Flower of Steel

Then he smiled teasingly at my question and replied, “It’s no fun if I tell you who it is.”

“Uncle!” I cried.

At my protest, he became serious, looked at me, and responded, “I have no idea if that person will be good or bad to our empire yet. You should only speak after you check the facts and make sure you can speak out.”

I nodded to his words which I totally understood, and Uncle smiled again.

“But a stake in a pocket will show. That person will reveal his abilities to the world soon enough. Until then, I won’t let down my guard against that person. Such a person with such high nobility holding that kind of power can always be a threat,” Uncle explained.

A man of high nobility with power. Who could that be? If Uncle said high nobility, then it must at least be a noble higher than the duke. Then it must be either Rian, Rave, or the rumored Prince of the Grand Duke. I’m pretty sure Rave is out of the question, so that leaves Rian or the Prince! But who is it between the two of them? If Rian even has such power, then he really is perfect. The Prince of the Grand Duke… I have no idea who that is.

…I was in the midst of such an interesting chain of thoughts when Uncle continued, “But that person isn’t the only genius that the world allowed us. Or maybe, this person can even exceed the level of the genius I previously spoke of.”

I was shocked to hear that. How talented would that person be if they were at that level? “That’s amazing!” I shouted.

“Yes, amazing. The problem here is that the genius is a woman.”

“Pardon?” I asked.

The times have changed, and now, a woman joined the government. But the world of physical strength was still dominated by men. Even my mother, who I admire the most, ended up as some strong-headed noble lady even with her skills. That was the reality of the empire.

That kind of exceptional talent wasn’t going to shine if it was held by a woman. Even if she’s a sword master, she might get used without any recognition. I understood my uncle’s hesitation.

“In your point of view, do you want that person?”

In response to my words, my uncle looked serious. He let out a big sigh and grabbed his face as he spoke, “No.” Then he showed his eyes and added, “Rather, I fear her.”

What did that fear mean? I looked into his eyes, but they were so deep that I couldn’t even guess what he meant.

“Thank you for listening to my rambling,” Uncle said.

“No, no. I didn’t do anything.”

Uncle shook his head at my answer, “Maybe so, but I still feel lighter. Problems are like that. The starting point can be different if you talk to someone instead and ease yourself rather than contemplate over it without any solution.”

“Yes, that’s so right.”

I nodded at his words. That’s right. But it is also wise not to talk about a deep secret, just like Uncle just did. That can make relationships go wrong even if you’re close. That’s why I don’t talk about my problems to my cousins. If they get in trouble because of my problem, I would feel devastated.

“It’s late now, Marin. You should get back to your room.”

“Yes. Good night, Uncle.” I left the drawing room. Uncle looked very troubled.

As I returned, Daisy changed my clothes and helped me to wash. She may look like an ordinary girl, but she’s actually a skilled ex-assassin. She must have learned the art of swords when she was an assassin, so I decided to ask her about what Uncle told me.

“Daisy, do sword masters really exist?”

The response to my question came immediately as Daisy confidently said, “Yes. They are scarce, and none of them show themselves in public, so ordinary people don’t know. But they do exist.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“My guild’s master was at that level,” she answered.