He raised his head at those words.

Confusion clouded the blue eyes looking up at me.

“You have a good body.”

At my next words, he flinched again.

Somehow, I felt a sense of disappointment from him, as if saying ‘Of course, that’s how it is’.

Seeing through his transparent feelings, I smiled and asked abruptly.

“Would you like to learn swordsmanship?”

“……?”

For a moment, he lost his expression and stared at me blankly.

That’s how I taught Cail swordsmanship and kept him as a close knight.

As in the original setting, as my knight who was uniquely allowed to enter my bedroom, he was permitted to be by my side.

‘Even if I don’t keep him as a lover, if I do this, he’ll be able to kill me someday when I go berserk.’

Of course, there were many who opposed.

But who cares? I said I would keep him by my side.

Even though it was a nominal proposal to keep him by my side, Cail’s swordsmanship skills were exceptionally outstanding.

In the end, even those who had been spitting and clamoring that his status was insufficient to be the princess’s knight had to shut their mouths.

‘As expected of one of the male leads. He can do anything, even if I attach settings that weren’t included in the original work.’

And unlike in the original work, Cail, who became a knight with my solid support, would do anything for me.

There were times when he caused trouble trying to beat up nobles who badmouthed me.

And it just so happened that that noble was Niel’s close associate, so he clashed with Niel too.

Niel disliked Cail.

That elegant and noble man, kind to everyone, didn’t openly ignore or despise Cail.

Nevertheless, I could feel an underlying hostility.

Especially in front of me.

However, the kind Cail was always polite to Niel.

Once, when I asked such a Cail if he didn’t dislike Niel Alpenhayer, he answered with an innocent face.

“He’s Your Highness’s fiancé, isn’t he?”

“Huh……?”

“How could I dare to harbor ill feelings towards the person who will be Your Highness’s husband?”

“Fiancé…… You don’t have to put much meaning into that.”

I replied in a disinterested voice to his unexpected answer.

I was deliberately postponing the wedding with Niel Alpenhayer.

After all, he was a man I would cleanly hand over to Yuria once she appeared.

“What do you mean by that?”

And Cail Aleret, another man I would cleanly hand over to Yuria, asked while staring at me intently.

Those blue eyes containing me were strangely unforgettable.

Anyway, I was very anxious because Cail Aleret, who had to kill me, wasn’t moving as I intended.

Even though I had directly placed the holy sword in his hands, he seemed to have no intention of killing me at all.

‘Do you know how hard it was for me to steal that holy sword from the Holy Kingdom!’

Feeling impatient, I casually asked him.

“Doesn’t it bother you? Everyone is badmouthing me.”

He tilted his head and answered.

“Should I kill them all?”

“……”

It was a very sincere answer.

“……No. Just stay put.”

I was really worried he might see blood.

‘No, Cail needs to become a hero.’

Cail had to kill me and become a hero.

Killing me was Cail’s destiny. Because he was the only man who could kill me.

But if I died, would Cail be able to live well?

He needed people who would cherish, love, and take care of him even without me.

So I tried to make him a hero of the people.

In the original work, Yuria influenced Cail with her body.

But I can’t do that, can I?

So I subtly placed the shackles of a vow on him. Even borrowing the power of the dragon.

“I promise, Cail. On my twentieth birthday, you will grant one thing I wish for.”

“Alright.”

Cail nodded innocently.

And when the time came, on the day of my birthday celebration.

Although rebels who wanted to kill me swarmed outside the imperial palace, my birthday celebration was very grand.

As I left the noisy banquet hall and headed to the terrace, Cail immediately followed me.

There, I asked Cail.

“Do you remember the vow you made with me?”

“Even without a vow, I would grant anything Your Majesty wishes.”

Cail answered calmly.

“What do you wish for? Shall I kill all those who are trying to tarnish Your Majesty’s name out there?”

“Well, killing is right, but……”

I trailed off, glancing at him.

“The one you’re killing is not them, but me.”

“What?”

He didn’t immediately understand my words and made a dumb expression.

“You know too, right? That I have to die.”

As I added with a grin, his face gradually hardened.

“I refuse. Let’s run away instead. I will serve you.”

“No. The dragon will go berserk eventually anyway. Then I’ll end up destroying the world.”

“I don’t care. Whatever happens to the world.”

“What nonsense is that? Then you’ll die too!”

“I don’t care about that either.”

At his continued refusal, I spoke in a firm voice.

“Cail Aleret, this is an order.”

“I refuse.”

He glared at me and answered fiercely.

It was the first time.

The first time the always obedient Cail Aleret had defied my words.

“I see. There’s no helping it then.”

I quietly reached out my hand towards him.

“Cail Aleret, fulfill the vow made in the name of the dragon Helasio.”

At that moment, as the vow made in the dragon’s name was activated, a black light enveloped him.

“What is this…!”

“Kill me, Cail Aleret.”

Cail’s body creaked and moved on its own.

And as his hand drew the sword at his waist, his face was painted with shock.

His body, beyond his will, subjugated to the power of the vow made in the dragon’s name, attacked me.

“Ah, no…!”

Thud.

“……”

He stared at my heart, pierced by the holy sword, with an unbelieving face.

“Jella, you……”

Cail cried.

For the first time, he who had endured the nobles’ insults and cold treatment, cried.

“I will… never forgive you.”

That was the last I remember of him and me.

He must have resented me a lot.

It was strange.

Living as Jella Shunaibel, I had received hatred and resentment from countless people, but uniquely, his resentment made my heart ache.

So I hoped to never face him again.

But contrary to my wishes…

‘Damn, why am I watching this.’

I was in the midst of people, stealing glances at the procession Cail was passing through.

I had tried to never face him, but upon hearing he had come, I found myself mixed in with the spectators. As if entranced, without even realizing it.

‘It’s fine if I’m among the crowd… He won’t recognize me since my face has changed…’

I tried to rationalize my actions as I thought.

‘I’ll just see if he’s living well. If his face looks healthy. That’s all I’ll look at.’

Amidst the cheering crowd, a man dressed in a pure white uniform was passing by on a white horse.

Children in the front row threw flowers towards the man.

It was a beautiful scene as if flower petals were raining from the sky.

I blankly stared at the man on the horse.

Shimmering silver hair, noble and beautiful like moonlight.

Cold yet clean and transparent blue eyes.

Cail Aleret.

My noble knight who stabbed my heart and killed me.

The last hero loved by the people, who ended the seemingly endless winter of Shunaibel and brought spring to everyone.

Suddenly, he turned this way.

‘Eek!’

I instinctively hid my body.

‘It felt like our eyes met, but surely not.’

With a feeling that I shouldn’t stay here any longer, I turned my body and left the square.

“Phew……”

Finally entering a quiet alley, I let out a sigh of relief.

“He’s still handsome.”

I smiled wryly as I walked down the deserted alley.

Perhaps because I had just been in the crowd, the surroundings felt particularly quiet at that moment.

Grab!

My wrist was suddenly seized.

“……!”

My eyes widened in shock.

Blue eyes, cold like an icy lake, stared at me.

Cail Aleret was in front of me.

Those blue eyes, cold and piercing like a midwinter lake, shook violently.

“You……”

The moment he slowly parted his tightly closed lips.

Thud!

Too surprised, I unconsciously punched his solar plexus and knocked him out.