Chapter 51
“How to wield a sword in a woman’s body when everyone opposes it—and how not to give up on that path.”
Ludiana rose from her seat. Because she stood up so suddenly, both Catherine and Irene’s gazes instantly shot toward her.
Ludiana, looking at them, slowly walked and made her way behind Catherine.
“Over there…!”
Noticing her intention, Catherine hurriedly stood up, but Ludiana was faster.
“Like this.”
She grabbed the white cloth covering a corner and lifted it, revealing a long box beneath.
The paint was peeling in places, showing clear traces of age.
“There’s a sword in here, isn’t there?”
“……”
“Right, Catherine?”
At the mention of a sword, Irene’s eyes lit up and she stood. Catherine, standing awkwardly, sighed and stepped toward Ludiana.
“How did you know?”
No one else at the orphanage knew.
An old, long box in the director’s office could look suspicious, but most assumed it was just some kind of safe, as one would expect in such a place.
“When I came before, it wasn’t covered with cloth, was it?”
“…No.”
“That’s when I noticed. The box was old, yet strangely the lock was brand new. And besides, it’s too shallow to be a proper safe.”
Running her fingers lightly over the worn box, Ludiana added:
“You open it often. Perhaps every day?”
“……”
“And… let’s see. You usually practiced around that collapsing slide outside, right?”
“……”
“Not there?”
Finally, as if conceding defeat, Catherine shook her head and answered in a low voice.
“Haa… How did you figure even that out? Did you also learn swordsmanship, Lady Ludiana?”
“Nope.”
Ludiana smiled slyly as she turned toward the window. Beyond it lay the place she and Irene had passed by earlier.
“I noticed a lot of gashes on the tree next to the slide. Like someone had been swinging a blade.”
“Ahh…”
“I may not know much about swords, but I have that much eye for detail.”
She had discovered those marks on a previous visit, while playing with the boy who had greeted her with a particularly bright smile.
Shrugging her shoulders, Ludiana smirked playfully.
“Catherine, you’re really terrible at lying, you know that?”
“Most people don’t bother paying attention to some random orphanage.”
“Unfortunately for you, I pay a lot of attention.”
Catherine spoke as though resigned, and Ludiana chuckled before sitting back down.
“So, what will you do? As I said, you don’t need to worry about the orphanage. I’ll support it. I’ll even take care of renovating the building.”
Supporting a single small orphanage was no longer a burden for the Roembek family. The Brno trading guild and the emerald business were thriving more than ever.
As she spoke confidently, Catherine’s eyes trembled as they met hers midair.
‘Of course, the orphanage does need the support…’
But Catherine couldn’t bring herself to imagine teaching anyone. She had never taught before, and it had been far too long since she’d held a sword in front of others.
‘And besides… do I even have the right, after giving up on my own dream?’
“……”
“If you’re still unsure, how about this?”
As Catherine faltered, lips moving but no words coming out, Ludiana, as though with a clever idea, poked Irene’s cheek.
“Why not teach Irene for a month and then decide? In return, I’ll promise financial support for the orphanage.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. I want the children here to grow up bright and happy too.”
Ludiana’s crescent-shaped smile turned toward the window. The children’s noisy voices could not be heard thanks to Catherine’s stern order, but faint sounds of running footsteps still carried in.
“…Then, just for one month.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Catherine sighed and nodded. Irene’s cheeks flushed faintly as tension gave way to excitement.
“Thank you, Master!”
“You adapt… quickly.”
“Yes!”
Catherine spoke awkwardly as Irene, nearly jumping with joy, threw herself into her arms.
The table was laden with deliciously prepared treats. The garden bloomed with spring flowers in full color, and right in its center, a servant carried in a large three-tiered cake.
“Oh my, the cake is so beautiful.”
“Lady Lahnstein must have put much thought into it.”
“Hoho, well, since Peyton is much younger than his brothers, my heart goes out to him a bit more.”
Around the cake, young nobles and ladies gathered. Soon, Lady Lahnstein and the day’s main star, Peyton, stood beside it.
“Thank you all for coming to my youngest’s birthday party today. Now, Peyton?”
“Thank you very much for coming. Please enjoy the party.”
Despite his young age, Peyton gave his greetings with a maturity that drew admiration from the crowd.
“How admirable! Truly a Lahnstein.”
“As expected from the Lahnstein family, renowned for generations in swordsmanship—so dependable already.”
Though pretending not to hear, Peyton’s shoulders swelled with pride.
‘To think Mother would offer up the entire garden!’
Normally, children’s parties invited only peers and their mothers, making them far smaller in scale than adult gatherings. Yet Peyton’s party was surprisingly grand for one his age.
‘Even Narthas Nurenbern’s last party wasn’t this good!’
Beaming at the thought of his peers’ envy, Peyton scanned the crowd and spotted Narthas, nibbling on a dessert off to the side. He hurried over.
“How does it taste? Mother hired a new chef just for my birthday.”
“Hmm, who is it?”
Though of similar age, the difference in standing between them was stark. Peyton was forever overshadowed by his older brothers, while Narthas, heir to the Nurenbern family, enjoyed full support.
What’s more, despite Lahnstein being a marquisate, their influence lagged behind the Nurenberns, who were only counts.
‘But this time, at least for my birthday, I’ve won!’
All that pestering paid off. Always losing to Narthas, Peyton was determined to beat him just this once. And by the looks of things, his plan had succeeded. Though he acted indifferent, Narthas must surely be jealous.
Peyton barely managed to suppress the grin tugging at his lips.
“He’s from the Imperial Palace. Mother replaced the chef just for me.”
“So what’s his name?”
‘See?!’
Peyton’s confidence soared—Narthas, who usually looked down on him, was showing interest.
“Chef Didier!”
“Ah.”
With only that brief exclamation, Narthas dropped his half-eaten dessert straight onto the garden floor.
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
“Don’t eat anything he cooks. He makes meat so tough my mother fired him just last month.”
“…What?”
“Figures. Even this bread was too chewy. Should I ask my mother to find you a better chef?”
Peyton’s face flushed red with humiliation. He had bragged to Narthas about hiring the very chef their household had already dismissed!
“Want me to ask?”
Narthas smirked at Peyton’s expression. How dare the Lahnstein family’s third son boast before me? his look seemed to say.
“You—!”
“What.”
“…Forget it.”
Peyton couldn’t say anything more. If he lashed out at Narthas, his father would surely punish him severely. Graham Lahnstein, one of the Empire’s greatest warriors, was notoriously strict about raising his children. And to pick a fight with the heir of the Nurenbern family? The consequences would be unthinkable.
‘Still… I can’t just let this go.’
Grinding his teeth, Peyton’s eyes darted around until an idea lit his face. He gave a smug little hum.
“By the way, Narthas, you’re entering the Academy next year too, right?”
“Yeah.”
Bored, Narthas’s lips turned downward at the dull topic.
“I heard your sister’s learning swordsmanship too. Guess the real swordmasters aren’t us Lahnsteins, but the Nurenberns, huh?”
“…What?”
Narthas’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“And I heard your eldest sister even developed a cure. Amazing, isn’t it? The whole Empire is talking about your sisters.”
Narthas trembled, glaring furiously, while Peyton chattered on with glee.
“So whenever I meet the other kids, I always make sure to mention you! That Narthas exists, that the Nurenbern heir is you!”
Just in case anyone gets confused.
Though Peyton muttered that last part under his breath, Narthas didn’t miss it. His lips clamped tight, he raised his fist.
“What did you say?! You brat!”
A fist, large for his age, came crashing down on Peyton’s face.
“Kyaa!”
“Peyton!!”
“Narthas!”
As screams erupted, Lady Lahnstein and Rea rushed toward them.
“Narthas! What do you think you’re doing?!”
Having just managed to separate the boys, Rea shouted at Narthas, then turned to check on them both. Peyton’s face was already swelling blue with bruises, while Narthas had little more than a dirty shirt.
A faint smile tugged at Rea’s lips.
“He insulted the Nurenbern family!”
“What? He insulted Nurenbern?”
At that, Lady Lahnstein’s eyes turned cold as she looked at Peyton. He flailed his hands desperately.
“I never! I was praising them—saying they’re better than us at swordsmanship!”
“He mocked me by bringing up Irene and Ludiana!” Narthas shouted, voice raw.
Lady Lahnstein’s face grew pale as she turned back toward her son.
“Peyton… is that true?”
“No, that’s not it! I only meant—”
“He said people might mistake who the true heir of Nurenbern is!” Narthas cut in, his words striking like a whip.
Everyone around them turned white as sheets.
“……”
“Lady Nurenbern, it’s not what you think—”
“I believe it’s best we take our leave, Lady Lahnstein.”
Though her lips smiled faintly, Rea’s eyes blazed as she glared at Lady Lahnstein.
“The heir of Nurenbern is, and always will be, our Narthas. That will never change.”
“Of course!”
“Then see that young lords and ladies don’t get confused again. Unless, of course, you want to make enemies of the Nurenberns.”
Throwing that warning to the crowd, Rea turned and strode out of the garden. Narthas followed, glaring daggers at everyone.
Watching them leave with hollow eyes, Lady Lahnstein bit her lip hard and rose.
“I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”
Dragging Peyton up with her, she headed into the mansion.
