“As for swordsmanship…”
“It’s the Entake Style 11, the most difficult move in basic swordsmanship to learn and apply in combat. How about that?”
Anna smiled, seemingly satisfied with her daughter’s suggestion, and readily agreed.
“Treya has loved swordsmanship since she was young and has received much praise; it’s indeed her strength. Eugenie, this is an excellent suggestion.”
She seemed to think her previous words were just childish temper tantrums, believing a child’s “cool trick” would solve everything.
In particular, in her eyes, the young master of the Hysterm Family, who rarely made an appearance, probably had no experience with true Entak Sword Style.
As long as Treya showed off a little, he surely wouldn’t say anything like, “Can Treya truly protect herself?”
And…
Will and Eugenie had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
The two secretly clenched their fists, having long prepared for a match.
“Mr. Carver, what do you think? Although it might steal the banquet’s thunder, this way… your young son can be more at ease, can’t he?”
Carver crossed his arms. He seemed to have been lost in thought since the beginning, not offering any opinion on the overall situation.
When asked, he seemed to awaken from his thoughts and put on his smiling facade once more.
“No problem at all. I’ve heard about Princess Treya’s swordsmanship before. It’s a pity Her Highness never performs publicly; perhaps this is her first time? Hmm, it’s a good opportunity.”
With permission from both parents, Eugenie led Treya, Will, and a small group of interested guests to the plaza outside the Banquet Hall.
Of course, no one noticed why, as soon as the plan was set, the relevant training dummies arrived so quickly, transported by carriage, and lined up outside the venue.
Treya sat on a long bench nearby, kicked off her crystal high heels, and her small feet revealed faint pink toes and heels through her white stockings.
She gently massaged her feet before changing into flat training boots.
“Mr. Will… you’ve been watching since earlier. Is… are my feet that beautiful?”
After putting on her boots, Treya rotated her feet and looked up at Will.
He pretended to be passing by casually, yet deliberately kept glancing at her changing her shoes.
“They’re very beautiful,” Will replied quickly. “But, I didn’t realize you couldn’t perform a smooth set of sword techniques while wearing high heels.”
“Huh… What kind of question is that? As expected, you don’t understand swordsmanship at all.”
Treya tilted her head, looking confused.
“Just some questions that have been lingering in my heart.”
Will thought to himself, he might not understand swordsmanship, but he certainly understood beautiful girls wielding swords.
“Treya~ Everything is ready here, come quickly.”
Under the plaza lights, Eugenie called out to Treya.
Treya thought she wouldn’t bother with this wicked person with impure thoughts anymore.
Without even looking at Will, she stood up.
“Yes, sister.”
After standing up, Treya tied a knot in her overly long skirt hem to avoid tripping later and then patted it.
“Treya.”
But… that Will, whom she disliked, suddenly called out to her from behind.
“Hm?”
“Nothing. In any case, don’t forget… what I told you to remember.”
“Mhm.”
Treya did not forget.
-“You must remember, if someone arranges the dummies like this, and asks you to showcase your current swordsmanship…”
-“You absolutely must refuse, don’t foolishly rush into it.”
She didn’t entirely trust Will in her heart, but she trusted her own eyes and her own experience even more. During practice, she had indeed failed to shatter all the repositioned dummies.
She had meticulously remembered the positions of those dummies, and how to strike them.
The purpose was… for one day, she could overcome This problem by refining her swordsmanship.
However, that day…
At least—
After proving to this detestable Will that she was very strong.
Treya reached up, tied her loose hair into a high ponytail, and walked step by step towards the ten dummies Eugenie had arranged.
“Alright, don’t be all lovey-dovey just because you have a fiancé. Everyone is waiting.”
“Yes, Eugenie sister.”
She looked at her warm sister under the lamplight.
Her red hair was still as striking as ever.
Her shadow under the night lights always reminded Treya of the days she trained with her until dusk.
She was such a strong sister, yet she still took such good care of her.
She truly was the eternally bright red light in her life.
Today, on this day when she was entangled by that detestable dark “fiancé,” her sister had stood up like a flame to save her.
-Thank you, sister. You rescued me from doubt.
Treya took her first step towards her.
-Thank you, sister. You brought light into the darkness.
Treya took her second step towards her.
-Thank you, sister. You untangled the gray wires that surrounded me, trying to take my life.
Treya took her third step—each step was like her approaching the first half of this noble, perfect, and gentle sister’s life.
-Thank you…
Treya stopped.
But her thoughts also came to a halt.
Because…
What lay before her eyes was the thing she couldn’t forget.
The formation of dummies in front of her was not as Eugenie had described.
It was not the arrangement Eugenie told her was best for comprehensively training the Entake Style 11.
It was not how she remembered it from her daily training with her sister.
She gazed at the formation of dummies arranged by Eugenie…
There were two dummies.
They were the two dummies that Will had moved that afternoon in the training ground, in front of her.
Now, they were placed in… the positions Will had moved them to that afternoon, almost exactly.
This was…
The arrangement she couldn’t entirely defeat.
It was an arrangement her sister would absolutely never mistake.
It was…
It was the arrangement Will had told her never to forget.
It shouldn’t be here, it shouldn’t be in a situation where Treya was supposed to demonstrate, and even less…
It shouldn’t be in the hands of her trusted, admired, and beloved sister.
“What’s wrong? Let’s start quickly.”
Treya looked up. Against the lamplight in the plaza, Eugenie extended her hand to her, her shadow stretching long, her smile hidden in the silhouette.
Around them, a circle of people waited to witness her first display of swordsmanship.
Treya wasn’t stupid.
Because she knew Eugenie wasn’t stupid either.
In this situation, she wouldn’t make a mistake.
Her intentional mistake…
There was only one possibility…
“You are my proudest sister. This little thing… I’ve taught you every step. It shouldn’t be too difficult for you, right?”
Treya realized now…
The sharp gray wires encircling her, their starting and ending points, were in Eugenie’s hands.
Her outstretched palm seemed to grasp these things, and with a slight flick, it could sever her flesh and blood.
In that instant, the color on Eugenie’s body vanished.
And it was painted with the blackness of night.
