Chapter 137 - 35 - Lonely Lunch After Victory

Chapter 137: Chapter 35 - Lonely Lunch After Victory

The afternoon passed in a flash. My victory over the four princes had become a hot topic that spread quickly. This forced me to have lunch in a flower garden near Duke Adelheid Von Blutfeld’s library.

I hope, this accidental victory will not be a reason to sever diplomatic relations between the Duke’s family and the royal family.

From the many fantasy stories I’ve read, royal families tend to be short-tempered in their responses to situations. They might consider this action a violation of royal etiquette after injuring four princes in a treacherous manner.

In fact, I didn’t do anything "wrong" during that honorable match. My goal at that time was to bruise the princes’ faces to reduce my annoyance.

They look very handsome, but their attitude annoys me because they easily look down on others.

Perhaps my actions have been considered by the King and Queen of Belfast to educate their son to become a better person. It made me remember of every horrible noble character in this novel world, also the main character suffering when encounters them.

After all, each noble possesses a different form of personality.

There are nobles who act arrogantly just because of their higher position; there are those who act humble with the main goal of improving their family’s noble position, and there are some nobles who join the opposition faction that secretly undermines other nobles.

The more I thought about it, the more bland my spicy mayonnaise sandwich became. Eating lunch alone after being asked to take a break wasn’t something I was used to as a apprentice maid.

Moreover, I had to eat lunch alone while being watched by three pairs of eyes hidden in the library. Without even glancing at them, I already knew who they were. They were three princesses who were observing me from a distance, reluctant to approach me because I was eating lunch alone in the garden.

Gllaarreee...

Gllaarreee...

Master Reina and Master Amagi suddenly left for intensive training after witnessing my victory against the four princes. They were so eager to do intensive training, though I knew they were doing it to avoid attending their parents’ important meeting to discuss their futures.

Besides the threat of political marriages arranged from childhood, some nobles were educated to fill important positions in the royal court. Master Reina was likely offered the position of Female General, and Master Amagi will join in magica research division, like her mother.

Knowing the personalities of Duke and Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld, any offer of a political marriage to one of the princes would be flatly rejected. They appear strict in educating Master Reina, but gentle when it comes to pampering their daughter.

Krreesshh...

Krreesshh...

My mouth was busy enjoying the spicy mayonnaise sandwich before I saw a maid pass by me; she bowed to me before continuing her work.

"W-What happened?" I muttered after seeing something unusual.

Do I look so lonely after having lunch in the garden and getting treated with respect for my loneliness?

That’s not what’s happening right now, is it?

It wasn’t just one or two maids who did that, but all the maids who happened to pass in front of me.

One by one, the maids on duty in the garden bowed to me before leaving to continue their work. I felt like I was receiving an undeserved amount of respect as an apprentice maid.

My position as an apprentice maid is far below theirs; I should be the one to respect them!

Not the other way around!

I was holding back my curiosity when the sound of footsteps caught my attention. It belonged to a small child. His hair was fiery red like Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld’s, and his eyes like the Duke eyes.

I knew the identity of that little boy, someone who had always been Master Reina’s victim before I served as an apprentice maid, who serving Master Reina.

He walked towards me carrying a worn wooden sword with a broken tip.

Wait a moment...

Isn’t that the wooden sword I used before to fight the four princes?

Why is it in the hands of Master Reina’s younger brother?

Tap...

Tap...

His footsteps stopped in front of me. He stared at me with a serious look in his eyes. The wooden sword I was using should have been heavy for him to carry with one hand. It seemed Master Reina’s younger brother had trained well enough to build up enough muscle to carry it with one hand.

"U-Um, may I ask you something about the honorable match you just had?" he asked with a gentle, slightly sparkling look in his eyes.

The glint in his eyes made me wary. This was the first time I’d been approached by a child much younger than Liliana. I was afraid my old self would suddenly slip out and give him candy.

Oh, that’s right, I didn’t bring any candy this time.

My old woman instinct to pamper a small child was able to sleep soundly.

"You’re asking the wrong person if you want to ask about my sword technique. I’m still an amateur at controlling my sword technique," I replied while cutting off any questions he might have asked.

Just seeing him carrying a half-destroyed wooden sword, the question was obvious. The wooden sword was half-destroyed, with the wood peeling away, revealing a heavy iron bar peeking out from the blade part.

"I know you’re still an amateur, but you have the right way to hold a sword properly, and I still have trouble with that!" he replied with a pleading look in his eyes.

The pleading look in his eyes made it a little difficult for me to refuse. It was like Master Reina was begging me, so I struggled to find the right way to refuse.

Krreessshh...

Kreeeesshhh...

Taking a bite of my lunch spicy sandwich, I stared at the sword Master Reina’s younger brother was carrying. It was as small as a short sword; if it were any smaller, it might have looked like a dagger or a throwing knife.

"You can’t hold a sword properly?" I asked, guessing what he wanted to ask me.

A small nod appeared before my eyes.

This had become a hassle. My swordsmanship was still amateurish, merely imitating Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld’s sword techniques, which centered on the balance point of her sword. Each sword swing manipulated my balance stance: a swift, light slash and a heavy slash that knocked my opponent off balance. I learned all of this by directly engaging in swordfights with Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld.

"Try to find the balance point of your sword."

"Make sure you can swing your sword without slipping it from your grip."

"And vary your sword slash until your hand understands your sword balance."

The answer I gave him probably wasn’t much help.

Personal experiences told to others can certainly produce different understandings, right?

"Finding the balance point of my sword?" he muttered as he understood my words.

"Yes, finding your sword’s balance is the first step to using it. That wooden sword you’re carrying is very heavy when you hold the bottom, right? It will feel much lighter if you find its balance point," I said with this careless explanation.

Unlike magic theories, which I could refute or explain quite well in my handwritten magic book, this sword technique was a bit more complicated to explain in words. Feeling what my body was feeling and then putting it into words felt complicated, but it would be even clearer if Master Reina’s younger brother could experience it with his own hands.

"Pull your sword out," I said as I stood up after finishing my lunch.

My hand immediately grabbed the half-broken wooden sword from his hand. Since I had nothing else to do this afternoon, I would spend the afternoon accompanying the little boy who wanted to learn sword techniques.

I don’t know his name; I guess it doesn’t really matter since my job is only to serve Master Reina and Master Amagi in the future.

We also rarely meet, so I don’t think there’s any need to introduce ourselves for now.

Swwiinngg...

Swwiinngg...

I spun the half-destroyed wooden sword in my hand, searching for the balance point that had changed after some parts had been destroyed.

"As I suspected, the balance point has shifted. This time, it’s at this point," I muttered as I positioned my wooden sword into a defensive stance.

"Try slashing my sword until I step back," I continued while taking a defensive stance that wasn’t very strong.

Kiirrraaa...

Kiiirrraaa...

For some reason, I suddenly felt disturbed by the stares of the three princesses of the Kingdom of Belfast, who were peering through the library window. The rumble of shouts reached my ears.

"Kyyyaaa!! That maid is holding a wooden sword again! So cool!!"

"What’s so cool about holding a wooden sword? It would be even cooler if she didn’t hold anything and relied on her magic attacks. It would be even cooler if she showed her ingenuity in deceiving her opponent!"

"That maid actually looks so cool after she managed to win without getting hurt! With her dirty face and covered in sweat... I-I would definitely be willing to wipe her sweat with my hug!"

Shhrrreesshhh...

Shheerreesshh...

Suddenly, I had a bad feeling about the three princesses of the Kingdom of Belfast who would cause me trouble in the future.

The voice was indeed faintly heard with strange screams, but this bad feeling felt real with the look in their eyes that was fixed on me.

I tried to ignore their stares and push away this unhealthy feeling; even though the fine hairs on the nape of my neck stood up, it wouldn’t matter as long as I didn’t attract their attention.

Slaassshhh!!

A sword slash came at me quickly, hitting my wooden sword and making it slip from his grip and fall to the ground.

Cttaaanngg!!

"Yes, that’s the problem you’re facing right now..."

"Finding the balance point of your sword isn’t that hard."

"Once you find the balance point, your sword won’t slip from your grip easily."

"Make sure you find your sword’s balance point first, okay?" I said as I gave Master Reina’s little brother his homework.

His sword-handling skills aren’t too bad.

At least, he wasn’t as lazy as Master Reina.