After the brief fight between Lucas and me, I found myself lying on the ground, completely exhausted. I was covered in sweat, and my muscles were sore all over. Needless to say, at the end of this fight, Lucas emerged victorious.
Well, it's not like I lost shamefully to him or anything. I would say I was, at best, holding my ground. In fact, this outcome was something I had expected, after all, it's been years since the last time I wielded a sword. Lucas, on the other hand, has been training consistently up until today.
I could only fight him decently because of my knowledge in martial arts from my past life. Without that, I would have surely been just a punching bag for Lucas. In the end, I guess this result is still acceptable. Anyway, it's not like I planned to fight on the front lines.
"Are you alright?"
Lucas asked, reaching out his hand towards me. I accepted his help and got up, looking around. Although we were alone initially, at some point, knights and servants passing by had started to watch us.
"I was informed that you haven't trained in years, but you still maintain an impressive strength"
Commented Lucas, a small smile on his face. If there was something more notable about Lucas over these years, it was how significantly more mature he had become compared to the past. And by 'significantly more,' I mean in a surprising way.
"Well, thank you, I suppose. Although I don't pick up a sword anymore, I do keep myself in good shape"
I said, looking at Lucas with a soft smile on my face. He nodded in response, keeping the smile on his face.
"I'm going to take a bath to wash off the sweat. How about joining me? I believe you'll do the same, won't you?"
Lucas asked as he turned and started walking towards the bathroom. I shrugged and began to follow him. As Lucas mentioned, I already intended to take a bath to wash off the sweat. Besides, it seemed he wanted to talk more with me.
As I pondered on this, we quickly arrived at the bathroom. Lucas and I entered and began to bathe. While I was occupied, Lucas asked me a question that caught me off guard.
"I heard we've discovered the location and the method to reach the new continent"
Lucas's voice sounded serious and firm. I realized he wasn't joking about the matter, yet I wondered how he knew about it. Although we weren't trying to hide anything, Lucas didn't seem like the kind of person who would research it on his own.
"Exactly as you said, we did. Soon, we'll be sending spies to the other continent to understand their cultures and technologies. This will give us a significant advantage in case a conflict between the continents really happens"
Hearing my words, Lucas turned his gaze to the water, as if contemplating his own reflection. Then he sighed.
"Thinking about a war of that magnitude is truly something terrifying"
Lucas said. Hearing his words, I let out a small laugh.
"Yeah... I completely agree"
After we said goodbye, Lucas stayed in the bathroom for a while as I made my way back to Emi's room. It didn't take me long to reach her door. I knocked twice, waiting patiently. In a few seconds, the door opened, revealing Emi.
Her white hair was tied in a ponytail. Instead of a dress, Emi oddly wore the coat I had lent her last time, paired with pants. She was also wearing sneakers. Seeing her appearance, I raised an eyebrow, full of questions.
"Why are you dressed like that?"
I asked. Upon hearing my words, Emi let out a small laugh and glanced down at her outfit immediately.
"Well, it's comfortable attire. Besides, I was thinking of taking a stroll in the garden"
Emi's words made sense. Besides, I thought she looked good in those clothes. Anyway, I didn't come here to admire Emi in her casual wear.
"Can I come in? I need to talk to you, but I promise to be as brief as possible"
I asked. Hearing my words and realizing the seriousness of the matter, Emi's expression became more serious before she nodded. After entering Emi's room, we sat side by side on the bed.
Both of us seemed comfortable, so I started telling Emi about what happened during my meeting with the king and Albert. I explained the letter we received containing information about the other continent. I took the opportunity to ask Emi about her conversation with the queen.
Upon hearing my request, Emi's face turned red, and she began speaking enigmatically about the content of the conversation. Although she tried to be subtle, I quickly understood what she was really trying to convey. I was quite surprised to find out that the queen had asked Emi these questions, especially because most of the time, it was Asia who made this kind of inquiry.
In the end, Emi and I ended up laughing about it. Although we were a bit embarrassed at first, at some point, the situation turned into genuine happiness. Moreover, the fact that we could laugh together about this situation indicated that we were doing well.
After we finished laughing, Emi and I lay down side by side on the bed, our hands intertwined. We stared at the ceiling, not saying a word. At that moment, we didn't need words; we were simply conveying everything we felt for each other through our touch.
Slowly, Emi and I turned toward each other until we were face to face. We stayed like that for a few seconds before our lips drew closer, initiating a gentle kiss. As soon as the kiss ended, we pulled our faces away as slowly as we had approached, savoring every moment.
Emi's eyes showed a clear desire; the kiss hadn't been enough. Realizing this, I let out a soft laugh as I lightly touched Emi's forehead with my finger.
"What could my lovely fiancée be desiring?"
Upon hearing my words, Emi looked at me, surprised for a few seconds before a mischievous smile formed on her face.
"You'll find out soon"