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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 49
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How Can Someone Be This Pure?
***
As Cheonsung reached out to stop the two, Glecia instinctively grabbed his arm.
*Thump.*
At Cheonsung's surprised flinch, Glecia awkwardly let go of his arm again.
"..."
Even as I pulled my hand away… a clear dissatisfaction welled up inside me.
Today was supposed to be the day Han Cheonsung promised to be with me. But suddenly, other people were going to spend time with us, which would dilute the meaning of my efforts to be with him.
There was a clear difference between being alone together and spending time in a group.
Naturally, my time to talk with him would decrease, and my attention would be divided among others. As a result, the time I had to understand Han Cheonsung would be completely reduced.
So why did Han Cheonsung arbitrarily decide to be with others?
My rejection a moment ago seemed perfectly rational.
I had clearly received a promise from him, and I intended to be with him today. There was no need for me to feel ashamed or embarrassed about my actions now.
"Glecia. Are you... angry?"
Then, I blinked at the cautious voice that asked.
"Why do you think I'm angry?"
"Well, your expression right now looks like it."
"Do I really look like that?"
"Yeah. You really look angry."
At his words, I instinctively touched my face.
…I didn't know what expression I was making, but it was undoubtedly one of dissatisfaction.
I'm the type whose thoughts are clearly visible on my face. I nodded without hesitation.
"To be honest, I am a little angry."
"About what exactly… are you angry?"
He asked as if he didn't understand at all. At his reaction, I couldn't help but wonder if I was the strange one.
Did I do something Han Cheonsung couldn't understand? I didn't feel that way.
After all, he was the one who promised me last night. Han Cheonsung was also the one who readily said he would spend today with me.
So, I thought that my current demand to be with him wasn't unreasonable.
But I didn't know why I felt like I had done something wrong.
"Glecia. I thought it would definitely be better if we trained with Leonhardt and Yumia. Both of them are excellent individuals."
I unconsciously nodded at his calm explanation of his thoughts.
I agreed with his words.
Those two were among the top contenders even within Class A1. Leonhardt, as the top student, was a given, but Yumia's skill was also higher than expected.
"That's true."
"...It's not 'that's true.' I'd like you to explain in detail why you're upset about my actions just now."
At his calm question, I unconsciously met his gaze.
"..."
His characteristic black eyes didn't seem angry at me, nor did they seem to be prying.
They were just… calm.
"..."
For a moment, my lips wavered, and my feelings were complex.
Thinking about it, Han Cheonsung was quite different from others. He was calm and composed even with my words, asking for the reason.
He didn't get flustered by my words, nor did he try to avoid me. Even while being with me, he wasn't greatly displeased by my attitude.
Everything felt so different, from start to finish.
"Because you need to tell me clearly so that I don't do anything that might upset you next time. Let me tell you first, I'm not asking you with any other intentions right now."
At his words, which sounded like an explanation… I unconsciously nodded.
I felt the same way.
"Because you said you'd be with other people too."
"...Because I did?"
"It made me upset."
I conveyed my feelings exactly as I felt them.
Even as I watched Han Cheonsung flinch at my words, I knew to some extent that what I was saying was strange.
But that was the only way I could express myself.
Directly, conveying the feelings of the moment to the other person as they were.
Because my sister told me so.
—If you reveal your true feelings, the person listening will surely accept them.
Rather than trying to deceive someone with clumsy words, it's better to treat them with sincerity.
That's how I had treated people all this time.
"So, to summarize… I said I'd spend time with you. And because I said I'd also spend time with other people, you got upset. Is that how I should see it?"
He slowly broke it down. He understood it so well, it was surprising.
Though there might be other underlying emotions in detail, what he said was exactly it.
How could I have put in such effort to secure this time with Han Cheonsung, only for others to spend time with him without any cost?
And why would they try to interrupt my time with him?
It would surely take a very long time for me to understand Han Cheonsung.
Even now, I didn't know how much time I'd need to invest to understand him… and if others were present, it would definitely take even longer.
"..."
Was my answer shocking to Han Cheonsung? He looked at me, then stumbled slightly, and I unconsciously asked.
"Han Cheonsung… do you dislike me when I'm like this too?"
Would Han Cheonsung dislike me like other people did?
I asked without realizing it. All this time, they had pretended not to mind, pretended it was fine, but the gazes of people who had actually shunned me clearly came to mind.
That I was strange. Their eyes looking at me as if something wasn't normal.
So, naturally, I distanced myself from people who looked at me that way.
And at some point, I became reluctant to approach people at all.
Because I didn't want to approach them only to be rejected. I didn't want to receive such gazes either.
Even if I showed my true feelings like this… if he shunned me, there would be no reason for me to approach him either.
And now, Han Cheonsung too…
"No. I don't dislike you for being like that."
"...You don't dislike me?"
"Of course, your words are surprising, but I know they're all sincere. It's a truly strange feeling for me to hear them… but I can't say that you're bad for being like that."
When he said it with a faint smile, my gaze went blankly to that smile.
'He doesn't dislike me. He can't say I'm bad for being like this…'
It was the first time.
Someone had said such words to me…
And indeed, I felt that Han Cheonsung was different from others.
He was definitely different.
I didn't know where or how he was different from others.
But he was distinctly different. Beyond his extraordinary talent and mental completeness… fundamentally, he felt different.
"Then, Glecia. Let's go train. You asked me to watch you train, didn't you?"
He asked so casually, as if everything was fine now.
I nodded blankly, but opened my mouth.
"...I did."
*Click.*
As I walked towards the place where I had trained, I felt strange.
A sense of relief at Han Cheonsung's attitude.
And at the same time, I had to feel a great sense of regret.
Even at this moment…
I couldn't understand Han Cheonsung at all.
…Rather, the closer I got to him, the more incomprehensible he felt.
***
—Purity.
It is often said that the purity of children shines because they are untainted.
Some believed that the word 'purity' itself held meaning, as merely looking at pure children felt as if one's own impurities were being washed away.
Because children are seen to express their feelings honestly, without thinking, reflecting good and bad exactly as they feel it.
And Cheonsung originally didn't particularly like children.
'Because not all children are pure.'
As times changed, he felt that the purity of children had been tainted.
He had often harbored doubts, wondering if children were cunning, or if their actions were truly born of pure innocence.
So he considered the essence of the word 'purity' itself, without necessarily equating it with children.
And now.
He was truly feeling the essence of that word, purity.
"..."
"..."
There was no continuous conversation as they walked.
But it didn't feel uncomfortable.
He had understood why Glecia spoke that way, and he felt the sincerity in her words.
The sincerity, which he rarely felt even when talking to young children, felt so profoundly strong when talking with Glecia, as if powerfully pounding his chest. Rather, he came to acknowledge her.
That there could be such a pure adult.
It was quite different from the purity he felt when he met Glecia last night.
…How truly clean someone who genuinely reflects themselves can appear.
It had a magic that made the person facing her unable to think anything else for a moment.
Instinctively, he felt he shouldn't treat her with deceit, nor should he hurt her.
So now, his heart was simply filled with a feeling of understanding, as if to say, 'Glecia could be like this.'
'It was quite unexpected.'
He unconsciously recalled Glecia's eyes looking at him a moment ago.
Because he had momentarily seen the fear, anxiety, and worry in Glecia's eyes, who always seemed to speak so calmly and confidently.
At Glecia's question, asking if he disliked her, he was momentarily speechless.
He clearly felt something strange about her way of speaking, and he couldn't even count how many times her words had flustered him until now.
Just a moment ago, he had been quite flustered by Glecia's words, which could have been misunderstood by Leonhardt and Yumia.
But now.
The attitude she revealed to him in response to his repeated questions became another shock, pounding powerfully in his chest.
It wasn't that Glecia was unaware of her way of speaking.
She knew that her way of speaking could sound strange to others.
But she deliberately speaks that way.
Recalling how calmly and composedly she spoke when a superior like an instructor was present, he could be certain.
She spoke that way on purpose.
When she's with someone she feels comfortable with, she unreservedly reveals herself and tries to show her true feelings.
That attitude of purely conveying the feelings she experiences at that moment to the other person without falsehood.
Could that… truly be called wrong?
'How could she speak like that?'
She was the purest person he had ever met… Rather, he even felt sorry for not being able to answer her immediately.
*Click.*
Upon arriving at the training ground, Glecia gently drew her sword from its scabbard.
A plain, unadorned iron sword.
"Alright. Han Cheonsung. I'd like you to observe me directly and tell me your honest impressions."
"...Okay. Got it."
As Glecia calmly requested, he cleared his thoughts and nodded.
Though she was handling a sword right now, what Glecia was asking for probably wasn't about her swordsmanship itself.
It was likely about whether there were any superfluous movements or deficiencies in her movements while manifesting her characteristics through the sword.
He could probably tell that much just by watching.
*Thud.*
As he stood at a certain distance from her and watched, Glecia slowly took a deep breath.
Her faint breath was audible from her lips for only a moment, then Glecia instantly kicked off the ground, launching herself forward.
Watching her intently, he was greatly surprised.
—! ———!
A fierce gale instantly engulfed the entire area.
At the same time, Glecia was moving through the strong wind as if lightly floating.
——!
————!!
With just a light swing of her sword, she powerfully struck the target scarecrow.
She was completely exceeding his expectations.
"...."
A bright light enveloped Glecia's body right now.
A brilliant, bright blue light that seemed to captivate everyone's gaze, it was definitely not mana.
The precursor of what is called the Light of Blessing…
It was clearly imbued within her body.