Chapter 11.1

~ Chapter 11 ~

Three days had passed since my match with Aiden.

“You’re here, princess… No, Psychke.”

“Yesterday’s sparring with Mark was really cool! It’s my turn today… Hey! Why are you hitting me?”

“It’s me today, dude! How dare you cut in line?!”

As soon as I came to the Hall today, I was surrounded by soldiers with a look of respect.

Psychke rolled her eyes silently.

Her face was cold and distant, yet she felt embarrassed inside. It was her first time being recognized about something, and on top of that, her ability! It was awkward and embarrassing for her.

Honestly, I had accepted all those who wanted to spar with me after with Aiden. But today, I wanted to rest after practicing alone.

However—

How should I reject a pure request, and not a coercion?

It was hard to cope. Because it was a first to be asked a favor.

What saved her was,

“You guys have no conscience at all. I guess all of you think it’s okay because the Princess kept playing along with you, right?”

It was Aiden, who appeared through the crowded soldiers with a nice smile.

“Miss is not a machine, you should give her plenty of time to rest.”

Aiden, who said that, as if reading her mind, winked at her playfully. He meant for her to start practicing and not fight anymore.

I moved my feet along the path he made for me. The soldiers did not stop her even though they were disappointed, visible in their eyes.

Led by Aiden, we quietly walked away.

Then, at the edge of the Hall where the training materials were placed, they stopped.

“Thank you.”

Psychke expressed her gratitude.

As she bowed down, her silver hair which she tied up earlier, fell down to her forearm.

Aiden stared at it which looked like a shining sun.

Then at one point, he became aware of the reality and hurriedly raised her head up.

“Bending down to a private soldier like me? That was very unnecessary.”

“It’s okay. I’m not even a princess.”

He swallowed his question about her status, which he almost blurted out.

Aiden, who grew up neglected too, smiled to her kindly, washing away the alertness from his eyes.

“I don’t care if you’re not a princess. You’re better than me, so you have to be treated as a superior.”

Psychke was respected mostly because of her swordsmanship, but also because of Aiden’s admiration for her.

She didn’t know what is Aiden’s position among the soldiers.

It hasn’t been long since he arrived here, but I knew that he was excellent enough to be labeled as one of the outstanding soldiers.

In fact, he was a talented person who fought for 1st and 2nd place among the enlisted soldiers.

Hence if he struggled as they sparred, she wouldn’t know how she should explain it to everyone, and how would the soldiers see him.

‘Actually, he didn’t struggle.‘

Yzhar was definitely worse than him, but Aiden was absolutely much better than Yzhar.

I saw that he sincerely wanted to have a match with me, so I had fun dealing with him. Then I thought it would be okay by now, so I pretended to have won the hard way.

Aiden noticed that she was far superior than him and passed it onto his colleagues.

Additionally, there was a mix of feelings when he volunteered that he had been defeated as if he was afraid of tarnishing her reputation, but in truth, he just wants to fight fair and square.

Attitudes, skills, personality, nothing was missing.

‘Why did this kind of person come in as a private soldier?’

He could have joined the Imperial Templar.

I was curious, but I didn’t ask him aloud. Everyone has their own circumstances.

“No, I was lucky.”

She humbly accepted his praise.

I took a deep breath, lifted the wooden sword, and prepared to strike a move on the woods barracks in front of her.

Aiden, who had not diverted his eyes from her until then, suddenly spoke to her.

“Miss Psychke, do you have any intention to be a Knight?”

The wedge-sharp wave sound from her sword stopped.

Psychke stopped hitting the woods with her wooden sword and looked at him.

“A knight?”

“Yes.”

Psychke realized what he was trying to say.

Usually, it’s the Head of the family to decide for their children. Even is she dreams about it, if the Head doesn’t agreed, she won’t even have the chance to do so.

However, once she entered the Imperial Knights Templar, she must need to put the Knights Templar surname rather than her real one.

In other words, Aiden was implying why she doesn’t leave Silkisia when she has ability to live independently, and they had humiliated her enough.

It may be a unpleasant question, but the man’s expression was so careful and serious that she was not upset.

Psychke replied calmly.

“Yes. I don’t want to be a Knight.”

There were two imperial knights.

Ikaxia, and Adenthal.

‘Ikaxia’s vice-leader is my older brother.’

I didn’t want to enter a place dominated by Silkisia. Rather than taking the family’s name off, I was almost swayed.

‘On contrary, going to Adenthal would have frictions of politics.’

The Imperial family, especially the Crown Prince wouldn’t be please to see her, who was a former member of Imperial family.

In addition…