Chapter 11
Alec hated Maya.
Honestly, this is easier.
She was used to open hostility, and because he made no effort to hide it, it was easy to understand.
This was better.
It was more comfortable than Tristan, who was always courteous to her.
Honestly, she thought he was stupid.
He doesn’t seem to think as fast as I do.
Just from the way he was throwing a fit, it was clear he knew Maya and Tristan had to work together.
And yet he was openly showing hostility.
That went against the very words of the lord he served.
A knight was not someone who only needed strength.
A knight needed proper conduct and behavior worthy of the title.
Maya had learned that thoroughly while working as the Emperor’s Knight Commander.
Like Alec, openly showing, “I’m hostile to you,” to someone who had to cooperate with your lord was foolish.
People like that need to be hit to wake up.
Maya clenched her fist, and a cracking sound came from her knuckles. Just thinking about drawing her sword made her feel excited.
Seeing Maya grin, Alec flinched.
Maya walked through the hallway until she reached the outdoor training ground at the back of the castle.
The place was half-buried in snow, and people who looked like knights were gathered in groups, using shovels to clear it away.
It’s really cold.
Her current body had never experienced this kind of cold before, so it felt like it was seeping into her bones.
I’ll get used to it.
She had expected to be taken directly to the outdoor training ground, but that was not the case.
“This place is the outdoor training ground. We mostly use it in summer, but we also use it for winter endurance training. Ah, that might be unfamiliar to someone from the capital.”
Was this exclusion?
Well, it was a familiar attitude.
Maya looked at him quietly, then replied,
“I haven’t married the Grand Duke yet, so I’ll speak respectfully.”
Once she married Tristan, she would become the Grand Duchess.
That would put her higher than the person in front of her.
She disliked abusing power. But she was also tired of being polite to people who disliked her.
Maya shrugged.
“If you’re worrying about me this much, then you must already be acknowledging me as one of the people here. I’ll make good use of that later when dealing with guests.”
“Someone like the Grand Duke would naturally make me fall in love, but don’t get it wrong. I can’t tolerate anyone obstructing his path.”
Anyone hearing that would think Alec had had his lover stolen from him.
Maya smiled faintly.
“As a future Grand Duchess, this kind of insubordination is a bit much already.”
Even if she was a contract wife, it would be better for outsiders to see them as a perfect married couple.
You only learn from people like that after they get hit.
Maya grabbed a sword from the weapon rack nearby that fit her height.
It was certainly unfamiliar, but it was not a problem.
Before she had actually been appointed Knight Commander, she had used swords that did not suit her height or strength anyway.
“If you can’t accept it, then let’s settle it with swords.”
One thing she had learned during that time was that fists suited her better than words.
“…You’re challenging me to a duel.”
“Yes. I swear on the name of House Pendragon.”
Since she was going to win anyway, she nodded casually.
By then, the training ground had fully come into view.
Even in winter, there were many people training with sweat on their brows and red faces.
“Commander! This person is….”
As soon as Alec entered the training grounds, knights rushed over and gathered around the two of them.
Their curious faces and soft, welcoming atmosphere felt unfamiliar to Maya.
So this place is run differently from the Imperial Palace.
As she looked around, Maya’s eyes widened.
That person is…
But before she could think further, Alec’s loud voice interrupted her thoughts.
“I’ll stake my family name.”
“Understood.”
When she agreed so readily, Alec’s face brightened.
He’s easy to fool.
Maya looked at him with a somewhat pitying expression.
Since she had already been expelled from House Pendragon, staking the family name had no meaning, but it seemed the news had not reached this far yet.
No need to tell him.
Maya happily accepted the misunderstanding.
“I’ll use everyone here as witnesses.”
“Fine.”
There was no reason to refuse when he was so eager to publicly humiliate himself in front of all his subordinates.
Maya smiled and accepted his proposal.
“I’ll finish this in five minutes.”
“What, are you underestimating me?”
“No, I’m just cold.”
“You are underestimating me.”
Why would he not believe her when she was speaking honestly?
She did not understand why he insisted on reading between the lines.
I wasn’t even wrong.
“Then let’s begin.”
“As you wish.”
“Haah!”
With a battle cry, Alec charged at her boldly.
The sight of him swinging a sword nearly as large as his body was genuinely intimidating.
Maya twisted her body and dodged the strike.
KRAAANG!
The sword cut across the snow-covered ground and roared loudly.
“Commander! Are you serious right now?”
Shocked voices rose from the surrounding knights.
“Who is she?”
Many of them still did not know Maya, so their resistance seemed strong.
Female knights were rare enough to draw attention.
That was exactly why Maya had to work harder and survive with all her might.
Even though in her previous life she had been worn down and broken…
This time was different.
Focusing completely, Maya exhaled.
Her eyes sank into darkness.
She had not awakened as a Swordmaster yet, but the countless battles she had fought were still vivid in her mind.
Even the battles she had never wanted to fight remained painfully clear.
A sword that large was certainly dangerous, but that also made the wielder slower.
Too slow.
Ordinary people would not be able to see it, but Maya’s eyes saw the opening very clearly.
The flaw in that movement.
The sword she held could hardly be called a proper blade, and her body still lacked strength, so she could not inflict a fatal injury.
At that distance, one wrong move could split Maya’s body in two.
Maya lowered her body and lightly slipped past Alec’s attack. Her movement was so sharp it resembled that of an assassin.
“Uh, uh…”
No, actually, it looked more like a madwoman rushing in without fear of death.
“Is she crazy?!”
Even so, she could not avoid the small cut that grazed her hair.
Defeating an opponent requires you to be willing to risk death.
That was how she had surpassed human limits.
The brown strands of hair that fell onto the white snow looked like branches.
They were a deep chestnut color, like the bark of a tree that had stood rooted in place for a very long time.
Without blinking, Maya slipped her body between the blades and drove her sword sheath under Alec’s throat.
“I win.”
Alec felt chills not just from the sword pressing against his neck, but from the face of Maya standing so close to him.
“From now on, I’d appreciate it if you stopped speaking so rudely in front of me, Commander. We’re going to keep seeing each other, so there’s no need to make things awkward between us.”
Her calm voice made it sound as though she were sipping tea.
But what really frightened Alec was not her words—it was the clear, unshaken look in her eyes as she leapt forward without hesitation, despite the risk of being split in two.
“Answer me.”
Was this what madness looked like in pure eyes?
“Or would you like another duel?”
It felt as though he could actually feel the blade pressing lightly against the pulse beating in his throat.
An overwhelming level of skill.
Since becoming commander, he had fought countless sparring matches—ever since the age of four, when he first picked up a sword—but this was the first time he had ever felt such an overwhelming gap in skill.
She had not held back.
On the contrary, she had thrown away even her pride in order to drive him out.
Tristan was his most cherished friend.
And yet I’m being pushed back by this much?
He had heard that the Pendragon daughter was said to possess excellent swordsmanship.
“I’m stronger with my fists than with words.”
But he had never imagined she would be this strong.
“Would you like me to hit you more?”
And he truly had not expected her to be this insane.
“Do you really think you can persuade me with just this much?”
He still had his pride as commander. A blade at his throat was not enough to end this.
“No, to be honest, I didn’t think so.”
He had expected her to get angry, but the woman was far calmer than he thought.
…Is this really a Pendragon?
The Pendragon he had imagined and Maya were clearly different.
But he could not let his guard down. Alec widened his eyes.
Maya lowered the blade that had been pressed beneath his Adam’s apple with a clang.
“I feel like I haven’t hit you enough yet.”
The way she smiled as she said that made her look like a reaper come to take his life.
She’s only just become an adult, isn’t she?
That had been his assumption.
“…I-I’ll consider it! I said I’ll consider it!”
And in the end, Alec decided to compromise with Maya on the matter.
He could not refuse after being so one-sidedly beaten in front of all the knights who admired him.
