Chapter 19
“Ah, I’m hungry.”
“What’s on the menu at the cafeteria today?”
The Imperial Academy’s Knight Training Hall.
After morning training, the knight cadets rushed en masse toward the dining hall.
Felix looked at the sweaty, bustling crowd of men with a displeased expression.
Not long ago, he would never have had to mix with such a group in the cafeteria.
There had been someone who ran there every morning with a five-tiered lunchbox in hand.
“Ah, damn. What the—It’s raining!”
“Run!”
The sudden drizzle sent the cadets sprinting.
Feeling unpleasantly damp, Felix clicked his tongue in irritation.
Until now, he’d never had to get wet, even in a sudden shower.
Whenever the rain started, there was always someone who’d miraculously appear with an umbrella.
‘Convenient, I guess.’
Felix licked his lips unconsciously.
After finishing a bland lunch while wedged among the dark, sweaty men, one of his peers, Rio, grabbed a wooden practice sword and shouted:
“Hey, Felix. Let’s spar a round to help digest lunch!”
Even though they had graduated from the academy, this period was crucial for the cadets.
Their futures as knights depended entirely on whether they passed the entrance exam for one of the four major knight orders.
In preparation for the upcoming exams hosted by the four great families, the cadets devoted themselves daily to sparring and training.
Felix, in particular, was the most sought-after sparring partner.
Not only was his swordsmanship unmatched, but his mana output was also superior, making him both admired and envied by all.
“Trying to pick a fight again? This time I won’t hold back.”
Felix smirked and casually raised his wooden sword.
Looking at Rio, who was stepping up to clash swords with him, Felix chuckled softly.
Perhaps because of the rain, he was in a bad mood.
‘I’ll finish him in five moves.’
He thought it would ease his irritation to see Rio’s expression contort with embarrassment.
Most cadets couldn’t handle the immense mana channeled into Felix’s strikes, falling within ten moves.
With that in mind, Felix poured all his mana into his sword and met Rio head-on.
Clang!
The clash of swords sent blue sparks flying.
“Ugh!”
Felix fell backward, landing on his rear.
“…….”
“……?”
A brief silence fell.
Felix sat dazed, oblivious even to the pain in his backside.
What had just happened?
“R-Rio wins!”
The peer acting as referee shouted in confusion, but no one reacted.
“…….”
“…….”
Everyone stared at Felix in astonishment; he had gone down in a single move.
Rio, facing Felix, looked sheepish.
“You okay? Seems like your condition’s off today.”
“Yeah… everyone has an off day, I guess.”
No one doubted Felix’s skills—they simply assumed it was his condition.
Trying to mask his frustration, Felix rose to his feet.
“Ah, just a little stomach trouble after lunch.”
“See? I noticed your sword had barely any mana in it. Take a break.”
Rio nodded knowingly and patted Felix on the shoulder.
‘What’s going on?’
Felix’s mind raced. The “stomach trouble” was a lie; his digestion was fine.
Yet his mana wasn’t manifesting at its usual level.
‘Could it be because I’ve been drained dealing with Lorena’s hysteria lately?’
Now that she was carrying his child, Lorena had been making increasing demands: spend time together, greet the baby, when are we getting married…
The last one especially had her being particularly obstinate, arguing about booking a venue, filing the marriage papers, and so on.
It was frustrating. Felix also wanted to marry Lorena as soon as possible.
Beautiful, kind, and top of her class—Lorena was the secret crush of every male student at the academy.
Imagine the envy if he took her as his wife.
‘But I never expected my mother to oppose it so vehemently.’
When he told her he had broken off his engagement with Freesia, she had raged furiously.
It was a complete reversal from her usual reaction when seeing Freesia—sighing and lamenting that she was an unsuitable bride.
‘…Could it be because of that spell?’
Does she still think I’m helpless without that trivial mana?
If so, it was an insult to his abilities.
It was true that Felix had benefited from Freesia’s mana when he once had mana insensitivity.
But after opening his mana channels, he no longer needed her help.
Sure, occasionally touching Freesia would help him regain energy, but that was minor.
The mana that once belonged to Freesia now fully belonged to him, and Felix sincerely believed that.
‘Freesia comes from a noble, established family. How could I possibly marry some random commoner! If my mother insists I give her up, she might as well be a mistress!’
Freesia as the main wife, Lorena as the mistress…
The thought of having both flanking him made a small smile curl at the corners of his mouth. Truly, the epitome of a capable man.
‘Well… if Freesia were a mistress, she’d come running if I called.’
Last he saw her, she had been feral, baring her claws like a cat, furious.
Naturally, she had been infatuated with him; it wasn’t surprising she raged at the idea of him marrying another.
Recalling her vicious glare, he felt a mix of annoyance and strange satisfaction.
‘It’s just that she always obeyed me… so seeing her like that felt… different.’
That afternoon, Felix went out into town with his friends to relieve the stress of dealing with his mother and Lorena.
“Whoa? A parasite.”
“What’s she doing there? Hey, Felix. Didn’t she come looking for you? Creepy.”
“Parasite” was how Felix’s friends referred to Freesia.
When he looked up casually, he was surprised.
‘Huh?’
A familiar messy-haired figure hurried past.
The disheveled hairstyle and thick glasses were unmistakably Freesia, yet in her perfectly fitted uniform, she looked like a different person.
‘What’s with that outfit? Did she really get a job at the Mage Tower?’
If it’s the Mage Tower, she must be getting a decent monthly salary…
Felix’s mind raced.
While it wasn’t unusual for women to work now, noble women still typically stayed home managing the household.
A noblewoman earning money outside the home felt fresh and surprisingly attractive.
‘Why am I feeling this? Did I miss her more than I thought?’
He truly was the epitome of a bad boy.
Smirking, Felix strode forward.
“Hey.”
One hand in his pocket, the other raised slightly, he approached.
Freesia, turning with a questioning expression, spotted Felix and widened her eyes like a startled rabbit.
Felix smiled leisurely, scanning her from head to toe.
“So you really did get a job, huh?”
“Uh…”
Freesia stammered, speechless.
No wonder—after the chaos she caused last time, she hadn’t expected him to initiate conversation so gracefully.
In fact, he had originally vowed never to forgive her mischief that day, but seeing her changed appearance piqued his curiosity.
“How did you manage to get a position at the Mage Tower with your grades? I’m curious.”
Felix continued advancing toward the frozen Freesia.
The moment their distance closed enough to almost touch,
“……!”
Felix froze.
A strange twist in his stomach, an intense hunger, surged.
It felt like stepping out of a confined space and inhaling a fresh stream of mountain air.
