"Why are you two so late?"
"Yanqing and I have been waiting here for ages."
In the Palace of Astrum's rear garden, Yunli stood with her hands on her hips, her expression impassive as she regarded March 7th and Lumina. Though her face betrayed no emotion, her words clearly conveyed her displeasure at their tardiness.
Yanqing remained silent, nodding in a simple greeting.
"We... we just... uh..." Hearing Yunli's rebuke, March 7th's face flushed crimson, and she stammered, unable to find a coherent explanation.
"My apologies, Yunli, Yanqing. We ran into a bit of trouble that delayed us," Lumina said with a gentle smile, offering no further details.
"You two..." Yunli glanced at the crimson-faced March 7th, then at the composed, smiling Lumina. She couldn't shake the feeling that something rather... embarrassing had transpired between them.
And the culprit behind this awkward situation was likely Lumina.
"Never mind. Have you two had breakfast yet?"
"The first step in sword practice is to eat well and stay hydrated, ensuring your body is in peak condition."
"If you haven't eaten breakfast yet, go get some now."
Yunli studied March 7th and Lumina's faces for a moment before withdrawing her gaze.
March 7th merely blushed, offering no further explanation.
This indicated that March 7th didn't mind whatever Lumina had done, leaving Yunli with no reason to intervene.
"We ate, we ate! We all came after eating our fill," March 7th nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at grain, clearly relieved by the change of topic. Her blush gradually faded.
"Good. Remember this, March 7th," Yunli said, crossing her arms and nodding with satisfaction. "From now on, whether you're late, about to be late, or already late, always finish breakfast before coming here."
"Yes, yes, yes! Don't worry, Master Yunli, I'll definitely eat breakfast before coming from now on."
"Hmm... and make sure you're not late either."
March 7th nodded solemnly at Yunli, then the reason for her morning's lateness flashed through her mind. Her cheeks, which had gradually returned to normal, flushed crimson once more.
"Don't worry, there was just a little mishap today," Lumina said, patting March 7th on the head with a smile. "Starting tomorrow, I'll personally make sure March 7th stays on schedule."
"Mmm..." At Sister Lumina's touch, March 7th's imagination ran wild. Her small face turned even redder, resembling a ripe Red Apple—so ripe and juicy, it looked ready to burst with refreshing sweetness.
"Alright, now that Miss March and Lady Lumina are here, let's begin today's lesson." Unlike Yunli, who at least grasped the basics, Yanqing understood absolutely nothing of the trio's encrypted conversation. Eager to get started with sword practice, he quickly interjected.
"Mm-hmm." Yunli nodded, her expression turning serious. Turning to March 7th, she said, "I'm not one for playing the Master role. Since Grandpa asked me to teach you, March 7th, I promise to hold nothing back."
"I'll teach you everything I know, March 7th."
"Little March, today marks the official start of your training!" Lumina had reviewed some Xianzhou sword techniques before bed last night and refined them in her dreams. Now, she was eager to test her methods on March 7th.
"Ha ha ha, you're all too kind... Huh?" The blush on March 7th's face faded quickly as she chuckled awkwardly. Then, recalling Sister Lumina and Yunli's recent remarks, she froze, her eyes widening in surprise. "Wait, so today is the official start of training? What was yesterday, then?"
Recalling yesterday's lessons and comparing them to the others' remarks, March 7th felt a shiver run down her spine.
Could yesterday's lessons have been just a warm-up before the real sword training begins...?
"Don't worry, Little March," Lumina reassured her, having immediately guessed what March 7th was thinking. "Yesterday's lessons weren't just a warm-up. They were already part of your formal training."
"We were just observing your specific aptitude, stamina, endurance, and so on to tailor a training program specifically for you," Yunli explained.
"Oh, I see. I thought yesterday's training was just a warm-up before the real meal..." Hearing this, March 7th, her thoughts exposed by Sister Lumina, scratched her head awkwardly and chuckled sheepishly.
"Mm-hmm, Lumina's right. We originally planned to observe you over several days," Yunli nodded in agreement.
"But thanks to the pendant Lumina gave you, yesterday's training covered nearly several days' worth..."
"So we've already reached our conclusions and are ready to start your formal training early."
Yunli nodded, her gaze drifting to the necklace around March 7th's neck, a spark of curiosity flickering in her eyes.
How does something like that even work? It's so... magical.
To condense several days' training into a single day... If...
A fleeting idea surfaced in Yunli's mind, but she quickly dismissed it.
Lumina and I are just friends. Asking her something like that would be far too presumptuous.
Tap... tap... tap...
Just as March 7th was awaiting the others' comments, footsteps approached. A gray-haired young girl and a blue-haired young girl appeared before them.