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My face reflected in Elena’s clear, violet eyes, and in her gaze, I could see her looking back at me.

As I locked eyes with Elena, a feeling I had never experienced before washed over me. No, to be precise, it was a sentiment I had never sensed from her.

At first, I entertained the thought that she was jealous of me standing next to Noel, but the atmosphere around her clearly indicated otherwise, prompting me to quickly change my mind.

Was this how it felt to face a frozen lake? I thought I could discern what emotions lay within her gaze. She was angry with me.

Faced with the unfamiliar emotions from her, I was bewildered but took a moment to ponder the reason behind it. But my feet were already too close to her for me to have the time to reflect.

“Damian.”

Elena called my name as she approached. Hearing her voice, my previously blurred vision began to clear.

In front of me stood Princess Noel, but for Elena, it seemed that Noel didn’t even register as she passed right by her to take hold of my hand. A refreshing spring breeze filled the air, concealing the biting winds I had suffered through in Merohim.

Elena’s hand, gripping mine, was neither as cold as I expected nor overly warm; it felt just like her usual gentle warmth. Although she was typically so expressive, pouring her emotions out through her magic, now her surroundings felt eerily quiet, making me worry that something was amiss.

I gazed back into Elena’s eyes, but her emotions remained unchanged. Yet, after a brief moment, I could see a slight warmth clouding over her once-icy stare. What could be the cause of that? Following her gaze, I soon discovered the answer.

‘Oh no…’

A tiny trail of blood was visible between the remnants of her torn sleeve.

It wasn’t a significant injury; just a light scrape on the skin, merely a few drops of blood seeping out. Such a trivial wound was just par for the course during sparring sessions, so could it be enough to stir her anger?

As that thought crossed my mind, I took a moment to inspect my own clothes.

The torn fabric spread beyond just the sleeves. I had fought around with Gwen, kicking up dust and dirt, and no amount of positive thinking could disguise my current appearance. In fact, I looked worse, as if I’d tumbled through a battlefield; my outer garments were ripped so badly that there were almost no intact spots left, and I was covered in minor cuts and scrapes.

‘There really is nothing I can say…’

Most wounds were so shallow it wouldn’t hurt without blood, but I looked so battered it seemed like I had just returned from a war zone. Trying to explain anything to Elena would only come off as excuses.

As I pondered how to respond, it was Elena who then spoke first. She addressed me in a soft, low voice.

“Damian. What did I say this morning?”

“You said to stop sparring for today…”

“And the reason?”

Elena’s cold gaze seemed to freeze my heart.

I knew her concern stemmed from a desire for my safety, yet receiving such a look from her for the first time made it incredibly hard to bear.

What if she had shot me a look infused with a less than noble sentiment? If I were like the original Damian, I might have deserved such a gaze. Even just imagining it left a sour taste in my mouth.

“I’m sorry.”

I didn’t provide Elena with an answer to her question but immediately bowed my head to her. I had gone back on my promise to teach Alphonse and sparred instead; it was a clear breach of our agreement. Even with the opponent being the Princess, Noel, I could have easily refused her request, yet the fact remained that I did it because I wanted to.

Elena continued to look at me unblinkingly, her gaze unchanged even with my apology. I offered a forced smile and added,

“…I’ll refrain from sparring for the next three days.”

Only then did the ice appear to thaw, and she looked at me with warmth once again, smiling softly.

“You need to keep that promise, okay?”

“I’ll try… no, I promise.”

I had intended to leave a little leeway, but with her suddenly changing mood, I quickly backed down. Did the sight of me collapsing make such a big impact? I imagined that if Elena had visited me looking as haggard as she did when researching magic, I likely wouldn’t have gone near my books for days.

Elena briefly scanned my body before letting out a sigh.

“What is this? Your clothes are in tatters. At least you could have changed before coming here. What a waste…”

“Ah, I didn’t think about that…”

“And your injuries… it seems like you have more than usual?”

“…I messed up.”

For some reason, it seemed like Elena was more keen on tearing into me now that her mood had morphed back to normal.

However, she was completely right, offering me no room for defense.

Elena looked closely at my wounds, dabbed at a drop of blood with her handkerchief, and then stood to fetch some potions. But just as she let go of my hand, someone suddenly seized it.

Startled, I turned to see that the owner of that hand was none other than Noel, who had just sparred against me. Since no one around seemed to be speaking, I thought she had gone to Alphonse’s side, but evidently not.

Noel taking hold of my hand was enough to halt Elena in her tracks.

Elena regarded our joined hands with a new expression, but I couldn’t pay attention to her glances; my focus was drawn to the strange Golden Aura flowing into my body through Noel’s grasp.

My entire body reacted sensitively to the sudden influx of energy, yet gradually, the overwhelming sensation calmed me.

It felt like fuel was being burned deep within me. The warm energy surged through my veins, entering my heart and ultimately uplifting my spirit, invigorating me. This energy impacted me not only internally but externally as well, rapidly healing my wounds. I realized that this was Noel’s sacred power.

No wonder I felt revitalized; perhaps it was due to the essence of the sun. An urge to sleep crept in, almost as if the warmth was lulling me.

As the light surrounding me faded, I found myself restored to the state I was in before sparring with Gwen. Moreover, even a lingering muscle ache seemed to have alleviated.

As both Elena and I turned our gazes toward Noel, she wore a pouty expression before breaking into a bright smile and exclaimed, “Hehe… finally, you’re all looking this way! Don’t worry about your injuries! I healed them all!!”

When Noel greeted Elena with her bright smile, Elena accepted it warmly before returning her focus to my hand clasped by hers.

“By the way, Lady Elena, it’s been a long time!! You look so different now; it’s lovely to see!”

“R-really? Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness. But….”

As Noel continued to chat, Elena found herself needing to maintain eye contact with her, but her attention kept drifting to our joined hands, causing her gaze to dart around. I stifled a quiet chuckle at her adorable fluster.

Last time at the banquet, hadn’t Elena claimed that my cautiousness regarding Richard was jealousy? That was indeed true. I had felt jealous of her conversing with Richard. But thankfully, it seemed I wasn’t alone in feeling that way.

Elena’s disoriented demeanor, unsure of where to place her gaze, struck me as both charming and novel. Simultaneously, I felt a strange sense of relief knowing she shared similar thoughts as mine. However, just as I had at one time, she too would surely wander through her own worries, making it impossible for me to leave her be, no matter how cute she seemed.

It appeared Noel recognized that the mood between Elena and me had grown strange, as she initiated a change in the atmosphere, believing that things might soon take a turn for the frosty if left as is.

“Thank you.”

“Huh?”

I shifted my body to thank Noel quietly in a manner only she could hear, then gently withdrew my hand to grasp Elena’s instead. The cold creeping up my hand indicated I had been quite sensitive to the matter.

As soon as my hand met Elena’s, she instinctively gripped it tightly.

As I moved closer to Elena, my focus shifted back to Noel, raising my voice slightly to ensure those around us could hear my words once more.

“Thank you for healing me, Your Highness. Truly a blessing that could only be described as the sun’s grace.”

“Oh? Ah, yes. Thank you for such praise, Damian!”

In response to my gratitude, Noel seemed taken aback for a moment before reverting to her usual lively demeanor. I cast a glance at Alphonse, who was quietly observing from a distance; he approached without saying a word and took his place beside Noel.

I felt guilty for not keeping my promises but continuing to ask for help like this. I’m sorry, Alphonse.

“I would love to personally guide you around the castle, but as you can see, I’m currently in this state. So instead, Alphonse will assist you. I’ll change clothes and come back to greet you again shortly.”

I draped my tattered outer garment over my arm. Thankfully or unfortunately, my shirt underneath had relatively fewer stains, making it appear better than the ripped outer wear. Though, that certainly didn’t mean I looked great; it was merely a comparative improvement.

“Elena.”

I called her name, leaning in closer. As I moved my feet, Elena fell in step beside me. She didn’t specify where we were headed, but she must have known it was my room. As we left the training grounds, we eventually faced each other.

What kind of gaze had she sent my way during the previous banquet? I recalled that day, attempting to look at her with the same eyes I had back then.

“Were you jealous?”

I asked casually, but inside, I was curious to see what her reaction would be. It would be fine if she grew angry again like before, and seeing her previously pale cheeks flush with color would be quite welcome too. I felt whatever her response, it would please me, knowing the sentiment arose from her feelings towards me.

Elena didn’t look away from my gaze.

She broke into a broad smile before simply and plainly replying, “Yes.”

Well, I hadn’t expected that.

Seeing her look relieved from the admission, I couldn’t help but smile back.

But just for a brief moment, Elena’s pace suddenly picked up; at first, the increase was subtle but soon it escalated, and I felt myself getting pulled along. With Elena in front of me, I could no longer see her face but didn’t need to adjust my speed just to catch a glimpse.

Still as cute as ever.

Elena was walking ahead, while I followed behind her. Our hands were linked, stretched in a way that appeared ready to snap apart at any moment, yet I maintained a steady pace so as not to let that happen. Elena wasn’t racing forward aimlessly, knowing I was following her, never looking back.

Before long, we found ourselves heading toward the castle. Though we weren’t moving very fast, it felt like this moment was speeding by faster than any time before.

The scenery around us whizzed by, as if the world was rushing by. Still holding hands, Elena and I moved through the fleeting seconds together.

*

Alphonse and Noel watched the knights’ sparring for a while after Damian and Elena had left before they headed to the castle. As the one who had guided Noel to the training grounds, Alphonse had no concerns about the boy’s knack for showing her around.

However, for some reason, a sense of wistfulness washed over her, one she hadn’t felt when she first arrived and had Alphonse as a guide.

Upon arriving at the castle gate, Orcus, who had come along with Noel to the Lord’s Castle, was waiting for her. He thanked Alphonse, who was taking care of Noel, and ushered him inside. After Alphonse entered, Orcus looked at Noel with uneasy eyes and opened his mouth.

“Did you cause another problem?”

Hearing such words right away could be disheartening, but to them, it was more like a formality. Especially in a place like this, it was entirely natural for Orcus to become sensitive regarding Noel’s actions, considering how she had rushed out of the carriage like a cannonball upon arrival.

Yet this time, there didn’t seem to be any incident to speak of, so even though Noel wanted to reassure him nothing had happened, she lost her voice as Orcus continued speaking.

“I ran into Lord Damian earlier. His clothes were entirely in tatters. Surely…”

“Ah, no! That’s—”

Cutting off her defense, Noel hesitated briefly.

It was clear that the state of Damian’s clothing had resulted from his spar with Gwen, but when it came down to it, wasn’t it also partly her fault for agreeing to let him spar? The thought seeped in, causing her to debate how to answer Orcus. Ultimately, she giggled nervously to brush it off.

“Ahaha…?”

“You… no, never mind.”

Orcus fell silent, seemingly anticipating that would be the case. He regarded Noel with a somewhat pitiful expression before guiding her inside the castle. It would take a little while before Orcus learned the whole story.

As they walked together toward the guest room prepared by Arthur, they began discussing their experiences during their time there without worrying about the scrutiny of others. Even if passing servants overheard, the conversation held no serious implications.

Once the topic of Damian arose from Noel’s lips, Orcus seemed particularly fixated on it. This was when he learned the motive behind Damian’s shabby appearance. While relieved that it wasn’t Noel who had caused it, he was nonetheless shocked that he had taken such a hit during a spar.

“Wow. The lesser son of the Count is that skilled? Does that mean he’s the most competent among the offspring of the Three Great Houses?”

“Hmm, well… I’m not sure?”

Noel offered no further reply to Orcus’s inquiry, recognizing it was something beyond her knowledge. She had sparred with the lesser son of the Duke House of Cromel, yet she understood that he had refrained from giving it his all due to the pressures of his status.

Thus, determining who was superior between Reinhardt and Damian remained impossible for her at this moment. Regardless of the outcome of their bout, Noel already appreciated that she was inferior to Damian, something that simply left her feeling regretful.

‘Thank you.’

Noel suddenly recalled Damian’s earlier words of gratitude.

She remembered he had spoken quietly, meant only for her ears. Why had he expressed thanks, only to say it again shortly after? That eluded her, save for the fact that he had chosen to take hold of Elena’s hand instead of hers.

Had Orcus perhaps read her thoughts? Seemingly out of nowhere, Orcus brought up Elena.

“Then, you must have met Lady Elena as well. Doesn’t seem like she’s changed quite a bit? Does engagement really change people?”

Noel had been lost in her own thoughts, so she let Orcus’s words flow right past her. Only when she sensed his gaze on her did she realize she was missing something important, prompting her to question him.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Lady Elena. She didn’t seem to have this vibe the last time we met, did she? Can a person change so much in a few months?”

With the conversation shifting towards Damian, it was perhaps natural for it to transition to Elena as well. Noel nodded in response to Orcus’s question, affirming her agreement. The Elena she had met today wasn’t the shy, introverted little girl she had once known.

However, instead of feeling disappointed, Noel found Elena more appealing now.

Their brief encounter might have only lasted a moment, but perhaps it was because she had regarded her as a friend in her heart, having met another child of her age for the first time. Everything from her demeanor to her overall presentation had improved, but she could only think of it as spectacular.

Yet this warm thought felt like it was veering in a different direction.

“Oh? But wasn’t Elena a member of the House of Edelweiss? How did she end up here in Sarham?”

Judging by the way Noel had been conversing with Damian, around how long had they known one another? Surely these two must be close friends, she mused, wishing she could share a similar bond with them, murmuring softly to herself. Having overheard that little whisper, Orcus frowned and sighed, answering her question.

“Looks like you’ve forgotten why we’re here.”

“Surely for the engagement of Count Kraus…”

Orcus’s short reply offered a clear resolution to Noel’s lingering uncertainty.

Just like a cloud temporarily covering the sun, the light extinguished from Noel’s face upon hearing Orcus’s answer. His words felt like a revelation; in that moment, the world felt flipped upside down. Overwhelmed with this complex and unparalleled emotion, Noel pondered how on earth to express what she was feeling.

 

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