84. The Impregnable Pretty Boy

“Hoh.”

The terrace of the banquet hall.

Under normal circumstances, one shouldn’t light up, but given the situation, the Grandmaster had a smoke between his lips.

“More than I thought,”

He muttered, Isaac by his side, with genuine wonder.

The deductive reasoning he had just witnessed transcended mere sharp eyes.

“I had thought his knowledge of the sword was like a towering mountain. The lack of obstacles in the process of honing his skill signifies as much. But, meeting him in person…it’s beyond imagination.”

“…Lack of obstacles, you say?”

Isaac pinched his nose.

Seeing this, the Grandmaster exhaled a cloud of smoke and, feeling awkward, stubbed it out.

“You’re being awfully obvious about your displeasure.”

“You should quit. It’s bad for your health.”

“Not as easy as you might think.”

“I used to smoke in the old days. It can be done.”

“Hmm? Impressive.”

*You also quit.*

They used to smoke together, but after Isaac quit, the Grandmaster had also stopped.

“Nothing quite fills the emptiness like this, though.”

*’Excuses.’*

Anyway.

“What do you mean, ‘lack of obstacles’?”

I asked the Grandmaster, and she, with a wistful look, put the extinguished cigarette back in her pocket before answering.

“Usually, as one grows, the pace slows. Not just swordsmanship, but all the disciplines in the world, isn’t that so?”

“A sort of curve, one could say. After passing the initial stages of learning basic concepts, one moves onto detailed and more advanced areas.”

“Correct. That’s what makes swordsmanship difficult. If you just swing with your body, eventually you will hit a wall. That’s when knowledge is needed.”

The Grand Master tapped his head, a sly grin spreading across his face.

“In that vein, you have no need to worry. Your mind already grasps it, so your body simply follows. You haven’t felt particularly stalled in your swordsmanship training, have you?”

“Uh… no, sir.”

“Uncommon, that is.”

A crescent moon of a smile.

Isaac, told that his knowledge was a constant engine of growth, felt awkward and couldn’t help but deny it.

“I just figured I hadn’t hit a wall yet. I haven’t been wielding a sword for that long.”

“If time alone made masters, old folks would all be unbeatable. You’re already at a point where stagnating wouldn’t be unusual.”

“…….”

“You might just be-.”

The Grand Master stared at Isaac, eyes gleaming. His tongue flicked out to moisten his lips as if eyeing a succulent fruit, a look Isaac had never seen before.

“…What is it?”

“Nevermind, how about a spar after all this time? You’ve piqued my interest.”

“Now, you mean?”

When the assassination fallout was still being tidied up?

“The Princess has granted me exclusive use of a training room. Let us go there and cross blades.”

The Grand Master seemed excited, a slight skip in his step. Isaac followed behind, chuckling softly.

“Take it easy on me. I’d rather not get knocked flat in one blow.”

“I do not know how to go easy.”

As they walked down the hallway together, a knight approached cautiously from the opposite direction.

“Baron Logan, might I have a word?”

“No.”

Wasn’t he on his way to spar with the Grand Master? Unless it was an urgent matter, he wanted to decline everything.

The knight glanced at the Grand Master, then whispered into Isaac’s ear.

“Princess Adeline requests your presence.”

Isaac frowned.

He sighed, nodding in acknowledgement.

“Apologies, let’s postpone our spar until tomorrow.”

“Hmph, as you wish.”

Isaac followed the knight toward Adeline’s chambers.

* * *

Princess Clarice’s bedchamber.

The Grand Master, regretting the lack of a proper sparring match, clicked his tongue and removed his hat.

“Hmph, stifling.”

No matter that the Princess vouched for her, the perception of the Transcended race was poor; thus she always concealed her ears and tail.

The Princess, dressed in comfortable clothes, was stretching before sleep.

Her guard, Heiraud, saw the Grand Master arrive and quietly retreated.

“Then, I will see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, Heiraud. Thank you for your service.”

Because of the incident moments before, a guard remained even in the bedchamber.

With the Grand Master’s arrival, Heiraud, being a man, was dismissed.

“You’re here sooner than I thought? I expected you to speak with Isaac a bit longer.”

The Princess sat on the bed, loosening her limbs. She seemed remarkably serene, considering the assassination attempt only moments ago.

“Hmm, Princess Adeline summoned me, so I simply came.”

The knight had clearly whispered to Isaac, hoping to conceal it.

But the Grand Master’s ears could easily pick up whispers from that distance.

“Pardon?!”

Clarice shot to her feet.

The relaxed atmosphere evaporated, replaced by her sudden urgency.

“My sister summoned you?! W-wait! No!”

“Hmm? Why is that?”

“T-the explanation can wait! I must go to my sister!”

* * *

Adeline Seraphia Regardia.

Sadly, in her previous life, she had never seen her.

Because she was assassinated.

The chaotic state of the nation, the grief over her daughter’s death – these factors caused the reigning King to die suddenly from shock, and Clarice belatedly inherited the throne.

Though at that time, it was barely a kingdom worthy of the name.

‘This is awkward.’

A woman receiving a man in her bedchamber could be considered a rather… heart-fluttering situation.

Isaac, in truth, remained skeptical.

‘Even so, for a princess to usher a man she barely knows into her bedchamber…’

Strictly speaking, they’d crossed paths at the baron’s investiture, but tonight marked their first real conversation.

‘I must keep my wits about me.’

A knock, and a soft voice, filtering through the crack of the door, invited him inside.

As before, that voice held a warmth that eased the soul.

Princess Adeline sat upon a settee in the center of the room.

Clad in a provocative silk nightdress, her image felt akin to an outright seduction.

The fact that a princess of the realm would receive an outsider so attired heightened Isaac’s unease.

“Baron Logan, you endured much hardship today. Do come and sit.”

Isaac took a seat opposite her.

Adeline poured wine into a glass, prepared in advance, and smiled.

“Will you indulge me? I fear I cannot sleep unless I find myself inebriated.”

“Given the events of the day, that is quite understandable.”

She was a woman who inspired a desire to protect. The throbbing of his heart gave him the sensation of intoxication, even before he’d tasted a drop of wine.

“But surely, others could have…”

“You were the one who protected me.”

She offered a gentle smile.

“It was thanks to your attire, your uniform, that the guards did not take notice.”

“Still, you were the one who guarded me.”

Adeline’s eyes crinkled as she took a sip. Matching her, Isaac swallowed the wine. It was stronger than he expected.

‘Blast.’

He’d already imbibed several glasses at the banquet; such potent drink weighed heavier than he anticipated.

Adeline, observing him, offered a knowing smile.

“Oh my, are you not as accustomed to spirits as one might assume?”

“Ahem, my apologies.”

“Nonsense. In truth, I have heard much of you. I had hoped for a more… intimate conversation.”

Adeline whispered with a hint of disappointment.

“Why do you believe I summoned you here, like this?”

“…I cannot say I know.”

“Oh my? Are you truly trying to embarrass a lady?”

Princess Adeline was suddenly seated beside him.

Perhaps he’d been momentarily blinded by the drink, and she’d crept close.

Adeline’s hand landed on Isaac’s thigh. A skillful, saccharine touch that was undeniably alluring.

“Become mine, Isaac Logan.”

“Your person, Princess?”

“Yes, I beg you. Chaotic times are surely ahead. Clarice aims to cede the throne to me by marrying into another kingdom.”

“…”

“I am grateful to my sister for her trust, but I am also… insecure. Therefore, I need many trustworthy people by my side.”

And…

“Let you be the closest among them.”

Isaac pressed his lips into a firm line.

As if determined to pry them open, Adeline closed the distance further, whispering in his ear.

“It didn’t work out with Rianna, did it?”

“…”

“I don’t know what past you carry, but it doesn’t matter. I am different.”

With her gentle touch, Isaac found himself drawn in. His cheek brushed against the swell of her bosom.

“Allow me to be your very own Princess.”

Indeed, it was sweet.

A princess of a nation, falling in love at first sight, confessing her heart, healing the wounds of his past.

A seduction straight from a fairy tale.

“I apologize.”

Isaac politely rejected her, rising from his seat.

“…Baron Logan?”

Adeline stared up at Isaac, flustered.

Her gaze seemed to question what went wrong in the recent dance, and Isaac replied with a bitter smile.

“The problem, perhaps, is that I am not in need of comfort.”

*Thud!*

“Sisterrrrr!”

Just then, Princess Clarice burst through the door, breathless. She quickly assessed the situation, then promptly seized Isaac’s wrist and pulled him away.

“Ah, Isaac can’t! That man has greater things to do!”

“Oh my? What could be more important than watching over your sister?”

‘She’s changed.’

Was this the same woman he’d been with just moments ago?

The atmosphere, suddenly different, now held a sly and yet venomous air.

She spoke, a little petulant, to Clarisse, referring to Isaac’s rejection.

“Don’t worry yourself, he just turned me down.”

“…Really?”

Adeline sighed, nodding, and gestured.

“So, would you mind leaving? Even a Princess has some sense of shame, you know?”

“Ah, yes! Let’s, let’s go, Isaac.”

Thus, Clarisse dragged Isaac out the door. Watching his back, Princess Adeline waved him off.

“See you again sometime.”

“…May you sleep well.”

“O-Oh, come back soon!”

*Thud.*

The door closed, and passing the knight waiting outside, the two walked down the corridor before Clarisse finally spoke.

“Sister has quite the desire for talented people. Not only that, but she has a good eye for them, too.”

“……”

“That’s why I’m willing to concede to her. I’m a bit lacking when it comes to leading and managing people.”

The seat of a King wasn’t about being proficient in all things, but in managing those who were proficient in each field.

In that sense, Adeline was far more suited to be Queen than Clarisse.

“Sister sees a person’s shortcomings well. She comforts or fulfills them, thus making them her own.”

“Hmm, so that’s why. But isn’t it a bit excessive?”

Wasn’t it a little inappropriate for a Princess of a nation to be having a late-night drinking session with a man in her nightclothes?

Clarisse nodded in agreement.

“I was surprised too. It was the first time I’d seen sister so openly seductive. She must be very fond of Isaac.”

“Well, his deduction earlier was a bit s*xy, I admit,” Clarisse added jokingly.

“Usually, once sister has marked someone, they become hers completely. They offer such blind loyalty that it can sometimes be troublesome.”

“Hmm.”

* * *

It figured.

The escort knight’s expression, when summoning her, hadn’t seemed particularly pleased either.

“So I was a bit surprised. To hear Isaac rebuffed you, when you were so openly… seductive! That Isaac! The handsome ones are different, aren’t they?!”

“……”

That wasn’t quite the reason.

If one were to quibble.

Perhaps it should be said that she wasn’t bewitching enough to make him fall.

Since ancient times, woman have been likened to flowers.

And among flowers, isn’t the rose considered the most beautiful?

The reason he didn’t succumb to seduction was, really, simply that.