Love Letter From The Future
Chapter 416: Proof of Existence (4)

Chapter 416: Proof of Existence (4)

0% Celine experienced her second adolescence.

If her first adolescence marked the transition from a child to a girl, then the second was the process of becoming a woman from a girl—just like how flowers only bloom after enduring the cold and dark days of winter.

The reason was simple.

She had merely come to realize once again that she was not special. When she first entered the academy, she had been filled with dreams, but now, she understood clearly:

The wall between a genius and a gifted individual was high and unyielding.

While an ordinary person might catch up to the gifted through sheer effort, no amount of struggle could allow the gifted to surpass a genius. No matter how fiercely she swung her sword until her palms were torn, this harsh reality remained unchanged.

And so, Celine had no choice but to relinquish her place by the side of the man she loved.

Because that place belonged only to those who shone brilliantly.

Melancholy surged like a rising tide, threatening to suffocate her. And just as she teetered on the brink of drowning, Celine met someone.

A certain woman.

She couldn’t recall the details of their conversation. Only faint memories lingered in her mind, drifting like fog.

But by the time she came to her senses, her once-restless heart felt lighter, as if all her lingering worries had been swept away. Even her sword was sharper than before.

Or, perhaps now, it was an axe.

The only thing that unsettled her was that she had no idea why.

Tilting her head in confusion, Celine returned to the academy, only to be immediately greeted by a familiar face.

“Celine Unnie!”

It was a girl whose pale skin contrasted vividly with her jet-black hair.

Her name was Ria Percus, another childhood friend of Celine’s.

She also happened to be the younger sister of the man Celine loved. They often quarreled in their childhood, especially since Ria deeply adored her brother.

Still, it was difficult to ignore the bond built over many years.

Ria widened her eyes as if she’d seen a ghost, then rushed over with quick steps and raised her voice.

“W-W-Where on earth have you been?! No matter how much I looked, I couldn’t find you anywhere! Leto Oppa just kept saying it was nothing serious...!”

It seemed she’d caused some unnecessary worry.

Celine had no choice but to offer an awkward smile.

“Ahaha, sorry... Were you worried?”

“Of course! How could you just disappear without a word?”

It took quite a while for Ria to calm down.

Celine had to spend a long while soothing the sulking girl, whose puffed cheeks made it clear she was upset. In the end, the youngest would always remain the youngest—Celine couldn’t help but think so.

Having cleared away the brief resentment, their footsteps soon fell in sync.

Then naturally, their conversation drifted toward recent events.

“Celine Unnie, have you met my brother yet?”

At those words, her dazed gaze shifted toward Ria.

Her expression made it clear that she hadn’t the slightest idea what Ria was getting at.

Ria looked at her with disbelief.

“I mean Ian Oppa! You have no idea how worried he was when you disappeared.”

“...Oh, was he?”

At that sluggish response, Ria’s cheeks puffed up once more.

Unfortunately, Celine only realized this a beat too late.

It was all because she’d been flustered by the sudden mention of the man she loved. To put it more precisely, she was bewildered by the notion that Ian would even bother worrying about someone like her.

She once again felt as though thick sludge had clogged the veins of her heart. Her usually vibrant hazel eyes dulled into a somber hue, her gaze hazily dropping to the ground. She even slightly bit her lip.

Anyone could tell she was acting strangely. Had the matter not involved her brother, even Ria would have noticed right away.

“Of course! As soon as my brother heard you went missing, he rushed all the way back from the North... Wait, huh?”

But Ria couldn’t finish venting her frustration.

Her words broke off abruptly when she noticed a figure approaching from ahead. A man was striding forward, steadily narrowing the distance.

He had black hair and golden eyes; colors far too familiar.

Ria’s previously furrowed expression brightened instantly. She even leaned forward and her eyes started sparkling.

Exactly like a puppy reunited with its master. If she’d had a tail, she’d probably be wagging it furiously right now.

There was only one person in the world capable of making the usually aloof Ria act like that. Realizing this, Celine let out a small sigh and hesitantly lifted her gaze.

As expected.

Ian Percus was approaching.

She didn’t know why, but Celine felt herself shrink and lowered her head. For some reason, directly facing him felt inexplicably difficult.

Meanwhile, Ria immediately abandoned Celine and rushed toward Ian.

“Oppa! Where have you been all this time? You weren’t even around yesterday... Oh, by the way, Celine Unnie is back!”

And so, Ria’s cheerful chatter continued uninterrupted.

Yet, there was no response from the man. Only Ria continued chatting excitedly, sharing updates as if it were just another day.

And at that moment, Celine began to sense something was off.

As much as Ria adored her brother, Ian cherished his younger sister just as deeply. Normally, the moment he saw her, he would have greeted her, or at the very least, reacted to the news that Celine had returned.

But the man remained silent.

‘No way...’

Thinking that, the instant Celine raised her head to meet the man’s gaze—

She felt as if a flash of white had lightning pierced through her spine.

An electrifying sensation surged through her, making it difficult to even think clearly. She stood there frozen, unable to move a single step.

Those golden eyes were intently scrutinizing Celine.

Yes—‘scrutinizing’ was precisely the right word. Her muscles, blood vessels, even the mana circulating within her body—nothing escaped his piercing gaze. And that realization triggered a primal fear within her.

The overwhelming gap between them was undeniable.

Perhaps in the past, she wouldn’t have even noticed. Even just a few days ago, she might have remained oblivious.

But once she took that first step forward, the view ahead finally came into focus.

A path leading to a distant and towering peak.

Has this man already reached it?

Celine’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. Her body shivered involuntarily, causing a faint glimmer to flicker briefly through the man’s eyes.

Only then did her breath finally return.

While Celine struggled to catch her breath, the man indifferently shifted his gaze toward Ria.

The girl was still excitedly boasting about her latest endeavor.

“So anyway, I made a deal to acquire some demonic beast carcasses from the Holy Nation. Turns out they had way too many to handle, but hey, who am I? I figured I’d just hire some mercenaries who were out of work after the demonic beasts subjugation, and—“

“Ria.”

His call was mercilessly cold.

His weary tone carried a chill that seemed to seep into the bones like frost seeping across a winter field. Hearing her brother speak this way for the very first time, Ria visibly flinched.

For a few moments, she merely stared blankly into the man’s eyes.

Gradually, confusion spread across her face.

“Don’t discuss business matters in public. It makes you look careless and isn’t good for maintaining confidentiality. What if someone targets you because of it?”

His words were undeniably reasonable.

Unlike before, Ian was now a well-known figure, and his beloved younger sister had undeniable value as a potential target. Ideally, she shouldn’t even be handling her affairs without an escort, let alone openly discussing future business plans in public.

She should have been more aware of the risks. And yet, Ria hesitated, fumbling for words as if something still didn’t sit right with her.

“B-But...”

“You’re being a nuisance.”

That single phrase was the final blow.

Ria froze on the spot, completely stunned. Regardless, the man’s expression remained indifferent.

“Stop wandering around when you don’t even have the strength to protect yourself. And drop that demonic beast carcass business as well... because that’s the only way you can be of any use.”

With that sharp admonition, the man brushed past the girl.

Celine squeezed her eyes shut as she overheard their exchange. She’d often thought about it, but Ian Percus from the future had an unbelievably sharp tongue—so much so that she wondered if it was really necessary.

And it frightened her.

His assessments were always cold and objective. And she knew that the next person those razor-sharp words would be aimed at was none other than herself.

Could she withstand it?

Being called useless, being told she was of no help. She had already torn herself apart with self-reproach for so long.

Yet, surprisingly, the criticism she expected never came.

“So, have you gotten used to it yet?”

When the man, now standing right before her, asked that sudden question, Celine momentarily failed to answer.

Her hesitation was only brie as just following his gaze was enough to clarify what he meant.

It was directed at the battle axe strapped behind her back.

Celine hurriedly nodded.

“Y-Yes...”

Her tone had shifted into polite speech before she knew it.

It was different from before. She had already caught a glimpse of the man’s true skill—he was on an entirely different level as a fighter.

Celine wasn’t bold enough to speak casually to someone like that.

Of course, the man himself didn’t seem to care whether she spoke casually or politely.

He merely patted her shoulder a couple of times and offered a few words of encouragement.

“Good. Keep at it.”

It was praise she hadn’t expected.

No—if anything, she found it difficult to picture this man praising anyone at all.

So, for a long while, Celine stood rooted in place with a bewildered expression. Though she’d just received a rare praise, it hardly felt real to her. If anything, she even wondered if she had simply imagined it.

But the one who actually broke the silence was someone else.

“...Don’t mess with me.”

It was a voice spewed through clenched teeth.

Celine and the man’s eyes simultaneously turned toward the source of that voice. Standing there was Ria, trembling with her fists tightly clenched.

Her glare, fixed on the man’s back, was filled with nothing but pure hostility.

“Don’t mess with me, who the hell are you.... who do you think you are, pretending to be my brother?! My brother would never say something like that to me!”

So, she finally realized it...

Celine felt her heart plummet. She desperately wanted to explain everything to Ria right away, but they were still in the academy.

There were far too many people around.

She could already hear the whispers of onlookers buzzing in her ears. Overwhelmed, Celine felt her vision spin.

Ugh, what should I do?

But the reply didn’t come from Celine—it came from the man.

“Just because something is left unsaid doesn’t make it any less true.”

A blatant provocation.

Facing Ria’s blazing gaze, the man continued in a calm voice.

“Did I say anything wrong? Whoever I might be, it doesn’t change the fact that what you’re doing isn’t helping anyone.”

“That—That’s... something we don’t know yet!”

“Stop acting like a child, brat.”

As he spoke, the man turned again and started walking toward Ria.

With each of his measured steps, the focus of the onlookers centered entirely on him and Ria.

Ria’s initial fiery bravado gradually faltered. With every step he took closer, she bit her lip in frustration—yet couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze.

There wasn’t a single trace of hesitation in his eyes.

Strong conviction brings overwhelming persuasion.

“We don’t have the time to entertain your childish games. Business? Sure, the more capital, the better. But when blades are clashing and blood is pouring like rain, what does any of that matter?”

“T-That, I’ll figure something out...”

Stammering, Ria desperately tried to string together an excuse to defend herself.

It was almost pitiful to watch her struggle.

But her opponent was a monster—one who had no regard for human emotions.

“Then go ahead and try.”

Before Ria could even ask what he meant—

Wham.

The man’s foot struck her square in the gut.