CHAPTER 232: LEONA’S BAD MOOD [1]

Leona was rarely in a bad mood. And even when she was, it never lasted long enough to be called very bad.

She had learned how to wield a sword at an age when most girls her age were still playing with dolls or chasing butterflies in sunlit fields.

But a peaceful life? That was a luxury she could never afford.

Of course, she had felt frustrated—watching other children laugh and run around freely while she was stuck in grueling training day after day. But even then, she wasn’t angry. Just... annoyed.

It was the same during those awkward years when she had to learn how to act like a boy—how to blend in with them, how to talk, how to move.

All of it for the sake of her clan.

Her role was clear: find a worthy husband. Someone who could match her in strength or potential. It was her duty.

That, too, she accepted. Annoyed, yes. But not angry.

And now, here she was at Velcrest Academy. Still carrying the secret burden of her disguise. No longer Leona Harper.

Now, she was Leon Harper.

And oddly enough... things had been fine.

She had carved out a place for herself. People saw her as a capable boy, a skilled swordsman, and a reliable peer.

Everything was manageable.

Until—

"You can’t win against Ryen and Leo."

Until Rin said that.

That single sentence.

Leona didn’t even know why it hit her so hard. It wasn’t meant to be cruel, probably. Rin wasn’t even the type to say something like that to hurt her on purpose.

But still—

The words pierced something deep.

For the first time in her life... she was mad.

Not just annoyed. Not quietly frustrated.

She was genuinely, truly angry.

Something clenched in her chest, something she’d never had to deal with before. And for a moment, she didn’t know what to do with that feeling.

Because this wasn’t about duty or appearances.

It wasn’t about finding a husband or playing the part.

It was about her.

About being told she couldn’t do something—something she’d worked her whole life for—by the one person she thought might understand how hard she’d tried.

And that was the moment Leona Harper truly felt it.

Rage. Real, burning, blinding rage.

"So, I’ll loose, Obviously according to Rin huh?"

Leona had always been confident in her swordsmanship.

Years of relentless training had sharpened her talent into something formidable. She had even awakened a rare trait—something that set her apart from her peers.

That’s why she believed, deep down, that she could hold her own against opponents like Ryen and Leo... if only she were allowed to go all out.

But that was the problem.

She couldn’t.

Her family’s secret sword technique—the one she’d poured her soul into mastering—was not something she could use freely. It was a sacred inheritance, passed down through generations under strict conditions.

Her father, the current head of the family, had made her swear an oath: never use it unless her life was on the line, unless she suffered an unbearable humiliation, or if it was to test a potential future husband.

Winning a school tournament didn’t qualify.

"Can I win with just a camouflage technique...?"

She thought back to the last time she saw Ryen and Leo in action during class.

The answer was immediate—and disappointing.

No.

With her standard techniques, she could handle most opponents with ease, but not them. Not when Ryen’s holy sword radiated justice with every swing, or when Leo’s spear danced through the air with deadly precision.

Even if she went all out, she wasn’t sure she’d win. Maybe... maybe a fifty percent chance, at best.

She sat on her bed, gripping the hilt of her practice sword, her thoughts a storm of frustration.

"What should I do...?"

It wasn’t just about the tournament anymore. This feeling in her chest—this tight, burning sensation—wasn’t about pride or victory.

It was about him.

She didn’t know why exactly, but something about the way he looked at her lately—calm, unreadable, like he wasn’t taking her seriously—gnawed at her.

She usually didn’t care what others thought. But for some reason, she just couldn’t stand the idea of being looked down on by him.

And that made her all the more determined to win.

No matter what it took.

Leona rose from her bed slowly, her grip on the practice sword tightening until her knuckles turned white. The room was dim, quiet except for the low hum of wind brushing against the academy windows. Her heart thumped—not in nervousness, but in something heavier.

She hated this.

This tight feeling in her chest.

This unfamiliar pressure behind her eyes.

She wasn’t supposed to care this much. She wasn’t supposed to feel this much.

But that one sentence—"You can’t win against Ryen and Leo"—kept echoing in her mind like a curse she couldn’t dispel.

She had faced scorn before. Doubted by her elders, ignored by fellow trainees, underestimated by rival clans. She had endured it all, silently, steadily, because she knew her worth.

But Rin... Rin was different.

He wasn’t arrogent like Leo or charismatic like Ryen. He wasn’t interested in showing off or proving himself. He just was. Calm. Thoughtful. Mysterious in a way that made her want to understand him more.

And yet, he had dismissed her in a single breath.

"So I’m not good enough, huh?" she whispered to herself, standing before the mirror.

Her reflection stared back: short brown hair slicked back, her jaw firm, eyes sharp.

Leon Harper.

No trace of Leona remained.

She exhaled deeply.

"You want to see who can’t win...? Fine. I’ll show you."

She tossed aside the practice sword and walked toward the corner of her room, where a long wooden case lay covered beneath a folded blanket. She hadn’t touched it since coming to Velcrest.

Her real sword.

Her family’s blade.

It was sword that she received as gift when she entered the academy and hasn’t it used it till now.

It’s seems that it’s time to use it.