Chapter 19
“Haha, looks like you can still only ‘try to show it’. But as you keep training, you’ll be able to show it naturally without trying.”
But it was what Theodore said next that puzzled me more. What did he mean by that? I was just about to ask when a large chunk of meat suddenly approached my lips.
“Kiddo. So hurry up and eat. It’s because I’m worried. Even if we’re worried, the family has a rule: we must eat. If you don’t eat, you can’t fight.”
“That’s absolutely right,” Saldir chimed in.
Then Albrecht jumped in as well.
“If you want to fight for the country, the family, and yourself, first you have to eat.”
All their eyes seemed to be on me. Ugh, the pressure! On top of that, Saldir had already cut the big steak into small bite-sized pieces for me.
“All done. Eat up.”
Saldir offered me the meat. As I looked at the perfectly cooked steak, I hesitated for a moment. But… there wasn’t much point in hesitating. They were right, after all. If I wanted to fight Nad, I first needed to build my strength. Didn’t Komet say the same? Even if I could use his power, I needed to have the stamina to handle it. To wield greater strength, I had to keep pushing myself.
I nodded, picked up my fork, and slowly took a bite of the meat. The well-grilled steak was tender, and with each chew, rich juices filled my mouth.
“Huh?”
I found myself muttering in surprise.
…What is this? …It’s too delicious?
No joke… it was really delicious. I don’t think I’d ever had food this good since I was born. It’s not that I had never eaten meat before in my past life. I had—but what Saldir served me here was on a whole different level. They live eating food this good? I pulled the plate closer and began lifting more meat with my fork.
“Is it good?”
“…Yes.”
I gave a short reply and nodded. The adults watching me burst into laughter. Horner was even crying from laughter.
“Eat plenty.”
At Jindel’s words, I nodded and eagerly continued eating. Even the mention that they would soon teach me table manners was said with such kindness. In those romance novels that Myra and Anna used to read, noble families would tell you to skip dinner if your etiquette was off. Were they wrong, or is this family strange?
Whatever the case, what was clear was that everyone at this table was warm and gentle toward me. A family I had never had before. Kindness I had never received. Other than Myra and Anna, I never thought I’d have this again…
“…Ack!”
I suddenly jumped up and shouted.
Myra.
I had completely forgotten about Myra!
“W-What? What’s wrong?”
“I must be crazy!”
I clutched both cheeks and shouted again. How could I forget about Myra? Is she okay? She was rescued with me, so she must be safe, right? She looked like a noble, but from what family? Surely someone here would’ve investigated it? I can’t part with her again! I urgently looked at Jindel.
“Th-That—F-Father!”
“Yes? What is it, dear?”
Jindel looked up at me, clearly giving his full attention. Looking at his face, I quickly continued.
“The girl! The one who was with me that day! What happened to her?”
At my question, Jindel tilted his head for a moment.
“That girl? Oh… you mean the daughter of Count Wintel. The one you rescued—Berndette. Her name was… Myra, I think.”
As I heard his calm answer, I suppressed the urge to scream. Did he just say Myra? So even before she was kidnapped, her name was really Myra! And she’s the daughter of a count? My guess was right. My adopted sisters were from noble families, just like me! I clenched my fists and asked again.
“Then what about Anna?”
“…Anna?”
“I heard you rescued other noble girls from a nearby building. Was there anyone named ‘Anna’ among them?”
The family exchanged glances. Curious looks passed between them, and soon Albrecht looked at me.
“There was no one by that name among the rescued girls.”
Oh. I see.
My shoulders slumped. Was Anna kidnapped somewhere else and couldn’t be found? Or… is she living under a different name now? No matter what, I had to meet Myra again. That much was certain.
“I want to meet Myra.”
“What?”
Saldir looked puzzled. I set down my fork and said firmly:
“I want to see that girl again. The one I saved.”
Seeing the bewildered expressions around the table, I clenched my fists.
I had to see Myra.
How was my sister doing now? Was she living in a good household like me, being happy?
Two weeks later
“That’s the end of today’s morning training, Lady Bernadette.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
I bowed to Albrecht’s lieutenant. What was his name again? Ove, I think. We had met before—he was the one reporting to Albrecht back in that underground prison.
Turns out he was Albrecht’s chief lieutenant, and the commander of the Second Knight Order of the Duke of Saylkar. I had started training with them the day after I woke up. Before I began studying under Theodore, they wanted to build up my basic fitness—so I did a lot of running and jogging… and honestly, it was manageable.
“You did excellently again today. Impressive.”
“Not at all. I still have a long way to go compared to my brothers. And I want to work harder so I can protect myself when danger strikes again.”
I replied with clenched fists. Ove’s satisfied expression confirmed that I had given the perfect answer.
“Excellent.”
Ove praised me sincerely. Still, it felt awkward. Back in the slums, people would say girls shouldn’t act too rough or throw punches. But here, they treated the words “I want to be strong” like the highest goal. No one here mocked me for having big dreams “for a girl.”
“You’re new to all this training, and yet you’ve kept up so well. At this rate, I believe you’re ready to combine basic fitness and martial training. Starting next week, Sir Theodore will begin personally teaching you martial arts.”
“Really?”
I shouted with joy, and Ove gave a soft smile.
Theodore—the hero I deeply admired, my grandfather—was going to personally mentor me? Unbelievable. Seeing my excitement, Ove beamed.
“Of course. It’s all thanks to your consistent efforts: running 30 laps around the training grounds daily, 100 sit-ups, 15 minutes of rope climbing, and 300 squats. Impressive.”
“Oh, come on…”
I scratched the back of my head as Ove listed off my training regimen. Honestly, it wasn’t even that tough. There was no weight training, so it was actually on the easier side. It wasn’t too different from what I did in my past life.
