Shaking the wooden box my brother had given me slightly to guess what was inside, I heard a faint noise that confirmed there was definitely something in it.

  Maybe it’s a letter of some kind, but why would he go through the trouble of putting a letter in a box?

  I could definitely sense mana flowing through it and could see engraved magic circles etched into the surface, which only made the whole thing feel even stranger.

  Should I ask Serel to tell me what this is, since he probably knows something?

  Looking up after I stop examining the wooden box closely, I look at Serel, who is helping out Isaac with his homework, though it looks like Serel is going to tear his hair out trying to teach Isaac how to draw an intermediate fire magic circle.

  So before he could do that, I asked him. “Hey Serel, do you know what this is?”

  Looking away from Isaac and toward me, I held up the box and passed it toward him to look at.

  Taking a moment to look at it, “Hmm, I think it’s a magic Verity box.”

  “A Verity Box? What is that?” I had never heard of such a thing before. Asking for clarification, I looked at Serel, who adjusted his glasses before explaining.

  “It’s used to store letters or messages during transit to ensure they aren’t tampered with. If someone tries to open it improperly, both the contents and the box are instantly incinerated to ashes.”

  I tilted my head a bit, a bit confused because doesn’t my father have a magical wax stamp just for that purpose?

  Seeing me tilting my head, he explained further. “It’s quite old. I’m surprised Lord Lucius would use or even possess something like this. It’s practically ancient.”

  “Ancient? How ancient? And why would he use something like that?”

  “Around a hundred and fifty years ago, when the development of magical wax seals became widespread,”

  After thinking for a moment about my second question, he added, “And I suppose it’s for an additional level of protection, you could say.”

  “How so?”

  “This is only a guess, but since the magical circles inside the box are very old, modern techniques used to bypass wax seals don’t really work on it. In addition, hardly anyone nowadays would know how to tamper with it as well.”

  “Oh, I see. Then how should the box be opened?"

  “The same way as normal magical wax stamps, with the drop of the recipient's blood.”

  Giving the box back, I really wanted to open it right now to see what was inside, but I should wait for Alice to come back when the lunch period is nearly over and give it to the coachmen to take it back to the manor instead, because I have a promise to keep with Edwen.

  Thinking that to myself, it was interrupted by Serel, “By the way, Blake, since winter break begins tomorrow, would you consider coming to my lab? I would appreciate hearing any further suggestions you may have. I tested your previous idea, and it showed promising results. I intend to integrate it with my own method to drastically lower the probability of failure. So, would you mind coming?”

  I was about to say no, knowing I would probably be busy training with Edwen and dealing with other matters, but Edwen spoke up before I could say no to Serel.

  “Sorry, Serel, but he is going to be busy during the break with me.”

  “Huh? With what?”

  “Training me to become stronger.”

  “What?!”

  Isaac, who had remained quiet throughout our conversation to avoid being yelled at by Serel, finally spoke up, his voice filled with shock and jealousy.

  “Hey, no fair.”

  “What's not fair, Isaac?”

  “You’re hogging Blake all to yourself. Why do you want to become stronger?”

  As Isaac asked that question, I saw Edwen’s expression falter for the slightest moment. It was a secret between the two of us, yet he still responded, saying,

  “I have my reasons, but why do you need him?”

  “I was planning to ask him to come to my master's dojo to spar with him and see how much stronger I have gotten. Plus…” suddenly changing his expression into one that was a bit awkward, “My master also wants to see and spar with him as well.”

  Hearing that, Isaac said that his master, the Thalric Veyl, was interested in me and wanted to spar, which immediately got my attention because an actual swordmaster was interested in fighting me.

  I haven’t fought anyone or anything strong for the last few months. Huh… I need this; I really need this, because that sounds like a really fun time.

  Listening to all three of them argue over who I should spend my time with during the break, it was very different from the daily fights over Aria’s attention—much more civil, I suppose. In the end, Edwen seemed to be winning, since he kept reminding everyone that I had promised to train him to repay a favor.

  Finding a good moment to step into the conversation to say.

  “Okay, now,” sighing as if I was finding it a bit too much trouble for them to plan out my own schedule, I said, “I’ll go with all of you, though Edwen is the priority.”

  I turned to Edwen first, saying, “Since we’re going to the royal palace after school today, I’m planning to test out all of your abilities, with tomorrow being the day I plan out your training.”

  Then, turning my head to Isaac, the one I am most eager to go with, “Then I will go with you, Isaac. That will probably be the easiest and fastest thing to do after I finish with Edwen in the morning and take care of a few errands.”

  Since most of my gear was confiscated by Queen Amalee, I would have to get some new equipment. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be as good as Kinwall’s, and I couldn’t really go to him or communicate with him.

  I had no idea where he was right now, since he had probably already moved, and even if he had sent a letter through the adventurer guild, I couldn’t access it because Queen Amalee also confiscated my guild card.

  Finishing saying all that, Serel had a slightly disappointed look since he was last, and I am going to disappoint him even more with what I’m about to say.

  “And as for Serel, sorry, but I can only go next week because I have a bunch of stuff to take care of. Is that okay for you?”

  I scratch the back of my head a bit awkwardly, saying that, causing him to let out a deflated sigh.

  “Oh…” Dropping his gaze, “Next week sounds fine, I guess.”

  I had him set to be at the very last because, how do I put this nicely, I kind of find all of what he was doing… kind of boring.

  However, to make up for the fact that I was agreeing to visit his lab a whole week from now, we talked about his project for the rest of the lunch period until it was time for me to leave, since I needed to get to our building, which was a bit of a walk to get back to, to give the box to the coachmen to take back to the manor.

  Waiting near the main entrance, I tried to look and act as innocuously as possible to avoid attracting attention as I sat on a bench, watching the water flowing in the fountain with the box by my side.

  Alice should be back anytime now, so I shouldn’t wait too long to see her carriage. As I thought that, minding my own business, someone approached me. He had sunny blonde hair, like the rays of the sun, that looked strangely familiar to someone I know, and was wearing a second-year student uniform, which had darker trims along the collar and cuffs compared to the first-year uniform I was wearing.

  Before I could ask who he was, he knelt down, grabbed my right hand, and kissed the back of it in one smooth motion.

  “Good afternoon, Lady Rita. It’s truly an honor to meet you.”

  Huh? It took me a moment to respond because he really caught me off guard, since I was too confused by his sudden and ridiculous behavior. Seriously, who does that to someone they’ve barely even met?

  “Good afternoon as well… Claudis Lunslur, may I ask the reason you have come to speak with me?”

  Responding with a slight smile, I noticed he was looking at me with eyes clearly trying to charm me. A bit creeped out by it, it made me try to figure out what was going on because why would Alice’s brother approach me like this, so I tried to read his mind, but what I read genuinely left me speechless.

  Is this guy an idiot? I knew he was dumb, but not this dumb. No, he hadn’t been this foolish when I first met him at that ball a couple of years back, had he?

  Inside his head, I could clearly see the images he was entertaining, which were him holding me in his arms, laughing at Alice, who was locked away in a dungeon, bound in chains, and all.

  What makes him think he could win me over and make me betray Alice with a stunt like this? No, whose idea was it to tell him to do this? Did he really have no one competent in his faction anymore? If that’s the case, does it mean Caldis was really this dumb all along, since nobody is telling him what to do, and this was his idea?

  “I offer you my deepest apologies, Lady Rita.”

  “For what? And there is no need to use such formalities.”

  His face brightened when I said that, as if he thought I had started to fall for him. As if my heart could be swayed that easily—like hell it could.

  “I thank you sincerely for this honor. However, I am unworthy of it; I have lost the right to accept it. I am profoundly ashamed that my younger sister failed to protect you, my lady.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Good grief, he really is this dumb. More importantly, though, I needed to put a stop to this before anyone saw us. The last thing I needed was more trouble, especially with the rumors swirling around about my relationship with Edwen. I couldn’t let them be jeopardized by this idiot.

  “Oh no, it’s quite all right,”

  Really eager to end this as soon as possible, I tried to explain that it wasn’t Alice’s fault, that she had been kind to me, and that it had been the only way she could protect me at the time. Using the old nobility faction at the academy as an excuse ensured they would mostly target her instead of me.

  However, he stubbornly insisted that he must take responsibility, repeatedly using that excuse to try to convince me to stay by his side instead of his sister, even after I politely refused multiple times.

  Why won’t this guy just give up already? I thought, silently hoping that something or someone would intervene.

  As if there was an answer to that wish, his expression shifted into a frown, one he was too much of an idiot to properly hide.

  I followed his gaze as he let go of my hand, turning to see Alice’s carriage approaching the building’s main entrance.

  Still frowning when he saw Alice’s carriage, he said, “It seems our time is limited.”

  He glanced at his wristwatch in what was perhaps the poorest excuse for acting I had ever seen, then added, “I must take my leave now, Lady Rita. There is something I need to attend to. I sincerely apologize for the rudeness.”

  Seeing him leave, I couldn’t help but let out a tired sigh as I rubbed the back of my hand against my uniform, trying to wipe away any trace of him off me in disgust. Then, picking up my backpack and carrying the wooden box my brother had given me, one that came from my bastard of a father, I made my way toward Alice.

  I told Alice everything that had happened as soon as she stepped out of the carriage. She couldn’t help but scowl when she heard it all, so I quickly changed the subject to the wooden box I was holding to calm her down because she was giving off a rather murderous aura, which would only attract unnecessary attention and rumors.

  After handing it to the coachman to take back to the manor, I walked alongside Alice, pretending to carry on a pleasant conversation as we headed to our classes.

  Then, ending our fake conversation so we could go to our respective classes, I went about the rest of my day, during which I watched and listened to people whisper about my relationship with Edwen, specifically whether it was true, with the wildest so far being that Edwen and I had already done it, in which I was the head wife, with Aria being the secondary or mistress that I allowed to happen.

  Though the rumors were spreading like wildfire, I felt like they were slightly veering in a direction a bit too outlandish.

  Maybe I overdid it a bit with the rumors when I arranged for Edwen to carry me to the nurse’s office in a bridal carry after I fell, followed by him storming out afterward, pretending to be furious.

  I suppose I can’t really put out this wildfire now. It’s better to let it burn itself out, something the upcoming break should handle just fine with time.

  When the bell finally rang for the last time for today, to signal that it was the end of the school day, instead of going to Alice’s carriage, I headed to Edwen’s carriage, which was more ornate and beautifully decorated than Alice’s.

  As I headed toward his carriage, there seemed to be a small crowd gathered by the main entrance, where all the carriages were parked to pick up the students.

  All of them turned their eyes to me as I walked directly to Edwen’s carriage, causing a bunch of them to start whispering to themselves. It grew even more when Edwen, seeing me, smiled at me through the window, and I returned a smile in response.

  I, however, ignored all that, pretending like they were never there to begin with, and boarded the carriage as the coachmen bowed and held the door for me.

  Then, feeling the carriage move, we left the academy and headed toward the royal palace. It took roughly 45 minutes to get to the royal palace and some more to go to the royal training grounds that Edwen had specifically ordered to be sectioned off to not let anyone in, given that he was a prince and all.

  But before I started evaluating Edwen to see what I was dealing with, I let the tiniest bit of mana flow throughout my body, letting my eyes turn blue and my hair black while pretending to take off a necklace I was wearing since Edwen probably already guessed that I was using a magical tool to change my appearance, given that he tended to use them whenever he went out with Aria.

  I did this because I can’t really tell him the reason my eyes turn blue when I use my magical powers, since I may have royal blood in me, which is thick enough to be the same as the royal family. It was something Queen Amalee was actually really concerned about, given that she actually didn’t try to hide it. So telling Edwen might not be a good idea until I learn what it all means.

  I then asked him if there was a changing room or bathroom where I could change out of my uniform and into something much more suitable for sparring.

  Seeing him blush for some reason, he pointed toward where the changing room was. I went there and took out the clothes Clare had packed earlier in my backpack, clothes that were comfortable to move around in, and also helped hide that I was a girl.

  In addition, since I have been growing and am currently in a growth spurt, my breasts have been growing as well. Because I am playing as Blake, who is pretending to be Rita, they believe I am wearing padding, given that they think I am a boy trying to look like a girl. This is convenient because I don’t really have to hide that I am a girl, but in this instance, it is not.

  That is why, while I was taking out my clothes in my backpack, I also brought in this world’s version of a sports bra, conveniently enough. I honestly hadn’t known such things existed since it had never really concerned me until now. One reason is that they are called adventurers’ undergarments in this world, special support garments designed for high-ranking female adventurers. Another is that they are rare and expensive because of the materials used to make them.

  It took a while to put everything on, since it had been some time since I last wore pants, and I only had one arm to work with. But once I was done, I looked at my left arm and checked to make sure my scales were well hidden beneath my shirt and glove.

  Seeing that it was fine, I then left the changing room to see that Edwen had also changed out of his uniform into something much less restrictive than our academy uniforms.

  “So, Blake, what do you want to evaluate me on first?”

  “Hmm, I guess your fighting abilities first.”

  “Sure.”

  Going to the weapon racks that had various types of wooden weapons, Edwen grabbed a relatively worn wooden longsword that seemed to have seen years of use.

  As for me, I looked through the selection, testing the swords I thought I could manage by swinging each one once or twice to get a feel for their balance. Since I could only use my right hand, I needed to find one that suited me properly.

  In the end, I settled on a wooden sword with a long, slender blade, something similar to a rapier from my past life. The only difference was that, instead of the intricate basket hilt I was used to, it had a simple, standard crossguard.

  After choosing our weapons, we went to the center of the training ground and pointed our swords at each other.

  “Okay, let's begin.”

  Saying that, I struck first, stepping forward and thrusting my sword as the faintest hint of a smirk began to form on my face.

  This is going to be mildly amusing. Let’s call this practice, since I needed to buy a new sword after my old one was confiscated by Queen Amalee. I would definitely need to get a sword similar to this one, so I’ll need to adjust my fighting style accordingly.

  On top of that, I need to shake off this rust from not fighting for the last few months. Edwen, being my test dummy—I mean, sparring partner—would be a nice opponent, though I’ll have to be careful not to break—I mean, not hurt him too badly. Compared to Alex, Edwen isn’t as sturdy, which means I have to make sure I don’t go too far with him. Plus, he is a prince, so it would probably be bad for me to do that, maybe.

  Going back to the sparring match, reacting to my thrust, Edwen swiftly sidesteps away. He countered immediately, striking my blade and forcing it downward, hitting the ground, before sliding his sword along mine toward me.

  Creating an opening, the wooden sword Edwen was swinging toward me was about to hit my head, but I didn’t allow it to happen because as soon as his sword stopped sliding on my sword, I moved to use the guard of my sword to block the swing. Though I blocked it, the momentum and strength in that swing were something I couldn't stop, so I gave up on blocking it and redirected it slightly instead.

  With a slight redirection, I threw Edwen’s footwork off balance as he pressed forward with his swing. That created a small opening, allowing me to move closer. At the same time, reversing my grip, I moved mine toward his neck, the dull blades of our wooden swords still clashing with each other, making it hard for him to stop me.

  Feeling the wooden blade of my sword at his neck, Edwen realized he had lost. His body slowly relaxed as I lowered my weapon and stepped back a few paces.

  “Okay, let’s go for a round two.”

  Saying that, Edwen nodded in response.

  “Right, but could you tell me how I did?”

  “I can't; I need to know more with a couple more matches to see what you're fully capable of.”

  In reality, though, I already knew what he was capable of from that exchange, combined with the time I fought him near Farsbarow. This was really just for me since I was getting used to using a one-handed sword with a much thinner blade than I was accustomed to.

  That feint I did, where I was using a basic thrust, got a bit dicey there because Edwen was certainly skilled and experienced. He immediately knew what to do, though his impatience left him open for me to get close to him to slide my sword against his sword toward his neck after I blocked his swing.

  My smirk, which was barely showing, grew into an actual smirk because he was a warm-up for tomorrow. I’m planning to fight Isaac’s master, who was a swordsmaster, someone who can actually pose an actual challenge for me, where I don’t think I could win. I could go all out and let all the stress and grievances I had accumulated over the past few months out in the heat of the fight.

  Sparring a couple more matches, my smirk grew, but I kept it in because I kept reminding myself that this was for Edwen's training to become strong, not for me to get some practice in with a sword I didn't normally use in my past life, though a battle with my life on the line would have been much faster.

  Seeing Edwen lying on the ground as I held the wooden sword to his neck, Edwen asked.

  “Hey, Blake.”

  “Yeah?”

  Getting up, Edwen then said. “Do you have an evaluation of me now?”

  “Yeah, I got it.”

  “So, could you tell me what I need to improve on?”

  “Sure. Though this is only about your physical combat abilities, I could see that you tend to become really impatient with some of the decisions you make.”

  As I said before, Edwen does have the skill and experience, but from our sparring matches, he often makes small, split-second errors, which I exploit to create openings.

  If I want him to become stronger, I’ll have to correct that by training him to think through his actions in those split seconds when adjustments are needed, instead of simply relying on instinct.

  Normally, swordsmen or fighters tend to plan out their moves before they start their fight. They have a general plan and adjust it accordingly, given the situation they are facing.

  However, in this case, I am having Edwen learn how to plan out his actions in those split seconds of a fight, where he is actually consciously thinking about what to do instead of relying on his instincts, several steps ahead.

  If I could do so, so could he, even without my ability to change my sensation of time to make the world around me slow.

  After explaining mostly all that to him, he nodded understandingly and asked me how he could do it. Remembering my training in the military, where I was in the named pilot training program, I answer.

  “By hitting you with this wooden sword until you do.”

  “Huh?”

  Saying that, Edwen let that out, completely baffled by what I said, and took a step back like I was crazy, which I can’t blame him for.

  In my past life, that training program, how should I put this, was a bit extreme, to put it mildly. Remembering those times, we had to fight against a multi-armed robot wielding batons. The objective was to last as long as you could in a set amount of time, and I remember it hurting a lot because, other than getting hit, I cracked a couple of ribs every time I fought it, plus it also electrocutes you quite badly when I do get hit.

  Well, at least it’s not as bad as I had it, so I don’t really see the harm in it. I’ll just make sure he doesn’t get hit as hard as I did.

  I was about to reassure him that it was fine until I heard another voice, separate from the two of us.

  I turned to see who it was and saw Queen Amalee standing by the entrance, watching us with a contented smile.

  “My, you two seem to be getting along quite well?”

  Immediately kneeling on my knees when I saw her, I waited for her to finish before greeting her, since Edwen thinks I’m Blake.

  “Good afternoon, Queen Amalee. It is an honor to be in your presence.”

  Keeping my head lowered, I waited for Edwen to respond, waiting for him to ask the reason for suddenly showing up like this.

  “Good afternoon, Mother. May I ask what brings you here?”

  “It’s to borrow Blake for a bit, since he is here.”

  “Mother, we are rather busy at the moment. I would prefer that he remain for today, if that is acceptable.”

  Smiling, though it seemed oddly menacing, Queen Amalee then said, “It won’t take too long; it’s only for a bit,” then turned to look at me, where I also sensed that menacing smile. “Please rise, Blake. Do you mind coming with me?”

  I don’t really know what Queen Amalee wants, but seeing her smile like that, I did what she asked and agreed to it because her smile was scary to look at.

  Seeing her smile turn into a pleased one as she approached me, she then took my right hand and began leading me away as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

  I looked back at Edwen, who had a troubled smile on his face, seeing his mother dragging me away somewhere.