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Chapter 60
Lunch was a sandwich that Norman brought to the office. Thanks to that, her stomach felt full.
Elia changed into training clothes and headed to the drill grounds with Alexis.
When she appeared in training clothes instead of a dress, the knights let out cheers loud enough to shake the place.
Something about her in training clothes made her look even cuter, or so they said.
“Lady, you look adorable again today.”
Dmitri was the first to give a thumbs-up.
“Dmitri, aren’t you supposed to be drilling the knights?”
When Alexis spoke, Dmitri gave an embarrassed laugh and quickly started leading the knights in training.
“Elly, ready stance.”
Nodding, Elia spread her feet shoulder-width apart, bent her knees slightly, and raised her hands in front of her chest in a defensive position.
It was the basic stance—meant to prevent falling and to use strength effectively.
“Elly, what did I tell you to do if someone grabs your wrist?”
When Alexis grabbed her wrist, Elia twisted her hand toward the direction of her thumb and quickly rotated her body, pulling free through the weak point between the thumb and forefinger.
That was the technique known as a wrist escape.
“And if the opponent goes for your face?”
Elia swung her arm from outside to inside, blocking Alexis’s fist.
“If they attack your stomach?”
As Alexis went for her abdomen, Elia pushed outward from the inside, deflecting the blow.
“Next, when you’re knocked down.”
When Alexis pinned her down from above, Elia bent her knees, used her feet to push him off, then quickly rolled to the side and stood up.
“Now, let’s move on to counterattacks.”
When Alexis grabbed her from behind, Elia pressed her five fingers tightly together and thrust her palm upward toward his chin.
Then she twisted her body, striking his thigh with her knee, and finally bent her upper body to shield her face.
“Elly, you’ve got talent. You’re doing well.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You’ve mastered counter techniques in just a week. That’s impressive. Now let’s practice escapes. Your Highness, come here.”
At Alexis’s signal, Noah paused his drills and walked over.
“From now on, I’ll be teaching Elia escape techniques in self-defense. Your Highness, please demonstrate.”
“Of course.”
“Then, let’s begin.”
With a bright smile, Alexis put Noah in a chokehold. Noah grabbed Alexis’s arm, shielded his head with his other hand, and quickly twisted his body to escape.
“Your Highness, grab Elia.”
“Me?”
“There’s too big a height difference between her and me.”
Noah put Elia in a chokehold.
Standing beside her, Alexis explained the steps in detail.
Recalling Noah’s escape motion, Elia grabbed his arm, shielded her head, and spun her body quickly to slip free.
“Well done, Elly.”
“Tch, it’d be pathetic if I couldn’t even do something this easy.”
“Are you jealous right now?”
“What?”
“You’re jealous because the Duke praised me.”
“I am not.”
“You always say you’re not.”
Grinning at Noah, Elia turned to Alexis.
“Duke, what’s next?”
“Let’s do escapes when grabbed from behind.”
Again, Noah demonstrated.
“Oh, so that’s how it’s done.”
After nodding, Elia let Noah grab her from behind.
As instructed, she planted her feet, thrust her hips back to knock him off balance, and struck his abdomen or ribs with her elbow.
“Ugh, you hit me too hard on purpose, didn’t you?”
“You can’t endure even that much?”
“What?”
“It’s not like my strength is that great.”
“Elly is right. Your Highness, if you complain about that much pain, perhaps you should train your endurance.”
With a mischievous grin, Elia stuck out her tongue at Noah. Feeling teased, his face flushed red.
“You just wait until later.”
“Anytime… hehe.”
“Argh, this brat…”
At that moment, Dmitri placed a hand on Noah’s shoulder.
“Your Highness, if the demonstration is over, please rejoin training.”
“Ah, yes, Captain.”
At Dmitri’s words, Noah immediately turned back.
Dmitri hated nothing more than people who slacked off during training.
Noah was no exception.
“Elly, let’s go wash up.”
“Yes, Duke.”
After finishing her self-defense lesson, Elia bathed and changed into fresh clothes.
When she returned to the office, two new letters awaited her.
One was from Lasley, the other from Lapis.
They contained news of what had happened in the capital.
“They absorbed the city’s gangs?”
The letters described how crime organizations, including Blood Python, had been crushed and some absorbed.
A chill ran down her spine.
* * *
Inside the Prussian Grand Duchy’s study.
Grand Duchess Christina crumpled the documents she was reading and hurled them to the floor.
“A new cosmetics shop opened right after Queens burned down?”
Roen stood before her, looking uneasy.
“And directly across from Queens?”
Her anger blazed all the way to the crown of her head.
“How long will it take to reopen Queens in the capital?”
“At least a month, Your Grace.”
“A month? Too long. Have it finished within half a month.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Roen knew that arguing further would only stoke her fury, so he agreed at once.
“I shall take my leave now.”
After Roen bowed deeply and left, Christina struggled to calm her rage alone.
“Why does everything keep going wrong?”
Nothing seemed to be going according to plan lately.
“What’s the problem?”
But there was something more important.
“I need to solidify Raul’s position even further.”
Christina tugged a bellcord to summon Raul’s nanny.
“How has Raul been lately?”
“In the mornings he has sword lessons, and in the afternoons, academic lessons. The scholars praise him for his outstanding talent.”
“So Raul excels more in academics?”
“Yes, Your Highness. He shows more interest in studies than swordsmanship.”
“So academically, Raul surpasses Prince Serhi.”
“…Yes, it seems so.”
“I hear recently Prince Serhi learned the Mana Sword?”
“Yes, it seems Sir Benjamin is teaching him.”
“The Empress’s brother?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Marianne the Empress’s brother currently served as captain of the Imperial Guard—a perfect tutor for Serhi’s swordsmanship.
“He always held his nose high, proud of being of higher birth than me…”
Christina came from a lower noble house, while Empress Marianne came from a high-ranking aristocratic family.
But now it was Christina who held both wealth and power in her hands.
“It just proves I’m the more capable one.”
Christina sank into the sofa.
“We need to plant more of our people in the concubines’ palace. Relay that to the organization.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Managing the inner palace was the Empress’s duty. And if the concubines’ palace misbehaved, it was also the Empress who should discipline them. But currently, the position of Empress was vacant.
Ever since the late Empress passed away, the Emperor had left the seat empty, unwilling to allow the royal in-laws to cause more strife.
Christina had used that opportunity to whisper into the ears of the Noble Assembly.
More than half the assembly was tied to her through money, so her influence was second only to the Emperor himself.
“You may leave now.”
After the nanny bowed and left, Christina summoned Roen again.
“The Empress Consort is preparing the Imperial Ball, is she not?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Good. I’ll take a rest this year.”
“Meaning…?”
“It’ll be quite the sight—a dull Imperial Ball without me.”
“I shall deliver the message to the assembly.”
The Imperial Ball was a grand banquet attended by all nobles of the empire.
Normally, the Empress would host it, but with the seat vacant, the Empress Consort was doing so instead.
But since Grand Duchess Christina had declared she wouldn’t attend, any noble with sense would surely withdraw as well.
In the social world, Christina’s presence commanded that much awe.
