The Villainess's Tears Are Her Ultimate Weapon
My father and mother were working hard to make me a little sibling, but I was still an only child. I had zero interest in something as bothersome as becoming the head of a count's household, but from the family's perspective, I was their one and only heir. Naturally, I was also receiving lessons to prepare me as the successor.
I wasn't sure how succession worked up north, but it wouldn't hurt for Marinne to take these classes too. So I dragged a whining Marinne along to the successor lessons.
The first class was etiquette training.
“As expected of the young master! Perfect!”
I'd heard it a million times, but with a mental age pushing thirty, lessons tailored for a seven-year-old were so easy they bordered on mind-numbingly boring. Marinne, however, was a different story.
“My lady, when drinking tea, you should hold the teacup with one hand and support it with the other. That's proper etiquette.”
She'd glanced at me and tried to copy what I did, but the correction came immediately. Her face flushed at being called out, but to her credit, she didn't lash out in anger.
“L-like this?”
“You need to support it this way...”
It seemed she hadn't received this kind of training while living up north—Marinne's eyes were spinning in circles. Somehow we made it through the tea-drinking etiquette lesson, and next the tutor placed various utensils in front of each of us.
“Now we'll cover dining etiquette. Please arrange the utensils in the correct order from outside to inside.”
“Okay!”
Since she ate meals regularly, Marinne seemed confident and stepped forward eagerly.
“Utensils should be arranged from the outermost to the innermost.”
“The fork goes on the left, the knife and spoon on the right.”
“You've mixed up the soup spoon and dessert spoon.”
Marinne had charged in full of confidence, but reality was a barrage of corrections. I didn't know proper utensil placement either, so I secretly copied what she was being scolded for.
“Hey! Why are you copying me!”
Already humiliated in the one area she'd felt sure about, Marinne was furious. When she saw me subtly rearranging my own setup after watching her get scolded, she pointed an accusing finger at me.
“I didn't do anything like that.”
I put on my best poker face and made an expression of pure innocence.
“My lady, pointing is extremely vulgar behavior! You must apologize!”
Nice one, teacher~
“Ugh... hic...”
Marinne, who had been trembling, finally burst into tears.
“Ah... my lady... I'm sorry.”
The tutor, who had been maintaining a strict instructor persona, immediately dropped the act the moment Marinne started crying and pulled her into a tight hug. Feeling like I'd been too mean to a child, I fidgeted awkwardly and approached her.
“My lady, I really was the one copying you. I'm sorry.”
Marinne, who had been nestled comfortably in the marchioness tutor's arms, instantly changed her expression the moment I apologized. She flashed me a triumphant grin.
Watching Marinne smile like that while being held by the tutor, I felt goosebumps rising all over my skin. At just eight years old, this kid had already figured out that a woman's tears were her greatest weapon!
Marinne, you terrifying child.
Even while wearing the smile of a victor, Marinne spoke in a tearful voice.
“Then... you'll grant my wish...?”
I acknowledged my defeat and nodded.
“Yes, as long as it's something I can do.”
Marinne, you win this round.
“My lady, this territory doesn't belong to Count Antoinette—it's Viscount Lyley's land.”
“This symbol doesn't represent farmland, it means forest.”
“Ah, I'll fix that. Hehe.”
The next class was geography. Following the Northern Duke's philosophy that the north was the center of the world and there was no need to know about other territories, Marinne was completely ignorant of geography and received plenty of corrections here too. But she was so happy about her victory over me that she didn't seem to mind the geography teacher's scolding at all. She even hummed cheerfully.
To be this happy just because she beat me... I wondered if I'd done something to deserve such resentment. Since nothing came to mind, I figured Marinne was just uniquely strange.
After the morning classes ended, it was lunchtime.
“Oh my, my lady, you seem to be in a wonderful mood today!”
Marinne, who usually ate with a blank expression and ruined the mealtime atmosphere, was now smiling brightly as she ate. Both Father and Mother looked quite surprised.
“Yes, I'm in a good mood today.”
She used to answer only in short words even when spoken to, but now she was replying in full sentences. I grew increasingly afraid of what kind of wish she was planning to ask for.
The meal ended in an unusually harmonious atmosphere. I stuck close to Marinne, who was happily swinging her legs.
“My lady...? As I said earlier, I'll only grant wishes that are within my ability, okay?”
“Don't worry, it won't be anything too difficult.”
Marinne, who would normally look disgusted whenever I approached her, gently patted my back with a soft smile. Goosebumps erupted across my back. The saying that when someone suddenly changes, it's a sign of impending death came to mind.
I should probably ask to strengthen the guards around the residence.
If the morning classes had been theoretical, the afternoon ones were swordsmanship and magic. I'd been consistently taking the theory lessons in my room, but I'd avoided practical training to keep out of Marinne's sight. This would be my first time attending.
The training grounds of Count Edgar's household rang with the constant sound of clashing blades.
“Lower, lower, upper!”
“Ugh!”
Countless knights were sweating through their drills. Marinne and I arrived together.
“Ooh...”
As expected of the Northern Duke's daughter, Marinne's eyes sparkled as she watched the training knights. While her eyes shone with excitement, I wrinkled my nose at the smell of all that male sweat.
“Greetings. I am Jidan, and I will be in charge of your swordsmanship lessons from now on.”
When we reached the private training area reserved for the family head, a middle-aged knight built like a bear was setting up training dummies. I'd heard this knight was the youngest knight commander in House Edgar's history and had reached upper-level Sword Expert.
The fact that they were using the Sword Expert trope so common in rental store novels and mass-market fantasy suggested that the author who created this world was probably quite advanced in age.
Looking around, I spotted two wooden swords that had apparently been prepared for Marinne and me. Wooden swords and training dummies. I could already picture the tedious grind that awaited me.
“Young master, this is your first time with swordsmanship. My lady, do you have any prior experience?”
“Nope.”
“I see.”
I'd assumed that as the daughter of the Northern Duke, she would have had some training despite her young age, but it seemed not.
“First, let's work on your stance. Each of you take a wooden sword and copy my posture.”
I picked up the wooden sword with some effort. I'd been exercising diligently in my room, so I thought I'd be able to lift it easily, but it was heavier than expected. While I struggled to raise mine, Marinne lifted hers lightly.
Whoosh.
It seemed the Northern Duke's genes hadn't gone anywhere—Marinne was even spinning the sword with one hand. If we ever fought seriously, I'd lose every time. I made a firm mental note to never provoke Marinne and awkwardly copied the knight commander's stance.
Both Marinne and I stood with our wooden swords in the proper posture. The knight commander approached Marinne first.
“Ooh... Are you truly learning swordsmanship for the first time?”
“Yep!”
The knight commander examined her stance carefully and let out an impressed sound. As much as I hated to admit it, even I could see that Marinne's posture was perfect.
Damn those perfect genes. This game's rigged.
“Please take a short break.”
After showering Marinne with praise, the knight commander finally turned to me.
“Hmm...”
He let out a deep sigh as he studied my stance. Even I knew there were many problems with my posture, so I squeezed my eyes shut.
“First, you need to spread your legs a little wider.”
“Keep your gaze straight forward.”
“Your arms keep shaking. You must endure with mental strength.”
“Bend your knees more.”
A flood of corrections just for holding a basic stance. Marinne, who had been sitting and watching from the side of the training ground, giggled as if she found it thoroughly satisfying.
My face burned with embarrassment, but I was an adult. I endured the shame and carefully adjusted my posture according to the knight commander's instructions. After about twenty minutes, he finally nodded in satisfaction.
“We'll take a short break.”
The moment he finished speaking, I collapsed right where I stood. My arms and legs were trembling uncontrollably. It was clear I wouldn't be getting up easily tomorrow morning.
Marinne, delighted to have new material to tease me with, grinned and trotted over to sit beside me. I couldn't show weakness in front of her, so I tried to calm my shaking limbs and act casual.
Marinne leaned in close to my ear and whispered.
“Loser. Weakling. Shorty.”
My arms and legs already hurt, and now I was being verbally abused by an eight-year-old with the mental age of a brat. The humiliation brought tears to my eyes. I would never forget this disgrace. Someday, I swore, I would surpass Marinne and pay her back with the exact same treatment.