The Extra Who Stole the Hero's System
Chapter 52: Cassie

Chapter 52: Cassie

I walked back to my room, the blunt training sword held loosely in my hand. A sigh of relief, a mixture of exhaustion and the release of stress, escaped my lips. I pushed open my door and, without bothering to put the sword away, simply let it clatter gently to the floor beside my bed. With a soft thud, I jumped onto the mattress, my body sinking into the plush comfort. The silence of my room, after the exertion of training, felt like a balm.

Just as I was beginning to drift, a soft knock sounded at my door.

"Young Master Kai? It’s Cassie. I have your tea."

My eyes fluttered open. Cassie. I recognized her voice. She was one of the manor maids, a young woman with kind eyes and a perpetually gentle demeanor. She had been occasionally bringing me tea since Evelina had been in a coma, a small, thoughtful gesture that had subtly chipped away at my guardedness. She was super kind, always quiet and efficient, and she had become noticeably more caring, more attentive, ever since Lord Sapphire’s death. Her presence was a small, comforting constant in the chaotic uncertainty of my new life.

"Come in, Cassie," I called out, my voice a little muffled by the pillow.

The door opened softly, and Cassie entered, carrying a small silver tray with a steaming teacup and a plate of biscuits. She moved with a quiet grace, her simple maid’s uniform neat and uncreased. She placed the tray gently on my bedside table, the warm scent of herbal tea filling the air.

"Thank you, Cassie," I murmured, pushing myself up to a sitting position.

She offered a small, polite smile. Her gaze, however, lingered on the blunt training sword lying on the floor beside my bed. "Still training hard for the Academy, Young Master?" she asked, her voice soft.

"Trying to," I admitted, reaching for the teacup. The warmth of the ceramic felt good in my hands.

She hesitated for a moment, then her gaze met mine, – a mixture of hope and a touch of nervousness. "Young Master... if I may be so bold. Are you... are you truly still going to the Sword Knight Academy?"

My brow furrowed. "Why do you ask, Cassie? Is there a problem?" My mind immediately jumped to potential complications, new threats, something Herald might have done.

She shook her head quickly. "Oh, no, Young Master! Nothing like that! It’s just... I also plan on going."

I almost choked on my tea. "You... you plan on going?" I stared at her, utterly surprised. Cassie? A maid? Going to the Sword Knight Academy? She didn’t look like the sword-fighting type at all. She was slight, graceful, her hands soft from years of domestic work. The idea was so out of place, so utterly unexpected, that I almost laughed.

She nodded, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. "Yes, Young Master. Through the commoner’s route, of course. I hope to become a Prodigy. To excel in the exam and enter the Academy. It would... it would be of great help to me. To my family. To elevate them from poverty, rather than being a maid forever." Her voice, though still soft, held a surprising note of fierce determination.

I stared at her, speechless for a moment. A maid, aspiring to be a Sword Knight Prodigy. It was a testament to the opportunities this world offered, even to commoners, if they possessed exceptional skill. But still, Cassie? It just didn’t fit. I brushed her answer off internally, assuming it was a naive dream, a hopeful fantasy. She was kind, yes, but a warrior? Unlikely.

"Well," I said, offering a polite, if slightly dismissive, smile. "I wish you the best of luck, Cassie. That’s... a noble ambition." I took a sip of my tea, trying to subtly end the conversation.

She smiled faintly, a knowing glint in her eyes that I completely missed. Then, before I knew it, she bent down. Her hand, moving with a speed and grace that utterly surprised me, reached out and picked up the blunt training sword from the floor beside my bed.

My eyes widened. She held it. And then, with an effortless flick of her wrist, she began to swing it. Not clumsily, not hesitantly. But with a fluid, precise motion, that only someone with a refined practiced skill can do. The blunt sword, heavy in my own hands, seemed light as a feather in hers. She executed a series of rapid, elegant slashes, a thrust, a parry, her movements so smooth, so controlled, that it was like watching a seasoned Swordman. The air around her seemed to hum faintly with the displaced air from her swings.

My jaw dropped. I stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. This was Cassie. The maid. The one who brought me tea.

"Cassie!" I exclaimed, my voice filled with genuine shock. "When... when did you learn how to wield a sword like that?!"

She stopped, the blunt sword resting easily in her hand, and turned to me, a small, almost shy smile on her face. "Oh, Young Master. My father... he was in the military. Not a knight, mind you, but a man-at-arms. He taught me a few things, when I was little. Said it was important for a girl to know how to defend herself." She shrugged, a casual gesture that belied the skill she had just displayed. "It’s just... something I do in my spare time."

My mind reeled. A maid. A secret swordswoman. This world is truly full of surprises. Full of hidden depths. It wasn’t just nobles and mages. Even the commoners had their own stories. Their own talents.

"That’s... that’s incredible, Cassie," I said, genuinely impressed. "You’re... you’re very good."

She blushed faintly. "Thank you, Young Master. I just... I practice when I can." She then carefully placed the blunt sword back on the floor beside my bed. "I should let you rest now, Young Master. Your tea will get cold."

She turned to leave, but I stopped her. "Cassie, wait. Tell me more about your father. About his time in the military. About... about what it’s like to be a man-at-arms."

She hesitated, then a soft smile touched her lips. "Of course, Young Master. If you wish." She sat down in the chair beside my bed, her posture relaxed, and began to speak. She told me about her father’s simple life in the military, about the drills, the camaraderie, the harsh realities of life on the road. She spoke of his pride in his service, even as a common soldier. She talked about the small, worn practice sword he had given her, the one she still used, hidden away in her small room in the servants’ quarters.

It was a glimpse into a different side of this world, a world beyond the grand manors and the powerful nobles. A world of common folk, of quiet struggles, of hidden dreams.