Chapter 3

The Schneider mansion was very vast, occupying 60,000 square foot of land. It was granted to the first head of the Schneider family by the founder king of the Neil kingdom.

The glory and accumulated wealth of the family could be seen just with a glance at the tall, towering, luxurious and impeccable mansion designed and crafted by the best craftsmen in the history.

The mansion was surrounded by tall walls with the family emblem of a roaring lion and two crossed swords designed intricately on the towering gates.

There was a huge fountain in the middle of the path in front of the entrance with a lifelike statue of a beautiful aquarius holding a vase where the water flowed down and gathered on the lower parts of the fountain.

There were flower bushes on both sides of the paths with trees planted orderly.

The whole structure of the mansion was breathtaking and majestic.

The first time Kikyu came into this world, she was awed at the sight of this majestic and gorgeous mansion. Both the exterior and the interior were carefully designed and crafted. Everything about it screamed wealth and majesty.

It was only second to the imperial palace that was double the size of the mansion in the whole capital city, no, maybe even in the whole kingdom.

The sword training was done in the training field of the black magic swordknights. It was located at the far back of the mansion, connected to the garden with an entrance.

The whole training field was vast and open, separated into different areas for training; Running field, sparring area, archery grounds, horse-riding grounds and other such areas.

Charlotte wore a black riding suit for ease in movement with her long silvery white hair tied up high into a ponytail. Her silvery white hair and her black riding suit paired with her calm personality made her look like the mini version of her father with different hair and eye colours.

Among the two siblings, according to looks, her brother was very similar to their father but according to temperament and personality, she was exactly the same as their father.

Her brother also trained together with her so he also joined her to head towards the training field in his deep blue riding suit. Though he hadn't joined her for his training for a few days in preparation for his blessing ceremony.

Arriving in the training field, they could see the knights training with great vigour. They were either sparring with each other or running around the fields, shouting energetically.

Seeing these perfectly fit and strong men seriously training with sweat dripping down their eyebrows to their chin, it set off a very manly and hot-blooded scenery.

Charlotte held great admiration towards these hard-working and talented knights of her family. She had always liked warriors in anime and admired them for their loyalty and courage in the battlefield.

The 21st century was a peaceful world with no wars so she could only see them in anime and movies. The soldiers who put their lives at line for their country, anyone would feel respect towards them.

Now seeing them up close after coming into this world, she couldn't help but admire them even more.

Her family was military based and were the protectors of the country. Her father was the commander of the strongest knight squad and the person with great military power on hand.

Since generations, the family members were strictly taught and trained to become great warriors who went into battlefields. Whether it be a boy or a girl, anyone could do it as long as they willed.

So for her family, she had decided to become stronger and protect their country alongside her father and brother.

She finally had a family of her own so she would do her best to protect them with her own strength.

Noticing their arrival, the knights who were in the middle of their training stopped whatever they were doing and hastily came towards them, their face full of excitement.

There was no trace of their previous vigour and seriousness but instead looked like puppies wagging their tails at their master's arrival which made Charlotte want to take back her previous thoughts.

It was quite harsh to call them puppies but....nothing else was more suitable to describe them.

Just why do they act like this whenever she came here? They were completely crushing the image of the stoic and powerful warriors in her mind!

"Princess, young master! You have come for your sword training class?" A knight with deep brown hair greeted them with a happy smile on his face. He looked to be around his twenties and had a healthy wheat coloured skin.

"Oh, Kyle-san! It's been a while. I've been busy for my blessing ceremony so I couldn't come to you for our promise. After the blessing ceremony, you must keep our promise, okay?"

Jeref beamed happily at the knight called Kyle who greeted them just now. His eyes shone brightly as he stared at Kyle with a meaningful gaze.

Kyle's smile faltered a bit and showed a helpless expression as he replied.

"Young master, I won't forget. Don't worry."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes a bit after seeing their suspicious exchange of glances.

What promise? Her brother seemed a bit too excited about it. What could they be hiding?

Her eyes darted from her brother to Kyle and smelled something fishy going on between them.

Hm, interesting. She might as well find out what it is later.

"You still look as cute as ever today, princess!" Charlotte shifted her gaze to the side and saw the other knights looking at her with smile on their face.

They really looked like puppies...

"No no, our princess looks more cute than before. She seems to get cuter as she grows up."

"That's true. That's very true!"

"I agree too. She looks cute in every way possible."

Her lips twitched as she listened to their nonsense. It was like this everytime they met.

She sighed lightly but didn't find their words or behaviours repulsive. This was their way of showing their fondness towards her as their young lady.

She smiled lightly at them.

"Good afternoon. Is everyone doing well?"

Her smile seemed to have shot imaginary arrows right through their hearts as they covered their chest with their hands dramatically.

'An angel....their princess was an angel sent from heavens! How can she be so cute?'

"Hm? Why are you all in a daze?" Charlotte blinked her eyes as she looked at them in confusion.

Did she say something wrong?

"Ah? O-oh! We are doing very well. Thank you for worrying about us, princess!"

"Yes, everyone is doing great! I have even improved in my trainings recently!"

"Princess, Princess. Would you like me to show you some of my moves?"

"No, Princess. Let me show you instead!"

"Ah? I asked first!"

"So what? I want to show how much I have improved to Princess too!"

"What? You want to fight?"

"Hmph! Who is scared of who? Come at me if you dare!"

Charlotte face palmed inside her head at them.

Ah~ they don't seem to change even after so long.

"You guys are at it again. How can you grown up men fight in her highness' presence?!" Suddenly, a stern voice interrupted the fight between the knights.

Hearing the voice, the knights instantly quietened down and straightened their backs as they stood orderly.

Charlotte calmly turned her head towards the bear like man who just arrived.

He was big like a bear with a muscular body, fiery red hair and a short beard on his face with a tanned skin. He looked like a very strict military man with a strong aura around him.

He was the vice-commander of the Black magic swordknights squad, Marquise Brennan. He was also their instructor in charge of teaching them sword mastery.

"Who told you to stop your training and come here to disturb her highness? All of you are punished to run 30 laps without stopping or else there will be no lunch for you lots!"

Marquise Brennan sternly reprimanded after stopping in front of them.

"Ehhh?? But we have already completed our training till lunch break..."

The knights immediately expressed their dissatisfaction with a wronged look on their face.

"No more complaints. If you don't complete the runs then you can say goodbye to your lunch as well."

With this, although still unwilling, the knights stopped complaining and turned around to run.

Marquise Brennan nodded in satisfaction and suddenly turned towards her.

Then...his powerful aura and his strict expression took a turn as a warm and smiley faced uncle next-door replaced it.

"Oh, my little princess! You look so adorable today. Did you grow taller in the time I didn't see you? Oh, my eyes, I can't help but tear up thinking how much you have grown up from the cute little angel I saw in your first birthday."

Marquise Brennan circled around her excitedly as he shed tears of happiness, completely different from the strict vice-commander from before.

The knights running around the field glanced at him in disdain.

You scold us for disturbing the princess but look, you are also the same, vice-commander! Why don't you come and run with us too? Really unfair!

Seeing the bear-like man looking at her with tear-filled puppy eyes, Charlotte face palmed yet again inside her head.

Can't they act normal at least once? Her impression of the brave and stoic warriors was really in the verge of collapsing!