Chapter 19: The Training Field
Because of the bonfire party that night, the maids and knights had slowly become more familiar with each other. Teenagers in the early stages of love often dream of passionate romance. Just like how schoolgirls often enjoy watching boys play basketball, the maids, during their breaks, liked to watch the knights they admired practicing their combat skills.
Although the maids weren’t allowed to freely enter the training field, they could still watch the outdoor practice sessions as long as they didn’t cross the boundary line.
With the girls they liked watching from the side, the knights trained with extra energy. Each one tried their best to show off, afraid they’d lose their chance at love if they didn’t stand out enough.
They put in so much effort even when just training with wooden posts, so when it came to sparring with each other, things got even more intense. These knights were trained by Armand, so their fighting style was rougher than that of noblemen.
Their sword fights weren’t graceful or elegant like those of aristocrats. Once they put on armor and picked up blunt iron swords, they really did swing them as if they were aiming to hit hard.
Although they held back enough to avoid serious injury, the loud clashing of metal still sounded scary. It even frightened some of the shy girls who ran off.
As for Evelia, who was passing by, she definitely wasn’t one of those shy girls.
She had seen blood and broken limbs many times, and she wasn’t bothered at all. Sometimes, when the second prince needed help, she even took part in punishing disobedient people. So, this kind of combat scene was nothing to her. In fact, if needed, she could even point out the knights’ mistakes in form or movement.
“……”
Evelia stood silently near the boundary line. When she looked over, she quickly spotted Armand standing in the crowd. He still had his sword at his side, but in his hands, he was holding a longbow.
Evelia couldn’t clearly hear what the group around him was saying, but she saw Armand roll up one of his sleeves, revealing a deep scar on his arm. Judging by how serious it looked, the wound must’ve gone down to the bone when it first happened.
He probably had many more scars hidden under his clothes. Even the handsome face that many girls admired had a small, shallow scar under the chin if one looked closely.
Armand then raised his bow and began to demonstrate. It looked like he was teaching the younger men nearby how to use it. His movements were extremely precise, something that didn’t match his usually loud and casual personality.
He wasn’t the kind of man with a thick, bulky build, but when he pulled back the bowstring, the muscles in his arms became clearly visible. He was also taller than the others, which made him look even more strong and confident.
Seeing this, Evelia unconsciously touched her own arm. It felt thin and soft, something she still wasn’t used to.
After becoming a woman, she clearly noticed that her body was much lighter and more flexible. But this came at the cost of losing much of the strength she had trained for over many years.
She was still stronger than most girls her age, and because she knew how to use her strength smartly, she could still lift heavy things when needed. But compared to when she was still a man, Evelia felt much weaker now.
Still, at least… she could still twist someone’s neck if she had to...
Whoosh—Thud!
A long arrow flew from Armand's fingertips, slicing through the air. With a loud thunk, it landed right in the center of the target, hitting the bullseye, while the girls nearby screamed with excitement.
Thud!
The second arrow came next, and just like before, it hit the bullseye perfectly.
Then came the third, fourth, and fifth arrows. It was as if the bullseye had been marked in advance. All five arrows landed right in the center. They were shot with such force that most of each arrow's tip sank deep into the target. If the target had been a person’s head, the first two arrows would’ve been enough to kill them, anything after that would’ve just been hitting a dead body.
Evelia looked at the almost pierced-through target, lost in thought.
Judging from the distance, Armand wasn’t standing too far from the target. For an archer, it wasn’t a hard shot. So while his aim was very accurate, it didn’t mean he was some kind of master who could shoot anything from a hundred steps away. What really stood out was his speed.
From grabbing the arrow, to drawing the bow, to aiming and shooting. It was all done in one smooth motion. This kind of speed, combined with accuracy, would be very hard to defend against in a real battle.
“Not bad, right? My archery is pretty good.”
Armand let out a breath, put the bow down, and handed it to a young knight beside him. He had set a great example, and the other knights around him were fired up.
One by one, they ran to grab their own bows and arrows. Some of them even tried to look cool in front of the maids watching, spinning the bow in their hands like they were trying to shoot not the target, but the heart of the girl they liked.
Evelia stood among the girls, but not many knights chose to try flirting with her. Even though she never openly showed hostility to these knights who served the crown prince, she always gave off a “if you talk to me, I’ll respond. But if you don’t, I won’t bother” kind of cold attitude. And even though Evelia was one of the most beautiful among the maids, very few people wanted to chase after someone who acted so distant.
Besides, Evelia was known to be close to Armand and had a very high status. When the servants and knights called other women “miss,” it was just polite, but when they said it to Evelia, it was out of true respect. In the manor, her rank was just below the old butler’s. She didn’t even report to the head maid. The only ones who could give her orders were the old butler and Armand himself.
As for why she had such a high position, that was because Armand had arranged it on purpose. While Evelia was trying to get close to Armand as her target, Armand was also testing Evelia, whom he suspected to be a spy.
To avoid others getting in the way, Armand had placed Evelia in this high position.
Many people believed Armand had promoted her because he liked her. So even if some knights found Evelia attractive, they didn’t dare approach someone so close to the captain.
“Evelia? What brings you here?”
Armand looked in the direction of the excited girls and spotted Evelia in the crowd. Seeing her in the training field made his mind race with possible reasons. While this wasn’t a secret training session and he didn’t need to hide it, her presence still made him a little cautious.
“Just passing by,” Evelia replied calmly.
It was true, she had only come over after hearing the sounds of weapons clashing.
“Are you interested in the knights here?”
Armand walked with Evelia a bit farther from the training ground.
“No,” Evelia shook her head. “I’m not interested in those knights.”
“Oh? Then—”
“I’m interested in you,” Evelia said seriously. Her golden eyes looked up and locked onto Armand's slightly stunned expression. “I wanted to see you.”
“Wanted to see me…?” Armand lowered his brows, and a strange look flashed in his eyes.
“Yes, I wanted to see you.”
Evelia reached out and hooked her finger around his. To her, this was just a simple touch, like something from the books she’d read.