The story that Marquis Martins continuously failed the knight’s exam did not come from Prince Tesler, but through Canall Adalion, the sword master of both.

Canall Adalion was a renowned sword master in the history of the Shatoneil kingdom, and the commander of the kingdom’s knight squad.

And he was also my secret sword master.

From the moment I recognized the incarnation within me, I secretly began swordsmanship to alleviate the burning heat within my body.

The young nobles of the Shatoneil kingdom learned basic swordsmanship from an early age.

While most young nobles learned swordsmanship halfheartedly, I felt a thrill throughout my body the moment I grabbed the sword.

Master Canall, due to a long connection with my family, the Count Troba, taught my halfbrothers’ swordsmanship.

I would hover around the mansion’s training room, secretly watching and following Master Canall’s teachings.

Then, by chance, Master Canall saw me swinging a sword alone in the training room and accepted me as his disciple.

But the fact that I was learning swordsmanship from him personally was a secret, suggested by Master Canall, who was conscious of my halfbrothers’ attitude.

So, several years passed and I turned 16.

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At that time, I had many days where I would go into the forest connected to the count’s house and practice all night because my side attack skills were not improving.

That day, too, I was frustrated and slumped to the ground because the sword wouldn’t move as I wanted.

Master Canall, as always, quietly watched from one corner and approached me.

“Greed is a poison, and a peaceful mind will be an advantage. You don’t need to rush.”

“But, Master, my lateral attack movements are not improving at all! At this rate, can I even break a single rib of the opponent?”

“Just take it slow. As long as you don’t stop, it will go as you wish soon.”

“Am I the worst among your disciples, Master?”

When I asked with a gloomy face, Master Canall laughed heartily.

“Oh, what are you saying? Miss Zelda, you are one of the best disciples, along with Prince Tesler.”

“Really, really? Better than Marquis Martins? I thought he would be great at swordsmanship too?”

“Who? Marquis Martins Rohain? Ah, don’t even mention him.”

“Why?”

“I’ve never seen someone so naive about swordsmanship in my life…! Oh, pretend you didn’t hear what I just said.”

“Oh, what did you say just now? I didn’t hear anything?”

I replied with a playful lie.

Then, Master breathed a sigh of relief and revealed the secret about the Marquis to me.

“It was the first time in history that a disciple held the sword handle upside down. Truly a disgrace to my swordmaster life.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, he can only wield a fountain pen, he’s blind when it comes to swordsmanship! Anyway… forget about the swordsmanship fool story you just heard.”

“I didn’t hear anything?”

I grinned and picked up the sword again.

Unexpectedly, it seemed that I received great consolation from Marquis Martins.

Every time I saw the Marquis afterward, the words I heard from Master Canall echoed in my ears like a round song.

Swordsmanship fool, swordsmanship fool.

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“Excuse me, Your Majesty the Empress? Do you have any more… stories about me from Prince Tesler?”

Marquis Martins asked me secretly with a very uncomfortable expression.

Hmm, I was trying not to spill this secret…

I should burst it as a price for the Marquis giving me a sullen face today.

“Let me think about it. I’ve heard so much.”

“…You’ve heard a lot?”

Even if his jewelry bag is stolen, he wouldn’t have such a surprised look, but the Marquis looked more afraid of his personal information being stolen.

“Oh, by the way, why haven’t you gotten married yet, Marquis?”

As the subject of the conversation changed, the tense Marquis Martins’ expression softened a bit.

“Well, I’ve been so buried in academia that it got delayed. It’s not that I’m picky and that’s why my marriage is late.”

“It seems so. I guess your late marriage is not because of the Marquis’s taste, right?”

“Taste? Your Majesty the Empress, it seems like you are talking as if you know my taste?”

Marquis Martins leaned back and laughed with an interesting look.

“I heard that you had a passionate love affair with the daughter of Count Elido three years ago.”

Pause. Marquis Martins stood still on the spot.

I continued to talk as if I didn’t see the startled Marquis.

“Ah, and wasn’t the Duke’s first love the Lady of the House of Rodllo? She’s had three divorces, hasn’t she?”

“……Did you hear that from Prince Tesler too?”

The voice of Duke Martins trembled slightly.

He’s not denying it, so it must be true.

“Of course. Prince Tesler has much more diverse and accurate sources of information than the kingdom’s newspaper, doesn’t he?”

At my matteroffact tone, Duke Martins’s face turned red.

In fact, I didn’t hear this story from Prince Tesler either.

‘Did you all know that Duke Martins Rohain has a peculiar taste?’