After breakfast.
Fiora, as naturally as breathing, gathered up the dishes and went into the kitchen to wash them.
Lux, just as practiced, grabbed a broom and started sweeping. As she swept, she happily counted down the days.
Three more days and she'd be free.
As for why four extra days somehow got added on… this one really couldn't be pinned entirely on the Crownguard girl.
She'd gotten set up by Augatha and Tianna.
On her own, Lux never would've had the courage to challenge Luke—but once she had two strategists whispering in her ear, it was a different story.
She'd thought she was bringing the full weight of her entire house to bear against Luke.
Turns out the whole crew was hopeless.
They'd prepared so many tricky openings and surprise patterns… and before they could even use more than a couple, they got hit with four straight losses.
It completely crushed Lux.
By now, Sona wasn't even surprised by this scene.
The first two days she'd come over, she'd seen Fiora and Lux automatically clean up after every meal, and she'd tried to help too.
Only after Luke explained the reason did she finally understand what was going on.
And ever since then, the moment Luke invited her to a five-in-a-row match, Sona immediately shook her head and refused.
Compared to Fiora and Lux, she was the one who knew exactly where she stood.
She couldn't even beat Luke at Go—so there was no way she was winning at something that looked simple but was packed with technique like five-in-a-row.
Sona was painfully realistic about it.
Luke, meanwhile, had one lingering regret.
Sona hadn't "unlocked" the maid version.
Lux and Fiora had only worn the maid outfit once on the first day, and never again.
But at least they'd worn it.
As for Sona… at this rate, he wasn't seeing any opportunity anytime soon.
He figured he'd have to think of something later.
Right now, Luke had already wandered out into the courtyard, tilting his head up at the thick, dark clouds. With barely any sunlight, the day felt especially cool.
He lounged lazily in a rocking chair.
Not long after, Fiora came out from the kitchen and stopped beside him, voice cold as steel.
"Get up. Five-in-a-row."
It was obviously a challenge—with a wager attached.
After washing dishes for so many days in a row, Fiora's desire for revenge had burned bright enough to set the yard on fire.
After all that time "quietly sharpening her blade," her skill had changed completely compared to before.
In this whole courtyard, aside from Luke—who she hadn't played again since—there wasn't a single person who could beat her anymore.
Facing Luke again, she had absolute confidence.
This time, she would win.
This time, she would take back what she'd lost.
Luke opened his eyes, looked at the Grand Duelist's frosty, arrogant expression, and sat up with amused interest.
"That bold, huh?"
Sona brought the board over, dragged a small chair beside it, and sat down eagerly to watch.
"Who wins and who loses today," Fiora said calmly as she sat, "isn't decided yet."
"Alright, then." Luke smiled, completely unbothered. "Let's go."
Half an hour later…
Fiora's breathtaking face looked like it had been carved from ice. She frowned down at the board, baffled, visibly questioning reality itself.
"Fifteen games. Fifteen days." Luke chuckled, then added cheerfully, "You already owed me ten days. Now it's twenty-five."
Unlike Sona—who always knew what she was doing—or Lux—who only sometimes did…
Luke liked Fiora best.
She was the type who did know, deep down, exactly what the outcome would be… and still refused to accept it.
Hearing that, Fiora sat there without moving.
Sona gave her an encouraging, sympathetic look.
Lux, meanwhile, was munching on a stick of candy apples and offered consolation with a straight face.
"Twenty-five days. Just tough it out. It'll pass."
Saying that, she felt secretly relieved.
Thank goodness she only had three days left.
Luke shot her a look—especially at what she was eating. "Did you forget you were whining about tooth pain this morning?"
Lux lifted her chin, completely sincere. "The one with tooth pain was Morning Lux. What does that have to do with Current Lux?"
She gave a righteous little snort, then happily kept eating her candy apples.
Luke couldn't even find a flaw in that logic. He just fell silent for a moment.
Yeah, he got it now.
This girl only remembered the reward, never the lesson.
Just then, a carriage rolled up outside.
It stopped at the gate, with a cargo cart hitched behind it.
The carriage bore House Buvelle's crest—so who it was couldn't have been more obvious.
Kahina lifted the curtain and stepped down.
"Good morning."
She waved from a distance, then looked at Luke. "Your Highness, I brought the bicycle."
A bicycle?
Hearing the word, Luke's interest spiked. He stood and headed out.
Aside from Fiora—still sitting there in a daze—Lux and Sona followed immediately.
On the cargo cart sat a brand-new bicycle, exactly like the one in Luke's memory.
He reached out and flicked the wheel; it spun smoothly with a soft sound.
Then he lifted the whole bike down, set it upright—
—and swung onto the seat.
Even though it had been a long time since he'd ridden one, his body still remembered. He quickly started pedaling with practiced ease, steering the bicycle into the courtyard.
Even Fiora's attention was dragged over.
She watched Luke ride around, turn cleanly, then accelerate and glide back to the gate.
He even pulled off a sharp, stylish stop, clearly having fun.
"Your Highness is incredible!" Kahina praised sincerely. "After the bicycle was completed, a lot of people at the research institute tried it, but none of them could get the balance right."
Tests showed the bicycle itself was fine—no flaws in the design.
The only problem was that nobody here knew how to ride one yet.
And Luke was the first person Kahina had ever seen handle it this well.
"Nothing to it." Luke grinned. To him, bicycles were childhood basics.
Watching him, Lux and Sona's eyes filled with curiosity.
Luke adjusted his posture, about to ride out for another lap—when he suddenly felt weight settle on the back.
He glanced back.
The Crownguard girl was sitting on the rear seat.
That back seat had been designed for passengers anyway—or for strapping down bundles.
Seeing Luke looking, Lux flashed him a bright smile. She didn't hold on at all, just crossed her legs, lifted a hand, and yelled, "Giddyup!"
"Hold on tight!" Luke sighed in defeat, then pushed down hard on the pedals.
The bicycle shot forward.
Lux, who'd been boldly letting her hands fly free, yelped and instinctively wrapped her arms around Luke's waist, her forehead bumping lightly against his back.
Heart pounding, she snapped, "You did that on purpose!"
That sudden acceleration was obviously meant to scare her!
Luke laughed and sped up even more, enjoying the cool wind cutting past his face—enjoying the way even his breathing turned sharp and urgent.
That feeling of freedom, of flying forward under his own power, felt unbelievably good.
He was rarely this happy. It almost felt like being a kid again—so he didn't even notice how tightly Lux was clinging to him.
Lux, too, realized the scenery was whipping past. It felt completely different from horseback, and the novelty thrilled her.
She'd grown up in House Crownguard and trained in riding, so she wasn't truly scared of speed.
But when she finally snapped back to herself, she realized she was still hugging Luke.
Her face instantly heated, beyond her control.
She started to pull away—only halfway—then noticed Luke didn't seem to react at all.
So she cautiously leaned back in again… this time only lightly resting against his back.
She could catch his scent now, and her heartbeat kept speeding up. She no longer cared about the scenery flashing by.
When Luke finished a wide loop and returned—
Lux straightened up like nothing happened, hands now firmly gripping his clothes.
Once the bicycle stopped, she hopped off immediately.
Still, maybe because it was her first time, her cheeks were visibly flushed.
Kahina looked at her with curiosity. "So? How was it?"
Lux replayed it in her head, then nodded happily. "Really good!"
"Alright, that's enough." Luke was about to get off too. One test ride was plenty, and the conclusion was obvious: the bicycle worked great.
But before he could dismount, he looked up—
—and saw Kahina and Sona staring at him with wide, hopeful eyes.
Obviously, they wanted a turn too.
Luke caught the hint instantly.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Want me to take you around too?"
The second he said it, Sona and Kahina both nodded hard.
Luke had no choice. He turned the bike around.
Almost immediately, the back seat dipped again.
That weight—Sona.
All the girls were light, but Sona was… just a little different.
A little heavier.
Then Luke felt Sona's small hand gently catch his shirt.
"Hold on tight," he reminded her, and pushed off.
He kept the speed about the same as before. He figured feeling that rush again wouldn't be bad.
Sona sat sideways on the back seat. Even when Luke sped up, she stayed steady, lightly leaning into his back.
For a first bicycle ride, Sona found it wonderfully strange.
The wind brushed her face, and a quiet joy started to bloom in her chest.
After the second big loop, Luke returned and braked, letting out a breath.
Sona hopped down with a satisfied bounce, eyes smiling, clearly delighted.
"My turn!" Kahina climbed onto the back seat. Without hesitation, she lightly wrapped her arms around Luke and whispered, "I'm ready."
"Alright. Hold on tight!"
Luke pushed off again, and the bicycle shot forward.
This time, he wasn't even enjoying the rush anymore. After two full loops, the novelty had already faded—he was mostly just riding on habit.
Still, for Kahina's sake, he rode carefully, giving her a good experience.
Kahina watched the scenery blur by. With her arms around Luke, she could feel his warmth—
—and his scent, a faint, distinctive fragrance that somehow calmed her the longer she breathed it in.
She exhaled softly and smiled, her arms tightening a little.
Luke felt it immediately and slowed down slightly.
After the third big loop, Luke breathed out hard again and wiped a tiny bit of sweat from his forehead.
He thought it was finally over—
Then he looked up and met the Grand Duelist's gaze.
Luke fell silent for a beat… then turned the bicycle around again.
The back seat dipped.
Fiora sat down and caught his shirt with one hand.
"Hold on tight."
Luke said it for the fourth time now, and his voice sounded a little drained.
But thinking about who was behind him, he suddenly found a fresh burst of energy and launched forward.
Unfortunately, he didn't scare her.
"You can go faster," Fiora said, perfectly steady on the back seat, a faint smile on her lips as the wind roared past.
"You asked for it!"
Luke took a deep breath and pedaled harder, pushing the bicycle faster and faster.
Only then did Fiora seem to find it mildly interesting. She stayed calm, almost bored.
"Is that all?"
Hearing that, Luke clenched his jaw and went all-out, driving the bicycle to a speed he hadn't reached yet.
"That's more like it." Fiora smiled faintly, clearly sensing how hard he was working.
The world streaked by. Even her cool, controlled heartbeat sped up just a little.
Luke's thoughts were basically: This is "more like it"?
This Duelist was unbelievably smug.
Fine.
He'd show her.
"Next part—hold on tight!"
They were coming up on a downhill slope.
Luke shouted the warning.
Fiora didn't care in the slightest, still holding on with only one hand.
Then, in the next second—
She saw Luke let go of the handlebars.
Both hands.
He sat up straight, arms spread wide like he was embracing the world.
Fiora's cold eyes finally flickered with alarm.
At this speed… who was steering?!
Even she felt her heart jump hard.
And then the bicycle hit the slope, and that mild thrill doubled instantly.
As the bike shot downward, it began to wobble.
Fiora clamped her legs, shut her eyes, and lunged forward to wrap both arms around Luke.
Even like that, she could feel it clearly—the bicycle was getting faster and faster, the rush intensifying with every heartbeat.
But the crash she expected never came.
The bicycle held like a straight line and tore through the slope.
Luke leaned forward, grabbed the handlebars again, and stabilized it smoothly.
"Grand Duelist!"
Luke laughed triumphantly. "Is it interesting now?"
Fiora opened her eyes. Her heartbeat was hammering.
Hearing the smugness in his voice, she bit down—
—and said nothing.
"Hiss—!"
Luke sucked in a breath. Something on his side had just been pinched hard enough to make him see stars.
If he'd turned around, he would've seen a cold, gorgeous face flushed with embarrassed fury.
Luke could feel it plainly.
She'd lost her composure.
Unbelievable.
She was the one who said it wasn't exciting.
And now she was the one throwing hands because it was too exciting?!
At last, Luke truly understood.
Women were… genuinely unreasonable creatures.
After the fourth big loop, even Luke was seriously exhausted.
That early excitement had vanished completely. All that remained was the fatigue of hauling four girls around the courtyard four times.
The moment he got back into the yard, he immediately got off the bicycle, ready to collapse into his rocking chair.
"There's still Yurna," Lux said.
Yurna Doer might be a maid, and she might rarely show much expression, but she'd always been close with the others.
And she was thoughtful—she almost always noticed what they wanted before they even said it.
So Lux remembered her instantly.
Something this fun? Of course Yurna should try it too.
Luke stopped and looked at Yurna across the courtyard.
Yurna happened to look back at him, her face as cool and emotionless as ever.
As her master, Luke could've ignored her feelings completely.
But with the other girls staring at him from behind…
Luke forced the choice back into her hands. "Just tell me—do you want to try it or not?"
Normally, with Yurna's sharpness, she would've caught the meaning behind his words and replied, Your Highness, I don't want to.
Everyone wins.
But after what happened this morning…
Even a maid could hold a grudge.
So when Luke asked, Yurna gave a small, quiet nod.
Luke: "…"
Amazing.
At a time like this, what could he even say besides amazing?
So, full of tragedy, he climbed back onto the bicycle.
A moment later, the back seat dipped.
Yurna sat down.
"Hold on tight."
The fifth time Luke said it, his voice had gone numb.
Then he pedaled—and the bicycle shot forward again.
Yurna only held the edge of his shirt lightly.
Luke couldn't turn around, so he couldn't see her expression—but he didn't need to. It was probably blank, as always.
He'd been thinking of using the same trick he used on Fiora, just to scare her too.
Getting his maid to show any expression at all sounded entertaining.
But when they reached the slope and Luke let go of the handlebars again—
He realized the maid behind him didn't react at all.
Like she wasn't scared in the slightest.
Even the proud Grand Duelist had been startled, yet Yurna didn't budge.
That only made Luke more convinced that his maid wasn't simple.
Even when the bicycle tore down the hill, Yurna still showed no reaction.
Luke couldn't help asking, "You're not scared?"
Yurna replied with a question of her own. "Does Your Highness want me to be scared?"
Luke admitted it. "Yeah. I kind of did."
Yurna nodded, then leaned forward a little and said in a perfectly flat tone, "I'm so scared."
Luke: "…"
Now?!
Now you choose to be scared?!
That completely kills the sense of accomplishment!
Luke didn't even need to turn around—he was certain she'd said it with a straight face.
But he was wrong.
Right then, the corner of Yurna's mouth held the tiniest hint of a smile as she quietly enjoyed the calm, steady ride.
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