PLTSVA 27

***

I could feel Garnet’s burning glare from behind me. Of course, it wasn’t directed at me, but at the knight standing in front of me.

Fortunately, the knight named Eon, who had been spared the log training, was trembling as he gripped his wooden sword.

‘If the young lady gets hurt, both you and I are dead.’

He had heard these terrifying words from Garnet.

Maybe Garnet hadn’t known how much I truly wanted to hold a sword, because at first she had vehemently refused, jumping up in alarm.

Her skilled coaxing, like that of an eldest sister raising younger siblings, almost swayed me.

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s a little dangerous, isn’t it? I’m not exactly trained either. Right… But just once!”

That was how I’d barely managed to get this chance.

All the knights in the training grounds were watching Eon and me with concerned eyes.

Once again, not for me—but for Eon.

“We might be seeing Eon for the last time today.”

“It’s well known how dearly the Duke cherishes the young lady. If she were to get hurt…”

Even Hute, who was watching from afar with hawk-like eyes just in case something happened, probably felt the same.

As murmurs spread among the knights, Eon looked like he was on the verge of tears.

I held up my wooden sword and said,

“Trust me, Eon. Mistakes come from anxiety.”

Hute’s eyes widened at my words, as if surprised. But he quickly masked his expression and spoke up.

“For safety, Eon will only defend, not attack.”

I nodded.

That had been Garnet’s final condition.

“We will begin.”

At Hute’s signal, I raised my wooden sword and took my stance. The sensation of gripping the sword sent a thrill through my hand.

In a dream… no, was it another reality? I had won the preliminary selection. Everyone, including myself, had expected that outcome unless something major had happened.

I closed my eyes tightly, then opened them. Eon’s vital points were completely exposed. I saw more than ten possible targets.

All calculated in an instant.

Of course, I knew his mind was filled only with the thought of not hurting me.

‘In that case…’

The moment I changed my stance, the knights’ expressions shifted.

I chose not to attack Eon himself, but rather the wooden sword he was holding. My goal was to knock it out of his hands, and I rushed at him.

Tak! Tat, tak–!

The moment our moves synchronized, both Eon and I widened our eyes.

‘It’s not just that I remember the theory. I really…’

My body remembered. Though it wasn’t well-trained—soft, even—the techniques to strike vulnerable spots without relying on strength came naturally.

I swung the wooden sword, nearly as tall as I was, as if it were part of my body, drawing gasps from the audience.

Eon, worthy of Hute’s trust, maintained his composure even in the unexpected situation and blocked my attacks.

The difference in strength was obvious. Even without exerting himself, his defense felt like an impenetrable wall to me.

The ten openings I had initially seen had now reduced to fewer than five. His body had instinctively adjusted into proper defensive posture.

Now it felt like a true spar had begun.

I struck toward his abdomen to force him into retreat. As he moved to block, I aimed for his side.

I targeted the moment his focus shifted to his flank and struck the hilt of his sword.

A breeze brushed around me.

Tak–!

Though my strike was weak, his grip had loosened just slightly as he moved to guard his side, and the sword spun from his hand, landing at Hute’s feet.

I had knocked his sword away!

The training ground fell into stunned silence.

Even Eon stood gaping until Hute finally spoke.

“The young lady wins.”

Even in an unfair match—where one could only defend and the other only attack—it seemed a victor could still be declared.

As I always did after a match, I gave a small bow of courtesy to my opponent.

Respect for your opponent was one of the key principles.

That moment sparked a flurry of voices among the knights.

“How is this possible? She knocked Eon’s sword away in just a few moves!”

“Definitely general material.”

“She probably never had a chance to learn swordsmanship! If it’s just talent, this might be called a blessing.”

I had proven it to myself. My heart, now pounding wildly, was crying out to pursue a dream that had once been abandoned.

I couldn’t hide the exhilaration on my face. One knight, seeing my wide smile, said:

“She must be of the House of Rayes. A spitting image of her lord father.”

Hute raised his hand to quiet the noisy crowd.

Then he approached me and Eon.

“Eon, the young lady paid her respects after the match. What are you staring for? You should do the same.”

At Hute’s words, Eon quickly closed his gaping mouth and bowed his head.

“I—I couldn’t read your movements, my lady. It felt like I was sparring with the captain himself!”

Flushed with excitement, Eon asked,

“Have you ever learned swordsmanship before?!”

Yes. I have. For over fifteen years. Korean early education is no joke.

But I’m fifteen years old now. Saying I’ve trained for fifteen years wouldn’t make sense.

The knights here didn’t know I’d been locked away in an orphanage, so I could probably make something up. But among them was Garnet, whose face looked utterly stunned.

She knew everything, so I couldn’t get away with saying, “I messed around with a sword a bit while living outside the estate.”

I smiled innocently and said,

“I love swords, so I’ve been secretly practicing a little every day.”

Cold sweat ran down my back.

“That wasn’t an ordinary technique. Aside from a slight misalignment in your center and a lack of wrist strength that lowered your sword tip, your posture had no openings. If standard swordsmanship focuses on strength and dominance, yours emphasized precision and speed.”

Hute’s insight was sharp.

But my swordsmanship came from Eastern martial arts. To their eyes, it probably looked unrefined and unconventional. I decided to use that to my advantage.

“I haven’t learned properly, which is why it wasn’t standard. I just thought… that’s how I could deal with strong male opponents.”

Gasps of admiration echoed around me.

“Our young lady must be a genius.”

“And so humble, too. If she received proper training…”

“Shh! Don’t even say it. His Grace would never allow it.”

Hute looked a bit perplexed at my words, but he couldn’t really argue.

My technique was undeniably effective and practical, but unlike anything seen in the Empire—or even the whole continent. It was unprecedented.

Saying I learned it somewhere would be unbelievable.

“Have you perhaps learned martial arts from the East?”

I shook my head.

He, like Miss Belly, seemed to have some knowledge of such arts, though not in detail.

But since even a swordsman as renowned as Hute didn’t know much about it, it was impossible to think a girl like me had studied and mastered it alone. So he accepted it.

Still, as he picked up Eon’s fallen wooden sword, he said:

“For a moment… I saw a faint glimpse of sword energy.”

Sword energy…? You mean that thing transcendent warriors use in fantasy novels?

Like a lightsaber swipe?

“If your fondness for swordsmanship and reason for visiting the training grounds today are as you say, then I would recommend you seriously study swordsmanship.”

“……!!”

Gasps rippled through the hall at Hute’s words.

His expression was no longer that of someone humoring a spoiled noble girl. He looked sincerely serious.

“Your stance, your gaze, your focus—none of it fell short compared to our knights.”

“Ah…”

Of course, if I could build up muscle and stamina in this body, there’d be nothing better. And if I could learn from someone like Hute, even better.

As he said, I wanted to wield a sword. I wanted to obtain something that could protect my identity. It was a fundamental desire.

After some thought, I nodded. Raveria’s body was far too weak. Some of it was natural, but being raised in a confined orphanage meant she had no strength at all. Even minor movement left her breathless.

As things stood, I wouldn’t even be able to leave to find a cure for my illness. Crossing borders to another nation with the body of a noble lady? Impossible. And in a foreign land, I’d need to protect myself.

Training wasn’t optional—it was necessary.

“I’ll make sure to get my father’s permission.”

Garnet sent me a worried glance from behind, but perhaps after watching the duel, she realized my desire to learn wasn’t just a passing fancy. She said nothing.

“Eon, thank you so much for sparring with me today. Next time, let’s meet not as a lady and a knight, but as fellow trainees.”

I smiled warmly. My face must have been flushed and sweaty from the sparring.

Eon was the same. His ears, in particular, were beet red.

“I—I was honored as well! I hope to meet you again!”

Watching his tousled blond hair bounce around as he fumbled, I suddenly thought of a golden retriever.

“Sorry for taking your time. I’ll be going now, Captain.”

Hute quietly saw Garnet and me off.

As we returned through the forest, Garnet asked with a worried look,

“Your wrist isn’t hurt, is it? Even a wooden sword looked heavy enough to be a real one…”

“It’s fine for now. But I’m sure it’ll hurt tomorrow. Still, I’ll get used to it eventually.”

When I looked up, I saw the brilliant sky adorned with iridescent clouds.