Stubborn William

Her talk with the Duke didn't last long. They only talked about how her knowledge could help alleviate any disadvantageous circumstances in the future and also the key to unlock their family's potential. With that, she left the room in a graceful manner.

Surprisingly, William was already waiting for her outside. "Lady! i heard you went out for training, you should've told me!"

She crosses her arms, suspicious of him. "And why would i? last time i checked, you were the one who needed saving."

He slouches, feeling sorrowful after being reminded of that event from the Willow village. Although it does give bad memories to William, he always shrugs it afterward since he already decided to let go of his past vengeance, and live fully to protect his master.

It was his reason that looks up to Helena's capabilities that made William determined.

He stands up straightly once again. "Lady Helena! I am not the man who i was before! i can definitely serve useful to you!"

William puts his hand on his chest, displaying the Enilde Knight's gesture of obedience.

Helena chuckles. "Why are you even acting like this? i never said anything about you being useless. You have your own strength and i also have mine, you shouldn't compare us like that."

'What? you were the one who compared us first lady Helena!' William cries in thought.

Just by seeing his expression, Helena couldn't help but laugh.

Regardless of how He felt, he ignores the lady's humor once again and decided to play along with his master's gullibleness. Seeing that Helena was laughing, he was already satisfied enough. They were standing just by the door of the Duke's office yet she still laughed freely.

After a short while, her laugh finally subsides.

"Oh right." She turns to him, "How was your training with your squad? the Winter hunt is due tomorrow, have you trained them enough?"

"Yes my lady, we just finished training today."

"Already?" She says in a suspicious tone. "Isn't it too early to dismiss your squadron?"

He gulps.

Actually, William has already honed the knights enough in a savagely training that he promised them that he would give them a break on the last day of training. Yet it was also just one of his excuses to guard his lady after hearing that Helena went out by herself earlier in the morning.

"What's with that expression William? don't tell me you've been slacking off?" Helena stares at him in a strict posture.

"S-Slack off?! I would never dishonor my own knighthood! i already promised to bring glory to the winter hunt this-"

Helena waves her hand, ushering him to stop.

"Then care to tell me why you're not training them right now?" She raises an eyebrow.

William regretfully avoids her gaze, seeing that she would definitely figure it out if he tries to explain the side truth about why he dismissed the knights so early, he was determined to not say a single thing about it.

"Lady Helena, it's not that important, my squadron is fully prepared!" William raises his hands in front of him, desperately trying to explain his intention.

Yet Helena wasn't convinced.

She thinks that William was trying to hide something after trying to continuously deny the claim that he deliberately dismissed the knights for his own personal gain.

Feeling annoyed, she glares at him. "How dare you slack off!"

She gathers a good amount of mana and tases William at his sides, making him jump in pain.

"L-Lady!"

"William! This is not the time to be slacking off! The Winter hunt is an important event for our family, how could you treat it so disrespectfully?" She smacks his head.

He lets out another groan. "B-But i really trained them hard enough Lady Helena, i never slacked off in teaching them!"

Helena knew that William was a stubborn guy, so she naturally thought that William held onto his determination to not spill a thing about the truth she was seeking for. Still not convinced, she raises her finger, a golden-colored magic started to surround William, trapping him in mid-air.

William's face turned red when Helena turns him upside down.

"Still not planning on telling the truth? do i have to hang you in this position for the whole day?" Helena threatens.

William, who was still stubborn, refused to submit. He chuckles. "Lady Helena, turning me upside down is nothing to be proud of."

She smirks, fully aware that William would say those words. "Oh really? Then how about this?"

She releases her magic once again, converting her mana into electricity before directing it towards William's hanging body. He starts to get electrocuted, his body shaking from the nerve impulses all throughout his body.

"Can you handle being electrocuted for the whole day?" Helena laughs.

William tries to say something but sounded inaudible due to continuous shock. After a while of electrocuting him, she finally stops it, seeing that he lost consciousness. Also releasing the mana that bound him in mid-air, he fell helplessly on the ground.

But not for long.

'I.. I'm not dead yet!' William touches his body to make sure after waking up the moment he fell down.

He was late to realize that Helena was grinning evilly towards him, he instinctively pulled himself away from her spot. "L-Lady Helena?"

"How was it? should i be proud now?" She smiles.

'EEkk!' William almost lost his soul after seeing his master laugh evilly in front of him. Feeling frightened, he was left with no choice but to admit his wrongdoings.

He quickly kneels infront of her, his hands on his lap. "Forgive me, i just wanted to escort this Lady! I was just worried that you went out on your own earlier, so i told my squadron to rest early as a bonus for training hard in the past few days."

Even though she knew that William already pledged his life for her. She was still bewildered that the first knight that almost killed her in the past is now one of her trusted aides- and someone she could share a friendship with.

Even to the point that it amused her to tease William, the first knight.

She smiles, grabbing his arm. "Stand up Sir William, i understand."

William abruptly stands up, excited that his master understood his intention fully that she was able to let him go without a scratch.

But he would have never expected the next words to come.

"Now, call your squadron and tell them to arrive in the training grounds in less than 10 minutes. if i don't see them, i won't show mercy." Helena says in a scary voice, her face lifting up like a devil.

William's eyes widen.

"P-Pardon? my lady?" he asks, trembling a bit to the lady's expression.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Sir William." Helena hissed.

After that terrifying encounter, William immediately runs away from the spot. Scared that Helena might punish him again if he doesn't do what she wants, he had no choice but to abandon his bonus that he gave to his knights earlier.

He runs like a maniac across the Enilde's residence. When he arrived at the knight's lodging room. He opens his squadron's room, loud enough to make them jolt up from their lying position on their bed.

"Captai-"

"TO THE TRAINING GROUND NOW! YOU GOT LESS THAN 5 MINUTES TO RUN!" William shouts, interfering with the knight's greeting.

By those loud threatening words, the squad had no choice but to obey him without complaints. They didn't even bother to ask why he took back his words. William's desperate facial expression was enough to scare the knights. They all run around in corners as they prepared themselves for the training.

Turning away, William grins to himself after venting his anger out.

'Ah it's good to be a captain' William laughs to himself.