Chapter 5
Chapter 5
First Meeting (4)
It had already been a week since Yuki and I began our nightly training. This strange double life had settled more stably than I expected.
At least, that’s what I wanted to believe.
But there was one existence that posed the greatest threat to my frail act.
I thought her interest would fade in a day or two at most, but her persistence far exceeded my expectations.
Late at night, when the moon hid behind clouds. As I moved silently toward the hidden spot in the forest without making a sound or stepping on a single twig—
I noticed it exactly three minutes after leaving the house.
Kara was following me.
Her stealth skills were, frankly, disastrous.
Rustle!
Crash!
Huff, huff...
It felt like a wild boar was chasing me. At that level, even predators in the forest would be scared off.
...Should I just shake her off?
I considered it, but seeing the determination in Kara’s eyes, it was obvious that if I didn’t resolve this properly, my peaceful village life would be affected.
Once again, I realized something.
The scariest thing in the world isn’t ghosts or wild boars.
It’s the persistence of a fool filled with conviction.
Rustle. Snap.
...Kara, please.
Heavy footsteps came from behind without any attempt to hide. She probably thought she was keeping her distance, but—
Even dressed in black for stealth, her presence was as obvious as the blazing forge in her family’s workshop.
"Haa... how scary. The forest at night really isn’t a place for men."
At my deliberately audible muttering, the bushes behind me shook violently. Kara was probably grinding her teeth, thinking, ‘Stop lying, Ian!’
Seriously, this is too much.
Pretending not to notice, I headed toward the meeting spot.
"Whew, my legs feel especially heavy today."
At my overly dramatic monologue, Kara—hiding behind a tree in the distance—flinched again.
The tree was far too thin to hide her large frame. Her left shoulder and right hip were sticking out completely.
When I reached the clearing, Yuki was already there, her hair soaked in moonlight.
She had her sword drawn.
"That tail of yours is quite long, Ian."
Yuki murmured. Her gaze was fixed on Kara, who was hiding behind a large rock about thirty meters away, fidgeting.
"Want me to get rid of her?"
Yuki said something terrifying as she drew her practice sword.
Has she lost her mind? A noble lady talking like a street thug.
"This is right next to the village... and that idiot is my friend from the same village."
"I don’t have a hobby of making friends with commoners."
"...Sigh, then please consider my peaceful life. It’s part of our deal."
"Then what are you going to do? That girl is practically drooling while staring at you from behind that rock."
Yuki was right.
Behind the rock, Kara had her mouth slightly open as she stared.
I leaned close to Yuki’s ear and whispered.
"Let’s change the plan. We go with the ‘arrogant noble lady and pitiful sandbag boy’ scenario. My lady, please feel free to torment me."
"...Torment?"
Yuki’s eyes glinted strangely.
The smile forming on her lips was deeper than usual—and somewhat dangerous.
"That sounds fun."
Ah, that might’ve been a mistake.
I want to take it back.
...Is that not possible?
Behind the rock, Kara’s perspective.
Finally... I finally caught them in the act!
Kara’s heart was pounding.
The secret meeting between the village’s most beautiful boy Ian and the arrogant noble Yuki.
Now I can finally uncover the true nature of ‘Ian the boar slayer’!
But—
Contrary to her expectations, the scene before her was completely different.
"Aah! That hurts, my lady! Please go easy...!"
Ian’s cries echoed.
Kara couldn’t believe her eyes.
Ian kept stumbling and falling, while Yuki looked down at him as if he were pathetic and forced him back up again.
To anyone watching, it looked less like training and more like bullying.
Huh...? This isn’t right.
Kara fell into confusion.
This wasn’t what it felt like when he took down the boar.
Right now, Ian looked like a paper doll that would collapse in the slightest breeze.
"Be quiet, Ian. Did you forget our agreement? You’re helping with my training. Why are you whining so much?"
"But... swords are too scary... I just want to stay home and read books... ugh!"
Yuki shoved Ian’s chest lightly with her hand, and he collapsed backward like a paper doll again.
Thud—!
In the center of the clearing, Yuki grabbed Ian by the back of his collar and forced him up.
"Get up! Aren’t you getting up?! You’re the only one in this village I can freely mess with instead of a dummy. Whether you fall or not is none of my concern!"
"My lady, your personality is truly awful... sniff."
Ian crawled on the ground with tears in his eyes—though it was actually saliva.
Yuki swung her practice sword above his head, the blade cutting through the air.
Whoosh—! Swish—!
"I’m. so. scared. sniff sniff..."
Kara froze in the bushes, her mouth hanging open.
The image of ‘hidden master Ian’ she had imagined was nowhere to be found.
Instead, before her was a pitiful boy, dragged into nightly torture as a punching bag by a cruel noble lady.
...Ah.
Despite Ian’s exaggerated acting, Kara—already overwhelmed—saw him as the very embodiment of tragedy.
"I’m going to die..."
"Stop whining!"
Yuki grabbed Ian’s collar and yanked him up again. In the process, one of his shirt buttons came undone, leaving him in a disheveled state, panting weakly.
"Please... I want to rest today..."
"Shut up! If you say that again, I’ll bring a real sword tomorrow!"
Yuki swung her sword again, kicking up dust at Ian’s feet.
Ian pleaded in a trembling voice.
Ian... I’m sorry... I misunderstood you...
In Kara’s mind, the boar incident began to reconstruct itself.
That’s right. The noble lady must have defeated the boar.
Did she use Ian as a shield?!
"My lady... I really can’t feel strength in my arms... please let me go home..."
"No. You’re my toy. You can’t leave until I’m satisfied."
Yuki lifted Ian’s chin and looked down at him arrogantly.
To Kara, she looked like a complete villain.
Guilt tore at Kara’s chest.
She had doubted and followed him, while Ian had been enduring such a hellish life.
Unable to watch any longer, Kara bit her lip and wiped her tears.
She made a decision.
She had to tell the village and save Ian.
But the opponent was a noble.
If she acted recklessly, Ian’s life might be in danger.
I’m awful... tormenting Ian like this...
Tears welled up in Kara’s eyes.
As the righteous blacksmith’s daughter of the village, she couldn’t tolerate this tragedy.
Wait for me, Ian. I’ll definitely save you from that witch!
Quietly, very quietly, wiping her tears, Kara left the forest.
Once her presence completely disappeared, I raised my head from the ground.
"...Is she gone?"
"Yeah. She left crying her eyes out."
Yuki lowered her sword and offered me her hand.
The villainous expression from before had vanished, replaced with a faintly amused look.
"But my lady, that kick earlier... wasn’t that personal? It really hurt."
"You’re imagining things. It was part of the training."
Yuki avoided my gaze and brushed the dirt off my clothes.
Her hand lingered on my shoulder a little longer than usual.
"More importantly, you have no talent for acting, do you? ‘I’m. so. scared. sniff sniff.’ Pfft!"
"You’re one to talk. When you grabbed my collar earlier, it felt pretty real. Holding onto some resentment?"
I brushed the dirt off my clothes and asked dryly.
Yuki lowered her sword and stared at me.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
Then she muttered softly, almost inaudibly.
"...Earlier, Ian. Y-you were a little... cute."
"What?"
"N-nothing! Enough nonsense. Let’s start again. The flow was interrupted because of Kara."
"...Well, that’s true."
"By the way, Ian. Aren’t you worried about what that girl will say in the village?"
"On the contrary, it works in my favor. Now they’ll see me as a ‘pitiful victim oppressed by the noble lady.’ My reputation will improve."
"...That’s a bit annoying."
Yuki pouted but raised her sword again.
Embarrassed, she swung it harder than usual.
I casually spun the branch in my hand and deflected her heavy strikes.
"My lady, that last attack was too emotional. Efficiency dropped by about fifteen percent."
"Shut up! That’s because of you!"
Seems like I’ll have to push her harder today.
Her focus is slipping.
"Lower body. Put more strength into your lower body. Isn’t your blade shaking?"
"I-I got it! Stop poking me with that branch...!"
Looks like she can handle it.
What’s with that whining.