The heavy air circled around the training ground. I briefly set down the wooden sword I was holding and tied my hair back.

The moment I contemplated opening a door, the training ground’s entrance burst open.

Edwin?

“Miss Rosebelia, you’re here.”

The lips that were about to greet closed immediately. The figure that appeared was Rinart.

“Vice Commander? What brings you here…”

“The reason for visiting the training ground is obvious, isn’t it?”

The training ground was fundamentally a place for swordsmanship training.

So, the reason he is here now is…

“You’re here for training?”

“Is there a problem?”

A soft smile subtly appeared on the corner of Rinart’s mouth.

He seems nice, but somehow awkward.

“No, it’s not that…”

At the end of my gaze, slightly avoiding Rinart, was Conrad. Yesterday Conrad had unexpectedly shown up at the training ground, and today Rinart.

Maybe the training ground was known among the Royal Knights as a secluded place.

I looked at Conrad and Rinart who seemed to be chatting, and picked up my wooden sword again.

There’s no need for me to avoid them when we have to go on a subjugation mission together anyway.

Ignoring the subtle gazes coming my way, I focused on embodying Rosebelia’s swordsmanship.

If I could fully bring her swordsmanship to life, maybe I could use my aura without any side effects; that was the sole thought in my mind.

Nothing ever came easily in my past life, either. How many times did I practice steps just to make them simple while fencing?

I was confident in my perseverance. If I could just find a way, I was willing to try anything.

How much time has passed? With strands of hair sticking to my cheek, I sat down to catch my breath. Sweat trickled down from my forehead to my chin.

Just as a smile was about to form, the training ground door swung open again.

“Senior, you’ve been…”

Ian’s eyes widened upon discovering me sitting on the ground.

“Klein.”

I raised my hand toward Ian as he walked over. A familiar face, so I even managed a small smile. Suddenly, my vision went completely white.

Wait, is this the White Knights’ cloak?

“What’s going on here?”

“You should wipe off your sweat quickly.”

“What?”

Did I hear that right? He threw the cloak at me just because I was sweating?

After wiping casually and removing the cloak, I saw Ian’s side profile. He was staring intently at Rinart and Conrad.

“Why are you here?”

“You said you would practice today.”

Right, I did say that.

“But isn’t it a bit early? The sun’s still high…”

I looked out the window and shut my mouth. Outside, it had already become dusk.

When did the sun set?

Ian picked up the wooden sword that was rolling next to me and put it in the scabbard. When he returned, my cloak was hanging on his arm.

“Let’s go.”

I took the cloak and followed Ian.

“But, isn’t throwing a cloak at me a bit excessive just because I was sweating?”

“Who said your face was a mess?”

Pointing at me, Ian narrowed his eyebrows as if bewildered.

“Then why?”

Ian looked at my face intently, then let out a soft chuckle and brushed his hair back. His lips seemed to have something to say but remained tightly closed.

“…Let’s go.”

What a letdown.

“Are you alright?”

Rosebelia, who had put her sword back in its scabbard, quickly covered her mouth.

“I’m fine.”

Ian, who held the staggering Rosebelia in his arms, took out a linen cloth. A faint smile appeared in Rosebelia’s eyes as she watched him.

“…Are you laughing now?”

“Can I close my eyes for a bit?”

“Are you not feeling well?”
Rose wiped her lips hastily with a linen cloth and broke into a smile.

“No, it’s just that I feel more at ease with you around.”

“…….”

Hearing this, Ian could neither feel pleased nor displeased. His face twisted as if he didn’t know what expression to make.

“Why that face? It’s not like it hurts. In fact, thanks to you, I can practice freely.”

Her roundly curled eyelashes trembled slightly. Soon, the movement of her eyelids seemed to slow down until her eyes firmly closed at one point.

“I am….”

Ian couldn’t continue his words and closed his mouth. A sigh was all that flowed out.

Quietly observing his surroundings, he moved to sit under a large tree. First, he gently leaned her back against the tree and cautiously sat beside her.

Ian, who had Rosebelia leaning on his shoulder, let out a sigh. It had been hard to breathe properly all the time while Rosebelia was using her aura.

Despite her saying she was fine, every time he saw her coughing up blood, his heart sank. He thought of a conversation he had with Vincent Glazer a few days ago.

“I’ve looked through all sorts of records, but I don’t remember encountering such a case. Using aura means you’re detecting a large amount of it, and if you’ve reached that state, you should already have a stable aura.”

“At first, there were no side effects when using aura, but from some point on, she starts coughing up blood and feeling dizzy. She also feels sleepy and lethargic.”

“It’s certainly a rare case. And this is just my speculation, but coughing up blood likely indicates internal injury. The aura might have self-healing properties, so it stops quickly. If such a state persists, it will strain the body. Perhaps…”

Ian felt like he knew what Vincent had left unsaid.

“If you can’t handle the aura properly, it might even drain the swordsman’s life force.”

He had been quite impressed by the book Vincent had written.

“We need to find a way to stabilize the aura.”

“I’ll research it. Please let me meet her at least once. Seeing the Swordmaster in person is a lifelong dream of mine.”

“Fine. But hurry, we don’t have much time.”

“Understood. I’ll search through all the records related to aura to find a solution.”

There was nothing certain, though many aspects were irksome. If he could stabilize the aura somehow, everything would be resolved.

Ian looked down at Rose, who had fallen into a deep sleep while leaning on his shoulder.

If she were really in pain, she wouldn’t be able to smile so peacefully.

He averted his gaze for a moment, only to find his head involuntarily dropping back down.

It felt suffocating to look at her, yet he missed her when he wasn’t.

“Hmm.”

The moment Rosebelia mumbled something, Ian immediately checked her complexion.

“Is she sleep-talking? She doesn’t seem uncomfortable.”

Rosebelia leaned her head more deeply into Ian’s shoulder as if seeking a deeper sleep. Just then, it felt as if her upper body wavered, and her hand landed softly on his thigh.

Startled, Ian involuntarily held his breath. A mere touch felt as hot as a burn. No, it was as if every cell in his body was jumping.

His heart pounding, he clenched his teeth. Only after carefully removing her hand could he breathe properly.

Leaning his back firmly against the tree, he took steady breaths. That’s when Nathan’s question popped into his mind.

“What kind of relationship do you want to have with Rosebelia?”

He hadn’t given it specific thought at that time and therefore couldn’t answer.
Ian’s gaze settled once again on Rosebelia’s face. Just looking at her sleeping face made him feel as if a part of his heart had sunk.

‘All I wish for is just…’

That her upright gaze, her smile, blindingly beautiful, would always be directed at me.

Someone she could lean on…

For a moment, his train of thought faltered.

It was because Rosebelia’s hand, which he had purposefully moved away, now lightly landed on the back of his own.

Ian’s adam’s apple moved significantly as he tilted his head back. His eyes, as if having absorbed the entirety of the distant night sky, trembled coarsely.

…That in this world, I would be the only person who could reach her.