"Your brands... " Mael shouted while being between Ramia and me.

I clenched my sword with all my might, while Ramia did the same on the other side.

"Ready..."

I immediately started enhancing myself with aina.

"Fight!!" He yelled as he sped away from us at a bewildering speed.

And he was correct, because Ramia and I charged towards each other as soon as he finished saying, "Fight".

The smooth texture of the snow piling beneath my enhanced pounding feet was palpable. It took less than a breath for us to get to a distance of about two meters between us, and as soon as we did, she unleashed three blows full of something I would definitely describe as killing intent.

I naturally blocked each of her three attacks, which was most likely calculated by her because the moment I did, she followed it with an expected thrust.

With Cassandra, I slightly deviated her sword from me and slid past her sword blade with the intent of landing an elbow blow on her face like I did the first time we fought here for the first time.

She appeared to have learned her lesson because when I was about to smack my elbow into her face, she bowed her head just enough to avoid the attack.

She kicked onto my feet with a quick spin on herself, slightly breaking my posture, and wanting to take full advantage of the opportunity, she immediately sent another barrage of attacks.

I only managed to avoid them by a hair's breadth, so I retreated to a distance of around four meters away from her and prepared her for her soon-to-arrive charge.

She rushed at me like an enraged dog, and I got Cassandra ready to receive her blows, but what flew onto me was a great deluge of snow, instead of her sword.

Midway through her charge, she kicked the snowy ground with her fully enhanced on aina foot, causing the snow to rain directly on me.

I knew the snow was just a diversion. Her true attack would come-

Now!

A red sword flew straight down onto me from beyond the still flailing snow.

I deflected her surprise attack, but things went a little differently than I expected. After sparring with Ramia on numerous occasions, I became fairly accustomed to her weak and repetitive blows, to the point where parrying weak but repetitive attacks became a habit for me as well.

If I had to compare Ramia to a dog, she would be the type that bites at various parts of your body rather than ripping a precise and large chunk of your body.

But this time she went for the big chunk, which is unusual for her.

I got the impression she was putting everything she had into this one blow, which caught me off guard since I was expecting something weak.

My body was immediately flung into a backyard corner. But still, I maneuvered and repositioned myself in midair to land on my two feet.

She didn't give me a chance to catch my breath before charging at me for the third time.

I took a quick look around me and devised a strategy.

I threw my sword at her and flashed the most cunning smile I could muster.

She didn't parry the throw because she didn't have to, for the sword wasn't even aimed at her.

Not on her, but somewhere else, it simply flew past.

She averted her gaze from me, curious as to what I was trying to accomplish, which she realized made no sense, but it was exactly that which I was expecting, not from my sword throw but rather from her.

From the little window her split second of inattention, inadvertence, and confusion provided me, I dashed onto her.

She took notice right away and waved her sword at me, but it was too late for her; I had already gotten close enough to hear her saccaded breaths.

I grabbed her sword-wielding hand by the wrist and used my other hand to lift her by the thigh. I lifted her with a swift motion and bludgeoned her body against the snowy ground.

It was so flawlessly executed that it would make any martial artist of a certain sport involving half-naked men hugging each other jealous.

The ground was snowy, so it must have cushioned the blow, yet I could tell that the tackling blow must have been at least slightly unpleasant with how gritting her teeth and tightly closing her eyes were.

She slowly opened her eyes after a brief moment; the scene reminded me of a well-known Solomon’s story about a princess who awoke from a long coma caused by the fact that she had eaten a poisonous frog.

Being the gentleman that I am, I welcomed her like one:

"It is my win. What are Mael and I? " I said while pointing to her throat with the tip of the sword I had taken from her earlier.

"Forgiven," she sighed.

"Perfect!" I said as I lowered my blade and held my hand out to her, which she accepted.

When she stood up, I returned her sword and proceeded to take a seat next to Mael, who was sitting at his regular table under an umbrella.

"Well done," Mael congratulated, as he slowly raised a cup of tea? coffee? I'm not sure; all I knew was that it was something warm.

"Yes, thanks. That was a close call. She has really gotten good at this. "

I took a woolen cap that was under the nearby table and put it on.

Ramia approached us slowly.

"What's the deal with the things on your head?" Ramia asked us a question while pointing to the woolen cap that both Mael and I were wearing.

"What is it,...ah, that? Maa weaved it, and it's quite comfortable and cozy now that the weather has turned cold. " Mael said, while slowly caressing the woolen cap on his head.

Mael was right about the weather; we've reached the beginning of the coldest part of the winter, not the end.

It's been three months since I first arrived at the Edouards' Castle, one of the quickest three months of my short lifetime. And now that three months have passed, my great-grandfather's arrival will soon be upon us.

There were only two days until the fateful day.

"I can have Maa weave one for you if you need one. It's actually quite sad to see that you're the only one who doesn't have one. " I proposed while showing off mine.

"Nah,... I’m fine."

I'd only known Ramia for three months, but I'd honed my ability to tell whether she was genuinely interested in something or not. There are times when she is boldly honest, and other times when she will not say what she wants to say unless forced to.

The situation we're in now clearly belongs to the latter.

I guess I'll ask Maa to make one for her; I'm sure she'll like it if she sees it after it's been completely woven.

"Now that I think about it, won't your mother be angry at you for being here? I heard from Grandpa that you were no longer permitted to visit the castle until you learned to dance. " Mael remarked.

"Guh…"

The Ducal Castle, as well as the entire city, has been agitated by the arrival of my great-grandfather in two days. And this little lady over there, being a ducal palace denizen, isn't supposed to be here.

Ramia just arrived at the castle this morning, and in fact, we haven't seen her in a week.

Though the word "arrived" isn't quite right to describe what happened.

Mademoiselle was detained in their castle for an entire week in order to learn how to dance.

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, you did not hear incorrectly; Ramia has been attending dance lessons for the past week, which was something she was, in fact, supposed to have attended so much earlier, but she was always flying here whenever the subject of dancing was brought up.

Mael once suggested that we pay her a visit to their castle, but given the very complicated situation I was in, that would be a very bad idea, and I didn't want to interfere with her dance lesson.

I suggested to Mael that he go alone, but he refused, so none of us have seen her in a week.

As a result, she paid us an unexpected visit this morning. She didn't seem to appreciate the fact that we didn't pay her a single visit.

One could argue that her rage was justified in some ways.

Like the first time I met her—no, she was even angrier then—from the way she was this morning, I could tell she was ready to kill someone if she wasn't stopped.

So, in order to appease her wrath and save the life of the person who had the misfortune of irritating her even slightly, I took it upon myself and offered myself as a sacrifice.

That was the source of our earlier squabble.

We agreed that I would fight her to the best of my ability, just like we did the first time we fought, but this time with our sword, without holding back or anything, and that if I won, she would forgive us for what we did, and if I lost, Mael and I would work as her attendants for one week.

Given that I felt genuine killing intent in some of her blows, it appears she was very pleased with the content of our agreement and was clearly resolute in winning it.

So, in order to save Mael from the terrible fate that awaited him, I had no choice but to win, which I did.

Her mother is forcing her to learn to dance because a banquet will be held in the ducal in two days in her great-grandfather's honor. That banquet will include a dance party. And, with Ramia as the eldest daughter of the ducal family and the family hosting the banquet, it was obvious that she would be forced, or at the very least expected, to exhibit some of the elegance that a noble her age should possess.

Needless to say, these were beyond the capabilities of a lawless tomboy like Ramia.

I am even currently resisting the urge to congratulate her for having completed one week of dance lessons.

"You know, if you don’t want to be the laughingstock of the party, you should go back to your castle and take your lessons seriously."

"I don’t care… and it’s too late for that anyway."

"Is it really that bad? I asked.

"I...Huh...." She mumbled before finally deciding to show us the thing directly instead of conveying it by words.

She began to strike a peculiar position with one hand still clutching her sheathed blade before slightly raising her right hand, as if a gentleman had asked for it, and saying in a very gentle and un-Ramia-like voice, "Thank you, Sir."

There was a short moment of silence in the backyard before a "pfft" came out of my mouth, immediately followed by another "pfft" coming, this time not from me but from Mael.

"What?!"

We both burst out laughing at the same time, and I was laughing so hard that I ended up on my knees on the chilly ground.

"YOU TWO!!! I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE SHOWED IT-" She said before instantly and magically unsheathing her red sword from her scabbard before pointing it at my throat.

As I moved the tip of her sword away from my throat, I said. "Hey, don't get us wrong, it was a pretty good performance, but..."

"To be honest, it looks strange on you, Ramia," admitted Mael.

She glared at Mael for a moment after hearing what he had to say before returning her gaze to me.

With a firm nod, I confirmed Mael's statement.

"Humph, I told Mama about it as well, but she didn't listen to me at all." She described it as "very elegant and lovely."

Dear Stepmother, don't avert your gaze from reality.

"I mean, yes, it was very elegant, but I think without that red sword of yours in hand, it would’ve definitely looked lovely. Right, Mael? ?"

"Huh, yeah, Ronandt is right."

"Humph. Whatever! Now that I think of it, why didn’t you two visit me this past entire week? It’s always me who comes, but never you two. "

"Sorry, we were a little bit busy over here."

"Busy to do what?"

"It's pointless to worry about it now; wasn't that part of our earlier agreement? After all, we'll be there tomorrow." I said, trying to avoid the subject.

That was right, tomorrow will finally be the day when I go to the Ducal Castle.

Beginning tomorrow, the Ducal castle will begin to receive guests for the banquet, particularly those who traveled long distances just to witness my great-grandfather's arrival.

And with my cover as a tourist, I was, at least, obligated to appear tomorrow if I didn't want to appear impolite. Of course, I won't introduce myself as "Ronandt, born of a commoner and a noble," but rather as "Ronandt, a young noble who traveled a long distance to meet Beaumont's pride."

According to Lord Emilien, as long as I introduce myself in this manner, no one will dare ask who my parents are, except perhaps the Duke himself.

When I inquired about my appearance, they assured me that I would be fine as is. My crimson eyes do somewhat betray me, but aside from that, no one could tell that I was the illegitimate son of Luke, much less the son of a commoner, and it's not like I could go masked to a party like that, and with Ramia and Mael knowing what I look like, that would make even less sense.

"Why must it be that annoying?" She grumbled, stomping the ground and sending a snowdrift into the air.

Despite her lack of interest in the banquet's dance party, I knew she was looking forward to it as well.

Mael told me that she was a huge fan of her own great-grandfather.

"Just do your best." I cheered.

"Yeah, yeah," she sighed.

***

Later in the Evening

Syrius, Maa, and I were in my room at the time.

"The big day has finally arrived for my young Lord to return to the place you truly belong," Maa said as she gently combed my hair. "I'll return to the Ducal castle to ensure that everything is in order for your arrival."

They both accompanied me to my room after dinner, as if they had something to say to me, but all that happened when we arrived was that Syrius went silent in a corner of the room, while Maa offered to comb my hair in front of the dressing table.

Though it was unexpected, I simply accepted it.

Luke had arrived earlier in the evening to take Ramia back to the castle, but he jumped at the opportunity to join us for dinner. There he made it clear as to how things would unfold tomorrow. Mael and I will be arriving at the ducal castle as guests for the banquet tomorrow evening, while Maa will return to Luke and Ramia's castle ahead of time to prepare everything for us.

"I'll leave it to you then."

To be honest, I still have a lot of questions about how everything will go, but I think it's better to let them handle it instead of bothering them with my pointless questions.

"Please, do."

She just stood there for a while, contemplating our reflection in the mirror on the dressing table.

"Before I go, there's something I'd like to give my Young Lord," she said, pulling something from the pouches in her long dress.

She showed me a pendant with a blue stone set in it. Within the said jewel, I noticed a small yellow light bouncing around.

"This is?"

"It's a lucky charm I got from my family. I want the young Lord to wear it, at least, until your coronation, at the very least."

"Why?"

"It will keep you safe. So, can you promise me you'll never take it off?" She said, more serious than ever.

"Yes."

She immediately put the pendant on me. With the library key I was always wearing, the pendant she gave me was now the second one I wore.

" I know this is all very stressful, but once everything settles, there will be no reason for you to hide as you have for the past nine years."

I didn't say anything, but simply nodded.

"From now on, all I can do is wish you luck." She stated as she softly ruffled my hair with a pat, undoing all of the care she'd priorly given to them.

"Thanks, Maa."

She stepped away and approached Syrius, giving him a yellow pendant similar to the one she had given me earlier, which Syrius simply accepted.

There were no words exchanged between them, just two silent nods.