Chapter 1.2

    “Are you awake?”

“Yes. Have you slept well?”

When we came out, my mother welcomed us with open arms. Blanc and I sat side by side at the table. Soon we were served a simple breakfast of hot soup and salad.

“I’m going to go out with Bran this morning.”

“That’s a good idea. You stay home every day. How did you come up with such a brilliant idea?”

“I’ve been a little tired….”

I locked myself in my room for a while, and I’ve been seriously thinking about my future. Of course, all a ten-year-old could do was sit and read fairy tales or play with her little brother. I felt frustrated and gulped down the salad in my mouth and asked.

“Where is father?”

My father, Baron Jayus, who always had breakfast with us, was nowhere to be seen.

“He got on the boat early in the morning.”

“Where is he going this time?”

“He’s going to Belois, Stelly.”

The Jayus family was in the business of trading. There were large docks in the countryside near the ocean, and the Jayus family imported goods that could be sold abroad by boat.

Although they did not have particularly good business skills, the Jayus family was able to live well. Trade was a profitable business, as long as there were no major restrictions on imports in the Empire, and they could make a huge profit if the goods were rare. However, they had yet to find anything significant. Also, the members of the family themselves were simple, pure, and generous. I inadvertently emptied my plate and held out my hand to Blanc.

“Come on, Blanc.”

“Yes.”

With Blanc’s hand in mine, we walked into the garden.

***

The sun was warm and shone brightly today.

“Sister!”

“Yes?”

“What are we playing today?”

“Let’s play tag.”

It was the most casual game. A perfect match for a 10- and 8-year-old. It wasn’t my favourite, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy and have fun at my age. I would pretend to jump roughly and follow Blanc around, and that’s how we managed to pass the time.

“We’ve played tag 34 times this year. I don’t want to.”

“Did we play that many times?”

My conscience was a little troubled. I guess I wasn’t very sincere with my adorable brother.

“Then let’s play the game that Blanc wants to play. What shall we do?”

“Let’s play knights!”

Blanc recently became addicted to books about fairy tales. It was always about a beautiful Princess who was saved by a handsome knight.

“Sure……”

It was the worst game ever. I had to jump up and down and wave my arms all over the place. I hate being sweaty.

“Sister is playing the villain!”

Don’t girls usually play the role of the Princess? Blanc ignored my wistful gaze and placed the stuffed bear that the servant had brought under the tree.

“The bear is the princess! Sister is the villain who kidnapped the princess!”

Lost my position to a bear, I nodded and stood under the tree.

“Aah! Come and get me! Stupid knight!”

I started acting as good as I could. Blanc pointed his sword at me with a serious look on his face.

“I’m here to save you, Princess Gomsoon.”

For the sake of realism, I did two voices and waved my arms at Blanc. He swung his sword at me. No matter how much of a genius he was, an eight-year-old’s sword was not that threatening. I bent down and grabbed him.

“Huh! You weak knight!”

“Kyaaaah.”

Blanc laughed as I tickled his waist.

“You can only use this much power! I’ll take Princess Gomsoon with me!”

I whirled around with Blanc in my arms as I recited the lines I had just made up.

“Hey, what is this? Let’s change roles now.”

Bran’s out of breath and leaned against me. I guess he had finally decided to give his sister the role of a princess. But he gave me the wooden sword instead.

“You’re the knight. I’m the princess. And Gomsoon is the villain!”

It was unreasonable, but I accepted the wooden sword anyway.

‘But how am I supposed to swing this sword around?’

I was a typical noblewoman who had never held anything heavy except for a teacup. However, contrary to my concerns, the first wooden sword I touched was lighter than I expected and easy to swing. It felt strangely comfortable in my hand, as if I had been wielding a sword for a long time.

Huh? My heart was pounding. As I raised the sword, my heart began to beat wildly. Something began to boil inside me. Was it actually my intrinsic desire to play the role of a knight? I swung my wooden sword. The motion was fast, light, and precise. I could see the after-image of the sword’s passage, no matter how fast it was. I knew I had good eyesight, but was it this good?

“Wow, you’re good, sister.”

Blanc applauded.

“I think you’re better than my teacher, Huran.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Let me show you.”

Blanc taught me the swordplay he had learned from his teacher. I imitated him easily. It was as if the sword had become an extension of my arm.

“Ahhh. Please help me, knight!”

“Die, you villain!”

I swung my sword at Gomsoon. I intended to strike lightly. Swoosh, but too easily, Gomsoon’s head was severed.

“Hmm?”

The teddy bear’s head fell in a heap and rolled around in the grass. Blanc’s excited voice was cut off.

Let’s think about it. Was it possible to cut the neck of a soft doll with a wooden sword that didn’t have any sharpness? The cutting surface was surprisingly clean.

I handed the wooden sword to the servant with a look of bewilderment.

As an adult, she dragged Blanc’s wooden sword as if it was heavy.

I looked down at my hands. Could this be…? Why hadn’t I thought of that? If Blancis Jayus was a genius born with a great talent for swords, it meant I had the same potential.

‘Could it be that I, Yuria Jayus, also had a talent?’

No wonder……every time we played tag, I was the only one who wouldn’t get caught until the end.

“Bella.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Can I see teacher Huran?”

“Teacher? Yes! I’ll accompany you!”

I picked up the headless Gomsoon and approached Blanc, who was sobbing. Then, as usual, I patted him on the head and spoke.

“……Gomsoon saved our family.”

****

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