One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 37

“I’ll be the one training you directly for the most part, but there may be times when the vice commander of the Sel Order joins us. During this period, I’ll regard you as my subordinates, and I’ll speak accordingly. If anyone has a problem with that, now’s the time to say so.”

A few seconds of silence passed.

Now it became clear why all four knights chosen from the Khan and Lil Orders were of lower rank. In the tense, unspoken rivalry between the knight orders, the higher a knight’s position, the more likely they were to bristle at the idea of being taught by a member of another order—especially one from the prestigious Sel Order.

In that regard, Aileen was the most suitable candidate. Her skills were undeniable, but her rank was low enough that she could avoid becoming entangled in petty power struggles.

She let out a shallow breath and looked straight at the man who would now be her temporary superior.

Carlisle’s gaze, cold and detached, swept over the four of them once more. This time, his eyes lingered a moment longer on Aileen before moving on.

“I’ll take your silence as agreement and report it as such. Starting tomorrow, you’ll all report to the Sel Order’s auxiliary training grounds for three hours a day. Depending on your progress, your training time may be extended. Be aware of that.”

It wouldn’t be reduced—only increased. That chilling implication made the knights tense without a word.

“Since today is the first day, we’ll stop here. But starting tomorrow, come prepared. All training will follow the Sel Order’s methods. That is all.”

Carlisle’s even, uninflected voice ended with crisp finality. As Aileen turned with the other three knights to leave, his gaze quietly followed the small retreating figure of her back—then slowly drifted away.

Later that evening, seated at the dinner table with her family, Aileen hesitated before finally deciding to share what had happened that day. She figured it would be better to tell them herself before the news reached them from someone else.

Even though she’d done nothing wrong, a strange sense of guilt lingered in her chest. And with Ashite away on an assignment from the Lil Order, now was the perfect opportunity.

“What did you just say, daughter?!”

Duke Revart slammed both palms onto the table with a loud thud.

“Who’s teaching who? You’re going to be seeing him every day?!”

At his furious outburst, Aileen couldn’t even manage an awkward smile.

Though Duke Revart oversaw national defense after returning to active duty, he couldn’t be expected to know every detail of personnel decisions—especially ones as minor as which knight was selected to participate. The higher the rank, the more removed they often were from the reality on the ground.

Still… it was possible Edys had deliberately kept it from him. Aileen leaned toward that theory.

“Calm down, dear. There must’ve been a good reason,” the Duchess said gently, placing her hand over her husband’s clenched fist.

The warmth of her small hand seemed to slowly draw out the heat from his temper. The Duke finally let out a long sigh, deflating.

It was well known that the Duke still called Aileen “daughter” despite her having long passed her coming-of-age. He even referred to himself as “Daddy” in front of others from time to time. His affection was deep—perhaps too deep.

He loved Aileen fiercely. But he was not the sort of man to let personal emotions cloud his judgment when it came to decisions that affected the Empire. That, too, was why House Revart had remained so respected for generations.

“A joint training between the knight orders, huh… It’s called training, but let’s be honest—it’s a one-sided arrangement. Unprecedented, really. As much as I want to storm into the palace this instant, I have to admit—it makes sense that he would be chosen.”

After a long silence, that was the conclusion he finally spoke.

It was this kind of balance—his ability to feel anger and yet understand necessity—that had kept the Revart name strong. He had declared House Revart an enemy of House Hessiden and willingly stepped forward as the Emperor’s sword—partly for Aileen’s sake, but not solely.

Aileen knew this better than anyone.

For some time, the Duke had hoped she would finally let go of Carlisle. And if she couldn’t—if the feelings lingered despite not seeing him—then maybe it would be better to face him every day. To let reality erode whatever longing remained.

Whether that meant seeing him beside Judith… or watching him act in ways that betrayed the man she once knew—it didn’t matter.

He just hoped, if anything, that she wouldn’t be hurt too deeply.

Because better a short, sharp pain than a wound that festers and never truly heals.

“Just end it quickly, daughter. The sooner you’re free from that man, the better.”

“Don’t worry, Dad.”

Unaware of the Duke’s deeper thoughts, Aileen deliberately emphasized the word Dad as she spoke. She knew exactly how much he still wanted to coddle her—how he longed for the days when she would lean on him with childlike dependence.

“A little lower.”

Before Carlisle could even finish speaking, Aileen adjusted the trajectory of her blade, bringing it down just slightly. He closed his mouth without another word.

So she had guessed right. Carlisle said nothing more, simply watching her with unreadable eyes.

Swish. Swish.
The sound of her sword cutting the air had already echoed multiple times. But his gaze—blunt, indifferent, yet focused—never left her.

Normally, once a correction was given, an instructor would move on. But Carlisle’s gaze stayed fixed. That alone made Aileen increasingly uneasy.

She was just about to speak, her palms slick with sweat, when Carlisle finally looked away—as if nothing had happened. The timing was so precise, it almost felt rehearsed.

“Lower. With force,” he instructed another knight, his voice low and calm.

During a pause between forms, Aileen glanced toward him. Carlisle, now focused on another trainee, gave the same cool guidance, his tone and gaze no different from before.

Was I just being overly sensitive?
She shook her head lightly and focused on her stance again.

Still, the same odd pattern repeated itself. Every time she sensed Carlisle watching, he would already be moving on the moment she turned to confirm. It was subtle. Too subtle to call out. But it gnawed at her, like a tiny splinter beneath the skin.

“You don’t even look tired, Aileen. You’re keeping up too well,” said Setar, the representative from the Lil Order, as he approached during their break.

“You’re not one to talk. I haven’t seen you sweat once,” she replied with a smirk.

“Hah! Coming from you, that’s a little embarrassing.”

Setar, a knight slightly older than Ashite, was said to be among the best in the Lil Order. Even Ashite—who rarely praised others—had mentioned his name with respect. That alone had made Aileen more inclined to trust him.

“So, how’s the tournament prep going? Over at our end, half of us practically live in the training grounds like we’ve got no homes or families.”

Setar groaned and shook his head dramatically.

Though the Khan and Lil Orders were known for their tense relationship, individuals like Setar proved there were always exceptions.

With an easygoing charm and natural friendliness, he’d bonded with everyone quickly during their joint training. And perhaps more importantly, he couldn’t stand Haller—who strutted around with his noble airs and a bundle of inferiority complexes. When he heard that Aileen had put Haller in his place, he’d been absolutely thrilled.

Setar was one of the Lil knights who had laughed the hardest watching Haller sulk around like a scolded pup for days. That, combined with the fact that Aileen was Ashite’s sister, had earned her a spot on his good side.

“Khan isn’t much better,” Aileen replied with a dry chuckle. “I feel embarrassed showing up on time and leaving on time.”

Another knight from the Khan Order, overhearing them, jumped in with a laugh. “You get dirty looks if you even think about taking a break.”

“Is it just me,” said a Lil knight cautiously, “or does it still feel like no matter how much we train, we’ll never match the Sel Order’s standard?”

The light mood suddenly dimmed.

Unlike the Khan and Lil Orders—who often handled palace security or undertook special missions across the empire—the Sel Order’s main focus was subjugating Northern tribes and hunting monsters.

It was brutal work. Riskier. Deadlier. And their training reflected that.

Until now, none of the others had seen how the Sel Order trained. But now, they were beginning to realize it was far harsher than expected.

Aileen thought back to when she had briefly trained under the Sel Order years ago. The drills weren’t quite this intense back then… or maybe she had simply forgotten how rough it was.

“If we don’t want the Sel Order sweeping all the top spots in the tournament, we’ll need to push our people a lot harder,” Setar said suddenly, breaking the tension with a grin.

The heavy mood lifted as laughter followed.

“You too, Setar. We’re not planning to go easy on anyone,” Aileen said, smiling.

“Excellent, Aileen!”

Their shared laughter echoed through the small auxiliary training ground, resonating even against the gray walls that surrounded them.

Then—

“I believe break time ended a while ago.”

A cold, low voice cut through the merriment like a blade.

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