Two: The Dark Guild
THE dog I stabbed with a cake knife survived because Amaryllis called for someone to tend to its wound. Other factors that saved the dog’s life were that the knife didn’t have a pointed tip since it was for cake, and I, being a child, didn’t have enough strength to drive it deeply enough, meaning it didn’t reach the dog’s heart.
How odd.
I knew the cake knife wasn’t guaranteed to finish the dog off, so I put all my weight behind it. Apparently, children are lighter and weaker than I thought.
I looked at myself in a mirror. I need to be stronger. Amaryllis wouldn’t react well if I told her that, though. I get the impression noble ladies are meant to be elegant.
Lately, the maids hadn’t been reacting well when they saw me, either. I was just protecting myself.
Living in this world is painful.
“Um, uh…”
That was the girl who had trespassed into our garden, now coming in here. She was wearing a dress Amaryllis bought her. She was a plain-looking girl with brown hair and eyes, but some would probably say she was cute for that. Her name was Rosemary.
Rosemary didn’t have parents. She just happened to take in that dog, named Bruce, and the two had lived together like family since. Something had to be wrong with the girl. She took in a dog when she was struggling to survive.
The Violette family had adopted Rosemary. Amaryllis felt bad for the girl because she had no parents. When it happened, I had the vague thought that people with excess money have an easier time reaching out a helping hand to others. I never had that excess, so I was never interested in others.
“I hope we can have a nice relationship, S-Sister,” said Rosemary.
“Yes. Me too,” I replied.
The maids looked concerned while they watched us.
They’re constantly jumping. Maybe the Bruce incident convinced them I’d stab someone the moment I didn’t like something.
When Rosemary approached me, I’d considered what I should do. It was probably best to give a friendly smile, so I did.
The maids looked relieved.
I’ll turn myself into a normal person like this, little by little. That should make life here slightly easier. But I can’t just set up an environment I find easy to live in. Based on earlier, my body is weak and frail. I have to resolve that immediately.
But no one will give a noble girl permission to do strength training. I could secretly train, but relying on training alone would dull my senses in actual combat.
“I’ll start with training, though,” I murmured.
Then, I could turn to real combat practice. I had an idea where to get that. I used to be an assassin, after all. I was familiar with what happened in the dark. Even in a different world, a different country, a different time, the darkness is always there. Just like how light is always there.
That day, I began training in secret. That normally wouldn’t be possible, but it was to my benefit that the duke’s family employed only undisciplined servants. They never checked on me. That let me easily slip out of the mansion.
I pawned some gems and went to buy weapons. My favorite weapon was a dagger, and I wanted to buy one I could conceal.
“Let me see that,” I said to the man working the weapon shop. After one glance and an unconcealed look of disgust, he turned to help another customer in the shop.
“Did you not hear me?” I said. “I told you to let me see that.”
“Miss, this isn’t a children’s playground,” he said. “I get it might be a bit much to expect a little lady like yourself who plays all day and gets doted on by her parents to understand, but I’m busy.”
This child’s body is so inconvenient. I can’t even buy what I’m after.
“Mister, I’m telling you to show me that dagger,” I said, letting him see a glimpse of my hostile aura as I threw the knife I snuck from the mansion at him. It skimmed his cheek before embedding itself into the wall behind him. “Do you need more convincing?”
“No… I’m getting it now.”
You should’ve just done that to start with.
The moment the shop owner turned his back to get it, a dagger flew towards me from a different direction. I dodged it by taking one step back.
The only other customer in the shop threw it. He had red hair pulled into a side ponytail and slanted gold eyes narrowed with amusement.
“Who are you? I don’t think you’re a normal girl,” he said.
He was fairly skilled himself. There was no way I could stand against him as I was currently. Even if it were me from my previous world, I likely wouldn’t survive a head-on assault against him.
“Fairly skilled, aren’t you?” he remarked. “You must have seen your fair share of fights.”
His suspiciously gleaming eyes gave me the impression of darkness. This man was familiar with the things that happened in the dark. His appearance only, though, implied he was a noble. Not just any noble, either. Someone fairly high ranking.
“You’re dressed like a commoner, but you’re a noble’s kid, aren’t you?” he said. “You don’t act or speak like any of the noble girls I know, however. I am quite confused by this contradictory creature I find before me.”
“There’s no need for confusion. Just accept me for what I am,” I said. “And if you want to know about me, you should tell me about yourself first.”
I don’t know if what I said offended the man or something, but he suddenly let off a hostile aura. It was intense, too, capable of knocking out anyone not built out of strong enough stuff.
“Huh, you can handle that?” he said. “It looks like the ever-so-carefree Violette Duchy has brought us a cat of a very different color.”
My simple clothing wouldn’t give away my family name, yet this man somehow guessed who my family was. I had no memory of meeting him before. I wouldn’t forget meeting someone this flamboyant.
“My position requires me to remember the names and faces of all nobles,” he said. “Oh, yes, I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Rick Oswald.”
Rick Oswald… The king’s nephew. A man surrounded by dark rumors.
“Selena Violette. Would you like to work for me?”