In her previous life, Erin never gained recognition from any of Ferdin’s knights.

No, it wasn’t just about recognition. They always looked at her with hatred in their eyes.

Amon, Lilia, and all the knights not present here hated her and wanted her dead.

But they couldn’t act because of Ferdin.

Erin vowed that this time she would never shake their loyalty. She would rather have their hatred directed solely at her.

“For a knight, your mouth seems to be your only working part.”

Karon, standing behind Erin, opened his mouth in surprise at her words. But he quickly regained his composure and reached out to stop her.

Karon had provoked Amon because he was confident he wouldn’t easily lose in a fight against him. But Erin was different.

If Amon challenged her to a duel, she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Many thoughts flashed through Karon’s mind and disappeared just as quickly.

Since Erin had become a knight candidate herself, it would be difficult for him to interfere or fight in her place.

But making his concerns irrelevant, she easily evaded his hand.

Then, with a fluid, natural movement, she instantly grabbed his hand.

Karon couldn’t help but be surprised. He couldn’t understand how Erin had managed to catch his hand.

He hadn’t even been able to read her movement when she grabbed him.

Other knights also seemed to feel something was off about Erin’s movements. He could hear some knights whispering.

“Did you see that movement just now?”

“I did.”

“Really? I didn’t see anything at all.”

“Well, there was nothing special about it. Anyone could do that.”

Their conversation stopped when Amon began radiating intense killing intent toward Erin.

With gritted teeth, he addressed Erin who stood blocking his path.

Each syllable was imbued with fierce energy.

“You… want to die?”

* * *

When Amon asked if she wanted to die, Erin wanted to answer that there had been times when she did.

In the past, when Lilia tried to kill her, she had wished for death with a heart of atonement toward everyone.

If her death could erase the sorrow of losing loved ones, she would have gladly given her life.

But that action would have been a deception toward Lilia. Erin’s death could never substitute for those they had lost.

So in this life, she was determined to survive.

She had sworn to herself that even if she had to crawl through mud, she would survive to avenge Calips’s killer and tell Lilia the truth.

She would help Ferdin regain what he had lost because of her, and if Lilia still hated her after learning the truth, she would either die by her hand or quietly disappear.

After all, it was true that Calips had died because of her.

Death didn’t frighten her. She had already experienced death three times.

That’s why Erin felt nothing at Amon’s question about wanting to die.

It was Karon who reacted strongly to those words.

He began emanating killing intent toward Amon and tried to draw his sword, seemingly unable to hold back any longer.

His killing intent was so strong that even the knights nearby tensed up.

Erin tightened her grip on Karon’s hand. She glanced back at him once before facing forward again.

Amon was still glaring at her with contemptuous eyes.

“Lord Amon, you shouldn’t speak carelessly about killing.”

Erin said this while meeting Amon’s eyes.

His eyes looked like they contained molten lava. They glowed hotly, threatening to burn her.

“Especially if you can’t keep your word.”

Amon felt rage rising to the top of his head at Erin’s words.

“Are you… saying I can’t kill you?”

Murder was a serious crime.

But if it happened as the result of an honorable duel, it was absolutely not a crime.

This meant that even if she died during a duel, the House of Liserth couldn’t hold him accountable for any wrongdoing.

Erin looked at Amon and spoke calmly.

“Knights don’t fight with words. If you have a problem with me, draw your sword.”

As she spoke, her eyes shone with unwavering light.

Amon felt his insides twist at the sight of her speaking as though she were truly a knight.

How dare a murderer speak of knighthood? Someone who knew nothing of honor could never become a knight.

And Erin Liserth was further from being a knight than anyone else present.

Amon glared at her, grinding his teeth. If she wanted to die so badly, he was more than willing to oblige.

“You’ll regret those words.”

She had made an arrogant choice.

If she hadn’t called herself a knight candidate after transferring to the Swordsmanship Department, Amon might have been able to restrain himself.

As someone destined to become a knight, he couldn’t raise his sword against an ordinary person, no matter how evil.

But Erin kept pushing his buttons. He disliked that noble gaze and behavior, as though she were a real knight.

Why pretend to be something you’re not when you’re a murderer? Amon thought as he fingered his sword.

If she wanted to be treated as a knight, he would gladly do so.

“If you want to die so badly, I’ll kill you right now.”

A tense atmosphere surrounded Erin and Amon.

“That cannot happen.”

At that moment, everyone turned toward the source of the sudden small but firm voice. Erin slowly turned her gaze as well.

Princess Asili stood there. She was a beautiful woman with a clear face and long blonde hair swept to one side.

A person beloved by all. The saint of the Lexia Empire. And the one who had been Ferdin’s lover.

The atmosphere changed dramatically with her appearance. The princess had the power to transform the surrounding air with her mere presence.

The first to approach Princess Asili was Derek, who had been observing the situation.

He supported the princess, whose complexion looked somewhat pale.

The princess often fell ill due to the overflowing holy power within her. Yet despite her condition, she participated in monster subjugations every year without fail.

That was because she was destined to become the saint who would lead the Lexia Empire.

“Princess, why did you come out in this cold weather?”

She smiled faintly at Derek’s words.

“I heard a commotion and came to see.”

Princess Asili surveyed the now-quiet surroundings. Amon asked her in a gruff tone.

“Princess, why can’t we duel now?”

Even Amon, who could be somewhat willful, couldn’t act rudely toward Princess Asili.

“That’s because…”

As Princess Asili slowly began to speak, she turned her head and met Erin’s eyes.

In that moment, her pupils dilated and then quickly contracted. Erin had never directly faced Princess Asili in her previous life.

They had each stayed in their carriages without coming out, and Erin had intentionally avoided her at times.

Afterward, since the princess didn’t survive the monster subjugation, there was no further chance to meet.

In short, this was Erin’s first time meeting her, counting both her past and current lives.

So this is what she’s like. Erin thought as she looked at Princess Asili.

She was indeed someone worthy of being Ferdin’s lover.

After the princess’s death, people had hated Erin even more. She still couldn’t forget Count Asili who had come to her after the princess died.

That moment when the usually cold-faced man shouted at her with an intensely angry expression.

“You… you killed her.”

“This is the result of someone who knows nothing of a knight’s honor daring to become a knight. Erin Liserth, look squarely at the consequences of your actions!”

In truth, he wasn’t wrong. Even if it wasn’t intentional, did that absolve her of guilt?

If she had honestly admitted that she was weak and powerless and couldn’t do anything, would his anger have subsided?

Through several lifetimes, Erin had always wondered.

Ferdin had chosen her life over Princess Asili’s.

If he had tried to protect the princess when the monster horde attacked, he could have done so.

That’s why Erin understood Count Asili’s anger.

Thinking about the past made meeting Princess Asili in this new life feel somewhat awkward.

‘I won’t let it happen this time.’

Erin thought this while touching the sword at her waist.

“Why are you…?”

The princess stared intently at Erin with wide eyes, seemingly unable to believe what she was seeing.

Erin had thought that Princess Asili might criticize her for breaking up with Ferdin, and she would have had no defense.

But the princess’s reaction completely defied Erin’s expectations.

Princess Asili, who had been supported by Derek, approached Erin almost at a run.