Namgung Se-ga, the warrior, was reincarnated in Romance

The only aspect of etiquette I could confidently claim to know was how to drink tea.

This was the result of my mother, Seirun Ernhardt, who had instilled these manners in me over many years. From the age of three or four, my mother and I, or sometimes my father would have tea time together every day. I began imitating her graceful movements, which were far more elegant than my father’s, and this became second nature to me.

In the Central Plains, etiquette books were passed down through generations, teaching how to greet adults, bow, perform rituals, and more. As I grew older, seeing unruly children often made me click my tongue, so I made sure to follow the proper decorum to the best of my ability.

I had no interest in learning how to use a fan in conversation or other physical manners, and my parents had always encouraged me to refrain from them. However, the way I spoke, drank tea, and ate was influenced by them, and I had always taken pride in not behaving in an embarrassing manner.

Yet, when I observed Sheiden Roze and Princess Lucilla Anti Sierun, who managed to engage in lively conversation while following impeccable dining etiquette, I couldn’t help but feel like a childish fool, much like when I saw Sheiden’s colorful notes earlier.

I found myself glancing at them repeatedly as they ate.

I was more focused on their gestures and mannerisms than on what they were saying.

“…It seems Ernhardt Young Master is quite close to Roze Young Master.”

“Eh?”

“I’ve seen them together often.”

Suddenly, Prince Ruber spoke, and when I became the topic of conversation, Sheiden smiled and looked at me.

His smile and the way he picked up and set down his utensils seemed more mischievous than usual, leaving me at a loss for words. Honestly, I couldn’t help but think, *Do I really have to do this much for a peer just one year older?*

“Roze and Ernhardt families have had frequent exchanges, Senior. We met at Young Master Ernhardt’s first birthday party and have been close ever since.”

“Ah… first birthday party, you say?”

“We’ve known each other for just over eight years now. We’re very happy to be attending the academy together.”

The words came smoothly and sweetly.

They sounded both right and wrong at the same time. It was true that Sheiden had attended my first birthday banquet when I was five, and after that, he regularly appeared at our family gatherings.

Every year, we would invite all the children to build connections, so we had spoken many times.

However, I couldn’t remember everyone equally, nor was I equally close to everyone.

What surprised me was hearing for the first time that I had submitted an early entrance application to the academy to enter with Sheiden.

My early admission was approved because I was the eldest son of the Ernhardt family and had already reached the advanced level of Sword Expert.

After learning of the academy’s existence, I had begged my father to let me attend so I could rise to the next level. He couldn’t resist my enthusiasm, which is why my early admission was granted.

So, if I hadn’t had prior conversations with Sheiden, I might have been stumbling blindly. At least I knew a little more than others, so I nodded along to what Sheiden said.

Since Sheiden had helped me, I also wanted to be a helpful companion to him.

“We take most of our classes together. Since I’m younger than the others, I receive a lot of help from him.”

“We help each other out, that’s the right way to put it.”

“That’s really admirable. There’s that saying, ‘childhood friends last the longest.'”

“I value all the new connections I’ve made at the academy, but…”

It seemed that Sheiden’s closeness to me was benefiting him, and even Lucilla seemed to be giving him subtle, approving looks, which made her engage more enthusiastically in the conversation than usual.

Just when I started to wonder how much longer I would have to endure this praise game, Sheiden placed a delicious meat dish on my plate, and I quickly accepted it.

It was his subtle way of telling me to focus on eating, and so I ate while listening to Sheiden and Lucilla’s laughter.

The atmosphere was entirely different from when I had dinner with Benjamin and Ruber, and it felt awkward and difficult to adjust.

I quietly ate my food, occasionally nodding, when Prince Ruber also placed the same meat dish on my plate.

I glanced at him in confusion, and he seemed a little embarrassed, perhaps because he had only done it as a reflex. I smiled briefly.

“Thank you, I’ll eat it.”

“Mm.”

After all, it would be impolite to return something that had been given to me, and I was used to accepting food from others. So, I ate it without hesitation.

I was at an age where, after physical exertion, I often found myself hungry, so I ate until my plate was clean and then finally stood up.

Sheiden also finished his meal, said his goodbyes, and left the table.

After Sheiden left, and only the four of us remained to practice the sword-throwing technique, Princess Lucilla complimented Sheiden for being cute. I replied that I thought he was cute too, which made everyone burst into laughter.

Lucilla’s laughter, sounding vaguely like Professor Cedric, who taught the camping class, made me feel a little uncomfortable. It was so different from Prince Ruber, who remained quietly without laughing.

Lucilla, who had taken the sword-throwing class last year, was also quite skilled.

Unlike Ruber, who stood quietly and offered steady advice on the correct form and method of throwing the sword, Lucilla liked to play around, throwing the sword while running, sitting, or even jumping—always with a bit of mischief, she said.

I thought it was quite an impressive skill, so I clapped several times, but a part of me felt uneasy, as though I were watching a circus performance. I wondered if it was appropriate to treat someone of her noble blood like a spectacle.

However, when Lucilla blindfolded herself and decided to throw the sword while using her aura, I figured it was their decision, and I decided to just enjoy watching with curiosity.

As she tried, the energy spread and I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“If you blindfold yourself and spread your aura, won’t it be the same as before?”

“No, the important thing is being able to throw the sword in the direction I want, even without clear sight. Even in complete darkness or when waking up groggy, if I can spread my aura to sense my surroundings, it means I won’t be at risk of assassination, right?”

“Well, that’s true…”

“Hmm? You’re not surprised. Usually, people get shocked when I say this.”

“Why?”

“Huh? Well, some friends get really upset when I talk about assassination.”

“Pardon?”

She said this with a smile, and I answered without hesitation. After hearing her explanation, I realized she had been making a playful joke to embarrass me.

However, I too had learned to use a sword with my eyes closed, for the same reason.

In the Central Plains, the hidden conflicts are endless, and there was a time when the friends and allies of the many villains I had killed came seeking revenge.

Though it hadn’t been a deliberate training method, it had become second nature over time.

I reminded myself to be aware that in this land, people were shocked when the princess mentioned assassination, and chose my words more carefully.

I spoke about the importance of being able to respond to threats at any time when wielding a sword, and Lucilla laughed again, which relieved me.

I tried to follow Lucilla’s playful methods and advice, but each time I changed my stance, it only made me more confused.

I grabbed Prince Ruber, who had been quietly watching, and asked for his help in correcting my posture again.

He helped me adjust my stance as he had done last time, and I was finally able to focus on the target.

After several attempts, I was able to hit the target, but as someone who had spent my whole life with a sword, the accuracy and force of my throw left much to be desired.

I didn’t know how to properly channel my inner energy while throwing the sword, so I had to try different methods each time, which resulted in inconsistent results.

The method I had learned from my family’s swordsmanship, with its precise techniques for internal energy and movement, made it even more difficult to adapt to the throwing sword style. It was frustrating.

It had been so easy to walk a pre-determined path before.

At Sieron, where I had learned everything by following established methods, sword-throwing was the one skill that defied my usual training.

I even began to think that it might be better to focus more on cultivating my internal energy, so I could eventually learn techniques like manipulating objects at a distance or controlling a sword to attack on its own.

“Ernhardt Young Master, I think Ruber is about to burst.”

“Pardon?”

“No, no…”

“Oh. I’m sorry, I got distracted for a moment.”

It was only after Lucilla pointed it out that I realized I had been gripping Ruber’s arm and tracing the shape of his muscles with my hand every time he moved the sword.

I looked up, wondering why this was a problem between men, and was startled to see Ruber’s pale skin flushed bright red. I quickly let go of his arm.

Now that I thought about it, I remembered he had seemed a bit shy when I had asked him to watch my movements earlier.

In contrast, Lucilla had been much more graceful and confident, adjusting my stance with ease, so it seemed like Ruber was just naturally a more bashful person.

I couldn’t help but wonder how someone so shy could become an emperor one day. I almost laughed, but I restrained myself out of courtesy.

“It’s… fine. You were just curious about how I use my arm, right?”

“Yes. It seems like you extend your arm and raise your aura in a similar way to how I do, but I can’t predict the path of the sword when I throw it, so I’m not sure where I’m going wrong. You mentioned layering your aura; I’m curious where you begin and how you use it.”

“Uh… I’ll show you, just take a step back…”

“Yes.”

I stepped back obediently and watched Ruber carefully.

He tried his best to demonstrate and explain, but even though my inner energy was awake, I still found it difficult to sense the flow of energy within someone else’s body.

No matter how hard I focused, I couldn’t see anything, and I realized my brows were furrowing in frustration. I quickly wiped my face to reset my expression.

Ruber, who seemed even more bashful than before, repeated the sword throw several times, allowing me to adjust my stance a little more.

By the time the training ended, Lucilla laughed loudly and ruffled my hair. I didn’t understand why, and I felt confused.

When Benjamin patted me on the shoulder, I realized it wasn’t a big deal, so I decided not to dwell on it.

I focused instead on refining my technique and thought more about how to channel my inner energy into the sword throw.