Late-Night Training
Chapter 4. Nothing… happened…! To be honest, this body had talent with the sword. This body had nothing else to do. This body had nothing but time. So I decided to spend that spare time training with the sword. In my previous life, I hadn't been particularly fond of physical activity, but now that my body had changed, moving it felt genuinely enjoyable. I'd felt it during my spar with Cain too—there was some kind of competitive spirit lurking inside me.
"Huuu……."
I drew in a long breath and raised the sword. The fact that my memories hadn't fully returned was occasionally inconvenient. No matter how talented Felice was with the sword, it meant nothing if he'd lost all the fundamentals he'd built up until now. That was why I had to slowly rebuild those basics from scratch.
"Huu……."
I exhaled slowly and brought the sword down in a deliberate arc. Starting from the time when the other students gathered in small groups after class—whether to play, eat, or train—and continuing until everyone else had gone to bed, I kept raising and lowering the blade. To anyone watching, it would have looked strange. After all, no one would ever imagine that Felice, a student in Class A and ranked in the top ten of the entire academy, was drilling the fundamentals.
I didn't think about the goal. I simply wanted to reach a higher level… an even higher level. That was why I'd resolved to start over from the very beginning. From the first motion of lifting the sword and bringing it down again.
"If I keep doing this…… I don't know…… when I'll reach it……!!"
Still, as long as it was fun, that was enough. The problem was that practicing the sword alone made me mutter to myself without realizing it.
"Still……! I have to…… work hard……!"
Even that was completely pointless. ……Well, since no one was listening, it probably didn't matter.
@
Silvia liked walking alone whenever she felt confused or overwhelmed. It was a habit she'd had since she was very young, and it had continued even after she entered the academy. Of course, walking alone wasn't always convenient, so she only went out for strolls on nights like this when the moon was bright.
What kept her mind in turmoil was what she'd heard that morning.
[If you don't like something, say so.]
His voice echoed in her ears.
[If you tell them you don't want it, that you don't like it, they won't force it on you.]
Had he seen straight through her heart? Was that why he'd said it?
"Haa……."
A small sigh escaped Silvia's lips.
Silvia had been born in a tiny village in the empire. Yet she had lived happily. Everyone in the village cherished and liked her, and the boys and girls her age had all adored her as well. She wasn't unaware that her appearance played a part in that. Even so, her looks had never caused her any real trouble—because the villagers liked her, not because they wanted to see her ruined.
But the moment Silvia arrived at the academy, problems began to surround her. All because of her beauty. Countless male students confessed to her after seeing her face. A commoner receiving confessions from numerous nobles—it was something that should have happened only once in a lifetime, yet it had occurred dozens of times within just two weeks. If someone asked whether that made her happy, she could answer without hesitation: not at all.
Whether the boy was handsome, wealthy, or powerful, none of it brought her joy. They had approached her solely because of her face. If anything, she felt a faint sense of revulsion.
'Why? What part of me are they looking at?'
They were only looking at her face. And what about everything else? Her family background, which they obsessed over so much, her feelings about forming a connection, her own abilities to walk that path together—none of them showed the slightest interest in who she truly was, from the smallest details to the most important matters.
The smiles she'd worn to get closer to people, the small kindnesses she'd shown, the shy hands she'd extended—all of it was interpreted however they pleased. Of course, she had made some good friends along the way, but for Silvia, who wasn't used to forming new relationships, the confessions, the rejections, and the backlash that followed were all exhausting.
That was probably why Felice's words had struck her so deeply.
Felice. Silvia didn't really know what kind of person he was. They hadn't spent any time getting to know each other. He had simply been one of the many boys who confessed to her just yesterday. They were also in the same class.
The moment she rejected his confession, Silvia had thought: Ah… how am I supposed to face another classmate now? One of the friends I'd wanted to get closer to was drifting away again. That was what she'd believed.
But when she followed Cain to stop him from confronting the other boys and overheard their conversation, she heard something else.
[Honestly, if some guy you barely know suddenly confesses, I'd probably reject him too.]
His voice had been calm and quiet.
[Anyway, tell her I'm sorry. And that she doesn't need to worry about it.]
The words of a boy who understood her.
Of course, there had been others who spoke so casually before. But because they'd badmouthed and belittled her behind her back, Silvia had assumed Felice would be the same. Yet when he noticed her standing behind Cain, he looked slightly surprised—but showed no sign of discomfort. Even though meeting the girl who had just rejected him should have been awkward…
[Sorry. I made you feel self-conscious for no reason.]
Instead, he comforted her. And even helped her out. Of course… that didn't mean romantic feelings had suddenly appeared, but Silvia found herself thinking:
'I want to become friends with this boy.'
It felt shameless to think that after rejecting him, but Silvia couldn't help it. He truly felt like someone she could be friends with. Even if Felice had been scheming to get closer to her… she couldn't help it.
With those thoughts in mind, Silvia wandered the academy grounds at night until she suddenly came to her senses and looked around. Without realizing it, she'd walked until late at night, and at the same time realized she was near the training grounds.
"It's already this late……."
No matter how troubled she was, she was still an academy student. The dorms had a curfew. As she quickened her steps to get back in time, she unconsciously stopped at the sound of something in the distance.
Shhhk—the sound of a sword cutting through the air reached her ears. At the same time, she heard a boy's faint breathing.
'Training this late……?'
It wasn't something she needed to concern herself with. Given how even small acts of kindness had led to overwhelming confessions in the past, she could have just ignored it and walked away. But Silvia's nature erased that thought.
'I'll just let them know and head back quickly.'
With that in mind, she turned toward the training grounds. The interior was still brightly lit, confirming that someone was using it. Since she was already running late, Silvia intended to say what she needed to say and leave immediately—until she saw it.
The red hair swinging the sword downward.
And then—
"Like this…… I don't know…… when……."
She faintly heard Felice's voice. Watching him grit his teeth and bring the sword down, Silvia suddenly remembered:
'He said he sparred with Cain today…….'
Was he training this late because of that? Pushing himself so hard that he was drenched in sweat?
'That's impressive…….'
Silvia wasn't in the swordsmanship department, so she didn't know for certain, but according to what she'd heard, Cain's skill already far surpassed that of a student. Yet Felice hadn't been discouraged after crossing blades with him and was instead driving himself mercilessly. She knew that kind of willpower wasn't something just anyone possessed.
"Still…… I have to……!"
Because of the distance, Felice's muttering came in broken fragments, but it was clear he was making some kind of vow to himself.
'He's not doing this because of me…… right?'
The thought crossed her mind, but she immediately realized how presumptuous it was and felt her face grow hot.
After watching Felice for a while, Silvia realized how late it had gotten and opened her mouth.
"Um… excuse me…!"
"………Huh?"
The quiet training ground had only been filled with Felice's own voice, so when the high, delicate sound reached him, he stopped training and turned his head. Seeing Silvia standing at the entrance, he blinked blankly.
"What's up?"
His completely natural, unfazed demeanor as he lowered the sword made Silvia continue without hesitation.
"It's getting late. Are you okay? The dorm curfew is coming up soon."
"……Huh? Already?"
He'd been so absorbed in training that he hadn't noticed the time. After hearing Silvia's words, Felice looked outside with a dumbfounded expression. Just as she'd said, darkness had already settled thickly over the grounds. Realizing she was right, Felice hurriedly put away his sword, grabbed the outer coat he'd taken off, and began leaving the training grounds.
"Whoa, I almost got locked out. Thanks, Silvia."
"Mm… I just heard the sound while passing by. It's nothing."
Seeing how naturally and calmly Felice treated her, Silvia felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Conversations with the boys who'd confessed to her always left her feeling uncomfortable and stifled, but she didn't feel that way with Felice at all.
"We're going to be late. Let's hurry."
Maybe that was why. Watching Felice's back as he walked ahead, Silvia found herself smiling without realizing it. For some reason, her previously tangled thoughts felt clearer now.
"……Silvia, at this rate you're going to end up sleeping outside."
"Ah…! Wait for me……!"
She felt no desire or ulterior motives from Felice. That was why Silvia, who had been so self-conscious about smiling or reaching out to others ever since coming to the academy, could smile naturally in front of him without thinking.
And so, Silvia found herself thinking:
Maybe… I really could become friends with this boy.