Footsteps gradually approached the edge of the bed.
Scáthach walked over, sat down on the edge of the bed, and made no further movement.
How strange… What did Master come here for, anyway? Arthur thought as he kept his eyes closed.
He could feel Scáthach's gaze on him, yet she remained silent, which only made him more uneasy.
"You're still awake, aren't you?" Scáthach asked, her voice slightly hoarse.
Arthur's heart skipped a beat. I was controlling my breathing, so how can she still tell whether I'm asleep or not? How did she figure it out?
Is Master just trying to trick me?
Arthur kept his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep.
"Are you angry with me because of today's training?" Scáthach asked.
Arthur's eyelid twitched slightly.
Why would Master suddenly ask something like that…? That's not like her at all.
Still, that meant he couldn't keep pretending to sleep.
It was obvious that Scáthach had already noticed he was faking it. If he didn't respond now, she would probably think he was genuinely angry.
With that in mind, Arthur had no choice but to open his eyes. "It has nothing to do with today's training, Master."
"I was telling the truth earlier. I want to catch up to you, so I won't complain even if there's extra training."
"I see… Then we'll add five more training sessions after tomorrow's training."
"I won't complain… but if possible, please give me some time to rest properly as well," Arthur added.
If he had to train at this intensity every day, Arthur felt he would collapse in less than a week.
Fighting powerful opponents daily not only caused physical pain and fatigue, but also took a heavy toll on the mind and body.
"I'm joking." A rare smile appeared on Scáthach's face. "Why haven't you gone to sleep yet?"
She could clearly sense how exhausted her apprentice was today. Two consecutive sessions of high-intensity training, and the final battle on the training field had been even more intense than before. Logically, he should have been so sleepy that he was on the verge of falling asleep already.
She had only entered the room to check on him, but she hadn't expected Arthur to still be awake.
"I haven't heard any stories tonight yet, so I was wondering if Master would come… and I was right," Arthur replied.
That was, of course, half a lie and half the truth. He really had wondered whether his master would come tonight, but the real reason was that he and Nessa had been making a scene on the bed for quite a while, and he had only just sent her out of the room.
Scáthach arrived shortly after.
Fortunately, he had the foresight to send Nessa away first. Otherwise, if she had been seen, he would have been punished by his master again… Arthur secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh? Is that so?" Scáthach paused briefly. "I thought that after Nessa brought you back to your room, she would refuse to leave. Actually, I came to check whether she was causing you any trouble—like insisting on sleeping with you or something."
Arthur: "…"
As expected of her—she had even guessed what Nessa would do.
"That child has always liked clinging to you," Scáthach continued.
"But she was pretty hostile toward me at first, wasn't she?" Arthur said with a smile.
Most memories from a few years ago had become vague, but there were still some things Arthur remembered vividly. For example, when he first arrived at Dun Scaith, Nessa had been very hostile toward him, believing that he would steal away the mother she loved so dearly.
But children are like that. Over time, if they play together often enough, their relationship naturally improves.
Of course, it was also because the two of them shared similar interests; otherwise, their relationship wouldn't have become so close. In fact, one day, Nessa had excitedly dragged Arthur to Scáthach and declared that she wanted to be engaged to him.
"I was quite surprised when that girl suddenly said she wanted to marry you when she grew up," Scáthach said, her voice tinged with helplessness. "At first, I thought she only saw you as a friend—perhaps like a younger brother."
"After spending so much time with Nessa, it's hard for me to say what our relationship really is," Arthur said.
"It's a very thin line," Scáthach replied. "Perhaps you should think seriously about this—not just about daily combat, but also about life and the things around you."
"Think about it for a moment. When you're with Nessa, do you feel attracted to her? When you think about things related to her, do you think from the perspective of a lover, or from the perspective of a friend?" Scáthach asked.
"Of course, whatever decision you make, I'll support you," she added.
This woman seemed to be more than just a martial arts master now; she was also playing the role of a caring older sister, helping Arthur sort out his emotional problems.
Do I think of Nessa as a friend… or as a lover?
Hearing Scáthach's words, Arthur pondered for a moment, then nodded lightly. "I think I understand."
It was actually quite simple.
Either he saw her romantically, or just as a childhood friend.
"But doesn't it seem like there could be a combination of both kinds of feelings?" Arthur suddenly asked.
"I can't rule out that possibility," Scáthach thought for a moment, "but you can rest assured that you and Nessa are my adopted children, so whatever decision you make, I won't interfere."
"I knew that long ago. Otherwise, you wouldn't have immediately agreed to Nessa's engagement request," Arthur said.
Scáthach nodded slightly, then suddenly remembered something and paused for a moment as she patted Arthur's head. "Speaking of which, you accepted the engagement back then, didn't you? Doesn't that mean you liked Nessa?"
"I do like her… but maybe in a different way," Arthur said, shaking his head. "If I had to put it like that, then I also like you, Master."
Scáthach stiffened slightly for an instant, then slowly relaxed. "That's true. I like you just as much as I like Nessa."
Then she coughed lightly and said casually, "Ah, right—there's one more thing I need to remind you of."
Under Arthur's puzzled gaze, Scáthach continued, "Now that you're engaged, you should keep a certain distance from other women. No matter what they offer you, or what temptations they use to seduce you, you must remain chaste."
Although Scáthach didn't mention any names, her hints were quite obvious.
"Does that include you as well…?" Arthur asked hesitantly.
"Before I'm a woman, I'm your master." Scáthach ruffled Arthur's hair. "In my eyes, you'll always just be a child, so don't worry about that."
Arthur lowered his head. Based on the conversation they had just had, he could more or less guess who Scáthach was referring to when she said "other women."
Without a doubt… the person Master had just mentioned must be Morgan Le Fay.
"It's getting late. I'll be going." Scáthach patted his head again. "You have to wake up early for training tomorrow, so get some rest."
"You really don't want me to tell a story tonight?" Arthur asked in surprise.
Scáthach shook her head. "Today is a special case. You should rest properly. Tomorrow, I'll evaluate your physical condition and then make the necessary adjustments to your training. Today's training exceeded your limits."
"Yes, Master," Arthur replied, though he felt a little disappointed.
He quite enjoyed spending time with his master at night, because it was when she was least strict and spoke with him like a caring older sister.
It could be said that the time he spent talking with Scáthach at night was the most relaxing part of his day.
However, it seemed that his master hadn't noticed this.
"You look a bit down. Is something bothering you?" Scáthach easily noticed the change in Arthur's mood. Concerned about her apprentice's mental state, she was about to leave—but then she sat down again at the edge of the bed.
Arthur glanced at Scáthach, who was wearing a high-collared top that revealed her legs. Her thighs were especially eye-catching as she sat there.
Arthur hesitated for a moment, then gathered his courage and said, "I'm having a bit of trouble falling asleep…"
"Can't sleep?" Scáthach raised an eyebrow. "Then how do you usually fall asleep?"
"The same way as before." After saying that, he looked at Scáthach again.
Scáthach showed a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "You mean like when you were a child?"
"Yes…" Arthur paused, then asked cautiously, "Is that okay?"
"Logically, I should gradually get you used to sleeping on your own, but today's situation is special, so… I can make an exception and grant your request," Scáthach said calmly.
"According to what you said before, it's called a lap pillow… right?"
Arthur nodded, keeping his composure.
When he was little, Arthur often slept like this on his master's lap, while Nessa lay on the other side. But now, there were only the two of them in the room… It felt like it had been a long time since he'd felt this at ease. In the past, even when he was alone with his master after training, they would only talk, nothing more.
Since the engagement, his master had gradually begun to distance herself from him.
"Then I'll lie down, Master."
As Arthur spoke, he moved from the head of the bed and lay down on Scáthach's lap. The drowsiness he'd felt just moments ago suddenly vanished.
"Sleep well. I'll cover you with the blanket after you fall asleep." Scáthach gently stroked his head, her tone far gentler than usual, completely devoid of the awe-inspiring aura she had displayed on the training field earlier that day.
Feeling the soft, slightly cool touch of her skin, Arthur felt his blood boil and his heart race uncontrollably.
I wanted to sleep… but how am I supposed to sleep like this?
(End of Chapter)