“Ah, yes, Mother.”
Although startled by Corellia’s sudden movement, Edwina obediently handed over her magic sword.
Corellia was usually very busy. She never had the time to personally demonstrate swordsmanship for her and Vanessa, usually arranging for the highly skilled Altina to show them instead. Thus, seeing Corellia take the initiative to demonstrate herself made Edwina very happy.
She certainly wanted to perform well one more time for her mother and receive praise, but watching her mother’s performance together with her other mother was just as delightful.
“Wait — Corellia, are you really going to demonstrate this yourself? Perhaps I should do it instead.”
Just as Edwina was handing the magic sword to Corellia, Caine walked toward them. He seemed to have some concerns and offered to take her place.
“Eh?”
Because she hadn’t expected Caine to step forward as well, Edwina looked at him with a surprised expression.
‘What is going on? Not only is my usually busy mother willing to demonstrate personally, but even my mother from another world is willing to do it?’
Was she dreaming? Was it really okay to be this happy?
“Caine, you’re saying my outfit isn’t suitable for exercise, aren’t you? Don’t worry. If there is a need to change, I will. An enemy of this level doesn’t require me to take off my gown.”
Corellia didn’t look surprised at all as she caught the magic sword. She looked at Caine and calmly stated his reasoning, telling him not to worry so much.
Compared to Edwina’s princess gown, Corellia’s queenly attire was more gorgeous, dignified, and much more inconvenient for movement. To highlight her noble status, she wore expensive earrings and a necklace in addition to her crown. It was not an outfit suited for combat.
Compared to Corellia the Queen, Caine the Free Man was much more suitable for the demonstration. After all, if nothing went wrong, their sword skills were likely about the same.
But since Corellia herself had said so, Caine could only offer a helpless smile.
‘Fine, then. Let Her Majesty fight a Magic Golem in a gown that practically sweeps the floor. Since she’s so confident, I suppose her clothes won’t tear like Vita’s did.’
Caine didn’t say it aloud, but Corellia knew exactly what he was worried about. Once she indicated it was unnecessary, Caine didn’t try to persuade her further.
As the person closest to them, Edwina saw everything and maintained a polite, well-bred smile. The fact that Caine and Corellia were getting along so harmoniously was a good thing for her.
As for why she felt like a bit of a third wheel… it must have been her imagination.
As Caine and Edwina moved to a distance, Corellia stood before the Magic Golem with the magic sword in hand. The scene alone was rare enough. A queen in a gown meant for a banquet was personally holding a sword against a Magic Golem nearly 4 meters tall.
However, the sight of Corellia and the Magic Golem moving almost simultaneously was even more unusual. Corellia had likely used magic secretly to restrict the golem’s movements, only releasing the restriction at the critical moment to force it to cooperate with her. Otherwise, the golem wouldn’t have waited so patiently for her.
If one were to compare the two “cold beauties,” the biggest difference between Corellia and Altina’s personalities lay here. Corellia had a forceful side to her, and her words often revealed confidence or even arrogance. Altina was extremely humble; regardless of what she thought internally, she was a serious and modest woman on the surface.
Perhaps it was related to their status. Maybe if they swapped places, their personalities would swap as well. But such a hypothesis was impossible, so it was only a thought.
As for swordsmanship, there wasn’t much to say. Altina was a recognized master of the kingdom’s court swordsmanship, a Grandmaster-level Sword Saint. Corellia was better at magic; her swordsmanship was only that of an expert. She was certainly stronger than Edwina, but she couldn’t match Altina.
Of course, combat wasn’t just about swordsmanship. The use of one’s body and the judgment of the battlefield were also points of difference. Even if Corellia’s technical skill was lower than Altina’s, the combat she displayed was still dazzling.
Calling it a “sword dance” might be an exaggeration, but her posture — moving decisively and elegantly despite the heavy gown — was captivating. The golem’s attack speed wasn’t slow, yet it couldn’t even touch the hem of her skirt. Not even Corellia’s flowing long hair was clipped.
Edwina was completely captivated by her mother’s demonstration, as that was exactly the image she wanted to project.
Caine also had to admit his worries were misplaced. In this fantasy world where magic existed, female characters were fierce even in long hair and high heels. Even if there were some restrictions, as long as one’s strength was sufficient, they could easily win even with debuffs.
Since the goal was to demonstrate for Edwina, Corellia wasn’t in a hurry to end the fight. Under her guidance, the golem appeared quite strong, but it ended up looking pathetic because it couldn’t land a single hit.
Caine wouldn’t say it out loud, but he had to admit that watching a beautiful girl and a lovely older sister fight was quite an enjoyment — especially when the opponent was so composed despite wearing an unsuitable gown.
‘Wait… did Corellia just look in my direction?’
While Caine was secretly admiring the visual feast, he felt for a split second that his eyes had met with Corellia’s. Since she quickly looked away, he couldn’t be 100% sure.
However, they likely had locked eyes, because not long after, Corellia performed a high-difficulty move.
She took advantage of the golem’s straight punch at a flaw she deliberately exposed, leaping high into the air and stepping directly onto the golem’s head with her black high-heeled shoes. Then, while jumping down from that height, she spun 360 degrees in mid-air, leaving a deep sword scar on the golem’s back and crushing its Magic Core.
To be honest, it was a bit too flashy, clearly containing elements of performance. But it was undeniably beautiful. If it were any other man instead of Caine, they would have been mesmerized by the Queen’s backflip slash.
Both the black silk peeking out from beneath her long gown and her constantly swaying spheres were extremely eye-catching. Combined with Corellia’s cold temperament and expression, it created a striking contrast. Nothing suited her better than the word “charming.” The way she habitually flicked her sword after landing was incredibly cool.
Honestly, the only thing missing was an explosion. If the golem had exploded in the background, it would have highlighted Corellia’s charm even more. Caine could even imagine the shocking image of a cold-faced Corellia pressing down her wind-blown hair after the blast.
It wasn’t until he noticed Corellia looking at him that Caine’s serious expression shifted into a casual smile.
In any case, it was a very pleasing performance. It deserved a high rating, though whether she could maintain such a style in actual combat against other enemies was another matter.
“…That is roughly how it should look, Edwina. I don’t expect you to reach Vanessa’s level, but you must at least not bring shame to our royal family.”
After the battle, Corellia first tidied her long hair that had fallen forward, then walked toward her daughter and her other self. As she walked over, she didn’t forget to make a comment that sounded somewhat unreasonable to Caine.
When you have two daughters, comparing one to the other is never a good move. As Caine expected, hearing this caused a look of shame to immediately surface on Edwina’s face.
“Yes, Mother. I will continue to work hard and improve…”
Edwina lowered her head in shame. Seeing her pitiful state, Caine wanted to say something, but in the end, he kept his mouth shut.
“…I hope you can live up to my expectations, Edwina.”
Whether Corellia didn’t notice or simply believed that applying pressure to her daughter was appropriate, she didn’t offer any gentle words. She remained cold.
“…Speaking of which, Caine, your weapons were left in your world, weren’t they? Do you need me to prepare a magic sword for you? Or would a magic book be better?”
While the atmosphere was somewhat awkward, Corellia dropped the “strict mother” persona and turned her attention to Caine. She used the opportunity to ask if he needed a weapon.
Pure mages used staves and magic books, but staves were often cumbersome, and magic books seemed a bit rigid — usually the equipment of scholars. Therefore, nobles who didn’t fight constantly usually chose magic swords, which were more convenient and reflected their noble status. Of course, some used magic barehanded or treated their own bodies as the catalyst. While slightly less efficient than using weapons, it was much more convenient.
If he were a prince here, Caine would have chosen a magic sword in an expensive-looking scabbard. But since he was just a visitor from another world, he didn’t need to maintain appearances. It was easier to be empty-handed and prepare temporarily when needed.
Therefore, facing Corellia’s sudden concern, Caine thought for a moment and smiled.
“…Don’t go to the trouble. For the current me, I need neither a magic sword nor a magic book.”
To Caine, it was a casual remark. But to Corellia, the subtext was that he didn’t intend to act with the identity of a noble. Her original intention was to make Caine shoulder the responsibilities of a noble again. If Caine had agreed, she would have prepared the best magic sword, arranged more tasks for him, and used work as an excuse to get closer to him.
However, this version of Caine was clearly aware of her thoughts and didn’t fall for it.
Yet, Corellia didn’t plan to let him go so easily. She nodded and said casually, as if she had no ulterior motives:
“…That makes sense. It’s hard to want another sword once you’re used to your own. However, there will be times when you need one. When that time comes, I’ll give you my personal sword to use. After all, it’s your sword too.”
Corellia said it casually, but the honor of using the Queen’s personal sword was immense. Moreover, she didn’t mean “lend”; she was implying she would give it to him. If he used it, he would never be able to repay the Queen’s favor. Caine absolutely did not want to use it.
“…If that day ever comes, I will. Though, I don’t think it ever will,” Caine replied with a subtle smile, accepting the Queen’s concern and kindness without a strong refusal, given the difference in their status.
“…No one can say for sure what the future holds. Preparing in advance prevents regret in critical moments.”
“…That may be so, but if one is always worried about the future, they won’t even be able to live well in the present.”
“…Caine, you’re truly a headache. Why are you being so polite with me?”
“…You’re the same, Corellia. You are far too unguarded around me. For the Queen of a country, that is a major taboo.”
“…You don’t need to worry about that, Caine. I know what I’m doing.”
While Caine and Corellia appeared to be having a normal conversation, they were actually clashing in secret. Beside them, their “good daughter” Edwina was quietly breaking.
She had planned to give Caine a high-grade magic sword she had specially commissioned. But even when facing Corellia herself, Caine had stated he didn’t need one. If she tried to give it to him, she would surely be rejected.
Thinking that her long hours of preparation were useless, Edwina didn’t blame Caine or Corellia. She only blamed herself for not researching Caine’s preferences sooner. Because of this, the melancholy on her face became more evident.
Fortunately, seeing that Caine and Corellia’s relationship was good enough for them to “bicker,” her sorrow faded a bit. Come to think of it, this was the first time she had seen Corellia not holding absolute dominance in a conversation with someone else.
As expected, the only person worthy of her mother was her mother himself.
Edwina smiled softly as she reflected on this. As for the slight, inexplicable discomfort she felt watching Caine and Corellia getting along so well, she didn’t take it to heart for now.
After all, once her mothers were together, they would surely care for her even more, right? It wasn’t as if the two of them would get so wrapped up in each other that they would become even colder to their daughter, right?