42.
* * *
On the first day of swordsmanship training, Sebas Chen brought a light iron sword for Marin to gauge the weight of a real blade.
Having swung it with enthusiastic dedication, Marin ended up bedridden with muscle aches for two days.
Three days later, looking haggard, she returned to the training ground.
With an apologetic expression, Sebas Chen handed her a wooden practice sword this time—the kind typically used by young children when they first start to learn.
Marin swung it even more diligently than she had the first day. She wanted to prove to him that she could do this.
And, consequently, she was unable to get out of bed for another two days.
Crestfallen, she headed toward the secluded vacant lot hidden by bushes behind the main building, where she had been practicing.
She spotted the back of Sebas Chen standing in the center of the yard. Unable to bring herself to call out to him, Marin dropped her gaze to the ground.
As she tapped the dirt with her low-heeled black shoes, a cloud of dust puffed up around her feet.
“Lady Marin, welcome.”
Sensing her presence, Sebas Chen turned and greeted her with a warm smile.
“Hello, Master.”
Ever since she had committed to learning swordsmanship, she had addressed him as “Master” while on the training grounds.
When Marin didn’t lift her head even after her greeting, the butler called to her once more.
“Lady Marin?”
“You… you regret agreeing to teach me, don’t you?” Marin asked hesitantly, her eyes fixed on the dirt.
She had wanted to ensure Sebas Chen wouldn’t regret his decision, but she felt terrible because it seemed she had made him regret it after only a week.
“Hahahaha.”
The butler burst into a hearty laugh.
Caught off guard, Marin peeked up at him.
“Yes, I regret it.”
Sebas Chen said, his voice struggling to contain the amusement.
Ugh, brutal honesty.
Marin lowered her head again with a sullen expression.
“I regret that my teaching method was wrong from the start. I was far too ignorant of Lady Marin’s physical stamina.”
As Sebas Chen said this, he gazed at her as if she were a small, adorable creature.
“It’s not that you regret teaching me?”
When Marin asked cautiously, he shook his head with a benevolent expression.
“How could that be? I was the one who offered. Do you regret it, Lady Marin?”
“No. I’m just pathetic because of my poor stamina.”
“Then, shall we continue?”
“Yes! I look forward to your guidance.”
Marin answered energetically, her face refreshed. If her master wasn’t giving up, she couldn’t afford to, either.
“Lady Marin, let’s use this today.”
Sebas Chen held out a wooden sword as thin as a twig. Judging by the unpolished grain, it looked as if he had carved it himself.
“Did you make this?”
“I did. It seems it is still too difficult for you to hold anything heavy, Lady Marin.”
“I’m sorry.” Marin apologized, looking genuinely contrite.
“Not at all, Lady Marin. This is the fault of your teacher. I was the one who was too eager.”
“…….”
Unable to find the right words, Marin offered an awkward smile. Even she was surprised by her own lack of endurance; how surprised must he have been?
It seemed that everyday physical activity and deliberate exercise were different things, and exercise and swordsmanship were worlds apart.
“So, I have adjusted the plan. One lap around the training ground today, two tomorrow, three the next—we will increase it by one lap at a time.”
“Will that increase my stamina?”
“It will. Trust me.” Sebas Chen smiled brightly, exuding the air of a seasoned veteran.
“Yes!”
Marin looked up at him with sparkling, respectful eyes.
“Today, take one lap, and with this new sword, swing it from top to bottom exactly one hundred times.”
“Yes. But, may I ask you one thing?”
Marin asked the question she had been curious about ever since she began her lessons.
“Go ahead.”
“Why don’t you teach me dagger arts? Daggers are easy to hide and they aren’t as heavy as longswords, so I thought they would be easier for me to learn.”
Sebas Chen chuckled and stepped closer to her with a long, graceful stride.
With the tall man suddenly within reaching distance, a wave of pressure washed over her.
“That is the distance of a dagger. To use one, you must stand quite close. A longsword requires double that distance. Naturally, the peace of mind you feel changes accordingly.”
As Sebas Chen stepped back, it felt as if her field of vision cleared and she could perceive her surroundings more sharply.
“Wow! You’re right.”
Experiencing it firsthand made it much easier to understand.
“For someone like the Duke, the distance does not matter, but even ordinary knights consider reach to be crucial. For someone unaccustomed to the blade, that distance is even more essential.”
“Yes.” Marin answered briskly, like an obedient student.
“Just because I am teaching you does not mean you will handle a sword like a real knight. It should never happen, but if you can buy time when you encounter an enemy, it will be invaluable when the ducal knights rush to your aid.”
“Yes.”
Marin nodded vigorously, lost in thought.
Buying time. A very important goal had been set.
Of course, if she ever left the ducal family, the knights would not come to her aid. She would have to resolve things on her own. If she ever met a robber, buying enough time to escape—that alone would be a huge victory.
“Shall we begin then?”
“Yes!”
* * *
Gripping the twig-thin wooden sword with both hands, Marin took her stance and swung it precisely up and down.
Her face, her lips pressed together, was soaked in sweat.
She had found the shabby navy dress—which looked more like something a maid would wear—and donned it for practice. Though her clothes were disheveled from dust and sweat, she looked radiant in her dedication.
She had followed along without a single word of complaint about how grueling the previous training had been, so he hadn’t noticed her limits until she collapsed the next day.
Still, he hoped this sword, which was light as a feather by his standards, would be an improvement. He only worried that she might be enduring it through sheer, stubborn willpower again.
“Lady Marin, shall we rest for a moment?”
“I still have thirty more to go.” Marin turned only her head while keeping her stance.
“Are you sure you’re alright? It’s better to be just a little tired than to push yourself until you collapse like last time.”
“Hmm… Then I’ll do ten more. I think I can manage that.”
“Alright.”
“Butler! Butler!”
Just then, a young knight ran toward them from the distance.
“What is the matter?”
“The… the Duke is arriving shortly.”
“What?” Sebas Chen asked, surprised.
Marin also stopped mid-swing, coming to a dead halt.
The Duke is already coming? What about the funeral? The follow-up? How on earth could he have arrived so early from such a distance? Did he leave the moment he arrived in the Southern Region?
Marin eavesdropped on their conversation, a thousand questions racing through her mind.
“He is crossing the bridge now…”
Sebas Chen cut off the young knight’s report.
“Let’s go. Ah, Lady Marin.” He turned to look back at her.
“Go ahead. I will follow.”
“Yes.”
Sebas Chen started running with the knight. Even though he was a gray-haired old man, he was faster than the young soldier beside him.
The two disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Marin left the wooden sword in the bushes behind the training ground and ran. Before the Duke arrived, all the servants had to be present to welcome him.
“Huff. Huff. Huff. I’m dying.”
It seemed she had truly exhausted herself. Her legs felt as if they were made of lead, and they refused to move as she willed. Her mind was racing ahead, but in reality, she was moving at a turtle’s pace.
A maid walking with short, quick steps glanced at her and surged ahead.
Seeing that, Marin accepted reality and trudged along.
By the time she barely reached the front gate of the Duke’s estate, the carriage had already arrived.