beneath it all... the force holding together that mess of unpleasant emotions was respect and love for her older sister, Karina Peneloti.

“I-I didn’t do anything wrong,” I said.

Now, everything depended on Karina Peneloti. I was worried that she couldn't carry this forward, but that concern turned out to be unnecessary.

I had no idea if she caught the hidden meaning in Aina Peneloti’s expression or if she finally saw through the love and respect buried within Aina Peneloti's eyes, but I saw her raising her hand again.

Smack!

A crisp sound rang out once more.

‘

She controlled her strength this time!

’

Unlike the first time, it didn’t hurt at all. My face didn’t even swell. As ridiculous as it sounded, the attack had a bit of gentleness in it. No blood, no split lip. My face was red, but it wouldn’t swell.

'Damn, this is what you call skill and talent.'

“Since when did you start talking back, Aina?” Karina asked.

Smack!

“I’m the one talking, Aina. Do you not remember what I said?” Karina asked.

Smack!

“The rumors I’ve been hearing are truly absurd. No—turns out they weren’t just rumors, they were facts. I raised you under the Peneloti name, and you dared to disgrace it? How impressive, Aina. Truly impressive. I thought all you could do was eat like a pig, but now, you can even talk like a person,” Karina continued.

“U-unni... I-I didn’t—”

“Who said you could speak, Aina Peneloti?” she interrupted me.

Smack!

“As long as you belong to the Peneloti Family, I will always be your elder sister, Peneloti. And educating you is both my right and my duty as your sister,” Karina said.

‘The tension is good, Belier. Keep it up. Just like that.

’

'Look at Alps over there, frozen stiff and useless—that’s exactly why you can’t cut it. Though, to be fair, I do understand how Alps must feel.'

‘

Belier... this girl’s a genius.’

Since things had already escalated this far, how could a girl only half as talented as Belier step up? Alps' trembling eyes and uncertain expression said it all—where was she, who was she, and what on earth was happening?

She clearly couldn’t grasp the flow of the situation. I hadn’t been able to keep track of Alps because my focus was on Belier, but if anyone wanted to run away from her, I'd say it would be Alps.

She could have said, “S-set an example... Karina," or she could also say, “I-isn’t this a bit too much, Karina?”

At this point, her actions were no longer consistent with her character, and there would be no difference even if she weren't here. I felt like she thought she ought to at least try to join in the bullying, and it was proven by how she awkwardly squeezed her way into the scene and raised her hand. Even then, she was overshadowed by Belier and couldn’t establish a foothold.

In the end, she had to take a few steps back again, retreating to the role of a spectator. She wanted to intervene, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. All she could do was stand behind, anxiously shuffling her feet.

‘She’s hopeless. Just leaving her alone is probably the right call.’

If Belier had a bit more composure, she could have naturally assigned Alps a role in the scene, but it was clear that she didn’t even have the luxury to look around.

‘Ah... what a shame....’

I knew I ought to avoid expecting more from them, but why was I so disappointed?

‘She can keep going a bit more...’

“That look on your face—don’t tell me you don’t even know what you did wrong, or why you’re being punished?” Karina questioned.

‘She could be more vulgar...’

I felt like she thought that being vulgar would clash too much with her character. It was a bit of a letdown that she kept pressing me with the same pattern of questions. What she needed now was variety.

‘All she can do is slap and say not to talk back. Boring... The audience is getting bored! At this level of energy, we won't be able to summon Hyun-Sung!'

“All you need to do is listen to me, Aina. Do what I tell you to do,” Karina instructed.

‘Is this her limit?’

She had done well so far, but perhaps this was her final stop. I could feel her own frustration. She knew she ought to do more and show the audience more exciting scenes, but she just couldn't get it right.

‘I’m worried...’

Normally, something drastic would happen here. Sure enough, I saw veins rising on her raised hand. She seemed to be thinking that hitting harder was the answer. I wanted to give Belier another chance, but all I could manage to say was...

“I-if Miss Sun Hee-Young were here...”

The moment that forbidden name escaped my lips, the rookies’ eyes widened; Alps hiccupped, and Belier’s face went pale. Then, she nodded. She had to have realized that Sun Hee-Young’s name was the safeword.

Unlike Alps, who was completely out of it, Belier still had at least a shred of sanity left. It seemed she thought that she had to bring this incident to a proper close. Though the safeword had appeared out of nowhere, she acted as if those three syllables carried deep meaning within Peneloti’s lore, so she quietly lowered her raised hand.

“Let’s go back,” Karina suggested.

“

Huh

? Wh-what? K-Karina? What about Aina...?” Marina asked.

“I believe this was enough of a lesson. And Aina,” Karina said, turning to me before continuing, “No... whatever I say right now probably won’t reach you. Just remember that you are a member of the Peneloti Family,” she continued.

“...”

‘She looks frustrated, but... it was actually fine. Hang in there. It wasn’t perfect, but at least you showed potential. I liked that determination, that fire inside you.’

She did great today. I honestly wanted to give her a tight hug and tell her that she did well. As I watched my junior’s back with a satisfied smile, I realized something.

‘Wait, damn it. Why did I get slapped again?’

I realized it just then—I failed to summon Kim Hyun-Sung.

“...”

‘No...’

“...”

‘No... damn it.’

I’d been so focused on Belier that I hadn’t noticed what was going on around me, but once I realized that I’d been left alone in the garden, a wave of confusion hit me. I wasn't worried about it earlier, as I assumed that he would naturally show up.

“...”

“...”

‘No way, that bastard... he didn’t show up earlier, and he still hasn't shown up. Is he maybe... not as righteous as I thought?

’

A kind-hearted person would step in to mediate, wouldn't they?

It was impossible not to hear what was happening unless one were deliberately blocking one's ears. The fact that Kim Hyun-Sung hadn't come here to stop Belier and showed not even the slightest concern was shocking.

Sure, Belier’s lead was awkward, but the Hyun-Sung I knew would have appeared long ago.

‘

Did he think it was a family matter?

’

Thinking about it now, the atmosphere wasn't

that

serious. Since it was, after all, a family affair, stepping in without invitation could easily cause misunderstandings or create unnecessary enemies.

I felt like he simply couldn’t find the right timing to intervene, just like Alps.

Perhaps he was feeling too self-conscious to step onto the stage.

When I looked up using my telescope, I saw him stuck in the garden. Naturally, I crouched down. Aina Peneloti, unable to hide her sorrow after what just happened, began to wipe away her tears.

“

H-hic... sniff...

”

The air carried my soft sobbing into his ears.

‘

You can’t ignore that, right? You shouldn’t ignore that.

’

At the very least, he had to come here and lend her a handkerchief. Overlooking this would be crossing the line. Peeking between my fingers as I covered my face, I caught sight of Kim Hyun-Sung shifting uncomfortably, trying to move somewhere else.

I decided to cry a little harder, just enough to tug at the heartstrings. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I sobbed miserably. Hyun-Sung shut his eyes tightly and sighed deeply, seemingly fighting against his conscience.

‘Yes. That’s it. That’s it.

’

And finally...

“Are you all right, Lady Peneloti?” Kim Hyun-Sung asked.

‘You... actually remember my name?

’

The voice I had been waiting to hear finally reached my ears.