I Get Isekai'd Into an Otome Game

Chapter Six: Which Route do I Get?

I spent my days working for Kayden, exploring the palace, and learning how to fight. Victor was a really good teacher, helping perfect my form, patiently showing me how to wield a sword, and being careful not to hurt me. We had a hard time finding the time, considering both of us had busy schedules, but we managed.

"You're doing great!" Victor said with a smile. He held a wooden sword in his hand. He had barely broken a sweat.

I, on the other hand, was panting and drenched in sweat. I had managed to find a pair of pants and a tunic that fit me because the first time I'd worn a dress, I kept tripping over it. "Thanks," I breathed. My wooden sword started to dip towards the ground.

"Do you need to take a break?"

I nodded. "Yes please."

We walked over to a rack of wooden swords and put our swords back. Victor looked practically perfect, in his white tunic, blue vest, gray pants, and black, knee-high boots. His black hair was combed back in a formal, professional style befitting a prince. His blue eyes were gentle and his smile was even more so.

I, on the other hand, wore a brown tunic and pants that were drenched in sweat. My hair, pulled back into a braid, had started to come undone. Wisps of my brown hair fell around my face with some strands stuck to my skin. I grabbed a nearby waterskin and started to drink, sucking down the water to cool my parched throat.

"You've made some really good progress," Victor said as he started to rearrange the swords. "It won't be long before you can start training with a real sword!"

"Really?" I asked, lowering the waterskin and wiping water off of my chin with the back of my hand.

"Yeah, absolutely!" Victor said with a smile. "You're getting really skilled."

"Thanks!" I was beaming, my mouth stretched so wide in a smile that my cheeks almost hurt.

Victor laughed. "I think we can be done for today. I have to go to a meeting with my father in an hour anyways."

I nodded. "Alright, good luck!"

"Thanks, I'll see you later," Victor said before he started to walk inside.

I started walking around the training grounds, watching everyone working on their own combat skills. Now that Victor was gone, the men were starting to give me weird looks. I knew how they felt about me training in swordplay-they didn't want me to. If I ever hung around after Victor left, they would give me dirty looks and try to get in my way. I'd been tripped, pushed, blocked, and just generally annoyed by these men. I didn't care. I deserved to be here and learn to fight just as much as they did.

I noticed someone familiar at the archery range. Gabriel was standing there, a look of pure concentration on his face. His amber skin glinted in the sun and his black curls fell haphazardly, making him look even more striking than usual. He wore a plain white tunic under a red vest, with gray pants and black knee-high boots. He wasn't dressed nearly as fancy as Kayden or Victor, but that was probably because he wasn't as highly ranked. Gabriel fired shot after shot into the center of a target with a crossbow.

I walked up to where he was, standing a few feet behind him. His back was to me now, tight as a bowstring. He fired one more bullseye with his crossbow before he turned around and grinned at me. "Hey, Isabelle! What are you doing here? I thought you'd be attending Kayden. That's your job now, right?"

"Victor offered to train me with a sword, so we meet here when he has time on my days off," I said, a little surprised he'd noticed me behind him. "You're really good with that crossbow."

"Thanks! If you want a sparring buddy, I could help you out. I have way too much freetime."

"That would be really nice! But not now, I'm still recovering from the workout Victor gave me."