The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

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“Here you go!”

“Thanks.”

She received the bow and expertly pulled the string back to check the tension.

It didn’t seem too difficult, and it looked like the instructor had truly chosen the right bow for Shione.

Had that guy ever held a bow before?

No, surely not.

The skillfulness of her check raised questions among everyone at the shooting range.

The sound of drawing the bowstring and arrows hitting the target quieted down.

“What are you all doing? Your hands are idling. Am I the only one here?”

As soon as her words fell, a few started shooting again.

Nevertheless, the soldiers couldn’t completely disregard the presence of the unexpected guest, Shione Shianella.

Finally, understanding that they could at least keep glancing at her while doing their own thing, Shione confidently began practicing at the empty target.

The distance to the target was a wide circular one set at 70 meters.

And, once again, it was dead release and pinch style.

This was all she had practiced for a month, so her posture was corrected.

Pang! Kachink!

An arrow shot from her corrected stance struck the center of the target.

Not merely a slanted arrow that landed in the middle, but a solid shot that indicated horizontal precision from the point of impact.

Due to the right amount of strength and aiming, the result was evident.

Those who watched shared their brief impressions.

“Oh….”

“You hit it… didn’t you?”

“…Isn’t that luck?”

As their fleeting thoughts gathered, a small buzz arose.

She remained silently drawing the bow and shooting the next arrow.

Shione didn’t show any reaction to their comments.

However, as the number of arrows hitting the target grew, their reactions began to change naturally.

“…To call it luck looks like you hit the center quite well?”

“With that posture… it doesn’t look like she’s just winging it.”

“Has anyone here seen Princess Shione practice before?”

Initially, the arrows continuously hitting the target sparked chatter, but eventually, someone asked if anyone had seen Shione practicing with a bow.

As their opinions shifted from a mere stroke of luck to skill, I decided to speak up.

“Is everything alright? With so many people around.”

“…It’s definitely a bit tough with so many eyes on me. I feel a bit stiff for no reason.”

“Your posture seems to have fully settled now.”

“I practiced this every day, so it’s not surprising that it became second nature. So, did I do alright?”

“Yes, you should be ready to learn the next one.”

“Huh?”

Surprise and joy blossomed on Shione’s face.

“Is that really true?”

“How about we practice slides along with the dead release you’ve been doing?”

“Of course! Is that the one where you pull the string and shoot without stopping?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I’m looking forward to it!”

Perhaps my enthusiasm surprised her, as Shione’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Seeing her blush from embarrassment while clearing her throat was quite amusing.

To help her focus back on the bow instead of her embarrassment, I began explaining the split finger and sliding release with the bow I was holding.

“Let me teach you the new technique first.”

“I’ll listen.”

“Great. Position the arrow vertically between your index and middle fingers. And put your ring finger on the string like this.”

“Like this?”

“Your index and middle fingers are too far apart. If you feel like the arrow tip is touching your index to secure it, it should help with aiming.”

“Oh, I see.”

I confirmed she was properly mimicking the split finger, also referred to as the Mediterranean method.

Though still awkward, she would probably get the hang of it after a few shots.

“Could I show you a demonstration for a moment?”

“Of course.”

I took the bow from Shione and stepped in front of the target she had been aiming for.

Having shown the split finger loosely, all that was left was to slowly demonstrate the sliding release for her to observe.

“After the technique, you pull like this…”

Pang!!

“Let go of the string just before your hand reaches your chin.”

Smack!!

My arrow flew steadily and pierced the exact center of the target.

Was it really such a big deal for a guy to shoot a bow?

Even the women who had been shooting turned to look at me.

The spotlight wasn’t shining on me, so I wondered why they were so interested.

I swiftly trod over their attention and added, “Just thinking that loosening your fingers and pulling your arm back while shooting could also be a decent exercise.”

“That’s true. Pulling my arm back…”

“Stand still, let me help you with your posture.”

“…Are you talking about holding me from behind?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

Shione’s cheeks flushed bright red as she glanced around nervously.

“Oh, no, with so many people around…”

“Well, it’s not like you’re going to die, so why the fuss?”

“I might die of embarrassment… but why are you so unconcerned?”

“Of course. I’m just teaching archery, so there’s nothing to feel embarrassed about. Now, let’s get your stance right.”

Though it may be nice to shoot a little based on what I saw, I believe it’s far more effective to help someone calibrate their movement and timing.

I figured it would only take me two or three times of helping Shione before she’d fully grasp it.

“…You really intend to take that embarrassing stance here?”

However, with such sweet and pink imaginings in her mind, my mentor is likely to refuse.

It’s not like I’m completely hugging her from behind; I’m just guiding her grip and timing for drawing the bowstring.

Why is she being so strict about this?

I narrowed my eyes and stared at Shione thoughtfully.

“The more you react this way, the more attention the soldiers will focus on you. Just finish this quickly.”

“Hah… right, I guess.”

“Good thinking.”

I corrected her grip on the bow.

Then I started guiding her arm, holding her drawing arm back.

At the same time, I could feel eyes boring into the back of my head.

When I sneaked a glance, I noticed the practicing women staring at us with a mix of admiration and envy directed at Shione.

Truly remarkable people.

I quickly pushed aside their interest and concentrated on assisting Shione.

Her arm pulled taut but did not stop its backward motion.

When enough strength was gathered as the bowstring fell back towards the target, I gave her arm a gentle tap.

“Keep pulling back with your arm and let those fingers off the string.”

Pang! Smack!

After confirming the arrow had hit the target, I asked.

“Should I help again?”

“N-no. Just let it drop quickly now.”

Shione waved her hands.

She must have been seriously embarrassed, with her cheeks flushed bright enough to rival a ripe tomato.

In that state, she shot glances around inconspicuously.

Her fierce gaze made those watching turn away once more.

After taking a deep breath, Shione nocked another arrow.

“From now on, I’ll shoot according to what you taught me, so let me know if I’m lacking in any way.”

“Understood. You can shoot comfortably.”

She began to shoot calmly, following my instructions.

As the number of arrows shot increased, her speed for the sliding release accelerated.

Shione drew back like she was stretching her arm and shot the bow in a single motion.

Though the bow wobbled momentarily and didn’t hit the center, she was smiling.

“It’s nice to shoot precisely and carefully, but it’s also fun to shoot this way. I feel this method is even more comfortable than the previous one.”

“I’m glad to hear so! Ah, but when you draw the bowstring, I’m noticing your arm is angling slightly. Just be aware of that.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

Her practice continued until she was completely exhausted.

After Shione lowered her bow and began to rest, I approached her.

“How about practicing the bow at this hour?”

“I regret not coming at this time before. It’s really nice.”

“In the future, if you have any questions, it wouldn’t hurt to consult the archers beside you.”

“…I’m not very fond of talking to others.”

“You converse well with me, a man, so it shouldn’t be too hard to chat with the women.”

“Umm…”

She lowered her head.

“You’re… different.”

“Excuse me?”

“I-I said, forget it. Just a trivial matter.”

I didn’t catch that tiny murmur.

It was a pity that when I asked her to repeat it, Shione didn’t seem inclined to share again.

Well, she claimed it wasn’t an important topic in the first place.

“Well, if that’s the case, how about practicing with the bow at this hour from now on instead of in the morning?”

“Sure, let’s do that.”

My lips curled up.

However, my spirits dropped as Shione continued.

“In the mornings, let’s only do light exercises instead of practicing archery. That should be alright?”

I mean, let’s at least catch some sleep in the morning. Please.

*

As the warm spring day turned into summer,

Sion started the semester at the academy and left the Count’s House, while Shione consistently went to the shooting range, showing tremendous progress.

She was now on friendly terms with her sister Siabel and had developed enough social skills to hold conversations with a few of the archers.

Seeing Shione, who used to hide away and only annoy her servants, transform this much was remarkable.

Thanks to this, Shione’s reputation at the shooting range improved compared to before.

Each morning, we consistently woke up with a simple workout, and during the day, we practiced archery and worked out rigorously to shape up.

After all, we can’t survive on just mugwort and garlic for a hundred days. If not, we have no choice but to work harder on exercise rather than just eating that.

I finished my morning jog and saw Shione resting while drinking some water.

“Those pounds were a real pain.”

Having lost quite a bit of weight, Shione had regained beauty comparable to her mother.

Unlike her cold, sharp-looking sister Siabel or the alluring beauty radiating from her brother Sion, Shione had a charmingly innocent beauty.

Though I was seriously tired of waking her every morning and running together, it felt rewarding to see the results.

“You did well today. Now let’s go inside and relax.”

“I shall follow.”

“Oh, by the way, could you bring me something sharp? A small knife would be ideal.”

“A sharp knife…?”

“Why do you look at me like that?”

“Don’t have bad thoughts.”

“Do you really find me so untrustworthy…? Don’t worry, it’s for something specific.”

“Um… then I’ll go fetch what you ordered. Please head into your room first.”

“Thanks.”

We turned our backs on each other and walked away.

Her room was that way, and the training grounds were this way.

After that, I searched for a short, sharp sword at the training grounds and returned to Shione’s room.

If I was going to have her fetch it, I should have gotten it from her while passing by the training grounds.

What a hassle.

Knock knock.

As I knocked on the door, an immediate response came.

“Come in.”

I walked right into her room.

Walking into Shione’s room while holding a knife felt like I was a minister plotting treachery.

“I’ve brought this sharp blade you asked for… is that alright?”

“Let me see.”

Shione took the blade and examined it.

“Perfect. Great work.”

With that, she brought the blade to her long, silvery hair.

“…Princess Shione?”

“Just stand still and watch.”

Without hesitation, Shione cut her hair.

Snip snip.

Much of her long hair that had reached her waist fell to the ground, neglected over the years.

My expression stiffened as I watched her go from long hair to short.

Of course, I wasn’t shocked that she cut her hair.

…But now I had to clean up all that fallen hair.

She’s just creating extra work for me out of boredom.

“Hehe, what a refreshing feel.”

Truly, Shione smiled sweetly and innocently, looking entirely at ease, as if she had shed her burdensome past.