Azhrael pushed his exhausted body upright, his breathing heavy as he sat on the grass. His gaze drifted toward the training grounds on his right, where several individuals practiced their swordsmanship.
His silver-grey eyes sharpened, observing their every movement with intense focus. He analyzed their stances, the way they positioned their feet, the subtle shifts in their weight, and the precision of their strikes.
Every detail etched itself into his mind as though he were a sponge soaking up the intricacies of their swordsmanship.
In that moment, he fell into a trance. His mind calculated their movements, even predicting the trajectory of their strikes. It was as if his body and mind were instinctively attuned to the art of combat.
But the trance shattered when his senses flared, alerting him to something fast approaching.
Whoosh.
Azhrael swiftly tilted his head to the right, narrowly avoiding a small ball of water that zipped past him. He let out a breath, thinking it was over, but his reflexes weren't quick enough this time.
Splat!
Another water ball struck him lightly in the face, drenching him completely. The cold water dripped down his pale skin as he sat frozen for a moment, his hair plastered to his forehead.
He blinked, wiping the water from his eyes, and turned in the direction from where the mischief had come.
"Heehee."
The soft, melodic laughter echoed in his ears, instantly familiar. A small smile tugged at his lips as he shook his head.
"Was that funny?" he asked, his voice calm yet carrying a hint of amusement as his gaze landed on the person responsible.
Standing there was a striking beauty, her bluish-white locks cascading gracefully down her back. Her crystalline blue eyes sparkled mischievously, high cheekbones accentuating her delicate, porcelain skin that was devoid of a single blemish.
She was a stunninly gorgeous woman.
"Hehe, you were so focused, I couldn't control the urge to mess with you, you know?" Elizabeth said, a playful grin lighting up her beautiful face.
Azhrael sighed, shaking his head again but unable to keep the faint smile from his lips. "You really can't leave me in peace, can you?"
"Of course not!" she replied, tilting her head with a mock-serious expression. "If I did, who'd keep you from turning into some boring statue?"
"Is that what you call helping?" he countered, arching an eyebrow, though the humor in his tone betrayed his words.
Elizabeth shrugged with a grin. "It's my specialty. You should feel honored!"
Azhrael chuckled softly, the sound rare but genuine. "Right, honored. Next time, try not to honor me with water in my face."
"No promises," Elizabeth replied with a wink, her laughter ringing out.
"Heh, you know," Azhrael said, leaning back on his palms as his faint smile lingered. "If anyone sees you laughing like that, they'd be shocked to their core."
Elizabeth tilted her head, giving him a mock glare. "Oh? And why is that?"
"Because," he continued with a teasing tone, "the perfect lady of the academy, granddaughter of the headmaster himself, is supposed to be stoic, composed, and cold as ice. Not... this." He gestured toward her playful demeanor.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, a smirk playing on her lips. "Well, who cares what they think?" she said, crossing her arms and looking off to the side. "Most of them are greedy bastards anyway."
Azhrael raised an eyebrow, amused. "Greedy bastards?"
"Yeah," she replied, her crystalline blue eyes narrowing slightly as a flicker of irritation crossed her face. "Most of them only care about power, status, or how to curry favor with me because of my family. It's exhausting."
"Fair point," Azhrael said, his tone softening. "But that doesn't mean everyone is like that."
Elizabeth glanced at him, her expression relaxing into a smile again. "I know. You're different. You don't care about my title or my family. That's why I like messing with you."
"Ah, lucky me," Azhrael deadpanned, earning another soft laugh from her.
"You're welcome," she said with a playful wink before tossing another small water ball in his direction. This time, Azhrael leaned away just in time, shaking his head at her antics.
"Greedy bastards or not," he muttered, "you're definitely the most troublesome person I know."
"And proud of it," Elizabeth shot back, her grin wide and unapologetic.
"But, seriously, you looked like you were about to challenge the whole training ground!" Elizabeth asked, her arms crossed as she studied his drenched form.
"Well, I was learning swordsmanship," Azhrael replied nonchalantly, his gaze fixed on the still-training students.
"Hmm, learning swordsmanship by watching?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity, her blue locks cascading like silk.
Azhrael glanced at her, resisting the faint urge to tug at her adorably tilted cheeks. With a soft sigh, he replied, "Yes. You can see how they position themselves, their stances, how they shift their weight, and even the trajectory of their swings. There's a lot to learn just by observing."
Elizabeth blinked, genuinely surprised. "Huh. For real. That's... actually impressive. I don't think most people could pick up on all of that just by watching."
"It's not that hard," Azhrael said with a small shrug. "You just need to pay attention to the details."
"Well," she said with a grin, "I'm starting to think you're secretly a genius."
He smirked faintly, brushing off the comment. "Not a genius. Just... paying attention."
Elizabeth studied him for a moment, her playful demeanor softening. "You're different, Azhrael. Most people wouldn't even think to learn that way. They'd just charge in blindly or ask someone to teach them."
"Guess I'm not like most people," he replied simply, his gaze never leaving the training ground.
Her grandfather's words echoed in her mind as she stepped closer, closing the gap between them. Without hesitation, she pulled out her handkerchief and gently wiped the water from his face, her touch light and deliberate.
"No," she murmured, her voice so soft it was as though she were speaking only to herself. "You're not."
Azhrael raised an eyebrow at her, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "You know," he said playfully, "if the boys saw this, they'd probably kill me."
She met his gaze, unwavering, her voice calm yet firm. "You don't have to worry about that," she said, her tone carrying an almost protective edge. "I'll protect you."
His smirk faltered, his words caught in his throat. For the first time, Azhrael found himself at a loss. She said it with such sincerity, such unwavering conviction, that it left him utterly speechless.
"Okay" he simply answered.
"Oh, it seems grandfather is calling me." She said as her smartband in her arm ringed.
"See you next time, Bye Azh."
"Goodbye."