Evalyn never once skipped her training. Every day, without the slightest hint of fatigue, she trained from morning until night.

But strangely, she soon realized that her skills didn’t seem to be improving at all.

"What’s going on?" she wondered, her brows deeply furrowed.

She swung her sword again, but that same sensation returned—as if some invisible barrier were holding her back.

She didn’t know what it was, and the uncertainty only made her more frustrated.

While she was still lost in thought, a servant approached and bowed his head.

"Apologies for disturbing you, Young Lady. There is a guest who wishes to see you."

Evalyn snapped out of her daze and turned toward him.

"Tell them I’m not seeing anyone," she replied irritably.

"But—"

Before the servant could finish, Evalyn had already turned and walked away.

The servant hesitated for a moment, then raised his voice.

"That guest is Prince Nolan!"

"Huh?" Evalyn froze mid-step. She spun around and rushed back. Grabbing the servant by the shoulders, she demanded, "W-Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!"

The servant: "..."

He wanted to explain, but Evalyn cut him off.

"Take me to him. Now!" she ordered.

The servant didn’t dare argue and quickly led her to where Nolan was waiting.

***

Nolan and Eira waited quietly in the reception room. No one came to greet them, aside from a few servants.

Nolan didn’t mind. He understood that the Lionheart family was busy preparing for the decennial contest.

Besides, his arrival had been sudden—he hadn’t informed Luke or any of the other officials beforehand.

"Master, is this our destination?" Eira asked curiously.

Nolan gently patted her head. "That’s right. Don’t worry—I’m sure you’ll feel comfortable here. This is Sister Evalyn’s home. You’ve met her before, remember?"

"Sister Evalyn?" Eira blinked. She tried to recall, her little head tilting slightly, before her eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh! Sister Evalyn! So this is her house?"

Nolan simply smiled and nodded.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside. A moment later, Evalyn appeared, still dressed in her training clothes.

Her white outfit clung lightly to her figure, outlining her slender frame and accentuating her curves.

Her silver hair was tied into a ponytail, and beads of sweat still glistened on her forehead and neck—somehow making her look even more captivating.

"Nolan!" Evalyn called out warmly as she hurried over. Stopping in front of them, she smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I just finished training. Have you been waiting long?"

Nolan was about to answer when the scent of grapes suddenly filled his nose.

’What a lovely scent... Could it be her sweat?’ Nolan wondered silently. His gaze drifted unconsciously to the beads of sweat on Evalyn’s forehead, neck, and even beneath her arms.

"Ahem!" He cleared his throat and quickly pushed those inappropriate thoughts aside. With a casual tone, he replied, "No. I just arrived."

Evalyn seemed relieved. However, her gaze soon shifted toward Eira, filled with curiosity.

"Who is this little girl?"

Eira smiled, about to answer, but Nolan spoke first.

"She’s my daughter."

Evalyn: "..."

Eira: "..."

"Y-Your daughter!?" Evalyn’s voice trembled. "Y-You’re joking, right? If that’s true... then who is her mother!?"

Seeing her panic, Nolan let out a soft chuckle and quickly reassured her.

"Just kidding. She’s Eira—the little dragon I brought back from the Kingdom of Kaldarion. Do you still remember?"

"Eira?" Evalyn froze. Of course she remembered. That little dragon had been unbelievably adorable.

But who would have thought she had now turned into a little girl?

"A lot has happened," Nolan continued as he slowly stood up. "We should talk inside."

Evalyn was clearly annoyed at being teased, but she held her tongue and simply nodded.

Then, she led Nolan and Eira into the house.

The Lionheart family home was enormous. Its size rivaled the mansions of prominent noble families such as the Austins, Malvains, and Valcrests.

However, what truly set it apart from other noble residences was its decor, layout, and architectural style.

Unlike most noble estates, the Lionheart residence wasn’t built with three stories, but only two. Its design resembled the buildings of the Izanagi Eastern Empire, yet it still retained the distinct elegance of the Great Velmora Empire.

It was said that the Lionheart family’s ancestor—the Transcendent who wielded the Divine Sword Luminus—had come from another world, a land whose culture and customs closely resembled those of the Eastern Izanagi Empire.

Although the truth could not be confirmed, it was believed to be the reason the Lionheart estate bore such a strong resemblance to Izanagi’s architectural style.

"I don’t know why, but... is it just me, or has this place changed a bit?" Nolan asked curiously.

Evalyn smiled. "You’re not imagining things. The estate was renovated two years ago. You haven’t visited in a long time, so of course you wouldn’t know."

Her tone carried a hint of annoyance, which made Nolan smile helplessly.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to visit the Lionheart family again—he simply never had the time. As a prince, he was always busy.

Of course, by "busy," he mostly meant lying around in bed.

Evalyn led Nolan and Eira to the living room. The room felt unusually quiet, with none of the Lionheart family’s core members present.

Only a few servants passed by from time to time.

"Are Uncle Luke and the others out?" Nolan asked.

"Yes. Father and the others went to the place where the competition is being held." Evalyn nodded. "What would you like to drink?" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"I’ll have coffee. Eira wants cold chocolate milk."

Evalyn immediately instructed a servant to prepare them.

While they waited, the three chatted casually. Eventually, the conversation shifted to the upcoming contest.

"How are your preparations for facing Nathan later?" Nolan asked.

Given Evalyn’s abilities, there shouldn’t have been any real problem. Nolan had always been confident in her.

However, Evalyn’s expression darkened. She lowered her head and replied weakly, "Everything’s fine."

Nolan’s eyebrows rose slightly. He knew her well—whenever she lied, her body would tremble faintly, and her expression would turn dull and lifeless.

"What’s wrong? Don’t lie to me," Nolan pressed. "Are you having trouble?"

Evalyn remained silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

"There’s nothing I can hide from you." She nodded slowly. "Yes... I’m going through a slump. I’ve been training for days, but it feels like I haven’t made any progress at all. It’s strange. It doesn’t make sense."

To her, as long as she trained continuously, she should have grown stronger. Yet now, she was experiencing stagnation, and it felt completely unnatural.

"A slump?" Nolan was surprised.

He understood what that meant. The human body had its limits—no one could grow stronger forever without reaching a plateau.

It seemed Evalyn had reached her limit.

"With your current strength," Nolan asked quietly, "how confident are you that you can defeat Nathan Asbourne?"

Evalyn fell silent again, this time for much longer. Then she raised her head, looked him straight in the eyes, and answered calmly.

"Forty percent."