The Northern Duke’s Daughter Will Never Fall

Chapter 72: Those Who Dwell Near Ink Become Blackened (3)

Contrary to Astrid’s suspicions, Leopold had brought her to the training hall with the pure intention of showing her his swordsmanship practice. He had no ulterior motives beyond that. 

Truthfully, he had simply missed the opportunity to spend time alone with her lately, which was another reason for inviting her here.

While they had been alone while studying together, those moments were strictly about academics, leaving no room for personal interaction. Leopold found this slightly disappointing.

“Oh, you’re using a one-handed sword?”

The sword Leopold picked up was a wooden training sword, weighted to mimic a real one-handed sword. 

As a magic knight, Leopold typically used a rapier, but a one-handed sword, though similar in single-handed usage, had clear differences.

“Of course. I am a knight first, even as a magic knight. That doesn’t mean I only use rapiers.”

With a light smile, Leopold swung the sword a few times, testing its balance, before turning to Astrid.

“What do you think, Astrid? Could I ask you to spar with me for a bit?”

“There’s no reason I can’t, but are you sure about this?”

The real Astrid had been feeling unusually subdued lately—not due to the struggles of academy life like her imposter, but because of her own introspection.

It’s said that the view changes depending on where you stand. She hadn’t understood the full meaning of that phrase before, but in this peculiar situation, it suddenly resonated.

Taking a step back, Astrid was able to see herself objectively. Things she hadn’t noticed when she acted and thought independently became clear when she observed from a distance.

She had once believed that Leopold undoubtedly loved her. But now, seeing things more clearly, she realized that wasn’t the case.

Leopold didn’t like her. In fact, he might have disliked her—at least, until recently. That was the first shock.

The second shock came when Leopold started showing genuine interest in her. 

The problem was that it wasn’t the real Astrid he was drawn to, but rather the false Astrid, the one controlling her body in certain moments.

That was the issue.

“I could handle it, but…”

Astrid hesitated. She was well aware that she lacked feminine charm. Even if it was just sparring, there was a chance she might lose control. 

That had happened often in duels with her master. She would become so engrossed that her rationality would vanish, and the fight would escalate to a ferocious, memory-erasing brawl.

She had stopped sparring altogether for that reason, and if it happened again here, it could spell disaster.

“You should do it instead.”

It was something she couldn’t bring herself to admit aloud.

***

As expected, Leopold couldn’t match Astrid.

“He struggled quite a bit.”

“Can you blame him? You would’ve had a hard time too.”

“I won’t deny that. But I didn’t think Prince Leopold would go that far.”

Astrid had taken it easy on him by not using her greatsword. The training hall’s weapon rack didn’t include greatswords, as they weren’t commonly used. 

Instead, she picked up a two-handed sword, which she was somewhat familiar with. 

However, the imbalance in weight made it unwieldy, so she eventually discarded it and sparred barehanded.

Even so, Astrid dominated the match with ease, despite Leopold’s one-handed sword. But then, something unexpected happened.

“It’s hot. Astrid, may I take a short break?”

“…Sure.”

With Astrid’s agreement, Leopold set down his weapon.

He removed his uniform’s cloak, folded it neatly, and placed it on a shelf. Then, he took off his jacket and hung it up.

“All right, let’s continue.”

They resumed sparring, but it wasn’t long before Astrid also felt the heat.

“Your Highness, may I remove some layers too?”

It was strangely warm. Though summer was approaching, the heat felt unusually intense. 

Astrid’s stamina should have kept her from sweating so easily, but she undeniably felt overheated.

Astrid took off her cloak, folded it, and removed her outer jacket, hanging it beside Leopold’s. As she turned around, she froze.

Leopold had completely removed his shirt and was wiping sweat from his upper body with a towel.

Astrid couldn’t focus.

She wasn’t the type to care about a man’s bare torso, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to look directly at Leopold.

His muscles weren’t overly bulky, but they bore the refined definition of someone who had trained consistently for years.

The compact musculature of Leopold’s torso was a testament to his dedication.

Astrid found herself unable to look at him properly, her thoughts scattered. 

Though she didn’t lose the spar, she struggled to concentrate throughout.

“Prince Leopold’s physique is impressive.”

“It really is. Those muscles must’ve taken years of effort to develop.”

After the sparring ended, Astrid sat on a ventilated chair to cool off. She was hot.

“It’s unusually warm.”

“It is… very warm.”

The indoor training hall was enchanted to regulate its temperature and ventilate automatically, making the heat seem unnatural.

Leopold, aware of the hall’s enchantments, began to suspect something was off.

“This is strange.”

Handing Astrid a fresh towel, Leopold’s fingers brushed hers briefly. 

A spark of electricity seemed to jolt through both of them, shooting down their spines.

“Ah.”

“P-Pardon me.”

It had only been a light touch, but the sensation was startling. Leopold quickly stepped back, his gaze drawn to Astrid’s flushed face.

Her mint-green eyes lowered, her cheeks a deep shade of red.

The elegant curve of her nose, her slightly dark red lips, and her sharp jawline were complemented by her graceful neckline and delicate collarbones. 

Below that, the soft yet firm rise of her chest drew his attention before he caught himself.

What am I even thinking?!

Something was clearly amiss. Leopold’s thoughts raced, and he decided he needed to leave.

Astrid felt just as strange. Leopold’s physique was utterly different from Ashray’s. His compact yet defined muscles, broad shoulders, tautly pulled lines, and the clear contours of his chest and abs were captivating.

Her heart raced uncontrollably.

She had the overwhelming urge to reach out and touch his muscles—to feel them, to stroke them, and even… even…

“Just once… I wish I could hold him.”

The real Astrid screamed in her mind, but the voice was distant, drowned out by her rising desires.

Astrid poured all her energy into suppressing her impulses. She desperately wanted to hug Leopold, to breathe in his scent. Even the faint trace of his sweat in the air felt intoxicating.

Just once. She wanted to taste him.

As Leopold turned around, his back muscles came into view along the line where his spine would be. 

Every detail was strikingly defined—not just his latissimus dorsi but also the tautly raised erector spinae, teres major, teres minor, and infraspinatus. There wasn’t a single muscle that lacked prominence.

“Y-Your Highness.”

Astrid could no longer suppress her impulses. Without realizing it, she sprang up from the ventilated chair. Her body moved instinctively as she reached out to grab Leopold’s hand.

But just before she could, Leopold walked away, grasping the handle of the training room door.

He tried to open it wide—but instead of swinging open, the door let out a metallic clatter.

No matter how many times he turned the handle, the result was the same. The door wouldn’t budge, only emitting that frustrating noise.

Leopold finally turned back to speak to Astrid.

“Astrid, the door won’t op—”

His words caught in his throat.

Standing before him wasn’t the elegant and composed Astrid he knew.

Instead, there was a silver leopard, her face flushed red, panting heavily as she lunged at him with ferocious intensity.