Her sky-blue hair, which usually fell smoothly along her back, was tied tightly today, secured with a ribbon that gave her an unexpectedly sharp, disciplined look.
"Meilyn?" Claudia called, blinking in mild surprise.
"Ooh, Meilyn. Do you need something?" Cindy added, pushing herself up from the grass.
Meilyn responded with her trademark huff, chin lifting slightly.
"Hmph. Nothing's wrong."
She jerked her chin toward the far side of the clearing.
"It's just that commoner, Rick. He's being unbearably noisy over there."
Her irritation was unmistakable.
Knox followed her gaze lazily.
From this distance, Rick could indeed be seen animatedly talking within Group Seven, gesturing far more than necessary.
Meilyn clicked her tongue. "He keeps saying the professors are clearly putting more effort into Knox and Simon."
Her eyes narrowed. "He's just jealous."
Knox hummed thoughtfully. "Hm… Meilyn."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Rather than worrying about Rick…"
A faint smirk formed.
"…wouldn't it be wiser to spend that energy training?"
Meilyn blinked. "…What?"
Knox's smile widened, unmistakably teasing.
"Especially for someone who once undid a curse mid-run and sprinted halfway up a hill during Magical Combat class…"
He paused for dramatic effect. "…isn't that right, Meilyn?"
Her face exploded into color. "A-Ah!"
She nearly choked.
"Could you PLEASE stop bringing that up already?!"
Knox looked delighted. "Not a chance~"
He waved dismissively.
"I plan to simmer that story slowly until it matures into bone broth."
A quiet chuckle escaped him. "And besides…"
His eyes gleamed mischievously.
"I'm fairly certain Professor Hong Feng has already 'marked' you."
He leaned slightly closer.
"For better… or worse."
Meilyn's entire posture stiffened. "A-Ahhh, stop it!"
Her voice cracked.
"Don't say anything else!"
She raised one foot threateningly.
Claudia and Cindy immediately reacted.
"RUN—!"
Both girls burst into laughter, rolling away through the grass to escape the incoming retaliation.
Meilyn froze mid-kick.
"…Seriously…"
A deep sigh left her lips.
Then, abruptly, she turned back toward Knox.
"Hey, Knox."
Knox glanced at her. "What?"
"Teach me."
Knox's expression shifted instantly into one of mild disbelief.
"…Excuse me?"
Meilyn, clearly fighting off lingering embarrassment, cleared her throat.
"You're good at Magical Combat."
Her gaze flickered away for half a second.
"Since Professor Hong Feng isn't here right now… I thought you could at least check my form."
Knox blinked.
Ah.
So that was what she meant.
Yet even as he processed her request, a thought surfaced in the back of his mind.
…Hm?
This feels off.
Wasn't Meilyn supposed to ask Simon for this in the original flow of events?
Knox studied her quietly.
When he didn't respond immediately, Meilyn hurriedly added—
"Y-You know I have to fight a Cyclops during the performance evaluation, right?!"
Her words tumbled out in a rush.
"If you help me, I'll move better, and honestly…"
She grimaced. "I'm terrible at martial techniques."
Knox chuckled softly. "You didn't have to explain that much."
He rose to his feet. "I'll help. Don't worry."
Relief flashed across Meilyn's face, though she quickly masked it.
Knox stepped forward and stopped directly in front of her.
"Get into position."
Knox's voice carried a gentle authority, his expression calm yet unmistakably serious.
Meilyn hesitated.
For a brief second, she simply stood there, fingers twitching slightly at her side before she cleared her throat.
"…Thanks," she murmured so quietly that the words barely existed.
Then, with visible reluctance, she assumed a kicking stance.
Knox crouched down in front of her, eyes scanning her posture with clinical precision.
From head to toe.
A beat passed.
"…This is a mess."
"I-I know that!"
Meilyn's shrill protest shattered the air almost instantly.
Knox raised a finger.
"First issue — you're far too stiff. Your posture is practically screaming lack of confidence."
His gaze lingered on her rigid shoulders.
"You look like a statue trying to learn martial arts."
A teasing glint flickered in his eyes.
"I'd recommend starting with something mild. Perhaps a light sport? Stretching? Basic mobility exercises? Yoga for nobles, maybe~"
Meilyn's eyebrow twitched. "I'm not that hopeless!"
Knox chuckled softly.
"Relax a little, Meilyn. Try the stance again — naturally this time. Let your body settle instead of forcing it."
She inhaled. Then adjusted.
The tension in her shoulders eased slightly, stiffness melting just enough to resemble something closer to an actual combat stance.
Knox nodded. "Better."
He gestured downward.
"Shift your left foot a little further back. Lightly clench your fists and bring them forward."
A pause.
"…No, wait. Meilyn."
He tilted his head. "That's your right foot."
Meilyn froze.
"Your left foot is the opposite of your dominant eating hand."
"I-I know, you idiot!"
Her face flushed instantly.
"I just got confused because I'm nervous!"
Despite the protest, she hurriedly corrected her footing.
Knox's smile twitched.
"Gather Darkness at your waist and hold it there. Yes… like that."
His tone sharpened slightly.
"Now press into the ball of your foot and spin."
"Like this?" Meilyn asked.
She rotated. Wildly.
Like a spinning toy about to topple.
"No, no, no," Knox said quickly, reaching out as if ready to stop a disaster. "You're not meant to spin like a top."
He tapped his own waist.
"Use the strength here. Twist. The motion originates from your core."
His gaze lowered toward her leg.
"When you rotate, the Darkness should flow into the back of your thigh."
"…Here?" Meilyn asked, touching her leg.
Knox shook his head. "A bit higher."
"Here?"
"Too high."
"…Here?"
"That's your knee."
Meilyn's eye twitched violently.
Each correction only deepened the crimson spreading across her face.
Meanwhile—
Knox's grin was steadily widening.
There was something unmistakably mischievous about it.
As though he were patiently waiting for something inevitable.
Finally—
Meilyn snapped.
"Ugh, seriously!"
Her voice burst out in frustration.
"It's not like I'm bare-legged — I'm wearing gym clothes!"
She thrust a finger at her thigh.
"Just touch it!"
Silence.
A dreadful, absolute silence.
Then—
"Touch it—touch it—touch it—"
Meilyn's words echoed across the hillside like a cursed incantation.
Ears perked up everywhere.
Knox—
Lost it.
He burst into uncontrollable laughter, shoulders shaking violently.
Inside his mind, fireworks practically exploded.
Yes. This is it!
In the original story, she was supposed to say that to Simon…
His grin became positively wicked.
But fate, it seems, has delivered the pie directly into my hands.
And it would be rude not to enjoy it, wouldn't it?~
AHA: Approved!
Whispers immediately ignited among the more romance-obsessed girls.
Claudia, who had overheard the exchange, froze mid-movement, one hand flying to cover her mouth. Her cheeks flushed red, though the look in her eyes was… complicated.
Somewhere between shock—
—and a faint, dangerous glimmer.
Cindy's reaction was far less restrained.
Her eyes widened to their absolute limits as she pointed dramatically at Meilyn.
"You— you— you—!"
The words refused to form properly, leaving her sounding like a malfunctioning puppet.
Merida, who had been half-asleep only moments ago, slowly lifted her head.
Her gaze settled on Meilyn.
Unreadable.
Strangely intense for someone who looked seconds away from another nap.
Blushing furiously, Meilyn flailed her arms.
"N-No! That's not what I meant!"
She pointed wildly at Knox.
"I meant fix my form — my form!"
But by then—
It no longer mattered.
As laughter and whispers spread like wildfire, Meilyn could only stand there, dazed, watching the rumors multiply before her very eyes.