Hwai raised an eyebrow, intrigued yet skeptical. "Sean? The one who has been unusually protective of her?"
"Precisely." Blaine leaned back, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "He sees potential in her—something that could be useful. Her rage, once harnessed, could serve our cause."
"And you believe keeping her alive will achieve that?" Hwai pressed, crossing his arms.
"Yes," Blaine replied, his tone turning serious. "She needs time to grieve, to wrestle with her new reality. We can't just crush her spirit; we need to mold it."
"That's a risky gamble," Hwai warned. "What if she turns against us?"
Blaine waved a dismissive hand, the corners of his mouth curling into a smirk. "Ah, but there's the beauty of it. Her anger will be our tool. A broken heart can fuel a warrior's fire. You've seen how fiercely she fought even when injured."
Hwai considered this, his brow furrowing. "But what if that fire burns out of control? Emotions can be unpredictable."
"Then we will be there to guide her," Blaine replied confidently. "Besides, the longer she remains here, the more leverage we gain against her remaining allies. Fear and loss can drive even the noblest of souls to dark places."
As Hwai pondered Blaine's words, he couldn't shake the unease settling in his stomach. "And what if she refuses to play along?"
Blaine chuckled again, the sound low and dark. "Then we have the means to remind her just how fragile her new world is. No one escapes the consequences of defiance in our ranks."
Four nights ago
Sean walked into Blaine's office, where Blaine was taking his sword out of the display case and carefully polishing it with a white cloth.
Blaine smiled when he saw Sean's face, which had gone pale.
"You're late."
"…Yes."
"I can see you're shocked. Did you find something unexpected?"
"..."
"Well then, what did you discover?"
Sean stayed quiet for a moment before finally speaking.
"Schleiman might be known for its strength, but during tomorrow's festival, everyone will let their guard down. The village is surrounded by tall mountains and has a narrow river in front. It seems smart to start our plan from across the river."
"Hmm."
"I need to ask you a favor, Blaine."
Blaine raised an eyebrow at the tremble in Sean's voice.
"A favor?"
"Yes, sir."
Blaine sneered slightly. With a nod that seemed to encourage him, he motioned for Sean to continue.
"Please spare the life of the leader's only daughter."
"Why?"
"..."
As Sean fell silent, Blaine stared at him. Under that intense gaze that demanded an answer, Sean lowered his head. He knew he had to say something.
"...Thirteen years ago. It's my daughter I thought was dead."
"Ha!"
Blaine let out a short laugh, clearly amused by the strange twist of fate. His laughter lasted a while. Sean kept his head down, his face serious and steady.
"My, this is getting interesting."
"…"
"Alright. I'll spare that child's life."
Sean's eyes widened as he looked up at Blaine.
"But in exchange."
"…"
"I was thinking we could pick up our earlier conversation."
A sly smile appeared on Blaine's face.
As he finished reminiscing, Blaine absentmindedly traced circles on the glass teacup sitting on the table, looking pleased with himself.
After hearing Sean's request, Hwai's gaze turned to Blaine, his expression suddenly filled with questions.
"Sean, sir?"
"Yes, Sean asked me to save the girl's life."
"Is this someone Mr. Sean knows?"
Hwai's question sparked curiosity in Blaine's eyes. A brief silence followed, then Blaine unfolded his arms and broke the stillness.
"He said it was his daughter—the one he thought had died 13 years ago."
"What?"
Hwai's face reflected complete shock for a moment. This was a turn of events he never expected.
"Kukuk. It's not often we see you caught off guard."
"..."
"In this case, am I a demon or an angel to that girl?"
"…"
"She lost her father and then gained another, you could say. How amusing."
Truly entertained, Blaine let out a hearty laugh. But despite his laughter, Hwai remained serious.
"Let me know when the girl wakes up."
"…Yes."
The room was a soft yellow. On a small bed, a girl with a pale face lay as if lifeless. Next to her sat a man, holding her hand tightly.
The man's empty eyes were focused solely on the girl's closed eyelids. He gently stroked her delicate hand, whispering her name over and over.
"Lynn… Lynn…"
Sean looked at her still form and spoke sadly.
When Lynn was brought to Bliderin, Sean felt his own consciousness slipping away.
Seeing her face, which still showed traces of her 7-year-old self, the emotional dam he had held back all winter finally broke.
Choking back the name of his daughter that wanted to escape, Sean held her icy hands as she was laid on the bed. His own hands trembled uncontrollably, still in disbelief.
When he learned she had fainted after witnessing her father's death, Sean's heart shattered once more.
To let the girl rest, only Sean and Roen remained in the room. Faced with the sight of his long-lost daughter, the tears he had held back poured out like a broken dam.
Sean knelt down, whimpering, and desperately stroked Roen's pale hands.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. You're here, alive... Please forgive this failure of a father."
From that moment on, Sean cared for Lynn with unwavering dedication.
"How are you feeling?"
Hwai, whose real name was Hwan, watched as Sahan emerged from the shower, his shoulder bandaged, and asked how he was doing.
Sahan casually shrugged his uninjured shoulder, dismissing any concern.
"I'm okay. This kind of thing happens all the time. No big deal."
Tch, this guy just talks a lot—
Hwan shot a disapproving glance at Sahan's smug grin. As he said, Sahan's bare, muscular torso was marked with scars, both big and small. Hwan's body bore similar signs.
Sahan vigorously dried his wet hair with a towel, making it flap, then flopped onto his bed.
"What's this, Hwan? Were you really worried about me? I'm touched!"
"Shut up."
Hwan looked bored as he shook his head and sprawled on his bed. Sahan, however, kept chatting as if he was just getting started.
"Ha! You rushed over to me so quickly. Did you think I was about to kick the bucket?"
"...Yeah. I thought you were going to die."
"Really? That kind of talk bruises my pride. As if I'd ever lose to a girl."
"Looked like you were losing when I watched."
"No way! I, the great Sahan, would never lose because of a lack of skill."
"Oh really? If it wasn't your skills, then what was it?"
"When I saw her up close, of all things, her face was my ideal type."
After briefly closing his eyes, Hwan turned his head and gave Sahan a crooked grin. Sahan's expression soured at the genuine sneer.
"Man, I can't believe this."
Unable to get too worked up because of his injuries, Sahan huffed and puffed. Hwan watched him and clicked his tongue.
Then Sahan collapsed onto his bed and muttered quietly, "Speaking of which, their swordsmanship was seriously impressive. They could even challenge Garnet."
Though Hwan didn't respond, Sahan slightly opened his eyes and continued, "Can't believe one of them is actually here."
As if the situation was hard to believe, Sahan let out a defeated laugh, and a short, amused chuckle came from beside him in agreement.
"What on earth is Blaine thinking?"
"Who knows."
With his hands clasped behind his head, Sahan murmured sleepily, "You should be careful too. That person might wake up and charge at you with a sword, no questions asked."
"You think I'm like you? Focus on covering your own weaknesses."
Bastard...
With that last soft remark, Sahan fell into a deep sleep.