63. Studying and Romance at Once (2)

“Relax your body. I’m right behind you.”

The solid chest supporting her back from behind urged her to relax her body.

“Anette, look. Where is my energy right now?”

The energy that started at her fingertips was traveling up her wrist, penetrating her blood vessels.

There was a tingling sensation beneath her skin.

Darius’s energy was completely supporting her.

“Don’t close your eyes. Look at me and concentrate.”

Each time Darius’s mana penetrated her blood vessels, her breath caught, but she couldn’t deny that this method was effective. She could immediately understand how the path of mana rises in a person’s body.

Among the muscles constituting her body and the intertwined blood vessels, the vessels occupied by Darius’s mana made their presence strongly known.

With each movement of Darius’s mana, she felt she would know how to guide her spirit power next time.

“Once you understand it, it becomes easier next time.”

He smiled. She was panting as she accepted his mana.

“You said spirit power and a swordsman’s aura aren’t that different, but it doesn’t seem that way.”

“I suppose not. Well then, now let’s draw out your energy.”

“That’s something I couldn’t do all day despite trying.”

“It’s okay because I’m here. It’ll be different from before.”

He buried his face in her shoulder, soothing her hesitation. His mana grew stronger as if encouraging her. She took deep breaths as the mana intensified.

“You know which path the energy moves through in your body now. Make your energy flow through that path.”

Why does he talk so subtly? He could speak louder and I’d still hear him. There’s no need to whisper next to my ear for just the two of us to have a conversation.

“Don’t be afraid. You have power. Just believe in yourself as I believe in you.”

How gracious.

“Just think of your energy flowing along with my power.”

Erasing all the images of wind she had been hearing about.

Letting go of her obsession with nature.

Surrendering to the gentle voice in her ear and the peaceful reassurance it provided.

Beside Darius’s warm and clear power like white light, her energy began to stir.

“It worked.”

It finally worked. The power that she couldn’t find despite Sylphid’s throat-splitting explanations was right here.

“Don’t relax yet. If the path gets disrupted, we’ll have to start over, and I think that would disappoint you.”

“What should I do now?”

Darius chuckled at her voice filled with joy.

“I’ll circulate the energy once. Since we started from the left hand, let’s release it through the right hand. Follow me while maintaining your concentration so the energy you’ve just created doesn’t scatter.”

Like a child taking its first steps, she moved the energy slowly while holding Darius’s hand.

Even when she hesitated, Darius waited for her patiently.

“Anette, how do you feel right now?”

She smiled.

“Relief.”

Rather than an impression of how her body felt, it was the comfort of having Darius hold her hand and go through this process with her.

The search for spirit power that started at the left fingertip moved in sequence and ended at the right fingertip.

“Huh?”

As she tried to disentangle her body from Darius while smiling, something fell. It was tears.

“Why suddenly……”

Drip. Tears fell for no apparent reason.

“No, I didn’t mean to cry.”

Darius pulled her head back into his embrace.

“It’s okay.”

He patted her back as if it were really nothing.

“But I’m not okay. It’s strange to suddenly cry.”

“It’s because you’re surprised at discovering something new.”

Perhaps because he was a knight who never neglected training, his body temperature was high. When she nestled in his arms, she felt a languid comfort like soaking in warm water.

“Do knights often do that too? When they realize their mana and enter the realm of sword aura, do they cry like me?”

He was silent for a moment.

“They probably do.”

In Inkheart territory, besides Darius, Sir Lucion was the only other person who had achieved the realm of sword aura.

‘When Sir Lucion awakened his mana, did Darius help him like this too?’

The sense of relief that had drifted away returned.

* * *

She kept thinking about it. The image of Darius firmly embracing her from behind and teaching her about mana.

The breeze that brushed by when he flowed mana into her body, the sunlight at that moment, even how his temperature felt.

“Is this what you wanted me to find?”

For her, ‘wind’ would be remembered as the gentle breeze that rustled their hair when Darius was embracing her.

「Your progress is good.」

Even the Spirit King, who always criticized her progress, seemed satisfied this time.

「You who could barely summon two lower spirits can now call a mid-level spirit.」

A bird with beautiful long tail feathers sat before them. She had finally succeeded in summoning Sylraphe, a mid-level spirit.

「The grandson of Inkheart seems to have quite a talent for teaching. Since he’s helpful, why don’t you ask Inkheart’s grandson to do that for you every day?」

“Are you crazy?”

She had been reaching out her hand to Sylraphe, cooing, but now she turned serious.

「Why? With just one day of him showing you the path, you’ve grown this much. If it’s effective, you should continue. No, let’s call Inkheart’s grandson to your room right now.」

“One explanation is enough! You’re really being silly.”

「What useless thought is making you blush now?」

“I, I’m not blushing. You’re a spirit all right, not even able to read a human face properly.”

〈Focus, Anette.〉

Whoosh. The memory of his voice whispering in her ear surfaced.

His warm energy rising through her body, the low voice whispering next to her ear. Satisfying both touch and hearing…

‘No matter how I think about it, I can’t do it twice.’

Buzz buzz, she shook her head vigorously to erase the afterimage of Darius.

“Summoning Sylraphe is enough. Wanting more is greedy.”

「Why are you like this when there’s a way to become stronger.」

Knock knock. Before Sylphid’s nagging could continue, there was a knock at the door.

It was already night. Who could it be at this hour?

“Anette, hello. Good evening.”

Darius stood there, facing the night breeze in the corridor.

“Good evening, Grand Duke.”

“Was what I taught you helpful?”

「Perfect timing. Quickly let Inkheart’s grandson into your room. Being close together should be helpful somehow.」

‘Shut up.’

“It was a good experience. I’ll be careful not to forget it.”

At her ear, the ignorant Spirit King who didn’t care even a fingernail’s worth about human emotions was still clamoring for her to receive the male protagonist buff.

“Did you come to say goodnight?”

“You know, Anette.”

「Come on, ask him for help.」

‘I won’t, I’m not asking! He didn’t even come here with that intention!’

“I did a good thing today, so can I sleep here tonight?”

「He did come with that intention.」

Her mind froze at the situation unfolding contrary to her thoughts.

Creak, the door opened wide in the breeze.

“May I come in?”

“……Come in.”

Ah, I don’t even know anymore. This is all because of that damned Spirit King’s mischief.

And so she returned to her bed with Darius.

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

For a while, only quiet breathing could be heard. In the past when they slept together, she would push Darius to the edge of the bed to feel safe enough to fall asleep.

Of course, every morning after that, the castle residents would invariably find them stuck together, showcasing their marital affection…

In reality, they would childishly argue about ‘Did you move over or did I stay still?’

This was a night that didn’t feel tense despite sharing a bed with him, except for their first night.

Come to think of it, on the day he discovered she had brought Barbarossa to the castle, he said something about being hurt because it wasn’t sincere, but for all that, they were getting along quite well.

‘Well, even when I shouted “You act nice to me in front and talk behind my back!” he didn’t get very angry.’

He did occasionally spread rumors to people around to tease her, but he was never truly angry.

‘What’s the point of getting seriously angry in a relationship that will eventually end?’

As she was lost in her own thoughts…..

“Sometimes I feel strange. I’ve slept alone all my life.”

“What?”

“The same bed I’ve always used, the bedroom in Castle Inkheart where I’ve always slept.”

Swish, he turned his head toward her while lying straight. Their eyes met on the bed.

“Now it feels awkward.”

“……”

“Only when I hear your breathing in my sleeping space does this castle finally feel familiar.”

He smiled slightly.

“Somehow I feel at ease by your side.”

Then he quietly closed his eyes and fell asleep. Like someone who hadn’t slept properly for a long time.

「Why are you just sleeping?」

“……”

「After bringing him here with such difficulty, you should have practiced. Wait, I’ll wake him up right now.」

She barely managed to stop the Spirit King, who was about to manifest and wake Darius, saying she would study on her own and not to bother someone who hadn’t been able to sleep.

‘He said he’s been uncomfortable because of an unfamiliar bed.’

Although the problem was that the unfamiliar bed was the one he had lived in for decades throughout his life.

Listen, Evangeline.

It’s not like that.

From the perspective of the female protagonist waiting to emerge from the darkness because her turn hasn’t come yet, you might want to turn me into a fox fur coat right away, but anyway, Darius and I aren’t like that.

“Let’s sleep.”

Somewhat… as time passes… it’s becoming a sad day by day because Evangeline might be grinding her angry axe blade in the darkness, wanting to cut my throat.

While Darius is sleeping, would it work as sleep learning if I whispered in his ear, ‘The Grand Duke and I are family. We’re family so we can’t do that. Evie, GG’?

She buried her head in the pillow and lay down.

But honestly.

‘I do like hearing Darius’s breathing in this bed too.’

Somehow, it’s reassuring that someone other than herself is here.