Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Reynold had been right. When I arrived at the training grounds, the knights were just finishing their training. Thankfully, the targets, which were situated a distance from the sparring area, seemed to be vacant. There was probably no shooting practice today.

Avoiding the knights, I edged around the outside of the training grounds and made my way toward the archery range. It would have been faster to go across, but I’d only just met with the duke—for the time being, it was safer to just lay low and avoid trouble.

When I finally arrived, I loaded the crossbow and pulled the string back until it was hooked on the latch. Turning the crank, I got ready to shoot. I trusted Penelope’s body to know what to do—she’d apparently already been using a crossbow for a year, after all.

“Huh?” I couldn’t seem to hold the tip of the bolt steady on the target. Though the crossbow had felt light when I was carrying it, it felt heavy as I tried to aim it. My arms quivered trying to hold it in place.

“Don’t tell me Penelope’s never done this before?” I grumbled, letting my already fatigued arms fall. I’d managed to load the crossbow somehow, but I had no idea how I was supposed to hold or shoot it. I let out a wordless shout, shaking my aching wrists and hefting the crossbow up again. I intended to pull the trigger this time before my arms started trembling from the strain.

“You can’t aim it if you hold it that way.”

I felt the warmth of someone’s body against my back. A hand stretched out in my peripheral and easily supported the weight of the shaking crossbow. Shocked, I tried to turn.

“Mistress.” The muscular body behind me prevented me from moving, however.

“Eckles?” Only then did I realize I was trapped in his arms. “What are you doing—”

He shushed me gently. “You need to keep your eyes straight ahead, Mistress,” Eckles whispered in my ear.

I squirmed in his embrace, flustered.

“Your prey is getting away.”

At the quiet murmur of his words I froze, my back flush with a firm chest. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly inexplicably dry.

“Let go with your left hand. Use your right hand to grip the trigger, and pull the handle toward your chest.” The hand he’d been using to support the crossbow glided along the shaft of the weapon until it rested on top of mine.

The back of my hand was bathed in warmth, but it was his breath ghosting over my neck that I was acutely aware of.

“Support the handle with your left hand, and look at the target.”

His left hand took mine and gently guided it into position. The pose he’d coxed me into already considerably improved the stability of my aim.

“Breathe, Mistress,” he whispered, laughing softly in my ear.

Just as I was beginning to feel like the red center circle on the target was growing hazy, my finger pulled the trigger, launching the arrow with a loud whistling sound. Moments later, I realized the bolt was buried in the center of the target.

“Good job.”

His warm hands slowly retreated from mine, the muscular arms that held me firmly in place releasing me. Eckles withdrew from my back and stepped aside, but my hands burned as if he were still holding me. I breathed out slowly, lowering the crossbow.

“Is training over?” I asked.

When I turned to look at him, the flutter of strange emotions in my stomach was wiped clean from my face.

Eckles peered at me curiously. “How long have you been here?”

“Not very long.”

“You didn’t need me?” He sounded as though he was unhappy I hadn’t immediately called for him.

“Are you upset?” I asked with a faint smile, amused that he could say such things with so little expression. “The knights are already upset with us. If I called for you during training, I wouldn’t be doing you any favors.”

“Were you worried about me?”

“Of course. I’m always worried about you.”

His lips twitched slightly and his affection score rose.

[Affection Score 44%]

The increase in affection immediately made my mood soar. I felt the smile on my lips grow wider.

“You look like a proper knight now. Do you like the new training clothes?”

The money I’d spent had certainly been worth it—he no longer looked shabby. Instead, the new clothes lent him an elegant air.

He nodded minutely in answer to my question.

“Glad to hear it,” I murmured, turning away.

I didn’t actually care if he disliked them. After all, I’d done everything that was in my power to help him. I hoisted the crossbow again, this time positioning myself in the same way he’d held me. Though it was a huge improvement, I still found it hard to aim accurately.

My arms began to ache, maybe because I was using muscles I’d never used before. He could have helped, but in his usual tactless manner, he just watched as I struggled.

“Is this because of the hunting tournament?” he asked.

I huffed with exertion. Unable to support the crossbow any longer, I lowered it with a nod.

“Yes...” Slightly out of breath, I muttered, “I’ll get first place and get you something nice to eat.”

There was no chance I would actually win first place, of course. I was practicing solely to ensure my survival. I heard a soft laugh escape his lips, and spun around. His expression was as dry as ever, but I could see the faint shimmer of laughter in his ash-colored eyes. I was a little surprised since I’d never really seen him laugh before.

“Are you laughing at me?” I asked, and he nodded vigorously.

“I think Mistress will find it hard to use the crossbow.”

“Why?”

“Well, you’re...” he said, lowering his eyes to the ground and mumbling something I couldn’t understand.

“Huh? Too small and what?” I asked.

He ignored my question. “You won’t be able to handle the recoil if you don’t have proper posture. You might even sprain your wrist or cause the bone to fracture.”

“Really?” I didn’t hate the sound of that. “That would work nicely actually...”

At least then I’d have a good excuse for skipping the stupid hunting tournament. I’d accidentally let my real feelings slip through. Noticing Eckles’ eyes go round, I quickly changed the subject.

“But how do you know so much about crossbows?”

As far as I knew, Eckles hadn’t had any formal training with weapons until later in the game. It puzzled me how well he was able to handle the crossbow.

“In Delman—” he said, then hesitated. Eventually, he corrected himself. “In my home country, archery is considered a basic skill.”

So Eckles’ kingdom is called Delman. That information had appeared nowhere in the game. I tucked it away in my brain for future reference. I found it interesting that the future swordmaster had learned to use a bow before the sword.

“Not swordsmanship?”

“No.”

“I see...” I said, nodding. “That’s good. Then you can help me correct my posture so I can win first place.”

He was silent for a moment. Then in a low, husky voice, he asked, “Like I did just now?”

“Yes,” I said innocently.

[Affection Score 49%]

That’s it! I grinned at the surge in affection. It had been an incredibly good idea to visit the training grounds that night. Hesitation gone, Eckles came to stand behind me once more. His arms wrapped around me and his hands enveloped mine again, ostensibly to help me aim the crossbow.

All of a sudden, a frosty voice pierced the warm atmosphere. “What is going on here?”

My body was jerked around roughly, but not of my own accord. Eckles had spun, taking me with him. Sensing an intruder, he instinctively aimed the crossbow while I was still cradled in his arms.

A dark-haired man stood stiffly in my line of sight now.

“Lord... Derrick?” I said.