Arriving at the training grounds, the air was thick with the scent of sweat and iron. Racks of equipment lined the perimeter: short swords, spears, longswords, and sets of light armor.
A large crowd had gathered around the central ring, shouting and cheering. Immediately, Milo strode past me, pushing through the onlookers to investigate.
While I scanned the area, I spotted Adel sitting on a bench on the sidelines. She looked calm, almost bored.
At once, I walked toward her, with Lady Hillaria and Lady Clara following close beside me.
Adel noticed my approach. She stood up immediately, smoothing her uniform, and walked to meet me.
"My Lady, you came here?" she asked, surprised.
"I was curious about what all of you were doing, so I came here." I gestured to my companions. "This is Lady Hillaria and Lady Clara, with their maids behind them. And this is my maid, Adel."
Adel curtsied politely. "Greetings."
After the introductions, I nodded toward the noisy crowd. "What is that commotion? Why are so many people gathered there?"
"They are just watching a sparring match," Adel said flatly. "Between Cassius and the other guards."
"Cassius??"
"Who is this Cassius, Lady Aurelia?" Lady Hillaria asked, perking up.
"One of my two guards."
Hillaria's face lit up with a mischievous grin. "Hoooo…"
Without another word, she marched straight toward the commotion, her curiosity piqued.
"Not again…" Lady Clara muttered under her breath, sighing as she hurried after her friend.
I moved to follow them, but Adel suddenly grabbed my right hand.
"My Lady," she warned, her voice low. "It would be better to be careful of this Lady Hillaria."
"She is my acquaintance, Adel," I said gently, releasing her grip. "I will be fine."
I walked toward the commotion. Flavia and Adel fell in step behind me.
..
At the center of the ring, I saw Cassius facing off against a palace guard. They exchanged rapid swings. Cassius was fighting defensively, parrying and dodging with minimal effort.
In a split second, he spotted an opening.
Clang!
He disarmed the guard with a flick of his wrist, sending the opponent's sword flying. The spar was over.
While I watched, Valerie suddenly appeared at my elbow.
"You came here?" she asked, wiping sweat from her brow.
"I wanted to check on all of you."
"As you can see," Valerie said grimly, gesturing to the panting Cassius, "the guards here just want to spar with us. And that is Cassius's fourteenth spar in a row."
"Fourteenth in a row??" I gasped. "He must be exhausted. Why haven't they let him rest?"
"We tried," Valerie spat. "But the Captain is not letting him out of the center of the ground."
"Who is this Captain? And where is he? I want to talk to him."
"Follow me."
Valerie guided me through the crowd. As I followed her, I glanced back and saw Lady Hillaria stepping into the ring, drawing a sword. It seemed she intended to spar with Cassius next. I suppressed a worry and kept moving.
Valerie stopped in front of two men standing with their arms crossed. One was Milo. The other was a burly man with a scar on his cheek.
"He is the Captain," Valerie pointed.
I walked up to him. He noticed my arrival and looked down at me dismissively.
"Why do you let my guard spar fourteen times in a row without any rest?" I demanded.
He turned his body fully toward me, sneering. "This is my training ground, girl. So everyone needs to obey my rules on this ground."
"YOU WANT TO KILL MY GUARD OR WHA–"
Suddenly, the crowd roared louder.
THUD.
I spun around. Cassius was on the ground. He was conscious, but he was covered in new bruises. Before the spar with Hillaria, he had been relatively unscathed.
Valerie rushed past me, diving into the ring to help him up. She supported his weight, half-carrying him out of the ring.
I ran to them. "Cassius! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he groaned.
"Let him rest first," Valerie ordered, sitting him down on a bench.
Lady Hillaria suddenly appeared beside me, sheathing her sword. She looked genuinely apologetic.
"My apologies, Lady Aurelia… I didn't realize he was so fatigued."
"I know, Lady Hillaria," I sighed. "I will not make this a grudge between us."
We tried to leave the training ground. Valerie helped Cassius walk, and Adel followed behind me.
"HALT!"
The Captain stepped in front of us, blocking our path.
"There is an order from the Queen," he announced, pointing a thick finger at Adel. "Your maid needs to spar with another guard."
I stepped forward, furious. "BUT SHE IS NOT MY GUARD! WHY DOES SHE NEED TO SPAR WITH YOUR GUARD?"
"I just follow orders, girl," he growled. "Now order your maid to the ground at once."
I looked at Adel. Her face was blank. I gave her a small nod.
Adel stepped into the ring.
I thought she would face another random guard, but the one who stepped forward was Milo.
The crowd murmured. Everyone thought Milo, a Lieutenant of the Blue Order, would crush a mere maid. But looking at the Captain's face, I saw a cruel anticipation.
The spar began.
Milo assumed a combat stance, sword ready. Adel just stood there, arms hanging loosely at her sides, holding a practice sword.
In a blur of motion, Milo dashed forward.
Zip.
It happened in a heartbeat.
Adel stepped inside his guard. Her sword tip was pressed lightly against Milo's throat.
Clatter.
Milo's sword lay on the ground, knocked from his hand.
The crowd went silent. No one had seen what happened. One second Milo was attacking, the next he was defeated.
I saw Lady Hillaria watching with wide eyes, a huge smile spreading across her face. I felt a sinking feeling—she was going to challenge Adel next.
I turned to the Captain and shouted.
"WITH THIS, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SETTLED! WE HAVE FULFILLED THE ORDER. WE WILL TAKE OUR LEAVE."
"Girl, surely everything has been settled," the Captain said, his voice rising to a boom. "BUT STILL, THIS IS MY TRAINING GROUND. SO, IF THERE IS SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO CHALLENGE HER..."
"I DO!"
"WHAT!!!"
Immediately, Lady Hillaria stepped into the ring, drawing her sword again.
Hillaria looked at Adel with shining eyes. "You are surely a strong maid. That answers the question in my head. Why did the Aurelius family let their precious daughter come here with just one maid? Why not bring their Order or the Golden Sword family? Now I know… their maid is like you."
Adel bowed slightly. "I am gladly thankful you have become an acquaintance of My Lady. I hope you will still be her acquaintance after this."
They started the sparring.
Like Milo, Hillaria kept her distance initially. Adel didn't move.
Hillaria dashed in, swinging hard.
Clang! Clang!
Adel parried effortlessly, deflecting the blows to the side. But Hillaria was skilled. When her sword passed Adel's right side, she spun her body, delivering a powerful backhand swing to Adel's left.
Adel blocked it solidly, forcing Hillaria back.
They exchanged more swings. Neither side was losing, but I could see Adel was on another level. Her footwork was minimal—she barely moved an inch—while Hillaria danced around her, unable to find an opening.
Suddenly, the Captain shouted.
"USE YOUR TRANSMUTATION, HILLARIA!"
At once, Hillaria's hand glowed Blue. But unlike Cassius, whose weapon remained normal, Hillaria's hand bore a Golden Rune at the center.
It was a sign of the highest tier of Blue Transmutation. Yet, it only transformed her hand, not her weapon.
Valerie leaned close to my ear, her voice trembling. "No matter what happens, don't let your maid show her Transmutation."
I turned to her, confused. "Why did you say that?"
Valerie whispered urgently. "The Palace wants to verify if she has the Black Transmutation. That is why the Queen sent her here. If she reveals it, she will be marked as a threat immediately."
I was shocked. If Valerie was right, this was a trap.
"Girl!!!" The Captain shouted at me. "Order your maid to use her Transmutation in this spar! To make it even!"
I looked at Adel. She stood calmly, waiting.
I walked to the edge of the ring. "Is it necessary for you to use Transmutation, Adel?"
Adel walked over to me. "If My Lady orders me to use it, I will use it. But if My Lady does not order me, I will not."
"But... I want to know, in your view... do you need it?"
Adel looked at Hillaria for a few seconds, assessing the glowing blue hand. She turned back to me.
"It is not necessary to use Transmutation, My Lady."
Relief washed over me.
But then I realized—the trap was still sprung. If Adel beat a High-Blue Transmutation user without using her own Transmutation, it would prove she was far stronger than Blue. By deduction, they would know she possessed a higher tier—Black.
Whether she used it or not, her strength would be revealed.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE??"
Suddenly, a familiar male voice cut through the tension.
The crowd parted. I saw clearly who it was.
It was the Crown Prince, with Lady Anna clinging to his arm.
He walked toward me, looking genuinely surprised. "Aurelia? I didn't know you were here. And who are they?"
He didn't know?
"As you can see, Your Royal Highness," I said quickly, seizing the opportunity. "They are my guards. One of them is in bad condition because of the Captain of this ground."
"What did he do?"
"He ordered my guard to spar for the fourteenth time in a row. And now he wants my maid to spar, even though she is not a guard."
"What!!! They can't do that."
The Prince raised his hand. "HALT THIS SPAR!!"
He marched toward the Captain.
While they argued, I felt a burning gaze on me. I looked over. It was Lady Anna. She was grinding her teeth, glaring not just at me, but with intense hatred at Cassius and Valerie.
A few minutes later, the Prince returned. He ordered Adel and Hillaria to step down.
Adel returned to my side. Hillaria went to Clara, looking disappointed the fight was over.
The Crown Prince walked toward me.
"I am so grateful for your help and your kindness in this matter, Your Royal Highness," I said, curtsying.
"It is nothing… Aurelia. Don't be stiff with me. You can call me by my name."
I blinked. He has changed.
"I can't do that for now," I said coolly. "We will excuse ourselves. My guard needs to be treated."
"Wait, Aurelia!!! There is something I need to say to you."
I stopped and turned back. "Yes?"
"There will be a party at the Palace in two weeks..."
The Party. The event from the book.
I saw Lady Anna beside him. She looked anxious, biting her nail, her eyes darting between us.
"Will you be my partner at that party?" he asked.
The training ground went silent. Everyone stared.
"I thought Your Royal Highness..." I glanced pointedly at Lady Anna, "...already had a partner for this party."
At once, he stepped forward and took both my hands in his.
"Do you decline my invitation, Aurelia? Or do you already have a partner?"
I looked around. Everyone seemed surprised. It was clear our betrothal was still somewhat secret, or at least the state of it was unknown to the public.
I gently pulled my hands away.
"I do not decline your invitation, nor do I have a partner," I said formally. "I gratefully accept your invitation, Your Royal Highness. Now, we will excuse ourselves."
I turned to leave.
"Wait, Aurelia!!" he called out. "How long will you be here??"
I paused but didn't look back.
"You can ask that of Her Majesty."
I walked out of the training grounds with my retinue. Valerie helped Cassius walk.
As we exited the Palace hall, Milo caught up to us. He informed me that his shift ended at dusk, so he would accompany me back to the townhouse.
"Do whatever you want," I told him.
At the front of the palace, my carriage was waiting.
I asked Cassius and Valerie to sit inside the carriage with me to rest. Adel took the reins at the front, and Milo rode his horse alongside us.
We left the palace under the afternoon sun.