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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Please, Mom
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Though I'd said I'd attend classes with Camilla, there were precious few I could actually join.
Due to the physical limitations that kept me from manifesting mana outside my body, magic classes were out of the question from the start.
Swordsmanship was the same. With a body that couldn't even find its balance just holding a blunt weapon, reacting to the instructor's commands was a struggle in itself.
History lessons had me dozing off within minutes, and the lectures on noble etiquette were even more tedious. In any sense, it was a world far removed from me.
In the end, the only class I could choose was Camilla's practical combat training, held twice a week.
Learning real combat sense through mock battles seemed helpful in many ways. Plus, with just twice a week, it wouldn't interfere much with my business.
But there was an unexpected variable.
"Take care from now on, my daughter?"
The instructor for the practical class was none other than Roselia.
"Camilla, you've been taking lessons from Mom all this time?"
"...No. It used to be someone else."
Roselia strode in as Camilla and I exchanged quiet words.
"Bella, when I heard you were joining this class, I decided to take it over myself."
"Aren't you busy...?"
"Not so busy that I can't spend time with my daughters."
It was bewildering, but I didn't mind. If anything, Roselia felt more comfortable than others.
"I'm delighted. It feels like my daughter is finally opening up to her family a little."
Roselia gazed at my face with a radiant smile. The sincerity in her eyes tickled a corner of my heart.
But that warm moment didn't last. The smile she'd worn just seconds ago twisted into a wicked smirk in an instant.
"Well then, shall we begin the lesson?"
Snap—
Roselia snapped her fingers. At the same moment, Camilla and I were pushed back several steps, as if caught in a gust of wind.
"First, I need to check your skills. Come at me."
She didn't even take a stance. With arms loosely crossed in front of her chest, she looked like she was out for a stroll.
Unlike us in our comfortable training clothes, Roselia still wore her elegant dress.
"Are you sure you're okay with that, Mother?"
"Of course."
Her casual reply seemed to prick at Camilla's pride. Her violet eyes flickered toward me, subtly shaken, with lingering embers of emotion.
"Sister, ready?"
"Yeah... sure."
The opponent being Roselia was disorienting, but I was prepared. I nodded to Camilla, fingers brushing the scroll I'd readied in advance.
"I'm ready."
My first spar. I had no intention of slacking off—this time or any other.
Roselia's gaze, tinged red, locked onto us. Meeting it head-on, Camilla and I stepped forward in unison.
Today's sky was exceptionally bright.
Camilla must have thought so too—she lay on the dirt ground for a good while, unwilling to get up.
"Hm, not bad."
Roselia flashed a bewitching smile. Unlike us sprawled on the ground, she stood exactly where she'd started, without so much as a single step.
It was a utter defeat, leaving no room for protest. We hadn't even touched the hem of her dress.
It was no surprise I'd been overpowered. But even Camilla couldn't hold her own—Roselia had earned her place as the final boss for a reason.
"Camilla, you still have too many gaps in your magic control."
Roselia pointed out the issues one by one, starting with Camilla.
Camilla, who prided herself on her magic, had every reason to feel stung. Yet she simply nodded, listening intently without a word.
"For now, building your fundamentals matters more than practice."
And so, Camilla's practical spars were adjusted to once a week.
Camilla glanced at me with a hint of regret. But she accepted Roselia's decision herself.
"And Bella, as for you..."
Roselia's gaze slowly shifted from Camilla to me.
Expectation and anxiety twisted in my chest. I knew my own pitiful talents—would Roselia see it differently?
I feared she might shake her head and turn away, like the others.
"Bella. From now on, spend time with me five days a week."
But her words shattered all my worries in an instant.
"...Pardon?"
"Camilla needs to solidify her basics. What you need is practical experience."
Roselia wasn't suggesting I give up. She was offering to dedicate five days a week to me.
"I couldn't possibly."
Who was Roselia, after all?
On the surface, the countess—but in truth, the one who truly ran the entire Rahel Tani family.
For someone like that to carve out five days a week for me? I couldn't burden her that much.
"I won't accept a refusal."
"...Pardon?"
"You've said yourself you want practical training. No backing out now. You'll follow my plan from here on."
Her tone was firm, her voice unyielding. Overwhelmed by her momentum, I was at a loss for words.
"Bella. Do you know why you need practical training?"
"N-No...?"
"To put it bluntly, it's the only thing you can do."
Her gaze was different from usual—not light, not warm. Just gravely serious.
"It's an undeniable fact that your body has no talent for mana or swordsmanship."
Heavy, honest words slipped from her lips. But it was a truth I already knew. No need to waver. As long as it wasn't telling me to give up everything.
"I know."
I met her eyes straight on. Roselia raised a hand and gently stroked my head.
"Conversely, that means you have several times more time than others."
"Time?"
"Do you know how many times a swordsman swings at a straw dummy for one spar?"
I shook my head. How could I, an orphan half my life, know?
"Thousands a day. Weeks, sometimes months, repeating the same motion."
"...That's a lot."
"And a mage? How long do you think it takes to fully engrave a new spell in their mind?"
"Similar to a swordsman?"
"Sometimes far longer."
In the game, learning a skill was just a click. Everything came instantly.
But reality was different. Even a simple pottery bore countless touches. One line of magic, one sword stroke—each demanded endless time.
"But you're different. You don't need to engrave magic in your mind or repeat drills like a swordsman."
"...Because it'd be pointless?"
"Yes."
It might sound like calling me untalented, but Roselia seemed to be pointing to another possibility.
"In other words, Bella, you can have several times more time than them."
"...How?"
"Through practical combat. While a mage learns one spell, you'll fight a hundred real battles."
I blinked dumbly at Roselia's bold declaration.
Something surged from the depths of my heart. An indescribable emotion.
"For example, when you face a specific enemy, your body will move before you even think which scroll to use."
In my past and present lives, I'd heard "give up" countless times. Eventually, I accepted it as natural. But Roselia never uttered the word.
"Endless practical fights to train your hand to instinctively grab the perfect scroll from countless options."
Instead, she intended to push me to the end, whether I wanted it or not.
"Let's hone reflexes and sleight of hand faster than any master thief."
Her eyes burned with unyielding resolve. A breathtakingly beautiful smile accompanied it.
Peering into those clear eyes, my chest ached with emotion, a sweet pain. It wasn't unpleasant at all.
"Are you prepared, my daughter?"
Is this what family feels like?
I swallowed the wave of emotions rising in my throat and lifted my head. Clutching my chest, swept by unfamiliar feelings, I met Roselia's gaze.
"Please... Mom."
My voice trembled, my focus wavered. In the end, I leaned on Roselia. My weakness, the one part I never wanted seen—it was exposed.
Roselia's eyes flickered. A faint blush crept into her pale cheeks.
"Ahem, ahem."
Hand to her mouth, she cleared her throat. Then, the bewitching villainess smile only she could wear spread across her lips.
"Being my daughter won't get you any mercy."
When I turned back, for some reason, Camilla stood there with arms crossed and a sullen glare.
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