Instead of doing one chapter a day, I'll upload them all. This is because they're short, and it's not worth doing one a day if they're short chapters, not long ones.
I forgot to add it in the previous chapter, but here are the possible designs for Rex's armor. It already has a name, but it won't be revealed yet. I don't want it to look like Issei's, so I'm working hard to make it look neat: https://mega.nz/folder/7lh3GBJS#AL8NRq9qYqTp-XLaamNQvQ
________________________
The air smelled of damp earth and freshly baked bread. On the outskirts of the kingdom, far from the bustle of the capital, stood a small village where time seemed to flow lazily. Wooden houses with thatched roofs clustered around a main street of packed earth, where the most common sounds were birdsong and the whisper of wind rustling the trees. At the end of that winding path, almost merging with the fields, was a small, homely cottage from whose chimney wafted a thread of aromatic smoke that promised comfort.
The wooden door creaked and opened without delay. Lydia, the heroine, entered with the familiarity of someone stepping into their own home—and, in a way, it was, for that place belonged to a friend of hers, who was just then taking a golden, steaming apple pie out of the oven.
"Hello, I'm here~," Lydia announced in a sing-song, carefree tone.
Her friend, a young woman with a serene face, placed the pie dish on the kitchen table, where two fine porcelain cups already awaited. Without a word, she poured the tea, its herbal fragrance mixing with the dessert's sweet aroma.
"It's been a while, Lydia."
"I know, it's been so long," admitted Lydia, dropping her body into a chair with a sigh.
They had known each other since childhood, when Lydia was still a commoner. Whenever she could, she would escape her chores to run to that house to play. Now, as adults, they had an ocean of experiences to share. Her friend's life unfolded with a predictable calm, which is why she greatly enjoyed listening to Lydia's turbulent and glamorous stories.
"Yesterday I met a boy at a ball," Lydia began, and so started a tale that spanned from her arrival in the capital to every event that had revolutionized her existence. "I couldn't believe that boy was the prince. I was so scared when, after a misunderstanding, I slapped him. I was sure he would have me executed!"
"Then I met other boys, and then..." she continued, but her cheerful tone suddenly broke, as if a dark cloud had passed over her eyes. "Everything related to the boys is very pleasant; the real problem is that woman... Eliza, I think her name is."
"She always looks down on me, treats me as if I were worthless, and even speaks ill of me as if I were a fraud."
"I see. That must be horrible."
"It is!" exclaimed Lydia, bringing the teacup to her lips and taking a long sip, as if it were water, before letting out a burp without the slightest shame.
"My mother used to tell me that I always had to be a perfect girl or I would never find a husband. That's why I like talking to you, because I can be myself."
Lydia had always had a markedly masculine character. In her youth, her happiness lay in splashing in the mud, playing pranks, and eating until she was completely full. When her father, a down-on-his-luck nobleman who had lost his heir and his lands, came looking for her to make her his last source of profit, Lydia didn't hesitate. Her mother refused, but she, thirsty for a different life, left the fields behind and moved to the capital. She said goodbye to her friend without looking back, and now she returned as if those years of absence had never existed. But her friend, who truly loved her, always forgave her sometimes inappropriate behavior.
"It's really frustrating to act like a cute, dumb girl. I'm cute, but I'm not dumb, so it bothers me a lot," confessed Lydia, toying with her slice of pie. "At first, those boys fell for my fake behavior. It was amazing to see how pretending to be someone you're not can bring you such grand things."
"I see. That's certainly typical of you. But, what about the downside?" asked her friend, with a knowing smile. "You're telling me this not just to inform me, but to tell me something more important, right?"
Lydia, her mouth full of pie, nodded. After swallowing, she replied:
"Sorry for telling you about my problems. I really wanted to talk about us, about the time we haven't seen each other, but I just can't get it out of my head... That girl, Eliza, slapped me and I cried. Then, His Highness and the others came to my rescue and... they told me they loved me."
"It was such a big surprise that I panicked. That's why I said yes, but the truth is I'm not in love with any of them. The prince would be an excellent choice, but a man who disrespects his fiancée seems unpleasant to me."
"But right now I can't back out. Maybe I will in the future. For now, let's enjoy the good life and I'll think about what to do later."
"Fufufu... That's so typical of you, Lydia," replied her friend, with a smile that held years of complicity.
Lydia smiled back, and the conversation turned back to her adventures. The sweet heroine that everyone loved at court was nothing but a mask; the real Lydia, authentic and rough, only breathed freely in that small kitchen, in front of the only person who truly knew her.