Chapter 11. It’s Okay to Be Late

Morning dawned.

I was lying flat on my stomach, feeling as if my whole body had been beaten, when I was finally forced to get up.

“I am Faye, and I’m assigned to serve you from today, Miss Seraphina.”

The maid Johann mentioned had come to my room.

Without even knocking, she flung the door open, making a strong first impression.

“I’ll help you prepare.”

With a bright smile, she approached the bedside and abruptly pulled off the blanket.

“Ah…”

“Miss Seraphina, your bath is ready.”

“Already?”

I asked with a hoarse voice, barely opening my eyes. Faye replied in a crisp voice.

“You don’t need to use honorifics with me. I’m the maid assigned to serve you from today.”

“But…”

“If you understand, get up quickly.”

“Ugh!”

The cheerfully smiling girl’s strength was incredible.

After pulling me up, Faye started pouring out her words.

“I heard you’ll be starting sword training at the training grounds from today. His Majesty has sent training armor, so after your bath and a quick breakfast, I’ll help you change.”

“Wait, wait.”

I raised a hand, not understanding part of her explanation. Faye tilted her head with round eyes.

“We’re just going to sweat anyway, why bother washing? Let’s start with food…”

“Please speak comfortably. Since it’ll come out as waste anyway, shall we skip breakfast?”

“……”

“……”

I stared at her with a dumbfounded face and mouth agape. Meanwhile, Faye maintained her bright smile without changing her expression.

No.

How can you compare food and bathing?

I scratched the back of my head and got out of bed.

“We need to eat to have energy for training… I mean, right?”

“While I completely agree with your opinion, Miss Seraphina, His Majesty’s orders were clear.”

“……?”

“He said to make sure you wash, even if it makes you late.”

“……”

Johann, you damn bastard, really…

Go ahead and spread rumors all over town that I don’t wash!

I felt my blood pressure rising but decided to comply obediently.

Splash, splash.

Once in the bathtub, I had to struggle with awkwardness.

“Relax and let go, Miss Seraphina.”

“U-Um…”

Faye gently soaped one of my arms. The fragrant soap scent should have made me feel comfortable, but I was going crazy with awkwardness.

Aaah. How embarrassing!

It’s my first time having someone wash me like this!

‘Did the original Seraphina in the novel live like this too?!’

I suddenly became curious.

But since it wasn’t described, I couldn’t know for sure.

I just wondered if that girl would have disobeyed orders and slacked off at Marc’s single word.

The palace life she wouldn’t have experienced if she had honestly run from home to the palace.

‘With her timid personality, she probably wouldn’t have dared to think of deceiving the Emperor.’

Hmm…

Thinking about it that way, I felt like I was slightly twisting the original story.

Well.

It doesn’t matter.

I’m planning to twist the original story anyway.

‘I have no intention of dying obediently on the battlefield.’

I’ll disappear from the heroes’ sight just the same, though. Hehe.

“Miss Seraphina, is there anywhere else you’d like me to wash?”

“No, no.”

I, who had been happily imagining my future escape, snapped back to reality at Faye’s voice. She smiled at my sudden use of honorifics again.

“You’ll need to get used to addressing me casually from now on.”

“R-Right. There’s nowhere else I want to wash.”

I awkwardly replied and stood up from the tub. As I wrapped myself in the soft robe Faye held out, a wave of comfort washed over me.

Wow.

I have to go to the training grounds right after washing like this?

I honestly wished time would just stop at this moment.

“Would you like to have your meal in the dining room, or should I bring it to your room?”

“I’ll eat in the room.”

I watched Faye leave the room and sat in front of the mirror.

“Haah.”

A sigh escaped involuntarily.

To think that all this good food, sleep, and bathing was all for training…

And after the intense training, a future of being tossed around on the battlefield awaits.

“Get it together!”

I decided to sacrifice a little of my present for future happiness.

It wasn’t long before I realized that the sacrifice wasn’t just a little.

* * *

The training grounds were incredibly vast.

Large enough for several knight orders to train simultaneously.

“Haaah!”

“Kugh! Not bad!”

“Uwaaaaah!”

Various battle cries assaulted my eardrums as I arrived at the training grounds.

I nervously swallowed while watching the knights in the midst of their training.

Where should I go in this huge place?

Let’s see.

Johann…

“This is the proud Imperial Knight Order.”

I turned around at Johann’s voice from behind. He was looking at the diligently training knights with proud eyes.

Soon, his blue eyes turned to me.

“Shall we go then?”

He extended his hand forward gentlemanly.

As if he was guiding a lady entering a ballroom.

I barely suppressed a laugh.

Usually, I might have been dazed for a moment by his dazzling beauty and manners, but not today. The weight of the armor on my shoulders never let me forget that I was about to start training.

But he’s alone again today?

Yesterday was understandable since he came alone at night, but I thought Jesuf was mainly in charge of the training.

“Where is Sir Jesuf?”

At my question, Johann muttered, ‘You keep asking about Jesuf,’ and then jerked his chin to one side.

Now I saw him swinging his sword among the Imperial Knights. Jesuf was sparring with one knight, and the other knights were forming a large circle around them, like they were trying to learn something from his swordsmanship.

Clang! Clang clang!

“Oh my god. I can only hear the sound of swords clashing.”

It was true.

I couldn’t see the movement of the swords at all. It was like only a silver wind was swirling.

“You can’t see anything at all?”

Johann asked as if to confirm.

His tone seemed to say… ‘How can you not see anything?’

Hey.

You’re a genius, that’s why.

I’m just an ordinary citizen, you know?

Of course, if I said this, he’d probably counter with ‘You are the special purifier I appointed. You’re not ordinary at all’ or something like that.

Johann started walking slowly with his hands behind his back. I naturally followed behind him.

At that moment, some knights noticed us. More precisely, Johann.

“Huh! His Majesty in person…!”

“We greet Your Majesty.”

“Glory to Your Majesty, the Sword of the Empire!”

The knights started paying respects like dominoes falling. Even Jesuf and the knight he was sparring with stopped their swords and turned towards Johann.

Shwick! Shwock!

The sight of them raising one arm at an angle, bending one knee, and lowering their heads was… honestly magnificent.

‘Wow…’

Seeing so many knights paying respects like this, my first impression must have seemed truly disrespectful. I had no right to hold my head high before such a person.

I looked around, wondering if I should bend my knee now too.

At that moment, Johann raised one hand to acknowledge the knights’ greetings.

“Pay no mind to this Marseus and continue your training.”

“Yes!”

“Understood!”

The knights answered vigorously, as if even being spoken to was an honor.

Wow…

You seem pretty impressive?

I followed behind Johann as he started walking again, inwardly reassessing him. Only then did I feel the knights’ gazes starting to focus on me, as if they had just noticed my presence. My cheeks felt hot.

It was as if they were asking, ‘Who is she to follow so closely behind the Emperor like his closest aide?’ They seemed to mistake me for a knight since I was wearing armor.

Ugh.

Jesuf.

Can you clear up this misunderstanding?

“This is Miss Seraphina, the purifier who passed the test recently.”

As though my telepathy had worked, I caught Jesuf’s voice explaining right away.

Phew.

Thank you.

I felt the knights’ sharp gazes softening a bit.

Anyway, I moved past the area where the knights were training intensively to the wide open space next to it.

“Good. Today, this Marseus will personally spar with you.”

“What?”

I asked in surprise.

I thought I’d just be watching today too…

My reaction seemed different from what he expected, as one of Johann’s eyebrows raised slightly.

“What’s with that reaction? Don’t you feel honored?”

Honored, my foot…

“Of course I’m honored. I’m so honored that I’m at a loss for words…”

“As expected.”

“……”

I was at a loss for words in many ways as I watched Johann make a smug smile as if to say ‘I knew it.’

Shing.

“Huh?”

In the blink of an eye, a sword appeared in his hand. I didn’t even see him draw it.

“You should draw your sword too.”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

I drew my sword in a daze. It was the one Johann had sent along with the armor through Faye this morning.

It was quite heavy, but manageable, perhaps in consideration of a beginner.

I grasped the hilt with both hands, grunting.

“Now, strike.”

Johann raised his sword diagonally in front of me, telling me to strike it. Just looking at it, I could feel it was much heavier than mine.

I tensed my eyes gravely.

But cold sweat was pouring down my back.

I glanced to the side. The knights were staring this way instead of focusing on their own training. Among the piercing gazes was Jesuf’s as well.

Their looks were so blatant that I couldn’t help but read the knights’ inner thoughts.

Who are you to have His Majesty spar with you?

How dare you, who’s not even a knight, cross swords with His Majesty?

“……”

I don’t want to do this either, you bastards.

Swallowing the words I wanted to shout, I closed my eyes tightly and swung the sword wide.