Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Insolence
"I'm doing great, thanks for asking, brother." Selina states with a warm smile.
A shiver is sent down Troye's spine, but he quickly contains himself
"It's my lord to you, half-blood." He sneers.
"My lord, I cannot deal with your hostile behavior today, let me rest, please."
"...Only for today, and due to this little mishap, I'll deal with the makings of the ball. If you can't be as strong as a man, at least be good as a woman." Troye spits out.
"Sexist but go off douche-face." Selina thinks to herself, if Troye was able to read her thoughts, the consequences would be unbearable.
"Your leniency is appreciated, my lord." Selina states gracefully.
"You're welcome. I'll let you rest for today, but Reinhart wants you out in the training courtyard tomorrow."
"Thank you."
Troye leaves and shuts the door, leaving Selina alone with her thoughts. Reinhart obviously wants her to train and get stronger. Selina takes another look at her stats, her pitiful G- in stamina and F+ strength, she's cooked. Her delicate figure was clearly meant to be a mage, not a knight! But regardless, she has to go anyways.
"I'm so not looking forward to tomorrow…" Selina groans as she shuts her eyes, drifting off to a dreamless sleep…
As tomorrow arrives, Selina wakes up groggily, emitting quiet yawns. She gets dressed by her maids and makes her way down to the large dining room, relying on Amelia's memories.
The dining room exuded wealth and authority. A long mahogany table stretched beneath a glittering crystal chandelier, its light reflecting off gold-edged plates and silver utensils. Velvet curtains framed tall arched windows, and a roaring fireplace added warmth to the room's regal air. Intricate tapestries adorned the walls, depicting the family's storied history. The scent of roasted meats and spices lingered in the air, but the weight of unspoken words hung heavier than the opulent decor.
"...Reinhart, I don't suppose you're down here for breakfast." Selina breaks the ice, gazing at Reinhart's heroic and pretty face. As a face-con, she couldn't help admiring it.
"Enjoy your beauty sleep, princess? I've been waiting for you, eat and follow me. Don't take long." Reinhart exclaims, her black eyes staring at Selina emotionlessly.
"Alrighty~" Selina takes a seat, purposely far away from the scary lady and takes a look at the assortment of goods in front of her. Array of meats, fruits, soup, bread, and much more. Selina's mouth drooled at the sight, but she quickly remembered her elegant noble status and calmed down. She ate with precision and the gracefulness of Amelia, but the small bites sent sorrow to Selina's heart.
Reinhart stares at Selina.
"Hurry up, I don't have all day to wait for you to finish. Unlike someone, I have a job to do." Reinhart sneers.
Out of fear and hunger, Selina takes bigger bites and quickly finishes. She wipes her mouth and cleans her hands.
"Let's go." Reinhart walks quickly, not bothering to check whether or not Selina's following.
Selina runs after to her, not caring to ask Reinhart to slow down knowing fully well what her answer would be.
They walk for what to Selina, feels like an eternity in this uselessly large manor. Eventually, they make it outside to the courtyard, sweaty, hot, and ripped guys hacking away with their swords and arrows. Selina looks around and takes in the sights, the memories she unlocked so far of Amelia's didn't go into close details of most places.
The courtyard was expansive, its stone-paved ground scuffed and weathered from years of rigorous training. Tall, imposing walls framed the area, with ivy creeping up in patches, softening the starkness. Racks of weapons lined one side, their polished blades glinting in the sunlight. Dummies and targets stood at the ready, some battered and splintered from relentless practice. In the center, a sandy sparring ring marked the main arena, where knights clashed, their shouts and the clang of steel echoing through the open space. A faint scent of sweat and leather lingered, mingling with the crisp outdoor air.
"Done admiring? This will be the place you'll be coming to everyday from now on. Drop down and give me 5. Usually it's 50, but I'll be lenient towards your weak self." Reinhart calmly states with a slight smirk crawling up her mouth.
5 pushups, no sweat, she could easily do 5 in her past life. Selina confidently gets into form and pushes down… only to collapse on the spot after a single one. Curse you G- stamina!
"..." Reinhart stares at her blankly, her dark eyes staring at her in shock rather than disappointment. "Pfft." She tries to stifle in her laughter and is successful in doing so… only after Selina heard her the first time.
"...T-this never happened!" Selina speaks out of embarrassment, the tips of her fair ears turning crimson red.
"Lady Amelia, you're much more than a lost cause than I originally thought. Even a child could do more than 1. I'm scared that if I told you to run that you'll faint on the spot." Reinhart continues adding on, refusing to let it go.
"Run as many laps as you can around the courtyard, once you feel tired, resort to walking. Let's test how terrible your stamina really is. Also" Reinhart throws a leather tunic at Selina. "Wear this instead of your dress. The changing room is over there. Are you fine going there by yourself, or will you pass out?" Reinhart smirks at Selina smugly.
"Shut up! Insolent!" Selina runs to the changing room, gets ready, and begrudgingly runs around the track, her ears still flushed red in embarrassment. Eventually, after running a pitiful 2 laps, her face is flushed red, and she resorts to walking.
Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Selina, her little mishap was also watched by the many knights in training who were surrounding her.
"Captain, you're too harsh on her," a burly man mutters under his breath, casting a cautious glance toward the manor. "If his grace catches wind of this, we're all in for it."
Another knight, younger and more brash, snorts. "The Lord might be strict, but I doubt he'll care much about Amelia's well being. He's more likely to berate us for slacking off while gawking at the lady."
"Lady Amelia sure is pretty, the rumours have done her dirty."
This one comment riled the other knights up, Lady Amelia was truly breathtaking! The commander was as well, but her fierceness had long evoked fear from the men.
"Shush it and go back to work or would you prefer running around like miss pitiful over there?" Reinhart exclaims harshly.
"No sir." They continue training, occasionally staring at Amelia with sympathy.