"Those clothes are from Sevran—if you leave now, you'll certainly be killed. Stay here for a while. We're not heartless enough to send you out knowing you'll die."
Mother Superior Clara hadn't always been at the abbey. The fact that she had a daughter—Giselle's mother—meant she had been married once.
Rather, Giselle had told Diane that she had once been a somewhat well-known female mercenary. Because of this, her way of thinking differed slightly from the nuns who only knew the path of faith.
"You can stay here until your wounds heal. We happen to need some male help anyway. You'll repay the medicine you used and the bread you ate with labor. And the cost of medicine for future treatment too."
"Mother Superior! Thank you!"
Diane impulsively threw herself at the Mother Superior.
"Princess, you mustn't throw yourself like that. Now listen, Ludiger. I won't allow you to sleep in this building. This is a women's abbey after all. There's a cottage in the garden for lodging travelers. You'll use that."
Diane caught Ludiger glancing at the Mother Superior from the corner of her eye. She hoped he would accept this proposal.
If he left and ended up getting killed, she would surely regret it.
Of course, she understood that people from Sevran were enemies, but this was an abbey, and that didn't matter here.
While anxiously waiting to see what he would do, he let out a long sigh.
"Alright. I'll accept your offer."
"Understand this—we don't need idle people in this abbey. Once you receive proper treatment in the infirmary, you'll work, understood?"
The Mother Superior wagged her finger at Ludiger in warning.
And so, Ludiger was permitted to stay at the abbey.
Of course, it wasn't permanent permission. It was just for a brief time.
While Diane had taken to Ludiger, Giselle didn't seem to like him much.
Giselle, who tied her bright red hair at the nape of her neck, would probably become an incredible beauty in the future, Diane thought, though Giselle disliked hearing that.
When they asked him properly later, Ludiger said he had just turned sixteen this year. Giselle was fourteen, two years younger than him. And Diane, who had just turned twelve this year, was two years younger than Giselle.
"Really, such a suspicious man..."
She was openly wary of Ludiger.
For his part, Ludiger treated Giselle with much the same attitude as he did Diane. Perhaps it was because he was slightly older than Giselle.
"Do you dislike Ludiger?"
"It's not exactly that..."
Giselle lowered her eyebrows troubledly.
Now, the two of them were sitting with Ludiger in a corner of the garden. Diane had opened her Sevran language textbook, and Giselle was doing mending work beside her.
Next to them, Ludiger was acting as the Sevran language teacher. Diane thought he was probably from a family of some status rather than just a soldier. At least, his ability to read and write fluently was evidence that he came from a family that could afford to provide proper education.
After language study would be sword practice. Since Ludiger's leg injury hadn't completely healed yet, Giselle was Diane's sparring partner.
Diane faced Giselle, holding a short practice sword.
"Hya!"
"Your thrust is weak, Princess. Again!"
The Mother Superior had told her that Giselle was quite skilled with the sword for her age. Though other nuns in the abbey sometimes trained her, Diane learned most often from Giselle.
Unfortunately, despite practicing every day, Diane showed no improvement at all. She probably just had no talent for it.
But since the Mother Superior said she must learn swordsmanship, she reluctantly practiced every day.
"Yah—ouch!"
When she thrust again, her hand was struck sharply. Though Giselle was holding back, the struck area stung and ached.
"Hey, Diane. That was almost there!"
Ludiger, watching from the side, called out to Diane.
"Really? Was it really almost there?"
Diane turned a smile toward Ludiger. If Ludiger said it was almost there, maybe it really was.
"W-what do you mean, almost there! Don't distract the Princess's concentration by talking at strange times!"
Giselle raised her eyebrows sharply at Ludiger's words and stamped her foot.
She really didn't seem to get along with Ludiger.
"Distract her concentration? If this little would throw you off, you'd lose your life quickly."
"How annoying! I don't want to hear that from you!"
Giselle became increasingly agitated. Ludiger waved his hand dismissively at such a Giselle.
"Now, calm down. On the battlefield, you're surrounded by enemies, right? If my voice alone is enough to throw you off, that's not going to work."
Ludiger had been fighting as a soldier of the Kingdom of Sevran until just recently. Though Giselle must know this, it seemed she felt compelled to argue when Ludiger pointed it out.
"You're much weaker than me anyway!"
At Giselle's words, Ludiger's face showed a bit of displeasure. Then he reached out to Diane and took the sword she was holding.
"Let me borrow this. I can use a sword too."
Holding the child-sized sword, Ludiger smiled. An increasingly annoyed Giselle stepped toward him, but he dodged it nimbly.
"My injuries seem to have healed pretty well. Giselle, want to spar a bit?"
"What, how rude!"
Giselle also took up her practice sword. Since Diane had never imagined they would end up sparring, she became flustered.
With a sharp kiai, Giselle thrust her sword.
When sparring with Diane, she wasn't showing even a fraction of her true ability. Her sword could be seen gleaming as it reflected the light.
But Ludiger smoothly avoided that sharp thrust by rotating his body halfway.
"W-what! Hah!"
This time, Giselle brought her sword down from above. With a sharp sound of swords clashing, their blades met.
Diane watched this scene with her mouth open. It had an atmosphere she could never hope to understand.
"There, your right is wide open."
"Don't mess with me!"
"I'm not messing around. Your footwork is careless."
"Ugh!"
Ludiger was amazing to be able to dodge Giselle so easily. Diane's appearance, with her eyes wide and mouth open, must have looked quite foolish to observers.
"This ends it!"
"Ouch—I can't believe this!"
Having her sword hand thoroughly struck, Giselle stamped her foot. Diane was surprised again, having never seen Giselle act like this before.
"Ludiger! Amazing! You're stronger than Giselle!"
Diane threw herself at Ludiger.
"Princess! You mustn't throw yourself at such a man!"
Giselle became agitated again. Ludiger detached Diane and patted her head.
"It's good to know how to use a sword. Here, I'll train you."
"I won't lend you my sword!"
Giselle turned her face away with a pout, and Diane laughed. It was the first time she had seen Giselle make such a face.
"This will do for me."
Ludiger picked up a stick that had fallen to the ground.
"Ludiger, ready?"
"Come at me!"
Even sword practice was fun with Ludiger. It felt like these days would continue forever, but that was a big mistake.