“Lady!”

The heat rising through her veins made every sense in her body stand on end.

“Shatir, I know what kind of horse you are.”

As if understanding Arne’s words, Shatir’s hoofbeats grew more intense upon spotting the stream.

“Lady! Lady Ronia!”

As the stream approached, a sense of urgency tightened around her heart. Shatir leaped greatly in front of the stream.

It crossed the stream in one leap and continued at a fast pace.

The Knight Commander slowed down, unable to close his gaping mouth.

Only Cedric, who passed the Knight Commander, crossed the stream as it was and chased after Arne at a fast pace.

“Both of them are crazy.”

They had already passed the blue flag on the walkway. The competition was decided.

A curve formed on Arne’s lips.

“Well done, Shatir.”

At Arne’s praise, Shatir seemed pleased and pranced.

And then slowed down as if asking for Arne’s permission but did not stop. Arne had the same thought.

“Shatir, I know what you want. Do as you wish today.”

Arne patted Shatir’s side. Then Shatir began to speed up again.

Shatir is wild. Only a full sprint through the grand duchy’s walkway surpassing the grand park could barely calm its overflowing energy.

‘In my past life too, this horse was a riot when you mentioned going for a walk.’

As they left the walkway, the sweet scent of grass wafted from the meadow that followed.

Arne burst into laughter. Shatir slowed down after having its fill of running wild.

Then Cedric, arriving at some point, also slowed down gradually. Arne’s clear laughter spread.

“Doesn’t it feel too good?”

Cedric, who had been moving his mouth too, burst into laughter.

He didn’t know where to start.

There were too many things he wanted to ask—how long she had been riding horses, if her body was okay.

The sound of hooves slowly echoed, and occasionally the scent of lilacs mixed with the smell of grass blew over.

As Arne reached out her hand, Cedric naturally took it.

‘It’s better to replenish the spirit’s mana when you can.’

Arne turned her head slowly to face Cedric and created a smile with her eyes by curving her eyebrows.

“Thank you for believing in me. Thanks to you, I will be rid of the false accusation of being a liar.”

Cedric, looking into Arne’s eyes, felt his heart pounding fiercely. His back, drenched in sweat, prickled with heat.

‘Is it muscle pain? It makes sense to be out of breath after running like that.’

Cedric, holding her hand tightly again, said,

“That’s purely thanks to you, Lady Ronia. The lady did not lie and rode well enough to beat Warren, so it’s only natural.”

“If you say so.”

Arne shrugged her shoulders. Her face, already flushed, seemed to heat up more, so she turned her head.

‘The Duke of Ronia was too busy stealing my credit.’

Her mouth felt inexplicably dry. It was natural to be thirsty after running so breathlessly.

“Let’s go back now.”

She had an apology to receive from Warren.

* * *

The knights, along with the Knight Commander, looked at Arne with a mix of curiosity and awe in their eyes.

It was the first time someone other than Cedric could handle Shatir like that, and they had seen it with their own eyes.

‘If she was this impressive, she would have been famous throughout the capital, not to mention the entire empire. Why didn’t I know?’

The Knight Commander’s eyes sparkled with growing questions, but he wasn’t tactless enough to ask right then.

Warren’s face was sternly set, and Arne looked down on him from atop Shatir with a dignity that commanded respect.

Arne spoke leisurely as she looked down at Warren,

“Sir Warren, don’t you have something to say to me?”

Warren lifted his head to look up at Arne.

He was speechless under the dignified gaze of Arne looking down at him from atop Shatir.

‘Even when she was lying in bed, she seemed like a naive lady unaware of the ways of the world, but now.’

But now there was an undeniable dignity about her.

Even the competition had been won by Arne by an overwhelming margin.

‘How did this happen?’

Warren had seen it with his own eyes and experienced it but found it hard to believe.

“Did you use magic or something……”

Before he could finish his sentence, Cedric’s brows furrowed deeply.

Cedric cut off Warren’s words and spoke,

“Lady Ronia is here in Renigrad Grand Duchy’s villa because of a mana surge. She coughed up blood, lost consciousness, and collapsed.”

Warren closed his mouth. It was not uncommon for someone to lose consciousness and teleport to a remote location during a mana surge.

If she had used magic again, Arne would have collapsed vomiting blood atop the horse.

At least her skill in riding was entirely Arne’s own ability.

Warren saw Cedric’s jaw muscles tighten with tension.

His patience was nearly at its limit.

“…I apologize, Lady Ronia. I have been rude.”

Warren bowed his head. Arne looked down not at the back of Warren’s head but at the fist he had clenched tight.

He was putting so much force into it that his knuckles turned white, waiting for Arne’s permission.

“I’ll be generous.”

“Thank you.”

The knights surrounding them sighed in relief at Arne’s mercy.

Now they could finally ask how she tamed Shatir and how she managed to ride so well.

As the Knight Commander smiled and started to approach Lady Ronia, Warren’s voice rang out again,

“But it doesn’t mean I fully trust Lady Ronia. Everyone says the lady is the empire’s mad villainess who commits atrocities.”

​​The Knight Commander stepped on Warren’s foot as if to ask why he was doing this, but Warren continued firmly.

“I honestly think that Lady Ronia tarnishes Young Master Renigrad’s honor. Besides, I can’t just hand over the lord to any lady.”

At Warren’s statement, the Knight Commander’s eyes widened. He whispered to Warren, glancing at Cedric and Arne,

“Why are you doing this, why are you making the atmosphere worse? There’s a limit to how much Lord Cedric will overlook because you’re sick.”

But Warren steadfastly looked at Arne despite the commander’s attempt to dissuade him.

“I acknowledge that the lady rides well. But I still have doubts about the lady who everyone calls a mad villainess.”

As soon as Warren finished his last words, Cedric’s low voice rang out threateningly.

“Warren de Searching! What rudeness is this. Apologize to the lady immediately.”

“Lord Cedric!”

Arne raised an eyebrow at Warren, who was confronting Cedric.

‘Searching? The Searching family… It feels familiar. Did I meet them in my past life?’

Thinking Arne was hurt or angry, Cedric grabbed Warren’s shoulder and spoke,

“Lady Ronia, allow me to apologize on behalf of his rudeness.”

“Lord Cedric! People in the capital are different from those in the north! You shouldn’t trust them so easily!”

‘Ah, I remember now. Warren de Searching was the one who caught Amelia cheating with Kale and informed Cedric.’

His persistent doubt made sense.

‘And he was the first to sign my marriage contract as a witness.’

At the time, when all the elders of Renigrad hesitated to be witnesses due to opposition, Warren was the first to sign.

Without any witnesses, the marriage would have been invalid, so it was a very courageous act on Warren’s part.

‘He said the elders of Renigrad were his master is not but Cedric.’

Though he is full of doubts, it means he is loyal and intelligent.

In other words, because Warren overcame numerous doubts and built a solid trust, he devoted his loyalty to Cedric for life.

Cedric’s threatening voice flowed to Warren, who remained unyielding until the end.

“Bringing you to the capital might have been my mistake. If you continue to be rude to the lady against my orders, you’ll return to the north.”

“That can’t happen!”

At Arne’s urgent voice, Cedric and Warren turned towards her.

“…Please.”

Arne smiled awkwardly.

If Cedric ends up engaged to Amelia again, it would be difficult if Warren, who could reveal her and Kale’s affair, went to the north.

‘In fact, Warren’s words aren’t entirely wrong, and later he’s going to be a witness to our wedding.’

“My point is, sending him to the north seems too harsh a punishment!”

Arne dismounted and pulled on Cedric’s arm.

“Your apology is enough, couldn’t you rescind that order?”

Cedric opened his mouth to speak but closed it again at Arne’s following words.

“Please.”

Arne’s red eyes gazed softly at Cedric.

It felt like a tense string that might snap at any moment was loosening again.

Seeing Cedric’s jaw relax, Arne smiled and said,

“Thank you.”

Cedric moved his lips. It wasn’t Arne who should be saying thanks.

But Arne just smiled once more and turned back to approach Warren.

“Sir Warren, I like your way of thinking. Especially the part about not just handing over Lord Cedric to any lady.”

Warren’s eyes widened. The empire’s mad villainess not only opposed his exile but also liked him for doubting her.

“So I hope Sir Warren doubts and tests me as much as he wants.”

“…Does that mean you’re not the empire’s mad villainess, enough to overcome all my doubts?”

Warren’s doubtful eyes turned towards Arne, but she smiled confidently.

“If someone deliberately pours wine on my dress, I’m the type to pour wine on their dress too. If that’s what Sir Warren calls wickedness and cruelty, then I guess I am a villainess.”

Arne smiled slyly.

“I did so in the past and will do so in the future. Whether Sir Warren tests me or not, I don’t care.”

Warren was at a loss for words at Arne’s assertiveness. Ladies of the social circle were all gentle and kind, desperate not to be embroiled in scandals.