# 89
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The fighting that day happened by chance.
Allen, seeing Leah walking around with a sad face after going out alone with Jack, forcefully dragged her to the training ground.
Allen, who was usually a simple person, noticed that when he was in a bad mood, he would get better by waving his sword frantically, so he wondered if Leia would be the same.
That's when Diana took advantage of her class and arrived at the training hall with Leia.
<impossible … . It's annoying, so let's finish it quickly, Master, please take your sword.〉
〈Okay? I? Do you want to quarrel with me?〉
Allen looked at Leia, and pointed at me with a puzzled face, but Leia had already said: “I think I can hold a wooden sword now, right?” He was picking up a wooden sword that was stored for apprentice knights.
Allen, who had been trying to move his body to lighten his mood, was surprised and suddenly remembered the graceful movements of Leia he had seen before.
As a knight, I felt unbearably curious.
<good ! But I'm different from that guy last time, so be careful.〉
〈Good, then shall we begin?〉
Although he was still young and had not been officially appointed as a knight, Allen had skills that far exceeded the level of a typical apprentice knight.
Allen, who thought that Leia considered him to have similar skills to those rookies at the time, politely warned her.
But in reality, Leia only nodded with an expression of annoyance, not showing any interest.
Even though she is a younger girl than me and obviously has not received proper training in swordsmanship….
When Allen saw Leia looking relaxed, he felt nervous for some reason and swallowed his saliva.
And after a while.
Allen blinked and suddenly saw the wooden sword near his neck.
If it had been a sharp sword, it would have scratched him and cut off his head.
< What is this . …? ….〉
At first, I thought Allen's one-sided attack would continue.
However, as if it were a matter of measuring skill, a ferocious attack and defense immediately followed, and at some point, Allen even took a step back.
When Allen, who was breathing hard, turned his head, Jack, who was watching beside him, also looked at him in surprise.
Needless to say, the shock of the other apprentice knights watching Dalian was shocking.
At that time, regardless of the shock that swept through the training hall, Leia broke the silence.
〈Then I'll just go, it's time, Miss's class time is over.〉
When she turned around, Leia's expression was sterner than it had been before she came to the training ground.
But no one noticed that she was upset.
* * *
“Jack.”
Jack and Allen, who had re-enacted their sparring with Leia several times since, were now sitting side by side on one side of the training hall.
“Leia is too...”
Allen swallowed and said.
“Do you think she's a genius?”
Jack, who was sitting next to me, nodded at the solemn words.
“It's clear.”
“I couldn't believe it even when I saw it with my own eyes. I thought she looked so innocent that she blinked like an idiot. Who would have thought she could fly with a sword like that?”
“They say the amount of mana is large enough for magicians to covet.”
“My words! This is not the time for us. People who know nothing say we are geniuses, but we saw the real thing.”
“You're right, we have to work harder.”
While Jack spoke with a firm expression, Allen also nodded solemnly.
It was a time when two geniuses made such a strong decision.
“Excuse me...”
"Oh? Aiden!"
Allen smiled happily and greeted Aiden, who had just entered the training hall.
There was only one reason why Allen, who did not approve of Aiden, was happy.
This is because for some time now they have been completely forbidding him from spending time with Diana in the name of teaching him how to use a sword.
“Why did you come so late? You hesitated because you didn’t want to come again, right?”
". … no."
“You're late in responding!”
Aiden, who couldn't lie, just shook his fingers and looked into space.
Allen clicked his tongue at this.
At first, I was just making up an excuse to keep him away from his younger sister, but when I realized he seemed gifted, I enjoyed teaching him, but I didn't like Aiden's personality because he seemed too shy.
“But what is that in your hand?”
“…It’s a pie. It’s a traditional dessert from the Damba Kingdom, and I prepared it.”
"Oh! Did you bring this for the teacher to eat?"
When Allen extended his hand with a smirk on his lips, Aiden quickly turned around and grabbed the box containing the pie.
"No! I'm giving this to Leah."
“Leia? Oh! Leia went to the Imperial Palace with Diana, she can eat a lot of delicious food there...”
“You're not noona!”
“Yes? What does that mean...”
Allen looked confused when he heard Aiden scream.
Then I realized.
Since the day we entered the Duchy of Elad, we have always eaten together.
I had gotten so used to it that I had forgotten about it, but Leia's status was that of a mere servant.
In the Imperial Palace, where you are not a duke, you will of course only serve, but you will not sit and eat at the same table as Diana.
‘So Leah is standing next to you the whole time, watching you eat. …? ….’
Allen, who blinked at the unexpected realization, suddenly realized that Leah was a maid, a commoner, and an orphan. …
I remembered being bullied by the other servants.
It was the same for Jack, his face darkening.
Aiden, who did not know the inside story, could only look at the two people who suddenly became in a state of confusion.
then.
“Hi Jack...”
Allen opened his mouth forcefully.
“Surely no one else will touch Leia?”
“...I hope there is no one.”
* * *
“Oh, my hand lost its strength and I dropped it.”
Serbin said with a smile.
But I couldn't laugh with her.
A moment ago, are you the maid that the youngest princess loves?
The look she was looking at me was very cold, and I felt that dropping the knife at my feet was very intentional.
At that time, the maid quickly placed a new knife in front of the princess, bent down and tried to pick up what had fallen.
However, Serbin raised her hand to stop the maid and looked at me intently.
While the conversations and laughter of the noble ladies were in full swing at the table next to her, the table where the young women were gathered was filled with silence.
As I wondered where Serbin's hostility towards me came from, I let out a short breath and slowly took a step back.
At the same time, Serbin's eyes frowned slightly.
“Oh my God, I heard she was an orphan, but I never thought it would be like this...”
Young miss, astutely noticing that the princess was displeased, looked me up and down.
“If you haven't learned anything, you should at least be aware of it, I can't believe she would just leave because you didn't give her any special orders!”
“The basics of being a maid seem nonexistent.”
“Are you too f-absorbed, only serving the princess?”
Then, getting into the mood, everyone added one word after another.
But I didn't budge.
The lady who spoke for the first time spoke with her eyes trembling.
“You don't even notice that you're acting funny in front of so many people? What would you do if you didn't pick up the knife right away and apologize to the princess?”
When I realized that I could no longer remain silent, I was about to open my mouth.
“Oh, sorry!”
At this time, Diana suddenly stood up, picked up the knife that had fallen on the grass, and handed it to Serbin.
“Oh, no...what did you say to the princess....”
"It's noisy."
“Woe, Your Highness.”
“Your Highness, thank you, there was no need to take it yourf.”
When Serbin spoke with barely a smile, Diana nodded and sat down again.
In this awkward atmosphere, Serbin looked at me again with cold eyes.
“Your mistress has bowed down to you, will you remain silent this time?”
I, who was confused by Diana's actions, slowly stepped forward when I heard those words.
“It's my fault, I should have informed the young miss in more detail beforehand what imperial etiquette requires outsiders to observe... For example, items used by the imperial family should not be touched by anyone other than the maid or servant of the imperial palace, of course, even if you are a servant of the duke's family.”
As soon as I finished speaking, the little girls who were cursing me for being an uneducated orphan stopped and started to notice.
Serbin's expression was cold and frozen.
It seemed that the others didn't really know the detailed etiquette, but it was impossible that the princess living in the imperial palace wouldn't know it.
'Did you try to get me in trouble on purpose?'
If I had tried to pick it up myf, I would probably have been cursed at for being ignorant of etiquette.
'I don't feel comfortable with it being a knife...'
Even if just holding a sword in front of the royal family was just a mistake, the situation could become serious enough depending on how the princess reacted.
‘If I had acted hastily, Elad’s family might have been involved.’
I don't know if I'm just sensitive, but for some reason, the awful thoughts kept coming up and I felt anxious.
However, Duke Elad was a staunch friend of the Emperor.
Moreover, due to the Emperor's correction, the issue of succession had not yet been discussed at all, so there was no need for Princess Elad to attack.
'It means they were really targeting me.'
It was a time when I couldn't understand why Serbin showed such hostility towards me when I first saw him.
“How dare you wear something so neglected like an orphan....!”
“Please stop.”
While the lady who started fighting with me was shaking and trying to raise her voice, the brown-haired girl sitting next to Diana opened her mouth.
“It's not her fault that this maid is an orphan, is it?”
I stopped and looked at the girl.