It’s not that I did not need a trainer now. Though I have remembered a lot of the tricks from the past. I still needed to hone my skills. I should be the perfect knight so when the time comes, I could kill Gerard from my own hands. He was one of the best men in swordsmanship, I had to be better than him.

I saw Sir Seymour, my father’s aide and the leader of the knights walking towards the field to inspect the training of everyone. My eyes gleamed as I looked at him.

“Sir Seymour,”

“Aah, my lady. Congratulations on your win. You did an exceptional job.” he said with a proud face.

“Oh, thank you, for your appreciative words. I am honoured, Sir Seymour”

“Oh no, the pleasure is all mine. You have all the skills of your father. And I am sure if you continued to grow with this speed, you would surpass him soon ” I felt embarrassed at his words. He was definitely exaggerating but at the same time I felt asking for help from him was easy now. Since he already admired 1my skills.

“I will try my best, Sir Seymour. But for that, I need a favour from you. Can I have a minute with you?” I asked as I looked at him with pleading eyes. He looked surprised by my sudden request, but nodded his head and walked with me towards the other side.

“Is there anything I can help you with, my lady? ” Calling me my lady again and again was a clear indication that he was looking at me as the daughter of his master.

“Call me Sir Abigail, Sir Seymour. I know I have not passed as an official knight but I will soon be the knight of the imperial family.“ I said, raising my chin. He looked at me dumbfounded as he heard my authorised tone. He was not expecting a kid to order him like that.

An amused smile formed on his lips as he looked at me and nodded. “It will be my pleasure, Sir Abigail. What can I help you with” he asked again. I was satisfied with the way he was addressing me now, it increased my confidence so I asked him.

“I request you to train me for a few days.”

 I requested and he looked at me reluctantly. As the aide of my father, it was common for him to stay busy and travel all day from one place to another, so he might be having trouble in promising me. “

Since I know you stay busy, just an hour for a week would be enough ” I added and he finally nodded with a sigh.

“Would that be enough, Sir Abigail?” he asked, getting worried about my training.

“I have a trainer, Sir Seymour. I just want to learn your ancestral sword technique. I know it is a very inappropriate demand, but I would use it for the welfare of the 1st order of knights. I swear on the name of my family that I will make you proud and you would never regret your decision of teaching me your art ” I said earnestly and the man finally gave a warm smile.

“I am more certain than you, sir Abigail, that you will make all of us proud of you.” His words warmed my heart. The smile he was giving me was genuine, not because of the post of my father.

So what, if many still doubted me, there are few who are ready to trust me and let me grow. 

“Then I will see you in the early morning tomorrow Sir Abigail ” he wished me good luck and left. I beamed at the thought of learning the art of swordsmanship that was going to go extinct soon and I even got the chance to make Noah jealous. 

Now he would realize that I was not dependent on him when it comes to learning. I smiled and walked back to the palace. Since there was no one to train me today, I will spend my day in the library. I need to learn about the art of politics too. I had to find ways to infiltrate the politics of the place and copy all the ideas that Gerard had given in the past to get his good image ruined before even forming.

I took sips of hot lavender tea as I continued to read the book on the history of the empire and the royal lineage. I needed to learn the name and face of all the nobles too. I had forgotten most of them with time. As it was a matter of long ago that I had met them.

“My lady”

“Yes..” 

“Lady Sophie is here to meet you.” my hands on the book stilled when I heard her name. Sophie, sister of lord Gerard, the future archduke of the empire and my best friend in my last life.

 She was the one who accompanied me with all the mischievousness I had done. From painting the face of Isabella blue, to bunking academy classes and meeting Gerard and going on dates with him.

She was the one who was always there when I was alone and sad. I always thought that she cared, but all she did was to manipulate me against the royal family and use my shoulder to fire a gun against the girl she did not like. I insulted so many noble ladies in the empire for their bad eating habits, their dressing sense, their manners and even the diplomacy they showed as if I was the most perfect person in the empire. 

It was nothing but harassment that I had done. Yet they were silent since we both were the daughter of the duke, the highest noble after Josephine, who never left the royal palace. Even her training was done there. She didn’t even join the academy. And her brother, the crown prince, though he joined the academy every year he was mostly absent or constrained by the head.