Chapter 20
Roil was watching Ellen’s training in the Quinter family’s archery grounds.
“Thank you!”
At Ellen’s sharp, disciplined greeting, Gloria patted her on the shoulder in appreciation.
“Starting tomorrow, let’s practice rapid-fire shooting, Ellen.”
“Rapid-fire?”
Ellen, stretching her shoulders, tilted her head.
“You should be able to shoot at least ten arrows per minute.”
Gloria’s expression said, What’s so surprising about that?
“The goal is fifteen per minute.”
Ten to fifteen arrows in one minute meant firing every 4–6 seconds with precision. That basically meant nocking and loosing arrows instantly.
As Ellen imagined that speed, her jaw dropped.
“You can do it, Ellen. Roil! Come shoot some arrows!”
After patting Ellen on the head, Gloria called Roil into the archery range and headed back into the mansion.
“Wow, Elly. You’re really good.”
Roil approached Ellen, carrying a towel and some water.
“It’s been three years since I started learning archery. I’ve improved a lot, right?”
As soon as she took the water, Ellen gulped it down.
“Yeah, you’ve really gotten good. You’re amazing now. I still remember how your arms used to tremble from holding the bow.”
Roil smiled at the memory of when Ellen first started learning.
“Why’d you bring that up? That’s so embarrassing. I was just a kid back then.”
Ellen laughed awkwardly.
“You’re still a kid.”
Roil chuckled, clearly finding her cute, and reached for Ellen’s bow. She stepped aside and handed him some arrows.
Roil carefully nocked an arrow and took aim. When he released the taut bowstring, the arrow shot straight into the target.
“Whoa. Roil, your strength is totally different from mine. The speed of the arrow, the sound when it hits…”
“But your accuracy is better.”
Roil’s arrow had landed slightly off-center.
“That’s because I use a bow regularly. After all this training, it’d be a problem if I still wasn’t good. But your main weapon is a sword. You rarely even touch a bow unless you’re at my house, right?”
“That’s true, but… Oh, Elly. I’ve been thinking—want to learn how to use a dagger?”
Roil asked as he nocked the next arrow.
“A dagger?”
Ellen, reaching for her shortbow, turned to him. But Roil didn’t answer right away. He held his breath, concentrating on the target.
Good form.
He rarely used a bow outside the Quinter estate, but his posture was impressive. He’d probably picked it up just by watching Ellen train.
Sharp eye. Pleased, Ellen also nocked an arrow and took aim.
A moment later, with a sharp whish, her arrow flew first.
Right after, Roil released his shot. Thock! Both arrows hit dead center on the target.
“You said you’re learning archery and throwing weapons from your aunt?”
Roil looked at Ellen with satisfaction.
“Yeah. Mom’s really good at throwing things like throwing stars, so I’ve been learning with her when I can.”
Roil nodded.
“Right. Both of those are long-range attacks, yeah? You might not be ready for full sword training, but I thought learning how to use a dagger might help.”
Ellen quickly agreed.
“You’re right. I’ve actually been worried about what to do when someone gets too close. I mean, I guess I could just stab them with an arrow if I had to, but…”
At that, Roil made a strange face.
“Maybe I don’t need to teach you anything after all.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Teach me.”
She playfully bumped his shoulder.
“Okay. But you have to teach me how to throw those stars too. I want to try.”
“Roil, wouldn’t it be easier for you to just throw daggers?”
“I’ve never learned that either.”
“Really? Great, then let’s teach each other.”
Ellen’s proposal made Roil pause in thought.
“How about we meet by the lake?”
“The one next to my house?”
“Yeah. We can’t really train at your place, and even if we do it at mine, your parents will hear about it right away.”
“True. Dad would probably freak out.”
Ellen recalled the time she first learned archery—how her father Gerald had clutched her blistered hands and gasped dramatically. If Gloria hadn’t stopped him with a disapproving glare, he might’ve started crying right then and there.
“Then let’s meet every other day at 4 p.m. by the lake. Starting tomorrow. I’ll bring the practice daggers.”
Ellen nodded at Roil’s suggestion.
✿ ✿ ✿
Ellen told her parents she wanted to go with them to the Karzel estate and sent Neshu ahead to Roil with a message that morning.
Roil.
I’m going to your house today with Mom and Dad. Don’t come to the lake.
✿ ✿ ✿
Roil took the note from Neshu’s collar and glanced up at the sky.
The weather had been gloomy since last night. It looked like rain.
He had been debating whether or not to tell Ellen not to go out today. Good thing she messaged first—he’d been considering sending someone to the Quinter estate since all the Karzel falcons were out delivering letters.
Got it. See you later. I’ll prepare snacks.
As he scribbled a short reply, he held down Neshu’s paw.
“Neshu. Don’t poke me while I’m writing. The letters come out crooked.”
With that, Roil attached the note to Neshu’s collar and sent him off.
✿ ✿ ✿
Sprawled out on the sofa in Roil’s playroom, Ellen felt like she was going crazy from boredom.
Rain had started pouring on their way to the Karzel estate.
She couldn’t go outside, and she had already devoured the chocolate cake and orange tart made by Karzel’s world-class chef.
She’d come all the way here just to sit in a room?
She didn’t even feel like reading today—or drawing.
“Ugh… there’s nothing to do. This place is so boring.”
Roil, who hadn’t hit her even once today—something she considered praiseworthy—was busy petting Neshu.
Hearing Ellen complain, he tilted his head.
It’s not like there would’ve been much to do at the Quinter estate either on a rainy day.
For someone as energetic as Ellen, rainy days must have felt particularly dull.
It wasn’t that Karzel was boring—it was the weather.
Still, if this place was “truly boring,” did that mean Elly knew somewhere fun?
But the thought passed quickly. Seeing her practically melting off the sofa, he figured he needed to give her something to do.
“Wait here.”
Roil gently set down Neshu and left the room. Ellen, suspicious, slid off the couch and hurried after him.
Is he going to do something fun?
But contrary to her expectations, Roil simply picked up a few pebbles from the garden and returned inside.
“Come here, Elly.”
Back in the playroom, Roil sat on the floor and patted the space in front of him.
When she sat down, he placed five small stones between them.
“Let’s play with these.”
Ellen stared at the five pebbles and thought, No way… no way… no way, right?
But of course—no way usually means definitely yes.
Just as she feared, Roil began teaching her how to play jacks.
How does he know this?
She widened her eyes, watching his hands.
It was exactly the same game she had played in the back of her elementary classroom as Hyesuh.
When she had first learned jacks and came in dead last, she’d made her neighbor Eunho practice with her late into the night.
By day three, Eunho was crawling on the floor begging for mercy, but she hadn’t relented.
On day four, she was sure he wouldn’t come back—but he had shown up with a resigned face.
She later heard her mom had pitied Eunho and said:
“Eunho, you don’t have to play if you’re tired.”
To which he’d replied weakly:
“It’s not like I have a choice…”
No wonder her mom had been bringing more snacks than when she studied.
Thanks to Eunho, she had finally won first place in jacks and Eunho had gotten to play soccer with friends after school.
Roil’s version of jacks had exactly the same rules. Even in Korea, the rules varied slightly from town to town.
He just added one twist: “Since this is your first time, let’s hold the pebbles in the opposite hand once caught.”
When he demonstrated tossing five pebbles into the air and catching them on the back of his hand, Ellen saw Eunho in him.
“…Eunho?”
She muttered under her breath.
Neshu, curious about the pebbles, lunged and snatched one.
“Neshu, no! Spit it out!”
Worried that Neshu might swallow it, Roil scrambled to retrieve it—completely missing what Ellen had just whispered.
✿ ✿ ✿
That night, Ellen couldn’t sleep.
Roilet… Eunho… Roilet… Eunho…
Both names tangled in her mind, but no matter how much she compared their faces, they didn’t resemble each other at all.
Roil still had a bit of baby fat on his face, with soft dark brown hair and a gentle aura—just like a noble’s young heir.
Eunho, on the other hand, had dyed his hair light brown after college entrance exams, softening his image a little, but he’d always had a sharper look. His personality, though, had been very mild.
Ellen had been in this world for over five years now, and though she’d played many games with friends, this was the first time she’d seen jacks.
In this world, children’s games weren’t very developed. Peasant children had to help out from a young age, and noble children were raised to be overly proper.
Kids need to run around and have fun! Why so uptight?
Ellen had never liked how this world treated children. They needed more joy.
She’d even considered spreading a few games around—and then someone showed up who knew jacks.
Seeing a forgotten game brought both nostalgia and a longing for her old world.
