Episode 38
Before the tests began, the butler gave a brief explanation of how everything would work. He said that each candidate’s total score across all tests would determine the final selection.
The judges were: my mother (the Duchess), the butler, the head butler, the head maid, and me.
Most candidates looked very nervous. It seemed they had been told in advance about the difficulty of the tests. Judging by their intense energy, it was clear that being selected as my guard was a very desirable position. They all looked like this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Only one person didn’t look nervous—Koa. Just like usual, she showed no expression. She had her red hair tied up high and was calmly doing some light stretches.
Go, Koa!
When no one was looking, I clenched my fist to cheer her on. She blinked slowly like a cat in response.
The first test was a 500-meter run, one full lap around the Duke’s estate garden. But there was a twist: the candidates had to avoid attacks from knights hiding in the bushes or standing along the path. The goal was to reach the finish line quickly while avoiding the knights.
“What in the world…?”
How is this a fitness test? Are we holding the Olympics just to hire a personal guard?
Despite my spinning thoughts, I focused and watched as the first test began.
The knights and candidates were all given wooden batons instead of swords to avoid injury.
FWEEEET!
The whistle blew, and the candidates all sprinted from the starting line. Since speed mattered, the competition was fierce from the very beginning.
But being first wasn’t always good—it meant encountering the knights first.
“Hmph. Out of my way!”
The first to arrive, Canaria, shouted confidently and pulled out her baton. Soon, the others caught up and chaos broke out as candidates fought through the knights.
Where’s Koa?
I couldn’t spot her among them, so I looked around. And there she was—my Koa—walking slowly like a lazy tiger toward the battlefield.
Her calm movements totally contrasted with the others.
Can she really afford to be that slow?
She clearly thought there was no need to get caught up in the fight so early.
Some candidates managed to push through the knights and rushed ahead. Around that time, Koa finally reached the first group of knights. One stepped out to block her path.
“You’re not getting through that easily.”
The knight raised his baton threateningly. Koa looked at him without expression… and then, like the wind, tried to slip past him.
“Not so fast!”
The knight quickly swung at her. But the next second, “Ugh!”—he collapsed.
Koa had swiftly pulled out her baton and hit him perfectly in the side. It was a weak spot, and the knight went down drooling and defeated.
“Ohhh!”
The maids watching nearby gasped in awe.
Even I was stunned, mouth wide open. Then suddenly, something hit me.
Right! Koa was the one who snuck in and out of my room without the mansion’s knights noticing. She was that skilled! How did I forget?
Remembering her abilities, I finally relaxed.
The butler beside me also took special notice of her with interest in his eyes.
As the test continued, Koa kept doing the same thing—calmly watching the battles, only fighting when she needed to, then moving on. She didn’t charge through like the others. Her style was completely different.
But the real problem was the hidden knights.
Some candidates who had been doing well were suddenly ambushed and knocked down. They rolled on the ground, completely surprised by surprise attacks.
Even when that happened, Koa kept walking calmly.
The butler, who knew exactly where the knights were hiding, tensed as Koa got close to one such trap.
But when a baton suddenly flew out from a bush, Koa simply tilted her head and dodged it easily.
Every sneak attack aimed at her head, legs, or waist was gracefully avoided with minimal movement.
“Wow! Look at her go!”
“She’s amazing!”
“She’s so cool! Go Koa!”
Koa even had her own fan club now.
When Canaria, who had finished first, turned around and saw Koa, her face twisted. She clearly didn’t like how Koa was getting all the praise. She had done well too, so it bothered her that Koa was stealing the spotlight.
But what can she do? I had already picked Koa in my heart.
I scratched my cheek, feeling a little guilty toward the other candidates.
One by one, the rest of the candidates finished. Even Koa, who had been walking slowly, crossed the finish line.
The judges’ pens flew across their pages, scoring the test.
The second test was a combat match between candidates.
Everyone moved to the training field. Again, they used wooden batons for safety.
The butler personally chose who would face whom—and for some reason, he matched Canaria against Koa.
Ugh, this feels bad.
I anxiously chewed my thumbnail. Earlier, I had seen the look in Canaria’s eyes when she looked at Koa—it made me very nervous.
Canaria was a skilled knight.
She was the second daughter of a local baron and had trained hard since she was young to prove herself. Her family didn’t have any special talents or fame, so her natural skill stood out. Her parents had high hopes that she would bring glory back to their family name.
That made her proud and happy.
As an adult, she moved to the capital and worked as a knight for various noble families. Most recently, she served the Count of Eddy. When her contract there was about to end, she saw a job posting for a guard to a noble lady.
A guard for the future empress?!
Canaria had big dreams of moving up in the world. The benefits offered by House Cowet were far better than her previous job—almost as good as those for imperial guards. That made sense since Eilene was engaged to the emperor.
‘If Lady Cowet becomes empress… I’ll be the empress’s personal guard!’
Excited by that dream, Canaria applied right away. Since she had good reviews at her last job, they happily gave her a recommendation.
She was convinced this job was meant for her, not knowing that I had already picked someone else in my heart—Koa.
Canaria trained hard while waiting for the big day to come.
She had short, lemon-yellow hair—almost like a boyish bob cut. She believed that knights should keep their hair short for better focus in battle.
‘What can someone with that long, swaying hair even do?’
She couldn’t understand why Koa, with her long beautiful hair, was getting all the maid’s attention.
The more Koa was praised, the more Canaria’s jealousy grew. She desperately wanted to find something wrong with her. Even Koa’s smooth, perfect face annoyed her—Canaria told herself it looked bland.
‘Fighting skill is what matters most for a knight. Just dodging attacks isn’t real fighting.’
She believed she could win if they fought face to face. She saw Koa’s dodging as cheap tricks, not real skill.
That’s why, when she found out she would fight Koa, she was thrilled. It was the perfect chance to prove she was the better knight. After all her years of training, she was confident in her combat skills.
She wanted to be the chosen guard—not some long-haired woman the maids adored.
“Let’s see what you’re really made of!”
“….”
While Canaria was fired up and full of energy, Koa just stood calmly, expressionless as always.
“Tch. Let’s see how long you can keep up that smug face.”
Annoyed, Canaria gripped her baton tightly and charged at Koa.
“Hiyaaah!”
Her loud yell echoed across the field—but the baton hit nothing.
Koa was suddenly standing at her side.
‘What… when did she—?’
Speed was Canaria’s strength. But somehow, Koa had not only seen through her move, she had dodged it perfectly.
Canaria quickly tried to put distance between them and swung again.
But it was useless.
SMACK.
Canaria’s baton flew through the air.
Koa had struck it perfectly with her own baton—using just the right speed, power, and angle to knock it right out of her hands.
Realizing she had lost, Canaria collapsed to her knees in disbelief.
“I’ve trained all my life as a knight… Since I was five. I never took a single day off… How could I lose like this…?”
More than the loss, the feeling of defeat crushed her.
Head down, she muttered in shock.
Then, for the first time—Koa opened her mouth to speak.
