Sharing my secret with Lady Octavi made my shoulders feel lighter than before. Her understanding and support lifted a weight I hadn't realized I was carrying. I knew that with her by my side, I could get sound advice.
The day passed, and for the first time in a long while, I felt that I wasn't alone anymore.
On the new day, I woke up as usual with Adel's help.
As she assisted with my morning routine, brushing my hair with rhythmic strokes, I looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Do I need to tell her about my secret too? I wondered.
However, I felt that surely Adel would know. When I told Lady Octavi, she might have overheard it because she was likely stationed just outside the living room. Knowing Adel, she would only say something if I asked her directly.
I decided to keep it to myself for now and see how things unfolded in the future.
After Adel finished my morning routine, we went to the dining room for breakfast.
As usual, everyone had arrived before me.
At the table, Cassius informed me that sword practice would begin after breakfast. Lady Octavi mentioned the arrival of Sofia; she would likely arrive around evening.
Everyone seemed normal. We ate our breakfast as usual, the tension of the previous days slightly eased.
Once breakfast was over, everyone excused themselves from the table.
I went to my room to change my dress because it was my first time practicing with a sword. Adel helped me change into attire that was easy to move in—a simple white tunic and trousers, similar to what Valerie usually wore.
After changing, I made my way to the courtyard.
Cassius was waiting for me. He stood at the center of the courtyard, checking a wooden sword. Valerie was sitting on a bench nearby, watching intently with a smirk on her face.
Their eyes immediately went to me. I could see their faces register surprise.
"Wow!" Valerie shouted from the bench. "You look ready for battle with that attire! Better than your usual dress."
Hearing that, I didn't know if she meant it as a compliment or just mockery. I shifted my gaze to Cassius.
He seemed stunned. He stared at me, blinking.
I slowly walked toward him to the center of the courtyard, while Adel took a seat on the bench beside Valerie.
As I stood in front of him, I could see his face was flushed.
"Cassius?" I said softly.
He immediately shook his head, snapping back to reality. His eyes widened in embarrassment.
"You look amazing," he stammered. "My apologies, I felt like I lost direction after seeing My Lady in that attire…"
"Really?" I looked down at my clothes. "Thank you," I replied with a smile, feeling a rush of warmth at his compliment.
My words seemed to take him aback even more. He blushed slightly and looked away, scratching his cheek.
"HEY! Stop your flirting!" Valerie shouted from the distance.
Cassius quickly composed himself. He turned toward Valerie with a serious expression and yelled back, "Just shut up!"
Oh, I thought. It was a flirting attempt. I never thought Cassius would try to do that to me.
"So?" I asked, suppressing a giggle. "Are we going to start the sword practice?"
Cassius chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head again. "Yeah, let's get started," he replied, his cheeks still slightly flushed.
I couldn't help but smile at his reaction. I was eager to begin.
He handed me a wooden sword.
We began the session. For this first lesson, Cassius focused on stance and footwork.
As I tried to grip my sword, Cassius immediately corrected me. He stepped close, his face inches from mine.
"Your grip should be firm yet relaxed," he whispered, his warm breath tickling my cheek.
He moved his hand over mine, adjusting my fingers on the hilt. His other hand guided my stance, pressing gently on my shoulder.
"Keep the hilt close to your body," he instructed. "It protects the hands and allows for better control and leverage when making strikes or blocks."
Once my grip was correct, I thought I would learn how to attack. But that wasn't the case. Now, the focus shifted to my feet.
"My Lady," Cassius asked, "which one is your lead foot?"
My lead foot? I didn't know about that.
"I don't know…"
"Well, My Lady, can you hand the sword to me? We will start with an easy test."
I handed the sword to him. He told me to stand straight and lean toward him until I started to fall.
As I leaned forward, my right foot naturally shot out to catch me.
"That," Cassius explained, pointing to my foot, "is the foot you naturally step forward with when initiating an attack or defense. That is your lead foot. It is important to understand this to maintain balance."
He handed the sword back to me.
Then, he started to teach me footwork. The lead foot pointed toward the opponent, and the rear foot angled outwards. Feet shoulder-width apart.
He demonstrated the correct position first. I tried to mimic him.
"Excuse me, My Lady," he murmured.
He knelt down and moved my foot with his hands to the correct angle.
"HEY CASSIUS! Be careful where you touch!"
Valerie's loud voice cut through the air. I felt she was trying to tease him. Cassius stiffened but didn't respond.
Once my footwork was correct, he moved on to the knees.
"Your knees should be slightly bent," he said, standing up. "Relaxed, but ready."
I bent my knees slightly. Somehow, Cassius didn't correct me this time with his hands. Perhaps Valerie's words had made him back off. I felt a mix of accomplishment and disappointment.
Next, he focused on my upper body.
"Torso slightly inclined forward, but shoulders relaxed," he instructed, demonstrating the posture.
I adjusted my body to match his. Cassius nodded in approval.
Finally, Cassius moved closer to check my arms.
"Position them like this," he said softly.
He reached out and gently adjusted my elbows. His touch sent a strange tingling sensation through me. It was mesmerizing. I found myself losing focus on his words, distracted by his presence.
"Are you following me, My Lady?" Cassius asked, noticing my vacant stare.
I quickly snapped out of my daze. "Yes, I am following you now."
"It seems you aren't following me."
Slowly, he reached out and gently adjusted my hands again, his fingers brushing against my skin. His touch sent a shiver down my spine.
Next, he taught me basic steps. Advance and retreat.
"To advance, move the lead foot first, followed by the rear foot," he explained. "To retreat, it is the opposite. Rear foot first, then the lead foot."
I tried to mimic him.
"Again. Ten times," he ordered gently.
Without habit, I sometimes advanced with my rear foot or retreated with my lead foot. I stumbled a few times. But after a few tries, I finally got the rhythm. I was able to smoothly advance and retreat.
After basic steps, he introduced lateral movement—side steps.
"Same principle. Lead foot first."
He demonstrated moving to the right and left.
Side-stepping to the right was easy since my lead foot was my right foot. However, stepping to the left was awkward. I struggled, tangling my feet.
I stumbled, losing my balance.
"My Lady!"
Cassius was there instantly. He caught my hand before I fell to the ground. His face ended up inches from mine.
I stared at him, mesmerized by his intense gaze and kind smile.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly. "It takes time to get the habit. Take your time, My Lady…"
I regained my footing. "I am okay…"
Slowly, he released my hand.
I continued practicing. Cassius told me to do a repetition drill—mixing basic steps and lateral movements in a random sequence.
"Forward. Back. Right. Left. Forward."
I stumbled a few times, but with each repetition, I became more confident. At first, my body felt confused, unsure which foot to move. But as time passed, I finally understood. Cassius's commands became faster, and I found myself keeping up with the rhythm. My muscle memory kicked in.
I was doing it.
Suddenly, out of the blue, Cassius spoke.
"My Lady, you are different…"
I was taken aback by his words. Distracted, I missed a step and stumbled again.
Immediately, Cassius caught me. One hand supported my back, the other held my hand. He looked at me with a gaze I couldn't explain—deep, captivated.
"Different?" I breathed, my face close to his. "You mean, I learn quickly?"
"No, My Lady," Cassius replied softly, shaking his head. "Your eyes are different…"
"My eyes?"
"Yes… Somehow, your eyes tell the truth about yourself—innocent and kind. I can see it."
He continued, his voice low and intimate. "It is different than other nobles' eyes. When we were at the Palace, all those nobles… their eyes were somehow lying, looking everywhere but at you. Even your acquaintances. Yet your eyes are genuine and sincere. Always looking at the person you are talking to. It is different. And captivating."
"You have a pure heart, My Lady," he added, his voice full of admiration.
I blushed furiously, feeling warmth spread through my chest.
Somehow, I felt his face slowly coming closer to mine. His eyes were locked on my lips.
Clap!
A sharp clap echoed beside us.
We jumped apart.
It was Adel. Valerie stood behind her, grinning.
"I think the flirting is out of line," Adel said with a polite but firm smile. She pointed at the sky. "And look at the sun. I think the practice is over. Now, My Lady needs to clean herself."
I could see Valerie's expression behind Adel—she looked thoroughly amused.
With that, my first practice ended.
Adel walked me out of the courtyard. I glanced back and saw Valerie teasing Cassius relentlessly.
Once we were inside the house, Adel turned to me.
"My Lady," she said as we walked down the hallway. "Are you really letting Cassius do all of that?"
"Do what?" I asked innocently.
"All that flirting toward you? Remember, you are betrothed to the Crown Prince!"
"Of course, I know. However… somehow it is a different feeling."
"MY LADY!!!"
"Hear me first!" I interrupted. "My feelings toward the Crown Prince are like a force of nature. How do I describe it? I feel like I don't want to lose him to someone, no matter what happens to that person."
I recalled the memory. "Like seven years ago, when he came to my house with Lady Anna. At that time, I felt I didn't want that lady to take him. Seeing them wear the same attire with the same color… somehow—"
"Jealousy?" Adel suggested.
"No, I am not really that jealous. I don't have any memories with the Crown Prince, so the feeling shouldn't be that deep. It is more like a protective instinct, or a sense of possession over him…"
"Well, how about Cassius?"
I paused, thinking about his warm hand on my back.
"Cassius seems… Warm. I don't really care if someone takes him, yet somehow I really want that warm feeling around me. I think it is more about feeling comforted than possession."
"Interesting," Adel mused. "So it seems like your feelings toward the Crown Prince and Cassius are quite different. However, My Lady needs to understand that you are betrothed to the Crown Prince. So you need to make some space."
"I know. I will keep that in mind."
We went into the bathroom, and Adel helped me bathe.
As soon as I finished, she helped me dress in a simple, comfortable gown. I went to the living room to relax.