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The Izakhel Style is a practical swordsmanship based on the Empire’s traditional swordsmanship.

Despite the implication of being practical, the Izakhel Style was neither extreme nor destructive. Rather, it was elegant, light, and sometimes deadly.

It almost seemed like it was created specifically for Bella.

After spending over a week crossing swords with Bella, that thought became even more apparent.

*Thwack!*

I blocked Bella’s sudden strike without warning.

“Shallow.”

“Didn’t you notice I deliberately swung shallowly?”

Bella began pressuring me with repeated sharp strikes. As expected of someone who wields the power of light, her strikes were as fast as the speed of light. I couldn’t take my eyes off her for even a second.

‘Damn it…’

No matter how much I looked, I couldn’t find any openings.

She truly lived up to being the current successor of the Izakhel Style, considered the pinnacle of the Empire’s swordsmanship.

Of course, from my perspective, facing her was a living hell.

*Thwack!*

“Hmm… You’re keeping up well? Seems like your skills have improved a lot.”

Bella looked slightly surprised after I blocked her earlier strike.

It was true that spending over a week crossing swords with her had paid off.

My reaction speed to sudden attacks had increased, and my senses had become as sharp as a feline predator.

Of course, the process wasn’t smooth.

Though I didn’t show it outwardly, Bella’s swordsmanship was too overwhelming to keep up with, even with ‘Jealousy.’

No matter what, her progress was just too fast.

‘Jealousy’ is a personality trait that allows one to observe and mimic the opponent’s movements and abilities, turning them into one’s own. To use ‘Jealousy,’ the first requirement is to ‘see’ the ability to be jealous of. However, Bella’s swordsmanship was so fast that it was hard for me to even perceive.

On top of that, Bella, overconfident in her abilities, enthusiastically unleashed the secret techniques of the Izakhel Style, leaving me struggling to keep up, almost to the point of death.

Still, I somehow managed to catch up, and I guess I should be proud of myself.

“Count.”

“…?”

“How about applying to be the next ‘official’ successor of the Izakhel Style? As a Count, I could specially take you as my disciple.”

“I refuse.”

“…No hesitation at all. How disappointing.”

Bella slyly suggested, but her true intentions were clear.

Many people don’t know this, but only members of the Izakhel Family can become the ‘official’ successor of the Izakhel Style. In other words, for me to inherit the Izakhel Style, I would have to marry into the Izakhel Family as a son-in-law.

Bella subtly hid this fact while making her suggestion. Her indirect way of speaking was truly characteristic of her.

“You’ll regret refusing now.”

“Is that so? I’m curious how you’ll make me regret it.”

“What do you mean how? Like this!”

*Thwack!!*

Ugh. Seriously.

I blocked Bella’s heavy strike, but my hand holding the sword was numb.

How does such speed come from those slender arms…?

Bella with a sword is a different atmosphere altogether.

It feels like an impenetrable wall has formed around her. Moreover, her attacks are relentless, and the spirit behind each strike thoroughly overwhelms the opponent.

But I didn’t back down.

The way to counter her fierce attacks isn’t to create distance and look for openings, but rather to close the distance.

This was something I realized while learning Bella’s swordsmanship through ‘Jealousy.’

I swung my sword in short, quick motions, gradually closing in on Bella.

With each step forward, her pressure visibly decreased.

Due to the nature of swordsmanship, the closer the distance, the simpler the attacks become.

Bella swung her sword threateningly, like a cat with its fur bristling, warning me to stay away.

“Wouldn’t it be normal to back off at this point? Why do you keep coming closer?”

“Do you dislike me getting closer?”

“…Right now, I do.”

“Then I have no choice but to get even closer.”

“Ah, I said stay away!”

Even as she said that, Bella didn’t step back.

She already knew well that keeping distance is disadvantageous when facing the same Izakhel Style.

Of course, in Bella’s case, she probably didn’t want to lose the initiative to me…

I chuckled and closed the distance.

She looked so much like an angry cat that it was adorable.

“Count. You’re thinking something strange, aren’t you?”

“Focus. We’re in the middle of a spar.”

“You are. You are. Just admit it.”

As if I would.

As I kept my mouth shut, Bella’s eyes narrowed.

But what came out of her mouth was completely different from what I had been thinking.

“…You thought I gained weight, didn’t you?”

It seemed she was still bothered by what Bess had told her last week.

But Bella’s figure was flawless. Even in her training clothes, it was clear. Her body was like a perfectly sculpted statue, with no excess. Her slender waist and well-defined curves made her figure stand out even more.

At least, that’s how it looked to me.

“No. You don’t look like that.”

“You hesitated for 0.5 seconds, didn’t you? That means you do think so.”

What? How does that even work?

“So… you don’t like it because I gained weight?”

“I said you don’t look like that.”

“You’re lying. You always lie, Count.”

“…With that logic, anything I say is useless, isn’t it?”

She was being utterly unreasonable.

Bella, perhaps realizing she was being too much, lowered her sword and asked.

“Alright. What were you thinking? Be honest.”

Since any answer would be useless anyway, I might as well tell the truth.

“…I thought you looked like a cat.”

“A cat…? You think I look like a cat?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm…”

Bella fell into thought for a moment.

It didn’t take long for her face to turn bright red.

“…Ugh?! You jerk! Jerk! Jerk! I told you to forget about that time!”

It seemed she remembered the time she sneaked into the Chairman’s Office, as Bella swung her fist at me.

Having gotten used to the Izakhel Style, I could easily dodge her punches.

But the problem was that I dodged too cleanly.

“Ah?!”

Bella, having swung her fist into thin air, lost her balance.

I quickly wrapped my arm around her waist.

“Ah… Thank… No, it’s your fault for dodging!”

“Who told you not to hit me? And if you’re helped, you should say thank you.”

“Hmph…”

Bella pouted, clearly not intending to say thank you.

“Anyway, be careful.”

I muttered while looking at her waist… or more precisely, her stomach.

“You’re not alone anymore, you know.”

“Do you really want to get beaten up?!”

Bella pushed me away and picked up her wooden sword. She looked exactly like a sensitive cat.

But in the midst of it all, I felt someone watching us from afar.

*

*Thud thud…*

I stopped walking through the dark, dimly lit mansion corridor as the sun had set.

Yeah. I’ve endured enough.

“How long are you planning to follow me?”

“Hic?!”

The shadow hiding behind the porcelain jumped out in surprise.

The persistent follower who had been tailing me since my spar with Bella was, as expected, Wendy.

She probably thought she was hidden well, but it was too obvious. Wendy was hopelessly untalented at tailing, infiltration, and concealment.

Later, even Bella asked me if I had sent Wendy to do something.

Still, I let Wendy be for a while because I needed time to think about why she was acting this way.

Even though she had improved a lot, Wendy was still an introverted and timid girl.

For her to hover around me all day, there must be something she found hard to bring up.

I walked towards the shadow crouching in the darkness.

“Did you think you wouldn’t be caught?”

“So, sorry! Sniff…”

Wendy, trembling like a cornered squirrel with tears in her eyes. I had no intention of scolding her, but seeing her like that made me even less inclined to do so.

Is this what they call the mimicry weak animals use against predators?

“Why were you tailing me?”

“N-no?! Nothing! N-nothing at all! Not at all!”

Wendy flailed her hands.

Perhaps a side effect of her mimicry, I didn’t feel like scolding her, but a mischievous urge arose.

“Hmm… Who sent you?”

“Huh?”

“If you’re tailing me in the middle of the night, there must be a big shot behind you.”

“Eh… B-big shot…? Kya?!”

I lifted Wendy up.

Her small frame was as light as a small animal.

I held her in a princess carry to prevent her from escaping, but Wendy, perhaps too startled, didn’t struggle.

“Confess.”

“Huh?”

“Are you alone? Or do you have accomplices?”

Wendy’s large eyes shook as if an earthquake had occurred.

She looked completely bewildered by the situation.

I interrogated Wendy in a stern voice, like a security officer questioning a spy.

“Where’s your base? Is it in the north?”

“Huh? C-count…? Wh-what are you talking about…?”

“Don’t play dumb.”

“Eek?!”

I tightened my hold, and Wendy, feeling the pressure, began to sob.

“Wh-why are you doing this, Count…? Snap out of it…!”

“Confess everything now. Then I’ll forgive you.”

Trying to hold back my laughter, I added.

I tickled Wendy’s side lightly.

“If you don’t confess, I’ll have to torment you until morning.”

“Eeeek…! I-it tickles! Ahahaha…! St-stop! I’ll talk! Everything! Sniff!”

 

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