Jilted Guilt: the Mermaid and the Hunter - Chapter 10
“Is Lav always here?”
Lavinia nodded wordlessly, but Eizentine began to speak softly, showing her palm.
“I come to this forest to practice swordsmanship. You can see, my hands are calloused, right? I’ve practiced a lot. Right now, I use a wooden practice sword, but soon, I’ll be able to use a real blade.”
“How long have you been learning?”
“Less than two years, but I’ve improved faster than I thought.”
As the princess continued to speak, Lavinia remained in deep thought. She wondered whether the reason the queen had spared her life was because of the princess.
Lavinia wondered what Rosander Wayne had done since that day that had kept him alive. Eizentine nodded and sat closer to Lavinia, who listened intently.
“I’d like to show off how much I can do, but I need someone to practice swordsmanship with to show off properly, like Klaus, for example. Oh, Klaus is my older brother, but he’s not really my brother…….”
Even though the details of sword types and techniques weren’t of interest to her, Lavinia couldn’t help but gaze at Eizentine’s eyes that sparkled with enthusiasm as she continued to talk. It was lovely to see someone so passionate about something. With that thought in mind, Lavinia rested her chin in her palm and enjoyed the small talk with the princess.
“I wasn’t supposed to learn how to use a sword, but my mother asked Rosander to teach me.”
Then, as if remembering something, Eizentine turned and pointed to Rosander.
“You know Ross, right?”
Lavinia laughed nervously at the princess’s direct reference to him in the middle of a pleasant conversation.
So Rosander’s nickname was Ross. There wasn’t much she could say to deflect that question, so she eventually fell silent.
“He looks scary when you first meet him, but he’s really nice.”
“…….”
“What about you, Lav?”
“…….”
“Is Ross treating you well?”
Lavinia, unsure of what to say, nodded slightly.
“Princess, it’s time for your sword practice.”
Somehow, the man’s watery shadow had appeared over the lake when she wasn’t looking. He summoned the princess away. Lavinia watched the man’s retreating back, holding the princess’s hand, and then whirled around back into the lake.
Ross seemed to be reluctant to let the princess approach her. It appeared as if she hadn’t received permission from the queen. Could it be that this sort of leniency was only possible because the queen truly forgot about her?
The child who visited during her free time quickly grew fond of Lavinia, but Ross, on the other hand, didn’t take to her as well. Dipping and rising to the surface, Lavinia waited for the strange sensation to pass.
The cool blade against her tongue felt like it was still there.
* * *
“You’re putting too much strength into your shoulders.”
Princess Eizentine glared at the handle of her wooden sword as it brushed against her shoulder. Soon, she adjusted her posture and swung the sword, producing a dull thud that indicated she missed her target.
“When you swing, aim accurately at your target.” Ross advised.
Eizentine lowered her head slightly, concentrating her gaze on the point of impact. Despite some sweat on her hand that held the training sword, she swung her arm again, this time aiming precisely.
“If you lose all your strength like this, you won’t be able to deliver proper strikes to your opponent, let alone land a hit.”
This was the third time she had been corrected. Eizetine was about to make excuses, mentioning that her hand had slipped slightly, but she noticed that he was being unusually stern today. He had been meticulously adjusting her posture, but on a day like today, a single mistake could mean:
“It seems that even with the training sword, you haven’t practiced enough. So, it might be better to postpone learning the real sword for a while.”
Six months of effort would go to waste.
Eizentine dropped her wooden sword in dismay. At this rate, she wouldn’t even be able to keep up with the prince, let alone beat him.
It was a performance that made her ashamed for telling Levus that he needed an opponent like Klaus to show her the art of the sword.
“If it’s too hard, take a break.”
“No, I want to continue!”
Eizentine wasted no time in pointing her wooden sword at Rosander. Without a second thought, Rosander parried her thrust with the apprentice wooden sword he held.
Rosander continued to maintain his ironclad defense, and the princess soon gave up, lowering her sword.
“Look at you. You can’t even stand up straight, can you?”
Rosander retreated to the shade of the trees and took a seat. Eizentine frowned at her bodyguard, who seemed unwilling to help her to her feet.
“But you said there’s no rest in real battles.”
“This is practice. You need to take breaks to become stronger.”
She scurried over to him, sitting down in the shade.
Be it his rough clothing, untamed hair, or the general lack of chivalry in his demeanor, Rosander was far from the ideal image of a knight.
If she hadn’t been told he was a war hero, she would have vomited at her mother’s insistence that she follow him as a tutor.
To appoint a commoner like Rosander Wayne as a royal guard was considered not only an insult but also a mockery toward the princess and the queen. Who would have thought that she’d become so at ease with it? Eizentine cleared her throat beside him.
“But, Rosander, why aren’t you teaching me to handle the sword?”
“I cannot conjure swordsmanship through magic. Someday, Princess, you’ll have to seek a different tutor.”
The king, who regarded her request to learn swordsmanship with mild amusement, eventually allowed Rosander Wayne to take charge of her training. To his surprise, he found that Rosander was as cautious about instilling incorrect habits in Eizentine regarding swordsmanship as he was. But was he underestimating her abilities?
“My mother said she saw it.”
“Is that so?”
“It was green.”
“No.”
The queen’s statement about seeing a green sword seemed ridiculous, and Rosander denied it flatly.
Eizentine was persistent with her escort, who kept avoiding eye contact and trying to turn away.
“So that’s why Klaus looks down on you? My guardsman thinks you’re just a swordsman who can barely swing a blade in contrast to the mighty Lord Sylvain.”
“I will try to avoid getting seriously hurt when I spar with Sylvain, but I can’t be sure if he’ll agree to duel.”
“Will you be wearing armor then?”
