Chapter 41
“I can’t fall behind.”
The two looked at each other, sharing the same determination. The desire to grow stronger was an ambition shared by all swordsmen.
“How about one more round?”
Elliot asked as he wiped his face with a towel resting on the table.
Though night had deepened, it wasn’t a good enough reason to stop sparring.
“Sure.”
Evelyn saw the faint joy that peeked through his usually stoic expression.
She had assumed he was always cold and curt…
But now, it felt like she had secretly peeked at the Grand Duke’s hidden side, and it made her cheeks tingle.
“This time, I’ll go first.”
Tossing aside the towel he had used to wipe his sweat, Elliot raised his sword.
He’s coming.
Evelyn raised her sword in defense as his approached. Each swing of their blades filled the training hall with the clang of steel and the sound of heavy breathing.
She had no idea how much time had passed.
“Excuse me, but it’s gotten very late.”
Just as the two blades were about to clash again, Sophia appeared.
“Oh—”
Elliot and Evelyn hastily stepped back and sheathed their swords.
“Do you two know what time it is?”
Behind Sophia, Albert appeared, looking quite tired.
“How long has it been?”
“It’s nearly midnight.”
Elliot chuckled wryly at Albert’s weary voice.
“To think we only trained for four hours.”
“Shall we stop at midnight, then?”
Evelyn glanced at the head butler and head maid, trying to gauge their reactions, her voice tinged with reluctance.
“The staff have been waiting for you both with their necks stretched. You should stop for today. It’d be better to train in the morning and handle your duties in the afternoon.”
Albert stifled a yawn.
Sophia added that such a routine might even create rumors about how loving they were.
“We don’t have much choice, then.”
With sleep clouding their eyes, Evelyn sheathed her sword.
“We’ll clean up here. You two should go in.”
“Just leave it. I’ll be out early tomorrow to tidy up.”
“When exactly do you plan on sleeping?” Albert grumbled as he reluctantly began tidying the training ground at the Grand Duke’s words.
“Lady Evelyn, please go on in.”
Evelyn, who had been watching the cleanup, gave a polite nod at Sophia’s urging.
Tap.
She exchanged a light greeting with Elliot before heading inside the castle, where Anna was waiting in her bedroom.
“What about the others?”
“They’re resting in the servants’ quarters.”
“Well done.”
Even though Evelyn had said there was no need for a night attendant, her four exclusive maids took turns staying up with her, insisting they couldn’t just ignore it.
“I’ve prepared your bathwater.”
Thanks to Sophia giving prior notice, everything had been prepared in advance, allowing Evelyn to wash comfortably.
“How’s Tinya doing?”
Drying her hair, Evelyn asked casually. She was worried about Tinya, who had followed her from the capital all alone.
“She’s adjusting well. She’s kind and proactive, so everyone likes her. Though… she does seem to struggle with the training.”
That was to be expected.
She had never physically exerted herself at the count’s estate. It would take time and effort to build stamina.
‘Good.’
Evelyn had hoped Tinya would stay uninvolved in all this. But since she had come all the way to the North, she hoped Tinya would at least grow stronger.
“She does get tired, but she’s keeping up with training.”
Anna smiled sympathetically.
Tinya, who still couldn’t manage even five laps around the training field, looked pitiful.
Since the training schedule was set, she would return after a session looking like a completely wilted plant.
“I’m grateful that you’re all helping her.”
“It’s only natural.”
Anna smiled gently as she carefully dried Evelyn’s hair.
“If something happens with Tinya, would you let me know?”
Anna’s hands paused at Evelyn’s cautious question.
“Of course.”
“She grew up with me since we were children. I can’t help but worry.”
Anna shook her head at the Grand Duchess’s apologetic smile.
“It’s only natural to care about someone you’ve known for a long time. I’ll let you know if anything happens.”
“And I’ll make sure you’re all taken care of as well.”
Evelyn was relieved that Tinya was adjusting well to the North and that the other maids didn’t show jealousy, even if she showed some favoritism.
She had chosen well. Even when she casually asked the others similar questions, no one showed signs of displeasure—at least not openly.
“I hope I can trust you to watch my back.”
“…I’m not perfect, but I’ll do my best.”
Everyone except Tinya knew her secret. They seemed genuinely loyal to the Grand Duke’s family.
“Don’t tell Tinya that I’m the Hero just yet.”
“She doesn’t know?”
At Evelyn’s grave tone, Anna lowered her head.
“I’ll keep it a secret.”
Evelyn didn’t quite understand why she wanted to hide it from Tinya.
She had always been able to share everything with her. There was nothing about herself that Tinya didn’t already know.
And yet…
This time, she didn’t want to tell her.
“She followed me all the way to the North for my sake. I don’t want to burden her with more worry.”
At that, Anna gave her a kind, understanding smile. Evelyn, too, quietly smiled, trying to suppress the guilt that tugged at her heart.
Ever since she drew the holy sword, her senses had been unusually heightened. She didn’t want to ignore the instinctive warning she felt.
“It’s not entirely a good thing, after all. No need to let her know just yet.”
She smiled softly and continued drying her hair. Evelyn glanced at the clock.
“I’m going to train with the Grand Duke early tomorrow morning, so please all get some rest.”
It was already 1 a.m.
She planned to wake up at 6, so there wasn’t much time left to sleep.
“Shall we prepare breakfast accordingly?”
Evelyn nodded.
Once even Anna left the bedroom, Evelyn lay on her bed.
‘That was good.’
She reflected deeply on her training session with Elliot. He had adapted well to her and explained things clearly, too.
She placed her hand over her heart.
Her heart, elevated by excitement and anticipation, was still pounding.
“I just like training with him. It’s not like I’ve fallen for him.”
Evelyn pouted.
No matter how she thought about it, it was obvious that the former Hero must’ve been incredibly handsome, too.
Maybe people didn’t fall for his kindness—they just fell for his looks.
She kept getting distracted by the way Elliot’s golden hair shimmered and how his sharp eyes cut through the air whenever he moved.
She blamed all the mistakes she had made during training on Elliot’s ridiculously good looks.
It wasn’t that she liked him. It was only natural to be drawn to something beautiful.
Even though she knew he didn’t feel anything for her, she kept finding herself staring at him.
“Being good-looking isn’t a crime. And it’s only natural to glance at attractive people.”
As if gaining a new understanding of the world, she muttered that it wasn’t a bad thing, nor was it a vain desire.
Ugh…
Tinya’s words were true—“My lady, just looking at a handsome man is enough to feel full!”
Just as Tinya said, seeing Elliot made her feel peaceful and generous.
Even when his tone annoyed her, one glance at his face would melt her frustration away.
When she accepted the internal affairs authority, maybe she wasn’t persuaded by his argument… Maybe she was just swayed by his face.
“I didn’t know I was this weak for good looks…”
Because of her handsome older brother and his friend Raven, she’d never paid much attention to other men’s appearances before.
But at this level of visual impact, it was Elliot who should’ve been the Hero.
Even the Evil God might’ve stopped the war out of admiration for his face.
What should I do from now on?
Evelyn pulled her blanket up to her head, troubled. She was more worried about focusing on Elliot’s face than the actual training.
What if her face turned red? Maybe she should wear a mask?
With such ridiculous thoughts, Evelyn finally drifted to sleep.
“Yawn.”
“You’re early.”
She had gone to bed late, but muscle memory woke her up at the usual time.
Having barely slept, she couldn’t stop yawning.
“Good morning.”
Elliot tilted his head at Evelyn’s dazed expression.
“Looks like yesterday’s training wore you out.”
“No, I just went to bed late because I was sorting out other things.”
She couldn’t exactly admit that it was his face that had kept her awake, so she mumbled an excuse.
Evelyn tapped the ground lightly with her toe, fidgeting.
“Will you be joining for the endurance training too?”
Their scheduled training time was 8 a.m.
It was currently 6.
