SOTBW - 142

Maximón finally let go of Najane’s hand when they reached the edge of the training ground. Najane, wondering what they were about to do alone here, glanced at Maximón and was startled to find a young soldier standing beside her.

The young soldier, who had followed them, was holding a practice sword and shield. The shield was a gift from Gwyneth to Najane.

Najane’s face lit up as she accepted it. The young soldier, sensing the atmosphere, handed the practice sword to Maximón and quickly stepped back to avoid interfering with the training.

Just as Najane looked around, realizing she hadn’t been given a sword, Maximón swung his weapon. Startled, Najane tightened her thighs and blocked the downward strike with her shield. Despite the practice sword’s lack of lethality, the sound of it hitting the shield was sharp and clear.

Maximón pressed down with his sword, applying pressure. Najane clenched her teeth, holding her ground, then pushed back with her shoulders, deflecting Maximón’s sword.

The sword bounced slightly, and Najane seized the moment to charge toward Maximón’s chest. She thought she was quick, but Maximón twisted his body to the side in an instant and countered by striking her back.

Najane, realizing her mistake, rolled on the ground to create distance. Brushing off the dirt, she caught her breath and resumed her stance.

The shield gifted by Gwyneth was just the right size to cover her upper body. It wasn’t just held by hand but was strapped to her forearm, allowing her to wield it easily if needed.

Najane gripped the shield firmly and kept her eyes on Maximón. She needed to disarm him. Striking his face or chest with the shield to knock him out would be the quickest way, but such tactics wouldn’t work against Maximón. So, breaking or taking his sword was the best way to end this match.

Najane’s eyes sparkled with determination. Maximón, seeing her unwavering gaze, suppressed a smile.

“Najane,” Maximón said in a gentle yet menacing tone, extending his practice sword forward. “I’m sorry, but I won’t go easy on you. If you ever plan to save me with that shield, you’ll need to work hard starting now.”

“That’s exactly what I want,” Najane replied.

The young soldier watching them gulped nervously. Maximón exuded the heavy aura of an executioner guarding a gallows. Even with a crude practice sword in hand, he didn’t look ridiculous at all. Instead, there was a terrifying sense that moving carelessly could result in losing one’s head in an instant.

The young soldier, sweating despite the winter chill, fidgeted with his hands as he watched Najane. She stood firm, her round shield held out, unmoving. Though her body was slender, her legs, planted firmly on the ground, looked incredibly sturdy.

Then, without any signal, Maximón charged at Najane. He extended his sword, aiming for her neck.

Najane, as if she had anticipated this, pushed her shield forward with both hands. Her legs, rooted like ancient tree trunks, slowly gave way under the pressure.

Maximón was wielding the sword with just one hand. As he put his full weight into the strike, Najane’s body began to buckle slightly.

Despite being overwhelmed, Najane kept her eyes locked on Maximón. As if mocking her for holding her ground, Maximón swiftly withdrew his sword and attacked again. His strikes were heavy and sharp.

The practice sword came down with enough force to shatter the iron shield. Najane tightened her upper body to keep the shield steady.

Maximón’s attacks were unpredictable. While there were natural limits to how fast one could swing a sword, Maximón attacked relentlessly, like lightning striking every second.

With each whip-like strike against the shield, Najane was pushed back. She braced her core muscles, enduring Maximón’s weight. Though she had plenty of opportunities to deflect or push back his sword, she waited silently, like a predator hiding in a cave, for the perfect moment to strike.

Maximón noticed that Najane was waiting for something but couldn’t figure out what. Narrowing his eyes, he put his weight into a downward strike.

At that moment, Najane, who had been waiting for the right opportunity, tilted her shield at an angle. The sword, swung with full force, slid off the curved surface of the shield as if gliding on oil.

The young soldier watching this widened his eyes in surprise. Najane let out a shout and swung her shield at Maximón, who had lost his balance. She aimed for his head, but Maximón, without hesitation, ducked to avoid the attack.

Maximón, placing his hand on the ground, quickly retreated to the side. But Najane didn’t give him time to recover and charged forward.

Just before her shield collided with his unguarded torso, Maximón raised his sword and struck downward toward her shoulder. Najane lifted her shield to block the attack.

The tip of the sword scraped along the shield’s surface, producing an unpleasant metallic sound. Then, Najane let go of the shield she had been gripping tightly.

The balance of force was disrupted, and Maximón’s sword was pushed off in an unexpected direction. Maximón quickly looked down. Najane, having abandoned her shield, grabbed his shoulder and tried to use her strength to bring his larger body down.

Maximón, realizing Najane’s plan too late, tried to resist, but it was futile. There was no time to counter. Najane didn’t even give him a chance to swing his sword.

As the large body floated into the air, the young soldier’s mouth fell open. Najane let out a loud shout that echoed across the training ground and slammed Maximón to the ground.

The practice sword Maximón had dropped clattered and rolled a few times on the frozen ground. Najane, panting heavily, looked down at Maximón, who was lying on his back, staring at the sky. By now, the gazes of the other knights training nearby were fixed on the two of them.

Najane, her forehead drenched in sweat, grinned at Maximón.

“I won, Commander,” Najane said triumphantly, crouching beside Maximón.

Maximón, caught off guard by the unexpected counterattack, looked bewildered for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Where did you learn such combat skills?”

“I didn’t learn it anywhere. I just copied what I saw.”

“Not bad.”

“I think I’m pretty good at it too.”

Maximón chuckled at Najane’s confident reply. He took Najane’s outstretched hand and stood up. Najane seemed elated at finally having defeated Maximón.

Maximón looked at Najane with affectionate eyes, then kicked the fallen sword into the air and caught it. When Maximón picked up the practice sword again, Najane looked puzzled.

“Why the sword...?”

“We need to train.”

“Still?”

“Didn’t I clearly say training would continue until lunch?”

Maximón, casually resting the practice sword on his shoulder as if asking if she hadn’t heard, left Najane unsure of how to react.

Of course, she had heard that training would continue until lunch. So, she had assumed that after her one-on-one spar with Maximón, she would naturally train with the other knights.

Najane hesitated, unsure how to handle this. She loved Maximón, but fighting him one-on-one was as physically exhausting as having sex more than three times in a row.

Flustered, Najane forced a smile and tried to talk her way out of the situation.

“Commander, you must be busy too, so maybe I should just train with the other knights...”

“Pick up your shield.”

Maximón ignored her words and stepped back to create distance. Najane, pursing her lips, looked down at the fallen shield with sad eyes.

“You know I’m heading out to the field today, right...?”

“I know.”

Najane reluctantly picked up the shield, her face sulky. Maximón swung his sword, shaking off the dirt clinging to the blade, and took his stance.

As she watched Maximón preparing to attack with full force again, she seriously wondered if this was really love or if it was just torment disguised as affection.

When Najane’s expression darkened, Maximón chuckled.

“Don’t worry, Najane. After training, I’ll let you sleep soundly.”

“...I’m not exactly thrilled to hear that from you, Commander.”

“I gave you advice yesterday too. Just enjoy it.”

“Ah, yeah...”

The moment Najane replied weakly, Maximón swung his sword at her shield. The tremendous force made Najane stagger backward. Knowing he was serious, Najane clenched her teeth.

He’s going to knock me down again.

I’ll definitely slam him to the ground and kick his butt.

Najane’s crimson eyes burned with determination.

And two hours later. Exhausted, Najane was carried over Maximón’s shoulder like a sack, limp and lifeless, as they returned to the mansion.

The maids filling the bathtub with hot water were so startled when Maximón entered the bathroom that they nearly jumped out of their skin. When they saw Najane slung over his shoulder, they were utterly shocked.

Najane’s arms and legs hung limply, more like a lifeless body than someone alive. To anyone, it looked like she had fainted.

The maids were about to ask if something had happened to Najane, but the cold, intimidating aura radiating from Maximón silenced them. They fled the bathroom without a word.

Maximón slowly lowered Najane into the bathtub without even removing her clothes. As her chilled body sank into the hot water, Najane finally let out a deep sigh. He chuckled softly, taking off her shoes and undoing the buttons of her coat one by one.

The emerald brooch on her left chest sparkled beautifully in the water. Maximón, throwing the waterlogged, heavy coat out of the tub, couldn’t help but smile faintly as he loosened the laces of her collar.

“Did you like that brooch?”

Najane didn’t answer, just stared up at Maximón with her mouth submerged in the bathwater. Maximón, his clothes disheveled from undressing her, stifled a laugh at her pouting gaze.

She seemed completely drained, not moving an inch in the water. It looked like she didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger after sparring with Maximón.

Maximón carefully removed the rest of her clothes, one by one, and instead of saying she had worked hard, he gently kissed her forehead. Najane finally looked at him with slightly less sulky eyes.

He stripped off his own sweat-soaked clothes and stepped into the tub. As he gently pressed his body against Najane’s, she weakly pushed him away, as if telling him not to touch her. But with all her strength gone, she couldn’t even properly push against his chest.

Maximón sat Najane on his thighs and poured warm water over her tense shoulders.

Throughout the sparring session, Najane had repeatedly tried to take Maximón down again, but she failed every time. She had been tossed around so much that carrying the shield felt pointless. It was like fighting a wild beast with one foot caught in a trap.

Maximón had anticipated every move she made and didn’t hold back even once. As a result, Najane had been flying around, trying to defeat him while lugging that heavy shield.

After two hours of being tormented by Maximón, she felt like she was going to die. Najane slid down Maximón’s chest into the water and closed her eyes. She fiddled with his large hand and muttered in a small voice.

“Aren’t you tired?”

“Not at all.”

“…I’m so sleepy…”

“Sleep. I’ll wash you.”

At Maximón’s words, Najane let out a soft laugh.

“Tell me a story.”

“What kind of story?”

“Anything. I don’t want to fall asleep here…”