When I looked up, I saw Felix’s sullen face. 

He approached as he pushed his sweaty hair back over his forehead.

“Felix, what are you doing here?” 

“Me? I’m practicing swordplay.” 

Oh, come to think of it, Felix’s hobby was sword practice. 

The Count of Christian was a knight. 

Influenced by him, Felix learned swords from an early age.  

Perhaps that’s why he had a strong body even though he’s a wizard. 

A Wizard’s hobby is swordsmanship. 

It was a little contradictory. 

Perhaps Felix still practiced swordplay. 

“I’m going to learn the sword, too.”

“You? Why all of a sudden?” 

“She is learning it for self-defense.” 

Cedric answered in my stead when he came.

“Here’s the water and the towel.” 

“Oh, thank you.” 

I opened the lid of the bottle and drank the water in a hurry. 

I felt like I came back alive. 

After emptying more than half a bottle of water, I was wiping my sweat with a towel, and Felix’s expression suddenly caught my eye. 

What made him so unhappy, he was staring at my hand without even thinking of wiping his sweat. 

“Are you thirsty?” 

I held out the unfinished bottle of water. 

Cedric spoke instead of Felix. 

“Do you know each other?”

“Oh? Yeah.” 

“Oh, you know because you’re in the same department.” 

“My childhood friend.”

Felix interjected. 

I opened my eyes wide. 

‘Did Felix just call me his childhood friend?’ 

We’ve known each other since kids, but Felix didn’t really show that he knew me while attending the academy.  

It’s also the first time he has used the word childhood friend. 

Cedric asked back in surprise. 

“Really?”

“Yes. We’ve known each other since childhood. we’re close friends.” 

“Did you think I was lying?”  

Felix murmured quietly. 

I ignored him and asked Cedric.  

“But do you know each other? How?.” 

Cedric replied again this time.  

“We’ve taken a sword class together. Since then, we’ve often fought with each other.” 

He glanced at Felix and reached out to me.  

“Now you’ve picked up your breath, haven’t you? Shall we continue?” 

“Yes, yes.” 

I stood up holding Cedric’s hand. 

Cedric then taught me how to hold a sword and swing it from top to bottom. 

When Cedric drew the sword ten times from top to bottom, Felix approached. 

“Come with me for a second.” 

Felix left the training room without listening to my answer. 

It was ridiculous, but I followed him. 

It was not until we reached the back of the quiet building where there were no students, Felix turned around and asked. 

“Why swordplay all of a sudden?” 

“I told you. Just self-defense…” 

“So what brings you here to learn self-defense? Angus, is it because of him?” 

“Yeah.” 

“You don’t have to worry about that. You’ll be fine at the academy.” 

“That’s true, but I need the strength to protect me.” 

Felix didn’t seem to understand me. 

I added a little more explanation as I watched him raise one eyebrow in silence. 

“Like you said, I didn’t know how to do anything. If I’m in that situation again.  I’ll have to wait helplessly for help. I don’t like it.” 

Felix said nothing. After a long silence, he finally answered. 

“…yes, if you say so. Try hard.” 

At first, I thought it was sarcastic, but it wasn’t. 

He murmured something as he moved away. 

‘What is it? It’s bothering me.’ 

After meeting Elena, Felix continued to practice with his sword. 

Even though his concentration was on his sword, his eyes kept turning to Elena.  

To be exact, Elena, who is with Cedric,  

‘Why are you suddenly learning swordplay?’ 

‘Elly seems to have no idea how difficult swordplay is.’ 

‘Elly has been weak since she was young.’ 

‘In winter, she was so weak that she often caught cold.’ 

‘How can a kid like that learn how to do swordplay.?’ 

If you are worried about Anguis, all you have to do is just stay next to me.’ 

But Felix couldn’t say it. 

This is because his words can be misunderstood as words that ignore Elena’s efforts. 

The day Elena and the kid were taken hostage by the Angus man. 

Felix still regretted what he had said casually to her. 

He never thought what he said out of concern would be a disparaging remark to Elena. 

Elena was soft-tempered and weak, but she didn’t cry much. 

That Elena cried at his words. 

The moment Felix saw the tears dripping on Elena’s cheek, he felt like the world was turning upside down.  

Since then, he has tried to be as careful with what he says. 

So this time, he thought, ‘It won’t be of any use to learn swordplay as a self-defense.’ but he managed to hold back what he wanted to say. 

Of course, the meaning of that was, ‘It would be better to practice magic more which is not physically demanding compared to swordplay.’ 

As Felix was thinking, Cedric held Elena’s hand, saying he would fix her posture. 

It was uncomfortable for Felix to see Cedric closely behind Elena. 

Elena also felt uncomfortable, so she was very tense. 

‘Do you have to teach like that?’ 

Felix had never learned that way from his father, who was his teacher since childhood. 

“Ha.” 

Felix swung the wooden sword harder. 

He didn’t like it at all. 

I was taking a break from practicing. 

‘I’m going to be in trouble if the nanny sees this.’ 

I thought while looking at the calluses in my hand. 

It’s already been a month since I started learning swordplay from Cedric.  

To be honest, there were no tangible results. 

‘It’s a pity.’

Cedric told me of course, disappointed. 

Still, he praised me for improving my basic physical strength while practicing for a month.  

‘But how long will it take for me to be able to build enough skills to protect my body?’ 

I thought it would be too much to build such skills. 

Rather, it would have been better to practice defensive or offensive magic. 

As a result of hard practice, my hands, which were shiny like any noble girl, were now quite rough.  

It was a scene that would surprise the nanny who took care of my hands by applying oil herself every night.  

‘Spring vacation is just around the corner.’ 

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” 

Cedric, who was organizing the wooden sword, asked while I was imagining the nanny’s expression.  

I hid my hands behind my back in surprise. 

In fact, there was no need, but it was because I was embarrassed to show my rough hands. 

“No, nothing.”  

“Nothing. Show me your hand.”

“No, I’m fine… …Cedric, wait!”  

Stretching his long hands, Cedric snatched my hand regardless of my will. 

His eyes earnestly examined my hand.  

My hands were full of calluses, no particular wounds. 

Cedric, who confirmed it, smiled reassuringly. 

“It’s really nice.” 

I thought it was a little awkward. 

I jokingly reached out my other hand to ease my embarrassment. 

“Actually, I think I hurt my other hand a little.” 

“What? Let me see.”

“Just kidding.” 

Cedric looked at me playfully as I laughed. 

Soon, he too burst into laughter.  

At first, it was awkward to be alone with Cedric, but now being with Cedric was as comfortable as with Alice.  

Maybe it’s because of the calm atmosphere Cedric gives. 

Cedric, who said he had two younger siblings, was friendly and took good care of his friends. 

‘Unlike someone I knew.’ 

I thought of Felix, who had two younger siblings, and my lips twitched for a moment. 

“By the way, Elena. What are you going to do during spring vacation? Is there anything special?” 

“Well, maybe I’ll go home, and then I’ll go to Felix’s home.”

“Felix?” 

Cedric asked back in a surprised voice. 

Oh, it might sound weird if someone who doesn’t know about us listens.  

To clear up the misunderstanding that might be going on in Cedric’s head, I hurriedly explained, 

“To be exact, I’m going to the Count of Christian. Aunt Jane, Countess Christian is my mother’s best friend. she treats me as her own daughter, so I go to see the countess every vacation.” 

“Oh, I see.” 

Cedric smiled brightly. 

The misunderstanding seems to have been cleared up.  

“In addition, I miss Felix’s siblings, Lindsey and Tony, five-year-old twins, and they sent me a card not long ago saying they wanted to see me.” 

I smirked at the thought of the cards that the two twins wrote down.  

The card with “Sister, I want to see you” and “Me too” written crookedly was very cute.  

How can I not go see these kids? 

“Then you’ll be staying with Felix, right?”