Chapter 1: The Princess's Dream
'What did I do wrong?'
Sienna quickly turned her head.
'Is that man stronger than the captain of the knights?'
She had sparred with the captain a few times. He was definitely stronger than the other knights, both in strength and skill. Still, he was a manageable opponent.
'There's no way. He's too young.'
Sienna decided that she had been the one to make a mistake.
'I was too impatient.'
She held her sword and gallantly approached Kuhn once more.
"Again."
Sienna tightened her grip on her sword. She wouldn't make the same miserable mistake of losing her sword this time.
Clang!
Sienna's sword flew out of her hands. It flew past her and sank into the soft ground further away. She stared blankly at the sword before looking down at her hands. She clenched and unclenched her hand. Her hand felt numb.
Sienna grabbed her sword and said, "Again." This happened five more times. Every time, the swords clashed violently before Sienna's flew out of her hand.
With every repetition, Sienna lost more and more strength. No matter how many times she tried again, the result would be the same. It was inevitable. And Kuhn, as he had stated before, never went easy on her, keeping his strength the same each time.
When Sienna grabbed her sword for the sixth time, Kuhn spoke up.
"Let's stop here."
Sienna furrowed her brow.
"You'll ruin your wrist."
Sienna sighed as she lowered her sword. Her wrist was shaking.
Seeing Sienna lost in thought, Kuhn was a bit surprised. He had expected her to throw a tantrum and fly into a rage. However, while she did look dejected, she didn't look angry at all.
"Are you strong?"
"I don't go around getting beat up if that's what you mean."
"Are you stronger than the palace knights?"
"I don't know. I've never fought with them, so I can't be absolutely sure, but I won't lose."
Such ridiculous confidence. Sienna was amazed by it, but she didn't feel that it was an empty boast. Was she the strange one for thinking this way?
"If you're that strong, then why are you currently in the lowest rank?"
Sienna had guessed Kuhn's rank from his uniform.
"Only the best are able to become one of the Knights of the Imperial Palace. The best of them is the captain."
"I see."
The man replied with a dull expression. Believing his standoffish behavior was rooted in the confidence of his skills, Sienna wasn't offended.
"What do you think of my skills?"
Kuhn wanted to leave. Nothing good came out of interacting with the Princess. If he had to divide the world into allies and enemies, the Princess would be an enemy.
'I should have escaped when she asked to spar.'
Kuhn reflected on his carelessness.
"Please be honest."
The Princess urged him, so Kuhn answered reluctantly.
"You're better than someone who has never held a sword before."
It was a harsh assessment.
"But I've sparred with knights during practice."
"Princess. How often do you practice?"
"Once every two or three days. About two hours every time."
"Knights wield their sword all day from morning till night. Their basic training begins at an early age, and they are only able to properly practice with a sword around the age of twelve. If they're lucky and skilled enough, they are able to become a knight in the Imperial Palace."
Sienna understood what he was trying to say.
"...They were going easy on me."
There was no way the elite knights of the Imperial Palace were that inferior. They had been going easy on her.
Sienna couldn't believe it. It was understandable for her practice partners to go easy on her, but the captain as well? Weren't the knights a symbol of honesty and justice?
She had believed in her natural abilities. She had been so confident. She had received the superior and genius traits of the Imperial family. Everyone around her would say, 'As expected of the Princess, she learns so quickly'. So Sienna had thought the same about her swordsmanship.
'I never wanted false praise.'
Sienna doubted that it only stopped at swordsmanship. Now she was suspicious of everything.
"What are you doing?!"
Sienna asked Kuhn in shock. He had grabbed the blade with his left hand and pulled. Red blood flowed down his hand.
"I told you before. This sword needs to taste blood once it has been unsheathed."
Sienna blankly watched Kuhn place his sword back in its sheath.
"Is it a magic sword?"
Kuhn chuckled. He was a well-known figure in his own world. Everybody around him knew who he was and what sword he used, so this was the first time somebody had asked Kuhn such a question.
"Some people think so, but it's more like an exorcism."
"Exorcism? What's that?"
"Hmm. I guess it's a term that isn't common in the Imperial Palace. It's like a ritual to prevent future misfortune."
Sienna felt bad for having misunderstood him earlier. What he had told her earlier weren't empty words or false bravado.
"Is your hand okay?"
"It's fine."
"I'll call for some medicine."
"Really, I'm alright."
"Isn't a swordsman's hand very important? How can we leave it alone?"
Sienna's voice was laced with worry, different from her normal cold tone. Kuhn felt a tickling sensation in his heart.
"You said earlier that you haven't been placed in a regiment as of yet, correct?"
"..."
"Was that a lie, too?"
Sienna glared at him as he sneakily looked away. She had taken an interest in this man. He was a bit arrogant, but he was quite skilled.
"Now that I think about it, I don't know your name."
"..."
"Didn't you hear me? What is your name?!"
"Princess. Someone is coming. It seems like they're looking for you."
Sienna turned her head. Her ladies-in-waiting were approaching them. Her practice time had ended, so they came right on schedule.
Sienna turned back around. In that short time, the man had walked off into the distance. Sienna frowned as she watched his back, clenching her teeth.
'You can run, but you can't hide.'
At most, there were about a thousand knights in the palace. His appearance, his approximate age, and his unique sword. Since she knew these things about him, it wouldn't be hard to find him. Within a few hours, she'd be able to place that man in front of her
Chapter 1: The Princess's Dream
'What did I do wrong?'
Sienna quickly turned her head.
'Is that man stronger than the captain of the knights?'
She had sparred with the captain a few times. He was definitely stronger than the other knights, both in strength and skill. Still, he was a manageable opponent.
'There's no way. He's too young.'
Sienna decided that she had been the one to make a mistake.
'I was too impatient.'
She held her sword and gallantly approached Kuhn once more.
"Again."
Sienna tightened her grip on her sword. She wouldn't make the same miserable mistake of losing her sword this time.
Clang!
Sienna's sword flew out of her hands. It flew past her and sank into the soft ground further away. She stared blankly at the sword before looking down at her hands. She clenched and unclenched her hand. Her hand felt numb.
Sienna grabbed her sword and said, "Again." This happened five more times. Every time, the swords clashed violently before Sienna's flew out of her hand.
With every repetition, Sienna lost more and more strength. No matter how many times she tried again, the result would be the same. It was inevitable. And Kuhn, as he had stated before, never went easy on her, keeping his strength the same each time.
When Sienna grabbed her sword for the sixth time, Kuhn spoke up.
"Let's stop here."
Sienna furrowed her brow.
"You'll ruin your wrist."
Sienna sighed as she lowered her sword. Her wrist was shaking.
Seeing Sienna lost in thought, Kuhn was a bit surprised. He had expected her to throw a tantrum and fly into a rage. However, while she did look dejected, she didn't look angry at all.
"Are you strong?"
"I don't go around getting beat up if that's what you mean."
"Are you stronger than the palace knights?"
"I don't know. I've never fought with them, so I can't be absolutely sure, but I won't lose."
Such ridiculous confidence. Sienna was amazed by it, but she didn't feel that it was an empty boast. Was she the strange one for thinking this way?
"If you're that strong, then why are you currently in the lowest rank?"
Sienna had guessed Kuhn's rank from his uniform.
"Only the best are able to become one of the Knights of the Imperial Palace. The best of them is the captain."
"I see."
The man replied with a dull expression. Believing his standoffish behavior was rooted in the confidence of his skills, Sienna wasn't offended.
"What do you think of my skills?"
Kuhn wanted to leave. Nothing good came out of interacting with the Princess. If he had to divide the world into allies and enemies, the Princess would be an enemy.
'I should have escaped when she asked to spar.'
Kuhn reflected on his carelessness.
"Please be honest."
The Princess urged him, so Kuhn answered reluctantly.
"You're better than someone who has never held a sword before."
It was a harsh assessment.
"But I've sparred with knights during practice."
"Princess. How often do you practice?"
"Once every two or three days. About two hours every time."
"Knights wield their sword all day from morning till night. Their basic training begins at an early age, and they are only able to properly practice with a sword around the age of twelve. If they're lucky and skilled enough, they are able to become a knight in the Imperial Palace."
Sienna understood what he was trying to say.
"...They were going easy on me."
There was no way the elite knights of the Imperial Palace were that inferior. They had been going easy on her.
Sienna couldn't believe it. It was understandable for her practice partners to go easy on her, but the captain as well? Weren't the knights a symbol of honesty and justice?
She had believed in her natural abilities. She had been so confident. She had received the superior and genius traits of the Imperial family. Everyone around her would say, 'As expected of the Princess, she learns so quickly'. So Sienna had thought the same about her swordsmanship.
'I never wanted false praise.'
Sienna doubted that it only stopped at swordsmanship. Now she was suspicious of everything.
"What are you doing?!"
Sienna asked Kuhn in shock. He had grabbed the blade with his left hand and pulled. Red blood flowed down his hand.
"I told you before. This sword needs to taste blood once it has been unsheathed."
Sienna blankly watched Kuhn place his sword back in its sheath.
"Is it a magic sword?"
Kuhn chuckled. He was a well-known figure in his own world. Everybody around him knew who he was and what sword he used, so this was the first time somebody had asked Kuhn such a question.
"Some people think so, but it's more like an exorcism."
"Exorcism? What's that?"
"Hmm. I guess it's a term that isn't common in the Imperial Palace. It's like a ritual to prevent future misfortune."
Sienna felt bad for having misunderstood him earlier. What he had told her earlier weren't empty words or false bravado.
"Is your hand okay?"
"It's fine."
"I'll call for some medicine."
"Really, I'm alright."
"Isn't a swordsman's hand very important? How can we leave it alone?"
Sienna's voice was laced with worry, different from her normal cold tone. Kuhn felt a tickling sensation in his heart.
"You said earlier that you haven't been placed in a regiment as of yet, correct?"
"..."
"Was that a lie, too?"
Sienna glared at him as he sneakily looked away. She had taken an interest in this man. He was a bit arrogant, but he was quite skilled.
"Now that I think about it, I don't know your name."
"..."
"Didn't you hear me? What is your name?!"
"Princess. Someone is coming. It seems like they're looking for you."
Sienna turned her head. Her ladies-in-waiting were approaching them. Her practice time had ended, so they came right on schedule.
Sienna turned back around. In that short time, the man had walked off into the distance. Sienna frowned as she watched his back, clenching her teeth.
'You can run, but you can't hide.'
At most, there were about a thousand knights in the palace. His appearance, his approximate age, and his unique sword. Since she knew these things about him, it wouldn't be hard to find him. Within a few hours, she'd be able to place that man in front of her
