The morning sky was clear. In the western training yard of the palace, the air was still fresh and moist with dew. The heroes had gathered, dressed in battle gear, preparing for their first joint training with the royal knights.
Ren stood a little away, carrying two black oak training swords. He was just a servant, not part of the main group, but thanks to the "recognition" he had gained since the festival, one of the palace commanders had given Ren permission to join the training for the "mental and physical readiness of the royal servants."
The reason was simple and reasonable. But only Ren knew his true intentions—he wanted to get closer. Physically.
And the goddess of fate seemed to like this game, because when the names of the training partners were announced, the coach's voice echoed loudly:
"Ren! You're with Princess Knight Alicia!"
Several people turned their heads in surprise. Hiro simply smiled, patting Ren on the shoulder. "Wow, you're lucky to be sparring with the Princess."
Ren simply nodded in response. In his chest, the calm beating had turned into a warhammer.
Alicia walked up to him, wearing a training uniform that was tight around her chest and thighs. Her face was sweaty, but graceful. "Make sure you don't go too easy on me," she said, half joking.
Ren bowed. "I'll give it my all."
They stood face to face in the center of the arena. Wooden swords raised. The first steps were light, like a regular training exercise. But from the moment the blades first touched, Ren knew… his and Alicia's bodies would speak to each other more than just slashes and blocks.
The first impact sent Ren stumbling a step back. Alicia was strong. Very strong. But she wasn't untrained. Ren parried, twisted, and as he stepped to the right, his shoulder brushed Alicia's chest—a flash. Just a flash. But enough to make the princess's eyes narrow.
The next attack was faster. Alicia attacked from above, Ren ducked, then turned—his hand brushing Alicia's stomach delicately to keep his balance. Ren's palm touched the thin skin beneath the thin fabric of the uniform. Soft. Warm.
Alicia said nothing. But the look in her eyes was different. Her focus was broken. And Ren, who was so sensitive to emotional changes, registered it all like a hunter at the scent of first blood.
They circled again. Ren retreated, then advanced quickly. He launched a strike at her right shoulder, which Alicia parried, but Ren let his sword bounce off and "fall" to the ground—a trick that forced her to close in even further.
As their bodies collided, Ren locked eyes with Alicia.
"Sorry, I slipped…"
His whisper almost touched Alicia's lips. The distance between them was no more than a breath. A breath that now felt shaky.
Ren touched her waist—as if to stop her body from falling. But from there he traced it smoothly to the end of her spine. The movement was natural, like part of "defense efforts," but Alicia's body stiffened.
She took a quick breath, hitting Ren's chest with the tip of her sword to push him back.
"Focus," she said quickly. Her face was pink, even though the morning temperature was not yet hot.
Ren just nodded. But a small smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
The next attack came harder. Alicia seemed to be trying to remove the distraction from her mind. But every time Ren parried, he used a micro-touch technique—fingers touching her wrist, the back of his hand touching her hip, even his knee had time to rub the princess's inner thigh. All "unintentional," all too fast to look suspicious.
In the corner of the arena, Hiro watched with a smile. "Ren is quite fast, huh," he commented to Akira.
Akira just stared blankly. "His body reflexes are sharp. But his movements seem to be holding something back."
"Yeah, maybe because he's against a princess," Daiki replied with a laugh.
Neither of them realized how Ren's every little touch was part of a scheme. A technique he learned from an old scroll: Movements that touch without seeming to touch. A bond of lust built through skin, not words.
After twenty minutes of practice, Alicia's body was starting to sweat. Her blonde hair stuck to her temples. Her breath was ragged. And when Ren attacked with a quick move and "slipped" so that his left hand was gripping the princess' upper arm, Alicia didn't resist. She just stared at him… then quickly looked away, covering her red cheeks with the back of her hand.
"That's enough for today," she said, her voice hoarse than usual.
"Thank you for your guidance, Princess," Ren said, bowing deeply.
As he turned, Ren saw Hiro approaching. But Alicia walked past him without a word, heading toward the chapel. Hiro scratched his head, then smiled awkwardly.
"Is she upset with me?" he muttered.
Ren just smiled politely, and took back his sword. In his heart, he muttered softly:
It's not hurt, Hiro. She's just starting to know… who can really touch her.
That evening, Ren sat alone in the inner courtyard, cleaning wooden slats. Suddenly, footsteps approached. He turned his head.
Alicia was standing there, wearing casual clothes, her hair down. Her face was still flushed, but she looked calmer.
"Next time… don't get too close," she said.
Ren put down his sword slowly.
"I didn't mean to overstep my bounds," he said softly. "But… if I hurt Your Highness' honor, I apologize."
Alicia stared at him for a few seconds. Then she said softly,
"You're… too polite, Ren. That makes you more dangerous."
Ren didn't reply. He just lowered his head… and hid the sly smile that almost appeared on his lips.
And that night, in his room, Ren unrolled the dream notebook. At the top, he wrote one sentence:
Today, her body began to remember me.
In her room, Alicia stood in front of the mirror, staring at her own neck. She felt something… strange. Not pain, not tiredness, but… longing. Not for Hiro, not for anyone she had ever known.
She stared at her reflection, then touched her lower abdomen—the area that Ren had unconsciously touched during sparring.
A subtle vibration appeared… and a small smile formed on her own lips.
Something that had never happened before.
"What are you doing to me, Ren…"