***

Albert, who is in charge of the Imperial Knights, saw Leonhardt, who was standing in the center of the front row with other knights and warming up, and thought his eyes were having hallucinations.

“I really didn’t expect you at this hour.”

“It’s not good for a man to go back on his words.”

“Man…right. Your Highness is also a man.”

“What do you mean?”

“No… No, it’s nothing, nothing at all. Please come this way. Today, we’re going to learn how to use the sword lightly.”

‘The morning breeze is still cold, why did that kid take off his shirt and throw it away, what if he catches a cold? Do I have to look at the bare skin of the pale little boy besides the dark knights?’

It’s true that he looked weak, if he grew his hair a little bit and put on a girl’s clothes, wouldn’t ninety-nine out of a hundred doubt that he’s a boy? And the other one would be an old man with presbyopia.

Albert took out a wooden sword with a deep sigh at the thought of having to become the Prince’s swordsmanship teacher following the busy knight commander’s work.

“How can you protect your fiance when you are struggling so hard yourself?”

Said Touro Albert, full of intent to tease.

Leonhardt was able to grasp his wooden sword only after running twenty laps on the ground with the knights all morning.

Correction. Leonhardt was circling the field while all the knights neatly finished the morning run and started the morning match.

He clenched his teeth and forced his shaky knees to move.

Albert’s eyes were as sharp as a hawk, so whenever he staggered or slowed down even the slightest bit, he recalled his fiancee and urged himself.

Only until he managed to finish twenty laps did Albert give him the wooden sword.

Leonhardt took the wooden sword with his trembling hands.

‘ Damn it… Albert… As soon as I became an emperor, you were no longer the knight leader… Damn, didn’t I make you….the country’s military minister?’

Leonhardt took another deep breath and held the sword with his trembling hands with the pose as his soul remembered it.

‘I can’t believe I have to learn how to hold a wooden sword again at this age….’

Albert and the surrounding knights’ faces were seen distorted. Some of them were pouring water into their nostrils, not their throats. Albert was closely monitoring Leonhardt’s movements. The knights, too, rather than acting like adults watching the fights of the neighborhood kids initially, they were looking at him training seriously with an unbelievable gaze.

“… Your Highness.”

“What’s the matter Sir Albert?”

“Do you know about the Sword Master?”

“I’ve heard of it, but… .”

“I, Albert, with my sword, I assure you, Your Highness will surely attain the status of a sword master before becoming an adult.”

“What?”

Leonhardt snorted. Sword Master.

It couldn’t be possible. He himself knew that better than anyone.

‘For sure… ?’

Assure. What was he trying to say?

Leonhardt suddenly felt dizzy for a moment and staggered.

“Your Highness, Your Highness!”

Albert’s voice gradually faded away.

When the imperial doctor told them that they had gone too far for the first day, Albert and other knights were embarrassed.

“No, I… I thought I could do it because I was a good runner yesterday.”

“You’re still a child! You should’ve been a little cautious! At this rate, you’re putting your body at risk to become a knight!

“Huh! Well, none of us knights thinks he’s risking his life.”

“It’s nothing to brag about, so shut up. What’s wrong with me, anyway?”

“On the surface, it’s just exhaustion, so it’s fine. But just in case, excessive exercise for the time being….”

“No, I have to.”

“Your Highness!”

Leonhardt forced himself up.

Even the simple movement of raising his body felt difficult because his arms were shaking as he had barely swung the wooden sword.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Don’t overdo it.”

“I said I have to. Don’t make me say it twice.”

Leonhardt clenched his fists tightly as if to tear the sheet apart.

As for the fatigue of the body, he was still young, so if he gets a good night’s sleep and wakes up, he would be fine.

There was something more worrisome than that. The memories of his life were lost as if torn into pieces. Certainly, he was not sure of the whole sword master thing. Had he become a sword master? Didn’t it work?

It was the first time he had experienced the feeling of an empty memory, and it was a very unpleasant experience.

“But that’s enough for today. I’m speaking as your swordsmanship teacher following your doctor’s opinion.”

“… Shit.”

Leonhardt pressed his forehead and pouted his lips.

Albert took him to his bed. It was because Leonhardt’s thin body fluttered and fell like a paper doll the moment he stood on the floor saying he would go alone.

“Put me down this instant! I can walk on my feet!”

“I won’t stop you if you want to walk on all four instead of my two, but if you do, forgive me for being rude because there aren’t only one or two people who will come running to me muttering about imperial dignity… Ah, my lord!”

Leonhardt, who had been held in Albert’s arms like a princess, struggled and scratched the poor night’s face with his nails.

In the end, Albert, while pouring all kinds of abusive language inside, could only watch as Leonhardt walked on his own feet towards his bedroom.

Upon returning to his bedroom, exhausted, Leonhardt ran to his desk instead of going straight to bed.

And he opened the secret drawer that only he knew.

Among the gleaming crystals and old coins that boys his age collected as treasure, a dried flower ring appeared.

Leonhardt smiled, his face flushed red, and fell to his legs for a while, pondering for a long time before finally writing a letter with his trembling hands.

He wanted to see Elizabeth’s smiling face again.

Leonhardt read the completed letter again, thinking that it was not normal to write a letter with proper spelling, without any errors, unlike a child.

Are there any sentences that are too mature? Any difficult words? Would it be a child’s mistake to misspell this much?

[Dear Elysium

The early morning air is still cold, and the day is continuing to remain dazling spring. It seems like yesterday that we had a great time in the gaden, but it’s already been a week. How has your helth been? I send my regards with love and worrys.

The reason I picked up the pen like this is no different…

Your one and only servant and love. With plenty of love and affection.]

Perfect!

Leonhardt, who sent the letter with a happy heart, took the  cup of milk his nanny gave him on the spot, and then quietly laid down on the bed.

Instead of continuing the boring history class, he planned on taking a nap according to the doctor’s opinion.