I Became a Swordsmanship Instructor in a Romance Novel

“Zeke! Soi! What in the world happened? Father and Aunt are……! Hmm!?”

Iriel, freed from her family, rushed over with a tearful face, her red hair fluttering in the wind.

She started to pour out her words in a torrent but stopped when she saw Selena already there.

“Tsk. What the……. What are you doing here, flowerbed?”

Iriel clicked her tongue and snapped at her, clearly displeased.

“Tsk. Why? Am I not allowed to be here? The instructor is here, so of. course. I should be here, shouldn’t I?”

Selena retorted sharply, refusing to back down.

Iriel nodded calmly.

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s not like you’re not allowed to be here.

So, now that we’ve seen each other’s faces, are you done?

I have something important to tell Soi and Zeke, so could you please move aside?”

Crackle-

A vein popped out on Selena’s smooth forehead.

This flat-chested girl’s every word was irritating.

If there was truly someone who was her complete opposite, it would be this girl.

“Ha. I’m not done yet, so since you came late, could you shrivel up and stay away from us? Or if you don’t like that, come back later.”

While the two exchanged barbs, Soi’s eyes darted back and forth between them.

She turned her head to the side.

Zeke was tilting his head, furrowing his brows.

“……Hmm, did their relationship worsen again while I was gone……?”

“Um, Instructor. Do you need an explanation for why they’re acting like this?”

Seeing that he didn’t seem to understand the current situation, Soi offered to translate.

“Hmm? Ah, yes. Now that your ability has blossomed……. Yes, please.”

Zeke nodded.

“Don’t keep ordering me around like this and that, flowerbed. I’m not your errand girl.”

– If you had asked nicely, I would have listened. And, I have my friends behind me, so it’s a bit embarrassing for me.

“Ha. Is it that hard to wait your turn? And why are you bringing up what happened earlier now? As expected of a cliff, you’re narrow-minded.”

– I’m sorry for finishing late, past the agreed-upon time. If you keep talking like that, I’ll feel even more sorry. Can’t you just let it go with a broad mind?

“Hmph! Carrying around those uselessly large lumps of fat must be cumbersome. Why are you so proud of them?”

– I’m envious. Really envious. I’m so envious I could die. I want to have breasts like yours.

“Tch! Then I’m much better than your pathetic body with nothing but bones.”

– Oh my, how can you be so skinny without any flab even though you eat bread every day? Your legs are long too. You’re so pretty. I wish I were like that……. Could you tell me how you do it?

“…….”

“…….”

Selena and Iriel both shut their mouths at the same time as if they had promised to do so.

They had been trying to ignore them, but they couldn’t ignore the irritating words any longer.

Soi Spoon was mimicking their voices as if she were doing a voice impression.

The two turned their heads to look at Soi.

“Right now, they’re thinking, ‘Huk! How did she know that!?’”

“Hmm. I see.”

Zeke nodded in understanding.

“W-wait, Soi. What have you been……. When did I ever say that to flowerbed……?”

“Yeah. I would never have such feelings for a cliff.”

Zeke stroked his chin and interjected.

“Hmm. Soi hasn’t had her ability for very long, so she’s not able to control it yet. Normally, she wouldn’t be able to read your inner thoughts so specifically, so don’t worry.”

Selena and Iriel’s faces flushed red.

“Th-that…….”

“Reading minds…….”

The two princesses from the Duke families glanced at each other.

Their hidden feelings, which they had never revealed before, had been directly exposed to each other, so they couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and shy.

‘Cliff……. My breasts……. Hmmmm!’

‘Hmm, hmm. So flowerbed was envious of my body… Is that what she meant……?’

Then, a realization more important than anything else flashed through their minds.

‘Wait……. If she can read our minds……!’

‘I can know……. What Zeke thinks of me……!?’

Zeke Clayman, a man with no expression and rarely showed any emotion.

He was always expressionless, only nodding his head.

So, it wasn’t just once or twice that they wanted to delve into his inner thoughts.

If so, now was the perfect opportunity to peek inside!

In truth, this was like carelessly opening Pandora’s Box, but their hearts and bodies were so captivated by this stone-like man that there was no hesitation.

‘Nod’

They exchanged glances and nodded, each grabbing Soi’s left and right hand.

“Instructor! Wait!”

“We have something to talk about!”

“Uh……. Th-that’s not…….”

Before Zeke could finish saying that Soi couldn’t read his mind, the two princesses dragged her away.

As he stared blankly in the direction they had disappeared, he felt a piercing gaze from beside him.

“……You ignored me again……. Today, I also, saw you after a long time……. But again…….”

The black-haired girl, Yuri Gilbert, pouted her lips with a resentful look.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you. The things I have to tell you are a bit personal and difficult to say in front of others.”

Zeke apologized honestly.

“……Personal things……?”

“Yes.”

Suddenly, her face flushed red, and her eyes filled with anticipation.

“……Huu. I’m ready. T-tell me.”

Yuri replied in a serious voice.

Things he had to tell her in private when the others weren’t around.

What could he possibly want to say that he had to set the mood like this?

Yuri somehow couldn’t meet his eyes and lowered her head.

“Well, yes. You must have seen it just now.”

“Yes……?”

“Soi Spoon. She has developed a new ability.”

Yuri’s excitement fizzled out.

‘Sigh. Of course…….’

What did he want to say, but it was about another girl, not her.

A small sigh escaped her lips.

“So?”

“Well, that ability is not only able to read other people’s emotions and thoughts but also to change them.”

“……Change their minds?”

Zeke nodded.

“Yes.

She can turn a good person bad, or a bad person good.

She can make someone hate what they love, and she can make them pour endless affection into what they used to hate.”

Yuri’s black eyes widened.

If Zeke’s words were true, it was an almost omnipotent power.

“In Iriel’s case, the relationship itself wasn’t broken, so I changed it without her consent…….

But in your case, I think I need your permission.”

“……Permission?”

“Yes, your father. I can make Count Gilbert the ideal father you’ve always dreamed of.”

Thump

Zeke’s words struck Yuri’s heart heavily.

‘He can change my father’s heart……?’

She pondered.

A father who cherished and loved her.

The sight of her own blood relative, whom she had already cut off, coming to her and stroking her head.

“……Uh…….”

Her mind was in turmoil as various thoughts mixed together.

“Will you do it?”

Those black eyes, just like hers, stared intently at her.

Meeting his gaze, a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Her confused heart calmed down, and she was able to make a decision more easily than she thought.

“No. I won’t.”

Her choice, in the end, was rejection.

“Why?”

“……I, I don’t remember my father’s face.”

No matter how hard she tried to recall, Count Gilbert’s face wouldn’t come to mind, as if it had been cut off.

It seemed like she had severed his very existence when she cut ties with him.

“If it had been before things got to this point, like you said, I think I would have accepted it.

Because back then, I still had hope. But……. Even if he changes now, it’s too late to reconnect.”

“Is that so…….”

In fact, giving Yuri Gilbert her father back was the first thing that came to Zeke’s mind when he instilled the new emotion of familial love in Duke Eustia and Hela.

However, he decided to respect Yuri’s choice.

Ultimately, the choice was hers.

Forcing a family she didn’t want would only be a burden.

“So……. Will you……. Take a walk with me……?”

Yuri spoke in a small voice, and Zeke nodded.

“Yes, I will. I’m curious about what’s been happening at the academy.”

In the end, it was Yuri who succeeded in securing Zeke’s time among the four girls.

‘Hmm, but……. I wonder if I can use Soi Spoon’s ability to make Brother Zeke like me……?’

Yuri harbored such a mischievous thought as she walked closely beside Zeke.

***

A week passed.

Rosnante’s steps towards the academy were light and confident.

He felt the weight of the heavy pouch in his arms.

‘Finally!!’

It had been a long week of waiting.

Duke Eustia was reluctant to part with his daughter, so they stayed in the capital for several days, clinging to Iriel.

However, Duke Eustia and Hela needed to return due to the losses they suffered during the expedition.

In the end, they couldn’t stay any longer and returned to the Duchy with tears in their eyes.

Fortunately, they kept their promise to Rosnante as soon as they returned.

Of course, the letters that arrived with several small video recording devices were filled with threatening remarks, but he didn’t mind.

‘I’ve missed the academy too…….’

The factional strife disappeared as if it had never existed with Zeke’s return, but a bigger problem arose.

Now he had to train under Zeke in front of the other children.

Rosnante had barely managed to keep up with his monstrous classmates during training, always lagging behind.

So, he couldn’t bear to train in front of the other noble students.

Rosnante pleaded with Zeke to let him train alone at home for a week, away from the others.

Zeke looked at him with disdain but reluctantly agreed.

‘Now……. With mana……!’

He would bid farewell to his weak past self.

He was offering even magic stones as sacrifices to strengthen his body, so it was only natural that he would gain destructive power, unlike the other children!

A brilliant future unfolded in his mind.

Rosnante Leonine, would rule the Empire with his mighty power and be recorded in history as the most powerful Emperor!

He couldn’t help but grin.

“Does the Second Prince feel unwell?”

“I heard you missed school for a week. Were you really sick?”

The murmurs of the other children reached his ears, but Rosnante didn’t hear them.

“Instructor! I’ve collected all the magic stones!”

He arrived at the training grounds a little early.

He proudly presented the pouch to Zeke, who was standing alone with his sword.