Childcare Diaries

Chapter 115

Appearance of the Female Lead (1)

Marie was always curious.

When would the female lead of this story appear?

It was clear that the changes she made to the original story had a significant impact on the plot. She even changed the timing of Siege’s encounter with the female lead. It’d been a year since she held on to her beating heart while waiting for the original story to begin.

However, the female lead did not appear. She even secretly looked at Barry exchanging letters with Siege though both were still single.

“What are you doing?”

Kentrail hugged her from behind and kissed her on the neck.

“I’m just thinking of someone.”

“Who?”

As Marie, who couldn’t bear to say ‘the female lead,’ evaded his words, the grumpy Kentrail’s kiss grew thicker.

“Please stop it. It’s still bright.”

“Then, can I wait for the night?”

What was he expecting?

Marie, with her face flushed, glanced around to see if anyone had heard it. She was relieved when she saw no butler or aide following him. Meanwhile, Kentrail laughed behind her, perhaps she was funny. His excitement passed through her and made her body tremble.

She liked that feeling, and she pressed her body closer to him.

“I thought you would be like that, so I dismissed everyone.”

He was like that too, but knowing that Marie was uncomfortable with showing skinship to others, Kentrail either restrained himself as much as he could, or removed dismissed everyone to come to her.

“Is the administrator in tears again?”

Thinking that there was no more distance between her, Kentrail chased after her every day. Thanks to this, his work was delayed and the administrator only complained.

“It’s okay since I almost took care of it in the morning.”

To be honest, he lied a little, knowing that Marie would tell him to go back right away. If she had been in front of him, he would have stopped her right away.

“But, who were you really thinking of?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

She just laughed, thinking about how to tell him that she was waiting for when the female lead would appear.

‘…If that person is Siege’s real love, he will meet her by himself without me intervening.’

After learning how much Siege hated fake relationships, Marie hoped that he would no longer be bound by the rules of the original story.

Even more so if it was his love.

* * *

“Ah.”

Two people collided.

“Sorry.”

Barry stood up to the person who rushed to apologize to him and asked if he was okay. The other partner’s face was blushing as if she was embarrassed to run into Barry, who was standing still suddenly.

With her bobbed hair, the redness was visible up to the nape of her neck.

“It’s nothing but, this… this.”

Even though he didn’t answer when she asked if he was okay, she held a letter in front of Barry. Then, she ran away before Barry could speak to her again.

“Oh!”

And seeing Barry like that, the academy classmates around him screamed.

Apparently, it was because it must have been a confession.

Pretending not to hear his classmates screaming to open it, he put the letter in his jacket pocket. He’d reject it anyway, so he didn’t want to make a fuss about it. That was the utmost courtesy that could be given to the person who made a confession.

“Let’s go to class.”

As Barry rushed out with his classmates, the girl who had just handed out the letter to him poked her head out from a pillar in the hallway to stare at him. Meanwhile, Siege, who felt the gaze and turned his head, collided with her eyes for a moment before disappearing.

* * *

Back in the dorm room, Barry’s eyes filled with bewilderment as he opened the letter. His face turned red as if it were going to burn.

‘It wasn’t a confession…’

He was ashamed of himself for being so mistaken.

‘A challenge to a duel.’

That was right. Inside the light-green letter that the female student held out, it was written that she would apply for a duel on a certain date.

Among the academies, the swordsmanship academy sometimes allowed confrontations like this. However, it was embarrassing because it had been more than three years since such a duel had actually taken place.

‘Why do I have a rival?’

That, too, was questionable. When a female student he had never taken the same class with suddenly challenged him to a duel, he naturally began to reflect on whether he had done something wrong… However, there wasn’t.

He could get sworn at by Ellie.

‘It’s lunchtime in two days.’

Although he could have refused, he couldn’t because he thought of the courage to challenge him to a duel.

‘Yes, I’ll take this opportunity to test my skills.’

Siege was still hiding his skills from the academy, so he wasn’t treated properly and all the academy seniors who would be his opponents had graduated, so there was no chance of knowing how much his skills had improved.

‘We’ve never had classes together, so I don’t know what her specialty is.’

Barry, who raised his right hand and rubbed his forehead in embarrassment, found the sword that he had placed on the desk.

‘Oh, right.’

Then, he found a letter from his older sister, Marie.

‘I have to reply, but sister sometimes asks me why I’m not seeing anyone at the academy. Does she think I can’t even have a relationship…?’

Barry thought it was also not right as it was written about Siege, too, so he shook his head to get rid of the weird thoughts. His eyes suddenly changed as he grabbed the sword and did basic movements to prepare for the duel.

* * *

The attention of the students who were training at the training ground during lunchtime was focused on one place. Since the handsome man and woman were standing together, their eyes naturally turned.

Those who watched them, thinking of a romantic pink aura, swallowed a gulp at the two’s fierce eyes. And the moment the two of them pulled out their swords, they left their own practice and drew a circle around them.

“It’s a duel!”

After a long time, the academy was set on fire.

Siege, who was watching the two of them from the royal seats in the front row, let out a sigh. When Barry returned to the academy, he said he wanted to live a quiet life though he was blowing away those days himself.

“I look forward to it.”

Two swords collided with Vianna Carr’s greeting.

Barry, who was holding the sword with one hand, clashed the sword once and immediately grabbed it with his two hands.

‘It’s real.’

It was a name he had never seen before in the rankings, so he didn’t expect her to be this strong.

‘Did she hide her skills like Siege? Why?’

He didn’t know why everyone around him had so many secrets and stories.

“Concentrate.”

Noticing that his concentration was momentarily shaken, Vianna furiously clashed his sword with a warning.

‘The agility is excellent. She’s a different type from me who pushes with force.’

Barry’s single blow and Vianna’s swift, multiple attacks left the viewer breathless.

‘It’s been a while… fighting with a proper sword like this.’

Apart from the hardships, a smile appeared on Barry’s face. Because of that, the faces of the female students who were watching the swordsmanship around them turned red, and Vianna’s sword, who saw it, became even rougher.

Siege, watching the match between the two, felt his hands tickle for the first time in a long time. He almost wanted to pick up the sword and join the fight.

It was a close match.

It was also a match that did not end until half of the lunchtime passed.

In the duel between Barry, who maintained excellent grades at the academy, and Vianna, who did not stand out much, so the audience, who naturally expected that it would end easily with Barry’s victory, gradually opened their mouths.

They started whispering that they didn’t know where such a monster came from.

The two focused more on the game as if they couldn’t hear the buzz around them. They wanted to see the match before class started.

Barry, who was holding Vianna’s sword, admired her swordsmanship inside.

‘It’s really a sword of a different type than mine… Strong and beautiful.’

And finally, Barry’s sword flew. Vianna, in her complete victory, gazed at him with her head slightly raised.

“Now, keep what you said before.”

Barry, not knowing what Vianna meant, looked puzzled.

* * *

As time passed, Marie and Kentrail headed to the market near the academy. They had come to the academy to see Barry’s graduation ceremony.

“Would you like this flower?”

Graduation from the swordsmanship academy was more ordinary than expected. As a congratulation, flowers were given and diplomas were awarded. At the graduation ceremony, the family and the knight commander would come and congratulate them.

Kentrail forgot what he had to say as he watched Marie holding the flower for a moment.

“Come on, Count.”

She urged him, who finally came to his senses, and Kentrail cleared his throat. Marie might hit him with that pretty flower if she knew that he wanted to hug and kiss her tightly.

“That one on the left.”

Saying so, he pointed to any flower.

“Since we have to give Siege, too, let’s buy both.”

Kentrail laughed at the answer that was already decided. Marie also smiled a lot, thinking he was funny herself.

“Khhmm, payment.”

The waitress, who had been staring blankly between the two, interrupted with a cough. Embarrassed, the two quickly paid and went out in an escape.

“What is it? You keep looking at me like that.”

Marie reprimanded him, but Kentrail only tried to pull her and hug her.

“No. The flowers will be ruined.”

He clicked his tongue, thinking of the childish thought of throwing the flowers away because she pushed him away. As she became more and more with him, he felt like he was missing something.

“Huh…?”

As Marie’s startled voice pierced his thoughts, Kentrail’s gaze returned to the direction as she raised her hand and pointed.

“Barry, right?”

There, his brother-in-law was walking with a woman smiling. The two seemed very close.

“I know.”

They could see Barry standing still as if he had seen them there as well. Then, he bowed, and Kentrail raised his arm to receive the greeting.

“Let’s go.”

Marie led him with her eyes shining.

“Barry.”

“Sister.”

Barry smiled at Marie. The eyes of the student standing next to him widened when Barry said it was his sister.

“How are you…”

“I came to buy flowers for the graduation ceremony. But, who is next to you?”

The look in Barry’s eyes and the female student at each other indicated that it was not normal.

“Hello, I’m Vianna Carr.”

Looking at Vianna bowing, Marie was shocked.

‘You mean this person is Vianna… the female lead?’

There was no mention in the original story that she attended the academy, so she could only imagine how twisted the change would be.

‘…And, to have such a relationship with Barry.’

While seeing Marie unable to speak, Kentrail looked puzzled. Barry also looked at his sister oddly and asked.

“What’s the matter?”

“Ah… no. Nice to meet you.”

When she greeted her back, Vianna’s sullen expression thinking that Marie didn’t like her and wanted to leave, became bright.

“Then, would you like some tea with us?”

Marie, who was very curious about where Siege went and why she had a relationship with Barry instead, pointed to the tea house nearby.