“In a duel, aiming for the throat is against the rules, Dame Knox.”

Evan murmured just loud enough for her to hear as he raised his sword to block the strike. Lila, her attack foiled, flipped backward and landed gracefully.

He’s a tough opponent.

Lila bit her lip as she observed Evan’s unshakable stance—solid as a boulder. She had expected him to be strong, but not this flawless. It had been a long time since she felt outmatched in a sword fight.

“Shall we get serious now?”

Having completed his initial assessment, Evan slowly unleashed his aura. Feeling the shift in the air, Lila released her own energy in response.

“Whoa!”

The knights gasped as they witnessed the two warriors enveloped in blue and black auras. Some servants, overwhelmed by the sheer pressure, squeezed their eyes shut.

Clang!

This time, Lila moved first. Black aura coiled like a serpent, striking toward Evan’s chest—only to be met by an impenetrable blue wall.

Swish—Clang! Clang, Clang!

As their powerful auras clashed, strong winds surged through the training grounds, shaking the surrounding trees. The battle had escalated to a different level. Lila relentlessly attacked while Evan defended, their swords clashing with explosive force.

“Unbelievable…”

The knights stared in awe.

Evan was one of the Empire’s finest warriors, yet this young woman was holding her ground against him. Her skill left a deep impression on them.

“Are you getting tired?”

Evan grinned, clearly enjoying himself. It had been a while since he could go all out in a duel.

“Not yet.”

Lila wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and adjusted her grip. Unlike her, Evan still looked composed.

He’s strong.

Not overwhelming, but experienced and skilled.

Lila admitted to herself that Evan was stronger than her. Aside from her instructor, she had never faced an opponent of his caliber.

“Maybe I was getting complacent.”

She muttered, catching her breath.

As a top-tier Expert, she had grown confident in her abilities. Among the Emperor’s Shadows, she had no rivals. Until she met the Grand Duke, she had never failed a mission. Within the gilded cage of the imperial palace, she had been undeniably powerful.

But the world outside was different. Both Grand Duke Eustace and Evan were stronger than her.

She was no longer the strongest.

And yet…

“This is fun.”

Her lips curved into a small smile.

Never before had she enjoyed crossing swords with someone like this.

Her eyes gleamed coldly, sharp as a finely honed blade.

She acknowledged that he was stronger—but she hadn’t admitted defeat.

“Oh?”

Evan’s eyes flickered with intrigue as a wave of killing intent surged from Lila, thick and razor-sharp enough to send chills down his spine. He shifted into a defensive stance, his attention locked on her.

The moment black aura coiled around her feet—Lila kicked off the ground.

“Gasp!”

“What—?”

“She’s using aura to move like that?!”

The knights cried out in shock as Lila’s body lifted into the air. Even Evan’s eyes widened in surprise.

She moved as if she had wings, stepping through the air with astonishing speed.

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

Soaring high, Lila twisted midair and plunged downward.

Shrouded in black aura, she streaked toward Evan like a raven diving for its prey.

“Mm!”

A suppressed groan escaped from Evan’s lips. Seeing Lila charging toward him, he gathered as much aura as possible.

Kwaaang—!

The moment their swords collided, an explosion resounded like a barrel of oil catching fire. Birds in the trees took flight in panic, and the horses resting in the stable neighed in distress.

“Kyaaah!”

“Ugh!”

The shockwave from the clash sent a violent gale sweeping through the training grounds, accompanied by the sound of something shattering nearby. Servants unable to withstand the force cowered and shut their eyes, while trained knights stepped forward to shield them.

“What just happened…?”

“Hah.”

As the surrounding noise faded, those who had instinctively closed their eyes slowly opened them. What they saw made them gasp.

“My god.”

“What… what is that?”

A tree within the training grounds had been reduced to splinters, unable to withstand the impact of their auras. The sight left the onlookers stunned, and even the knights shook their heads in disbelief.

“The outcome?”

One impatient knight called out. The spectators swallowed dryly, straining their eyes as the dust began to settle, revealing the two figures.

“……”

Lila silently shifted her gaze, staring at the greatsword precariously close to her throat.

She lost.

Confirming her own defeat, she slowly closed and reopened her eyes before lowering her sword.

“I concede.”

Waaah—!

As soon as Lila admitted her loss, cheers erupted from all around. Those who had witnessed the duel clapped enthusiastically, celebrating the spectacular match.

“It was an excellent duel.”

Evan withdrew his sword and extended his hand for a handshake.

“I already knew you were exceptional when I heard you were top-tier, but you exceeded my expectations.”

“Thank you.”

Unused to praise, Lila awkwardly took Evan’s hand. She hadn’t expected her swordsmanship to be so highly regarded in this way.

“There’s a saying that a person’s sword reflects the path they’ve walked.”

“…?”

“In my eyes, Dame Knox’s sword is one meant for taking lives.”

At Evan’s words, Lila’s shoulders stiffened.

“Ah. I don’t mean that as a criticism.”

Seeing her expression harden, Evan quickly added,

“A warrior’s blade is bound to be stained with blood. However, a sword that exists only to kill will, in the end, destroy its wielder as well.”

His tone was grave as he offered his advice.

“If you practice wielding your sword without intent to kill, you’ll be able to reach a new level. I say this because your talent is truly remarkable—please don’t take it the wrong way.”

“…Thank you for your advice.”

Lila sincerely expressed her gratitude.

For the first time, she felt like she could see a path forward—one that would allow her to protect both Grand Duke Eustace and herself.

“Well then, we should clean up this mess.”

Evan surveyed the wrecked training grounds. Only then did Lila take in her surroundings.

“That was an incredible duel!”

“Dame Knox! Please spar with me next time—”

The moment their conversation ended, the knights rushed forward. Lila found herself flustered by the mix of curiosity, admiration, and competitive spirit in their eyes.

She wasn’t used to people looking at her with anything other than fear or hatred. Their open admiration felt strangely unfamiliar.

“May I ask for your guidance?”

“How did you move in midair? Was that the Eastern technique of air-stepping?”

How was she supposed to respond?

As Lila struggled under the flood of questions, hurried footsteps approached.

“Lady Lila!”

“…Lou?”

Lila widened her eyes as she saw Lou running toward her with a tearful expression.

“We have a problem!”

“What’s wrong?”

Noticing the unease on Lou’s pale face, Lila furrowed her brows. Gasping for breath, Lou stretched out her small hands, grasped Lila’s clothes, and cried out,

“His Highness the Crown Prince is causing a disturbance!”

***

‘Should I just kill him?’

Grand Duke Eustace considered this as he watched the Crown Prince wreak havoc in the entrance hall. He had come down after hearing about the commotion, only to find the prince lashing out at Hans.

“How dare you, you insolent wretch!”

Already stopped once at the main gate, the Crown Prince had been on edge. When Hans told him that arriving unannounced was problematic, his temper flared.

“The Grand Duke’s estate has truly disgraceful servant training!”

Acting as he would in the imperial palace, he was throwing a fit when he noticed the Grand Duke. His nostrils flared in anger. Normally, he might have exercised some restraint, but having been in a foul mood since the previous night, he couldn’t hold back.

“A lowly commoner dares to look down on the Empire’s Crown Prince, and a mere lower noble talks back? What kind of insolent behavior is this?!”

Like master, like servant—every attendant in the Grand Duke’s estate carried themselves with an irritating arrogance. The Crown Prince raised his voice.

“If this were the imperial palace, they would have been dragged to the dungeon already!”

“As Your Highness just said, this is not the imperial palace.”

Grand Duke Eustace’s tone remained calm. He glanced briefly at Hans’s face—one side of his cheek was swollen and red. Clearly, after being stopped at the gate, the Crown Prince had lost his temper and struck Hans when he tried to block him.

“I will lodge a formal complaint about this—”

“In that case, I will formally protest as well.”

“What?”