Chapter 38

Yelena’s eyes were full of embarrassment.

This man must not be able to objectively judge the extent of the strength he had in his hand.

Not just this bruise, but even a severe wound would feel a ticklish sensation if the medicine was applied in this manner.

“……….it tickles.”

Duke Mayhard applied the medicine again as if he was unaware of Yelena’s answer.

‘It’s ticklish, so maybe I should ask him to apply it more aggressively.’

Yelena, who was conflicted, just kept quiet.

She endured the tickle and silently watched Duke Mayhard look for more areas to apply the medicine.

He had finished applying medicine to her wrist and was moving farther and farther away from the area so she asked.

“You.”

“Yes.”

“When did you first hold a sword?”

Due to the unexpected question, Duke Mayhard’s gaze turned to Yelena as he closed the medicine bottle.

“It’s just……. Your hands are rough. And you have a lot of calluses.”

It was not exactly his hands that were rough, but his palms.

The back of his hands was soft.

In truth, it was not a fact that she had discovered now, but rather, the experience and feeling she remembered when she squeezed his hand in his office last time.

Yelena thought so but soon corrected herself.

‘What do you mean by squeeze? I only touched it lightly.’

While Yelena was distorting her own past actions, Duke Mayhard replied.

“The first time I held a sword was at six years old.”

“When you were so young?”

Yelena recalled the age when her brother, Edward, first learned swordsmanship.

It was twelve, that’s what she thought.

‘Six years old……’

Yelena’s eyes clouded over as if she was pursuing the distant past.

What was she doing then?

She couldn’t remember it well, but she probably didn’t know that swords existed in the world.

No, she had read a fairy tale book about a knight defeating a villain, so she knew about it.

She just hadn’t known how it actually looked.

‘It was this and that.’1

Anyway, it was a long time ago. She was too young then.

Yelena tried to picture in her mind–the six-year-old Duke Mayhard holding a sword.

He might have noticed her attempt, as Duke Mayhard added a brief comment.

“It was terrible.”

“That…….”

‘I don’t think so,’ Yelena unconsciously tried to defend it but stopped.

When she thought about it, it would be difficult for a six-year-old to wield a sword plausibly.

First of all, the length of the sword would be about the height of the child.

‘Was it more?’

As Duke Mayhard said, he may have looked terrible.

However, Yelena came up with a different expression instead of a harsh comment about it being terrible.

“……… Rather than that, the clumsy appearance must have been quite cute.”

After she said it, she really thought it must have been.

Yelena’s face was slightly flushed, and her voice rose.

“Isn’t that right? I think it would’ve been so cute. Didn’t people around you say that?”

“……Well.”

“I’m sure they would have. You’re too old now to remember about it now.”

Realizing her words were misleading, Yelena quickly added.

“I meant that a long time has passed. I’m not saying that you’re old. You understand, right?

Duke Mayhard smiled lightly instead of responding.

It seemed that he understood since he was smiling.

Yelena laughed with relief.

“Well… you’re not objectively old. Are you five years older than me?”

Yelena was nineteen years old now.

As far as she knew, Duke Mayhard was twenty-four.

“That’s perfect. I’ve been told since a long time ago that if you’re five years apart, you won’t require any other conditions when you get married.”

Although she made it up on the spot, Yelena said it very naturally.

Duke Mayhard did not seem to have any intention of pointing out that her claim was the first of its kind.

“Is that so?”

“Of course.”

Yelena glanced at Duke Mayhard and then added.

“There’s also a saying that if two people give birth to a child, the child will become a great talent in the future.”

“…….”

“What great talent……it’s said that they would save the world?”

“…….”

“What to do then, are you going to save the world with me…….?”

“It’s late at night.”

Duke Mayhard reached out and turned off the lamp by his bedside.

Tsk, it didn’t work.

1. “This and that” is a phrase used to describe various things, typically unspecified and/or trivial.