Chapter 43
I woke up early in the morning, stretched out wide, loosened my body, then pat! pat-pat! ran out and called Liz.
“Liz! Hurry! We’ve got to run around and have fun all day today!”
“Oh my, our princess. You’ve really become a bright little child of a new nation. To think you woke up this early before I even came to wake you! Truly amazing!”
…Was that a backhanded comment?
I puffed out my cheeks, planted my hands on my waist, and stomped my foot.
“Oh dear, how cute.”
“I think that’s the wrong reaction?”
“Oh my, how scary.”
“Ding-dong-dang! Correct!”
Liz chuckled and then helped me wash up. Honestly, I could do all this without help—this was my second life, after all—but it felt so good to have someone take care of me that I pretended not to know.
It was absolutely not because my arms were too short and I’d end up drenched after washing myself. Nope. Definitely not.
“Where are you headed today?”
“To Achilles. Jeron starts work today. Really, what luck he has—to meet such a wonderful employer like me.”
“You’re not wrong.”
Liz agreed easily as she began combing my hair.
“What style shall we try today? Shall I braid it into little plaits?”
“Anything. However you like, Liz.”
“Yes! Leave it to me!”
Grinning, I relaxed and let her hands work. After a while—
“All done!”
She had braided my hair into two plaits, then coiled them up into round buns. It looked just like…
“Baa~.”
“Oh my, correct!”
Today’s hairstyle: lamb buns.
It had been a few days since I last came to Achilles, and this time the place was full of warmth. The reason?
Ah, it was because there was a handsome guy here.
“Jeron, hi!”
“Ah, g-good morning, Your Highness.”
“Have you been practicing with a pen in your mouth or something?”
“Huh? No.”
Maybe he’d been undergoing harsh training at the Count of Tolkie’s estate. In just a few days, Jeron’s pronunciation was noticeably clearer, he’d filled out a little, and straightened his once-bent back. He looked like a completely different person.
“I’ll be counting on you from today, Jeron.”
“Y-yes, Your Highness. I’ll be in your care.”
He was so nervous I could even hear him gulp. Somehow, it was… kinda cute. I was thinking that when Count Tolkie walked in.
“Count Tolkie! Hi!”
“Yes! Good day, Your Highness! Your hairstyle is adorable today!”
“Baa-aa~.”
From the cheerful laugh in his voice, I guessed his research on the Dearc rock salt must have turned out well.
“This Dearc salt is truly extraordinary, Your Highness! However did you discover such a thing? You truly have… luck—”
“Luck?”
“No, no. An excellent eye, I mean.”
“Correct. I am rather brilliant. Hehe.”
Unable to contain his excitement, the count remained standing, so I motioned for him to sit before me.
As for Jeron—who knows where he learned it—he served us drinks, then stood off at a distance with his eyes fixed on us.
“What’s Jeron staring at?” I whispered.
“Most likely us. The guild teaches that you must always keep watch over your guests,” the count murmured back.
“Isn’t it bad manners to stare so openly?”
“I haven’t gotten around to teaching him that yet.”
He chuckled and said he’d make sure Jeron got proper training.
Then he handed me a paper titled Results of Dearc Rock Salt Research.
“This salt isn’t ordinary, Your Highness. As you said, it works not only in cooking but also shows excellent effects in treating mouth inflammations and skin irritations. It even aids digestion. And… did you also know this?”
The count glanced around, covered his mouth with his hand, and half-whispered dramatically. I wasn’t sure if I should play along or not—but before I could answer, he continued.
“It has detoxifying properties! We need more research, but against well-known poisons like bishop’s thorn and butterfly flowerweed, it showed remarkable neutralizing effects.”
“Ohhh! I didn’t know that.”
Dearc salt, you really are incredible.
Looks like I’m about to get rich. Hehe.
Smiling broadly at the beaming count, I said,
“Count, you already know this, but first: it must never leak out that this golden salt is actually Dearc salt. And second: its medicinal effects should be revealed little by little, when interest starts to fade—don’t reveal everything at once.”
“Of course, Your Highness. Hohoho. I had the same idea, but hearing you say it gives me even more confidence.”
The count nodded firmly.
“So? Pretty great partner, right?”
“More than great, Your Highness. To call it great would be too little. It’s an honor! Hohoho.”
The mutual flattery was laid on thick, but hey—it still felt good.
We laughed happily and decided that from now on, we’d exchange letters through Jeron at Achilles.
“Oh! Finally!”
“Hm?”
“I finally get to use Your Highness’s alias!”
“Ah! Achilles tendon?”
Pfft.
“Yes, that name! Doesn’t it sound so strong and intimidating? Perfect for a guild master’s alias.”
Kh-hmph.
For some reason, we both struggled not to laugh.
I knew what the Achilles tendon was, but the count had no idea—so why was he laughing?
After a few snorts and stifled coughs, we managed to regain our composure only after draining the drinks Jeron had brought.
“How is Jeron’s training going?”
“He’s adapting well. The third son is especially good at gathering and analyzing information, so Jeron’s been going with him lately.”
“The third son… Thomas, right?”
“Yes. The eldest is Jace. The second, Alex. And the third is Thomas.”
“So all of them have names ending with ‘-s’?”
“…Pardon?”
“Eh?”
“Anyway. Hohoho. Don’t worry, Your Highness.”
“Mm. Thanks, Count.”
Phew. At least the guild won’t be a problem for now!
“Hah… Huff…”
Am I really the only one out of breath after sparring?
Leaning on my knees, I swallowed down the metallic taste in my throat and forced myself upright.
Adele’s chest was heaving, but she didn’t look nearly as exhausted as me.
“Tia, are you okay?”
“Ugh… Adele. You’ve gotten so much stronger! Your power—wow!”
“Heheh. Really? I’m so happy! I’ve been training a lot at home.”
“You’ve improved this much in just a week? No way I can lose! I’ve got to train harder too!”
Maybe it was the sturdy bloodline of the Ruendip family, but delicate Adele was steadily developing real muscle. It was clear from how I was being outmatched physically.
So, I challenged Adele to another spar. Killian had just started a bout with Sir Briven, so we still had time.
Adele nodded eagerly.
Since I couldn’t beat her in strength, and both of us had the basics of swordsmanship down, I’d have to bet everything on speed and my taekwondo skills.
Guess that competitive streak of mine never really went away.
I straightened my posture, steadied my breathing, and gripped my sword.
“Let’s begin!”
“Yes, Tia!”
I locked onto the tip of Adele’s sword, then darted in to exploit an opening. As she swung, I slipped under her guard to the lower left, spun my body, and struck upward.
Startled by my sudden rise from below, Adele’s movements grew sloppy. I instantly closed the distance and smacked her sword out of her hands.
Clang!
“Wah! Tia!”
Her jaw dropped in shock.
“Adele, sorry. I was too aggressive, wasn’t I?”
I had been so thrilled when my setup worked perfectly that I’d rushed in without thinking. I worried my style might’ve stood out too much compared to this world’s swordsmanship.
“No, it was amazing, Tia! My heart’s pounding so hard. Hoo… you were so fast I couldn’t even see!”
“I just reacted when I saw an opening.”
“You were so, so cool, Tia. I want to work harder too!”
Thankfully, she didn’t seem suspicious at all. What a relief!
I grinned, but just then Killian approached, having finished his bout with Sir Briven.
Even as Briven whispered and nodded to him, Killian’s eyes were on us—or rather, on Adele.
After the restricted area incident, the two had grown a lot closer. They now called each other by name naturally, shared jokes, and often laughed together.
Of course, when I was staring, they got all awkward and stiff again. But I knew the truth. Hehe.
“Killian!”
I waved my arms. He came running.
“Good work.”
“Are you and Adele finished?”
“Yeah. Two rounds of sparring—I’m exhausted. My throat even tastes like blood.”
“What?! That’s bad, Tia! If your throat tastes like blood, that’s serious! Should we call for a physician?”
“That’s not what I meant, Adele. Tia, here, drink some water first.”
“But if there’s no blood, why does it taste like blood? Could it really be bleeding?”
I took the water Killian offered, and in the end—pfft, I couldn’t hold it back. I burst out laughing.
