Chapter 99

The next day, after deciding to reconcile with his twin brother and sister, Leoard welcomed a refreshing morning. Normally, he would have to go to work, but now he was staying at the duke's mansion in the capital and was on a kind of vacation until he received his reward from the king.

Thanks to this, he could sleep in without any qualms. What a wonderful life. Leoard, who was about to go back to sleep, wished he could stay like this forever, but it was not to be.

"Good morning, Master Leoard."

"…Is it you, Isabelle? I want to sleep a little more."

"That's fine, but Lord and Lady are already at the dining table."

"I'll be right there."

Leoard, who could switch his mood so quickly, immediately got dressed and headed to the dining room. Regulus and Reila, who did not want to see Leoard's face in the morning, said they would eat later. Hearing this, Leoard felt down.

After finishing breakfast, Leoard engaged in his daily training. However, since Olivia was supervising, he could not do his usual reckless training. So, he only did some light exercise.

The training continued until noon, and then it was time for a break for lunch. Before lunch, Leoard washed his body to get rid of the sweat. Since Olivia had burst in the other day, he locked the door before entering the bath as a precaution.

After washing away the sweat and feeling refreshed, Leoard had lunch. Savoring the meal and feeling satisfied, Leoard thought about the afternoon.

He was thinking about spending the afternoon training as he did in the morning when Beluga dropped a bombshell.

"Leoard, the prince is coming to see you tomorrow."

"…About that matter?"

"Yes. Be prepared."

"Understood."

Leoard returned to his room and buried his face in the pillow.

(I have to find a way to break off the engagement! Running away is impossible. Should I just get engaged to someone else?

No, that won't work. My father has already refused, and the prince will surely crush it. There's only one way. I never thought I'd have to use it, but I can't be stingy now!)

Leoard had a special plan. However, he was not sure if it would work. But it had to work. If it didn't, Leoard would lose everything to the devil. That was something he absolutely did not want.

He went to the afternoon training, but his movements were poor and he was not focused.

"What's wrong, Master Leoard? Your movements are stiff compared to this morning."

"Ugh… Sorry. I have some worries."

"Worries? If you want to talk, I'm here to listen."

"Really? Then, how do you think I should turn down the prince's proposal?"

"It seems I can't be of much help."

"Hey! Don't give up! At least let's think of something together!"

"Don't be unreasonable! Getting a proposal from the prince is a dream come true! I don't understand why you want to turn it down!"

"I know, I know! But I don't want to!"

"Then, why don't you want to? Be clear about it."

"Well, I've spoken to the prince a few times, and his personality is really twisted. I think he's probably a sadist."

"Isn't that perfect for you, Master Leoard? It seems like a good match if someone can control you."

"True, he might be able to control me well. But it's still impossible. I can't imagine being with the prince."

"Then, why don't you talk to Lady about it?"

"I would love to, but my mother is not on board…"

"Ah, then what will you do?"

"Well, I have a plan, so I'll try to make it work."

"If you have a plan, that's fine."

"Whoa!"

Leoard's wooden sword was knocked out of his hand with a clatter. Barbadoro had taken advantage of Leoard's momentary lapse.

"You were off guard, Master Leoard."

Leoard, irritated by Barbadoro's smug face, picked up the wooden sword and swung it at Barbadoro to vent his frustration.

"Hey! If you're going to start again, at least say something!"

"Shut up! In a real battle, you don't announce your attacks!"

"What! Are you angry?"

Seeing Leoard's intense attacks, Barbadoro questioned if he was angry.

"I'm not angry!"

"But your movements are getting sloppy!"

"It's just in my head!!!"

Leoard raised his wooden sword prominently and swung it down with force, sending Barbadoro flying. Barbadoro defended, but his hand holding the wooden sword was numb.

"Clearly, you're angry!"

Barbadoro muttered in a voice Leoard could not hear. Leoard, unaware of what Barbadoro had said, closed the distance and launched another series of attacks.

Although his movements were somewhat sloppy, Leoard was strong. His pure strength had increased, and his strikes were heavy. Barbadoro, regretting his teasing a little, tried to defend against Leoard's attacks.

However, Leoard's movements gradually worsened, and eventually, Barbadoro hit him on the head.

Thus, the afternoon training ended. Leoard finished his dinner, took a bath, and ended the day. He went to sleep, preparing for the arrival of Sylvia the next day.