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After taking a break from the sword for nearly 10 years after returning, I lost a lot of my senses, and it was also due to the fact that this body, which had not exercised properly once, was so poorly wretched.
“It looks great to you. I have no talent for swordsmanship.”
I nodded at Ethan’s words.
He was good in many ways, but he was clumsy when it came to swordsmanship.
He danced well, so he could handle a sword to some extent, but he never raised a sword.
But what’s the problem with that? He has strong supporters who do not even need to raise a sword but raise a sword instead.
“But what brings you here?”
“I’m bored.”
Ethan laughed shyly.
At that moment, as if the world was helping, a breeze blew and his silver hair sparkled and fluttered.
His white skin transparently embraced the sunlight, and his golden eyes shone brilliantly.
Somewhere along the wind, the petals flew away, and the appearance was very exquisite.
‘That’s why people die.’
I also just had my heart pounding.
“You told me to come to play when I was bored.”
Ethan was talking and it was a little noisy in the background.
When I turned around, Clara and the servants of the villa were hiding behind them and watching Ethan. It must have been that they were praising Ethan by looking at his appearance as they babbled and stomped their feet.
“Why didn’t you at least contact me first? I didn’t know you were coming…”
“Was it rude to come suddenly?”
“It’s not rude, but I was surprised. appeared suddenly.”
“I was going to talk to you, but I didn’t think I should interrupt you because you were so focused.”
Ethan said he was going to wait quietly until I finished practicing.
“I didn’t know you would recognize my footsteps so quickly.”
“I thought it was Stefan…”
As I shrugged, Ethan pulled out a handkerchief and reached out.
“You seem to be in good health.”
Ethan smiled and muttered, wiping the sweat from my forehead and cheek.
I shrugged my neck slightly, startled by the unexpected gentle touch.
“Because I came here to get healthy…”
“Okay.”
Ethan wiped away the sweat and smiled.
I was embarrassed for nothing, so I raised my arm and sniffed my scent. It didn’t smell very good because I was sweating.
“I’m sorry, Ethan. I was sweating too much.”
I took a step away from Ethan, who was fragrant and clean. Then Ethan smiled a little and shook his head and took a step closer than I had been.
“Even though it’s so close, I can’t smell it. Rather, it smells like grass and wind, which is nice.”
Then Ethan took my hand.
I didn’t realize it when he got me up, but my hands were sticky from sweat.
I tried to pull my hand away, but he grinned and took me inside as if nothing had happened.
“Last time, I showed you the dukes, so this time, please show me the private palace.”
“But I have to wash.”
“Then you can introduce me to the bathroom first.”
“What…?”
What is he talking about now?
A bathroom is a space for bathing.
Dorothea raised her eyebrows in embarrassment.
“To wash my face. Wash my hands too.”
Ethan blinked for a moment and said innocently.
My eyes were clear as if I had become disrespectful as I thought of taking a bath for a moment.
“Oh yeah… to wash your face.”
Ethan pulled my hand to go.
But wait. Does he need to go to the bathroom to wash His face?
Usually, servants receive water from the basin. Doesn’t the duke do that?
Belatedly, when I opened my puzzled eyes, Ethan smiled a little.
“It’s a joke, Princess. I’ll be waiting for you in the living room. Prepare yourself and come out.”
Ethan said.
How could you say something like that at that age?
Ethan had a strange power to control people.
* * *
After I washed and changed into new clothes, I introduced Ethan to the private palace.
“The princess’s room… It is very neat.”
Ethan tried to compliment my poor room.
My room wasn’t a place for kids to play. A place with no toys, no objects to stimulate curiosity, and a plain and plain place.
Before returning, my room was not like this. I have everything I want to have, so I can decorate my room by collecting everything. All the decorations of famous craftsmen were bought to be satisfied, and one wall was filled with famous swords from the world.
Beautiful paintings were used as wallpaper, and works of famous sculptors were attached to every corner of the room.
At that time, I wanted my room to be more glamorous than Ray’s room, no, anyone else’s room. So my future historians will assert that there is no work of art as beautiful as my room.
But at the end of my life, I realized. that it was all useless. No matter how much you fill it, nothing will fill it.
I already have it all, so I don’t have the desire to own anything anymore.
So, my room in the detached palace was too poor to call the princess’s room.
“It’s a good thing I brought you a gift.”
“gift?”
“Ta-da. The princess invited me especially, so I can’t come empty-handed.”
What he pulled out of his arms was a colorful rocket pendant with five red jewels in goldsmiths.
A pretty angel and flowers were painted inside the pendant.
Even if I saw a lot of luxury items, it was an item of considerable value.
Ethan’s tastes have been good for me since the old days, and so did this pendant.
Presumably, if it had been before returning, I would certainly have been delighted with Ethan’s gift and reciprocated greatly.
“Where did you get this?”
“Where am I from? I’m still Bronte.”
He reminded him that even though he was a bastard, he was the son of a duke.
Still, it’s a bit too much to exchange without seeing each other a few times.
“It’s too good for me to receive. Take it back.”
I kind of felt like a bribe, so I politely pushed Ethan’s hand away.
“Yes… ?”
“I’ll not take it.”
“Are you sure you don’t like this pendant?”
“No, it’s a great pendant.”
“It’s great, but why don’t you take it? Don’t you like this?”
Ethan questioned me with his golden eyes. He had the face of a beautiful boy, but somehow it seemed to hold me down.
It seemed like he was begging to be accepted.
“We’ve just met. I think it’s better to give this to someone close and precious.”
I was a little concerned about Ethan’s reaction, but I declined once more.
“A close and precious person…”
He grinned softly with a blunt tone of voice and then smiled bitterly.
“I thought you were close and precious, but I guess you’re not.”
Ethan quietly put the pendant back in.
“I must have been a little excited by myself. It was the first time someone had visited me and invited me like this, so I thought I should bring a nice present. I’m sorry if you felt pressured.”
“Ah…”
Ethan, you are a weak person. What if you put on a bittersweet smile with such a pretty face?
He really has a talent for making people’s hearts heavy.
But Ethan didn’t bring up the pendant anymore and looked around my room.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere was lightened, and I was able to put down a little heavy load.
“What is this letter?”
Ethan looked around the room to find something to talk about.
“letter?”
Where Ethan pointed, there was a letter I did not know.
“It must have come from the imperial family.”
The letter was stamped with the design of the Milanaire family. The imprint with blue feathers showed the sender’s sincerity, but to me, it was not a letter I liked at all.
“It’s not important.”
Even without looking closely, it was clear that it was a letter from Rey.
Ray has sent me regular letters since I came down, but I haven’t opened one.
I don’t understand his behavior in sending unanswered letters over and over, but Ray’s stupidity was not my area of understanding.
“If it’s from the imperial family, it might be important, but if it’s because of me, then please wait for a moment…”
“no.”
I can already guess what’s inside. It must contain the life of a student of Episteme and the Crown Prince. And he must be expressing his grievances.
In the past, Ray had a very difficult time while attending Episteme. He wasn’t as smart as me.
After entering Episteme with difficulty due to his tutor’s thorough private education, he was always at the bottom of the list.
In horseback riding, swordsmanship, and physical strength, he achieved excellent results, but the rest of his results were a mess.
If he said he was the last to finish even after getting perfect marks in swordsmanship and horseback riding, you would get a sense of how messed up he was.
‘It’s because he is secretly digging in the garden…’
If I had been to Episteme, I wouldn’t have squandered that golden opportunity that way.
I had to learn things that I could easily understand and learn from good teachers only by self-taught.
Just thinking about it made something hot inside me again.
I didn’t have a good teacher, and I had to nurture myself by carefully collecting all the things I could hear over my shoulder.
Surely I was smart. Although I had never been properly educated, I never lacked in arguing with the people of Episteme.
I could understand all the noble phrases and ideas quoted by nobles, long historical stories, and even the hidden meanings contained within.
It was just a problem because I was blinded by greed.
Anyway, that’s why I decided not to read Ray’s letter. Because if I saw the complaints about the Episteme, I would get angry.
It’s better for Ray and for me.
“I can see it later.”
I won’t see it.
Ethan took turns looking at the letters, then looked back.
“Isn’t there much to see, right?”
“To be honest, yes. Since you’re a princess, I thought the room would be very fancy, but it’s not.”
Ethan laughed, saying he thought there might be pretty paintings, vases, ornate mirrors, or precious alarm clocks.
Then Ethan stopped with his eyes on the side table by the bedside.
* * *