Chapter 97
"So, you want the newly proposed land tax law slightly modified."
"Yes. The bill itself is meant for tenant farmers, but I see several loopholes that lords could exploit."
To cut to the chase, my conversation with Helios I had been surprisingly enjoyable.
Unlike my expectation of an awkward tightrope walk, he was adept at leading the discussion, and our thoughts aligned remarkably well.
I figured it would work out, but I didn't expect to enjoy it this much myself.
As we talked, I touched my lips, feeling my mouth corners naturally curving up, and looked at him. He was smiling genuinely too, clearly delighted by our exchange.
"Indeed. It was a great pleasure conversing with my duchess."
"I'm honored to have amused Your Majesty."
As the time neared four o'clock, it was time to bid Helios farewell. I prepared to stand with a brief greeting, but then glanced back at him.
"If it's not too much trouble, may I ask one more thing?"
"Hm? What is it?"
I get using me as a sounding board—he must feel the need to probe me. But...
"Why did you choose me as Second Prince's swordsmanship teacher?"
That was the issue.
The selection of a prince's teacher was rigorous. Only those with unquestionable trustworthiness—no harm to the prince—along with substantial virtue, knowledge, and dignity could take the role.
There must have been strong opposition to appointing me... Why push so hard to make me Serenon's teacher?
It didn't make sense. As I furrowed my brow slightly and pressed my lips together, Helios let out an "Ah" and grinned slyly.
"That wasn't my doing."
"Pardon?"
His unexpected reply made my eyes widen. Propping his chin, he watched me, his eyes crinkling in amusement at my reaction.
"It was Serenon who requested it directly. Despite internal opposition, he insisted firmly."
Serenon? Himself?
I'd assumed it was Helios's scheme, but hearing Serenon had asked personally left my mind blank. My eyes darted around as I wondered why he wanted me as his teacher.
"If you're curious about the reason, ask Serenon yourself. I asked, but he wouldn't say, so I don't know the details. He might tell you directly."
Hmm... This was different from what I expected—baffling, yet intriguing.
I wondered if Serenon had noticed something, which made me a bit wary, but curiosity won out.
"Understood. Thank you for answering. I'll take my leave now."
"Very well."
With his permission, I pushed back my chair and stood. As I bowed and turned to go, Helios's voice caught me.
"Oh, and Kashmir. I believe youth should be bold and passionate."
Staring blankly at his sudden words, I saw him grin mischievously like a rascal.
"I'm saying I'd turn a blind eye even if you dated both my sons at once."
Helios was, indeed, utterly mad.
Following the attendant's guidance, I arrived at a wide open space outside the palace. My gaze was drawn to someone standing alone in the center.
His hair, a pale lavender so light it bordered on white, fluttered in the wind. Fresh from training, it clung damply with sweat droplets falling.
His cloudy sky-blue eyes, gazing distantly at the heavens, slowly turned toward me.
Serenon.
It was the Second Prince, Serenon Solatine.
"Greetings to the Second Prince. I am Kashmir Crisis."
"Ah, you've come, Duchess."
I bowed politely. A soft smile bloomed over his impassive expression.
"Thank you so much for accepting my sudden request."
"Not at all. I'm fine with it, but... are you alright with this?"
"With what?"
Serenon's brow twitched. I let out a shallow breath.
Marriage and social reputation mean nothing to me, scandals or not... But Serenon is a prince. Rumors of regular meetings with an unmarried woman won't do him any favors.
Not every interaction sparked romance, and we weren't lovers, but too many people didn't grasp that nuance.
By that logic, don't I have about ten lovers right now?
I clicked my tongue inwardly and met his eyes.
"First, I'm younger than you. Second, you don't know my exact swordsmanship level. And above all..." I hesitated briefly before blurting it out. "No woman has ever been a male imperial prince's teacher. You know that."
No precedent existed in imperial history for a woman teaching a male prince. I'd be the first.
And every first came with countless obstacles. I couldn't fathom how Serenon had pushed his choice through.
Watching me pensively, Serenon chuckled softly and shrugged.
"Well, I don't see the problem. Age doesn't measure skill with the sword. I may not know your exact swordsmanship, but I know your mana control."
"...Mana control?"
"Wasn't it you who put up the barrier hiding us from the basilisk?"
Damn. He noticed.
I'd hoped he'd mistake it for Rainer or Alessandro's work, but Serenon read mana flows better than I'd thought.
"That takes exceptional mana control to conceal presences from a massive magic beast. Plus, you survived unscathed after sending me away—that proves your skill, doesn't it?"
I'd figured he'd notice since he wasn't an idiot, but hearing it so directly felt oddly uncomfortable. I rolled my eyes briefly before looking at him.
"So, my being a woman is no issue? You'll get tangled in scandals too."
Even if the empire had progressed, teaching men as a woman wasn't accepted. Not legally forbidden, but socially.
As I gazed steadily at him, he blinked and grinned.
"Does a sword care about gender? Man or woman, it doesn't matter to me. As for scandals... that's what I want."
...What he wants?
His last words were strange. Noisy rumors would surely hinder his path to the throne, yet he showed no regret—almost like he desired them.
What an odd fellow.
I slowly rubbed my chin. Becoming his teacher seemed like the right call after all. I needed to understand him.
Gazing coolly at the ground in thought, I slowly lifted my eyes.
"Still, I'm not convinced, Your Highness. I won't deny my sword skill, but I'm not great at teaching. And even if you gauged my strength, you've never seen me swing a sword. With so many candidates... why me?"
Making me his sword teacher meant enduring too much. I couldn't grasp why he'd choose me despite it all.
"...You won't let it slide, huh?"
"You know this isn't something to gloss over."
Sighing at my firm stance—which he'd clearly hoped to evade—he raised both hands in surrender.
"Fine. I'll be honest."
His cloudy sky-blue eyes, like a foggy heaven, met mine squarely.
"My mother wanted you tied to me somehow. She told me to find a way, so I created this opening."
Serenon's mother was the current empress, Tina Kypress.
Tina Kypress, with me?
I blinked. As empress with immense power second only to the emperor, her involvement explained how this happened so swiftly and smoothly.
But... we've had no prior connection. In the original story, she was ruthless, sparing nothing to make Serenon emperor—the classic villainess.
Why take interest in me now?
As I pondered, half-guessing but uncertain, Serenon scratched his head, disrupting my thoughts.
"Sorry for dragging a lady into this. I owe my brother an apology too... Mother's orders pulled you in, but truthfully, I have personal interest in you as well."
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
"How exactly did you survive the basilisk?"
Social circles buzzed endlessly with rumors about my survival. For Serenon, who'd faced it head-on, fled at my command, and seen me unscathed afterward, curiosity was inevitable.
"So, I sought a connection like this. Seeing you accept, it seems you want to know me too. Am I wrong?"
Sharp as ever.
Serenon had good instincts. Diego might be the perfect sovereign image, but Serenon is plenty shrewd too... Just a moon overshadowed by the sun. That's how people saw him.
"...You're right."
"Then we can benefit each other. No need to overthink it."
Serenon smiled gently.
No malice, after all.
Suspicious at first, but I sensed none.
For now... sword lessons it is.
No backing out now—I was his teacher, nominally.
"...Alright. Let's try it once."
I drew my sword from its sheath at my waist. With a soft shing, the sharp blade gleamed.
"First, I need to see your skill, Your Highness. I'll plan the schedule by next week based on that. Light spar okay?"
"Of course. But... no protective gear, Lady?"
Real-sword spars usually meant layering on protective equipment. Serenon, who'd been training before I arrived, wore gear embedded with protective magic stones, while I had just a light dress shirt and jacket.
"Thank you for your concern, but I'll be fine."
I shrugged off my jacket and set it on a nearby bench.
I never wore bulky gear even hunting magic beasts—I hated the weight.
"I won't get hurt."
I flashed a confident smile. Blinking, Serenon burst into laughter.
"Ha! Confident, I see. If you say so, I won't insist. Then come at me in earnest."
He drew his own sword.
"I need to gauge my teacher's skill too."
Serenon grinned.
If I go all out, you'll die... I swallowed the thought and faced him squarely.
I'll just hold back from using aura.
I hid being Mir, not my strength. As long as I didn't show the black aura symbolic of Mir, I could fight freely.
This'll be fun.
Father had been busy lately, so I'd trained alone. A real spar was long overdue.
A small smile tugged at my lips unbidden as I extended my sword forward.
Our eyes locked across two meters. His ever-friendly cloudy sky-blue eyes turned serious.
Matching his gravity, I composed myself with a smile.
"Here I come."
Two blades glinting in the sunlight. A gentle spring breeze enveloped us.
Clang!
Beneath it, our swords clashed.