Chapter 12 (2/2)

Tasel suspected his ears. It was very cold, so he had difficulty hearing clearly. But it was a woman’s voice for sure. Soon after, with a putong, he heard someone jumping into the water.

The owner of the voice seemed to be washing up in the pond.

‘Oh! shoot…… Hiding like this made the situation worse.’

Even if Tasel had no other intentions, if a naked man was to suddenly appear before a woman, then the other party would for sure, get startled.

‘Can’t help it. I have to wait until the lady leaves after washing.’

Thinking so Tasel quietly hid behind the rock. The pond water that felt refreshing a moment ago began to feel chilly.

His body was cold, still, he had to hide in the chilly pond water, unable to go out. Tasel felt his current state laughable. Suddenly he realized that he no longer could sense the presence of the woman.

‘Did she leave?’

Tasel raised his ears but the moment he was about to slowly and silently step out of the rock, someone suddenly came up from under the water and held a sharp piece of iron against his neck. It all happened in a flash.

Even a highly trained person like him couldn’t notice all these.

“I couldn’t distinguish that it was His Highness. I apologize for my mistake.”

When Tasel raised and looked towards the source of the voice, there stood Kasia in an upright posture wearing a thin, wet shirt.

“………”

“………”

Kasia thought that it must be the first time for Tasel to be in such a flustering situation. Though it was fortunate that Kasia was not naked, he was as nude as a newborn baby. He felt the cold air hitting his lower body.

He dropped the case when Kasia attacked Mikhail last time, but this time he couldn’t. Kasia turned her head because whatever was the situation she couldn’t keep looking at the naked body of the prince of a country. There was wet hair stuck onto her neck from which water was dripping drop by drop. Her skin dripping wet with the cold water shined beautifully in the moonlight.

She felt dizzy and embarrassed. She couldn’t come up with any topics. Maybe his tightly closed lips were caging swear words, thought Kasia. Her shirt which stuck to her body after getting wet beautifully showed off the well-hidden curvatures of her body. Even in such a situation, he felt flustered and embarrassed to even take a look beneath her clavicle.

“Ahem…. I would appreciate it if you won’t misunderstand. I came here before you.”

“I apologize for not recognizing you sooner, Your Highness.”

“…No need. In fact, I am more curious about how you found me?”

“When I went into the water, I felt it.”

“You felt it? I didn’t make any movement, I even hid my presence…. then? You, really…..”

“Though I know it a disrespectful remark, it would be better for both of us to not come any closer.”

Tasel unwittingly went towards Kasia but hastily took a step back and stopped the approach. Only then did Tasel come to his right mind. Even if he felt her interesting, in their current state, it would be a bit difficult to hold up a conversation.

“I will be leaving first. I sincerely apologize for not realizing your presence and disturbing you.”

Kasia deviated her line of vision from Tasel breaking the awkward situation. She bid her farewell and went out of the pond. The moment he realized Kasia was wearing her dress, Tasel hastily turned his head and turned his body towards the big stone where his dress and towel were kept.

His feet were slightly numb by the cold. As he was wiping his body, the presence of the other party disappeared. His eyes travelled towards the direction she disappeared for a moment. He once again turned back and slightly smiled as he wore his shirt.

‘However, I think it is really strange. Still, what Mikhail said was right. She really is quite amazing.’

For the first time, Tasel felt curiosity towards her rather than suspicion.

Earlier, if she wanted to, it would have been easy for her to take his life. But she realized his identity and backed off by herself. If she was an assassin after his life, then for certain, she wouldn’t have wasted such an opportunity, where there was no one present around. If she was not an assassin, she gained her skills after the Mana explosion.

Tasel mended his view on Kasia but felt that she must be carefully observed for the time being.

Next day, Tasel assigned his aide to keep an eye on Kasia for a few days and ordered him to report in detail about her daily routine. By the aide’s report, Kasia’s previous routine was very simple and too pitiful for words.

“All the while I watched Dame Kasia, her daily routine was always the same. She wakes up before the morning alarm and starts her morning exercise. She has her morning breakfast with Knight Krone. After that, she takes part in cleaning the barrack and shares some small talks with others over tea. Then she trains with her unit members in the drill hall or exercises alone. When it is time for lunch, she eats with Krone and takes a small rest. In the afternoon she goes into the small mountain at the rear and doesn’t come back till dinner. When I inquired about it with Knight Krone, he said that she trains there, all alone. Again, she has her food with Knight Krone and talks about her parents whom she doesn’t even remember. After that, she  retires for bed. Other than her excessive training compared to others, her daily routine is very simple, nothing special.”

Hearing his aide’s report on Kasia he fell into deep thought and slowly rubbed his chin.

Her daily routine really was a simple one, but it didn’t mean that it was not special. Because a female knight doing such arduous training, that too voluntarily, in the whole nation, won’t exist other than her. Such a special female knight had never existed before.

Tasel realized that soon it would be the time for Kasia to go up the mountain at the rear and instructed his aide.

“Today, when Dame Kasia will leaves for the mountain, inform me at once.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”