I Became a Swordsmanship Instructor in a Romance Novel

Eyes dripping with honey, a gaze so affectionate it seemed to devour her face.

Thick, calloused hands hovered around her red hair, afraid to even stroke it for fear of breaking her.

“……We were so terrible to you… I am truly sorry… Thinking back, it’s as if we were possessed… Honor, money, power… Such trivial things blinded us, making us forget what was truly precious….”

“Prec-… Precious, you say…?”

“Yes, my daughter. Iriel Eustia. You.”

Goosebumps erupted all over Iriel’s fair skin.

An unbearable awkwardness washed over her, making her whole body tingle and her breath hitch.

She almost wished they would revert back to their old selves, coldly scrutinizing her from head to toe with a disappointed tongue clicking.

“Oh my, are you cold, Iriel? Look at your goosebumps!”

Iriel’s lifeless eyes slid sideways.

‘This is all your fault….’

The sharp-tongued noblewoman was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a gentle, soft-spoken lady clinging to her side.

‘Ugh… And what is Aunt Hela doing….’

Duke Eustia was overwhelming enough, but with her aunt joining the charade, Iriel felt like she was going insane.

It was as if entirely new souls had taken over their bodies.

‘I wanted them to treat me better, but…! Not like this…!’

The stark contrast to their previous behavior was more frightening than welcoming.

‘Why, why are they doing this…? Seriously… Are they both possessed by Satan…? Is this… some new form of torture…?’

Suddenly, Iriel recalled what Soi had said earlier.

Her commoner friend who, after a trip outside with Zeke, had returned a completely changed person.

[Well… To be honest, I did wonder if I was doing something wrong… but it seems like I did the right thing after all….]

If that’s the case, then this was definitely Zeke and Soi’s doing!

‘I won’t let them get away with this…!’

She steeled her resolve, though a part of her couldn’t help but warm to the unfamiliar, affectionate attention from her family.

Perhaps a little distance would be preferable…

‘Hmph. Fine. I’ll let them off the hook… for about ten loaves of bread.’

Still, her desire to escape this suffocating situation remained as strong as ever.

Maybe things would get better with time, but right now, she couldn’t stand it.

Unfortunately, her father and aunt showed no signs of letting up.

Just then.

“Duke Eustia!”

As if on cue, Rosnante appeared.

Gasp—

Gasp—

He was breathing heavily, as though he had been running.

The moment their intimate time with Iriel was interrupted, Duke Eustia and Hela’s eyes turned sharp.

The gentle curve of their eyes vanished, replaced by their usual icy demeanor.

“…Second Prince?”

“…Yes!”

“What is it? I’m busy.”

“I, I just need a moment of your time…”

“If it’s not urgent, we can discuss it later, Second Prince. I’d prefer not to be interrupted any further.”

Despite his position as a direct descendant of the imperial family, Duke Eustia’s tone was cold and dismissive.

Rosnante’s face betrayed his bewilderment.

‘…Huh? I knew Yohaiden doted on Selena… but I didn’t realize Eustia was like this…’

He could see the perfect overlap of Duke Yohaiden’s face with Duke Eustia’s.

The face of a complete daughter-obsessed fool.

‘What the… What’s going on…’

As Rosnante struggled to grasp the situation, Iriel saw an opportunity.

“Rosnante?”

She seized the chance to escape.

“Oh, uh, Iriel.”

“Did you come to speak with my father?”

“Uh… Yes, well, that is…”

“Ah, I see! Then I’ll be on my way! I don’t quite understand these complicated matters. Where’s Zeke?”

“He’s, uh, back there… but wait, I need your help…”

“Sure, no problem! Thanks! See you later, Father, Aunt Hela~!”

In the blink of an eye, Iriel was up and out of her seat.

She offered Rosnante a cheerful wave as she slipped away, leaving him as a sacrificial lamb.

Fwoosh—!

Duke Eustia and Hela reached out to grab her, but Iriel, boosted by mana, was already gone.

The exact same scene replayed itself from before.

‘Damn it.’

Rosnante cursed under his breath.

***

“…How dare you interrupt my time with Iriel… Second Prince…”

“Honestly… You haven’t even secured the position of Crown Prince yet, what was the meaning of this?”

Rosnante felt a chill run down his spine as the two most powerful figures in Eustia glared at him.

Unlike Yohaiden, who exercised a degree of restraint, these two knew no such boundaries.

‘Wait a minute…! Weren’t they distant from Iriel before?! Why the sudden change of heart?!’

Rosnante felt wronged.

But if he backed down now, he would have nowhere else to turn.

He had barely managed to broach the subject of magic stones with Yohaiden, only to be told they were all out.

If he couldn’t borrow some from Eustia, his only remaining option was to beg his own father – a last resort he desperately wanted to avoid.

‘Don’t chicken out! You can do this, Rosnante Leonine! You’ve grown! Speak with confidence!’

“We-well… The truth is, I currently hold more support from the nobles than First Prince Ilios…”

Despite his internal pep talk, his voice came out pathetically.

Of course, if he actually became Crown Prince, he could forge new alliances, but for now, he was at Duke Eustia’s mercy.

A Duke was a Duke, respected by all nobles.

Even the Emperor wouldn’t dare to treat them lightly, given their power and influence.

“You claim to be more qualified than First Prince Ilios?”

Duke Eustia scrutinized Rosnante from head to toe, his expression dubious.

Then, as if it didn’t matter either way, he declared,

“Well, it’s irrelevant whether it’s true or not. What’s your point? Even if you have the support of every noble in the empire, I could easily crush you with a single word in support of the First Prince. Why are you telling me this, Second Prince? Don’t tell me you came here expecting my endorsement just because other nobles are backing you.”

Duke Eustia’s gaze was as cold as if he were looking at a piece of trash.

‘Oh, crap. This isn’t working…’

“N-no, sir! That’s not why I’m here! Please disregard that! Let me get straight to the point! I was wondering… if by any chance… you had any spare magic stones… I’d be willing to pay a handsome price for them. I’m in need of about twenty… Would you consider selling them to me?”

“Hmm? Twenty magic stones…? That would be quite expensive…”

“Oh! So you do have twenty magic stones!”

Rosnante’s eyes lit up with hope.

Duke Eustia pondered, mentally calculating the value of the deal.

Twenty magic stones.

It was no small sum.

If he sold them at a premium, he could make a considerable profit.

And with that profit, he could shower Iriel with gifts…

The Duke’s eyebrows twitched in interest.

However, Hela interjected, her tone laced with disbelief.

“…But do you even have the money to pay for them, Second Prince?”

“…Well, about that…”

Rosnante gulped, his throat dry.

“Once I become Crown Prince, I’ll repay you generously…”

“Are you toying with me, Second Prince?”

Duke Eustia cut him off sharply.

Backed into a corner, Rosnante pleaded,

“If you could just lend them to me! I swear, I’ll never forget Eustia’s generosity…”

“Ha! You have much to learn about negotiations, Second Prince. You’re asking us to gamble a fortune on your uncertain future. And you claim we’ll be repaid once you’re Crown Prince? How utterly absurd… If you’ve wasted our time with such empty promises, I trust you’re prepared to face the consequences…”

Rosnante felt a surge of palpable hostility.

He closed his eyes tightly.

‘Think, Rosnante, think!’

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him.

An idea so brilliant, it only came around once a decade.

“Iriel Eustia!”

Duke Eustia and Hela froze, their expressions hardening at the mention of her name.

“…You’ve crossed a line, mentioning my daughter here… Don’t tell me you’re harboring delusions of marrying Iriel…”

“My word, Rosnante Leonine… You’ve truly gone too far.”

The air crackled with tension, their displeasure bordering on outright fury.

“That’s not it!!!”

Rosnante’s immediate denial seemed to appease them slightly.

They would hear him out, for now.

But their expressions promised swift retribution if he uttered another word out of line.

Seizing the opportunity, Rosnante quickly continued, “Information! I have information!”

“…Oh?”

“Information, you say… Second Prince, are you aware that we are Eustia?”

Hela raised an eyebrow, her tone laced with amusement.

House Eustia was renowned for its intelligence network, surpassing even Yohaiden’s.

They had eyes and ears everywhere, feeding a constant stream of information directly to Hela.

While they had suffered losses in the recent expedition, their intelligence network remained largely intact.

But Rosnante’s eyes still gleamed with confidence.

“However… this is Ramielli Academy. Even for Eustia, acquiring information here isn’t easy.”

“Hmm, it’s a bit tricky, but not impossible with a little effort.”

Hela replied, her fan hiding a smirk.

“I’m in the same class as Iriel.”

“?”

“We’re in the same swordsmanship class. No matter how vast Eustia’s information network, nothing beats firsthand accounts. What do you think holds more value, information gathered through whispers and rumors, or information witnessed directly?”

“Interesting…”

Duke Eustia let out a low whistle.

He had to admit, the boy was starting to show some negotiating skills.

But Rosnante had one final card to play.

“A recording crystal.”

“!”

“I’ll record Iriel’s training sessions with a recording crystal and send them to you.”

He had witnessed Duke Yohaiden recording Selena’s matches during the midterm evaluation.

If Duke Eustia had truly transformed into a doting father, he wouldn’t be able to refuse this offer.

As expected, the Duke and Hela’s eyes widened.

“Iriel’s…”

“Training footage…?”

To see Iriel sweating, struggling, and growing stronger with each passing day, captured on a crystal for them to witness…

The thought of all the lost time gnawed at their hearts.

They could barely recall how Iriel had grown up, what memories they had made.

It was as if she had gone from a small child to a young woman in the blink of an eye, with no connection between the two.

The guilt of their neglect was a heavy burden to bear.

Rosnante’s proposal had struck a nerve, hitting them where it hurt the most.

‘He’s got us over a barrel…’

The Duke chuckled dryly, looking at Rosnante with newfound respect.

“…Very well. I’ll give you this, Second Prince. You’re indeed a step above Ilios.”

“Indeed. Ilios wouldn’t even be allowed in that swordsmanship class.”

“Alright. Twenty magic stones, Rosnante. Consider it a debt. I’ll have them delivered to you. But don’t forget, you’ll pay a hefty price for this later.”

“YES!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Rosnante roared in triumph.

‘Yessss!!! Finally, I can use mana!!!’

Tears of joy welled up in his eyes.