IDTML 03

CHAPTER 03

“There she comes.”

Irene and Dietrich walked into the center of the training ground.

The tension between them was cold and fierce, a clear sign of their strained relationship.

When Irene had resolved to prevent the downfall of this household, the first thing she prioritized was:

‘Establishing hierarchy.’

In this house, her position was the lowest.

Aside from being allowed to eat in the dining room, she was treated no differently than a servant.

‘Although, I still ate in my room to avoid their contemptuous stares.’

If she didn’t intend to sit back and watch the family be ruined by Kim Taeheon, then she needed to rise above the status of an outsider.

The fastest way to do that—

“Begin!”

—was force.

—Swish!

Irene and Dietrich leapt simultaneously. Their wooden swords quickly clashed.

—Clack!

After returning in time, Irene realized one thing in the past two days:

Even though time had rewound, her previous senses remained intact.

‘He’s quite clumsy.’

The moment their swords met, Irene quickly gauged Dietrich’s skill.

The way he distributed force through the sword was unbalanced.

His movements lacked even the basics.

—Smack!

—Clack!

They exchanged two more blows.

Irene began preparing to end the spar.

‘An opening.’

Her crimson eyes sharply tracked the movement of the sword.

And then, on the third clash—

—Thwack!

“……?!”

Dietrich’s wooden sword flew from his hands and landed, stuck in the ground.

Now unarmed, Dietrich stared blankly at the sword embedded in the dirt.

His expression showed he had no idea what had just happened.

“My win.”

Irene stated calmly, turning with her wooden sword still in hand.

All the knights at the training ground stared at her with their mouths agape.

“She’s never even learned swordsmanship… how…?”

Irene briefly recalled something she had forgotten.

At this point in time, she hadn’t been taught swordsmanship.

But even if she had remembered that, she would have acted the same.

She never liked handling things slowly to begin with.

She always preferred fast and simple solutions.

“Hold on.”

Someone called out to stop her.

Chloe stood elegantly, arms crossed.

“Looks like you’ve been secretly practicing swordsmanship.”

She spoke casually, but her eyes said otherwise.

Her blue gaze burned fiercely as she looked at Irene.

That gaze could be summed up in one word:

‘Competitive spirit.’

Chloe, who was usually aloof about everything, only showed emotion when it came to swordsmanship.

Even from the short duel, she must’ve realized Irene was the real deal.

Chloe held out her hand toward a nearby knight.

The knight quickly handed her a wooden sword.

“Fight me next.”

Irene hesitated briefly.

Given her preference for speed, she had no reason to refuse.

However, it was rare for Chloe to ask her for anything.

Letting this opportunity pass with just a sparring match felt like a waste.

“Why should I spar with you?”

At Irene’s question, Chloe lifted her chin proudly, as if it were obvious.

“Because I want to.”

“That’s not a good enough reason for me.”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed.

“Then tell me what you want.”

As expected.

Smarter than Dietrich, Chloe didn’t bother asking “why?”

Irene seized the opportunity.

“Let me join your lessons.”

At that, the usually expressionless Chloe, even at age 12, lost her composure and her face turned cold.

A natural reaction.

All lessons in the family were reserved for heirs alone.

“…Swordsmanship lessons?”

“No, not those.”

“…You mean the etiquette and education classes?”

Chloe’s eyes showed that she was trying to read Irene’s true intentions.

Irene admitted to herself that she lacked basic education. She hadn’t learned a thing—it was obvious.

She had been deceived by Lloyd because of her ignorance.

She didn’t want to repeat that life again.

“I can’t just stand by while someone worse than me keeps calling me an idiot.”

“What?!”

Dietrich flared up, but Chloe stayed quiet, visibly torn.

After watching her for a moment, Irene turned to walk away.

Then Chloe quickly spoke.

“It’s not fair if only I put something on the line. You have to wager something too.”

Her anxious eyes were fixed on Irene.

Sparring wasn’t a one-sided act.

Even if Chloe forced Irene to spar, it would be meaningless if Irene didn’t take it seriously.

“You have to offer something too.”

The answer was simple.

“My sword training method.”

Irene said casually. Chloe slightly frowned.

“That doesn’t seem like a fair trade.”

“You really think so?”

Chloe hesitated at Irene’s question. Honestly, she was lying.

She was dying to know how Irene trained.

To defeat Dietrich, who received personal instruction from Chiron, in just two clashes?

But asking someone with no formal training to reveal their methods—

That touched Chloe’s pride.

“If you want something else, then you make an offer first.”

Faced with Irene’s confident attitude, Chloe finally parted her lips.

Irene’s skill, which she had just witnessed, was too compelling to let her pride get in the way.

“…Fine. Let’s proceed.”

“Sister! What are you doing?!”

Ignoring the shocked Dietrich, Chloe gripped her wooden sword and stepped into the center of the training ground.

Members of the ducal house typically wore everyday clothes suited for sword training at any time.

Except Irene.

“Say something if you want to change.”

Chloe commented upon seeing Irene in a tattered dress.

As a knight, Chloe valued honor—and above all, fairness.

“No need.”

Irene flatly refused. As if clothes had no impact on the outcome.

Chloe felt slightly overwhelmed by Irene’s confidence as she readied her sword.

‘What is this feeling?’

For the first time, Chloe felt unsettled.

She hadn’t been this nervous about a spar since her brother Mikhail.

“Begin!”

—Swish!

At the knight’s shout, the two dashed forward.

—Clack!

Their swords collided.

Irene’s eyes scanned Chloe’s movements swiftly.

Her agility stood out overall.

—Swish!

—Clack!

Irene followed her movements and blocked skillfully.

Chloe’s breath faltered, surprised by the unexpected force.

Thanks to that, Irene began to read her movements more clearly.

‘There it is.’

Spotting the incoming slash from the right, Irene’s eyes gleamed sharply.

Chloe staggered slightly from the weight of the blocked attack.

Irene didn’t miss the moment. Chloe tried to block her strike, but she lacked the strength.

‘…Something’s off.’

Clashing swords again, Chloe was stunned. Where is this monstrous power coming from?

Irene knew exactly what Chloe was thinking but continued her assault as if she didn’t.

—Smack!

Struggling to fend off the blows, Chloe finally opened her mouth.

“…Just who are you?”

“Surely the young lady isn’t losing, right? I must be seeing things…”

A knight muttered in disbelief.

No one was more shocked than Dietrich.

Chloe’s signature agile movements couldn’t keep up with Irene’s relentless attacks.

The one-sided duel of attack and defense ended quickly.

“Ah!”

Chloe’s wrist finally gave out under the sheer force, and her sword slipped from her hand.

……!

She bit her lip, staring at the fallen sword in humiliation.

Irene quietly looked at her. The match was over.

“Keep your promise.”

With those words, Irene passed by her.

Realizing the duel had ended, knights and servants rushed in.

“Young lady! Are you alright?”

As Irene stepped out of the training grounds, she caught sight of Chiron’s stone-faced expression.

At that moment, memories from her past surged, boiling her insides.

‘Murderer.’

Still, she held back. Stirring up unnecessary conflict wouldn’t benefit her.

“Miss.”

To her surprise, Chiron called out to her, not ignoring her as she expected.

Irene stopped walking. Everyone held their breath and watched.

Even Dietrich, wide-eyed, stared at the two of them.

“I have a question.”

Chiron’s gaze held excitement and intensity as he looked at her.

Chloe, receiving first aid, bit her lip. She knew what was going through his mind.

‘He’s taken interest in Irene.’

An overwhelming sense of inferiority surged.

It had stung when Mikhail was favored, and when Dietrich received private lessons—but she had understood.

Chiron was known to favor male heirs.

Even her father couldn’t change that.

Their remote territory couldn’t afford to turn away rare talent.

‘…But why Irene?’

Chloe glared at her like she wanted to kill her. A bastard child, getting Chiron’s attention?

“Have you received personal sword training from anyone?”

Chiron asked. Irene answered with a blank expression.

“Not formally….”

That made Chloe even angrier. Why her…?!

“But you’ll never be my teacher.”

What?

Everyone stared, speechless at Irene’s response.

Even Chloe.

“That’s all.”

With a cold expression, Irene turned and left.