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In the novel, there was only one named bodyguard of Henry. He was a special guard appointed by the Duke when Edwin married, and even as Henry descended into madness, he steadfastly remained by his side, fulfilling his role until the end.

When Henry first arrived at the training grounds, he couldn’t immediately recall this man. He had just awoken in the morning, confronted with the dazzling chandelier, tormented by the realization that he could not return to his former self. He had come out to find a way to survive.

Seeing a young squire he passed by, he first thought of a means to protect himself. Though knights were supposed to protect him, it wasn’t enough. If things continued like this, he would really have to travel with the Crown Prince, which was unacceptable.

So, he found the man he had seen earlier at the training grounds.

“Sir Teher.”

The man confirmed his identity with a silent nod, verifying that this was indeed Sir Teher.

His skill was comparable to that of a captain, but he was famous for not getting along with anyone.

“I need to speak with you. Do you have some time?”

Henry initiated the conversation with the man.

“Proceed.”

Henry furrowed his brows slightly at Sir Teher’s uncooperative response, wondering if he was meant to speak here.

It didn’t really matter, but…

“Can you teach me to wield a sword?”

Sir Teher’s eyebrows raised in surprise at Henry’s blunt request. He had heard rumors about Henry—a Beta male who had no interest in swords.

And now this person was asking him to teach him.

“Why would you want to learn?”

It wouldn’t be unusual if he were just having a momentary whim.

However, Sir Teher could not understand why this young master had specifically chosen him out of dozens of knights.

“Well… I thought you wouldn’t treat me like fragile glass?”

If he were to meet a teacher who would treat him like fragile glass that could break with just a little mishandling, Henry would rather not waste time learning the sword.

Before leaving on his journey, he needed to acquire at least the basics and familiarize himself with this world as much as possible.

For that, he needed someone who could wield a sword with unwavering determination.

Moreover, someone who was willing to put his own life on the line to protect Henry was even more deserving of being his teacher.

“Why do you want to learn to swordfight?”

“That’s a long story. How about we discuss it over a cup of tea?”

Henry’s suggestion to find a separate place to talk made Sir Teher look at him, then he nodded heavily in agreement.

---

“Travel… you mean?”

“Yes. I will be leaving soon with His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“When will that be?”

“I don’t know the exact time either. I’m just preparing and waiting.”

In reality, he knew when the Crown Prince was likely to arrive.

Since the author had previously provided a detailed summary of the events in the novel, he had used it as a reference while editing to keep track of the timing.

However, it was indeed correct that Henry didn’t know about it at the moment.

The Crown Prince hadn’t informed him.

If he were to predict the sudden appearance of the Crown Prince, it would only lead to awkwardness.

The heavy silence from Sir Teher made Henry’s vague response even more burdensome.

“Are you saying I need to teach the young master during an uncertain period, whether it be a week or a month?”

“Yes. By the way, Sir Teher will be assigned as my escort when the journey starts.”

“Did the Duke say that?”

“I plan to tell my father so.”

“…….”

Sir Teher remained silent, struck by Henry’s nonchalant and unhelpful manner of speaking. It seemed that no matter what question he asked, he wouldn’t get a satisfactory answer.

As Sir Teher absently fidgeted with the hilt of his sword, Henry calmly tilted his tea.

Henry wasn’t exactly known for being kind or affectionate. Reflecting on it, he thought he was actually doing quite well.

---

After just a few days of lessons, Henry hadn’t expected to wield a sword skillfully. He only hoped to become familiar enough with the sword to protect himself in emergencies.

Even though he was an Omega, his well-developed muscles made it easier to handle and swing the sword, so he thought it would be beneficial to practice well.

‘It wasn’t a total loss to have gone to the palace.’

If he hadn’t, how many people would have advised him to take up the sword? Just his appearance in the training hall had surprised everyone.

Thus, he decided to take daily swordsmanship lessons from Sir Teher.

When they were chatting over tea, he casually asked when the lessons would start, and without much thought, replied, “Shall we start tomorrow?”

‘Should have said a week.’

If he were going to say a week from now, it would be better not to learn swordsmanship at all, but that was his current feeling.

He hadn’t expected Sir Teher to be so stern if he knew how tough the lessons would be.

From the very first day, Henry was drenched in sweat. He was in a position with his legs spread apart, as if sitting on a transparent chair, arms stretched forward holding the sword.

It didn’t seem difficult when first asked to take this position, but now his whole body trembled and felt like it would collapse any moment.

“I didn’t expect you would teach with such a harsh method.”

“You’re doing well.”

“How long do I have to continue?”

Henry’s lips were trembling as he asked. He was reaching his limit.

Every part of him, from his legs to his waist to his arms, was straining.

“It’s only been 2 hours. Is it very tough?”

“So how much longer must I endure?”

“That depends on you, young master.”

Whether he had endured only 2 hours or a whole 2 hours, he couldn’t give up. Henry gritted his teeth, forcing his weary legs to hold on.

‘What kind of person am I…’

He had lived his life in a competitive society. The achievements he had earned among them weren’t easily attained.

Even before he became who he was, it was humiliating to lose in a test of endurance like this when he had proudly secured the position of editor at a major publishing house at a young age.

Meanwhile, Sir Teher’s gaze remained deeply focused on Henry.

When the young master had asked for just a few days of sword training, Sir Teher had already planned meticulously.

Confident in his mastery of the sword, he had no room for leniency. He intended to teach the sword step by step according to the proper methods.

That’s why he had set today as a day to test the young master. It was a chance to assess his muscle development, mental stamina, and attitude towards the sword, given that he hadn’t handled a sword before.

‘I heard he hasn’t done any separate training, but he’s quite impressive.’

No, it wasn’t just decent.

Although his posture was slightly disheveled compared to the beginning, it was still overall commendable.

The reason he could endure for a much longer time than the apprentice knight Jun was likely due to either superior stamina or mental fortitude, or perhaps both.

‘He has talent.’

Even considering his unwavering resolve, which kept him from dropping his sword despite the hardships, he was an exceptionally admirable student, almost to the point where it was regrettable that he hadn’t held a sword until now.

However, that man had suddenly abandoned the sword he had been diligently learning, with no apparent hesitation.

Of course, not all beta nobility had an affinity for swords. However, it wasn’t that the minor noble had gradually lost interest in swords; he had discarded them as if severing ties in a single stroke, as if he had realized he was not destined for them.

There weren’t many reason for this. The most plausible of sudden change during mid-teens was a change in traits.

However…

If the young master had transitioned from a beta with less muscle mass to an omega, it would explain why he discarded the sword, but that was a personal matter and even Sir Teher had no way of knowing.

The only trait of the minor noble Sir Teher knew was that he was a beta.

But if he had kept his changed traits a secret?

Sir Teher, who had no right to pry into the noble’s secrets, felt a sense of regret.

If he were to remain consistent from now on, he certainly had the talent to reach a high level.

As Sir Teher pondered the reason in frustration, he inadvertently released pheromones.

Regardless of the opponent being a beta, pheromones should not be released carelessly.

Though he usually never made such mistakes, a small amount of pheromones had escaped as he contemplated the traits.

“I’m sorry… Hmm?”

Even though the other party hadn’t noticed, Sir Teher, who was about to apologize for his lapse, noticed a change in Henry’s posture.

“It wasn’t intentional…”

Henry, looking troubled, tried to explain his changed posture.

It seemed that the change was due to losing strength, but his legs were now even more bent than before.

Such a posture would become more straining the more effort was exerted, not more comfortable.

‘Could it be…?’

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