Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Winter Break (1)
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Back at the royal palace after completing one year at the Academy.
I had thought that here, where I didn't need to worry about other students' prying eyes, I could spend time with her a bit more leisurely. But this winter break, there was one unexpected guest more than anticipated.
"Lucia, could you return this to the palace library for me? And bring the next volume along with Lethe's Intermediate Light Magic Theory book."
"Yes, Lady Elena!"
The commoner student Lucia, who had ridden in the servant's carriage to follow Elena.
In what should have been a private rest space for just Elena and me, she had inserted herself. ...For some reason, dressed in a maid outfit.
"I'll be back, Lady Elena!"
"You don't need to report every little thing."
"Yes!"
-Bang!
"......"
Maybe because she wasn't a professional maid, her manners were a bit lacking. Still, her bright expression and personality didn't make me feel particularly annoyed.
Even though Lucia's presence in the palace felt quite awkward, Elena calmly treated her as if she were her own maid. Lately, watching how she interacted with Lucia, it seemed like she was a bit more relaxed with her compared to others.
'She still hasn't told anyone else but me about her past life as a man.'
Even if she did tell them, it would be hard to believe such an outlandish claim anyway.
I myself had initially dismissed it as the ravings of a madwoman. It was only because Elena had shown me so much evidence that I had no choice but to believe.
Taking advantage of the rare moment Lucia had left, I casually brought up the question that had been nagging at me since earlier.
"I've been wondering since yesterday."
"Hm?"
"Why didn't Lucia go back home and end up staying at the palace instead, Elena?"
"She said she wanted to come along? I told her if she wanted to, she could. She doesn't even have family waiting back home anyway."
"...No family?"
"Lucia's from a church orphanage. It started when the academy director discovered her magic talent by chance near the village where she grew up. Otherwise, she probably would have ended up as a wandering mage adventurer at a suitable age instead of attending the Academy."
"...I didn't know. I never imagined Lucia had that kind of background."
"Well, she hardly ever talks about herself. No point in sharing her circumstances—it'd just turn into some sob story porn, and she's not the type to enjoy pitying looks anyway."
"...Porn? What's that?"
"......Just think of it like spilling your sob story."
I momentarily thought another vulgar word had slipped from her mouth at the mention of "porn." But Elena wouldn't say anything harsh like calling Lucia a whore.
...Though her slightly flushed face and averted gaze made me a bit suspicious, I decided not to press further.
-Slam!
"Lady Elena, I'm back!"
"You're quick, Lucia."
"Yes! Because it's Lady Elena's order!"
...Judging by her attitude alone, you'd think she was a maid raised alongside Elena since childhood.
Well, Elena was starting to need reliable servants around her beyond just close aides or followers.
Eri was still her personal maid, but strictly speaking, she was more of a watchdog assigned by my side. It wasn't strange for Elena to want someone she personally trusted by her side.
"I'll read this book, so set it down there. And have Lucia take Lethe's Intermediate Light Magic Theory book now and study it."
"...Me?"
"You're not going home and you've come all the way to the palace for the holidays, so you should gain something from it too, Lucia. It probably contains knowledge you can't learn at the Academy, so use this chance to study it thoroughly."
"L-Lady Elena..."
"And from now on, His Highness Prince Cedric and I have private matters to discuss, so try not to enter the lounge if possible. Understood? Withdraw, Lucia."
"Yes! Thank you, Lady Elena!"
Lucia bowed at nearly a sixty-degree angle before turning away.
Her talent for handling people was truly exceptional, whether at the Academy or here. That's why it was unlikely she'd ever take interest in another man.
'In a way, I need to make sure facts like Elena's past life as a man never reach her ears.'
Even now, admiration for Elena was practically dripping from her. Who knows how her attitude might change if she learned something like that.
Seeing a commoner girl as a rival in romance was ridiculous anyway, but caution never hurt.
"Phew, she's finally gone. Man, pretending to act ladylike around her is exhausting."
With those words, Elena sprawled on the lounge sofa once more, propping her head up at an angle to read.
"Anyway, why the maid outfit?"
"Hm? Oh, Lucia? She insisted she couldn't just stay at the palace for free all break and had to do something, so I told her to."
"Couldn't you have convinced her she didn't need to do anything?"
"Knowing her personality, that would just make her more uncomfortable. Being my maid doesn't involve much and it's easy, so whatever. The real hard work gets handled by Eri and the others anyway."
"Fair enough."
"Still, having a smart girl around as a sort of secretary is convenient. Look how quickly she finds books like this in the library."
With that, she lightly shook the book in her hand toward me.
A few minutes later, anticipating what would come from her mouth, I peeled a tangerine from the table and held it in front of Elena's face.
"Oh right, Cedric. Could you hand me one of those tangerines..."
"Open your mouth, Elena."
"......Ah."
-Munch munch.
"Mmm yum."
With both hands tied up by the book, she didn't refuse being fed.
Thanks to me deliberately making her aware of me as a man whenever the chance arose lately, she quietly accepted such affectionate gestures.
'Back then, she'd have shaken her head in disgust or at least said something.'
Still, sharing the same space and sleeping nearby seemed to mean she felt a bit more comfortable around me now.
I cautiously hoped that starting next year, we might even remove the curtain dividing our beds in the Academy dormitory.
As I'd mentioned before, one of the best things about returning to the palace with Elena was that we no longer needed to worry about others' eyes during sparring.
"Ice Claw!"
-Whiiir!
Sharp icicles flew horizontally, charging in with a fierce storm.
The moment I tried to counter with flame magic, Elena's rapier exploited the opening, thrusting full speed toward my body.
-Swoosh!
"Phew, that was close."
It would have pierced my heart if I'd stayed still. I barely twisted away, so it only grazed me.
No matter that it was a mock spar, Elena was the only one who could swing her sword and magic so seriously against me, the First Prince. And that's exactly the kind of sparring partner I wanted from her.
"......Tch, damn it."
...Though I hadn't asked her to look that disappointed.
After that, our blades and spells clashed repeatedly, mana and tension rising between Elena and me.
Even in the short time, swords met multiple times, ice and fire magic collided, sending hot steam billowing into the air.
"Die already...!!"
-Crackle!
"Hah, fuck! You're so goddamn thorough in blocking everything!"
I nullified Elena's attack—hiding in dark magic's shadows to strike from behind—with a light barrier.
The occasional curses and mutters no longer fazed me. In fact, that attitude meant she was giving it her all.
She couldn't be that aggressive with others watching, so our palace spars were always done away from prying eyes.
'As expected, without Elena, there's no real tension.'
There was no other true training partner who matched my level and fought with full sincerity.
I'd trained in swordsmanship since long ago, so I far outpaced her there, but her unique knowledge gave her a slight edge in magic.
That perfect balance let us have evenly matched spars for at least ten to twenty exchanges. Even our magic countered each other—fire vs. ice, light vs. dark.
"Hah, hah, hah..."
We dragged into a war of attrition, and Elena began showing signs of fatigue, breathing raggedly.
Soon she'd charge with her last burst of strength, so I prepared to meet her.
-Clang!!!
Our mana-infused double-edged sword and rapier clashed, causing a small explosion.
And I didn't miss Elena's crumbling stance amid the blast.
-Crash!
"......Ah."
"It's over now, Elena."
My blade shattered the sparring barrier around Elena's body, ending the fight.
"...Hah, you're such a pain."
-Thud.
Acknowledging defeat, she dropped her sword and collapsed onto the training ground floor.
Having anticipated it, I caught her before she fell and let her rest her head on my lap.
"Good work, Elena."
"...How many losses is this now?"
"Pure win-loss? You're at 3 wins, 47 losses."
"Bullshit. Those three were all you going easy and losing on purpose—invalid. It's 3 draws, 47 losses."
"Well, if that's how you see it, I won't correct you."
Elena's talent and growth were exceptional, but the gap came down to her lack of childhood training.
On a national level, it was a regrettable loss of talent, but her being slightly weaker than me wasn't all bad.
Me being an insurmountable wall for her was one reason she stayed interested in me.
And seeing her exhausted after a spar like this was a small joy in its own way.
"Ah, maybe I swung too hard for the first time in a while. Suddenly feel tired."
"Tell me whenever you need. I'll carry you back to your room."
"...Nah. Just need to rest like this a bit, then I can get up."
With that, she closed her eyes on my lap, steadying her breath. It was an hour later when she opened them again.