Because of what happened last night, Arthur had absolutely no idea how to face his master. He felt too embarrassed to even look her in the eyes.
Scáthach maintained her usual composure, giving him a slight nod.
"Good morning, Arthur."
Seeing Scáthach's calm expression, Arthur took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and regained his composure. Then he looked at Scáthach and said,
"Good morning."
However, the moment he raised his eyes, he found his master watching him intently. Arthur's gaze met Scáthach's involuntarily. For no apparent reason, he recalled what had happened the previous night. Then, his gaze gradually lowered until it rested on Scáthach's lips.
Her thin, rosy lips seemed to shimmer as though they possessed some kind of magic. Arthur's gaze lingered on Scáthach's captivating lips for quite some time.
"I feel like there's something strange about the atmosphere between you two."
At that moment, a gentle, cheerful voice suddenly came from behind them.
A girl stepped out from behind the group, her long platinum-blonde hair shining beneath the sunlight, her emerald eyes resembling those of a cat. She looked at Arthur for a moment before turning her curious gaze toward Scáthach.
Arthur immediately snapped out of his daze, pretending to remain composed as he looked away and turned toward the girl.
It was Guinevere.
"Could you at least warn us before suddenly appearing next time?" Arthur sighed in relief. "Showing up out of nowhere can easily scare people."
"Squeak."
Guinevere raised both hands and made a gesture resembling a mouse before looking upward with a radiant smile.
Arthur: "..."
I honestly have no idea how to respond to this girl.
The king's master really does seem quite extraordinary, Guinevere thought, pausing briefly as she observed Scáthach's elegant figure.
"Would you accept me as your apprentice as well?"
Scáthach shook her head.
"Unfortunately, you can't come with me to the Land of Shadows. So it's better for you to stay here. If you want to learn martial arts, that knight from earlier would be a good choice."
Finally, Scáthach glanced toward Lanmarok, who had already left after saying goodbye to Arthur.
"What a shame. I wanted to learn from you."
Guinevere sighed, a hint of disappointment appearing on her face.
"Let me take you to have breakfast first," Artoria said, giving Guinevere a slight bow.
"I want to go too!" Nessa raised her hand.
"Please follow me, both of you," Artoria said as she led them away from the courtyard.
Without realizing it, she was no longer the absent-minded administrator of the royal court she once had been. Now, she could handle almost everything with ease.
After watching the three of them leave, Arthur turned to Morgan, who stood beside him.
"Morgan, did the Saxons reveal any information yesterday?"
Morgan gave Arthur an indifferent glance before giving a slight nod.
"Not yet, but I should be able to identify the informant within the next few days."
Every Saxon had sworn never to betray one another.
Although the oath was complicated, there was a way around it. They only needed to be forced to identify those who had conspired against Britain. Even if that technically counted as betrayal, it would not be considered complete betrayal, and the oath would not be enough to condemn them to death.
After hearing Morgan's answer, Arthur gave her a thoughtful look.
So... something must have happened to Morgan. Is that why she's become so cold again?
"I'll let you know if I find anything. I'm leaving now," Morgan said, not giving Arthur the chance to speak before turning around and leaving the courtyard without looking back.
Arthur watched Morgan's departing figure, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease.
Someone who's usually cheerful and energetic... well, even if it's all an act, it's still unsettling when that person suddenly becomes so cold.
Scáthach also turned to watch Morgan's back, frowning slightly. She had clearly noticed that something was wrong with Morgan le Fay as well.
Morgan's figure quickly disappeared from sight.
"It seems she does care... a little," Arthur murmured to himself.
Morgan had been acting rather strangely today. She had only spoken a few words before leaving, completely ignoring everything around her.
"Are you worried about what's happening with Morgan le Fay?" Scáthach asked.
Arthur nodded slightly.
"Morgan's behavior today is very strange."
He turned toward his master.
"Master, I'm going to go check on her."
Scáthach looked at Arthur for a few moments, a faint smile appearing on her face.
Arthur's heart immediately sank.
He had almost forgotten that his master and his sister were leaving Britain that very day.
If I leave now, it won't be long before I can see my master again...
But Morgan's situation is also quite worrying...
Thinking about it left Arthur feeling conflicted once again.
Looking at Arthur, who appeared anxious yet still hadn't moved, Scáthach smiled faintly before suddenly changing the subject.
"You may go. If I'm in a good mood, I might consider staying one more day or something. That way, it wouldn't matter if you went to look for Morgan, right?"
"Really?"
Arthur looked up with a delighted expression.
When Scáthach nodded, Arthur finally let out a sigh of relief.
"I get the feeling that Master is starting to become a little mischievous," Arthur said helplessly.
There was no doubt that Scáthach had never intended to stop him in the first place. Her earlier comments had merely been a joke.
When he had first met his master, she had seemed very serious, and her elegant demeanor had attracted him greatly.
Why do I feel like Master's personality completely changed after I confessed my feelings to her last night?
Seeing Arthur's helpless expression, Scáthach tried to guess what he was thinking.
Looking at him, she asked,
"You don't like this side of my personality?"
So the reason this child was originally attracted to me was because of my coldness? If that's the case, perhaps it would be better to return to how we used to interact.
Just as Scáthach reached that conclusion, she heard Arthur's voice.
"I've already told you before—I like every side of you, Master."
"If we want to become lovers, then we first have to accept each other's strengths and flaws. I know that."
Arthur paused briefly before continuing,
"And I like you, no matter what your personality is."
"..."
After a brief silence, Scáthach stretched and let out a yawn.
"You may go," she said.
"Huh?"
Arthur looked at Scáthach in surprise.
"I've already set the condition, haven't I? If I'm in a good mood, I'll stay one more day."
Scáthach turned around, her purple hair swaying gently in the breeze, and looked at the boy who still seemed somewhat bewildered. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she raised her hand and gently patted Arthur on the head.
"I'm in a very good mood right now."
(End of Chapter)