The Countess is Practicing Her Swing with a Burdock Root — Part 3

Reizen’s expression became fiercely intense. Normally emotionless, his features now sharpened like an ice blade as his brow furrowed. The sheer intensity of his presence would have made a child cry, a subordinate bow in submission, or a wild animal flee.

Of course, Reizen wasn’t angry. He was simply overwhelmed by the realization that his wife had been so concerned about him. It was this flood of emotions that he was struggling to suppress.

Unaware of Reizen’s inner turmoil, Fina looked at her husband’s stern expression and her shoulders drooped, her eyebrows knitting in a sorrowful frown. She wasn’t frightened—no, she was simply feeling dejected. Fina, who could face Reizen’s fearsome appearance with only a slight frown, had a remarkably steady heart, though she didn’t realize it. Right now, she was simply full of regret, thinking she had overstepped her bounds.

“I’m sorry. It was presumptuous of me to act in such a way. I won’t ever swing a burdock root again,” Fina said, lowering her arms with a wilted expression.

“Fina,” Reizen called out, startled, as he hastily approached her. Gently, he placed his hands over hers, which were still clutching the burdock root. Fina looked up at him.

“No, that’s not it. I’m not angry. Actually… I’m happy,” Reizen said.

Fina looked at him with a puzzled expression. “Is that your happy face, Lord Reizen?” she asked.

“Yes. This is a happy face. I’m happy because of your thoughtfulness,” Reizen replied with a nod.

At this, a faint smile tugged at Fina’s lips. What for her was a full smile would barely qualify as a subtle one to most, but to Reizen, it looked like a beaming smile. His expression grew even sterner in response, and Fina, now convinced that this was his “happy face,” smiled all the more brightly.

* * *

On the day of the wedding, Fina had felt miserable.

The fact that she was marrying someone she had never met wasn’t an issue. As a noble, she had accepted the inevitability of such an arrangement. The fact that the two families had sealed the marriage without even a formal introduction, and that she would meet her husband for the first time on the day of the ceremony, had surprised her slightly, but she had heard of similar cases and accepted that this could happen. So that wasn’t the problem either.

The real source of her misery was her menstrual cramps. They were terribly painful. Her wedding dress was thin, making her feel cold. She was also worried about the possibility of staining the pure white fabric. More than anything, she just wanted to go home and lie down.

But of course, a bride leaving her own wedding early was out of the question. She had been taught that a wife should devote herself to her husband and never become a burden to him.

Fina stood at her wedding, filled with the despairing thought that she simply had to endure. That’s when she heard something unbelievable from her new husband, whom she had just met: “You should rest now. I’ll have you sent home first.”

Afterward, too exhausted to even be polite, Fina voiced her requests without hesitation, and her new husband, Reizen, immediately agreed. As she lay in the warm bed, Fina thought about him. Surely, he was the kindest man in the world.

Half a month passed, and her husband had yet to return home. The butler explained that a horde of magical beasts had appeared, and it was a dire situation. Fina thought about her husband. The thought of him dying crept into her mind, and she was overcome with dread. She imagined him turning into a frozen statue, shattering into pieces, and eventually becoming nothing but shaved ice. The mere thought left her deeply shaken for a time.

Recovering from the damage caused by her own imagination, Fina resolved to be stronger. She wanted to protect her husband. To do that, she needed to become stronger herself.

Knowing how frail she was, Fina decided to start by strengthening her body. When she asked the butler how to achieve this, he replied, “The foundation of health is a proper diet.” Fina resolved to eat wholeheartedly. Though she had always had a small appetite, from that day forward, she made a conscious effort to eat more.

Thinking of her husband made Fina feel determined. She flexed her muscles. But they didn’t form. She realized she lacked physical strength. She decided to start practicing her swings, thinking it would help.

“Hah!”

As thoughts of her husband filled her mind, strength surged into the hands gripping the burdock root.

It was undeniably love, but Fina had yet to recognize it as such.

* * *

The rumor that the commander, who was often whispered about as if his blood was made of supercooled water, had fallen head over heels for his new wife, quickly spread among his subordinates.

Several of the more valiant members of the battalion decided to secretly observe how Reizen behaved around his wife. After arriving at the estate and explaining the situation to the butler, they were led stealthily into the garden. For some reason, the servants had also gathered in the garden’s shadows, and the subordinates soon witnessed an unbelievable sight.

The Countess was practicing her swings with a burdock root.

That alone was hard to comprehend, but what truly astonished them was Reizen. He was softly, tenderly giving instructions on how to swing.

“Hold the handle like this. Leave about a fist’s width of space.”

“Yes… I see, this is easier to hold.”

“Next, your feet. There’s no sword in the world you swing with your feet together. Spread your legs like this.”

“Yes, spreading them gives me more stability.”

“And you don’t need the battle cries. There’s no need to warn your opponent before you strike.”

“Yes. I’ll silently strike—swoosh—and aim to slice cleanly in one stroke.”

“You don’t need to ‘swoosh’ or slice them in two. Just cut their throat with the tip of your sword. That’s enough to kill them. It also saves your strength and prevents your blade from dulling. In battle, it’s important not just to defeat the enemy before you, but to keep fighting. Focus on delivering fatal strikes with the least effort.”

“I see… I feel enlightened,” Fina said, staring intently at the tip of her burdock root (?), then shifted her gaze to Reizen beside her.

“Thank you… for your guidance, Lord Reizen. Your teachings are very… easy to understand,” Fina said quietly, her expression calm but with a slight blush of embarrassment as she offered her thanks. Reizen, too, though expressionless, blushed and quickly looked away, replying in a curt tone, “It’s no big deal. I don’t mind giving you instruction.”

The scene radiated a sweet, awkward charm, so much so that the servants hiding nearby clenched their fists in delight. Good job, Master. Lovely, Lady Fina. The subordinates hiding alongside them shed tears. So, our commander can actually get embarrassed like any other man. Thank you, Lady Fina, for bringing out his humanity.

“Are there any other places to target besides the neck?” Fina asked. 

"The eyes. While it won’t be a fatal blow, if you take away their sight, it will make the second strike easier."

Both the servants and the subordinates were too busy being moved by the scene to notice how Reizen’s instructions were growing increasingly bloodthirsty, or how calmly Fina was accepting them.

“Hah!”

Under Reizen’s watchful eye, Fina enthusiastically swung the burdock root. Her sword speed was extremely slow. Becoming a master swordsman capable of protecting Reizen was a distant dream, and even reaching the skill level of an ordinary soldier would require a tremendous amount of time.

And yet, Reizen didn’t mind one bit. He thought to himself that he wanted to watch his wife practice her swings for the rest of his life.

“Hah! …Oh, I shouted again. I apologize.”

“It’s fine. In fact, I just realized that your voice is so adorable it might actually stop your opponent in their tracks when you shout. You should make a point of using it. Truly, Fina, your talents are dazzling.”

“Lord Reizen…”

As Fina blushed and continued swinging her burdock root, and Reizen gazed at her with kind eyes, the two of them looked every bit like the picture-perfect loving couple.  

[The End]

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