Chapter 74

Today, there will be two updates.

Bernard's throat was pressed against the tip of a blade, and after a brief silence, he muttered, "This is a tough one."

Bernard, breathing heavily but unscathed, continued to speak. On the other hand, Leonhardt, though wounded and bleeding from several cuts, had delivered the final, fatal blow and emerged as the victor.

The fight was over, and fortunately, neither of them seemed to have any serious injuries. Cordelia let out a sigh of relief. Leonhardt had a few injuries, but with his ancestors' robust recovery abilities, they would heal by tomorrow.

(Your Highness, that was amazing. You won just as you declared.)

Cordelia wanted to congratulate the victor, but Leonhardt, still excited from the fight, was engaged in a conversation with Bernard.

"Your second-to-last stance, you released a killing intent from your feet and distracted me. That caught me off guard."

"That 'Thunder Spear' sixth eye, aiming for the longsword's blade with it surprised me. If I had tried to forcefully deflect it at that moment—"

The discussion was intense, and both were completely absorbed in it. They seemed to be analyzing and exchanging opinions on the progression of the mock battle.

Feeling that she couldn't intrude, Cordelia stopped in her tracks. This was a realm they could only share because of their exceptional skills. The hostile atmosphere from their first meeting was long gone. It seemed that the sword fight had cleared the air, and Leonhardt was now praising Bernard's performance with a cheerful demeanor.

(Lord Bernard, I'm so envious that you and His Highness are getting along so well...)

Cordelia found it heartwarming, but she also felt a twinge of loneliness. Perhaps this was the feeling of jealousy.

(Maybe I'm being childish...)

Recalling Leonhardt's words before the match, when he was jealous, Cordelia smiled softly. Now, she might understand how Leonhardt felt at that time.

"Lady Cordelia, I'm sorry. Lord Bernard gets so absorbed in things that he loses sight of his surroundings."

Gail scratched his head and turned to her. As a soldier, Gail had been listening to Bernard and the others with great interest but seemed to be considerate of Cordelia.

"Thank you, Gail. I appreciate your concern. I'm a bit jealous, but I'm glad His Highness is enjoying himself."

"You're so mature."

"I still have a lot to learn."

"No, no, you're very mature. You're more mature than Lord Bernard was at your age."

"…You know Lord Bernard from when he was younger?"

Cordelia was a bit surprised. Bernard was the second son of a duke, and Gail was a commoner. Their ages were also quite different, with Bernard in his early twenties and Gail in his late thirties. She had assumed they met after Gail joined the military.

"Yes, I've known him since he was a child. I was originally hired by Lord Bernard's father, the Earl of Gramwell, to be a sword instructor and bodyguard for Lord Bernard and his siblings. Lord Bernard took a liking to me and invited me to join the military as his adjutant, which is how I got to where I am today."

"That's a long relationship."

"Indeed. As someone involved in martial arts, Lord Bernard's talent was very appealing. It's been challenging, but I consider myself fortunate to be his adjutant."

Hehe, Gail smiled. Despite being led around by the strong-willed Bernard, he didn't seem to mind.

"Lord Bernard is indeed very strong. Do all the military mages in Eltoria fight like that?"

At Cordelia's question, Gail shook his head rapidly.

"No, no, no! That's impossible! Normally, mages are supposed to launch long-range attacks from the rear. Fighting on the front lines and casting spells while swinging a sword like Lord Bernard is completely heretical!"

"Heretical... So, did Lord Bernard learn that fighting style on his own?"

"Sort of, but his siblings were often made to practice with him. Lady Letitia, whom I mentioned before, was often called upon to be his sparring partner and put in a lot of effort, I mean, in the mock battles."

"Did you just say 'sacrifice'?"

When Cordelia asked, Gail gave a nervous smile.

"Just your imagination. Lord Bernard cared for Lady Letitia and made sure she didn't get physically hurt."

"…So, it was mentally quite tough for her, wasn't it?"

"Hehe, yes. There are still memories from those days that she hasn't forgotten—"

While Cordelia listened to several stories from Gail, Leonhardt and Bernard continued their tactical discussions, deepening their friendship through their shared passion for swordsmanship.

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The day after Leonhardt and Bernard's mock battle.

That day, Cordelia received a visit from Femina. They had been exchanging letters, but it had been a while since they met in person.

"Cordelia, how are you? Have you been well?"

Femina, however, didn't seem very cheerful. It wasn't due to physical discomfort. Leonhardt was officially staying in the outskirts of the capital on official business. Not being able to see her beloved Leonhardt for days had left Femina a bit dejected.

"Femina, how are you? I've prepared your favorite cherry pie for today."

"Cherry pie!?"

Femina's eyes lit up, but quickly returned to their usual state. She seemed to feel lonely, wishing she could share her favorite treat with her brother, Leonhardt.

(Poor thing, but I can't let His Highness appear here...)

As someone who also admired Leonhardt, Cordelia understood Femina's feelings all too well. After a moment's thought, she decided to step out for a while.

"I forgot to give some instructions for the tea preparation. I'll be right back."

Leaving the parlor, Cordelia went to the hidden room at the edge of the estate where Leonhardt was hiding to avoid seeing Femina.

"Your Highness, do you have a moment now?"

"What's the matter, Cordelia?"

Leonhardt had just finished processing the documents he brought with him and approached Cordelia with a smile.

"Femina has been a bit down lately because she hasn't been able to see you."

"Is that so..."

Even the kind-hearted Leonhardt seemed concerned about Femina. He looked in the direction of the parlor with a worried expression.

"How about appearing as a lion cub to cheer her up?"

Femina called the lion cub "Leo" and was very fond of it. Although she didn't know that its true identity was Leonhardt, the sight of the golden cat she used to dote on—also a lion cub in disguise—brought warmth to her heart.

"Your Highness, you can transform into a lion cub quite stably, right?"

"Yes, it's actually easier to transform into a lion cub."

Despite his limited mobility, Leonhardt was still trying to find a solution. He was experimenting daily to be able to stay in human form without showing his animal ears. Although he hadn't fully mastered it yet, he could already stay in the form of a lion cub for extended periods.

(I'm a bit concerned that he's more stable as a lion than as a human...)

There was no risk of him revealing his true identity by transforming back into a human in front of Femina. When Leonhardt, now a lion cub, returned to the parlor, Femina let out a joyful cry.

"Leo! You're home today!"

She ran over and reached out to the lion cub, burying her fingers in its soft fur and enjoying the fluffy sensation. It was a heartwarming scene, but Cordelia noticed something.

(Your Highness, you're not letting Femina pet your head?)

He allowed Femina to touch his back, arms, and tail, but subtly avoided her hand when it reached for his head. It seemed that only Cordelia was allowed to pet the lion cub's head.

Thinking of the sensation of petting the lion cub's head, Leonhardt's human head, and the feeling of her own head being petted, Cordelia blushed slightly.