Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Such Heavy Tastes
Even though Terrence Grant was right in front of her, so close he was practically pressed against her, she could clearly feel his powerful physique, his strong and steady heartbeat, and even the heat radiating from his body. But her breathing remained as even as ever, without a trace of panic. She was so calm, it was almost cold-blooded. "Instructor, you really do have some peculiar tastes."
Terrence Grant was frustrated. How could she feel nothing when a man as charming as him was this close? ’Has my charm faded?’ He shot her a disdainful look. "Go change! I have no interest in your type!"
Seraphina Sterling offered a warm smile, but her bright eyes grew even colder. "I should hope so."
The moment Seraphina Sterling left the swimming pool, Terrence Grant kicked over the patio table and chairs, looking exactly like a pissed-off lion.
So, for the rest of the afternoon, Terrence Grant showed no mercy. During their sparring session, he was relentless, giving Seraphina Sterling no time to breathe. At first, Seraphina Sterling struggled to adapt to his cunning, fierce attacks. Her shoulders, arms, thighs, knees, and stomach—everywhere but her face—were struck.
But as time went on, she gradually adapted to his speed. Her body began to memorize the rhythm of his attacks, and the number of times she was hit decreased. The more it hurt, the more agile her body became. Her rapid progress was startling to Terrence Grant. His blows grew heavier, far exceeding the intensity of normal training. It was becoming more like a life-or-death struggle.
Faced with the explosive killing intent radiating from Terrence Grant, Seraphina Sterling felt no panic, no fear. Instead, she became even more frenzied.
As long as a blow wasn’t fatal, she wouldn’t even bother to dodge. If it meant she could land a substantial hit on Terrence Grant, she was willing to take the injury to do it.
Seraphina Sterling’s mind was clear, her thoughts sharp. She knew the gap in skill between her and Terrence Grant was immense. If she didn’t resort to this ’wound the enemy by a thousand to suffer eight hundred yourself’ tactic, she was headed for a dead end.
Terrence Grant was provoked by her reckless, life-or-death style of fighting. To be defeated by his own student would be a huge loss of face!
Once Terrence Grant got serious, Seraphina Sterling found it even harder to keep up. She was being hit more and more frequently. But her cold gaze only grew hotter, as if she was reveling in the thrill of teetering on the edge of life and death. She showed no sign of admitting defeat or backing down.
Terrence Grant threw a punch at her shoulder. This time, Seraphina Sterling didn’t even try to dodge. She spun, and at the exact moment his fist struck her shoulder, the throwing knife in her hand grazed past Terrence Grant’s ear, leaving a bloody cut.
"Seraphina Sterling, are you crazy?! You actually used a knife on Mr. Grant?" Hughes immediately pulled out the first-aid kit. His sole purpose was to protect Terrence Grant. In his eyes, anyone who dared to harm Terrence Grant was committing a mortal sin.
"Hughes, you can’t blame me for this. I thought with the instructor’s skills, he could definitely dodge it!" Lying on the ground, Seraphina Sterling flashed a bright smile. ’All these injuries weren’t for nothing, after all.’
Terrence Grant paid the small wound no mind. "It seems a brilliant student truly does come from a great teacher. My painstaking guidance these past few days wasn’t wasted!"
As arrogant and conceited as ever. But this time, Seraphina Sterling didn’t silently scorn him. He was right. Without his instruction, she never could have improved so quickly. She glanced at him. "The tuition may be expensive, but it’s worth it."
The moment Terrence Grant heard the word "tuition," the cut on his ear suddenly seemed to sting with particular intensity. It was just an inkstone from the late Early Dynasty, and it had made him, the great Mr. Grant, put in so much effort to teach her. He never knew he could be bought so cheaply! The prestigious families of Aethelgard would move mountains of gold and silver to the Grant Family estate, just for a chance to have their children trained by them, but no one had ever succeeded!
Now, here he was, personally teaching her one-on-one, and she had the audacity to think that lousy inkstone was "expensive" tuition. If those old geezers in Aethelgard who were desperately trying to get into the Grant Family’s good graces ever found out, they would absolutely cough up blood!
"Since the tuition is so expensive, I should naturally put my heart into it. Hughes says that of all the disciplines, your marksmanship is the best. Today, I’ll test just what level your so-called ’best’ is at! Since you paid such an exorbitant fee, you should get your money’s worth!"
Terrence Grant deliberately emphasized the word "exorbitant." He grabbed Seraphina Sterling, who was still lying on the ground, and hauled her to the shooting range.
Hughes followed behind, astonished. ’What happened to the master’s germaphobia? That girl, Seraphina Sterling, is covered in sweat! He’s the one who can’t stand those kinds of smells, isn’t he?’
