“This stance will be less tiring, and it won’t hurt Princess Liana,” Loraviel said, one hand supporting Liana’s waist, the other placed at her elbow, lifting it slightly.

“Does it really save effort? Why do I feel like this is more tiring?” Liana didn’t feel this was much easier; rather, it seemed to increase her stamina drain.

Loraviel could hardly tell her that with Liana’s current strength, no matter how efficient the method, it wouldn’t make much difference, since her strength was limited to begin with.

“Perhaps it’s because Your Highness isn’t used to it yet. Besides, Your Highness’ previous training method could easily cause bodily harm—it’s very easy to get injured or pull a muscle,” Loraviel explained.

“I hope you’re not lying to me.” Liana naturally believed what Loraviel said. After all, she had little knowledge in this area. Besides, if there were any issues with Loraviel’s advice, Oliphia would certainly correct her. Since Oliphia hadn’t said anything, there must not be any problems.

Loraviel’s hand rested on Liana’s lower back, straightening her posture. Then her small hand wandered a bit lower, touching Liana’s buttocks. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

But Liana could say anything, Loraviel quickly slid her hand back up to Liana’s lower back. “Your stance must be correct. This allows better force exertion, concentrating the body’s strength on your arms.”

“...” It was probably just an accident, and Liana didn’t think too much of it.

Under Loraviel’s intimate guidance, Liana did feel somewhat more at ease, but her inherent strength was still what it was.

This time, she managed about twice as many swings as when using the stone sword. Around the thirty-something swing, her hands holding the wooden sword began to tremble uncontrollably.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, but Liana continued to grit her teeth and persist, no longer complaining as she had before.

“Princess Liana, would you like to take a short break?” Loraviel felt worried for Liana.

After all, this was essentially Liana’s first time receiving such intensive training, and she had already done remarkably well.

“Did you complete your first training in one go?” Liana asked.

“...Yes.” Loraviel nodded.

“In one go? No, Loraviel not only completed one hundred swings in one go, she also did an extra hundred,” Oliphia interjected at this point.

It seemed Loraviel had considered Liana’s dignity and hadn’t mentioned this.

“Then, did she use a stone sword before?” This was Liana’s final stubbornness.

Impossible, right? Even if she was the protagonist, she shouldn’t have such exaggerated stats at this early stage!

If she could complete two hundred swings with a stone sword and still continue afternoon practice as if nothing happened, showing no fatigue in the evening, and waking up the next day completely fine—that seemed highly improbable.

“Well, no. She only used a wooden sword,” Oliphia said.

This gave Liana some relief. At least she wasn’t that monstrous... though she was still quite impressive!

“But after about a week, she switched to practicing with a stone sword,” Oliphia added.

Tch

Truly enviable stats, in every sense.

“Considering Your Highness’ efforts with the stone sword earlier, let’s end for today,” Oliphia said, unusually considerate of Liana’s condition.

“Hmph, not necessary.” Liana’s stubbornness surfaced. She had already completed half, including some with the stone sword. If others could do it, how could she fail?

This was just a basic task! If she couldn’t persevere through this, how could she possibly help them?

“If you overexert yourself, you’ll be in a lot of pain tomorrow,” Oliphia reminded her again.

She was somewhat surprised that Princess Liana had shown such determination. “I’m allowing this; Princess Liana wouldn’t be voluntarily giving up.”

“You’re so annoying!” Liana already had to concentrate on her arms, and now she had to listen to Oliphia’s commentary from the sidelines. It was hard to focus.

The sky gradually darkened. Oliphia’s command of “Stop!” could occasionally be heard in the back garden.

However, Oliphia wasn’t overly harsh with Liana. Though she had intended to give Liana a small dose of revenge, it was minimal at most, and she wouldn’t have done so to someone who persevered as Liana had.

Liana’s persistence until now had greatly exceeded her expectations.

Originally, she had thought Liana would give up when told she could rest, but not only had Liana not given up, she had gritted her teeth and persevered. This surprised her.

Ninety-eight...

Ninety-nine...

One hundred!!!

By the final swing, Liana’s hands were trembling uncontrollably, having virtually wrung out all the strength in her body.

“Princess Liana, you’ve worked hard,” Loraviel supported Liana from behind, preventing her from falling to the ground.

Liana leaned against Loraviel’s soft chest. It was very soft, but Liana had no energy to think about anything else. Gasping and breathing heavily, her whole arms numb, sweat-drenched.

Seeing that Liana had truly persevered, Oliphia’s view of her shifted somewhat. If she were merely seeking comfort, she wouldn’t have desperately pushed herself to this extent.

Liana seemed more like someone driven by necessity, as if she needed to prove something.

Oliphia wasn’t sure what it was, but she did know one thing clearly: Princess Liana would likely have difficulty getting out of bed tomorrow and for the next few days.

Also, Princess Liana was truly stubborn, but for today, Oliphia would let her have her way.

“Hmph! Is that all? Your royal knight training methods are absolutely easy and relaxed for me!” Liana declared from Loraviel’s embrace, looking disheveled, not sounding convincing at all.

“Yes, yes, Princess Liana, you’ve worked hard.” This wasn’t the time to challenge Princess Liana’s assertion.

One hundred sword swings was merely the beginning warm-up exercise, but it was better not to tell Princess Liana that right now.

She was curious to see how long Princess Liana could persevere and whether it would change her opinion of her.

“Princess Liana should rest well for the next few days,” Oliphia said. She needed to redesign a series of training methods based on Liana’s physical capabilities.

“Why? Aren’t we continuing tomorrow?” Liana asked.

At this moment, Liana truly resembled someone who had just tasted a bit of sweetness and become overly confident.

“Princess Liana should address her physical issues first. These next few days may require some endurance,” Oliphia said, producing a jar of ointment and handing it to Loraviel.

“This is a medication to alleviate body pain. Just apply it to the body. There’s no need for other medications, and don’t use any healing magic,” Oliphia instructed.

“...” Liana recalled what had happened a few days ago. She still remembered that painful sensation. Reflecting on today’s events, muscle soreness tomorrow was inevitable.

“Why can we only use your medication?” Liana asked.

“Endurance is also a form of training,” Oliphia explained. “This is like training Princess Liana’s resilience in difficult situations, without magic or better treatment methods.”

Liana really wanted to ask if this training was truly necessary!

“I understand.” But she restrained herself. Now she just needed to follow Oliphia’s training methods. She had endured this a few days ago; it wasn’t something she couldn’t bear.

“So you mean, after my body recovers, I should come find you again?” Liana asked.

“Yes.” Oliphia nodded.

“Well, you wait for me. At most, I’ll be back the day after tomorrow!” Liana declared boldly.

Oliphia hoped Liana could indeed recover so quickly. “To prevent Princess Liana from experiencing unbearable pain tomorrow, I recommend applying this medication after bathing tonight, before going to bed.”

“I don’t need your reminder.” Liana waved her hand and got up from Loraviel’s embrace, but she stumbled and fell back against Loraviel’s soft chest.

“...” Liana felt embarrassed. She really had no strength left.

“Princess Liana should rest «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» now.” Loraviel suddenly used her strength to pick Liana up.

Her right hand also held down Liana’s skirt to prevent it from revealing anything, and incidentally, to touch it a bit.

“Wait!” Liana had just been sweating all over; she would definitely have a strange odor!

Moreover, Liana found this princess-carry style extremely embarrassing. If someone saw them, it would be humiliating!

Though she had been embarrassed yesterday, Liana had been fast asleep then and completely unaware.

“Then...” Loraviel crouched down. “Shall I carry Princess Liana on my back?”

“Not necessary! I can walk!” Though Liana said this, she sat down under the pavilion. “Just let me rest a bit more.”

Liana picked up the tea she hadn’t had a chance to drink earlier.

“Princess Liana, this has already cooled. Would you like me to prepare another serving?” Loraviel quickly offered.

Liana had a cat’s tongue, disliking things that were too hot. Plus, she was quite thirsty now and didn’t want to wait too long, so she drank it all in one go.

She untied her shoelaces and placed her feet on the floor. The floor still retained some of the afternoon sun’s warmth, feeling cozy.

But suddenly a cold breeze blew by, and Liana sneezed. “Achoo!”

The temperature difference between day and night was too great. Liana could already feel a chill, especially since she was wearing a short skirt and short sleeves, naturally feeling a bit cold.

“Princess Liana.” Loraviel stepped forward with a coat that seemed to appear from nowhere and draped it over Liana.

“Well done.” Liana commended.

“Thank you for your praise, Your Highness.”

Liana felt sufficiently rested and prepared to stand, using her hands to push off from the chair.

“Princess Liana, you haven’t put your shoes on yet.” Loraviel knelt down, helped Liana with her shoes, then stood beside her, extending her hand to support Liana.

Liana didn’t force herself and placed her hand on Loraviel’s.

Only at moments like this could Loraviel briefly experience the feeling of holding hands with Liana.

Though she couldn’t openly link arms with Princess Liana like Mephilia did, she could sleep with Princess Liana—no, that’s not right—accompany her while sleeping, warm her bed!

Liana returned to her room. Having just finished training, she was dirty all over, but she forcibly resisted the urge to jump onto the soft, fluffy mattress.

“Go prepare hot water for me, then prepare dinner,” Liana said.

“I understand, Princess Liana.” Loraviel nodded.

Liana sat in the chair. This was the first time since coming to this world that she had felt so exhausted.

“Ah.” Liana sighed. She knew without thinking what tomorrow would bring.

But if given another chance, Liana would still do the same.

She wanted to know her limits. If she couldn’t persevere through even this, how could she talk about helping them!

Though this approach might be somewhat counterproductive, since for the next few days, she’d likely be confined to bed.

“Princess Liana, I’ve prepared a suitable water temperature for you. Shall I go prepare your dinner now?” Loraviel asked.

“Go ahead.”

Liana also stood up and went to the bathroom, removing her stained clothes and skirt, and directly soaked in the bathtub.

“What a perfect water temperature.” Liana felt completely rejuvenated. As a maid, Loraviel was becoming increasingly proficient, but...

Liana blew at the flower petals floating on the water’s surface. “Only one month left. I need to gradually get used to life without Loraviel.”

Liana didn’t believe she could find a servant more suitable for her than Loraviel. Ordinary people couldn’t endure Liana’s surprises.

But thinking about it, she might not need to surprise others anymore. Still, finding a maid as capable as Loraviel would be difficult.

“Princess Liana.” Loraviel’s voice came from outside the door. “Do you need my assistance?”

“No need.” Liana stood up. Soaking too long could cause dizziness.

Liana got dressed and walked out.

Dinner was sumptuous and consisted entirely of Liana’s favorite foods.

Liana pointed to the old dressing table. “Help me move all the cosmetics and such over there.”

Loraviel followed her gaze and saw a brand-new dressing table.

Liana had originally intended for Loraviel to use the new dressing table, but any way she thought about it seemed odd.

Why would a servant use a new dressing table while the mistress, Loraviel, continued to use an old one?

To make it more reasonable, Liana decided it was better for her to use the new one. Besides, the old dressing table could be legitimately given to Loraviel.

Moreover, the “old” dressing table Liana had been using wasn’t actually old at all. It was essentially Liana’s personal dressing table, practically brand new, with absolutely no need for replacement.

“I understand, Princess Liana.” Loraviel quickly moved the cosmetics to the new dressing table.

Before long, she had moved everything over. “Princess Liana, what should be done with this old dressing table? Should it be removed? Keeping it here might be cumbersome, right?”

“I originally planned to throw it away as junk, since you’ve used it. But on second thought, if I threw it away, you’d end up using my new dressing table, and then I’d have to commission another one. What a hassle. So, keep this one here for your use,” Liana said with a disdainful expression.

But Loraviel felt at ease. She had anticipated this outcome. Princess Liana was merely finding a suitable reason to let her use it comfortably. Her Highness had always been this way.

After dinner, Liana didn’t feel any discomfort in her body, just a general fatigue.

But having experienced muscle soreness just a few days ago, Liana wouldn’t underestimate it this time. She laid on the bed. “Apply the medicine for me as Oliphia instructed.”

“Yes, of course.” Loraviel nodded.

“But won’t applying medication before sleeping make the bed messy?” Liana asked.

Loraviel opened the lid. “Don’t worry, Princess Liana. This medication doesn’t have any strange odor. It’s like a semi-transparent liquid that won’t cause issues even if it gets on the bed. Besides, I clean Princess Liana’s room and bedding every day.”

Liana felt somewhat relieved then. She certainly didn’t want her room smelling of strange medications.

“Princess Liana, would you like me to give you a massage? It might help with your condition tomorrow,” Loraviel suggested.

“That would be fine.” Liana didn’t refuse.

“Excuse me, Princess Liana.” Loraviel sat on Liana’s back, though her legs were supporting her weight, so Liana didn’t feel much heaviness. Even if Loraviel had sat her full weight on her, Liana probably wouldn’t have had much issue since Loraviel wasn’t particularly heavy.

Loraviel placed her hands on Liana’s arms, pressing firmly to alleviate the day’s overuse.

“Mnn... ngh!?” Liana initially made a somewhat pained sound, but then felt very comfortable. Loraviel’s skills were quite good.

Loraviel also enjoyed this moment of legitimate intimate contact with Princess Liana. However, one slightly embarrassing aspect was that the sounds Princess Liana was making seemed somewhat... sensual.

This left Loraviel not knowing whether to listen or ignore, truly like a bewitching little sprite.

“Princess Liana, the crystal ball is pulsing.” Just as Loraviel was becoming engrossed in Liana’s sighs, the nearby crystal ball emitted a faint glow, indicating someone was trying to contact Liana through it.

And there was only one person who could contact Liana through this crystal ball—Princess Mephilia.

“Crystal ball?” Liana raised her head, saw the pulsations of the crystal ball on her bedside table, and knew immediately that Mephilia was trying to reach her.

“What’s wrong, Princess Liana? Won’t you answer it?” Loraviel asked.

Liana certainly wanted to answer. After all, Mephilia must have finished her tasks before contacting Liana. Refusing would mean waiting until the next opportunity.

Mephilia was very busy, and Liana couldn’t actively seek her out or disturb her. Even if she tried, Mephilia probably wouldn’t receive the message.

But the current situation was somewhat awkward. Her body felt limp and lazy; she couldn’t help it—Loraviel’s techniques were too good. Liana was lying face down and didn’t want to move, feeling completely relaxed. “Bring me the crystal ball.”

“Certainly.”

After receiving the crystal ball, Liana found an angle that showed only her face and accepted the communication.

“Liana!” The moment the connection was established, Mephilia’s joyful voice came through.

Liana was certainly happy too, but recalling yesterday’s events made her expression slightly awkward.

“Why didn’t you tell me when you arrived!” Mephilia complained somewhat.

Mainly because Liana herself didn’t know when she had arrived. She had fallen asleep during the journey, and by the time she woke up, it was already morning.

“It was too late, and I didn’t want to disturb you. Besides, aren’t you very busy during the day? You can’t carry this magic ball with you at all times, can you?” Liana asked.

“It’s just a mini magic ball. It’s not strange to always carry it with me,” Mephilia replied.

Since learning the truth, she had carried this magic ball with her constantly, fearing she might miss a message from Liana and something unexpected would happen. She needed to be available to help Liana at any time.

Both seemed somewhat awkward. After all, their earlier encounter had been sudden, and then both had somewhat fled the scene.

Mephilia truly wanted to see Liana, but upon seeing her, she momentarily didn’t know what to say.

Loraviel: “...”

Though the two hadn’t said much, their behavior and gestures conveyed sweetness.

This made Loraviel unconsciously apply more pressure with her hands.

“Mmn...” Liana involuntarily let out an alluring gasp.

“What’s wrong, Liana?” Mephilia asked.

“Nothing.” Liana turned her head to glare at Loraviel, mouthing to her to be gentler.

After the warning, Liana turned back to chat with Mephilia.

Loraviel envied their relationship. Her hands moved to Liana’s thighs. After standing for so long today, her thighs must be tired too.

Liana’s body trembled slightly, but feeling that Loraviel was just giving a normal massage, she didn’t say anything.

However, this time, Loraviel seemed to be applying extra pressure?

“Liana, are you uncomfortable somewhere?” Mephilia asked.

“...It’s just a massage.”