As I washed away the grime, the dried bloodstains quickly faded, revealing my true appearance.
I was momentarily stunned by my reflection in the water.
This person was definitely me, but why did I look younger?
Moreover, besides being younger, my body had indeed been greatly strengthened, just as I had sensed earlier. The contours of my muscles were perfect—sleek, defined, and powerful. It looked much more pleasing to the eye than those who deliberately trained for aesthetics.
I really wanted to strike a few poses to admire myself, but the thought of the beautiful girl sitting behind me kept my narcissism in check.
'It's better not to embarrass myself any further.'
The next moment, I jumped up from the riverbank.
Splash!
I dove in, completely disappearing from Theresia's sight.
On the shore, Theresia shook her head. Washing on the bank would have been fine, but I had jumped right into the deep end.
However, as time went by...
Thirty seconds. One minute. Two minutes.
Five minutes passed.
Theresia finally couldn't sit still any longer. She wasn't worried about me escaping; her senses told her that the person who jumped into the water was still in the exact same spot.
"Could he have drowned?!"
She suddenly realized a problem.
'I made a fatal mistake. I judged him by my own standards.'
For her, holding her breath for five minutes was trivial. But for ordinary people, the limit was usually between one and three minutes. Even for those with exceptional lung capacity, five minutes was pushing the boundaries of death.
And five minutes had already passed.
He was just a normal person with decent physical condition. Being underwater for this long meant he was in serious trouble.
Theresia quickly got up and ran towards the river. Seeing my figure lying motionless at the bottom, she jumped into the water without hesitation.
Splash!
'I hope it's not too late!' she prayed silently.
She blamed herself. She should have realized sooner. How could an ordinary person possibly survive underwater for so long?
Theresia successfully dove to the deepest part of the river. She reached out her hands, intending to grab me and haul me to the surface.
Just as she was about to hug me...
I turned my head sharply.
Seeing Theresia suddenly enter the water—fully clothed, no less—I was momentarily stunned.
'What is she doing?'
"Hey! Is everything alright?" I tried to ask, forgetting I was underwater.
Bubble bubble...
Seeing me move, Theresia was so surprised that she gasped. Her lips parted slightly, and she exhaled a precious breath of air.
"Puff puff..."
My eyes widened. For her, a Sword Saint, losing a bit of air wasn't fatal. But instinct took over.
In the next instant, I pulled her close. Before she could react, I pressed my lips against hers.
Her eyes went wide, staring blankly at me as I breathed air into her mouth.
Glub...
Tiny bubbles danced between us.
Theresia snapped back to her senses. Her face flushed red, and she abruptly shoved me away.
After shooting me a complicated look, she broke away at an extremely fast speed and swam towards the surface.
I watched her go, touching my lips.
Kissing her was... well, it was mostly an unconscious act. Like CPR in reverse. I saw her lose air, so I gave her some.
As for why I stayed underwater for so long? The experience of being submerged while using my Authority was so novel that I just lost track of time. I didn't need to breathe as often, and the pressure felt like nothing.
But in that short time, Theresia had clearly misunderstood, thinking I had drowned.
I swam up and surfaced near the shore, though I stayed waist-deep in the water.
Looking at Theresia on the bank, I felt a twinge of guilt. She was soaking wet, her clothes clinging to her body. Her face was flushed a pale pink, and she wore an expression that was a mix of anger and embarrassment.
Even angry, she was cute. She couldn't bring herself to be truly intimidating.
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking," I called out.
"...Although I know you meant well, please think carefully before you act next time."
Her voice was tinged with dissatisfaction and a hint of resentment.
"Just like before, the water was only this deep. Even if I accidentally swallowed a mouthful, I could easily float to the surface. You didn't need to..." She trailed off, touching her lips.
It would be abnormal for a girl not to be flustered if her first kiss was taken away so suddenly.
"I'll be more careful next time," I said sincerely.
"Mmm..."
She sighed. "Okay, let's just let this go. Don't mention it to anyone, especially Carol. If she finds out, the consequences could be very serious."
"I will absolutely not tell anyone." I made this promise very seriously.
This made Theresia nod slightly. It was an accident. Best to forget it.
She walked back to the distant boulder to wring out her heavy, soaked clothes. I continued to wait in the water for Carol.
Not much time passed before Carol arrived. She ran at an extremely fast pace, clothes in hand, but stopped dead when she saw Theresia.
"Young Miss, what's wrong? Why are you wet?"
"I... slipped and fell into the river just now," Thearesia lied smoothly.
"Yeah..."
Carol frowned.
'Our Young Miss is the current Sword Saint. Her balance is perfect. Slipping and falling into the water? That's ridiculous.'
She turned her head and looked at me in the water with a wary, suspicious gaze.
She threw the new clothes onto the nearest rock.
"Miss, let's go back quickly. You'll catch a cold if you stay soaked."
Carol grabbed Theresia's hand, pulling her away.
Thearesia looked at her maidservant with a puzzled expression. Previously, Carol was relentless about handing me over to the guards. Why was she suddenly so eager to leave?
"Carol? What about Regulus...?"
"Let's just ignore him. That scheming guy was definitely trying to get close to you on purpose, Miss."
"Why do you say that?"
Carol stopped and turned to give a proper explanation.
"When I went back to buy clothes just now, I inquired a little about the name 'Regulus.' There is indeed such a person rumored in the Royal City. His full name is Regulus Corneas."
She narrowed her eyes.
"The problem is, this guy is famous because he allegedly has over a hundred wives."
"More than a hundred people!?"
Even Theresia was shocked by this news. Even the Royal Family didn't have harems that size.
"That's right. More than a hundred, and rumors say each one of them is very beautiful," Carol said with certainty.
"He deliberately showed up at the place you frequent this morning, and dressed like that... he definitely has ulterior motives towards you."
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