Chapter 120
“Oh, no…!”
“You can’t! You promised me. You agreed to train hard as part of your duties.”
Hearing the loud complaints, the nearby servants peeked out, then chuckled at the familiar sight.
Luciard was dragging Hestia, who was desperately resisting.
“They always get along so well.”
“Sometimes, they seem more like friends than lovers.”
“When they first met, they were always fighting.”
“Now, they look great together.”
“I hope they get married soon. I’d love to decorate their wedding beautifully!”
The servants smiled warmly as they watched the two bicker.
Hestia and Luciard had become an essential part of the duchy, and seeing them together made people excited for the future.
They were already managing things well—what would happen if they officially became partners?
Hestia clung to a pillar, refusing to move, while Luciard tried to drag her off.
Holding onto her hands, Luciard leaned in close.
“Stop being so stubborn. You were the one who kept pushing me to study, but now that it’s your turn, you’re backing out?”
“That’s different from studying!”
“But you promised me. If I did well, you’d do whatever I asked without complaint.”
A few days ago, they had made a bet.
If Luciard successfully ran a business on his own without Hestia’s help, she would grant him one wish.
“I-I didn’t think you’d ask for something like this!”
Hestia had expected something like a break from work or a fancy gift.
“Who asks for training as a wish?!”
Luciard’s wish was for Hestia to learn how to protect herself.
At first, he suggested sword training, but starting from scratch as an adult was too difficult.
Besides, Hestia had spent her entire life at a desk, writing with a pen rather than exercising.
Expecting her to suddenly gain strength and agility was unrealistic.
‘Besides, I’ll be leaving here soon, so why is he insisting on this?’
She thought she could handle it, but after just a couple of days, she was completely drained.
Her body ached even when she just sat at her desk, and she couldn’t work properly.
“I’ll grant you another wish instead! Let’s just forget about this one, okay?”
“Nope. I won’t change my wish. Here we go.”
“Ahhh! Let me go!”
Luciard lifted Hestia onto his shoulder like a sack of rice.
She pounded his back in protest, but he didn’t budge.
Realizing that she was the only one getting exhausted, Hestia sighed.
“Luciard…”
“Trying to act pitiful won’t work.”
“No, seriously, my head is spinning, and my stomach hurts. I’ll walk on my own, so put me down…”
Seeing her finally give in, Luciard lowered her—but instead of letting her stand, he carried her in a bridal-style hold.
Now face-to-face with him, Hestia’s already flushed face turned even redder.
“Put me down!”
“How do I know you won’t run away?”
“I said I won’t!”
“I’ll put you down once we get to the training ground.”
Realizing he wouldn’t listen, Hestia gave up and leaned into his arms.
Luciard flinched slightly when her hair tickled his face but held her tightly as they headed to the training grounds.
When they arrived, the knights, who were busy training, burst into laughter at the sight of them.
“Haha! Last time, you dragged her here, and now you’re carrying her?”
“Give up, Lady Hestia. Young Master Luciard is incredibly stubborn.”
“Ugh, whatever. What are we doing today? You’re not going to make me try pulling a bowstring again, right? My hands got so blistered I could barely work!”
“You were weaker than I expected.”
“Hey! I’m not that weak!”
As Hestia shouted, the two glared at each other like a cat and a dog.
“Why are you two fighting again? Isn’t this just a lovers’ quarrel?”
“It’s not a lovers’ quarrel!”
“Who said that…?!”
Turning around angrily, Hestia and Luciard suddenly froze in shock.
“Brina! Yovan!”
“When did you guys get here?”
The newcomers were none other than Brina and Yovan, original members of the Blaze Mercenary Group.
Their arrival brought smiles to Hestia and Luciard’s faces, and they rushed forward to hug them.
“You should’ve told us you were coming!”
“Was the trip okay? Are the others doing well?”
Luciard asked, and Brina and Yovan grinned confidently.
“Of course! We’re doing great.”
“Everyone’s full of energy, so don’t worry.”
For the past year, the Blaze Mercenary Group had been visiting the duchy every two or three months.
Last time, Neville and Yelluna had come.
“So, why were you fighting? Lady Hestia, do you know how to use a bow? I heard you mention it earlier.”
Yovan asked, and Luciard explained everything—from their bet to his wish.
“So, I’ve been trying to find some way for her to defend herself for the past two weeks, but… sigh, I’ve never seen someone so bad at using their body.”
Brina and Yovan burst into laughter, while Hestia blushed and smacked Luciard’s arm.
“It’s not that bad!”
“Really? You can’t use a sword, a rapier is too heavy, you trip over a spear, and you can’t even pull a bowstring.”
“…Ugh.”
“Most people can at least do something, even if they’ve never held a weapon before. But you…”
Luciard looked her up and down with a sigh, making Hestia frustrated.
“Well, at least I’m good at my job! Without me, the duchy would’ve fallen apart!”
“I won’t deny that you’re good at managing things. But what if you’re in danger and can’t protect yourself?”
“That won’t happen! I have an excellent bodyguard.”
Right on time, Hestia’s personal knight, Morgan, spoke up from nearby.
“That’s right, Lady Hestia! I will protect you at all costs!”
Morgan had once worked for Hubert but switched sides to support Hestia and Lloyd during the rebellion.
Thanks to them, he got his stolen money back and was able to get medical treatment for his sick younger brother.
Since then, Morgan had sworn lifelong loyalty to Hestia.
If she ever left Winston, he was ready to pack up and follow her.
“Still, it’s better to be prepared. Don’t be so stubborn, Tia. Just think about it seriously.”
Luciard’s tone grew serious, and Hestia bit her lip, falling silent.
“That’s right, Lady Hestia. No one knows what will happen in life.”
“Even Prince Noveli said he would have died if he hadn’t learned swordsmanship. Despite his many responsibilities, he still takes time to train with the knights.”
“Who would have thought that a prince would become a key figure in a war?”
“Well… considering his foolish older brother, he probably saw it coming.”
“Oh, that’s true…”
“Anyway, it might not be a full-scale war, but everyone should at least know how to protect themselves. You can’t even ride a horse properly.”
Hearing their words, Hestia suddenly remembered how she had died in her past life—without escaping or even resisting.
‘Well… they’re not wrong.’
Even if she had managed to avoid immediate danger now, life was unpredictable.
Who would have thought she would die so helplessly after making sure Eric was married off in her past life?
“…Alright, I’ll do it.”
When Hestia finally gave in, Luciard beamed. His usual serious expression instantly brightened, making her wonder if this really was such a joyful moment for him.
“Hmm… but you’ve tried swords, bows, and spears before, right?”
Brina asked.
“Yeah, but none of them felt right for me. I figured I should at least know what weapon suits me, but nothing seems to work.”
“I’ve never done any kind of exercise before, so it’s only natural that I’m bad at it.”
As Hestia grumbled, Brina thought for a moment before stepping closer.
“Lady Hestia, excuse me for a moment.”
Brina suddenly started feeling Hestia’s body, making her flinch in surprise. However, Brina’s serious expression made her stay still.
“Former Captain.”
Since Lavio was now the leader of the Blaze Mercenary Corps, they referred to Luciard as their former captain.
“Did you train her the same way you trained us back then?”
“Ew, you didn’t put Lady Hestia through that, did you?”
When they had first formed the mercenary group, Luciard had put them through brutal training, claiming it would make them stronger.
Hearing this, Yovan grimaced, but Luciard shook his head.
“No, I only did half of that.”
“Half is still too much. Lady Hestia has never even held a sword before. And she’s never done any rough work like commoners.”
‘…That’s not true.’
In her past life, she had worked as a maid, carrying heavy laundry and buckets full of water.
But that was before her regression. Now, her body was soft and had no muscles at all.
“You can’t expect men and women to build muscle at the same speed. Look at me—I’ve been training with these guys, but I don’t look like them.”
Brina, who had a slim but toned body, pointed at Yovan, who was full of muscles.
“Then what should I do?”
“Hmm… First, you need to build up your basic stamina. And women have their own unique weapons.”
Brina grinned.
“Lady Hestia, have you ever used a whip?”
“A whip?”
“Yes. If you learn how to use it properly, it can be quite effective. It’s not too heavy, and it requires a lot of strategy to use well. From what I see, a whip and a dagger would be perfect for you.”
Brina handed Hestia a whip and a dagger she had on hand.
After struggling with heavy swords, the lightness of these weapons felt amazing in her hands.
“The weight feels okay, right?”
“Yeah! I think I can actually use these.”
“Great. Let me show you how to use them. Yovan, be my sparring partner.”
“Ugh, I hate sparring with you. You always leave my skin all scratched up.”
“I’ll go easy on you, I promise.”
Despite his complaints, Yovan obediently stepped forward.
The others moved to the edge of the training ground to watch.
“Hestia, in a fight, you’ll struggle if you let your opponent get too close. So your priority should always be to keep your distance—at least ten steps away. If the enemy moves closer, move back.”
Hestia memorized Brina’s advice carefully.
Once she had positioned herself at a reasonable distance, Brina cracked her whip against the ground.
Snap!
The sound was sharp, and the impact was strong enough to leave a mark on the dirt.
“If your opponent charges at you like this…”
At her signal, Yovan raised his sword and rushed forward.
Before he could get too close, Brina swiftly flicked her whip, striking his wrist.
The sword immediately fell from his grasp, and before he could pick it up, Brina wrapped the whip around the sword’s hilt and pulled it toward herself.
“See? Just taking away their weapon gives you a huge advantage.”
‘She’s improved.’
Luciard, observing Brina’s technique, examined her skills with a critical eye.
Then he glanced at Hestia to see her reaction—and was caught off guard.
“Wow… That was amazing!”
Hestia’s eyes sparkled with admiration, as if she had just fallen in love with Brina’s skills.
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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
If you want to support the translation and the translator, you can buy a coffee~
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