Chapter 430

Chapter 53: Flying Flower Sword Dance, Moon-Drunk Musician Below

The night sky was serene.

Moonlight flowed like water, spilling over the flowers and leaves in the courtyard, as if wrapped in a gossamer dream.

In front of the mansion, the garden filled with the fragrance of osmanthus and orchids was immersed in the moonlight veiled by a thin mist. The petals and leaves, dotted with dew, gently fluttered with the breeze and clouds, weaving amidst the rising and falling sounds of insects, resembling the most soothing symphony of summer.

A young girl, drenched in sweat in her cotton nightgown, stood amidst the flower beds. She held a wooden sword tightly in her hand, closed her eyes, let the gentle wind play with her hair, then assumed a stance and suddenly thrust forward with her sword.

“Hey!”

Her delicate cry echoed, the wind roaring.

This thrust produced a “whoosh—” sound, powerful enough to sweep up the petals, some of which danced upward.

However, in mid-air, the golden-haired queen, holding a goblet and dancing gracefully like a butterfly, slightly frowned at the girl’s movements.

“No.”

She said, her figure gliding forward. Her sleeves swayed in the wind, and the wine in her goblet remained perfectly still as she drew a graceful arc above the girl’s head before flying to her side.

“Your wrist needs to be decisive, your rhythm natural. Combine strength and grace, use your body to complement your sword. Understand the principles of swordsmanship; rules arise from principles.”

The golden-haired queen, not touching the ground, gently traced the girl’s cheek with her fingertips, lightly tapping her sword hand.

“What is meant by leveraging strengths and avoiding weaknesses, using every ability to its fullest. Whenever you execute any move, give it your all while retaining some reserve power. Pepé, truly understand what the teacher wrote in his notes, or else you’ll be cutting off your own retreat.”

As she spoke, her snow-white body moved like a playful fish in the sea, circling around the girl with floral waves, freely swimming about.

“Hey! Hey! Ha! Ya!”

The girl continued to step forward, her wooden sword either slashing or stabbing. Each sword stroke sounded like a gust of wind, and each cry resembled the chirping of a bird, emerging from the scattered petals swirling in the air, filling every corner of the courtyard. With each step, beads of sweat flew from her forehead.

“Pay attention to the force from your elbow and waist, the movement of your wrists should be smaller and lighter… Your sword has enough speed and power, but lacks adaptability, isn’t fluid enough. It feels like you’re only focusing on delivering the strike itself. In other words, it’s akin to street brawls or the reckless attacks of third-rate warriors, who desperately attack with no consideration for defense, not thinking about counterattacks, relying solely on brute courage.”

The golden-haired queen floated beside the girl, drifting along with her steps, observing every detail of her movements before taking a small sip of wine.

“The way you attack with brute force, seeking only to overpower, would work against an opponent weaker than you in strength, speed, and reaction time. You could either block or avoid their attacks. But if someone matches or even surpasses you in one of these areas, that sword strike will backfire, causing injury to yourself.”

“Hey! Ya! Ya!”

The two figures, like two white orchids in a quiet valley, danced amidst the swirling petals.

“Heyya—”

Suddenly, the girl turned and thrust at the side, aiming for the queen’s chest, her sweaty face showing a faint smile.

“Boom!”

The sword was deflected.

“Puff—, puff—, puff—”

The girl panted heavily, seemingly tired. Wiping the sweat from her face, she slowly lowered her wooden sword and stood still, watching the queen hover in front of her.

“You’re trying too hard…”

“Bang.”

The girl was hit on the head.

“Ouch!”

She immediately covered her forehead, raising her neck, looking at the other with a rather displeased expression.

The queen paid no mind, took another sip of wine, her movements graceful, her face flushed like peach blossoms.

“The wind hasn’t moved, but the cicada knows. If you faced a truly skilled master like the teacher, that sword strike you just made wouldn’t have been possible. Even if your speed and strength were greater, they would have sensed your movements instantly. Once you move your shoulder, the teacher would lock down all your subsequent actions, forcing you to realize that your move is useless, and you need to change your stance…”

She touched the girl’s forehead, as if soothing the previous blow.

The girl pouted, not dodging.

“The teacher’s sword style aims to strike once and kill, requiring quick eyes and swift hands. During combat, accurately predict the enemy’s moves, and instead of considering evasion or blocking, launch a preemptive or counterattack, seizing the shortest window to inflict the greatest damage. His targets are always the head, throat, heart, kidneys… These vital spots. That’s why those who often engage in fierce battles can barely last three moves before the teacher.”

“You have strong senses and reactions, especially in combat, and your talent is unparalleled. Unfortunately, you didn’t have a good teacher before, relying solely on raw speed and strength. If you faced a true master, this approach would be risky.”

Hearing this, the girl pouted even more.

You haven’t seen me use my full power yet…

Recently, I’ve felt that no human can keep up with the speed and strength of my full power…

Of course, I won’t say this to Victoria. I’ll act like a good student, listening attentively to her guidance… After all, I’m here to learn from her, not argue with her.

The wind in the garden paused.

The petals flying in the air gradually settled, one landing on my forehead. Victoria plucked it away with her fingers, then drank the remaining wine in her goblet.

The red wine was carelessly discarded, the goblet clinking as it rolled into the flower bed, but surprisingly, it didn’t shatter.

Her Majesty licked her lips, the corners of her mouth curling up ever so slightly for a moment before returning to her usual composed expression. She took two steps back, speaking softly to me, “Show me that slash strike again.”

“Okay.”

I nodded, raising the wooden sword once more and doing as she asked. I couldn’t help but remind her, “We agreed, only one glass tonight, no more.”

But in my heart, I was secretly on guard.

Was it just my imagination? She seemed to have smiled…

What mischief is she planning…

Victoria ignored my words.

“It’s still about the force and technique.”

She watched my movements, gently shaking her head as she circled behind me.

“You’re used to using brute strength. When you move, your whole body exerts force. The slash strike may seem powerful, but it’s actually easy to dodge and can be seen through at a glance.”

She walked behind me, extending a pale arm to grasp my right wrist holding the sword. Her soft body pressed against mine, and she leaned close to my ear, her breath like orchid fragrance, “Let me teach you…”

“Mmm…”

I trembled suddenly, feeling an odd warmth from her back. My face burned uncontrollably.

“There’s a smell of wine…”

I said this just to cover my inner panic.

Then she slapped my bottom.

Slap!

“Ahh!”

Victoria’s slap was gentle, more teasing than punishing. I jumped in surprise and involuntarily called out, then hurriedly tried to protect myself.

She was teasing me…

Feeling my cheeks burning hotter, my heart pounded uncontrollably. Wanting to be angry, I turned to glare at her, only to meet her serious and earnest gaze.

“Come, focus. Lift your hand first… Keep the rest of your body still… Initiate the force with your waist… Feel my strength…”

The body pressing against my back began to move gently.

“Start with the waist, then send the force to your shoulder…”

Victoria’s breath was right there.

Through two layers of thin clothing, I could clearly feel her warm skin, her softness, every tense and relaxed part of her body. Those subtle movements gradually became clearer in my mind…

She seems…

to be teaching me very seriously…

Thinking this, I held back my embarrassment, trying hard to control my trembling, squinting my eyes and slowly moving with her.

“That’s right… Good… Now, send the force to your shoulder, then from your shoulder to your arm, guiding the sword out. Relax other parts… relax…”

Slap!

“Ouch!”

My bottom was slapped again.

“Why did you tense up when I told you to relax?”

“But…”

I turned my head again, my face flushed with shame, looking pitifully at Queen Victoria’s stern expression. My mouth opened, but nothing came out.

How can I relax like this…

I’m too nervous to do anything…

“Try again.”

“No…”

I mumbled a refusal, but Victoria ignored me.

“Close your eyes and follow my hand…”

She released my wrist, placing her palm on my lower right side.

“Start here, try to initiate the force, then guide it upward to your shoulder…”

Her hand slowly, slowly moved up from my side, circling around my right…

“Giggling!”

I couldn’t help laughing and struggled a bit.

It tickled!

Beyond the unbearable itch, a strange feeling rose from within, making my emotions fluctuate wildly. I felt both embarrassed and awkward, quickly twisting away to avoid her hand, then immediately protecting my bottom, fearing another slap. Looking pitifully back, our eyes met, bright and clear.

“Did you not wear a corset?” she asked me.

“Mm-hm…”

Instinctively, I covered my chest, feeling my face must be extremely red. Breathing heavily, I stepped back several paces, staring at my feet, no longer daring to look at her.

“Viki…”

“What’s wrong?”

“I… I don’t want to practice anymore…”

If I continue, I’ll become strange…

“Then take a break.”

Thank goodness…

With her permission, I finally felt relieved.

“Mm…”

My hands were shaking…

Such a lack of composure…

…………

Night deepened.

Putting down the wooden sword, we sat on the reclining chairs in the new pavilion.

Victoria was right across from me, but I still hesitated to look at her. So, I lifted my head to gaze at the two faint crescent moons in the sky, wanting to say something, yet finding I had nothing to say…

I remained silent, and so did Victoria across from me. I wondered what she was thinking… Was she angry because of what happened earlier… But I really can’t…

My mind was in turmoil, the atmosphere was heavy and quiet.

Only after a long while did my complex emotions gradually settle.

I sighed and lightly patted my chest.

Now…

I feel like I can talk to her properly…

Just as I turned to look at Victoria, I heard her calm voice say, “Come over, let me hold you.”

Those words made my heart leap to my throat once more.