Chapter 138 - 36 - A Tips For My Master Little Brother

Chapter 138: Chapter 36 - A Tips For My Master Little Brother

I’m not talented at teaching others. With that questionable explanation, Master Reina’s younger brother should have left immediately after receiving my homework.

With a complex words, I hope he’ll quickly grasp the meaning of my words and find his sword’s balance to mastering his swordsmanship.

Still in my defensive stance, I took a deep breath and swung my wooden sword at his head. It wasn’t too hard or it would cause any damage in his head. Just a light touch was enough to break his reverie.

Tuukk...

As much as I could, I held back my wooden sword from hitting his head; there would only be trouble if something bad happened to Master Reina’s younger brother.

"Did you hear what I said?" I asked as I repeatedly hit his head with light blows from my wooden sword.

It was so light that not even a shriek of pain escaped his lips. The iron sword easily slipped from his grasp; I think that was a flaw he should pay attention to as a knight in the future.

Fighting without using a sword against an opponent who still holding a sword would be considered a futile act of suicide for a knight.

"S-Sorry... I was thinking about how weak I am with a sword. It felt so embarrassing when I lost to a apprentice maid who wasn’t used to holding a sword."

"Don’t worry, you lost to someone who had undergone intensive training from the merciless Duchess and the Marchioness who was stingy with magic. But, the one in front of you is a apprentice maid with no combat experience."

"Even after defeating four princes so easily, is it considered no combat experience?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"There’s no way I’d consider that disappointing victory as combat experience! You’re quite the funny one, as Master Reina’s little brother."

"Um, uh, thank you?"

"That wasn’t a compliment. Next time, please understand whether someone is praising or mocking your lousy self."

"Uh? Thanks again, I guess?"

"I told you it wasn’t a compliment."

I had always suspected this. The distinguished Duke family had one thing in common: their stubbornness and tendency to think only of what pleased them.

No matter what nonsense or harsh words other people say, as long as it is in line with their plans or something they hope for, it is enough to praise them.

Even my bad words, which seemed to mock him, were taken as compliments.

"You understand what you have to do after this, right?" I asked, shaking my head and accepting my harsh words as a compliment.

"Finding the balance point of my sword?" he replied, his voice unsure of his own answer.

"Yes, that is indeed your homework that needs to be completed to become a strong knight."

"It’s a bit embarrassing that I didn’t realize this fatal flaw of mine."

"You won’t realize it until you fight your terrible mother. Try asking her for a sparring match, then you’ll know how much you lack as a knight."

"I-I’ll try."

For a moment, I saw a look of doubt on Master Reina’s younger brother’s face. He seemed to understand my words about his mother being terrible at training someone.

He looked like he had been a silent witness to the crazy training his mother had put him through.

"I may have come across as touching on something sensitive. Have you ever been trained by your mother before?" I asked, confirming my suspicions.

His eyelids twitched, his face stiffened, and his breathing stopped for a few seconds. It’s a natural response for someone who has experienced past trauma and get trapped without the experience to fight it.

Oh, my beloved and honorable Duchess...

What big crime have you done to your son?

Why does he look like a war veteran with PTSD when he hears about your intensive training?

You didn’t do something that would make a mother hated by her own child, right?

Ugh, seeing what has happened so far...

I can only pray for the future harmony of Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld’s family.

"I-I did, but I gave up after a few days and threw the responsibility to my older sister."

"That’s why my beloved Master became lazy about training. So, what did you do after giving up on that fun training?" I asked, seeking further information.

"I trained with my father and the other knights. It was much more relaxed and less rushed in preparation for my Academy life. But after seeing what happened earlier, I regretted missing out on my mother’s training, which had proven to be so cool!!"

"Regret often comes too late, because you didn’t understand it in the past. You just need to undergo your father’s training well; and you can’t complain like your spoiled older sister."

"I know!" he replied in a high tone, looking so excited about something unnecessary.

Master Reina’s younger brother lowered his head, a small trace of regret on his face, but it was too late, as the sword training he was undergoing today came from his father family sword techniques.

It would be too harsh to blame him for giving up so easily in the past, because I felt the same way, too.

How many times have I wanted to give up on Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld’s intensive training?

Because it was a training that was draining both physically and mentally, made to be even worse by a Marchioness who didn’t intend to teach magic, claiming that the concept of magic differed from person to person.

Drained energy and a stressed mind- it’s a pretty tough combination of exercise for a young child to endure.

"It’s not so bad to train well now. Understanding your own limits is much better than turning a blind eye to them and getting injured later by pushing yourself to train hard."

Uh, wow, what kind of wise words do I say?

It feels like I’m not myself today.

Or perhaps, those were Liliana’s words of pity for Master Reina’s younger brother?

Uhm, to be honest, Liliana is not that good... because what? I am the real Liliana now!

I don’t feel sorry for others easily, but I am still easily touched by other people’s circumstances.

Caress...

Caress...

My hand accidentally stroked his hair. It felt so rough, like a man’s hair that had only been washed in the morning and hadn’t been properly cared for. It felt like stroking a tiny hedgehog’s hair, prickling but unable to penetrate my skin.

"..." Master Reina’s younger brother was silent; he closed his eyes as my hand stroked his hair.

If Master Reina looks like a cat who loves to be petted and pampered, her little brother looks like a kitten who is new to having his hair stroked.

There was no expression of joy on his face, just silence and trying to understand what was happening to him.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a curious voice.

"It’s nothing; please just ignore it."

I immediately stopped stroking her hair, slightly disappointed by her mediocre response.

"You are weird."

"Yes, I am indeed weird and because my weirdness, I was able to defeat four princes so easily."

"That’s not what I meant."

Pretending not to understand what she said, I put on a blank expression. This drew laughter from the three princesses who were watching us from inside the library.

"Is someone watching us?"

"Only three princesses who happened to be in the library."

Bllusshh...

Hearing my answer, Master Reina’s younger brother began to act awkwardly. He quickly returned to his elegant, noble manner, befitting noble etiquette.

"I showed a pathetic side..." he muttered, which sounded cute.

He doesn’t intend to steal the heart of a Heroine and Villainess who in royal family bloodline, right?

It would make me scream out loud if he did it.

With great shame, he immediately lowered his head and hurried away with the excuse of wanting to practice his sword techniques.

"I-I’ll excuse myself; I still have training to do until the afternoon!" he said loudly, then ran away, forgetting about his short sword lying on the ground.

Shame sometimes makes you forget something important and makes the shame even bigger.

A man who is stared at by a woman sometimes does embarrassing things without realizing it.

"So adorable..." I said without anyone seeing it.

I hurried to clear my wooden lunch plate. The spicy mayonnaise sandwich I’d been eating was gone. The empty wooden plate bore silent witness to my lonely lunch.

Tap...

Tap...

While walking towards the kitchen to clean up the wooden plates left over from my lunch, I didn’t forget to pick up the short sword that was lying on the ground.

Carrying a wooden sword and a short sword at the same time, what kind of apprentice maid am I?

My footsteps moved quickly toward the kitchen, which was still busy preparing dessert for the King and Queen of Belfast.

Several of the palace chefs bowed their heads to me. The aftermath of defeating the four princes felt so overwhelming. I didn’t expect this kind of respect.

All I needed at that moment was a reward from Duchess Adelheid Von Blutfeld. She had promised me four thousand gold coins as generous reward.

I could hand in my resignation letter as an apprentice maid today and live a carefree life until my old age, but reality isn’t that easy, is it?

I was sure that my cunning Duchess had been planning something for me behind the scenes.

Early retirement is not an option for me.

"W-What should we do? Are there any other desserts we can make with these simple ingredients?"

"I’m not so sure I can make another dessert out of these leftovers. The King and Queen would surely prefer to have their wine with a light smoked meat snack, wouldn’t they?"

"That only applies when they are relaxing without thinking about business with Duke Adelheid Von Blutfeld’s family!"

It seems... another problem had suddenly come up, so I quickly put down my wooden lunch plate and wanted to leave immediately.

However, fate seemed to say, "Hey! Wait a minute, here another problem for you, Liliana!" to my innocent self.

I was suddenly dragged by the palace head chef to help him find a suitable dessert for King and Queen to relax in afternoon.