Grace, Ethefelis, and Alice went back to their rooms to sleep, leaving only Jacob and me.
I took out another pocket watch from the storage hole. While adjusting the time, I asked Jacob a question.
"Jacob, how do you usually tell the time?"
"I look at the big clock on the clock tower."
"Then you don't have a pocket watch, right?"
"No. Pocket watches are finely made. It takes a month to make one, and they're very expensive."
After confirming that Jacob didn't have one, I finished setting the correct time and handed the pocket watch to him.
"Then I'll give you one. Just remember—don't put it into the storage hole. Time will stop."
"Thanks, but I wasn't late this morning, was I?"
Jacob seemed to think I was warning him to be punctual.
"That's not the reason. Grace and Ethefelis have one too—I just haven't given them theirs yet. Alice is kind of an exception, so she doesn't get one. I don't want her to think we're excluding her."
Originally, I planned to give everyone a pocket watch as a joining gift. That way, if we split up temporarily, we could set a time to meet again.
But I only took out three. Naturally, Alice wouldn't get one. Still, I didn't want her to feel left out—she seems very sensitive about that.
So I decided to wait and give Grace and Ethefelis theirs after I clear another dungeon and get one more pocket watch.
"You're surprisingly gentle, but you don't even like her."
Jacob, being an observer and a sharp one at that, had clearly noticed Alice's feelings and how I treated her. As for being gentle… I'll reserve judgment. Thinking of myself as gentle feels kind of gross.
"We'll be together for a while, after all. You too—falling in love is fine, but don't mess up the team atmosphere."
I took the chance to remind Jacob to keep things stable within the group. I expected a casual response, but instead he completely panicked—so much that he nearly shouted loud enough to wake someone up.
"Wha—!? Y-you—what are you talking about?!"
"Shh. Keep it down."
Jacob immediately covered his mouth and stood up to check the hallway. Apparently, no one was there. He then asked me nervously,
"...How did you know?"
So he admitted it. I thought he'd deny it.
"Anyone with eyes could tell. Be honest—what happened while I was out catching fish?"
What I heard afterward left me speechless. Jacob fell for Grace just by seeing her body beneath her armor. I had assumed she'd done something unintentionally charming.
I stared at him in disbelief.
"That's not liking someone. That's just lust. You're disgusting."
"N-no! That's not it! I'm not just lusting after her—it was just too tempting… don't you think?!"
While defending himself, Jacob gestured exaggeratedly at Grace's impressive chest, as if seeking my agreement.
I had noticed her very-much-above-average proportions, sure—but I had zero interest.
"I don't think so. And you still haven't explained anything."
"I-I mean—anyway, I didn't fall for her because of that!"
"Then because of what? Hip?"
"Don't say it like I only like her body! I'm not that shallow!"
Not the front, not the back—her waist? Her legs? I decided to let him talk.
"Then tell me what actually triggered it."
When nobles turn twelve, they attend a royal event held at the capital called the "Acquaintance Banquet". It's meant for all twelve-year-old nobles, serving as their social debut and a chance to make connections.
Jacob and Grace are the same age, so they attended together. At first, parents accompany their children, greeting other nobles. After that, the king has the children gather and socialize.
Grace had an unapproachable aura even as a child. Jacob, on the other hand, was naturally sociable. Seeing her alone, he went over to talk to her.
Grace was happy someone spoke to her and smiled—a smile Jacob has never been able to forget.
That was when he fell in love.
"Ohhh, I see. That sounds fake as hell. You didn't act that fond of Grace this morning."
Before tonight, Jacob hadn't shown any signs of liking Grace at all. He even promised he wouldn't make a move on her.
Caught in his lie, Jacob avoided my gaze, hesitating. Under my relentless stare, he finally gave in.
"...Fine. The truth is, I'd already decided to give up. Our families have no connection, and her rank is higher than mine. I struggled with it all day. But when I saw her like that… I just fell for her again."
A Sword Saint doesn't exactly seem socially savvy, so it makes sense their families never interacted. Jacob mentioned earlier that he's from a viscount's family, while Grace is from a duke's household. The gap is enormous—like a poor boy falling for a noble lady, completely unrealistic.
In a world where men generally hold higher status, marrying a woman of lower rank is preferable. Still, his explanation only made one thing clearer to me.
"So in the end, it was about her body."
Exposed again, Jacob clenched his fists, trembling, then roughly scratched his head and whispered a desperate scream so as not to wake anyone.
"...Aaargh! Fine, I admit it—I'm trash. Just tell me what I need to do to be with Grace!"
So that was why he chased the girls off earlier. But I'm not some romance expert. All I could give him was this advice.
"First, beat the Sword Saint."
"Are you kidding me?! Just looking at him, you can tell that's impossible!"
Jacob is a slender pretty boy. The Sword Saint is a burly middle-aged man. He'd probably go down in one punch. But if Jacob wants Grace, he has to get past her father.
"But if you beat him, he'll acknowledge you. You could even propose marriage."
"I told you, I can't win with this body! I've never even trained with a sword!"
Then train. Otherwise, give up on Grace. Running away together is an option too—but Grace would never agree.
"Then are you going to give up on Grace? You can make money and live independently, but you know how much she respects the Sword Saint. Abandoning everything isn't an option."
"I know, but the title Sword Saint means the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Starting now, I'll never catch up."
I'd forgotten that. At Jacob's age, it really is late. He lacks stamina too—he'd need even more training.
If he can't win… maybe sheer determination could move the Sword Saint? A great love overcoming the impossible—sounds plausible.
"Jacob, even if you can't win, it's enough to show him you've got backbone—that you won't give up, that you're someone he can entrust Grace to. If he believes you'll devote yourself to her, it might work."
"Having backbone and not giving up… that doesn't really describe me. And even then, it's not guaranteed."
He sighed, worried about the lack of a 100% success rate. He's really rushing things.
But people's hearts are complicated. The more persistently you challenge something, the higher the chance of being acknowledged.
"I don't know the Sword Saint well, so I can't read his heart. But people who keep trying earn points. Most people like that kind of person."
"That's true. People who give up easily aren't very likable."
"Then do your best."
"Then teach me swordsmanship, Karen."
I pointed at myself in disbelief—then understood why he said that.
"Me? I actually don't know swordsmanship. I beat the Sword Saint just because I'm faster than him."
"Don't lie. That's your secret, right? Teach me. I won't tell anyone."
Jacob grabbed my hand, convinced I had some hidden technique. But I really do win purely on speed.
I pulled my hand back and told him the truth.
"Lying don't made me money. But if you're fast enough, even a complete amateur swinging a sword can't be dodged."
"...Then who should I learn from?"
Once he realized I truly had no secrets, Jacob deflated and asked weakly.
"Grace. She's the one protecting you, so you're basically together all the time."
The only swordsman in the party—and the woman he likes. He can learn swordsmanship and deepen their bond at the same time. Two birds with one stone.
Jacob rubbed his hands together shyly and asked,
"Then… what excuse should I use?"
I went completely numb.
"Hey. Are you the one dating, or am I? Think of something yourself."
Jacob then started squirming awkwardly. Disgusting. What he said next was even worse.
"But it's my first time. I don't know what to do…"
"Seriously?! You look like a total playboy!"
I was genuinely shocked. No wonder he came to me for dating advice. I thought it was about status barriers and public romance.
"It really is my first time. That smile of Grace's just won't leave my head."
"Turns out you're this pure, huh? In just one night, you three completely shocked me."
First was Ethefelis. Such a small body, yet an enormous appetite—and even after eating all that, her stomach didn't look bloated at all.
Then there was Grace. I never expected her to be a fan of Lina. Just to learn more about Lina, she didn't even care about her image and ended up acting like a kid.
And finally, Jacob. He looked like a seasoned love expert, but who would've thought he'd be single for as many years as his age—and incredibly pure.
"The most shocking one was Ethefelis, right?"
I strongly agreed with Jacob. Ethefelis's appetite meant I'd have to cook a lot of food. Luckily, she was a noble—there was no way a commoner could afford to feed her.
"Alright, back to the main topic. Come up with an excuse yourself. As long as it sounds reasonable, it'll work."
"Okay…"
This kind of thing was definitely better handled on his own. It wasn't like I could help him every time they argued in the future. Before we wrapped up, I gave Jacob one last warning—absolutely no cheating.
"And most importantly, once you make a move, take responsibility to the very end. Don't cheat. Otherwise, the Sword Saint and I will come chop you down."
"I wouldn't! And why are you involved too?!"
"As long as you won't. I helped you—don't let me hear that I made the wrong decision."
Since I'd stepped in, I wouldn't tolerate either side cheating. I believed in empathy. If they argued over trivial things, I wouldn't interfere. But when it came to love between two people, that was where I drew the line.
"Got it. But how am I supposed to pursue Grace? Give me some advice."
"I've never actually chased a girl before. All I know is that you need to make her like you."
"How do I do that?"
"First, don't swear. Don't make dirty jokes. Fix those habits so she feels you're someone with depth. Next, work on improving yourself—have your own opinions. Girls tend to like being guided, but you still have to read their mood. Otherwise, it's no different from kidnapping. And finally, become strong. Protect the person you love. That's about it."
All of this was stuff I'd seen on social media in my past life. During adolescence, guys inevitably cared about how girls saw them. No one wanted their flaws exposed—especially in front of the girl they liked.
"You fit all of that perfectly. Is this from experience?"
I stopped swearing and making dirty jokes after seeing advice online. As for having my own opinions, I guess I'd always thought about what I wanted. And becoming strong—that was for the sake of protecting Lina.
"Whether it's experience or not, I'm not really sure. I just wanted to be good to Lina. I didn't want her to hate me."
"Didn't expect you to be this pure too."
"Is that a problem? It's better than being a playboy."
"Of course it's fine. I don't like playboys either."
"Then you know what to do now, right?"
"Yeah. I know."