Chapter 22
"The only daughter of the Count family."
Renato looked me over from head to toe and murmured those words. I nodded repeatedly with a forced smile.
In situations like this where I don't know what to do, my etiquette instructor taught me to quietly stand and smile.
However, that only applies when dealing with someone of higher status or seniority.
"Shabby clothes... and your legs..."
Renato furrowed his brow deeply as he spoke, and I couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle. "Haha..."
A plain shirt with no decorations and a pair of pants that were visibly worn out.
Not an outfit suitable to appear before a man, let alone royalty. To prioritize ease of movement, my pants were short enough to expose my ankles...
In noble society, which values chastity, women are expected to wear dresses or skirts that cover their ankles.
Because it's something that must be strictly hidden, anything that reveals the shape of the legs or is too short is considered taboo.
It may be problematic for a Count's Daughter, but I want them to overlook it since I'm basically a soldier-in-training right now...
"Your skin is tanned, and your hair is damaged too."
Though still expressionless, Renato's slight upward gaze due to our height difference made me relax a little. As he echoed the kind of things my maids often say, I tilted my head, wondering if this was his way of scolding me.
"I heard you were different from the daughters who attend my mother's tea parties... but this is worse than I imagined."
"......Hahaha... haha."
Watching Renato calmly reach out and remove a leaf from my shoulder, I could only laugh to cover up my embarrassment.
If I may make an excuse, two years ago I was, in a way, the perfect Count's Daughter.
I left home on my own, barged into the fortress without considering the trouble I'd cause, and made unreasonable demands.
A spoiled child who believed the world around her was everything, and that there was nothing she couldn't do or have.
Well, that arrogance was quickly shattered as soon as I arrived here...
If things had gone just a bit differently, I probably would've ended up acting like a queen at the academy, just like Mirabel said.
"When you train, your clothes get dirty and worn out. What matters isn't appearance, but how well it absorbs sweat, ease of movement, and how easy it is to wash! I prioritize those things."
"Ease of washing...?"
"Yes. Washing the clothes after training is the hardest part."
"Washing..."
But now, things are different.
I'm putting in sincere effort every day, working hard toward a better future.
"If I worried about getting tanned, I couldn't train. Same with my hair. I do take care of it to some extent, though..."
"Naturally."
The ones who stress over my appearance every day aren't me, but the maids.
"During basic physical training, most of it was indoors except for early mornings, so it wasn't too bad. But now that field training has started, it's unavoidable. And once it gets hotter, it'll be even worse."
"......"
I tried to say with confidence that this was actually one of my better days, but Renato froze, eyes wide open.
What did I do wrong...? Was that last comment unnecessary?
As I stood there at a loss, Renato was the first to move.
"......By field training, do you mean that?"
Renato pointed to the people fiercely clashing in the circle, and those collapsed on the ground shouting curses.
It was a normal sight for me, but for Renato, who was seeing it for the first time, it seemed overwhelming—his face had turned pale.
"Yes."
"......That, huh."
Nodding solemnly, I narrowed my eyes at Rudo, who was watching the mock battle from outside the circle with intense focus.
Rudo should be able to watch knight training all he wants in the Royal Capital, so why is he standing there, ignoring us...?
(Come back already!) I sent that thought his way, but he didn't even glance back.
"......Can you use that too?"
When I sluggishly followed his gaze to see what he meant, I saw the dummy weapon I always use.
"Yes. Would you like me to show you?"
"Hmm..."
Since it's dangerous even if it's a dummy, I moved to a safe distance, spread my legs for a firm stance, and swung the sword that had become familiar in my hands.
"Hah...!"
Just like Rick taught me, I kept swinging with varying speed, then switched my grip to reverse and quickly reached for the dagger at my waist with my free hand.
Yesterday, I was too slow with this move and ended up with a blade pointed at my neck...
I repeated the same motions, and if successful, I would move on to the next step.
They teach the basics at military school, but after a few battles, everyone develops their own style.
I became interested after hearing how much it varies between people, and once asked Grandfather to show me a demonstration.
As expected of a Marshal.
His swordsmanship was beyond human, so it wasn't helpful at all as a reference.
As I thought how nice it would be to wield a sword in each hand like Uncle Ruget, I tossed the dagger and switched the sword from right to left—
"......Huh!?"
I caught a glimpse of Renato from the corner of my eye...
I had intended to just give a light demonstration, but I'd gotten absorbed and completely forgotten about Renato.
"Ahem... something like that."
I cleared my throat while catching my breath, trying to play it off with a "See? I didn't forget you, I just got a bit carried away," but couldn't withstand Renato's skeptical gaze and blurted out, "I'm not lying!?"
"I really mean it... Renato?"
"Give it to me."
I panicked as Renato silently approached, but since he asked for the sword, I handed it over.
Maybe I let go too soon—Renato's arm dropped with a jolt under the weight, and he staggered.
"......Is this the same weight as a real one?"
"Yes. I started with lighter ones, but—"
I shut my mouth before I could say "they felt too light..."
I couldn't afford to make a worse impression.
"The wooden sword my brother uses at the castle... was lighter than this."
"They said you can't use it unless you've trained to a certain level. Rudo might switch to a heavier one this year too—his build is more solid than last year."
Wooden swords might be lighter than dummy weapons, but they still have some weight.
Once you can swing it easily, you switch to a dummy weapon with the same weight as a real one. People like Uncle Ruget, who wield swords in both hands, increase the weight even more.
Renato swung the dummy weapon two or three times, then immediately lowered the blade to the ground.
After repeating that a few times, Renato muttered, "......Heavy."
Of course it is.
That dummy weapon is a custom-made item Grandfather had crafted just for me. Though child-sized, it's heavy enough to make even adults' arms go numb.
"I thought the story about a noble girl, around the same age as my brother and me, undergoing harsh training at Ransheen Fortress was exaggerated."
If it were the old me, I definitely would've dismissed it as an exaggeration, just like Renato.
"Lately in the Royal Capital, more and more girls pretend not to care about my brother to get his attention—it's exhausting. So I assumed Celestia was the same... but I was wrong."
Renato let out a relieved sigh and gave a soft smile so powerful it made my knees buckle, and I collapsed to the ground with a thud.