It has been a month since then.
That day was a special day for the trainees when the Vice Captain of the Phantom Knights would be teaching them for real. They finally graduated from all that difficult physical training.
Their physical training was quite fun whenever they tried to look back on those times because those training made them feel stronger and faster even though it was exhausting.
The wooden swords they were using were now bigger and heavier than the wooden swords they used for the training but it just felt nothing for the three of them.
The Knights in the training ground were satisfied seeing the four of them, they thought they would not be able to handle the hardships since it was a little too much for them but after months, they were still there and continuing their training.
It was awesome that the person who would be teaching them was the Vice Captain of the special troupe where every Knights of the house would want to get in.
It became a normal thing for them seeing the aloof Vice Captain of the Phantom squad as he was the personal guard of their Young Duchess and would always follow her everywhere like her tail but it would be their first time seeing him showcasing his talent in front of everyone since Phantom Knights were secretive of their talents.
And he was still a young Vice Captain at that.
Creston Francais Dello Tasogare Halnois was not known as a noble nor a bastard child of a noble. His origin was unknown so many eyed him suspiciously in the past when he first declared that he wanted to learn swordsmanship. However, those eyes turned malicious when he was able to get into the Phantom troupe that every Knight coveted, moreover, when he became the Vice Captain at such a young age.
They did not want to accept that he was a genius, that a mere brat from mysterious origin was able to surpass them when they had been doing their best at the fullest.
Time passed and everyone started to change and accept the fact that, no matter how they try, if they were not him, they would not be able to do something only like him could do, even after exerting too much effort.
Creston started giving demonstrations on how he wields the sword. He was dressed in casual training clothes and also using a wooden sword but the way he wielded it made such a clear and concise sound in the air.
When they looked at his hand and the sword, they felt like the sword was going to break any moment.
Someone like him who could do that was still not a Grand Master nor Transcendental?! How terrifying!
The Knights could not help but to look at him as what he was doing was too eye-catching to be ignored.
“That is how you do it.” Creston said to the trainees as he finished his demonstration.
Everyone fell in silence as they stared at him. Creston suddenly felt awkward.
Sir Albinio and Sir Jetarom were not present at that time since they were confident that Creston could handle teaching them by himself. He was a genius afterall.
Creston cleared his throat and strengthened them before saying in a low and clear voice, “Cadets! Did you not understand?!”
“WE DID, SIR!” the four noble children came back to their senses and replied. The Knights also came back from their senses as they got back to their own businesses with an embarrassed expression.
‘I know that Maxine’s personal guard is exemplary but I did not know that it was to this extent. Why have I not heard of his name in the past?’ Drenschville thought with a smirk.
Maxwell, Maxineirah, Grenchant and Drenschville started to train just like what their instructor told them.
Creston stood under the tree while observing his students and the four of them started to converse in a low volume.
“Maxine. Is he not very cool? You have got a nice guard there.” Grenchant asked excitedly.
“How dare you ignore me when I am the one who is next to you?!” said the irritated Maxwell between them.
Grenchant stuck his tongue out to annoy him more and Drenchville used that chance to talk with Maxineirah secretly while the other two’s attentions were somewhere else.
“I never knew someone like him existed. I have not heard of his name ‘in the past’ did you?” Drenschville asked, emphasizing three words.
Maxineirah eyed him as if he grew with another two heads.
“How long have you already been living for you to say that?” Maxineirah asked.
“I have been living longer than you think.”
Maineirah looked at him because of the answer he gave her.
Could it be…?!
Maxineirah immediately looked at him but Drenschville was just grinning without looking at her.
She was about to say something when they heard their instructor, shouting from a distance because of her brother and Grenchant’s ruckus.
They almost fought with that small moment she took her attention from them.
They get back to their training until Maxineirah forgets the issue because of weariness and their day ends up just like the other days when Sir Albinio was still the one handling them.
Maxineirah was ready to go out that night to go to the secluded training room because she heard Creston tell her in a low voice when their class with him ended.
Maxineirah arrived at the place and found Creston emerging from the dark corner when she entered the room.
She was startled by his presence because she thought a ghost popped out that made her heart beat rapidly.
“My Frite! You startled me!” Maxineirah exclaimed while holding on to her chest. She was wearing a nightgown when Kathelina left her but she immediately changed her outfit into a casual one, the outfit she always uses whenever she trains.
“Psh. How could you be so startled when I did not even conceal my presence.” Creston said unbudge.
Maxineirah got pissed but she held it in.
“By the way, why did you call me? I thought you told me no to go to you in the middle of the night since you are afraid of scandalous rumors? Maybe you want to train me yourself? Hahahaha…” Maxierah teased but after seeing Creston’s serious face, her laugh slowly stopped before clearing her throat.
“It was just a joke. Ok?” Maxineirah reasoned out.
“You are right. You are here to train yourself.” Creston said with seriousness that made Maxineirah shudder in disgust.
She retreated back and held both of her shoulders in defense. She looked at her personal guard with a chilling gaze.
‘Is he planning to do something repugnant? Did he think he could make me agree because I am just a child? This f*cking-!’ for the first time since she time-traveled, she cursed -in her mind.
“Milady. I think you are misunderstanding my words.” Creston said after seeing her reaction as if he was already tired dealing with her that early since he remembered that last night again when Maxineirah bothered him in the Holarosa garden before she started to learn sword together with the others..
“Oh.” Maxineriah said as if she was drained of blood because of embarrassment.
“I thought you had become a molester there for a moment.” Maxineirah muttered dryly.
Creston’s face became blank.
“Milady. There are some things you need to know. First and foremost, I do not like children like you.” His words were like a knife stabbed by Maxineirah.
First kill!
“Secondly, you are not my type.”
Double kill!
“Third, I think you will end up with your father or one of your brothers as your husband because of how possessive they are towards you.”
Triple kill!
“And last but not the least, you are not that pretty nor that cute for all the people to swarm at you.”
Savage!
“You really-!” Maxineirah got pissed that she kicked Creston’s feet so hard and made him crumble before her.
“Milady! Are you trying to make me crippled?!” Creston asked, almost teary-eyed, crouching to reach his injured leg.
“You asked for that. Hmph.” Maxineirah deadpanned.
“But why do you want to privately train me?” Maxineirah aske after minutes passed and Creston recovered the leg she injured.
“Something about you was bothering me. I just want to confirm it.” Creston replied as he positioned himself.
Maxineriah’s heart throbbed and she paled.
‘Did he find out something about her?’ Maxineirah thought but she immediately calmed herself down when she realized that it was impossible for him to know a bit of her true self.
“What is it?” She did not budge but Creston ignored her query.
He demonstrated his basic skill again to familiarize Maxineirah.
“Now that I look at it closely, you have a unique fighting style.” Maxineirah said.
“Everyone has. You just do not know.” Creston replied sarcastically and his Young Lady, once again, was pissed off.
‘That was a compliment, you dork!’ she thought but held it in since the young man was doing her a favor.
“Oh. Then, when did you learn yours?” Maxineirah mocked, trying to counter-attack him but Creston finished his demonstration and called for her to perform it.
Maxineirah thought he was going to ignore her but Creston suddenly answered her prolonged question.
“I learned mine from my difficult life experiences.” He said with a low voice. He was not happy nor sad about it.
Maxineriah halted and looked at her Knight but Creston immediately berated her to continue.
“Life experiences? What kind of life have you experienced so far?” Maxineirah asked slowly when she felt the mood change while swinging her sword.
“Just some normal difficulties for a kid.”
“Are you complaining with just simple difficulties? Heh.” Maxineirah snorted and thought it was nothing serious.
“…Hmmm… You can say that. I am complaining about my past when I grew up without a mother to care for me. I had a bastard like a Viscount as a father. I could not even wish to eat even a bread crumb. Forgotten in the attic without even a single drop of water. Belittled by the servants and being beaten? You can say that I really complained that time.” Creston said that made Maxineirah speechless.
How could she snicker at someone’s life without having to know the difficulties he went through?
She totally misunderstood him, not because he phrased it as, ‘normal difficulties for a kid’, does not mean it was easy to be seen by adults.
Of course, it was entirely a difficulty because almost all of the children, especially for bastards, either nobles or commoners, suffered from that kind of fate.
Maxineirah felt sorry immediately. She did not know that he was a bastard son of a Viscount. That was why he also has three names, a middle name and a surname of a not so well known Viscount, totalling five names.
Maxineirah could somehow relate to his story, although she did not suffer from any of that in this lifetime, if she were to combine all her past lives, she would have felt the same way as him, surreal.
“I am sorry for sniggering about your past, I did not know…” Maxineirah paused with a quiet sigh.
Creston chuckled.
“Why are you apologizing? Anyone who would hear my story would also laugh at my bad luck. It is not as if you contributed to any of my sufferings.” Creston said as if he did not mind but when Maxineirah took a quick glance at him, she saw his smile mixed with dejection and something passed his eyes.
“Yes. I did not but it is not good conduct to laugh at one’s misfortune.”
“I will accept you apology, then, Young Miss.” Creston said, trying to drop the subject by shaking it off using his pretend laugh.
“I know that it is not my place to tell you this but-“
“Then, do not tell me. Why are you suddenly telling me?” Creston meddled with her words as he badly wanted to quit the topic.