Chapter 15

Part 15: My Brother's Fiancée Has Arrived (1)

Staring blankly at the girl, I finally managed to gather my wits.

"Who are you?"

She was incredibly beautiful, but it was clearly the first time I had seen her face.

"Alex, right? I heard you're the third son of the Duke's family and a bastard."

The word 'bastard' she used didn't carry any hint of disdain. It felt like she was just stating a fact.

It was quite refreshing that there was no sense of belittlement, but at the same time, she was incredibly impolite.

I examined her appearance.

She looked about 3 or 4 years older than me. If I were in my previous life, she would have looked like a middle school student.

The problem was that the dress she was wearing seemed very expensive.

Just by looking, I could tell she was from a noble family.

It seemed difficult to hold her to proper etiquette. I answered normally.

"Yes, I'm Alex."

"See, I was right!"

"But I'm not a hidden blade. Moreover, I have no reason to duel with someone I don't know."

There was no reason to have such a conversation in the middle of a corridor where people were passing by.

I was on my way to the training ground. It wasn't too late yet, but I couldn't afford to waste time like this.

"I'm Adria de Iero! I'm the daughter of the Iero family. I'm visiting the Duke's family as a guest of Simon, the heir!"

The girl held a wooden sword in both hands and introduced herself.

It was a disciplined knight's greeting that didn't match her attire at all.

The absurd situation continued, but at least I now knew who she was.

I had heard about Simon's fiancée. Although it was a political marriage to form an alliance between the Duke's family and the Marquis's family, rumors had spread that Simon secretly liked her because she was very beautiful.

Back then, I thought a pretty girl in her early teens couldn't be that beautiful, but now, she definitely looked as beautiful as the rumors suggested.

However, I had never heard about her having such an absurd personality.

Moreover, the idea of being the Duke's hidden blade was ridiculous. I had been training in secret for years, but I had no idea what rumors were circulating.

In any case, she was indeed a difficult person to deal with.

But, I hadn't heard that Simon's fiancée was coming?

While I was thinking about this, she extended her sword again.

"Now that I've introduced myself, can we fight?"

She seemed eager to fight, but I had already wasted enough time.

"Adria!"

A low shout came from behind her.

A noble boy in his mid-teens, my brother Simon, was approaching with a red face.

"What are you doing here?"

When Simon asked, the girl answered nonchalantly.

"I just saw a suitable opponent and asked for a sparring match."

Simon glanced at me. I shrugged with a perplexed expression.

Seeing this, Simon raised an eyebrow. It was the expression he always made when something displeased him.

"You haven't finished the tour of the mansion yet. You can't just wander around freely."

"I've already greeted the Duke and the Duchess. Since I have to pass the time until my room is ready, I should make the most of it. Or would you like to spar with me, sir?"

Simon's face turned even redder.

Was it because of her words? Or because I was here?

"I'm currently giving you a tour of the mansion. I hope you will continue to grant me the honor of guiding you."

Simon bowed politely.

He looked like a picture-perfect noble.

Simon's fiancée sighed silently.

"Alright. Then, can you spar with me later?"

She also bowed politely. The daughter of a marquis wouldn't lack in etiquette.

So, was it just me she was being rude to?

It felt a bit unfair, but all I wanted was to get out of there as soon as possible.

"I'll think about it."

Simon answered without giving a definite response. It was a well-learned diplomatic skill.

Simon extended his hand, and his fiancée bowed to me.

"I'm sorry for taking your time rudely. See you later."

The beautiful girl placed her hand on her chest and bowed gracefully.

It was a heart-stopping sight... but after seeing her completely different behavior just a moment ago, I found it more amusing than impressive.

And as she said, I never saw her again.

Even though I lived in the mansion, I rarely saw Simon.

If she were Simon's fiancée, she would be accompanying him, and since Simon deliberately avoided my routes, I was sure I wouldn't see her again.

With that, Simon and his fiancée left to tour the mansion.

Once they were gone, I also moved on.

The path to the training ground at the back of the mansion. A few years ago, I used to walk this path with Flora, but now I walked it alone.

I was old enough to walk alone.

Of course, I was still small and hadn't hit puberty, but no one in the mansion's staff treated me like a child.

I walked through the path in the forest beside the family's tomb.

I had walked this path for years, so I could do it with my eyes closed.

After a short walk, a clearing surrounded by trees appeared.

It was the Duke's family training ground.

As usual, Miguel was waiting alone... or so I thought.

A middle-aged knight stood beside Miguel with a stern face.

His expression, as always, strongly suggested that he didn't like me.

He was the Knight Commander, Alons.

Miguel explained why he was there.

"He wants to see your skills."

A test? But Miguel had already told me.

At first, the Duke and the Knight Commander occasionally visited, but recently, no one had shown up at the training ground.

So, was that why the rumors about being a hidden blade started?

In any case, even if they hadn't come, they should have known through Miguel. Why did they suddenly want to test me?

I had questions, but the test was the priority.

"Will it be a wooden sword sparring match?"

As I took out a wooden sword, Miguel shook his head.

"Not a wooden sword, but a real sword."

He handed me a steel sword. It was a bit smaller than a knight's sword, the kind used by knight apprentices.

I looked at Miguel in surprise.

I had handled real swords a lot recently, but only during training.

"Are we really going to spar with real swords?"

"Yes."

I asked cautiously.

"Is that okay?"

The Knight Commander chuckled.

"Even if it's a real sword, if a student gets hurt during a knight's guided training, the knight has to resign."

I looked at Miguel, and he was sweating.

"It's... it's fine."

Miguel's stammering voice made the Knight Commander frown.

Miguel and I faced each other.

Miguel was unusually tense, and so was I.

"We need to see your true skills, so do your best."

The Knight Commander spoke again.

It didn't seem to be a simple test.

I raised my sword.

"Come on!"

The moment Miguel spoke, I charged at him.

A short while later, the sparring match ended.

I lay on my back, panting heavily.

Dust covered my body, and bruises were all over from rolling around.

Through years of training, I had developed a body as strong as an adult, almost at the level of a knight.

Miguel was always amazed at my growth during training, but in a real duel with a formal knight, I ended up rolling on the ground.

My body was strong, but my short arms and legs, appropriate for my age, were a problem.

The reach difference was too great.

My arms were too short, so when Miguel's sword reached my body, my sword could barely graze his arm.

I had to run twice as hard with my short legs, and every time the swords clashed, my small body was thrown around.

Moreover, sparring with a real sword meant I had to move as if my life depended on it.

Lying down, I looked at the Knight Commander.

He was looking at us with a serious expression.

"Is this what you've been reporting?"

The Knight Commander asked Miguel in a scolding tone.

Miguel shook his head.

"I reported accurately."

"Accurately?"

"Yes. Knight-level physique, squire-level swordsmanship, good judgment. The weakness is the underdeveloped physique. That was the last report."

The Knight Commander, after a moment of thought, spoke in a dubious tone.

"...Is that so? Did I misjudge?"

Miguel scratched his head.

"Well, considering the prince's age, it's hard to believe the report."

Unlike me, Miguel, who hadn't rolled on the ground, was unscathed. No dust or dirt, no bruises.

It was natural for a knight's guided training.

However, Miguel's expression wasn't good.

His face was still red from the tension, and there were marks on his leather armor where it had been cut.

The marks were slight, but the sword had touched his armor.

During the guided training, the student's sword had touched the knight's body.

According to the Knight Commander, Miguel should have resigned, but Commander Alons didn't scold him.

He just looked at me in surprise.

"Your skills have improved much faster than expected. I need to report this to the Duke again."

I was satisfied with the Knight Commander's praise, but I hadn't shown my full potential.

Deep within me, mana that I hadn't awakened was coiled.

If I showed my mana, the Knight Commander would be even more surprised, but it wasn't something to show in a sparring match.

Mana was my 'hidden blade.'

After confirming my skills, the Knight Commander got to the point.

"This is enough. There's no need to worry."

Indeed, it wasn't a pointless skill check.

"It's the Duke's order."

The Duke's order. What could he be asking me to do?

I wanted to lie and listen, but the Knight Commander looked at me, telling me to stand up.

Ugh, old man.

I forced myself to stand. Once I was in front of him, the Knight Commander continued.

"Simon's fiancée has arrived today."

What, an unexpected start.

"She's the daughter of the Iero Marquis. Since it's not an official visit, it's difficult to provide proper security."

Hmm, something ominous. Surely not?

"Since Simon is busy and can't be with her, I need you to provide security for her while she stays with the Duke's family."

Sure enough, ominous predictions never fail. Can I refuse?

"Fortunately, she happily agreed."

I thought of the girl I met earlier. The girl who waved a wooden sword in front of me. Her words about sparring came to mind.

"You'll start tomorrow. Just accompany her like a normal friend."

A friend! What nonsense. Moreover, asking a younger brother to provide security. Surely Simon would be furious if he knew?

I cursed inwardly but only sighed aloud.