I can say for sure.
Even I, who have raised Epherna for nearly four years, have never seen her this angry.
“Aren’t I asking you? What were you talking about?”
“…I was inquiring if Lord Astra has any thoughts about marrying my daughter.”
“By whose authority?”
Epherna maintained a calm expression.
Too calm, in fact.
It was rather frightening.
“…I apologize.”
“What are you apologizing for?”
“For attempting to incorporate Her Highness’s Personal Guard into my family lineage. Please forgive me.”
“That is not something to apologize for. The idea of binding someone close to me by blood likely came from your intention to prove your loyalty, didn’t it?”
“I am deeply moved that you understand my intentions.”
The Duke’s response was excellent.
Rather than making excuses, he acknowledged his mistake and sought forgiveness. It was a response befitting a duke, one that an ordinary noble might easily have accepted.
However, the problem was.
“However, you should not have tried to touch what is mine.”
Epherna was too angry to let it go.
“It seems you don’t understand, so let me make it clear.”
Eperna linked arms with me and said with a firm face.
“This is mine.”
“…I will remember that.”
Her hand clinging to my arm felt unusually sticky.
As if she was sinking me into a swamp from which I could never escape, she wrapped her arms around me.
“I’m glad you understand. Since you didn’t know, I’ll let it go this one time.”
“Thank you for your mercy.”
After saying there won’t be a next time, she turned away and walked away from the Duke.
*****
Having gone through countless battlefields, I can proudly say I have honed my ability to sense murderous intent.
‘This is a first.’
A murderous intent born from pure emotion, condensed at 100%. Though it was the immature and cute murderous intent of a girl who had never released such emotion before, it was not something to be ignored.
The reason was obvious.
Ern Astra.
The feelings that the First Princess had for him must have been serious.
It seemed he hadn’t noticed, but with emotions that intense, it was only a matter of time.
‘A royal using their Personal Guard as their consort.’
It’s not uncommon.
In fact, it might be considered frequent.
The Personal Guard are those who grow up with the royals they are to protect.
Since royals are humans who feel emotions, it’s almost inevitable that they would develop affection for their lifelong protectors.
As proof, 20% of historical royals chose their Personal Guard as their consort. One in five royals took a member of their Personal Guard as a consort.
There is even a record of an emperor who took all the members of his all-female Personal Guard as consorts and lived with them for a hundred years.
‘I should tell Cyan to stop trying to entice Lord Astra.’
A few days ago, Simon had given his daughter an order.
A few days ago, Simon had ordered his daughter to get close to Ern and build rapport.
However, knowing now that Epherna has feelings for him, that order had become a dangerous task that should never be carried out.
It’s for the best.
Cyan herself didn’t seem too pleased with the idea of seducing a man she had never met.
‘I will tell her after this training session.’
Bam!
Simon put down the massive iron mace he had been holding.
It was a fully packed iron mace over 2 meters long, thicker than the trees.
“What brings you here suddenly?”
Simon said to Ern, who had found his way to his personal training grounds.
“This is my personal training ground.”
“I was just wandering around and ended up here. I’m not familiar with the area yet.”
“What about protecting Her Highness?”
“She is bathing right now. As a man, I cannot follow her into the bath to guard her.”
“Then why don’t we train together in the meantime.”
Simon threw a large sword located at the corner of the training grounds to Ern.
“Take it.”
“…You want to duel with greatswords?”
“You know how to handle a greatsword, don’t you? I haven’t had a worthy opponent in a while.”
“Aren’t there other strong warriors you could fight?”
“There’s no one else with the same physique and skill as you. I can’t remember the last time I really got to stretch my muscles.”
“If that’s the case, you should have given me the weapon I’m best with.”
“…? Isn’t your primary weapon your bare hands?”
“That’s right. I was just joking.”
Ern picked up the greatsword.
“But why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”
“You’ll find out once we start.”
As I looked around, I began to understand.
The countless sword marks etched into the ground suggested that any ordinary clothing would be torn to shreds.
Even if we strengthened our bodies with mana, it wouldn’t protect our clothes.
“I should probably take mine off too.”
He removed his coat and shirt.
It had been a while since he’d fought bare-chested, and though it was a bit embarrassing, it was better than having his clothes torn.
“Please, take care of me.”
“Hmm. You’re quite cooperative today.”
“Everyone has days like this.”
“I suspect there’s a reason behind it.”
The man had an uncanny intuition.
He wasn’t wrong.
I would have normally refused.
“Think of it as a personal motivation.”
“Regardless of the reason, the desire to become stronger is commendable.”
Boom!
“Then go.”
Simon stepped forward with a powerful stride, dashing at lightning speed as he swung the greatsword.
When Ern met his attack head-on, the ground shook with a deafening roar.
“Looks like you haven’t neglected your physical training.”
“Even as a member of the Personal Guard, I haven’t been slacking off.”
“Then let’s go a bit faster.”
Simon took a step back and swung his greatsword again.
He was much faster.
Clang-!!
“You’re still as strong as ever, despite your age. You might have even gotten stronger.”
“I may have a few more wrinkles, but I’m not even fifty yet.”
“You don’t even have wrinkles.”
“Your eloquence has improved since we last met.”
“…I guess it’s time to get serious.”
One layer of body strengthening.
Using a secret technique from the north, taught by Simon, I immersed himself in the fight.
Clang-!
Body enhancement wasn’t a technique exclusive to the north.
It was something most knights knew. However, to layer the enhancement required an exceptionally strong body.
Therefore, those who could use it beyond the second layer were predominantly northerners with naturally strong physiques, earning the technique the title of a northern secret.
People began to gather.
They came to watch Simon fight.
They, who have northern blood flowing through them, were impressed by Ern’s skills fighting Simon.
“Impressive.”
“I hear he’s a Personal Guard of the First Princess. No wonder he’s skilled.”
“Hmph. He’s just managing to keep up.”
“But that’s something. How many here can say they can go toe-to-toe with the lord?”
“I wonder how he trains his body.”
“What kind of diet does he follow? I’d like to ask him.”
“Let’s ask him after it’s over.”
Northerners were warriors who had adapted to survive in harsh environments.
They had spent their lives training their bodies to kill monsters, which is why they admired those with excellent physiques.
Simon spoke.
“Can you see the warriors admiring your body? You truly belong in the north.”
“…Please don’t say such dreadful things.”
Did I say it was for nothing?
Being the object of men’s sticky gazes made me uncomfortable.
“After the duel, I’ll treat you to some nourishing food. Her Highness will enjoy it too.”
“…Yes?”
“Focus.”
Simon put more strength into his swing, wielding the greatsword with a powerful arc.
There’s no way to block that. Ern evaded the blow, using the momentum to leap into the air.
At the moment Simon, enveloped in ash-colored mana, was about to strike again.
“Stop!!”
Someone had arrived to check on the gathering crowd.
“Daughter…?”
It was Simon’s eldest daughter, Cyan Lemea.
“What do you think you’re doing!!”
When she shouted, Simon hiccuped and lowered his sword.
*****
Cyan Lemea had inherited her father’s striking looks.
White hair and blue eyes.
Though her appearance mirrored Simon’s, her personality was as bold as her mother’s.
“Mother is furious. She heard you wrecked the training grounds again.”
Simon, half-naked, was getting scolded.
“Do you know how much it costs to repair the training grounds, even if they’re as big as they are?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me; go apologize to Mother. I haven’t seen your face in days because you’ve been out, and the first thing you do when you return is destroy the training grounds. She’s hurt by it, you know.”
“Alright.”
The knights of Lemea, used to this scene, quietly slipped away in the distance.
Simon, feeling the tension, gathered his clothes.
But then.
“…What is this?”
The clothes I had taken off were slashed in half.
They were cut horizontally, making them impossible to wear.
Cyan, noticing this, bowed her head in apology.
“I’m sorry. Your clothes are ruined.”
“It’s alright. I can always buy new clothes.”
“I’ll give you something from our household to wear for now. Please, follow me.”
“I appreciate that.”
Walking around in my current state was out of the question.
I followed Cyan Lemea as she led the way.
Meanwhile, Simon was left alone in the training grounds.
As he got dressed, he thought.
‘I feel like I’m forgetting something important.’
It must be a mistake.
His priority was to see his wife.
*****
Having just finished her bath, Epherna was on her way back to her room.
“Did you feel very uncomfortable?”
“Yes. It was quite bothersome.”
Perhaps it was because she had been living in the Imperial Palace for three years.
Feeling uncomfortable after just one day of not bathing suggested she had indeed become a pampered royal.
“What about Mister?”
“He said he’d take a look around the Duke’s residence. He mentioned not knowing the way well.”
“So, he should be back soon?”
“Yes. Speaking of which…”
Merien saw Ern approaching from the opposite direction.
“…”
She couldn’t continue her sentence.
Epherna finished it for her.
“He’s shirtless.”
“…”
“And there’s an unfamiliar woman beside him.”
Merien glanced at Epherna’s face.
She appeared outwardly calm.
“Hmmm.”
But Merien could see the bomb about to explode in her eyes.
Merien wanted to say it.
Ern, are you out of your mind right now?
