7 - Chapter

«Ha ha ha ha, Emilia, you're a real genius. A real stupid genius!» - I began mentally.

Why, well, why did I choose to stand out? I just thought that Lucian was strong, that he was clearly not an ordinary boy. And now I'm standing here, sword in hand, in front of this icy handsome man with a look on his face that says, «Are you serious?"»

«Well, Emilia, congratulations. You've officially made the list of the dumbest decisions you've ever made in your past life and this one,» I grumbled to myself.

- Princess, are you ready? - His calm voice snapped me out of my self-doubt.

Am I ready? No, of course not. But there's no turning back now.

- Of course I'm ready, – I smiled, trying to look confident even though my hands seemed to be shaking slightly.

The knights standing around us looked at us with interest, some even began to whisper.

Well, Emilia, let's show everyone how you can... fall.

- Attack first, – Lucian suggested with a slight chuckle, clearly amused by the spectacle.

All right, Emilia, don't embarrass yourself. Just take a step, swing and pray you don't hit yourself in the leg.

I took the first step forward, swung my rapier... and felt it slip from my hands. Lucian didn't even flinch.

- Like this? - He raised an eyebrow slightly, clearly holding back a smile.

Stupid Emilia. Stupid Emilia. This is the worst idea I've ever had in my life!

Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I theatrically covered my face with my hands to add drama.

- How can you be so heartless? - I sobbed. - You didn't even give me a chance! I'm just a little girl, and you... you're a older than me!

The knights standing around me began to look at each other. Several of them were clearly trying to suppress smiles, but one of them apparently couldn't stand it and coughed to hide a chuckle.

Lucian seemed to remain completely indifferent. His sapphire eyes looked at me with a slight squint, as if he were considering how believable my «show» was.

- You challenged me to a fight, Princess, – he said calmly. - If you expected me to give in, you don't understand swordsmanship.

His cold tone made me raise my head. Well, wow! This little...

- You're just afraid you'll lose! - I shouted out, adding to the drama.

Now some of the knights were already laughing loudly. Lucian frowned, clearly unhappy that the situation was out of control.

- Stop making a spectacle of yourself, Princess, –he said, taking a step toward me. - This is a training field, not a theater.

His words made me flinch slightly. «Well, wow! He's also reading morals!"»

- Who says you can't do both? - I blurted out, quickly wiping away my tears. - By the way, theater is an art, just like fencing.

Lucian sighed heavily, clearly deciding it was useless to argue with me.

- The lesson is over, – he said, turning to leave.

«Good,» I thought, holding back a gloating smirk. Let everyone see how heartless he is.

Where will he go without me? I won't leave you alone. The next lesson was History.

– Today's topic is how the Nocton family split into two and the Curse of Harmony, – the teacher began, her calm speech a bit lulling. - In the year ××, during the reign of Emperor Alexander, it was decided to give the throne to an illegitimate son, Erik. And the rightful heir, Dorian Nocton, was given the title of ArchDuke and sent north. This decision caused a deep rift in the family.

The Teacher paused to allow everyone to digest what had been said. I looked at Lucian sitting next to me and couldn't help but notice how attentively he was listening.

- As for the curse of harmony, I think we're all aware of it, – she continued. - But let's not dwell on it too much. In short, the curse struck the family, and though the signs of the curse disappeared centuries ago, the sapphire eyes remain as a reminder. People believe that Harmony has forgiven the Noctons, and that's the end of it.

- Excuse me, but what are the signs of a curse? - I asked, unable to bear it. My curiosity got the better of me.

The teacher looked at me, a little surprised, but seeing my sincere interest, she continued.

- The Curse of Harmony originally manifested itself in various physical and mental ailments. It is believed that those who were cursed suffered misfortune, loss of loved ones, and inner conflicts. But, as I said, these phenomena disappeared many centuries ago. The only thing that remained were the sapphire eyes, which are the symbol of the Nocton family to this day. People believe that it is a sign that the curse has been completely lifted.

She paused to give everyone a chance to digest the information.

- But somehow, – she continued, – the curse no longer brings evil. Sapphire eyes are now seen as a blessing rather than a punishment.

I wondered as I looked at Lucian, who did indeed have sapphire eyes. So is his look a sign of an ancient curse or just a legacy of his lineage?

- If you want to know more, I suggest you ask Dr. Astil. He's been studying this curse for years, – she added with a slight smile.

My face immediately darkened. Oh no, not that nerd again! Dr. Astil was the same doctor who spent hours asking me stupid questions, and now he was the one studying the curse? I didn't want to see him again.

- Thanks, I will think about it, – I replied to avoid further questions.

The teacher nodded, not noticing my obvious irritation, and continued to explain the subject.

The last lesson of the day was horseback riding. I was a little surprised to see that the lesson was outdoors. Despite the cold, Lucian didn't seem to miss the training. We walked down a long alley where several horses stood, each with a perfectly groomed mane and shiny coat. The horses were of different colors, from light to dark, and I noticed how many of them looked strong and graceful. I could have watched them for hours, but my mind was elsewhere.

Why am I still with Lucian? Why am I still with him when he's cold and still acting weird? Maybe I should just leave? But somehow the thought that he was also taking this class kept me close to him.

Lucian stood off to the side and I noticed his eyes were fixed on the horses. Does he really like riding so much? And what was I supposed to do? I would have loved to try to get on a horse, but I didn't know how to approach it properly.

- Princess, would you like me to help you choose a horse? - Denis, Lucian's servant, came over and offered his help.

I wondered. If I chose a horse, I would have to learn to ride it, and that wasn't easy. On the other hand, I could use this moment to get closer to Lucian.

Hohoho, that's your fault, Emilia. You thought you could just get on a horse like an aristocrat who's been riding since childhood, didn't you? Silly me, really. Why did I even get on that horse? I don't even know how to ride it. And now I've decided to offer Lucian a race. Well done.

- Would you like to compete? - I challenged him.

What the hell am I talking about? Why would I do that? It would only make me look ridiculous.

- I'm fine, thank you. I don't want to watch your show, – Lucian replied with a cold chuckle, not acknowledging me.

I felt a lump in my chest from shame. I was embarrassing myself again. As soon as I remembered that I couldn't ride a horse, I felt uncomfortable.

- Oh, my God, I'm falling... Aah, aah, no... - I screamed in panic and closed my eyes. Everything around me became a blur and I felt myself losing control.

But suddenly something soft touched my shoulders and I felt myself being held. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Lucian standing in front of me, holding me in his arms as if I weighed nothing.

- What's the scene now? - he said sarcastically, looking at me with his cold sapphire eyes.

At that moment I realized that I'd failed even more.

- Haha, just a little mistake. And you got in the way. It's all because of you, – I said, trying to hide my panicked reaction behind a slight smile.

- Is that so? - he replied with a challenge in his voice. - Then I should just leave you.

I felt his hands start to let go of me, and I grabbed onto him in a panic, unable to keep my balance.

- Okay, okay, I don't know how to ride a horse! And I don't even know how to fence, – I yelled, realizing I couldn't look any more ridiculous.

- I wish you could, – he said with a slight chuckle, holding me in his arms.

I felt his gaze soften a little, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that he was almost laughing at me.

- Do you realize how funny you look? - he went on, holding back a laugh.

- It's not my fault! - I rushed to apologize, not knowing what else to say. - It's just... I've never been in a situation like this before.

Lucian shrugged a little and finally put me down.

- Okay, that's enough for today. You better practice so you don't fall next time. - His voice was almost indifferent, but there was a slight irony in his eyes.

- Next time? - I asked. - I thought you'd be against it.

- What, you think I'm going to avoid you because you fell off a horse? - he replied with a slight smile. - We still have time before the Winter Ball, so you can still learn.

I felt myself relax a bit. Even though he was mocking, there was something reassuring in his words. Maybe he wasn't as cruel as he seemed at first.

- Okay, – I said, trying to regain my confidence. - I promise I won't fall again.

- We'll see, – he said, raising an eyebrow. - But if you do fall, I hope you at least make it to the next training session.

I couldn't help but grin, realizing that he probably liked seeing me try to fight back.