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

I greeted the month of July at the Serbel family’s villa.

As usual, I rose early in the morning, completed my training, did breathing exercises, and, after washing up, received a bundle of letters at the breakfast table.

These were letters from friends that had been sent to the Ernhardt family’s estate and forwarded to the Serbel villa. I was briefly surprised, as I hadn’t expected to exchange letters with them for the mere two months we’d be apart.

I felt a bit reluctant to take time away from my family to write replies, especially to friends I’d soon see again. But seeing the familiar rose-shaped seal, I changed my mind. Logan Serbel had talked my ear off about how, back in the day, various friends held me in such affection.

It seemed unkind to ignore those who cared for and missed me, so I considered it my duty to respond.

I settled next to Michael and Asdel, who were lying on the floor of the drawing room with their coloring boards spread out. I prepared a quill and ink to begin my replies.

The table height was uncomfortable compared to the study, but since this spot suited the kids’ play, I didn’t mind the arrangement.

I laid out the letters and read them all at once.

It seemed Shaden and the others had successfully attended some social events. The grand name aside, it seemed more like a grand birthday celebration where everyone was the guest of honor.

Reading about the splendor of the palace banquet hall, the brilliance of the lights on the ceiling, I could imagine the event’s grandeur.

However, few of them had found their match at the gathering; only a handful of sociable ones had ventured to ask anyone to dance, with others feeling too shy. Reading Ivan Holmos’ letter, where he admitted he was too nervous to remember anything about his day, I chuckled as I pictured him standing stiffly, like a gangly youth.

Shaden and Damian, rather than searching for partners, had apparently focused on making new friends. Knowing their outgoing nature, I could easily picture them pulling acquaintances, male or female, onto the dance floor for a spin, helping others feel comfortable and join in on the fun.

After reading Benjamin and Danby’s letters, two people I didn’t expect to participate in such events, I began to think about how to reply. I found out the reason for this gathering when I read Jenny’s letter.

“…Marianne?”

Without realizing it, I muttered the name aloud, catching Michael’s attention as he looked up with curious, puppy-like eyes. Smiling, I gestured for him to ignore it and focused back on the letter.

Jenny’s letter, which began with “I think Marianne’s in love!” was full of animated details.

It turned out that, unlike her usual fiery and lively self, Marianne had grown visibly quiet, sighing at the sunny window like a sickly bird.

At first, her friends hadn’t thought much of it, but they soon began to worry. Gathering to discuss her unusual behavior, they ended up enjoying the meeting so much that they continued to meet regularly. Eventually, they all decided to write to me.

Since they had all written together, they added a cheeky note that I could reply to anyone of them, as it would reach them all. Jenny, with stars and hearts drawn in abundance, sweetly insisted that I choose her, making me laugh again.

It was endearing to see how close they’d grown.

Jenny, who had once been the lowest-ranking among us, seemed to be walking with her head held high now, thanks to her friends supporting her. Pleased by this development, I decided to address my reply to Jenny as she had asked and took out a blank piece of paper.

Before I could begin, however, I noticed one last, unopened letter, and so I set my pen back down.

I thought there wouldn’t be any other friends left to send me letters, but then I realized there was one more person.

Louver Anti Sierun, the second prince of the Sierun Empire.

I imagined how bored he must have felt, surrounded by guests at the banquet hall, forced to put on a pleasant facade as he greeted each one, unable to truly enjoy himself.

The letter began with “To Young Master Ernhardt,” written in his familiar, meticulous hand, and I read it quietly.

As expected, there was nothing of great importance—he mentioned seeing others enjoying themselves and thinking of me, wondering where I might be spending my summer, and asking for advice on how to continue his training during the break.

Thinking this would be the quickest reply, I began my response to Louver first.

“To Senior Louver Anti Sierun,” I began, then added a note on the weather and inquired about his well-being.

There was much to write, so my pen moved without hesitation. I described my current location at the Serbel villa, how I was enjoying the summer with my siblings through swimming and horseback riding, and how the younger ones beside me were amusingly playful.

For the more important parts, I intentionally saved them for later pages.

I told him that although my vacation schedule was quite full, I still found time in the early morning and late evening for training, managing to dedicate one to two hours each session to keep my body in shape.

Next, I recommended that, even if he was busy, Louver should dedicate at least an hour a day to consistent training to maintain arm strength.

Though Louver is already tall for his age and might be mistaken as fully grown, the size of his hands and feet and the length of his limbs suggest he’ll grow another inch or two.

Therefore, I advised him against training with overly heavy weights, as it could be counterproductive. Though he’s skilled with qi-based techniques, the foundation of all martial arts begins with one’s body and ends with the sword, so I urged him to keep his core steady and upright. I briefly wondered if I was being too forward with my senior, so I added a line saying he was already doing well and should simply keep it up.

I also pointed out his tendency to shorten his sword reach despite his height, advising him to practice moving with a wider range in his arms and maintaining awareness of the space within his stance. When I was done, the letter filled eight pages.

I had been holding back some of this advice, knowing his rank was above mine, but since he had sought my guidance, I was sincerely glad to share it. Imagining him receiving the letter and feeling proud made me smile.

I then requested more paper from the attendants to write to my first-year classmates as a group.

The beginning of that letter was similar to the one I’d written Louver.

Since the children seemed more curious about my daily life, I included additional details.

I conveyed greetings from Logan Serbel, who had met them a few times, and added another page about how adorable my younger siblings were. At the end, I remarked that Marianne seemed likely to be the first of us to marry, and I’d surely be there to congratulate her.

Just as I was asking an attendant to send the letters to the post office, Michael and Asdel held up a large piece of paper, proudly declaring they had drawn me.

After praising them and squeezing their chubby cheeks, I joined them for another outing.

* * *

Spending time together for a little over a month, I naturally grew close to Logan Serbel and Leila Serbel as well.

We’d often let the younger kids play among themselves while the three of us lay on the lawn, talking about various topics or practicing basic martial techniques that I’d taught them.

Logan Serbel was a third-year in business studies, and Leila Serbel was a second-year in academics.

Both had dark golden-brown hair and bluish eyes. Evan Serbel, who was younger and had light golden hair, would likely have his hair darken as he grew older.

Both of them had little to no interest in martial arts, barely going near related classes, which didn’t sit well with me.

In the Middle Kingdom, even members of the famously intellectual Zhuge family considered it natural to refine their bodies and train in martial arts.

Since a sound mind stems from a sound body, I encouraged the siblings to learn some basic self-defense techniques.

Not ones to accept things without reciprocating, the siblings brought out various books, pestering me with them. However, as we got into discussions, Logan and Leila would often get into heated debates, so I rarely felt inconvenienced. I found their discussions rather entertaining.

Today’s topic was poverty alleviation.

I was surprised to hear that this land also had poor people; the men I’d encountered behind the capital’s market, though wearing worn hats, had appeared respectable.

Their cheeks weren’t sunken, nor were their stomachs flat, meaning they hadn’t had to resort to eating stones or sand out of desperation.

They were able to satisfy their hunger enough to distinguish between edible and inedible things.

For that reason, I hadn’t held back my generosity toward them.

Upon hearing this, Logan looked slightly troubled.

The Serbel siblings were deeply interested in welfare policies for their territory.

I listened attentively to the things they explained. Logan Serbel favored distributing wealth equitably at regular intervals, while Leila Serbel believed that educational opportunities for personal growth should be accessible to all.

Since both concepts were unfamiliar to me, I spent a good while asking them various questions.