The Outsider (Outsider #1) ✔️

Chapter 95 : Swim!

Dusk quickly scrambled out of the water, evading Catherine's attempts to get hold of her. She knew Catherine will not try physical combat in presence of her uncle. She caught hold of the first full length bathrobe she could find and wrapped herself in it. Then feeling secured in it, she turned to and greeted Lord Sunjune.

Sunjune Lidwig smiled at her, turned to his niece with a smile and said, "Catherine, you cannot force someone to learn to swim against their wishes. Don't you think you are being overbearing? And attacking her like that... was also unfair. Just because you have had longer training? One day she will catch up and whack your ass. In any case, she is learning much faster than you."

"But why won't she learn to swim? It's good for her." Catherine insisted.

"Yes, it is. But it's still her choice. Incidentally, what makes you think you will be a good teacher? Or Crator for that matter? Call your trainer to teach if you must." Lord Sunjune said. Then he turned to Dusk, "My personal opinion is it is good for you to learn. Consider it. But I will not force you."

Dusk gulped and looked back. She could not directly refuse a suggestion by Lord Sunjune. At the same time, she was still not comfortable with the concept of so much water... Finally, she nodded.

"If you feel it is necessary, then..." she started and stopped. Was it really necessary? So many things that she had been made to learn made little sense at one point of time now was a part of her routine, including military training that was making her stronger each day. Catherine still beat her, but at least she was able to resist. If anyone from university tried anything, she could now beat that person to a pulp (except perhaps Sargent Bear).

"If you are not comfortable with my niece teaching you, then I will call the trainer over." Sunjune suggested.

Seeing Catherine looking eagerly at her, she wondered if she should actually ask for the Trainer. After all, Catherine had hurt her by twisting her arms and dragging her to the changing rooms. Who knows how vicious she will be in the water...? Then she considered that she will need to be in a bikini (can't they have full body swimsuits in the palace?) in front of the trainer. Given her highly conservative upbringing, she was uncomfortable with that. She felt that she should take her risk with Catherine.

Catherine was elated. However, to Dusk's discomfort, Lord Sunjune decided to stay and ensure that Catherine did not bully Dusk. Now she would need to let him see her in a bikini. But she decided she should consider him like her father. Dusk reluctantly removed her bathrobe.

She stepped into the pool. It was only chest-deep for her, so she had no real fear of drowning. Actually, the water was cool and made her feel pretty nice. May be there was something good about swimming after all.

"First, you learn to hold your breath under water..." Catherine started. "You should be able to stay under water for 180 seconds or more without breathing."

Dusk stared at her as if the kid was crazy. Who can do that? So, she challenged Catherine to show her. And Catherine stayed for 200 seconds! When Dusk was still reluctant to believe she could hold her head under water for that long, Catherine threatened to hold her under water if she didn't start doing it.

But Sunjune saved Dusk from torture by telling Catherine that she cannot compare Dusk with someone who had been swimming since the age of 2 years. In the end, Dusk was given a target of 30 seconds, increasing to 60 seconds over a week. And explicit instructions to Catherine that she cannot hold Dusk underwater forcibly in the name of training.

Dusk sighed. That means, they were planning to keep her in Regis for a week more!

Dusk tried to hold her breath and put her head under the water. It was difficult to conceptualise, till she remembered about the tantrum competitions she and her sister Dawn used to have when they were little more than toddlers. They would hold their breath, face turning red, till their mother gave in to their demands. She decided to draw on that experience.