* * *

After the sparring with Shailyn.

Linus continued to visit the Duke of Diart’s residence frequently for training, just like before.

During this time, he never encountered Shailyn.

True to her word, she didn’t come near the training grounds at all.

This, however, made him a bit curious about that peculiar woman’s well-being.

Despite the one-hand penalty, she was the first to defeat him, a crown prince, and also the first to compliment his hair in such a unique way.

‘Could she have found a husband?’

His curiosity didn’t wane as he wondered who would marry such a woman.

Eventually, he approached his friend who was diligently training.

“Ahem, Dain.”

“Huff! Huff! Huff!”

Dain focused solely on his sword, regardless of Linus speaking to him.

Such a sword-obsessed guy.

“Dain Diart.”

“Huff! …What, what is it?”

Only after being called with a hint of irritation did Dain lower his sword and look at him.

But when it came to asking about Shailyn, Linus felt oddly embarrassed, hesitating for a while before finally speaking.

“…Your cousin, I mean.”

“Shailyn? What about Shailyn?”

“Well… is she doing alright?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. But why do you ask? Are you worried or something?”

“Huh, worried? No way. Just checking to make sure she wasn’t hurt during the sparring. Sometimes injuries appear later.”

Linus frowned, offering a formal explanation.

But Dain had known him since they were very young.

He could keenly detect the sincerity hidden beneath Linus’s prickly demeanor.

‘This guy, he’s curious about Shailyn?’

Having easily grasped his friend’s true feelings, Dain smiled broadly.

“Then should I invite Shailyn to come visit the training grounds sometime?”

“…Is that necessary?”

“Well, you’d know better if you saw her yourself, whether Shailyn is okay or not.”

“Well… that’s true.”

Somehow, the idea of meeting Shailyn didn’t seem bad to Linus, so he reluctantly nodded.

“Do as you like.”

And a few days later, Dain entered the training grounds with a grin, suddenly grabbing his shoulder and laughing out loud.

Did this guy lose it, not with his sword but just in general?

To snap him out of it, Linus lightly punched his abdomen, causing Dain to finally stop laughing and wipe his tears.

“Shailyn says she’s too busy to come. And she says she’s long forgotten about the sparring with you and is doing just fine.”

“What…?”

“What are you going to do, Linus? Seems like you’ve been the only one concerned all this time. Hahaha!”

Dain burst into laughter again.

Feeling thoroughly annoyed, Linus seized his friend, engaging in a sparring session disguised as training until sunset.

Their skill gap was small, so he couldn’t hit him as much as he wanted, but he managed to give him a bump on the head.

On his way back, the more he thought about it, the more his pride was hurt.

‘Did they think I was curious because I couldn’t live without knowing?’

He was simply following his mother’s teaching that as a crown prince, he should always be observant and considerate of others.

‘…Fine. If she’s living well, then it’s good that there won’t be any more entanglements.’

Deciding this, Linus resolved to cut off any interest in Shailyn.

He wouldn’t be curious or check on her well-being again.

…At least, that’s what he promised himself.

Lately, it seemed odd that Dain was finishing training earlier than usual.

Wasn’t he the type to stubbornly wield his sword even when sick?

Asking him the reason, suspecting he might have secretly injured his head, proved to be a mistake.

“Shailyn got a bit hurt during the Tower test. My sister and I visit her every day to check if she’s okay.”

“Tower test? Does Miss Sharofe know magic?”

“No, she went with my sister for her test. So it feels even worse that she got hurt.”

Dain, who was said to laugh without worries 364 days a year, sighed and lowered his eyes. It was a rare sight.

Seeing his forlorn face, it felt as if Shailyn had suffered a serious injury.

In reality, she was fine, lounging on the bed with a mild concussion.

‘…Ha, this is driving me crazy.’

Hearing about the actual injury made Linus feel inexplicably uneasy.

He thought of Shailyn, who had persistently challenged him.

‘It seems a bit wasteful for it to end like this…’

Such perseverance and effort were rare qualities.

In the end, after much deliberation, he decided to visit Shailyn himself.

Dain had mentioned that aside from him and his sister, no one else had visited her, which weighed on his mind.

‘If I, the Crown Prince, encourage her, Miss Sharofe will surely feel more motivated.’

With such thoughts, he went to see Shailyn alone, but she was not by herself.

Chester, the Tower Master, known for rarely leaving the Tower, was with her.

Feeling an unexpected disappointment at the unforeseen scene, Linus spoke in a challenging tone.

“I guess I didn’t need to come.”

However, instead of being discouraged by his words, Shailyn’s blue eyes sparkled.

“Your Highness, did you come to see me out of concern?”

“…I wasn’t worried.”

Linus instinctively denied, slightly taken aback.

“I came because I felt sorry.”

Isn’t that essentially the same thing?

Anyway, Shailyn was delighted that a potential male lead had come, and she smiled brightly.

“So, you came because you were thinking of me?”

“……”

“You heard I was sick and came to see me, but you’re relieved to see I’m fine, right?”

Shailyn interpreted it positively, stepping closer to him.

As her sparkling eyes drew near, Linus involuntarily stepped back.

“Your hair is as beautiful as the sunset today. It feels like it’s setting my heart on fire. You should be careful of arson charges.”

Flirting with the likely male protagonist, Shailyn winked at him.

Just as Linus found himself momentarily speechless,

“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Chester interjected at the right moment, offering a polite greeting.

Linus, finally turning his gaze to him, nodded his chin.

“It’s been a while, Tower Master. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I came to apologize to Miss Sharofe on behalf of the Tower.”

“He’s also kindly kept me company.”

Shailyn added without much thought.

If Chester weren’t a recluse who even refused imperial invitations, it would have been easy to overlook the comment.

Linus’s lips curled into an incredulous smile.

“Is that your nature? Someone who declines imperial ball invitations?”

“…Since it was our carelessness that caused the injury, I wanted to do something. If it offended you, I’ll make sure to attend the next ball.”

“Enough, you’re making me sound petty.”

Linus waved his hand, slightly frowning.

Chester bowed deeply with an expressionless face.

“Then, I’ll take my leave so you two can talk.”

“Oh, take care!”

“Yes, and the young lady’s admission is on hold at her request.”

“…Deborah did?”

Shailyn asked in surprise. For a moment, she thought she misheard, but Chester’s nod confirmed otherwise.

He bowed to Linus once more and quietly left.

In the central lobby, now just the two of them…

‘Why would Deborah…’

Linus glanced at the momentarily confused Shailyn and put his hands in his pockets.

“I’m busy too, so I’ll go.”

“…What? But you just got here. Have some tea with me before you go.”

Shailyn, coming to her senses, suggested tea time, but Linus firmly declined.

“I was just stopping by briefly.”

He had squeezed in a visit to check on Shailyn’s condition amidst his schedule as the Crown Prince.

Seeing her walking around just fine was enough.

“I’ll be going.”

“Your Highness…”

Shailyn reached out wistfully towards Linus’s retreating figure.

You’re the only blond I’ve met so far who fits the hint…

Left alone after he departed, Shailyn pouted her lips.

‘Damn male leads, when will they show up!’

* * *

Thus, my hospital visitors totaled four.

Three people have yet to visit me even once.

Lord Diart, Duke Diart, and Carl.

While I could understand the first two, I was quite disappointed in my only bondservant.

‘Just wait until I see him.’

And that night, a secret visitor came to my room.