With the way Arnold was holding her, Rishe was barely able to speak. "Prince Arnold, please back off for a second!"
"I don't think I will."
"But what if someone—"
She heard footsteps. Arnold must have heard them too, but he didn't let go.
"Hey, Lu? Lucius, where are y—"
Just the person she'd expected stepped around to the back of the training grounds. Their eyes met awkwardly, and Rishe gulped.
It was Fritz.
"Oh…"
He was witnessing precisely what Rishe didn't want anyone to see. Arnold had her up against a wall, holding her face with both hands, staring intently at her.
"P-Prince Arnold?!" Fritz yelped without thinking, then hurried to correct himself. "I-I mean, Your Highness! Huh? Wait, Lu?! Why?!"
"Fritz! It's not what you think!"
He was just toying with her as a joke. Rishe needed to explain Arnold's behavior before it was misunderstood.
But before she could, Fritz yelled, his voice cracking. "S-so sorry for interrupting!"
Interrupting what?!
And just like that, he was off and running.
"Hey! Fritz, wait!" Rishe called after him, but he made a beeline for…anywhere but here.
"Somebody saw us just now, Your Highness! In fact, he got a good look! I mean, it was Fritz, so I'm sure it'll be fine, but who knows what kind of rumors someone else might spread!"
"And what will happen if someone spreads rumors? Would that be a problem?"
"It'd be a big problem!"
"Oh? How so?"
"Well…"
"Yes?"
Mortified, Rishe said meekly, "Well, don't you have a fiancée…?"
Arnold froze, and a strange silence followed. Rishe wasn't sure what to make of it. Eventually, he said, "I suppose I do."
"R-right! You shouldn't be seen in such a place with a mere trainee."
"That being said…"
He pinched her cheeks again, and she let out a strange yelp. "Mrph!"
"This 'mere trainee' is speaking to me in an awfully relaxed manner."
"Urgh…" Rishe made up her mind. She felt bad for Theodore, who'd helped her, but this was as far as she could go.
"I apologize…"
"What are you apologizing for, hmm?" Arnold said. "Can you explain to me what it is you've done?"
"I-I dressed up like a man and snuck into the knight cadet training in secret! I apologize sincerely!"
"Good girl."
Arnold released her, and Rishe collapsed to the ground, finally freed.
"Haah…"
Her cheeks felt strange and still hot, but the imprint of Arnold's cold fingers lingered on them. She laid her own hands over top and breathed in deeply.
Maybe Arnold really was enjoying this. He looked down at Rishe—who was more exhausted from this than from her training—and asked, "So? What are you scheming this time?"
"I just wanted to get in better shape."
"…"
"I mean it!" His suspicion vexed her, but she had deceived him. She couldn't lay blame. "Why did you even come to oversee the training in the first place?"
Arnold paused, then answered with a face devoid of expression. "I heard one of the knight cadets had been referred by Theodore."
That would be Rishe. It surprised her that Arnold cared whom his brother referred, though.
Prince Theodore said Arnold wouldn't come to the training, but he did!
That made Rishe happy, and she couldn't wait to tell Theodore about it.
I wonder how he'll react.
"Anyway, back to my question."
"Eep!"
"I'll ask again. Why are you doing this?"
"As I said, to get in better shape…"
"That can't be your only reason. There are plenty of other ways to hone your body. You could take on a personal instructor, for instance." Arnold glared down at Rishe where she crouched on the ground.
"Let's see… You didn't want anyone pulled from their duties just for your sake. You wanted to see the techniques used in our official training. And you didn't want anyone discriminating based on your gender or social status, so you disguised yourself as a man. From what I know of your thought patterns, that's my best guess."
He's seen right through me!
"I still don't understand, though. Obviously, the training routines are put together based on a man's stamina and strength. You should have known that you'd barely be able to keep up."
He'd even pointed out Rishe's precise initial worry, making it even harder for her to explain herself.
"I…figured this training would be worth it because I'm so lacking in stamina and strength."
"Your swordplay revolves around agility and the precision of your strikes. Additional stamina might help you, but you needn't focus on strength training."
Rishe guessed that Arnold wanted to tell her to stop participating in the cadets' training.
Although he isn't demanding it outright.
Earlier, he'd said he was trying not to break any of his promises to Rishe. That obviously referred to the agreement they'd struck when he proposed to her.
Arnold had vowed to grant any of Rishe's wishes if they were in his power.
That's why he's asking me to explain myself. If I can convince him, I'll be allowed to stay until it's over.