Chapter 12: Family Ties and Hidden Secrets
"Bernice, hold it straight!" Today I’m getting scolded again.
I glared at Sir Xylon.
"Glaring at me won’t give you any benefit," he said, putting even more pressure on me.
He is holding his wooden sword so that I won’t get hurt while sparring, but the way he is easily moving the sword, I couldn’t even though I too was holding the same. I started increasing my pace, but he was moving faster than mine.
"Bernice, focus!" he said as the sword hit my shoulder, making me fall to the ground.
"Get up! This is not the end!" He is too strict.
"Xylon, aren’t you being too strict on Lady Bernice?" one of his colleagues said. Even though it was so slow, I could still hear.
"She is the one who brought this on her. And I don’t distinguish between my students, no matter if it is a lad or a lady," I can feel his eyes on me, piercing me with full anticipation. Yeah, his words are kind of encouraging to me in some way.
"So, Lady Bernice, are you going to slack off the whole day, or will you get up and hit the sword at me?" As he said, I got up with a fierce expression. My hands were moving fast this time, but still not faster than his. As I was trying to find a gap, he was filling it even sooner.
"Lady, faster!" He didn’t call me by name this time.
"Yeah, I told him to treat me the way he treats others, but sometimes honorifics get in the way."
"Lady, find a gap!" He told me as if he was knowingly giving me loopholes, but I’m still not getting it.