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EP.18 The Noble Female Knight Agnes - 2
The plan to recruit Agnes was a success.
Even if it's only for a short month, I just need to conquer her within that time.
The problem is how to go about winning her over.
For now, it's best to quietly receive swordsmanship lessons and look for an opening.
Creak-
The door to the training hall opened and a beautiful blonde woman entered.
Agnes, just as in the portrait.
She was even more beautiful in person than on paper.
A blonde, blue-eyed beauty.
Her athletic figure, revealed after removing her stifling armor, was captivating.
With every step she took, she exuded an air of confidence.
"Are you Yujin?"
"Yes, I'm Yujin."
"As you've probably heard, I'm Agnes, and I'll be in charge of your swordsmanship training from now on."
"I look forward to your guidance for the month."
Whether it'll be a month or a year remains to be seen.
"I've been given full authority over your training, so from now on, treat me as your master."
Setting the tone right from the start.
I don't particularly mind, but I can tell she's not going to let anything slide.
"Yes, Master."
"Let's check your skills first."
Shing-
Agnes drew her sword immediately from its sheath.
Her disciplined movements and posture were extraordinary.
I could feel firsthand that she was on a different level from anyone I'd faced before.
"Are we sparring with real swords right away?"
"In real combat, you'll be swinging a real sword."
Agnes's confident attitude.
It's something only someone with plenty of real combat experience could have.
Clearly, we picked a knight with real skill.
I drew the sword at my waist and pointed it at her.
"Attack first."
I could sense absolute confidence from Agnes holding her sword.
Confidence that she could block any attack I made.
Her presence fired up my fighting spirit.
"Then I won't hold back."
I poured as much mana as I could into my strike and swung my sword.
A crisp sound as it cut through the air.
Agnes met my attack with a disciplined movement.
Clang!
A sharp sound echoed through the training hall.
The result of our swords clashing was, surprisingly, my defeat.
My sword was knocked away.
At the same time, my stance completely collapsed-if this had been real combat, I'd be dead.
"Your strength and speed are impressive, but your form is a mess."
Agnes sheathed her sword and approached.
Standing right next to me, she asked me to swing again.
"Try swinging again."
Whoosh-
A sharp sound as I cut through the air.
But Agnes looked dissatisfied.
"That's crude swordsmanship. It's like you're just trying to overwhelm with strength and speed."
She hit the nail on the head.
Up until now, I'd only focused on overpowering with brute force, and she saw right through it instantly.
To a master like her, my swordsmanship was crude and shallow.
"That's accurate."
"That's enough for low-level opponents, but against a master, you'll lose your head instantly."
I'm glad we brought her in.
She immediately spotted what I'd been struggling with.
"Let's start with the basics."
Agnes demonstrated the proper stances herself.
From slashing to thrusting.
Her movements, characteristic of royal swordsmanship, were so precise I couldn't help but be impressed.
"Copy me. I'll correct you if you make a mistake."
Whoosh-whoosh-
I clumsily tried to imitate her movements as best I could.
"Lower your hips a bit more here…"
Every time Agnes corrected my posture, I could feel her touch.
Surprisingly, despite her skill, her hands were gentle.
Maybe it was the way she used mana to strengthen her body, but for me, it was a struggle not to get aroused.
"It's a bit better now."
The first swordsmanship lesson ended smoothly.
I thought she'd be strict, but Agnes turned out to be the type to kindly teach as long as you put in the effort.
"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Master."
"Practice whenever you can outside of lesson time, too."
She ignored my compliment and left the training hall.
My first impression of her was a confident, strict female knight.
If I had to add, she's unexpectedly kind as well.
"Now the important thing is how to win her over."
A strong and beautiful female knight is a dream, but in reality, she's a tough target.
But the harder and more rewarding the challenge, the more fired up I get.
If I can't conquer her, how will I handle the princess coming in a month?
Maybe I should try pretending to be a masseur like before?
But with her stiff personality, that probably won't work.
"I need… something more."
As I racked my brain, Selena's face flashed through my mind.
Power!
If the noble Selena subtly pressured her to get a massage, even Agnes would find it hard to refuse.
If she knew what a decadent massage was, she might refuse, but with her upright, stiff personality, I doubt she knows.
Before I knew it, my legs were carrying me to Selena.
If Selena watches during the massage, it'll also prevent any unexpected trouble.
No sane knight would dare defy a noble without connections watching their back.
Especially someone as stiff as her.
"You're suggesting I get a massage?"
Agnes looked uncharacteristically flustered at Selena's sudden suggestion.
"Yes. It's good for your beauty, too."
Selena smiled as she encouraged Agnes to get a massage.
But Agnes felt uneasy.
The sudden suggestion and Selena's vaguely ominous smile.
Agnes's instincts were telling her to refuse.
"Think of it as a reward for your hard work getting here. Surely you wouldn't refuse a gesture of goodwill?"
Goodwill.
That word felt heavy to Agnes.
If it was a job offer, she could easily refuse, but a request wrapped in "goodwill" was hard for a mere knight to turn down.
"Understood."
In the end, Agnes had no choice but to accept.
Her instincts were sending warning signals, but her rational mind saw no problem.
It was a mistake born of her inexperience with the ways of the world, having focused only on training.
"I've already had the masseur prepared. Please follow me."
Already prepared.
That made Agnes even more uneasy, but having agreed, she couldn't resist the noble Selena.
She could only follow.
Click-clack-
Arriving at the annex, Agnes followed Selena into a room, where she saw Yujin.
"What is this…?"
"You didn't know? He's not just my bodyguard, but also a masseur."
"That's right, Master. I was originally a masseur, but Lady Selena recognized my skills and now I do both jobs."
Agnes didn't believe Yujin at all, but she couldn't argue.
Because Selena, a noble, was backing up his story.
And both Selena and Yujin knew and exploited that fact.
'Is that even possible?'
Agnes thought it was a flimsy lie, but unable to protest, she began to experience cognitive dissonance.
'Maybe his terrible swordsmanship despite his strength is because of his unusual background.'
It was totally unrelated, but Agnes had to rationalize it somehow to accept the situation.
"I see."
"Well then, Master, please change before we begin the massage."
"Change…?"
"There's a partition-go in and change there."
Almost forcibly, Selena made Agnes go behind the partition.
What she found inside was underwear.
"Lady Selena, this is…"
"Oil will get your clothes wet, so just wear that out."
Selena's nonchalant tone only confused Agnes more.
People often lose their judgment when confused.
That's exactly what was happening to Agnes.
'Am I the weird one?'
In the end, she changed into the underwear and came out from behind the partition.
Her toned body was on full display, and Agnes felt embarrassed, but in her confused state, she didn't resist.
'Amazing.'
Yujin admired Agnes's body, revealed without reservation.
Her healthy, athletic figure was more than enough to tempt any man.
'You could tell even through her clothes, but seeing it directly makes you wonder why she ever covers up.'
He kept his admiration to himself and maintained a calm demeanor, just like Selena.
"Please lie down here."
Agnes did as she was told and lay down on the table covered in soft material.
Lying on her back, Yujin thought she looked like an ingredient waiting to be cooked on a cutting board.
"Lastly, after putting this on, just relax and enjoy the massage."
What Yujin held out was a blindfold.
Agnes felt uneasy about having her vision blocked.
"Do I really have to wear this?"
Seeing her lose her composure, Yujin almost lost his own, but with Selena's help, he managed to keep it together.
"Don't worry. I always wear one when I get a massage, too. Just put it on and take a short nap, and it'll be over before you know it."
In the end, Yujin put the blindfold on Agnes, cutting off her sight.
In her confused state, the loss of vision only heightened her anxiety, but Yujin wasn't about to miss this chance.
"Don't worry. Just relax and leave your body to my hands."
To Agnes, it sounded like a devil's sweet whisper.
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