WH-WHAT is he doing here?! Why would the crown prince show up at knight cadet training?!
Rishe was positive Theodore had said there was no chance of this happening, but she could never mistake the handsome figure standing before her.
Arnold stared at her in silence. Cold sweat dripped down her neck. They probably only held each other's gaze for a second—the span of a blink—but to Rishe it felt like forever.
In her life as a knight, there were moments of tension in battle when everything around her seemed to slow down, but she wasn't even holding a sword right now. Why was she so nervous?
While Rishe was doing her best to keep her cool, Arnold looked away and turned to command the vassal standing at his side.
"Lawvine. Hurry and get started."
Huh?! Talk about anticlimactic…
Arnold continued dispassionately, "I want to see how they move. What's the schedule for today?"
"Yes, sir. They've already done some sparring. They'll stretch and run, spar again, then do some physical conditioning. Is that acceptable?"
"Move the sparring directly after stretching. I want to see what they can do after limbering up but before expending too much stamina."
The trainees all stood up straighter while Arnold spoke. He hadn't looked back at Rishe a second time.
M-maybe he hasn't noticed…?
Surely that was impossible; she squashed her own wishful thinking. She may have been wearing a short-haired wig, but she'd only disguised her face with a little makeup. Anyone who knew Rishe would recognize her at little more than a glance. Even if she had changed everything, this was Arnold. She was sure he'd see through her just from how she stood, the way she walked, and her unique gestures.
I only had to get away with this for ten days too! Why am I running into him here when he's so busy with his work?!
After receiving Arnold's command, Lawvine gave directions to the trainees.
"Start with your usual stretching. Don't let His Highness's presence distract you."
"Yes, sir!" The trainees answered as one, scattering to their usual places.
Rishe fled to the far end of the training grounds, paying attention to Arnold's gaze.
"Can you believe it, Lu?! His Highness is really here!"
"Y-yeah. It's great, isn't it?" Rishe said with a strained smile, indulging in another bit of wishful thinking.
Maybe he'll just overlook this.
Arnold might pretend he hadn't seen her and keep his silence. Then Rishe would be able to keep up her training. With that faint hope in her heart, Rishe did her usual conditioning and sparring.
"Well?"
"…"
After training was over, Rishe was called out behind the practice grounds, where she found herself—despairingly—between a wall and Arnold. He hadn't paid Rishe any mind as he analyzed the cadets' abilities. She'd prayed it would end without further conflict, but this dashed the last of her hopes.
"What exactly do you think you're doing here?"
"Uh…"
With him staring down at her from so close, Rishe couldn't look Arnold in the eye. Feeling the wall against her back, she was forced to awkwardly look away.
"I…I hope you're doing well today, Your Highness. I'm honored that you would speak personally to a mere trainee such as myself…"
"Oh?"
Even though she knew he'd seen through her completely, she tried a last-ditch effort. They were alone here, but she still didn't want to risk anyone overhearing them.
"I see."
Arnold slowly reached out. He'd been wearing black gloves a lot lately, but right now his hands were bare. Rishe was trying to figure out what he intended to do…when he put both palms on her face and squished her cheeks.
"Mrh?!"
"If you're not who I think you are, then you won't mind me touching you skin-to-skin, will you?"
Rishe's only response was to jump.
"I don't want to break faith with my fiancée, you see. But if you're just a simple trainee, then I don't have to worry about any of those agreements."
H-his face is so close!
Arnold tipped her chin upward with his hands as he drew nearer. No matter how many times Rishe saw it, his countenance looked like a work of art, and being so close felt like it did more harm than good.
Plus, it feels like this happened once before…
As soon as she thought that, Rishe remembered: Arnold had taken her face into his hands, tilted it upward, and brought his lips to hers. The breathless sensation she'd felt then was vividly revived, her cheeks burning in an instant.
Arnold's hands were cool against her heated skin. She wondered if he knew what she was remembering. That thought made it even harder to look him in the eyes, but Arnold showed her no mercy.
"Well? No arguments?"
"Your Highness! I thought you were angry at first, but you're enjoying this, aren't you?!"
"Why would I enjoy doing this to a mere trainee?" Arnold asked, squeezing Rishe's cheeks again.