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In the gardens outside the Erudon estate reigned calm atmosphere, against which one blue-haired sword waving figure stood out. Ronan was practicing his swordsmanship, his movements swift and precise. Though he was young, he was already proficient in combat, having the talent and prospects to become a powerful warrior in the future.
I watched him from the side, sharply observing my friend’s every move. The protruding muscles, the graceful movements, the precision and calculation, as if before me was not my young friend, but a full-fledged aristocratic warrior, who had not yet revealed his potential to the maximum, but was already a cut above the rest. The silence around us was only broken by the sound of metal hitting air, and occasional rustle of wind through the trees.
As Ronan felt my eyes on him, a small smirk appeared on his lips. He paused his practice and turned to face me, leaning on his sword in a relaxed manner.
“Enjoying the show?’’
You catch me on staring, wiping a bead of sweat off your forehead.
I feel the slight warmth in my cheeks. Strange, but I feel it every time you show me your smile, still not knowing where it comes from. “Just watching to make sure the exercises are performed correctly.’’
“Oh, come on. I don’t need a chaperone to swing the sword properly. It’s almost affronting, you know. I’d prefer you to join me.’’
I didn’t want to say that watching you from the side was much more exciting. However, I brushed it off with another reason. This morning, Young Master and I were on a forest outing. A snake tried to attack him from behind. I noticed it right away, but threw the enemy off quite unluckily, falling and twisting my ankle. Therefore, it was a bit complicated to move actively, so I only shrugged as a response.
“Well… we don’t have to fight standing, after all.’’
You set aside your sword, leaning it against a nearby tree, and come closer.
“Young Master?.. What are you up to?’’
You were always easy to understand, but mesmerized by your expressive gaze up close, I don’t even get the chance to understand what’s going to happen. An electric shock pierces me when your deft hands fall on my sides, beginning to skillfully knead them.
“N-no… No!- Don’t do this. Ronan, please!- Ahah! Ahahahahah!!’’ The only thing I manage to cry out when you start counting my ribs. Oh, how long it has been since I received this sophisticated torture from you. Back then your little hands weren’t so fast. You train a lot in your free time, I can tell…
“So, Ronan now? And what happened to Young Master?’’
“You can’t tickle your rival on a battlefield!’’ I don’t react to your teasing and try to appeal to reason, writhing like an eel and trying to somehow reduce the ticklish feelings.
“Don’t talk me round! You’re just trying to dodge the tussle.’’ You look urbanely at my ankle and then add: “Can't run away?’’
What nonsense, of course I can. How could such a trifle stop me when I was helping you fight on the battlefield? But you actually think that your sweet attack had disarmed me in this state, and being partly right, you reluctantly stop, although you don’t remove your hands from my sides.
“There’s no way I’d run away from you, Young Master. My duty is to always be by your side,’’ I say, trying to sound formal and convincing. But uncontrollable flashes of a smile keep playing on my lips, bringing me a softness that, with your strength, you have long since completely ceased to need.
“Always?’’ You ask again, as if you’re unsure yourself, and then make a face like you’ve realized how stupid it would be to doubt it. I chuckle slightly — there’s no point in repeating it twice, since I don’t need to prove how loyal I am to you and how much you mean to me anymore.
Hearing no answer, your playful hands reach for my sides again. Even though you are cunning, I am still more experienced, so a fleeting smile escapes my lips, and I grab your hands again, squeezing them tighter. Warmer. “Until the end of my days,’’ my serious eyes say, meeting yours.
But you know it yourself.