Proofreader: Rayjerk

‘I-I don’t think this is alright…’

More than a kiss? No, how could she. Even the thought was atrocious.

‘Yeah, this can’t be wagered.’

Let’s not do it, she urged herself.

Just when Lorraine opened her mouth to say no, Cloud smirked as if expecting her answer. The moment she saw that expression, something exploded, something in her that held her up broke.

“You are done for today! Grab your sword and follow me!”

So she crossed the river from which she would never return.

* * *

It was already late night when negotiations broke down. Neria looked up at the night sky and sighed.

As Cloud’s colleague, she liked being part of the negotiations.

But that took up too much of her time.

Neria trailed her way to the gymnasium with subdued steps. As she expected, there was no one present in the gymnasium.

It seemed the knights had retired for today.

Well, not like they had to stay and train all the time. Training results were highly efficient when accompanied with proper rest.

Neria mused and picked up her wooden sword and shield that sat in the corner of the gymnasium.

She brandished her sword and shield to test her skills.

When that was over, she created an imaginary enemy to fight.

She took no breaks in between.

She pushed her body to the limit to be better than yesterday.

For nearly a year, her training routine had been like this.

In addition, she did not fall asleep no matter how late it was if she did not finish the training allotted for the day.

If her training ended early, she would do extra training until it was time to fall asleep.

As a result, her complexion became haggard compared to her past self. To the extent that Cloud, who was worse off, forced her to bed, admonishing her to rest. No matter what she was doing, when he forced her to bed, she took a break.

And the next day she continued to train as before.

Nobody could understand her, comprehend her actions; they questioned internally why she pushed herself so hard.

But Neria had her own reasons.

‘I have to be stronger to stay by Cloud’s side,’ Neria would think.

In the past, she was weak.

She swore to protect him, but she didn’t have the strength to do so. That’s why she had to leave the seat next to him, and that seat was taken by another woman.

The only thing left for her now was a complimentary position by his side.

She was in such a humble position compared to before, but she was afraid of losing even that.

So she swung the sword ardently.

She braced her shield.

Her whole body screamed, but it mattered little.

As strenuous as it was, the fear and anxiety that gnawed at her heart disappeared along with.

So she continued and continued, and did so all again.

“Ah, I wondered from where such sounds were coming in the middle of the night, so it’s Miss Neria training.”

Lewis Sentry walked into the gymnasium with two of his escort knights.

Neria looked at him for a moment, then returned to her training.

Lewis was slightly offended by the blatant disregard, but he didn’t bother showing it on his face.

He smiled softly and spoke to her.

“I was at the table across you during the negotiations earlier, do you remember?”

“…”

“Looks like you didn’t notice me. It’s okay. Because I saw you.”

“…”

Neria ignored Lewis’ attempt at conversation and silently swung her sword.

Every time the sword cut through the air, a loud whipping boom sounded in the ears of Lewis and his escort knights.

As the knights admired her neat swordsmanship and the power behind her swings, Lewis approached her, schooling his smile.

He had calculated that if he got close, he might get hit, so she would stop swinging her sword and shield, and then she wouldn’t be able to ignore him anymore.

“Miss Neria. Will you please take a break from training and talk to me—Woah?!”

As the practice sword buzzed right across his face, Lewis fell backwards, flabbergasted.

“Young Master! Are you alright?!”

The escort knights who arrived belatedly tried to raise him up, but he jerked out of their grasp roughly and stared at Neria, reclining on the floor.

She was still wielding her sword and shield.

Swinging down without fail. She didn’t care.

The face that had been filled with a smile distorted.

Lewis was the eldest son of the House of Count Sentry.

In the eastern region of the Kingdom of Prona, no one dared raising their voice in front of him.

Having never been ignored, he wasn’t used to this kind of neglect, so he couldn’t help his wrath unbridled.

If the individual who angered him this much had been an ordinary person, he would have completely crushed them under his heel.

Both physically and mentally.

But the individual here was no ordinary character.

She was a colleague of Cloud, the Hero of the Kingdom of Prona.

Nothing good would come from being hasty.

In the end, Lewis couldn’t do anything he wanted, and even had to leave with a stain on his honor.

If it was up to this, it would have ended then and there.

“Acts like a slave to Gis and exhibits aloofness at others.”

The problem was that his high self-esteem did not allow him to just leave, and the words he sarcastically said were, of course, reactive.

Her sword and shield, which had never stopped since Lewis came, drooped in her pause.

Neria stretched out her arms, hoisting her practice sword and shield slowly, very slowly.

She slowly turned her head to stare at Lewis.

“What did you say..?”

With a freezing cold gaze.

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