Helena was not strong like a knight.
Nevertheless, she was a lady full of vigour. Her hard labour during her childhood made her remain in good shape. Helena managed to build her strength in her first life by assisting Adham. She helped him carry crates of goods for his business as a merchant. In her second life, Helena gained great stamina from dancing all night long. She received many dance offers from men at the ball.
Everything was back to zero now. Helena lost her strength and stamina. At this point, she could not defend herself if danger arose.
Helena was now standing in the backyard and lifting a wooden sword. Her arms were trembling under the weight of the weapon. Frustration piled up inside her mind. Her memory remained, but her body had regressed. This condition irked her out. Helena yelled obscenity while swinging the sword.
"WHY THIS IS NOT FUCKING WORKING!"
"Lady Helena, cursing won't make you stronger."
Helena turned her head toward her instructor. Violet just shook her head at her behaviour. "I don't understand why you suddenly want to wield a weapon, My Lady. You are only going to hurt yourself."
"Tell me, Violet. How is my chance of mastering a sword?"
She was hesitant to reply, but Violet answered the question. "Zero."
"Damn it!" Helena threw her sword to the ground.
Although it was rare, noble ladies were allowed to pursue knighthood. They learned how to wield a sword early in their childhood. Helena was late compared to them. She could not deny that she was undertrained.
Her oldest maid sighed. "Is there any reason why you suddenly want to do swordsmanship?"
Helena touched her head. "I just want to learn some self-defence. Who knows what danger might lurk in the future."
Violet was stunned hearing Helena's answer. Her master had a point. The knight would not guard Helena all the time. She would be vulnerable without any help. Violet thought about it and came up with one idea.
"Instead of strength training, how about we try something different? Azure and Scarlett can teach you."
"Really? The twin? They do not look strong."
"They are not powerful, but they are nimble. My Lady can quit if the training is too difficult."
Helena agreed since she did not have much choice. The next day, Azure and Scarlett gathered to assist her. They wore shirts and trousers instead of their maid outfit. Even in training outfits, both still looked adorable.
"So what are we going to do?" Helena asked the twin.
"We have to do some warm-up," Azure answered her. "Let's start by running laps!"
Helena was dumbfounded. "What? How about the warm-up?"
"Running is the warm-up!" Scarlett joined the conversation. "After that, we will climb a tree! Let's begin!"
"Climbing? Ah, wait for me!"
The twins' training was hell. They pushed her stamina and body beyond limitations. Helena ran around the house five times, practised climbing the tree and stretched her stiff body to be more flexible. Every night, she sobbed in pain from aching muscles. It was fool of her to think the lesson would be easy.
"Lady Blackmoore, are you okay?"
Helena and the maids visited the blacksmith. Mister Iron was concerned about her haggard appearance. Her eyes had bags, her cheek was thin, and her lip was purple. Helena was exhausted from rigorous training. It had been going on for a week. Helena wondered how she even survived the lesson in the first place.
"I am fine…. I think."
"Are you looking for a weapon again? What happened to the dagger?"
Helena could not tell the blacksmith about the crooked dagger. She shifted the question to something else. "I need something different. Something that can deal damage from a distance."
"How about a spear?"
Scarlett shook her head. "It is heavier than some sword. Lady Helena would not be able to use it."
"Bow?"
Azure now shook her head. "You need strength to fire bow. Not to mention, it will be hard to carry the arrows."
Helena was glaring at the twin. "Why do you two speak as you have experience?"
Azure and Scarlett giggled. "Because we both are experts on that weapon!"
"They are right, Lady Helena," Violet added. "Azure practices bow while Scarlett practices for spears. It is common in our family to wield a weapon since we were a kid."
Helena was speechless hearing it. "I guess hiring you and your sisters is the correct decision."
Mister Iron frowned. "Sorry, Lady Blackmoore. We do not have much choice with long-range weapons. The other option is a gun, but firearms are illegal."
Firearms were prohibited for good reasons. First, the destructive power was too big for a weapon. Second, it allowed the user to shoot a few rounds in seconds. Third was because a bloody incident involved a gun. A noble lady was angry at her husband for cheating. No one would bat an eye if she only killed her husband, but she murdered the entire people in the estate. The firearm was banned in the kingdom since that day.
Helena crossed the sword, spears and bow from her list. A dagger appeared in her mind, but it was only effective for a close distance and a surprise attack. Helena pondered about her options until Azure and Scarlett tugged her clothes. They pointed at the corner of the store. "Lady Helena, I think that one suits you."
Violet saw the weapon and agreed. It was a black bullwhip with a white handle. Mr. Iron explained the weapon to her. The whip was made from a strip of leather. The thong was the braided length between the handle and the fall. Fall was the lace from the cracker. The cracker was the string on the end of a whip, which created a loud noise.
The thong was around three meters long. Despite the lengthy thong, the whip was not as heavy as Helena's thought. Compared to a sword, Helena at least could carry it with her hand. It was a pretty convenient weapon. Helena could hide it under her dress.
"I give you half the price, Lady Blackmoore. No one buys the whip. The weapon will be better in your hand than gathering dust in the corner."
"Thank you! I'll spread some word to others about your shop!"
Helena bought the whip and returned to her home. She changed her outfit and prepared to test the weapon. Helena gathered with her maids in the backyard for practice.
"Is it important to learn how to wield a whip? You only need to swing it anyway."
Violet shook her head. "Whip is more dangerous than you think, My Lady. Let me demonstrate how to use it."
Helena sat next to the twin and watched Violet. She took a deep breath and focused on the target. Violet swung the whip and created a deep cut on the tree. Azure and Scarlett applauded their older sister while Helena shuddered. She was taken aback at how powerful the lash could be.
Helena stared at the half-ruined tree with a pitiful gaze. The Pearls were a bunch of monsters. Helena was glad they were working for her.
"Well, that was... frightening."
Violet rolled the whip. "You cannot kill humans with this, but you can deal some damage depending on the attack's speed and trajectory. One swing may open skin or tear away muscle and organ."
No wonder Violet told her to practice. Wielding the whip was a difficult task. Someone must be a skilled individual to be able to use it as a weapon. Not to mention, a whip was weak against short-distance combat. Once the opponent managed to enter inside the effective range, it became useless due to its inability to attack closely.
Helena must work hard to utilize the whip. She swung it over and over without hitting the target. Helena almost injured herself from lack of precision. Her breath was disoriented, and her body was sore, but she smiled. Helena never held any weapon in her previous life. This was a new experiment for her, and she enjoyed it. She swung the whip again with full strength… and almost hit the innocent servant that came into that place. The maid fell out of shock. Helena was surprised and rushed to her side.
"Oh, God! Are you all right? I am sorry!"
"I-I am fine, My Lady..." Azure and Scarlett helped the maid to stand. "I am just coming to tell Lady Helena that the Countess called you to her room."
"Mother?"
Helena stopped her training and changed her clothes. Her mother had been waiting for her inside the room. The view was ridiculously gorgeous. Astrid Blackmoore wore a red silk gown with emerald earrings and a necklace. Her head lay against the armchair while her long black hair unravelled on her white skin. It was akin to painting instead of real life.
Helena wished she was that alluring. She might have an easier life in high society with that appealing face.
"Sit down, Helena. I have something to talk about."
Helena sat across from her mother and took the prepared tea for her. "What is it, mother?"
"Helena, do you still feel unwell?"
"No. I am perfectly fine. Why?"
"You have not been attending any salon or ball after that incident."
Helena almost spilt her tea inside her mouth. She forgot about it.
In her first and second life, Helena was a diligent lady. She was an active participant in high society. Helena visited different salons or balls to improve her networking and make connections with nobles.
"Not only that, you have been sounding weird lately. It is as if you are an older woman than a young lady."
Technically, she was supposed to be over twenty instead of eighteen. Regressing twice caused her to be worn out. Of course, Helena could not say it. She just laughed and avoided her mother's gaze. "I am just a bit exhausted from charities, hahaha."
"Helena… I won't force you to attend a ball or salon. Mother is just worried about you. I was responsible for giving you a harsh childhood. This whole time, you have been a sweet and mature daughter. You work hard this whole time to prove yourself. You can take a break and enjoy your youth, my child."
Her mother smiled at her. It was not a smile she showed toward nobles. It was a genuine smile filled with love toward her daughter. Her mother's affection touched Helena. She was the reason Helena did not want to be a villain anymore.
"Don't worry, mother. I've already had plenty of rest. I will attend a salon soon."
They had a wonderful time that afternoon. Helena listened to her mother's story the whole day. She spoke about the servant who gave birth, some gossip among nobles, and trends for the next season. It had been a while since Helena had a good day with her mother.
In the night, Helena read invitation letters before she went to sleep. She decided to fulfil her role as a daughter of a noble. Azure and Scarlett brought her stack of letters. She must avoid a salon related to Ethel and people who are prejudiced against her commoner background. Her eyes skimmed through the names of families. Helena finally chose one letter with a unique green stamp on it.
"I think this one is safe."