The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0517

I end each of my days with Blaze, who finally begins to teach me how to deliver a blow instead of just dodging them. Luca diligently comes along to all of Blaze's lessons, sitting quietly and studying while I work with my instructor and, afterwards, allowing me to practice on him in his incredibly different style. It's remarkably different, using the skills Blaze teaches me on a man nearly double my size and weight, but also very, very helpful. This, after all, will be my likely opponent if I ever get into a jam and need to use these skills - though Faiza has warned me to keep them as secret as I can. Apparently, my creampuff image will dissolve immediately if people sense that I can punch their lights out.

Tonight, Luca helps me practice an advance. He's been instructed to block my blows but not deliver any of his own - just as I've been practicing with Blaze. My entire goal is to land a single blow anywhere on Luca's body that's not his hands and arms. Unfortunately, Luca is crazy good. I snarl, frustrated, as my attempt fails for the eighth time.

"You're cheating," I scowl, crossing my arms as Luca grins at me.

"You want me to go easy on you?" he taunts, clearly pleased.

I sigh and shake my head, because obviously I don't want that. "Come on," I say, nodding back to the center of the room and heading in that direction. "Let's start again."

"You're signaling your next blow too clearly," Luca says, following me and setting up in his usual boxer's stance. "I can see it coming from a mile away."

well, my usual opponents aren't going to be boxing

up. "Maybe you'll meet that big guy from Atalaxia that I fought - he's military too, after all. Then you'll be

little, still rankled by the fact that I can't get anything

shoulders straight until the last second," Luca says, the instruction coming easily to him after years in the gym. "Like you've got a wooden board across your back. Or,

Luca says, laughing

in plans but then anger riles in me not anger at Luca, who is just

fall back on my earlier training and duck quickly under Luca's arm, dodging forward and aiming my own jab at his ribs. But Luca's other hand is already there, swiping my hand away and leaving my body open for attack

makes me snarl in frustration - because I should be better at this by now! This whole system is about training me to

of thought

comes @gain and

place as I realize that I'm playing Luca's game -

we're not boxing, are