The scattering droplets of water danced in the air and changed shape back and forth.
“Jean!”
When Nina called his name all the drops of water fell into the pond, perhaps because of distraction.
Jean frowned and turned to Nina.
“Don’t sneak around.”
“No, but it looked like you’re training.”
“Then watch it till the end.”
“I thought it would take a long time.”
Seeing Nina nonchalantly smiling, Jean let out a sigh and walked out of the pond.
Nina quickly brought him a towel hanging on the branch. His top was naked so he was going to quickly cool off in this weather.
Wiping off the moisture from his hair, Jean asked.
“What’s up? What’s that? Are you going to fight with that on?”
Jean looked at the skates that Nina was holding, and had a terrified look on his face. Nina had a ‘This again?’ face but soon fixed it.
“It’s for playing on the ice.”
“Well, no wonder.”
Jean grinned.
He was surprised that she even thinks of playing in such a situation but he also thought, ‘It’s just like Nina.’
After fighting the Lawmaker, Jean did not stop training. Except for time to eat and sleep, it could be said that he was devoting everything to training, including extra hours of personal training.
He didn’t even have time to work as vice-commander, so he even thought about quitting it, but he couldn’t.
As long as Nina is his boss, the one that stays by her side should be him.
Therefore, there was no concession on that.
Nina didn’t want to take away his practice time and quickly conveyed her message.
Jean looked at Nina and vaguely said, “Isn’t fine?”.
“Do you think it’s really fine?”
“Yes. I wanted to sign a contract too, but I didn’t know how to do it. Everyone already thinks of a spirit they want to sign a contract with, besides, trying it out doesn’t seem that bad. As you said, it is necessary to increase our fighting power.”
Even the Elites would take considerable damage if they had to deal with a Lawmaker without a spirit.
“Right.”
Nina fiddled with her lips. If so, it would be better for her to consult one by one in various ways.
“Great. Let’s do it, then.”
Saying so, Nina straightened her back and Jean nodded his head. She glanced at the pond and said.
“Would you like to play around?”
“You’ll catch a cold.”
“It’s not something someone who takes off his jacket and goes into the water to train should say.”
Nina started taking her shoes off and Jean asked back, “You are really doing this?”.
“Of course.”
Nina rolled up her hair, tied it up, and splashed into the water.
“Oh, it’s cold!”
“I told you.”
Maybe it was because the water came down from the mountain, even if the sun was still warm the water was cold. But when it comes to the waist, it gets a little better.
Nina said sullenly.
“It’s unfair.”
“What?”
“Jean is up to the waist, but it almost reaches my chest.”
“It’s a difference in length, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Nina groaned and drew her sword, the water resistance felt good. She continued.
“When you swing the sword in the water like this, you can feel the movement of the water. I like when my sword cuts it quickly.”
Jean nodded his head and held up his halberd. The pond was too narrow for the two of them to fight, but that much penalty was bearable.
“Are we using spirits?”
“Of course.”
Silence sunk as the two settled down. They looked at each other like statues and collided for a second.
There was a sound like the surface of the water exploding, and water vapor surged up with steaming heat.
If Mimina saw it, she would have screamed, ‘My garden!’
Moments later, Nina declared victory, but it was by a pretty close margin. Nina thought she shouldn’t fight Jean in the open water.
Jean on the other side, had a face of regret, but Nina said with a serious tone.
“Let’s not fight with real swords again.”
“I agree.”
Jean nodded his head and Nina giggled as she walked out of the water.
“I’m completely wet. Oh, leather pants become so uncomfortable!” (Nina)
I want to take it out right now, I took off my leather shoes but didn’t take off my leather pants. If I let it dry like this, won’t it shrink badly?
“Should I have taken off my pants too?” (Nina)
“Are you crazy?”
Nina became embarrassed when Jean spat it out in a dumbfounded tone.
“Maybe?”(Nina)
“It’s good that you know shame. For God’s sake.”
Jean squeezed another sigh as if he had lost strength and approached with the towel he had been wiping his hair with.
He meticulously wiped Nina’s face and untied her hair. Even though it was wet, Nina’s hair was flowing softly. In sheer admiration, he also wiped the water on her hair.
Her white cotton blouse was wet with water, revealing her skin. Jean clicked his tongue and wrapped the towel around Nina’s shoulder.
“What? Why are you so meek? Are you sick? Cold?” (Jean)
Jean was puzzled and stroked Nina’s cheek, indeed, her body temperature had gone down and she was cold.
Nina’s body flinched when his palms ran down and wrapped around the nape of her neck. Jean paused without realizing it.
Her head was bowed down so that no expression could be seen on her wet face. Jean gently lifted Nina’s chin with the tip of his finger.
“Nina La Dell, what’s wrong?”
Nina let out a sigh at the soft voice.
“No, I was just reflecting on myself
“About what?”
“Jean wiped it so naturally…”
He laughed when he realized that Nina was conscious of being treated like a child.
“Isn’t the Vice-Commander’s job to take care of the Commander?”
At his playful words, Nina said, “Is that so?” and looked up. Jean nodded her head.
“Yes, yes.”
Jean even added another chime saying “It’s a matter of course!”.
At that, Nina recovered her dignity by quietly stretching her shoulders. Jean lightly patted her back.
“Go wash up and change your clothes. I’m going to train more.”
“There’s no more water here?”
“I’ll go to the Silver Lake.”
“If you walk around dressed like that, the maids will have a lot of fun laughing.”
“… What are you talking about?”
Nina, who laughed, grabbed the towel.
“Thank you, I’ll send more later. Do you need anything else besides a towel?”
“Right. Tell them to bring a drink.”
“Yes.”
Nina, who greeted cheerfully, left. Jean sank to a suitable rock nearby and swept his face letting out a long sigh.
‘That surprised me.’
Jean looked at his palm, got up from his seat, and grabbed his halberd.
Not yet, he still had a long way to reach her.
* * *
Fiona looked at Edgar. Neither she nor he were accustomed to being catered for by servant’s hands.
The two were sitting on the terrace by themselves.
The midday sun was now starting to set, and the parasols had to be pitched at an angle.
As she put a white tablecloth on the table, Fiona cheerfully said.
“Isn’t it amazing to be able to use such a pure white tablecloth?”
“….”
“Edgar?”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Edgar suddenly came to his senses and looked at Fiona, who looked back at him.
They obviously grew up like brother and sister, and she thought they were the closest in the world. But after that the last event came to an end, it felt awkward to meet again.
The idea of being able to return to the way they used to be was very naive.
But if you can’t go back, you have to move on.
She didn’t want to spin around, hesitantly hoping to go back to how they were before. Nothing is more foolish than trying to look back on ‘good times in the past’ and try to make it the same.
“Edgar.”
Fiona’s voice subsided, it was time for her to tell what she has been putting off.
“It’s okay if you don’t stay with me.”
Edgar was astonished by her words, Fiona was rather startled herself as his wine-colored eyes wandered like lost and then he slowly turned pale as a poor man stabbed by her sword.
“Edgar? Are you okay?”
Edgar looked away, and after a while, he barely spat it out in a low voice.
“Now I’m…Am I not needed?”
In an instant, Fiona’s worries faded away, instead, something cold came up her throat.
“Is that all you have to say?”
She spoke like a sharp dagger as if chopping off his words. Edgar raised his head.
Fiona’s face was burning with anger.
“Necessary or not, is that how our entire relationship is defined? Does that also account for all the time in the past that we have known each other? Were you together by my side because there was an advantage for you?”
Fiona’s pale green eyes gleamed like the blades of a sharp sword.
“Have you been keeping a score all this time?” (Fiona)
The scattering droplets of water danced in the air and changed shape back and forth.
“Jean!”
When Nina called his name all the drops of water fell into the pond, perhaps because of distraction.
Jean frowned and turned to Nina.
“Don’t sneak around.”
“No, but it looked like you’re training.”
“Then watch it till the end.”
“I thought it would take a long time.”
Seeing Nina nonchalantly smiling, Jean let out a sigh and walked out of the pond.
Nina quickly brought him a towel hanging on the branch. His top was naked so he was going to quickly cool off in this weather.
Wiping off the moisture from his hair, Jean asked.
“What’s up? What’s that? Are you going to fight with that on?”
Jean looked at the skates that Nina was holding, and had a terrified look on his face. Nina had a ‘This again?’ face but soon fixed it.
“It’s for playing on the ice.”
“Well, no wonder.”
Jean grinned.
He was surprised that she even thinks of playing in such a situation but he also thought, ‘It’s just like Nina.’
After fighting the Lawmaker, Jean did not stop training. Except for time to eat and sleep, it could be said that he was devoting everything to training, including extra hours of personal training.
He didn’t even have time to work as vice-commander, so he even thought about quitting it, but he couldn’t.
As long as Nina is his boss, the one that stays by her side should be him.
Therefore, there was no concession on that.
Nina didn’t want to take away his practice time and quickly conveyed her message.
Jean looked at Nina and vaguely said, “Isn’t fine?”.
“Do you think it’s really fine?”
“Yes. I wanted to sign a contract too, but I didn’t know how to do it. Everyone already thinks of a spirit they want to sign a contract with, besides, trying it out doesn’t seem that bad. As you said, it is necessary to increase our fighting power.”
Even the Elites would take considerable damage if they had to deal with a Lawmaker without a spirit.
“Right.”
Nina fiddled with her lips. If so, it would be better for her to consult one by one in various ways.
“Great. Let’s do it, then.”
Saying so, Nina straightened her back and Jean nodded his head. She glanced at the pond and said.
“Would you like to play around?”
“You’ll catch a cold.”
“It’s not something someone who takes off his jacket and goes into the water to train should say.”
Nina started taking her shoes off and Jean asked back, “You are really doing this?”.
“Of course.”
Nina rolled up her hair, tied it up, and splashed into the water.
“Oh, it’s cold!”
“I told you.”
Maybe it was because the water came down from the mountain, even if the sun was still warm the water was cold. But when it comes to the waist, it gets a little better.
Nina said sullenly.
“It’s unfair.”
“What?”
“Jean is up to the waist, but it almost reaches my chest.”
“It’s a difference in length, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Nina groaned and drew her sword, the water resistance felt good. She continued.
“When you swing the sword in the water like this, you can feel the movement of the water. I like when my sword cuts it quickly.”
Jean nodded his head and held up his halberd. The pond was too narrow for the two of them to fight, but that much penalty was bearable.
“Are we using spirits?”
“Of course.”
Silence sunk as the two settled down. They looked at each other like statues and collided for a second.
There was a sound like the surface of the water exploding, and water vapor surged up with steaming heat.
If Mimina saw it, she would have screamed, ‘My garden!’
Moments later, Nina declared victory, but it was by a pretty close margin. Nina thought she shouldn’t fight Jean in the open water.
Jean on the other side, had a face of regret, but Nina said with a serious tone.
“Let’s not fight with real swords again.”
“I agree.”
Jean nodded his head and Nina giggled as she walked out of the water.
“I’m completely wet. Oh, leather pants become so uncomfortable!” (Nina)
I want to take it out right now, I took off my leather shoes but didn’t take off my leather pants. If I let it dry like this, won’t it shrink badly?
“Should I have taken off my pants too?” (Nina)
“Are you crazy?”
Nina became embarrassed when Jean spat it out in a dumbfounded tone.
“Maybe?”(Nina)
“It’s good that you know shame. For God’s sake.”
Jean squeezed another sigh as if he had lost strength and approached with the towel he had been wiping his hair with.
He meticulously wiped Nina’s face and untied her hair. Even though it was wet, Nina’s hair was flowing softly. In sheer admiration, he also wiped the water on her hair.
Her white cotton blouse was wet with water, revealing her skin. Jean clicked his tongue and wrapped the towel around Nina’s shoulder.
“What? Why are you so meek? Are you sick? Cold?” (Jean)
Jean was puzzled and stroked Nina’s cheek, indeed, her body temperature had gone down and she was cold.
Nina’s body flinched when his palms ran down and wrapped around the nape of her neck. Jean paused without realizing it.
Her head was bowed down so that no expression could be seen on her wet face. Jean gently lifted Nina’s chin with the tip of his finger.
“Nina La Dell, what’s wrong?”
Nina let out a sigh at the soft voice.
“No, I was just reflecting on myself
“About what?”
“Jean wiped it so naturally…”
He laughed when he realized that Nina was conscious of being treated like a child.
“Isn’t the Vice-Commander’s job to take care of the Commander?”
At his playful words, Nina said, “Is that so?” and looked up. Jean nodded her head.
“Yes, yes.”
Jean even added another chime saying “It’s a matter of course!”.
At that, Nina recovered her dignity by quietly stretching her shoulders. Jean lightly patted her back.
“Go wash up and change your clothes. I’m going to train more.”
“There’s no more water here?”
“I’ll go to the Silver Lake.”
“If you walk around dressed like that, the maids will have a lot of fun laughing.”
“… What are you talking about?”
Nina, who laughed, grabbed the towel.
“Thank you, I’ll send more later. Do you need anything else besides a towel?”
“Right. Tell them to bring a drink.”
“Yes.”
Nina, who greeted cheerfully, left. Jean sank to a suitable rock nearby and swept his face letting out a long sigh.
‘That surprised me.’
Jean looked at his palm, got up from his seat, and grabbed his halberd.
Not yet, he still had a long way to reach her.
* * *
Fiona looked at Edgar. Neither she nor he were accustomed to being catered for by servant’s hands.
The two were sitting on the terrace by themselves.
The midday sun was now starting to set, and the parasols had to be pitched at an angle.
As she put a white tablecloth on the table, Fiona cheerfully said.
“Isn’t it amazing to be able to use such a pure white tablecloth?”
“….”
“Edgar?”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Edgar suddenly came to his senses and looked at Fiona, who looked back at him.
They obviously grew up like brother and sister, and she thought they were the closest in the world. But after that the last event came to an end, it felt awkward to meet again.
The idea of being able to return to the way they used to be was very naive.
But if you can’t go back, you have to move on.
She didn’t want to spin around, hesitantly hoping to go back to how they were before. Nothing is more foolish than trying to look back on ‘good times in the past’ and try to make it the same.
“Edgar.”
Fiona’s voice subsided, it was time for her to tell what she has been putting off.
“It’s okay if you don’t stay with me.”
Edgar was astonished by her words, Fiona was rather startled herself as his wine-colored eyes wandered like lost and then he slowly turned pale as a poor man stabbed by her sword.
“Edgar? Are you okay?”
Edgar looked away, and after a while, he barely spat it out in a low voice.
“Now I’m…Am I not needed?”
In an instant, Fiona’s worries faded away, instead, something cold came up her throat.
“Is that all you have to say?”
She spoke like a sharp dagger as if chopping off his words. Edgar raised his head.
Fiona’s face was burning with anger.
“Necessary or not, is that how our entire relationship is defined? Does that also account for all the time in the past that we have known each other? Were you together by my side because there was an advantage for you?”
Fiona’s pale green eyes gleamed like the blades of a sharp sword.
“Have you been keeping a score all this time?” (Fiona)
