65 – Everyday

[Physis' POV]

My daily routine remained the same after that day. 

Every day, I practiced and trained myself. Just like before, I repeated sparring with knights in the training ground endlessly.

Of course, now that my skills had improved significantly, rather than sparring with a single knight, quite a number of knights attacked me at once.

After the intense sparring session finally came to an end, I took a moment to assess my condition, before lying down on the training ground to catch my breath. 

However, my peaceful rest was abruptly interrupted as the training ground suddenly became noisy.

Curious about what was happening, I raised my upper body for a moment and saw Adilun appearing on the training ground.

Adilun’s popularity in Ortaire was beyond imagination.

Her beautiful appearance aside, what was most noteworthy was that she was able to reform me, who was known as the ortaire's troublemaker.

In addition, her kind attitude towards people below her had become a factor that made her popular with servants, maids, and knights alike.

As she approached me while floating in the air with magic, carrying a basket, she eventually settled down next to me on the training ground and gently placed the basket near her.

"Uh, Adilun? What brings you here?"

Feeling surprised I asked her because it was the first time she had come to visit me during my training.

“I just came here because I was bored and had nothing to do. Is that not allowed?"

"That's not the case. You are always welcome here."

At my answer, she smiled in satisfaction.

“Then I will come every day. Oh, aren’t you hungry right now?”

"I'm a little hungry, and my throat is also dry. I was thinking of going to the kitchen for a bit to eat something."

"Hehe, then I'm glad I brought something for you."

She laughed innocently and took out food, water, and a cloth of a suitable size from the mysterious basket she had brought along.

I just couldn't understand the purpose of the cloth, so I asked her.

“Well? What's this cloth for?”

“I thought you would be sweaty because of your training, so it would be good to wipe off your sweat first. And see, you're all sweaty now."

"Oh, I see. Then could you give me that cloth?"

"No, I'll wipe it off for you."

She smiled mischievously and started wiping my body herself.

“Ah, Adilun?”

"Just stay still. Don't fidget."

“No, but… …There are a lot of eyes watching us right now.”

I couldn't help but be surprised by her daring actions since the knights were staring at us with wide eyes.

"What's wrong with that?"

I felt the gaze around us becoming more and more intense. But she paid no attention to the gaze and wiped my body with a cloth she brought, before handing me some water.

She leaned close to my ear as she handed me the water and whispered quietly.

"To be honest, I could have cleaned you with magic, but I wanted to do it this way at least once."

Watching her throw out those words and smile softly… …made me wonder if she was actually a fox, not a dragon.

I felt my face getting hot without realizing it.

It wasn't just that.

"Here you go."

She even put the food she had prepared into my mouth herself, and every time she did, she sent a dizzying smile to me. I realized that she had made up her mind.

Somehow... since we had talked under the moonlight the night before, it seemed that something had changed in her.

Of course, I didn't dislike it.

I didn’t hate or dislike it, but… … If I saw her reaching out to me like this, could I really keep my promise not to touch her for the seven months we had agreed upon?

And the knights who saw her like this looked at me as if they would kill me right away. Of course, Adilun continued to chatter next to me, whether they said anything or not.

When the tension of the situation began to become unbearable, Adilun took me out of the training ground.

"Hehe. Did I surprise you?"

"Honestly...I was a little surprised. You never came to see me when I was practicing, did you? Not even in Rodenov."

"That's right. But...there's nothing I can do right now, and it's not easy to practice magic, so there's nothing else to do."

"Well, you really have nothing to do. The library is smaller than Rodenov's anyway."

"Yes. That's true. Anyway, I just wanted to see you in person. I'll keep doing that from now on."

“Is that so?”

“Yes… … As long as I’m here at Ortaire, I’ll stick with you. So that… … The stray cats won’t pay attention.”

Her last words were a little muffled, but to my ears, whose hearing was quite developed, her last words were heard very clearly. At the same time, lust began to rise in me, but I managed to hold it back.

In fact, the reason I was pouring my efforts into training from today on was not only to become stronger but also because I couldn't stand the thought of Adilun sticking to me all day and talking about those things. But of course, she would come to the training ground when she was bored.

At this rate, I might not last a few days, let alone 7 months without getting into an accident.

I started to become really scared. Of course, Adilun was probably aiming for that.

It seemed that she sincerely wanted to tie me to her side and not even give a glance to other women.

Of course, I didn't hate that. No, I even wanted to tie Adilun to my side. To not go anywhere and just looked at me beside her.

But if I did that, I would end up harming her in some way, so I just kept it as a secret desire. I wanted her to be happy and to build a normal relationship with her as a couple.

A relationship where we only had eyes for each other might seem very romantic at first glance, but eventually, even that romanticism was bound to break.

There would definitely be parts of each other that didn't fit, and even if one endure those parts, the cracks in the relationship would not change. That was why, if I wanted to be with her, I would have to think of a way to make her truly happy, rather than indulging in this secret desire.

After going around Ortaire Castle with her like that, I went into the room, took a nap, and woke up… … Before I knew it, the fact that Adilun visited the training ground and acted affectionately with me spread throughout the castle.

During dinner time, my father, mother, and older brother all looked at me and Adilun with excited faces, and I broke into a cold sweat at the gaze of my family.

But Adilun...actually seemed to enjoy those stares.

“I heard an interesting story today.”

“Gulp.”

It was just at the moment when my father said those words as he was drinking water, that I couldn't help but overhear.

"Are you okay?"

Furthermore, as I looked at Adilun next to me, who was looking at me with a worried expression, the smile of my family became even more intense...I had a feeling that this dinner was going to be quite uncomfortable.

'What are they going to say?'

"As their relationship seems to be good, it feels satisfying just to watch them."

“How about speeding up the ceremony?”

When my father said one more thing, my brother intervened and 'helped me' with his words.

“No, brother. Isn’t that too soon?”

“The earlier the better. Right Physis?”

When I responded hesitantly, Adilun smiled and said to my family.

"Oh my. Giltheon. Shouldn't we listen when they're talking so much about it?"

“…”

My mother smiled as if enjoying Adilun's such appearance, and around that time I started to sweat on my back.

"Ahaha. I'm just kidding. As Physis said... Isn’t that too early now? We need to get to know each other a little more and have a ceremony... I guess we’ll have to wait a little longer until then.”

As if satisfied with Adilun's answer, my family looked at the two of us and started throwing words at us.

Since when did they become so close, do you two were close even in Rodenov too… … questions like this, filled the dining room.

Adilun and I answered those stories wholeheartedly, and fortunately, the family, whose curiosity was somewhat satisfied, did not make any more annoying jokes to us.

After dinner, we came out of the dining room and headed to our respective rooms.

Her room was right next to mine, so the paths to it naturally overlapped.

I looked at Adilun and tried to say that I was startled, but when I saw her face flushed red, I said nothing and took her hand.

It must have been quite embarrassing for her to say such bold words to my family.

“Hehe.”

Before long, she held my hand tightly as well and suddenly began to blush even more

“As expected, it’s a bit embarrassing to tell the count and the countess directly.”

“Honestly, I think you were too bold. What would have happened if really sped up?”

“Then we can just get married. Does Physis really hate marrying me?”

She gave me a slightly sullen expression, and I hurriedly shook my head at her, startled.

“How can I? It's just… … It’s because I’m not ready.”

“Why? You can just do it.”

“It’s true that I am new to marriage and things like that, but at least I do know that a wedding is the most special day in both man's and a woman’s life. It is not possible to have such a wedding without proper preparation. Moreover, in order for my marriage and yours to be happier, we will need to develop more trust in each other.”

“Uh, um… …Yes.”

At my sincere reply, her blushing face began to redden even more. She finally let go of my hand and spoke to me.

"Well, then, I'll go in now."

"Yes. Rest well, Adilun."

I watched as she went into her room in front of me, and I tried to go into my room, but suddenly Adilun, who was trying to go into her room, turned and hugged me tightly.

“Adilun?”

“… …Ha-ha. This is the end of today’s quota. See you tomorrow. If you think of me later at night, you can sneak into my room. Of course, then… …You know?”

She laughed mischievously like a fox, and before I could get my confused mind under control, she stormed into her room and left.

I had no choice but to go into my room as if possessed.

Somehow, as the days went by, Adilun started to become more and more frightening.

--- End OF The Chapter ---

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