Terrun was dumbfounded. A duel? It seemed Grace was getting impatient as things weren’t going her way. He was curious about what kind of duel she was proposing.

“A duel? With guns or swords?”

“No, it’s not that kind of violent duel.”

“I’m good at everything. In all aspects, I’m superior to others.”

‘Yes, you’re so great, Your Grace.’

Frustratingly, there was no flaw to point out in his boast. But Leah was confident about this.

“Tell me what you want to duel in.”

“Swimming.”

Leah confidently responded. The Hamilton estate actually had a 100-meter-long bath with quite a deep water level. She learned to swim naturally while bathing from a young age.

“As far as I know, Grace is afraid of water.”

‘Ah! I didn’t consider that.’

“I overcame it. Humans learn by trying, right? After suffering, I found I’m no longer afraid of anything.”

She lied smoothly, finding herself despicable for how easily the lie came out.

“Um, does the Courtois residence have a 100-meter bath with a depth of about 2 meters? I can’t recall. You never went to the bath because you were afraid of water.”

Determined to stick to her lie, Leah said, “What do you take the first noble house of Lubeck for? Of course, we have such a bath.”

“Then it’s settled. Let’s have a match. The winner gets their wish granted. How about that?”

“Agreed.”

Terrun readily agreed, which made Leah’s confidence waver.

‘What? Can he actually swim well?’

It’s unlikely that someone could excel at everything. Maybe Terrun just wanted to intimidate her.

But Terrun’s face lit up with excitement. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to dislike the idea of swimming with her.

“See you tonight.”

“Alright.”

Leah quickly returned to her room, then a doubt crossed her mind.

‘Grace was afraid of water?’

But the body follows the mind’s command. Even if Grace couldn’t swim, Leah could.

Yet, there was another problem.

‘What should I wear to swim?’

When she bathed at the estate, it was only with Sara, so she did it bare. But for a competition with Terrun, she had to wear something.

Polly provided a clear answer to Leah’s dilemma.

“Just wear underwear? After all, you’re engaged, and it might give you a strategic advantage.”

“Strategic advantage?”

“Confuse Lord Terrun with your alluring figure…”

Polly suggested with a suggestive expression.

‘That only applies to a normal man. Not Terrun.’

Even if she were naked in front of him, he wouldn’t bat an eye.

‘No, on the contrary, I don’t need to worry.’

He wouldn’t react to a woman’s bare body, so whatever she wore didn’t matter.

Still, going completely naked was too much. Leah laid out possible outfits for swimming.

“A chemise will get tangled around the legs in the water.”

“Right.”

“Polly, we should invent clothes for women to swim at the beach or river.”

“What a great idea! But Leah, we need something for tonight.”

They pondered for a while until Leah’s eyes sparkled with an idea. She chose panties, knee-length undershorts, a chest cover, and a corset.

“Thin fabric will cling to the skin when wet, making it even more embarrassing.”
“Wearing the chest cover with a corset should prevent any outlines from showing when wet, right?”

“There’s no such thing as completely non-wetting clothes, but this seems like the best option.”

Either way, it was going to be embarrassing to enter the bath with Terrun. But once the race started, there wouldn’t be time to worry about the opponent.

‘I must win no matter what.’

Leah began her preparations, boosting her combat readiness.

Late at night, Leah, dressed in a bathrobe, headed to the bathhouse with Polly. With each step, her heart raced uncontrollably.

Was this what men felt when they went to a duel? Finally, the distinctive humid scent of the bathhouse and the sound of water reached her ears.

Lubeck’s first noble house’s bathhouse was impressive. The bath, surrounded by elegant marble pillars, resembled a temple.

In a corner stood a statue of a goddess holding a large vase, continuously pouring water.

Around the bath, there were narrow ledges for people to sit. Terrun was already there, submerged in water, waiting for her.

“Have you arrived?”

“Yes.”

As Grace approached, Terrun emerged from the water.

His broad shoulders, firm chest, arms, and legs were covered in muscles, and his abdomen and waist were impressively lean, without an ounce of fat.

Why was this man so perfect, even physically? Especially, Terrun with his hair wet looked different from usual – somehow more sensual.

‘Wait, there’s a height difference.’

Leah was tall for a woman, but Grace was short and slight.

Leah momentarily felt the unfairness, but she knew she could beat him with her swimming speed.

“I’ll officiate,” Polly offered, holding a large towel as she headed to the opposite side of the bath.

Leah then removed her bathrobe. In her corset, undershorts, and hair rolled up, she was fully prepared.

Yet, it was Terrun’s burning gaze that made her more nervous.