"Appreciate the poetic description," I said dryly. "Really helps boost my morale."
Alice let out a soft laugh and sat on the chair beside my bed, moving with more care than usual. Her posture was graceful, but I could tell—she was still hurting. Just like .
Despite the lighter air between us, the truth lingered like a shadow at the edge of my thoughts.
We got lucky. Stupidly lucky.
No amount of clever acting or smooth talk will save next ti if soone stronger than Velra shows up.
The only reason I was able to pull it off this ti was because she was weak—injured, disoriented—and because I knew nearly everything about her from my past life’s ga knowledge.
And even then... we were one wrong word away from death.
So if another demon shows up—one that doesn’t hesitate or play gas—I don’t know what our chances would be. I’m not even sure we’d get the chance to be scared.
I turned to Alice, a little more serious now.
"Look, My Lady, from now on, you really need a personal knight at your side whenever you step outside. At the very least, soone should—"
I stopped mid-sentence.
Because she was suddenly standing right next to my bed, close enough for to notice the faint scent of flowers on her clothes.
And her face... her face was way too close.
"Your, Your Ladyship?" I stamred.
She tilted her head slightly, eyes sharp and unreadable. "You don’t seem to have a fever."
Before I could ask what she ant, she leaned in—and our foreheads touched.
Just like that.
My brain short-circuited.
Warmth spread across my face like wildfire.
The heat from her skin made my own feel like it was burning. Not from a fever—no, that would’ve been easier to deal with. This was... sothing else entirely.
’Who checks for a fever by pressing foreheads together?!’
If this was her way of shutting up, then congratulations.
It worked. Completely.
Ever since I got dragged into this world, I’ve bluffed my way out of death, lied to nobles, conned vampires.
And yet... this?
This made feel more defenseless than all of that combined.
She pulled back after a mont, calm as ever, while I was still frozen in place like a statue carved from embarrassnt.
"Good. No fever," she said, almost casually. "Which ans you’re just being overly dramatic again."
"I—I was being reasonable!" I shot back, my voice half a pitch higher than normal. "I almost got killed out there!"
She smiled faintly. "And yet here you are, nagging like a grumpy old man."
"I’m fifteen, soon to be sixteen!"
"I ant emotionally."
I groaned and flopped back onto the bed.
"Still, that doesn’t change the fact that we barely escaped death."
"That’s true," Alice nodded quietly.
There was a mont of silence before I added, "Also... I’m sorry."
Alice blinked, her violet-red eyes widening with surprise. Her expression shifted as she looked at —genuinely confused.
"For what?"
I let out a soft sigh and turned my head toward her.
"Well, it was my idea to go hunting snow rabbits in the first place. And I’m the one who insisted we check out that cave, even though we knew monsters might be inside."
She shook her head firmly. "No. It’s not your fault. That vampire was just stronger than . I couldn’t protect us. That ans I need to train harder."
Her voice was calm, but the bitterness still lingered on her face.
Even so... it was a good sign.
Alice had always been gifted in swordsmanship, but now, with this new fire lit under her, her skills would only grow faster. Given the chaos I seed to attract lately, having soone like her stronger by my side wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.
I gave a small nod. "Then once you’ve recovered, I hope you’ll keep that up."
"Actually," she said, her tone suddenly brightening a bit, "you’ll be joining ."
"Huh?"
I stared at her, confused. "Wait, what do you an I’ll be joining you?"
She smiled, almost proudly. "I talked to my father and got permission to cut down on my other studies for now. From this point on, the only place I expect you to guide is the training grounds."
"...You actually managed to convince the Duke?"
Considering her status as the prince’s fiancée, Alice was under constant pressure.
Etiquette classes, diplomacy training, political theory—the whole package. For her to suddenly prioritize sword training over all that? That was no small feat.
"He didn’t object," she said. "When I told him I wanted to prepare seriously for the martial arts tournant, he agreed."
The martial arts tournant.
I had almost forgotten about that.
Held every year under the patronage of the House of Draken, it was one of the most important events in the North.
Open to all, even commoners, the tournant was not just about prestige—it was a battlefield to discover hidden talents.
Winning ca with not just glory and a generous prize, but access to the Draken Duke’s private collection of artifacts.
To say it was a big deal would be an understatent.
"Well," I muttered, scratching the back of my neck, "I guess that ans I don’t have much of a choice."
"You don’t," she said, smirking. "After all, you are the one who dragged into a demon fight."
"Tsk. One ti, Lady Alice. One ti. You’re never going to let that go, are you?"
"Not a chance," she said, crossing her arms with a proud huff.
Despite everything—the vampire, the cave, the chase—we were still alive.
And sohow, the nightmare we went through had pushed Alice even further forward.
If she really threw herself into training for the tournant, then I had a feeling... she’d beco soone formidable. Dangerous, even.
And knowing the world I’d gotten tangled up in, we’d need every bit of strength we could get.
"Alright," I said with a tired sigh, leaning back again. "Training grounds it is. But tomorrow. Let rest today."
"Hmm, Okay. Also, You will be also joining the tournant."
"? Participate?"
I blinked, genuinely caught off guard. The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.
Sure, the tournant was open to anyone—regardless of status or background—but it was still very much a Northern affair. I wasn’t from here. I was just... a visitor, really. So the idea of entering felt out of place.
But before I could fully spiral into doubt, the one responsible for all this—spoke up, as if reading my thoughts.
"The martial arts tournant is open to everyone residing in the North," Alice said confidently. "You might be from the West, but you’re currently in my service."
She crossed her arms, her gaze steady.
"That makes you part of the Draken household. At least temporarily."
I stared at her. "You’re really going to use that loophole?"
She raised an eyebrow. "It’s not a loophole. It’s perfectly within the rules. Besides, I already confird it with my father."
Of course she did.
I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. "You’ve been planning this, haven’t you?"
She gave a small shrug, but her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Let’s just say I had a feeling you’d recover quickly."
I chuckled, half in disbelief. "You’re seriously dragging into a fight tournant."
"It’s not just any fight tournant," she said, her voice quieter now, more serious. "It’s a chance to grow stronger. For both of us."
I looked at her. Behind the teasing and confidence, there was sothing else in her eyes—resolve.
The near-death experience hadn’t just rattled her. It had lit a fire.
I exhaled slowly. "Alright. I’ll think about it."
"You’ll thank later," she said with a grin.
Sohow, I doubted that. But for now, I let her have her victory.
Since, I am going to win tournant after all.
----
Author Note:
No Chapter in morning, The morning advance Chapter I am updating right now.
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