Chapter 20: First Confession

It’s so hot.

This was the fourth time Anna had been woken up by the heat under the covers.

Her chest felt so heavy that even taking a deep breath was difficult.

Ophelia’s sleeping posture was terrible; she probably treated Anna like a body pillow, as she was now sleeping soundly, leaning against Anna’s chest.

Not only that, but her legs were also tangled around Anna’s like vines.

Looking at that peaceful sleeping face, despite the stuffiness and heat, Anna chose to endure it.

Ophelia’s golden hair intertwined with Anna’s silver strands in a tangled mess.

Anna wanted to untangle them, her fingers weaving through the mingled ends, but unexpectedly got caught in the hair.

The golden and silver strands wrapped around Anna’s index finger like a ring made of gold wrapped in silver.

It looked quite pretty.

Anna’s fingertips gently stroked this makeshift ring.

What a pity—if only it could be worn on the ring finger, it would be perfect.

If that were the case… wouldn’t it be a wedding ring?

Anna dared not imagine the scene of Ophelia placing a wedding ring on her finger.

“Anna…”

Had she woken her?

Anna lowered her gaze to the sleeping face pressed against her chest.

It was just a murmured dream, but Ophelia’s grip suddenly tightened.

Was she dreaming something? Thinking that, Anna’s hand reached to the small of Ophelia’s back.

“Mom… don’t leave…”

Tears suddenly welled from the corners of her tightly shut eyes, catching Anna completely off guard.

Her shoulder ached where Ophelia’s fingers dug in.

She was like a climber making a last desperate grasp before falling, struggling with all her might to hold onto anything within reach.

What had happened between Ophelia and her mother?

This was a question Anna had long wanted to ask but hadn’t found the right moment.

She remembered the last time Ophelia had cried herself to sleep, whispering her mother’s name.

Anna vaguely sensed there had to be some kind of entanglement there.

Speaking of which, Ophelia’s mother was once a Sword Hero of a previous generation, so why did she abandon the mission to defeat the Demon King and marry into the Northern Territory to start a family?

And why, even in her subconscious, did Ophelia keep calling out for her?

Anna wanted to understand this.

She didn’t want to see Ophelia crying even in her dreams.

Ophelia’s personality was perhaps inseparable from that mother figure.

Sensitivity is the gift of the unfortunate; suffering is the essence of sensitivity.

So Ophelia, what exactly is your suffering?

“Ophelia…”

All Anna could do now was kiss away the tears from Ophelia’s eyes.

“Mm…”

At the moment Anna’s lips landed, Ophelia opened her eyes.

She had dreamt again—the same recurring dream she could never shake off.

It wasn’t exactly a nightmare, but she always cried.

Her dream always stopped at the night her mother left the castle alone.

If only she had been able to hold her hand then.

Everyone has their own definition of death.

What is death? Perhaps it is the end, a final farewell, a hand once held that’s now let go, a body growing cold, or words left unsaid…

For Ophelia, saying “goodbye” without the other’s promised return was the meaning of death.

She hated death, and she hated farewells even more.

A warm, soft touch came to the corner of her eye. Without needing to think, Ophelia knew it was Anna’s lips.

Thankfully, Anna was here beside her, kissing the tears at her eye’s edge.

“Anna.”

Ophelia wrapped her arms around Anna’s neck, turned her face, and placed a kiss on Anna’s jaw.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning…”

Maybe because she was caught stealing a kiss, Anna’s face instantly flushed bright red. She grabbed the blanket and buried her head under it.

But once under the covers, she remembered that she had shared a bed with Ophelia last night. As she slipped in, she saw Ophelia’s sleepwear had ridden up awkwardly due to her sleeping posture.

The smooth curve of her waist, and two crescent-shaped arcs peeking out from the sleepwear.

When Anna tried to slip out, the edge of the blanket was already firmly held down by Ophelia.

She had fallen into a trap.

So, until they entered the Classroom, Anna wore a sulky expression and didn’t say a word to Ophelia.

“Look, look, here comes our brave hero!”

Because Anna stepped into the Classroom with her left foot first, the classmates immediately swarmed around her.

It couldn’t possibly be just because of that.

Anna awkwardly tried to back away, only to find Ophelia behind her watching with an amused expression, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Facing so many classmates asking questions one after another, Anna felt overwhelmed.

She was just bad at socializing, which was why she remained on the sidelines.

“What’s ‘Brave Hero’…?”

Anna vaguely felt they didn’t actually know her identity.

In the kingdom’s official narrative, Anna Tascia Ziegler, the Sword Hero, was an undeniable criminal.

If that were the case, they definitely wouldn’t be acting like this.

From her classmates, Anna sensed no malice at all.

On the contrary, their enthusiasm almost overwhelmed her.

“Anna… can I just call you Anna?”

“Feel free.”

“Miss Anna was so cool in the Arena that day!”

“Thank you…”

“Anna, where did you learn swordsmanship? I told my dad, and he said he wants to send me to learn too.”

“I taught myself.”

Just answering their endless questions drained Anna.

She wished she could crawl into a hole and hide.

Ophelia… probably knew this would happen, didn’t she?

Anna silently decided that if Ophelia didn’t come to her rescue soon, she wouldn’t speak to her all day.

Perhaps by some silent understanding, Ophelia actually stepped forward.

“Enough already. Can’t you see Anna is struggling? Show some restraint.”

No one dared to defy Ophelia’s authority.

After she spoke, the classmates quietly dispersed.

Anna breathed a sigh of relief as if saved.

She walked to her desk, pulled out her chair, but before she could set down her bag, a letter inside the desk caught her attention.

“Ophelia.”

Anna picked up the envelope without opening it and tossed it back to Ophelia.

“What? Finally decided to talk to me? …What’s this?”

“I don’t know, so I threw it to you.”

Ophelia frowned at the Seal Wax.

The Seal Wax bore a Heart—this had to be a love letter.

Someone was coveting her Anna.

“It’s a love letter.” Ophelia threw the envelope back to Anna. “What do you want to do?”

“Of course I’m going to reject it. The one I like is…”

Before Anna could finish, Ophelia’s finger pressed against her lips.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m saying…”

Ophelia looked straight into Anna’s eyes.

“There’s probably a place and time for you to meet them written inside, right? Are you going?”

Should she go? Anna didn’t know what to do.

She instinctively looked at Ophelia, but only silence answered her.

Ophelia was waiting for her to make her own choice.

“Go… I guess. If I don’t, the poor person sending the love letter would be too pitiful.”

Anna bit her lip, agonizing as she made her decision. “Will you come with me, Ophelia?”

“Anna, this is your business. I won’t interfere.” Ophelia gently pushed Anna’s back.

“Besides, like you said, that poor soul probably doesn’t want to see why she got rejected in person, right? If you’re a good person, then be a good person all the way, Anna.”

Be a good person all the way… Anna didn’t reply, only bowed her head, clenching the fabric of her skirt tightly.

She had a feeling that if Ophelia weren’t by her side, something bad would happen.