Hermione and Trillian went to the sidelines to rest, removed their face shields, and wiped their sweat with towels. As soon as they sat down, Windsor eagerly went to the center of the piste and began practicing alone.
After digesting Draco's theory, Windsor's movements, though still somewhat clumsy, had clearly improved.
Draco's gaze lingered on Windsor for a moment, then he looked at Hermione and chuckled in her ear, "Honey, you've gone bad, secretly cheating with magic..."
Hermione paused in wiping her sweat, her cheeks flushing slightly, and said reproachfully, "It's all because of you, you 'big squid,' who corrupted me."
She completely absolved herself of responsibility with a single sentence.
"That's good. It'll make her more like ' Mrs. Malfoy ' if she goes astray." Draco laughed, his smile full of pleasure and pride, as if Hermione's bad behavior was something to be proud of.
"Young master, you don't know, Hermione is wicked! She cheated by relying on magic. If I hadn't stood up for her at the last point, she probably would have kept cheating!" Trillian complained, feeling wronged.
"It's no use complaining to me, I'm on my wife's side!" Draco put his arm around Hermione's shoulder and pulled her into his arms.
Hermione stiffened, then used her forearm against Draco's, gently trying to pry his hand away. But his favoritism softened Hermione resolve, and after a few token struggles, she let him hold her hand affectionately, tacitly acquiescing to this public intimacy.
"Hmph!" Trillian pouted and said, "Favoritism!"
Draco ignored her, looking down at Hermione, who was blushing in his arms, and changed the subject, asking, "Honey, is fencing fun?"
"Yes, it's more interesting than I imagined. It requires both brainpower and physical strength." Hermione nodded slightly; she truly enjoyed the pleasure of focus, thought, and physical coordination.
Windsor, who was practicing at that moment, returned and overheard their conversation. She seized the opportunity to join in. "Teacher, I've tried practicing all the principles you explained, and it feels so enlightening! Could you guide me through some more practice? A real-world exercise would help me understand it more deeply."
"What's the point of training with me? The skill gap is too big; you won't learn many practical combat details," Draco advised her.
"You guys probably have other regular customers or coaches who are pretty good, right? You spar with her, using the strategy I just mentioned. I'll watch from the sidelines and point out any problems." An outsider's perspective is often clearer; that kind of guidance is much more effective.
"Understood, teacher!" Windsor's eyes lit up.
That's right! Only by sparring with opponents of similar or slightly higher skill levels can we better test and apply new ideas!
"A good friend of mine is just like me; she's quite skilled with a sword. I'll go and invite her right now!" With that, Windsor left.
As soon as Windsor left, Trillian tugged at Draco's sleeve, blinked her eyes, and said coquettishly, "Young Master, I'm thirsty~"
Hearing this, Hermione frowned, a hint of displeasure rising in her eyes. She said curtly, "The water's over there, can't you get it yourself?"
She didn't want to see Trillian successfully charm Draco.
Draco, of course, sided with Hermione. He pointed to the water dispenser and cups in the nearby rest area and said to Trillian, "That's right, self-reliance leads to abundance."
Having already prepared her excuse, Trillian smiled and said, "Oh dear, young master, you're so inconsiderate! You don't even consider your poor little maid, but you should at least consider the young mistress! She's been practicing for so long, she must be thirsty!"
This dragged Hermione into the mess as well.
"I'm not thirsty." Hermione was actually a little thirsty, but her main concern was not letting Trillian's scheme succeed.
Seeing that Hermione's lips were a little dry, Trillian chuckled and said, "Don't be stubborn, Hermione, your lips are dry."
After being reminded by Trillian, Draco also noticed Hermione's dry lips. Hermione felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by the two of them and was about to say "Mind your own business" when Draco made a move.
Before Hermione could react, Draco kissed her lips, his tongue prying open her teeth and plunging in, sweeping freely.
Caught off guard by the sudden kiss, Hermione's pupils contracted and her body stiffened. The warm touch of their lips was clearly felt, instantly flushing her cheeks crimson. A soft moan escaped her throat, and she placed her small hands against Draco's chest, trying to push him away.
Fortunately, Draco didn't ask for too much, and she easily pushed him away. The moment she pushed Draco away, Hermione blushed furiously.
"What... what are you doing!"
"Hmm, your lips are a bit dry. Let me moisturize them for you."
Hermione was filled with shame and indignation, and could only glare at him fiercely.
Ignoring her fierce yet adorable glare, Draco stood up and tried to ruffle her hair, but Hermione slapped his hand away in disgust.
Draco didn't mind; he smiled and said, "Wait here, honey, I'll go get you something to quench your thirst."
"I want chilled watermelon juice, young master!" Trillian asked excitedly.
"Okay." Draco replied and walked towards the drinks area.
As he walked, Draco shook his head and chuckled to himself:
As the old saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and the sweet-talking maid gets the juice. Even so, all his tenderness and favoritism will always be reserved for Hermione first.
A short while later, Draco returned with a tray containing two halves of watermelon, thoughtfully accompanied by small spoons.
"Wow! Watermelon!" Trillian beamed, but seeing there were only two portions, she asked, puzzled, "Young Master, why are there only two? Aren't you going to eat any?"
Draco handed one of the watermelons to Hermione, then sat down next to Hermione, picked up the spoon stuck in the half-watermelon in Hermione hand, and said matter-of-factly, "Eat up, my wife can't eat this much, of course I'll eat with her."
Hearing this, Hermione's cheeks flushed, and she gave Draco a reproachful look, muttering, "Who wants to eat with you...?"
"Wow! Young Master, how could you do this! That's so unfair!" Trillian was caught off guard by this sudden display of affection.
"Even though I ate a little too much, I still want to share with you!" Trillian looked at the lonely half-watermelon in her hand and suddenly felt a little choked.
Looking at the pitiful-looking Trillian Lian, and then at the half watermelon in her arms that was even bigger and redder than the one in Trillian's hand, the sweetness and pride in her heart overwhelmed her shyness.
She handed the watermelon she was holding to Draco, then took the remaining half and stuffed it into her hand.
Then Hermione said in a dismissive tone, like she was telling a child, "Here you go. You're lucky you have anything to eat. Don't be so picky."