Lewd Courtship - Chapter 46

Rachel spotted Kyle among those training and gave a light wave.
From a distance, Kyle started in surprise—

Startled, he lowered the spear he was holding. Dropping to one knee, he placed his clenched right fist over his chest to pay his respects to the princess.

The knights beside Kyle also knelt and offered their salute. When Rachel gestured that it was enough, they each returned to their feet and resumed training.

The training grounds rang with the knights’ deep, resonant shouts. The metallic clash of spears striking spears mingled with the cries. Rachel and Killian watched their prowess as they made a slow circuit around the grounds.

About halfway around, Rachel came close enough to hear Kyle’s rough breathing. She gazed at her escort knight, who was still absorbed in training.

Though his armor hid it, she knew the shape of the muscles beneath. After today’s session, those muscles would be even more developed. For some reason, her escort knight felt newly intriguing.

If nothing happens with the Emperor today, maybe I’ll summon him to my chambers.

It was quite a pleasing thought. She kept her eyes on Kyle, her mind drifting into sly imaginings. Kyle, for his part, kept stealing glances at the princess and her companion, their eyes meeting and breaking away again and again. Each time, Rachel smiled faintly.

…Strange.

Killian’s gaze shifted back and forth between the two. There was something in Rachel’s smile toward the knight that left him feeling oddly unsettled, and the reports of her past conduct began circling in his mind.

Of course, there was nothing between him and her, so he had no right to interfere—nor did he intend to. Even so, perhaps because they had shared bodies a few times, a part of him couldn’t help but feel a quiet heaviness settle inside.

Well, that aside… is it lunchtime already?

Killian brushed the thoughts from his mind to clear the mood. He was starting to feel hungry, and the sun was already at its zenith. Turning to Rachel—who was still focused entirely on Kyle—he spoke.

“Princess.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Rachel shifted her gaze to him, and he found himself looking into green eyes that seemed more bright and lively than usual.

“Shall we go and have a meal?”

“Oh, is it that time already? I apologize, I didn’t notice.”

“There’s no need to apologize. If you have a preference for the menu, choose whatever you like. I’ll eat anything.”

“Alright. But… I’m still not that hungry yet. So I was thinking…”

Rachel rolled her eyes upward mid-sentence, as if a mischievous idea had struck her, and her lips curled into a neat smile.

“How about a sparring match?”

“A spar? You and I?”

“Yes—swordsmanship. Moving around will make the meal taste much better.”

At that suggestion, Killian was momentarily at a loss for words. A sword duel between an Emperor and a princess—just in terms of rank alone…

It was an absurd notion—and besides, he was a man who had fought on real battlefields. If he were to cross blades with a princess who had been born and raised within the palace, the onlookers’ reactions would hardly be favorable.

“I cannot cross swords with a woman.”

“My, you should be careful saying things like that. In Porhen, women can become knights too.”

“…But you are not a knight, are you?”

“I knew you’d say that.”

Rachel nodded knowingly, as if she had predicted his exact response. Then she beckoned Kyle over with a wave of her hand.

Suddenly called out of nowhere, Kyle hesitated, then set down his spear and approached cautiously.

“Did you call for me, Princess?”

“Mm. You remember seeing me sparring with a sword the other day, right?”

“Yes. You defeated a trainee knight, didn’t you? He was a promising recruit with excellent scores, but your skill far surpassed his—I was impressed.”

“Mm, thank you. You can go now.”

“Understood, Princess.”

Kyle gave a courteous bow and quietly stepped back. Rachel immediately turned to Killian with a triumphant expression.

“I told you earlier that I was good at something, remember? That something is swordsmanship. I can take down a trainee knight without trouble, so you don’t need to worry.”

Killian shook his head in mild exasperation.

“Even so, this is far too sudden a spar. If someone were to get hurt, it would cause an uproar.”

“We can use wooden swords. Don’t tell me you’re avoiding it because you’re afraid you’ll lose to me?”

It was a brazen provocation. The nearby knights began showing subtle signs of interest in the duel between the Emperor and the princess. Not only the kingdom’s knights in the midst of training, but also the imperial guards behind Killian pricked up their ears.

Sensing their attention, Killian let out a short, quiet sigh. With the princess pushing this far, refusing her again might risk a dent in his dignity as Emperor. In the end, he decided to accept Rachel’s challenge.

“Wooden swords, just one round.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Then I’ll go change into my sparring clothes.”

Rachel beamed as she achieved her goal. She turned toward the changing rooms, then stopped, realizing that Killian wouldn’t know the way.

“Ah, right. Your Majesty should change as well. My lady-in-waiting will guide you to the changing room.”

She signaled to Maria, who stepped forward and bowed. Without another word, Rachel quickly walked off—moving swiftly as if to prevent Killian from changing his mind.

She’s in quite the high spirits.

Killian silently watched her retreating figure. From her lively stride, it was obvious she was thoroughly excited. Whether she was truly skilled in swordsmanship remained to be seen, but one thing was certain—she definitely loved it.

A princess practicing swordsmanship… what a peculiar woman.

Maria began leading the way, and Killian followed, letting out a small, wry chuckle. He had never imagined he would be crossing swords in another country—let alone with that country’s princess.

Since things had come to this, it would be wiser to go along and match her pace during the spar. Killian glanced at Rachel, who was walking far ahead, and let the faint smile that had formed slip from his lips. Truly, she was an extraordinary woman.