Chapter 10 (Part 5)

For days after that, the two worked tirelessly, as if possessed.  

In truth, all they did was drink potions at the designated times to swap bodies and then swap back again.  

Ironically, while they had once resisted dreaming, they now longed for dreams to escape their grim reality. Yet, as if on cue, they stopped dreaming altogether.  

Grace wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.  

“Is summer coming?”  

Her dreaded menstrual cycle was nearing its end, and her condition was better than ever, yet cold sweat kept trickling down her face.  

Grace sighed and sat on the dirt floor.  

“Are you alright, Commander?”  

Liam approached her and asked with concern.  

Grace waved her hand dismissively, assuring him she was fine, and he plopped down beside her.  

“There’s been talk lately that you’ve been overworking yourself, Commander.”  

“Me? Overworking?”  

The combination of those two words, which she hadn’t expected, made Grace frown.  

Liam awkwardly nodded and said,  

“Yes, people are whispering that you had a match with the 1st Knight Order’s Commander and lost badly.”  

Grace stared at Liam silently.  

He had seen her and Leonardo clinging to each other like lovers, yet he was saying this now—it was strange.  

Still, she didn’t feel like bringing it up.  

Liam met her gaze with a professional smile, feigning ignorance.  

Grace turned her head to look at the training grounds.  

“Is that how I appear to you all? I’m disappointed.”  

Grace brushed the dirt off her backside as she answered.  

Although it was only for a brief moment, Liam realized from Grace’s single remark that her feelings toward Leonardo had changed.  

Yet, as if unaware, he continued to stare at her, feigning ignorance. Grace smiled at him as she usually did.  

“Everyone needs to roll around a bit to come to their senses.”  

Grace, having checked how much time she had left in this body, threw a practice sword into the center of the training grounds.  

As everyone’s eyes turned to her, Grace smiled and said,  

“Whoever can make me drop my sword during a spar today will be exempt from training for a week.”  

The bold proposal caused the knights to murmur amongst themselves. However, knowing Grace’s skills, no one dared to step forward easily.  

“Commander.”  

Liam raised his hand as he listened to her words.  

When Grace turned her eyes to look at him, Liam spoke with a serious expression.  

“I’d like to ask for something else instead.”  

“What would that be?”  

“I’d like to have a meal with you, Commander.”  

At Liam’s unexpected words, Grace furrowed her brow slightly.  

On the other hand, Liam had already anticipated that Grace wouldn’t immediately understand, so he quickly added an explanation.  

“I mean, I’d like to meet you privately, outside of work.”  

The knights jeered at Liam’s words.  

They commented that they had expected him to cause trouble eventually, called him brave, or said he had poor taste. Listening to the remarks directed at Liam, Grace finally realized that everyone except her had already known.  

In other words, Liam…  

“What, are you saying you want to sleep with me?”  

The moment those words left her mouth, the surroundings fell silent.  

Liam’s face turned beet red at her blunt and explicit words.  

Only Grace scratched the back of her head as if she hadn’t thought much of it. Still wearing a puzzled expression, she said,  

“Well, I’m not sure if that’s possible… but you’re free to try.”  

Grace didn’t think for a second that she would lose to Liam, nor did she believe there was any chance of her dropping her sword against him.  

It had never happened before, and if it ever did, she would have to resign from her position as Commander with her own hands.  

A commander weaker than their deputy was simply unthinkable.  

“I-I didn’t mean it that way!”  

Liam, finally regaining his composure, shouted in frustration. Grace chuckled and replied,  

“Alright, alright. Sure, I’ll cheer you on.”  

When Grace winked at him, Liam’s face, which had just started to calm down, turned red again.  

Grace waved at him playfully before diving into the group of knights. Grabbing those who tried to avoid her by the collar, she forced them into sparring matches.  

Watching from a distance, Liam’s expression hardened.  

Superimposed over her figure was the memory of the last time he had seen her—Grace, straddling Leonardo.  

‘Leonardo Fernandez is absolutely unacceptable. Absolutely.’  

Grace was the most perfect knight he had ever known.  

To end her career as the commander of a Knight Order would be a waste of her skills, abilities, and potential.  

If she became entangled with Leonardo, her dream of becoming the Commander of the Imperial Knight Order would slip away.  

‘It’s a position that can be secured through political connections and reputation alone. Getting involved with an opposing faction would be dangerous.’  

Of course, if she possessed overwhelming skill that surpassed all of that, it wouldn’t be an issue. But Grace hadn’t reached that level yet.  

While her potential was limitless, Liam wanted her to achieve her goals without any unnecessary complications.  

And he wanted to be by her side when she did.  

‘I thought I wasn’t even hoping for that much… but I was wrong.’  

Liam watched Grace sparring with the other knights.  

As if she intended to destroy the entire Knight Order, she was forcing even those who tried to flee to spar with her by grabbing them by the collar.  

Liam sighed as he observed her.  

‘At this rate, by the time it’s my turn to spar with her, she’ll be too exhausted.’  

Although he was weaker than Grace, he wasn’t so weak that he couldn’t take advantage of her fatigue after multiple sparring matches.  

So Liam simply watched the situation unfold with a calm demeanor.  

***

Leonardo, holding a sword, stared at the man who had suddenly appeared before him.  

He wasn’t a stranger; this was Grace’s Deputy Commander.  

Blinking in surprise at the sudden turn of events, Leonardo belatedly realized that he was sitting on the dirt-covered training grounds.  

What on earth was going on?  

“Commander, are you alright?”  

Liam asked with concern, causing Leonardo to furrow his brow deeply.  

The last thing he wanted was Liam’s concern.  

Regardless of what Leonardo thought, Liam couldn’t help but worry as Grace had suddenly crouched down after picking up her sword.  

“Since you told me not to move, I’m staying put… but are you really alright?”  

Liam vividly remembered the moment Grace had stopped breathing the other day.  

Although she had eventually started breathing again, one could never be too careful.  

“Are you sure you can spar? It’s fine if you’d rather postpone it to another time.”  

Liam’s kind voice, suggesting that Grace should receive treatment first, made Leonardo grip his practice sword tightly.  

Liam’s repeated “Are you alright?” sounded increasingly like a provocation to him.  

But Leonardo wasn’t Grace, and Liam was someone who had worked closely with Grace for a long time as her Deputy Commander. 

Could I deceive someone like that with my swordsmanship?  

“Well, then—”  

Leonardo was about to reluctantly suggest postponing the sparring match due to the circumstances when Liam spoke with a worried expression.  

“With this, no one will be able to say that you lost badly to the 1st Knight Order’s Commander, Commander. It’s better to stop here.”  

Liam’s words made Leonardo’s face twist in frustration.  

If Grace had heard that, could he really have suggested postponing the match?  

‘And that guy definitely knows that, too.’  

Leonardo glared sharply at Liam, who seemed intent on provoking him into sparring.  

“Commander.”  

“Enough. Pick up your sword.”  

“Commander!”  

“Only basic swordsmanship, though.”  

Grace’s declaration that she would only use basic swordsmanship—something every knight knew—left Liam silent.  

With a resigned expression, he picked up his sword.  

Leonardo, gripping his sword in the same stance as Liam, clenched his teeth.  

‘I’ve accompanied Grace on countless subjugations. While I can’t perfectly imitate her swordsmanship…’  

He thought he could at least manage a sparring match without revealing that their bodies had been swapped.  

Leonardo pushed aside the thought that he had never actually paid attention to Grace’s swordsmanship—or even her face—during those subjugations.  

He stared at Liam.  

‘Who are you to worry about Grace?’  

Such irrational defiance kept bubbling up within him.  

Leonardo gritted his teeth and gestured for Liam to come at him. Seeing the gesture, Liam bowed politely before charging forward.  

The clash of their swords rang out loudly.  

‘Not bad.’  

Even Leonardo, who had been trained by Delia, a combat healer, acknowledged Liam’s skill.  

He tried to mimic Grace’s habits as closely as possible, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t become Grace.  

Leonardo knew this better than anyone, but he didn’t want to lose.  

Suddenly, Liam, who had keenly noticed something, stepped back and spoke.  

“Commander, what is with that clumsy swordsmanship?”  

“What did you say?”  

“It’s like… how should I put it…”  

Before finishing his sentence, Liam lunged again with a fierce attack.  

As Leonardo deflected the sharp blow and stepped back, Liam added with a puzzled expression,  

“It’s like the swordsmanship of an amateur with no real combat experience.”  

Shaking his head, Liam remarked that there wasn’t a single sharp edge to Leonardo’s movements.

Although Leonardo wasn’t sure what Liam might know or be implying, the sharpness of Liam’s observations sent a cold sweat trickling down his back.  

Swinging his sword again, Liam spoke.  

“Are you going easy on me?”  

“That’s―!”  

Leonardo tried to retort with something, anything, but before he could finish his words, Liam’s swordplay suddenly turned serious, as if everything up to this point had been mere play.  

Leonardo found himself struggling just to block the onslaught of Liam’s attacks.  

Clenching his teeth, Leonardo swung his sword in a wide arc.  

“Your guard is open, Commander.”  

With a loud clang, Leonardo’s sword flew into the air.  

Liam easily caught the sword as it spun through the air and fell to the ground. Watching Leonardo with a curious expression, Liam soon shrugged as if it didn’t matter and said,  

“Well, as you said, Commander, you dropped your sword. That gives me an opportunity.”  

“……”  

“Then, I’ll see you this Saturday at 11 o’clock at ‘Chest.’”  

Bowing his head slightly, Liam walked away, surrounded by knights who gathered around him, jeering.  

Only after overhearing their conversations did Leonardo finally understand the true purpose of this sparring match.  

He let out a deep sigh and lowered his head.  

Truly, it was the worst possible outcome.