IOPAFP 30

Chapter 30

“Hyah!”

“Guhk.”

“Until the very end! You mustn’t relax your strength now! Focus on your fingertips as you grip the sword!”

At Sir Briven’s words, Adel adjusted her grip and tightened her hold on the sword.

Now!

I took advantage of that split-second opening when Adel’s strength pushed me back.

“Raaaaah!”

As I charged forward with a battle cry, Adel was overwhelmed by my momentum. She stumbled backward and eventually let go of her sword.

“Ouch….”

“Are you okay, Adel?”

Startled by Adel’s groan, I hurried over to her. She hadn’t gotten hurt, had she? This was a body that had to grow up safe and sound before eventually going to our Killian. She absolutely couldn’t get hurt because of me!

While I looked Adel over from head to toe, Sir Briven approached us.

“Master… When will I become as good as Tia?”

At some point, Adel had tightly grabbed my hand and was asking Sir Briven that question. The drooping ends of her eyebrows made her look so pitiful that my heart ached.

“Ahem.”

“You did well, Young Lady. Your physical strength has improved considerably, so now you only need to catch up with the basics.”

“Exactly, Adel. You did amazingly! Don’t be disappointed. Before long, you’ll be even better than me.”

I chimed in beside Sir Briven.

And technically, I wasn’t lying. Adel really would grow up to become a far more accomplished holy knight than I was.

“We started learning together, but I feel like I’m the only one progressing so slowly.”

“What kind of nonsense is that, Adel? Slowly? Not at all! It’s just that I—”

I’ve got some experience with the Taegeuk symbol….

There was no way Adel could know about my circumstances from my previous life, which I couldn’t exactly tell her about. She looked at me with such pure eyes, filled with admiration, as she spoke.

“I knew you were good, but today you were especially amazing, Tia. I’ve never seen footwork like that before! I can’t believe you could close the distance so quickly while catching your breath for just a moment.”

After hearing Adel’s words, Sir Briven nodded as well.

“That doesn’t seem to be footwork that I taught you. Did you figure it out on your own while practicing, Your Highness?”

He asked so seriously that I didn’t know what to say.

“Yeah. Something like that. Hahaha.”

I vaguely brushed it off.

I’d basically done it like I was practicing taekwondo, so there wasn’t really anything else I could say.

After putting away our swords and dusting ourselves off, Adel and I plopped down on the ground.

Just then, Killian, who had finished his individual training in the distance, came running toward us.

“Tia!”

“Killian, are you all done?”

“Yeah. Just finished. I ended later than you again today. Sorry. You were waiting for me, right?”

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s fine. I could’ve waited longer. You need to train hard.”

You have your own sword now, too.

I pointed at Killian’s waist and mouthed the words silently.

Killian nodded.

“Okay. I’ll work harder.”

The way he shyly stuck out the tip of his tongue between his lips was seriously….

It was a Killian point.

No, a killing point.

I think I packed an extra heart somewhere….

Where did I put it…?

“Yeah. Fighting!”

If he wanted to become a Sword Master, win the war, and have a happy ending with Adel, then of course he had to work hard!

Feeling my heart pound, I gave Killian a bright smile.

“Now, shall we go get lunch?”

“Go go!”

“Go go!”

They didn’t even know what it meant.

Killian and Adel were so adorable, copying whatever I said.

They probably understood from context, but I should teach them again later that it meant going somewhere.

“All right! Let’s go!”

I shouted enthusiastically, but—

Ugh.

My legs were trembling.

I must have trained too hard during today’s sparring match.

I put strength into my legs and tried to stand up, only to see two fern-like things—or rather, two hands—in front of me.

“Huh?”

“Take my hand, Tia.”

“I’ll help you up.”

Was it just my imagination, or did sparks fly from the eyes of the two people who spoke at the exact same time?

Yeah, it had to be my imagination….

We promised to get along, after all.

Still, just in case, perhaps I should make use of this situation…?

I grinned and suddenly grabbed both Killian and Adel’s hands with both of mine, yanking them toward me as I used the momentum to stand up.

Apparently, neither of them had expected me to pull a prank like that.

Caught completely off guard, Killian and Adel both tumbled to the ground with a thud.

“Waaah!”

“Eek!”

“Race to the Imperial Princess’s Palace! Last place gets no dessert today!”

I’m going first!!!

I scampered away without even looking back.

“Tia!!!”

“Wait for me!!!”

The rapid patter of our footsteps, the thin clouds of dust trailing behind us, and the bright laughter of my friends were etched deep into my heart with every breath.

“That was delicious.”

“Me too. It was so good. Hehe.”

“What about Killian?”

Killian was pouting.

I didn’t know exactly what had happened because I had run ahead, but Killian had come in last today.

How unusual.

I did occasionally use underhanded tactics—

If I didn’t, I’d come in last every single time—

but there was no way Adel would have cheated, right?

Regardless….

That pouty Killian was seriously!!!

My soft, fresh, sweet, marshmallow-like, cute, handsome little darling.

I hereby report you.

For marriage registration.

Oh my!!!

No!!!

I mustn’t file that report! That would be a disaster.

I shook my head to clear away my shameless thoughts and called Killian again.

“Killian?”

“I’m being treated unfairly. She—”

Thump.

“Ow!”

What was that?

What just happened?

I definitely heard something being hit.

“Killian?”

“I-I’m fine, Tia.”

I looked at Killian worriedly, but Adel merely smiled brightly and pushed a plate toward him.

“Here, Killian. I’ll share some of my dessert with you.”

“I’m fine.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“I said I’m fine.”

Killian muttered something under his breath.

Adel snickered as she watched him.

Aww….

Seriously….

The welfare in this world is the best.

I actually got to watch my favorite and my second favorite bicker with each other!

I simply watched the two of them with a satisfied smile.

A few hours earlier—

“Race to the Imperial Princess’s Palace! Last place gets no dessert today! I’m going first!!!”

Celestia, who had just slammed Killian and Adel onto the ground, took off running energetically.

It was the first time she had used such an outrageous foul play as today, but it was hardly unusual for Celestia to get a head start.

Killian and Adel brushed off their hands and feet before immediately getting up and chasing after Celestia.

“Tia!!!”

“Wait for us!!!”

At first, everything was fine.

When they started running, it had been a perfectly fair race, but—

“Hey!”

As the distance between them began to widen, Adel shouted loudly at Killian from behind.

“Hey! Killian!”

“What?!”

Killian answered casually without even looking back and continued widening the gap.

Running this much was nothing to him anymore.

He wasn’t even out of breath.

Unless something unexpected happened, Adel would definitely come in last today.

Just thinking about it made him feel smug.

But then—

“You like Tia, don’t you?”

Why did his heart drop with such a heavy thump at Adel’s casual question?

Apparently, it wasn’t just his heart that dropped.

His feet seemed to have dropped, too.

His speed gradually slowed.

In the meantime, Adel caught up with Killian.

As she passed him, she said,

“Idiot.”

“What?”

“I like Tia, too. I caught you red-handed. Bleegh! Nyah!”

After briefly looking Killian up and down, Adel raised one corner of her mouth into a smirk before running ahead of him.

“Gaaaah! That little—!”

That sly, sneaky, conniving little Adelaide.

“Tia is being fooled. I need to show her how wicked she really is.”

Frustrated, Killian bit his lip.

He never even thought about catching up again.

Before he knew it, he had ridiculously ended up in last place.

He wasn’t particularly upset about missing dessert, but being tricked by Adel had seriously wounded his pride.

And then she had the nerve to act all innocent in front of Celestia…!

What a terrifying two-faced person.

“Here, Killian. I’ll share some dessert with you.”

“I’m fine.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“I said I’m fine.”

Glaring at Adel, Killian muttered quietly enough that Tia couldn’t hear him.

“I’m going to get revenge. You bad little brat.”

Killian made a solemn vow.

Today was finally a day off!

…No, it wasn’t.

It was a workday….

Busy, busy. Such was my seven-year-old life.

I was supposed to meet Count Tolquie downtown a little later.

I needed to give him the signed contract, negotiate the finer details, and most importantly—

Create a new identity!

Since the Saliant Empire didn’t have things like banks or bank accounts yet, I was planning to establish a guild where I could invest the money I earned and prepare for my future.

I had even thought of a name for myself as the guild master.

“Hehehe.”

“Is there something making you happy?”

Liz, who was doing my hair, asked.

For a while, Liz had seemed distracted by something, but today she was unusually composed.

I could only speculate whether something had happened with Sir Briven.

But I wasn’t going to ask.

Privacy and all that.

“I just… have a feeling it’s going to be a fun day.”

“Our always-cheerful Princess. I’m sure you’ll have the best day today, too.”

Huh…?

This isn’t right.

I tilted my head and turned toward Liz.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No. You just don’t seem like Liz.”

“Me? How did you know…?”

Liz raised both arms and tilted her head to the side, just as I had once done.

“Do I still look like Liz to you?”

I tilted my head as well and leaned my neck toward Liz’s mouth.

“Come on, bite me. If Liz has become a monster, then I’ll become a monster too.”

“Ugh. Your Highness’s neck might be a little tough….”

“You little—!!!”

Now she was finally back to the Liz I knew.

Hehehe.

I turned around and threw my arms around Liz, hugging her tightly.

Perhaps she hadn’t expected it, because Liz froze for a moment.

Then she gently stroked my back with her warm hands.

Like a mother….

My eyes stung so badly….