Of course, no one knew better than me that this was not true.
But at that moment, Ethan was so annoying that I wanted to tease him, even just a little.
Mile looked confused and was quick to explain.
“What? No, that’s not true. Bruno tried his best against the Duke and still lost. I assure you because I saw it myself.”
"Yes, yes. I understand. No need to apologise. I'll take it, as Mr. Mayle says."
“No, Duchess, it is the truth. Please believe me.”
“That's enough, Mile,” Ethan interrupted in a hoarse voice.
“I told them not to underestimate, but in the end, only the person himself knows how much effort he put in. If she wants to think that way, so be it.”
...what? How unbearable.
I had expected him to become prickly when his pride was challenged, but his nonchalant reaction made me even more annoyed.
“Exactly. Moreover, even if that knight tried his best, he's not the strongest in the knight rank, right? To prove his prowess, he would at least have to defeat someone like Master Mile.”
An awkward silence fell around us.
In the original story, Ethan and Mael never fought.
Even if Ethan brought up the topic, Mael always found an excuse to refuse.
Mael was considered a swordsman genius from a young age, and it was said that he was the strongest character in terms of pure martial ability.
It was clear that even Ethan couldn't defeat Mael.
“Interesting,” Ethan muttered quietly.
"Even Camille suggested it. What do you think? Will you train with me?" Ethan's words put Mile in an embarrassing situation.
“Your Highness,” Mael began.
"Why not? I've always wanted to train with you. If you don't mind, I'd like to take this opportunity to learn a thing or two."
Although Ethan's words were humble, raw determination radiated from him.
“I must refuse. Your Majesty has just finished training with Bruno,” Mael said firmly.
“No problem. My body is warm now.”
“That won't do any good. How can we test our skills if we're not at our best? Let's put it off until later,” Mael insisted.
Ethan narrowed his eyes and rested his wooden sword on his shoulder.
"when?"
“We can decide that later. For now, please sip water and rest. Even in summer, it can get cold quickly once the sweat cools down,” Mael said, then turned to me, “Duchess, since you are here, can you please take care of the Duke?”
“What? Oh, yeah. Sure...”
"I'll leave it to you then. I have some pending business," Mael said, bowing slightly before quickly leaving.
I wanted to annoy Ethan, but it seems I ended up annoying Mile instead...
I sighed quietly, feeling a little guilty.
"Okay, that's it. Let's go. Where did you leave your clothes?"
“I'll take care of it. Don't worry.”
Ethan suddenly turned away from me and started walking.
I blinked in surprise, then hurried to catch up with him.
“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Are you angry?” I asked, quickening my steps to keep up with him.
Ethan looked at me in surprise, "What are you talking about? Just don't come any closer. You said you hate the smell of sweat."
“Oh...”
I suddenly understood. Is he still upset about what I said earlier?
That's why he asked me to stop early, I thought, feeling somewhat embarrassed and guilty.
“It's okay. I don't smell any sweat.”
“That's not true. I sweated twice as much as I did then.”
“I wasn't talking about you then. I meant I didn't want to get close because I was sweating and I didn't want you to smell bad.”
Ethan's steps faltered at that.
"…truly?"
“What do I gain from lying?”
“If it was a misunderstanding, why didn’t you correct it then?”
“I didn't think it was necessary. I didn't know it would bother you this much.”
“……”
Ethan pursed his lips and didn't say another word.
We quickly arrived at the barracks next to the training grounds.
Ethan picked up a shirt and quickly put it on.
“It hasn't wiped away all the sweat yet,” she noted.
“I'll shower and change soon anyway.”
“But it's uncomfortable. Give me the towel,” I insisted.
Ethan looked at me with interest, “Are you going to wipe it for me?”
“…Why? Is this a problem?” I asked defiantly, feeling my cheeks warm.
Honestly, I didn't know why those words came out of my mouth.
Was it because I felt guilty for harassing Ethan earlier?
Or is it because I only now realize how much it bothered him? Or simply because I wanted to see his naked body up close?
I'm not sure. But what is certain is that I cannot take back what I said.
Ethan handed me the towel without a word and then took off his shirt again.
I approached Ethan.
For some reason, I felt nervous, and my mouth was dry.
Up close, his body looked more like a work of art. Tiny beads of sweat cling to the lines of his muscles, giving them a sexy sheen.
Now that I was closer, I could actually smell the sweat.
But it wasn't foul or disgusting, just strangely ordinary.
I swallowed and reached for the towel.
I started with his chest and then moved to his abs, and I could feel the hardness of his muscles even through the thick fabric.
“Is it hot?” Ethan asked suddenly.
"What? Why do you ask?" I stammered, surprised.
“Your face is red”
"Well, it's hot. It's summer. And unlike you, I'm fully dressed," I replied.
“This must be uncomfortable.”
“Yes, you won't know unless you try it,” I said faster than usual because of my nervousness. I wiped his sides and then moved to his back.
If his chest was impressive, his back was even more impressive. It was wide and sturdy, and a perfect V-shape.
I felt a little dizzy from the sight.
I never thought I was fond of men's backs...maybe I've never seen a real one before.
Sorry, my eye, I missed something.
I wiped his back slowly and thoroughly, almost feeling remorseful that I had managed to remove the sweat.
"Are you done?" Ethan asked.
“…yes”
I felt very tired after I wiped his entire body.
Ethan put on his shirt and turned to me.
“Your face is still red. I will call a cart so you can go back to your room and rest.”
“I think I should do it,” she agreed.
Ethan paused, fastening his cufflinks, then looked at me suddenly.
“By the way, what did you want to talk about earlier?”
“Oh, this...”
I realized I had completely forgotten my original goal.
The visual scene has forgotten him.
How can I raise this topic now? Should I wait later?
While I was hesitating, Ethan stared at me and then spoke.
“Did you come to ask for an apology?”
"What? What do you mean...?"
Then I remembered my words.
“It's your loss if you don't believe me. When the truth comes out, you'll apologize for doubting me.
“Okay. "If you're sure, I'll wait and see."
I remembered that we hadn't talked about it since that day.
At first, I expected Ethan to come to me with questions after hearing Mael's report. When he didn't, I was confused but relieved.
Ethan probably felt the same, albeit for different reasons.
I looked at Ethan and smiled slightly.
“That's right. Now that you mention it, I said something like that, didn't I? I almost forgot. So, now that you know the truth, would you like to apologize?”
“...no”
I narrowed my eyes at his answer, “No?”
"At that time, I didn't know what was going on. You just insisted on waiting for an explanation from Mile. Even if my tone was a little harsh, you can't blame me for that."
“...Are you making excuses like a coward now?”
“It's not an excuse, just a statement of facts. Even if you're upset because of me, there should be some understanding of the situation.”
“Oh really?”
Of course, he wasn't entirely wrong.
That's why I forgot about it.
I was also a bit nervous because of the heat. But if I was really angry with Ethan, I would have planned to force him to apologize.
“Anyway...you did a good job with this,” Ethan said.
"What did you say?"
Ethan looked away slightly and then cleared his throat, “I said you did well… for Dumont.”