Reincarnated as the Villainess... Yeah, I'm Doomed

Chapter Forty- Six: Magical Combat

"I am honored to be in your class lady Callista." Adele said, greeting me for the second time that day. She was waiting patiently in the courtyard where our magical combat class would be held. Due to the lack of females, both first and second years had been combined for our class. 

"Oh, thanks. I'm also...honored...," I replied awkwardly, avoiding her unwavering gaze. While Prince Louis had mentioned that Adele was a 'fan' of mine, the girl's austere demeanor made it difficult to believe his words. 

"I wonder what they're going to teach us. I've done a lot of research on the fighting techniques of this kingdom and they all seem so interesting. Even though I've been practicing on my own since I was little, it will be much more exciting to practice with trained professionals." Elaine rambled, her magenta eyes glimmering with expectation. Though I was excited that girls were now allowed to participate in the magical combat courses, my excitement was nothing compared to Elaine who was bouncing up and down as we waited for class to begin. 

Even the training uniforms had made her squeal when she saw them for the first time. Our outfits were almost identical to that of the boys except for the fact that they were made for a woman's body. We each wore a tight and breathable high neck black top with black gloves and dark grey pants. The material was both snug and easy to move in while at the same time being light and breathable. Though it would be considered plain at first glance, the uniform was actually of very high quality. 

While the girls and boys were supposed to train together, they had us line up separately for the time being. Prince Louis arrived shortly after us, and he waved excitedly in our direction as one of his classmates struggled to keep him in line. 

Prince Philip and Ryland were also supposed to attend this class, but just minutes after the opening ceremony ended they were both summoned to the castle to deal with urgent matters. These summonings had been occurring more and more often, and I couldn't help but worry about the future of our kingdom. I tried my best to help talk through some of the current issues regarding the Cynth war and the nobles with Prince Philip, but there wasn't much that I could help with due to the large amount of secrecy. Many of the calls were made to investigate families attempting to bribe/ accept bribes regarding the Cynth war, so if word got out before investigations finished then it would only worsen the problem. 

"What is she doing here?" Eliane whispered, nudging my side. My thoughts were interrupted as I followed Elaine's gaze, making eye contact with one of the last people I had expected to take this class. 

Valerie Ludovic. 

Her violet eyes were filled with despair as she crossed the courtyard and lined up behind us, her lips pursed as she looked up at the sky. She was doing her best to look confident, but it was obvious that she was nervous. While Valerie was a great magician when it came to magical arts, she was a relatively thin and weak looking girl who was normally disgusted by the sight of a sword. 

"Maybe she has decided to learn a new skill," I suggested weakly, not even believing my own words. Valerie had managed a slight change of character since the festival's ball, and while I would like to think it was because she learned her lesson, that probably wasn't the truth. 

It was well known that the Ludovic's were a prideful and ruthless ducal house with high expectations for their children. After the festival, no one saw Valerie at any social gatherings during the entire summer which was unexpected for the former socialite. Even if she was trying to avoid rumors after slapping me at the ball, most of them had died down quickly because I acted amicably with her. So, it was safe to assume that her absence from the social scene was due to her parents. They had most likely punished her, and knowing their family, the punishment was definitely enough to change someone's character.