Feeling the Change 2

“While we’re at Minst Academy?”

Yuria asked a question.

The meaning of her question was whether he meant he would protect her only during their time at Minst Academy.

“No.”

Theodore immediately denied her words.

“I haven’t thought about the end of that period yet. Of course, I promised Duke Arsein to continue protecting you while we’re here. But even without that, I will continue to protect you.”

“Are you saying that sincerely?”

Yuria asked with a surprised expression.

---

“Are you saying that sincerely?”

Yuria was genuinely surprised at Theodore’s words.

[This world revolves around me. Why should I, busy as I am, waste time on people who are of no relevance to me?]

She remembered these heartfelt words Theodore had spoken to her. He had told her before that if she weren’t his fiancée, he wouldn’t have cared about protecting her.

And there was another meaning hidden in those words.

‘Back then, I didn’t realize that his saying the world revolves around him was hinting that he was the Chosen One…’

Still, at that time, she was genuinely angry.

She felt one of her strings of rationality snap, and she even thought that the fact she had ever felt excited about such a man was regrettable and embarrassing to admit.

Of course, that excitement had been merely a light attraction.

A swordsman of the same age with superior skills, and someone who outwardly appeared kind and gentle, with versatile abilities, and extremely handsome looks—it would have been strange if she hadn’t developed such a light attraction.

She didn’t hate or truly dislike him, who wore a mask in front of other women but casually revealed his true self to her, but she always thought he was annoying enough to want to get one over on him.

“You’ll protect me without even thinking about an end date?”

“An honest answer and a dishonest one. Which would you like to hear?”

In response to Yuria’s question, Theodore asked if she wanted the truth or a lie. Normally, Yuria would have been able to roughly guess what the truth and the lie would be.

But today, it was difficult to guess.

No, she could guess, but she just couldn’t believe it.

“Tell me both.”

“Alright. Then I’ll start with the lie, as before.”

“Yes.”

Yuria couldn’t understand why she was feeling nervous about this.

But as she waited for Theodore’s answer with intense focus to the point of nervousness, Theodore smiled gently and said:

“I want to protect you because I have a duty as your fiancé. Lady Yuria, as long as you are my fiancée, I must continue to protect you.”

The content Yuria had expected as the truthful answer was mentioned as the lie.

Unable to guess what the truthful answer might be—no, not wanting to think about it due to embarrassment—Yuria asked Theodore:

“Then… please give me the truthful answer.”

“Alright.”

When it came time for Theodore to speak the truth, Yuria felt as if even the mere seconds had stretched several times longer. Facing her, who was so tense that her entire body was focused, Theodore opened his mouth.

“Lady Yuria, it seems you’ve somehow broken down the wall I had put up against you. This has made me increasingly conscious of you… and I’ve made a promise to myself. I’ll help you achieve your dream of becoming a renowned warrior on the continent.”

Yuria was slightly surprised at Theodore’s mention of her dream and his commitment to help her achieve it.

She had guessed to some extent from the fact that he was no longer mocking her dream but starting to affirm it, but she hadn’t known he was thinking so deeply about it to that level.

“I’ll teach you well so you can achieve that dream. So until then, I’ll protect you. And also, I don’t like seeing you get hurt. Since I’ve already given you affection.”

At Theodore’s answer, Yuria lowered her head slightly.

“Ugh.”

And she bit her lip, trying to regain her composure through the pain. It was an effort not to show a helpless, embarrassed appearance like before.

However, such slight biting was far from enough to calm her heart.

‘This is so embarrassing.’

She found it quite amazing how Theodore could say such things so brazenly without any embarrassment.

But thinking about it, he had always been a person with extraordinary shamelessness, as if covered with a steel plate, so it wasn’t surprising.

“Thank you for being so attentive in teaching me…”

Yuria, having somewhat calmed her embarrassment, expressed her gratitude.

Theodore’s change in attitude was bewildering, but she was grateful that he was teaching her with such deep consideration as a swordswoman.

‘Ugh, talking about giving affection… not liking to see me hurt… why am I the only one embarrassed?’

But after her embarrassment had somewhat subsided, she found Theodore annoying for another reason.

Theodore was the one who had spoken, yet he wasn’t embarrassed at all. The embarrassment and confusion were all on her side.

“Lady Yuria.”

“Yes….”

Yuria avoided eye contact with Theodore, unable to meet his gaze.

It was difficult to look at his face when she recalled the moments of being in his arms earlier and being lifted in a princess carry.

It seemed like it had been easier to deal with him when he was merely annoying, but that didn’t mean that time was better than now.

It was truly complicated to draw a conclusion.

But one thing was clear.

‘Young Lord Theodore’s attitude has definitely changed.’

He was even saying he had given her affection.

And it wasn’t her imagination that his attitude had become kinder.

He was sincerely trying to teach her, didn’t want to see her get hurt, and said he would continue to protect her until she achieved her dream.

“If it’s still hard to get up, rest for a while. Forcing yourself to train when you haven’t recovered your strength could have a negative effect.”

“…Yes.”

“When your strength recovers, I’ll teach you again. This training will also be quite difficult, so prepare yourself mentally.”

“I understand. I’ll do my best to learn.”

Yuria thought it might be better if the training was hard.

If she concentrated all her attention on training, she might be able to forget other thoughts.

It was a method of mental stabilization that suited her character, as she would normally spend time swinging her sword when her mind was troubled.

“Good. If you still can’t put strength in your legs, shall I give you a massage? I also know massages that help with physical recovery.”

“M-massage?”

Yuria’s face turned bright red.

‘If Y-Young Lord Theodore were to give me a massage… his touch…’

Though she was the treasured daughter of House Arsein, she wasn’t completely ignorant.

Just from overhearing the maids at the Arsein mansion, she could learn many things.

Especially when the maids gathered among themselves and had various obscene conversations, some of which included massages.

‘No.’

Yuria forcibly suppressed the strange imagination that was trying to emerge.

If she had recalled it in detail, she felt she would be even more unable to look at Theodore’s face.

Desperately suppressing the fantasies that were arising, with the thought that she couldn’t be swayed by mere imagination when it wasn’t even something that was actually happening, Yuria hurriedly shook her head.

“M-massage is not okay. That seems too obscene.”

“Bold when you’re bold, but quite shy about these things. I’ll certainly remember that.”

“Ah! Don’t remember things like that!”

At Yuria’s protest, Theodore smiled slightly and stroked her head.

“W-what are you doing?”

As he suddenly stroked her head, Theodore said to the perplexed Yuria:

“In any case, I’ll tell you for certain. Next Monday, when classes start at Minst Academy, things will be quite tumultuous for a while.”

“…You’re going to do as you did at Jeiha Academy, aren’t you?”

Yuria quickly realized what Theodore intended to do. It was clear he was planning to engage in widespread provocation by overtly displaying his arrogant genius persona, praising himself, just as he had at Jeiha Academy—no, just as he usually spoke to her.

“I’ll make sure you don’t suffer any harm. I won’t make the same superficial statements. Be prepared in advance.”

Yuria sighed at Theodore’s words.

“Haa~ It’s true that Young Lord Theodore’s attitude toward me has definitely changed. It wasn’t my imagination that I felt you had become kinder earlier.”

“If that’s how you felt, then that’s how you felt.”

“But you’re still annoying.”

Yuria said, glancing at him slightly.

“But that seems better too. Because Young Lord Theodore is an annoyingly talented man.”

Saying that, Yuria smiled slightly.

She felt that spending a year together with Theodore at Minst Academy might turn out better than expected.

“Then rest for a while. Something will arrive soon.”

“Something will arrive?”

“Yes. The Minst Academy uniform arrives today. I’ll receive it.”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, there was that.

Before coming to Minst Academy, she had carefully measured her body size and sent that information to Minst Academy in advance.

This was because Minst Academy needed to prepare a uniform that fit her size.

‘I hope I don’t have to wear the uniform much.’

Yuria occasionally had to change into her uniform at Jeiha Academy as well. However, having grown up training as a swordswoman, although she wore dresses for important family events, the short skirt of the academy uniform always caused discomfort to her as a swordswoman.

She couldn’t train properly because of the problem that if she swung her sword vigorously while wearing the uniform skirt, her underwear might be visible.

She even had to be careful when running quickly, and it was concerning when the wind blew.

“Then I’ll go get it.”

“…I could get mine myself…”

Yuria said quietly, but Theodore had already gone outside.

And after he went out, he soon returned with a well-packaged box.

“The uniform is inside, so check it later. I’ll put the box here for now.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Yuria gave up and thanked him for bringing the uniform as she slowly lifted her hips from the sofa to get up.

Her legs were somewhat difficult to put strength into, but thanks to sitting and resting, her strength had recovered enough that there was no problem standing up.

“I’ll do some light exercise. I think it would be better to warm up lightly rather than just sitting.”

“That should be fine. Then we’ll continue training in 15 minutes, so take special care of your strength until then.”

“Yes.”

Yuria sympathized with the hardship Minst Academy would experience starting next Monday.

‘Though Young Lord Theodore is annoying and irritating, truly exceptional people are truly exceptional.’

The students of Minst Academy would surely realize this.

And… Yuria sensed that Theodore wasn’t doing this just for fun or due to his innate character, but that he had some kind of plan.

---

I seemed to understand why Yuria Arsein was designated as my fiancée.

She might not know it, but her becoming my fiancée was actually a matter decided when I was 11 years old.

‘Well, a woman like her wouldn’t be bad to spend a lifetime with.’

However, the plan wouldn’t change.

I would proceed with all the actions at Minst Academy according to plan.

‘By the way, Lady Yuria seems to be imagining something naughty beyond my expectations. That massage was just going to be a foot massage, yet she imagined something else.’

However, he didn’t say this fact. If he had, Yuria might have banged her head against the wall from shame.