One Step Forward to the Flower Path

When she woke up, the twins were lying on both sides, as if to protect her. Ivanna rubbed her eyes and raised her upper body.

“Sister, brother······?”

“No, your eyes are swollen. Don’t rub it because it’ll hurt.“

Valerie took off her hand that was rubbing her eyes hard, and Luan gently wiped them off by wetting a cloth with the water he had already received.

Whenever the child flinched, Valerie gently clasped Ivanna’s hand.

“Does it hurt?”

“No.”

“It’s cool, isn’t it?”

“Yes.

The twins were quite nervous when they heard that Ivanna had another seizure, but fortunately, her condition did not seem to have worsened.

It was such a relief.

“Is there anything you want to eat? Should I tell someone to bring it?“

“No.”

“Then do you want to take a bath? Do you want to soak in warm water with your sister?”

“No.”

They’re glad her condition hasn’t gotten worse, but she’s refusing everything they suggest.

Is she really okay?

The twins who cooled Ivanna’s swollen eyes with cloth exchanged gazes. They were nervous about her having another seizure.

“Then what shall we do? Do you want to play ball?”

“Shall we play dolls?”

“Shall we explore the mountains of toys?”

“Do you want to go get some sunshine in the garden?”

“No.”

Ivanna refused everything again this time.

They can’t believe she doesn’t want to do anything she used to like. What if she got depressed?

The twins quickly exchanged glances again.

Do something!

“You know.”

“Huh?”

“Yes, what do you want to do?”

Fortunately, it was Ivanna who brought it up first. The twins immediately focused on the baby’s lips.

“My sister and brother use a sword, too.”

“That’s right.”

“Then, do you wear iron clothes, too?”

The two children who had already heard the situation from Dante quickly understood what Ivanna was saying. The two looked at each other again. The trauma of their younger sister was very unfortunate.

Luan carefully removed the cloth covering Ivanna’s eyes, her swollen eyes looked at the two.

“We’re young, so we don’t wear them yet. Iron clothes are heavy, so we’re not going to grow up if we wear them.”

“But when we grow up and get older, we have to wear them to protect our bodies.”

“But iron clothes are very cold and tight. What if you and brother get sick?”

Armor is for protecting the body.

Ivanna’s words were very surprising to the twins who had always seen and learned so. It was even more so because they had never been harmed by a man in armor.

How should we explain this to Ivanna?

“Shall we go out for a while, little sister?”

At Valerie’s words, Ivanna was frightened.

“Outside······? What if I meet someone in iron clothes······?”

Even if Dante explained it to her calmly, Ivanna’s fear won’t go away easily.

“They’re scary, right?”

“Yes.”

“You are weak now, but if you properly train, you can smash iron clothes with a sword. Like how Father broke the altar.”

“Yes.”

“Clearly, the sword is a means of attacking. But at the same time, it’s also a defense to protect your body. Like iron clothes.”

Ivanna opened her eyes wide.

“Iron clothes can’t hurt anyone. Father wouldn’t let it around if it could.”

“Really?”

“Really. If they try to do something, sister will destroy everything.”

Doing that for her sister, Valerie was very confident.

Ivanna nodded after thinking for a while, then Valerie gave her a light hug with her arms outstretched.

“Where are we going?”

“In the backyard. Let’s go and get some swords.”

“Sword?”

“Yes.”

Luan wanted to ask more questions, but he closed his eyes. When he saw Ivanna excited, he shut his mouth. Somehow he thinks he knows the reason.

So after hugging Ivanna, Valerie took her and headed to the back garden, and Luan followed them carrying his and Valerie’s swords.

“Now, little sis. This is mine and Luan’s sword.”

Valerie put the sword on both palms. Ivanna has seen her mother’s sword, but it was much shorter than that. Ivanna was curious and touched it, Valerie didn’t restrain her because they were still stuck in the sheath.

“It’s smaller than my mom’s.”

“Lady Hugor is an adult, and I am still a child. It’s tailored to my height. Weapons must fit your body so you don’t get hurt.”

Valerie stepped back and drew her sword.

Three months ago, Dante gave them the new swords, and thanks to that, the blade was still very sharp, and she did not forget to take care of it every day.

The sunlight that poured out was reflected on the sharp blade, making it more dazzling.

“Now look, little sister.”

Valerie took a blade of grass from the floor and pressed it onto the blade. The thin blades of grass were cut in an instant.

Ivanna exclaimed in admiration.

“Isn’t that cool?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s grass now, but if you do it properly, you can break iron clothes with a sword, like Father broke the altar.“

“Yeah.”

“It’s definitely a means of attack. But at the same time, it’s also a defense to protect your body. Just like iron clothes.“

Ivanna opened her eyes wide.

“Iron clothes can hurt someone, but they can protect themselves at the same time. The sword is the same. You can protect yourself by taking off an attack on me. The sword and iron clothes are the same.”

Valerie rose from her seat with the sword and lifted her hand to Luan, who was next to her.

“Lift up your sword.”

When Luan saw his younger sister, who couldn’t say anything, he quietly stood across from Valerie. And he pulled out his sword and positioned himself in the same way.

“Look closely, Ivanna. This is a real sword.”

Valerie and Luan hit the ground at the same time, the sharp blades flew toward each other as if they were really going to stab each other.

It was breathtaking and terrifying.

Ivanna clenched her fist unknowingly.

The sound of two swords hitting each other continued. It was quite noisy, but Ivanna couldn’t take her eyes off the two people who were moving fast even with their small bodies.

And when the two barely stopped aiming at each other’s necks, she clapped her hands without even knowing. The twins paused for a moment and breathed deeply.

“How was it?”

“Cool!”

“Can you say that when one of us is hurt and bleeds?”

The clapping hands immediately stopped.

Ivanna hardened her body.

Valerie put the sword back in the sheath and approached Ivanna. She grasped the hardened hands of Ivanna that stopped clapping all together.

“That’s why I wear iron clothes. We both didn’t want to hurt each other in this fight, so we ended without getting hurt, otherwise, we would have gotten hurt.“

“We wear iron clothes to avoid that.”

Luan also put his sword and came to their side.

“Ivanna, swords, metal clothes, and armor are all the same thing, nothing else. Both sword and armor can protect your body, or can hurt another person.”

The sword and iron clothes are the same, the sword my mother held to protect me and the iron clothes worn by the people who bullied me, are the same.

They said the two are not separate things.

“Is our little sis’ scared of swords?”

Ivanna shook her head. The blade was not scary. Because she was always with her mom. It was so beautiful when her mother’s great spirit harmonized with the sword.

The sword is beautiful, not scary.

“Then you’re not afraid of iron clothes. You’re not scared of the sword that can hurt Ivanna even more, so don’t be afraid of the armor.”

Ivanna nodded.

The sword and iron clothes are the same.

Thinking so made her a little less scared.

Unlike iron clothes, the sword that protected her was beautiful, and it was never scary. So she thought she could endure the fear of iron clothes a little better now.

“Can I try the sword?”

Ivanna glanced at Valerie’s sword. Her mother’s sword was too big because she was really strong, isn’t my sister’s sword that’s smaller okay?

Valerie gently handed Ivanna the sword she had put back to the sheath.

“But it will be heavy.”

“Is it heavy?”

“When you hold it, you’ll know.”

Ivanna lifted Valerie’s sword with great strength and opened her mouth wide.

“It’s really heavy!”

She barely lifted it, and it was even just a few centimeters, but her arms were already shaking.

“Swords are usually very heavy. So you have to be healthier to swing it. You need to gain more weight.”

Ivanna cried.

“Can I lift it when it’s that heavy?”

“Of course, just be strong like me and your brother. You’re still young, you can do it when you are older. We also didn’t have a sword at the age of five.”

Instead of a real sword, they used wooden swords with an iron core, but both Valerie and Luan didn’t mention it at all. Ivanna of now would still have a hard time with a wooden sword. Because she’s that skinny.

As everyone said, the child needed to gain some more weight. They were sure that she was going to snap and break that slender arm with a heavy sword.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Ivanna nodded loudly when she saw Valerie and Luan’s sword.

She clenched her fists and shouted that she would eat well and grow well. It was so cute that the twins hugged Ivanna at the same time.

“Oh, yeah. Little sis, do you want to go see your father’s sword this time?”

Valerie clapped her hands as if it was a good idea. Luan snorted.

“Did you forget father had armor in his armory?“

After saying a word of criticism at Valery’s suggestion, she was suddenly disappointed by Luan’s reasoning.

Ivanna drooped her eyes.

“Dad’s Iron Clothes······?”

“Would you be scared if you were next to us?“

“Don’t overdo it. Ivanna, you don’t have to do it at all.”

“But I’d like to see Dad’s sword······.”

“You just have to tell father to bring it out.”

If Ivanna wanted, Dante could rob the knight’s armory. But his own sword wasn’t even a question. Ivanna pondered for a moment but unexpectedly shook her head.

“No, I’m coming to see it.”

Luan’s eyes opened wide.

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Hug.”

Valerie slipped her hand when Ivanna asked for a hug. Then Luan stared at her and hugged Ivanna as fast as he could.

“It’s my turn.”

“Tsk.”

Valerie hugged her and brought Ivanna this far, so it was Luan’s turn this time. Luan held his light sister and headed to the Duke’s armory. Valerie shrugged after him with a disappointed look.

The Duke’s weapon was not in the warehouse but in the interior of the mansion. Humidity and dust management were thoroughly carried out to prevent rust, and experts performed the best care every day.

The room was neither cold nor stuffy since it kept the Duke’s weapons. Ivanna wasn’t too scared because it was decorated with grace.

Far from that, she was rather impressed.

“Wow.”

In the middle of the room was a sword and armor that Dante used to go to the battlefield.

As it was a practical one, there was almost no decoration, so it would be very bloody and scary for her, but Ivanna’s eyes lit instead.

When Luan put her on the ground, the child ran quickly and stood in front of the armor. The twins were quite surprised when there was still no sign of fear in Ivanna.

“Aren’t you scared, lil’ sister?”

“Why?”

Ivanna reached out in wonder.

And as soon as she touched the armor, she was surprised and pulled out again.

“It’s cold! Is it iron?”

“Yes, it’s father’s armor.”

“But why is it black?”

Ah. The word made the twins realize.

Come to think of it, most knights wear silver armor unless it’s a special occasion. It’s very expensive to add colors like this.

Wait, then?

Twins looked at each other. Seeing each other’s eyes shining brightly, it was clear that they were thinking the same thing.