Chapter 59

Elena glanced at her brother playfully.

“Are you looking at me differently because of the calluses on my hands?”

“Of course not.”

Illya answered smoothly, without a hint of embarrassment.

“I was just worried you might have gotten hurt while practicing swordsmanship. Look at William. How many times has he been injured?”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t train to that extent. Oh, it looks like the sparring match is about to end.”

Although Elena didn’t know much about swordsmanship, after a few months of basic training, she had developed an eye for it.

Unfortunately for Cedric, the outcome of the match was already clear. William had the upper hand. It was only natural.

No matter how skilled Cedric was, he was still an academy student, whereas William had been a Royal Knight for six years. Moreover, William had been considered a swordsmanship prodigy since his youth.

Perhaps William wasn’t even using his full strength. He might have been moderating his power to observe Cedric’s techniques.

Glancing to the side, Elena noticed Felix watching the duel with a serious expression. She, too, focused her attention on the match.

William adjusted his grip on his sword and leaped forward with force. Cedric blocked the attack with both hands on his sword.

A dull sound echoed as their blades clashed. Cedric gritted his teeth and held his ground, but he was slowly being pushed back.

William seized the opportunity, gripping his sword with both hands and pressing Cedric even harder. Cedric faltered slightly, unable to withstand the force.

At that moment, William swung his sword toward Cedric’s unguarded side. Cedric tried to regain his balance and block, but…

“You’re too slow.”

William’s blade had already reached Cedric’s side. Cedric let out a short breath and smiled wryly.

“I still have a lot to learn.”

One of the knights observing the match laughed heartily.

“To hold your ground against Sir Bellote for that long is impressive. Cedric, was it? Are you planning to apply to the Royal Knights?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I look forward to seeing you there.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

The two knights provided Cedric with feedback on his strengths and areas for improvement. They were so engrossed in their discussion that they didn’t even glance in Elena and Felix’s direction.

Elena and Felix waited patiently until the conversation ended. When the three men finally exchanged farewells, Illya called out to William.

“Brother.”

William turned toward them, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. Cedric, who followed William’s gaze, also looked surprised.

“Elena? Felix?”

William’s eyes widened even further at the mention of Elena’s name.

“Elly… is that you?”

Unlike Illya, it seemed William didn’t recognize her immediately. As he approached, Elena fiddled with her hair out of nervousness—a habit of hers.

‘This feels different from when I met Illya.’

Meeting Illya had been purely joyful, but seeing William felt a bit awkward.

It made sense. William had always been a bit intimidating to approach, likely because of the six-year age gap between them.

As William stood before her, he asked hesitantly, 

“Is it really you, Elly?”

Elena awkwardly raised her right hand in a small wave.

“Hi, Brother.”

“…”

The last time Elena had seen William was about four years ago, even longer than her last meeting with Illya.

In that time, William’s physique had become even more robust. He had always been muscular, but now his presence was almost overwhelming.

William raised his hand to about chest level, then lowered it slightly.

“You were about this tall last time…”

Elena straightened her shoulders proudly.

“I’m nearly an adult now. I’ve grown taller.”

For some reason, William looked even more shocked. Though he was a man of few words, it was clear he was thinking, ‘My youngest sibling is already an adult?’

Perhaps Illya had the same thought, as he patted William on the shoulder.

“She’s grown a lot since we last saw her. I was surprised too. Oh, and guess what? Elly’s been learning swordsmanship.”

William frowned.

“What?”

“Her swordsmanship instructor is the student you were sparring with.”

Illya’s gaze shifted to Cedric, who smiled warmly and introduced himself.

“Hello, I’m Cedric Kaine, a friend of Elena’s. I wouldn’t call myself her instructor—I just taught her some basics.”

“That still makes you her instructor.”

“And I was wondering if you might be related to Elena, Sir Bellote. Turns out I was right.”

“Yes.”

“Your brother is amazing.”

Cedric began praising William, but William himself showed little reaction.

“You’ve been learning swordsmanship?”

He merely muttered the question.

‘Is he going to scold me like Illya did?’

Determined to preempt any criticism, Elena showed him her calloused palms.

“Yes, and look, I even have calluses. Isn’t that impressive?”

But instead of looking at her hands, William alternated his gaze between Elena and Cedric. Then, he stepped in front of her, blocking her view of Cedric entirely, as if to shield her.

Cedric chuckled awkwardly.

“So, Elena, what will you do for the next two weeks?”

“I’ll probably explore the capital with some friends.”

“There’s a martial arts tournament next week. I’m participating—do you want to come watch?”

Elena had heard of the tournament before. Penny had raved about it on the train ride to the capital, calling it the highlight of the Kingdom’s founding festival.

She had already planned to attend, but now that Cedric was participating, it was a must.

“Sure, I’ll be there.”

“Great. See you then.”

With that, their brief reunion came to an end. Illya returned to the Mage Tower, unable to stay away for long, and William also left, saying he needed to return to his duties.

Though it was a bit disappointing, Elena was glad to have seen them.

Cedric, too, excused himself to prepare for the tournament.

Only Elena and Felix remained at the training grounds.

But there wasn’t much for the two of them to do alone, so they returned to their lodging.

Alice and the others hadn’t returned yet. Elena flopped onto her bed in the empty room.

She decided to get plenty of rest, knowing she’d be busy exploring the next day.

Little did she know what was about to happen.

***

“Ummph!”

After collapsing into bed from exhaustion the previous day, Elena was practically unconscious when she suddenly felt something pressing down on her body.

Assuming it was Alice playing a prank, she waved her arms groggily.

“Aliceee, I’m still sleepy…”

“Dya-dya?”

The voice that responded was unfamiliar. At the same time, a sense of déjà vu struck her.

Elena’s eyes shot open as she sat up.

“Ah-oooh?”

At that moment, she locked eyes with a child who had been bouncing on her body. As the child grinned widely, his small frame lost balance and began to topple backward.

“Don’t fall!”

Elena quickly reached out and caught him before he could hit the ground. The warmth of the child’s little body filled her arms instantly. A familiar scent of milk wafted from him.

She buried her face in the nape of his neck and took a deep breath. The child squirmed in her arms, laughing as if it tickled.

Elena carefully moved away from the edge of the bed, cradling the boy as she examined him. The faint sunlight filtering through the curtains illuminated his bright blonde hair, shimmering faintly, and his mysterious gray eyes—features she would recognize anywhere.

No matter how she looked at him, the child bore a striking resemblance to her “Little One.” However, she couldn’t be entirely certain. He had grown significantly since the last time she saw him.

Hoping for a clue, she inspected the boy’s body. He giggled as she examined him.

That’s when she noticed the yellow bracelet around his chubby wrist. Or more accurately, the artifact. It was identical to the one Madam Jane had given him when he was sick back in the Christian Estate. The artifact had disappeared along with him.

Although she had believed he would be safe and healthy, seeing him in perfect condition now made her eyes well up with tears.

She whispered in a choked voice, 

“Little One.”

“Lii?”

The boy mimicked her words. 

Wow, he could talk now! 

Elena’s heart swelled with pride, even though she hadn’t been the one to raise him.

“Hmm, what’s going on, Elly?”

Alice, who had been sleeping in the bed next to hers, stirred. Elena froze, still holding the boy. The Little One also seemed startled by the presence of another person, his wide eyes darting toward Alice.

Fortunately, Alice only shifted slightly before falling back asleep. Penny and Joy were also still lost in dreamland.

Looking at the sleeping faces of her roommates, Elena felt a cold sweat trickle down her back.

‘What do I do now?’

While she was thrilled to reunite with the Little One, the situation was far more complicated than during Saint Esna’s Festival or spring break.

Back then, she could quickly seek Felix’s help. Now, not only was Felix absent, but her friends were present as well.

‘Let’s see, Felix’s room is 305, right?’

Her room was 403. She would have to go down one floor. 

Could I make it there without anyone noticing?

“Uu-uu!”

As she hesitated, the Little One wriggled out of her arms. Once she loosened her grip, he slid off the bed with practiced ease. He seemed accustomed to climbing up and down from beds.

“Mama!”