Duke, Is This Your First Time?

Chapter 46

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‘I mean, why? His posture is great, though, so why?’

Elysia couldn’t quite comprehend the situation in front of her.

Obviously, the prince’s posture was perfect enough to be considered an example. But why did every bullet he shot missed?

It’s not like his posture was shifted when he pulled the trigger.

Dumbfounded, she felt awkward when her eyes met Rashian.

The prince tilted his head, perhaps he also sensed it was strange.

“I think there was something wrong, is there any problem with my posture?”

“No. There’s nothing wrong with your posture.”

“Then why?”

Elysia, who was thinking about the answer, suddenly remembered what her teacher said in the past.

[Although the case is very rare, there are some people who aren’t cut out for guns at all. Even if they shoot in a perfect posture, the bullet will miss the target. It’s like there is an invisible hand twisting the direction of the bullet. We call those people, ‘the one damned by the gun’.]

Oh, d*mn.

Elysia felt the urge to hit her forehead against something.

Of all people, the prince in front of her is apparently the part of ‘the one damned by the gun’. How should she tell the truth?

‘No, I must have missed something.’

The emphatic denial soon led to the escapism.

She smiled broadly at Rashian and clarified it as her mistake, not the prince’s problem.

“I think it’s because this is your first time. You will get better after practising a little more. Alright, let’s do it again.”

Elysia, who changed her mind, carefully adjusted Rashian’s posture once again and opened her eyes wide. It was to find out if she missed anything.

However, around ten minutes later, she had to admit it.

The Third Prince was really part of ‘the one damned by the gun’.

‘What did the teacher say at that time?’

Even in the midst of confusion, Elysia tried to remember what her teacher said about ‘the one damned by the gun’ by rummaging through her memory.

[Just because you’re cursed by the gun doesn’t mean you can’t shoot. With time and effort, you will be able to shoot. The problem lies in the fact that the effort must be ten times more than the normal person. Therefore, such people are not suggested to learn shooting.]

Losing hopes since it requires ten times of effort and time, she suddenly opened her eyes wide as if she just realized something.

‘Wait, is this an opportunity?’

This was also a golden opportunity that would never come again.

If the Third Prince understood and accepted his situation, it would be possible to escape from the burdensome position of a shooting mentor.

The Emperor wouldn’t be forcing her to teach the Prince if he (The Prince) didn’t want to do it anymore.

Although Iker’s condition was bothering her, she thought it could be changed to something else as long as the reason was attributable on the Prince’s side.

Elysia could barely straighten the corner of her lips, which was almost twitching in joy, in order to put on a serious face.

“Your Highness, I apologize for saying this but no matter how I look at this, I think you’re part of the people who are damned by the gun.”

Rashian looked up at her with a baffled stare at her remark.

“I’m part of people who are damned by the gun? What does that mean?”

“Even if you shoot in a perfect posture, the bullet keeps missing the target. It’s like an invisible hand is tilting the direction of the bullet.”

Elysia recited her teacher’s words. Then, Rashian’s eyes opened widely.

“So I won’t be able to shoot?”

“I suppose so…….”

She could see the Prince’s face become sullen with a sad expression as she intentionally dragged out the end of her remark. He looked like a glum puppy with his ears drooped.

At the same time, Elysia felt strange as she felt his emotion as well. It would be strange if she didn’t feel guilty because she made the smiling boy turn glum with a single remark.

‘No. Just hang in there a bit more and I will be able to get out of this situation.’

Elysia, who was trying as best as she could to turn away and braced herself, stiffened in surprise.

Rashian, who dropped his gaze, was staring at her with those big eyes of his.

Elysia’s conscience pricked when her eyes met the Prince’s silver orbs. And the following question from the Prince turned into dozens of sharp arrows and landed in her conscience.

“Is it really impossible?”

His voice was full of desperation.

She melted and eventually told the truth.

“It’s… not undoubtedly impossible. It requires ten times more effort and time than the average person.”

She figured she could tell him this much. She wondered if he would still insist to do it even after she said it requires ten times more effort and time than normal people.

But she received an unexpected answer from Rashian.

“Is that so? Then I will spend ten times more effort and time than others.”

“Pardon?”

Elysia blinked and wondered if she heard it correctly for a moment.

What was this kid saying…?

“Didn’t the Marquess say so? I can spend ten times more effort and time than most people. I will do that.”

Rashian’s face was bright as if it never turned sullen. As is he would be satisfied just by being able to shoot.

But it was such a strange thing.

She should be sad because her plan to give up on the shooting mentor job failed, but she didn’t.

Instead, a strange exhilaration rose from the corner of Elysia’s heart.

Rashian’s voice was heard in her ear as she stood absentmindedly. The voice was cheerful and burning with enthusiasm.

“I’ll do my best to hit the target. Don’t worry, Marquess.”

Elysia repositioned and stared at Rashian, who was aiming his gun at the target.

The unwavering straight posture, the confident expression without a hint of doubt for the choice he made, and the silver orbs with a strong determination to make it happen.

The moment she realized it was when the Prince’s shining face as if it was reflected by the sun and the sunlight was smashed to pieces like powder of light spread on his face.

That she had expectations for this child. As a candidate who could possibly be the next emperor.

That’s why she felt happy without realizing it. She liked how he didn’t give up on his goal even in the difficult situation.

Acknowledging the fact, Elysia felt a feigned smile hung around her lips.

‘I’m doomed.’

At this rate, she couldn’t say anything even if she heard that she was indeed a pushover.

A gentle, low-pitched voice descended over her head when she thought it would be difficult and take a long time to get away from the shooting lesson.

“Can you take a look at me now?”

Raising her head, she saw Iker standing beside her.

Elysia quickly turned her head toward Rashian to answer as she felt her face heated up strangely when she met his shining and fascinating warm golden orbs.

“You’ll have to wait a little longer, we have to give His Highness more time……..”
 

“I’m fine. I think I will have to practice a lot to hit near the target.”

Rashian flew in and cut off her words, as if he had been waiting to do that.

‘How can he have such good hearing?’

It was said that learning swordsmanship also improved hearing sense, and it seemed true. Although she spoke in a low voice, she could see that he understood even from a distance.

Elysia was kind of frustrated.

She heard Iker’s voice again when complaining to herself that everything she plotted seemed to go against her.

“Unfortunately, His Highness says it’s alright.”

From the meaning of his remark and the amusement in his voice, he seemed to have noticed that she was trying to refuse his request by using Rashian.

Elysia spoke curtly while trying to conceal her embarrassment.

“Do you have a gun?”

“After all, it’s impolite to be empty-handed when I come here to learn.”

Iker took the revolver from the holster and handed it to her.

It was about the same size as Rashian’s, but the color was black, which seemed like even the light couldn’t be deflected by it.

‘The color is similar to His Excellency’s hair.’

Elysia, who stole a glance at Iker’s hair, returned the revolver to Iker and asked.

“Have you ever learned how to shoot?”

“I learned a little.”

“What posture did you learn?”

“I was told two sorts of things, but I don’t really remember their names.”

“Try it once.”

There were various positions in shooting.

What Elysia told Rashian was an easy and natural posture from the rest, all he had to do was spread his legs shoulder-width apart and put his hands together as if pointing at the target.

‘What’s the posture that he learned?’

While she was watching curiously, Iker held the revolver with his hand and straightened his right arm with the gun pointing in the direction of the target, while his left arm was bent slightly to support the other arm.

As soon as she saw his posture, Elysia could recognize it right away. His posture was very stable despite having said that he learned a little.

“It’s the deformative posture of Weaver Stance. By any chance, did you really just learn a little?”

Iker answered her doubtful question, the corner of his beautiful mouth was raised slightly.

“I learned a little when I stopped by the magic tower.”

Elysia narrowed her eyes slightly.

Rashian, who learned to shoot for the first time, and Iker, who learned to shoot a while back, were equally suspicious because they both showcased such great postures.

She wondered if they already learned it and just pretended to be clueless.

Her head turned to Har, who was standing a little distance away from them.

Standing by the tree with his arms folded, her friend seemed very bored.

Just in time, Elysia raised her hand towards him.

“Har, come here!”

At her call, Har straightened his leaning body and walked up to her slowly.

“Why?”

“Take this first.”

Without giving any explanation, Elysia took out the gun she brought on her waist and held it in her hand, causing Har’s forehead to wrinkle slightly.

His eyes looked as if he was wondering why she gave it to him.

“Now stand with your feet spread shoulder-width apart. Keep your toes forward and stretch your arms in the direction of the target. Make sure your hands, which are holding the revolver, are positioned in the center of your chest.”

Elysia explained the same posture learned by Rashian to Har before retreating.

He posed as told with a look of great annoyance on his face.

After seeing his posture, Elysia finally understood.

Even Har, who never held a gun before, immediately showcased the posture in a proper way.

‘It is said that posture is important even in swordsmanship, so that might be the reason.’

Elysia, who was nodding her head while thinking it was the traits of those who learned swordsmanship, was startled by Iker’s voice.

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