Erin always lost herself in daydreams after the Duchess’s disciplinary sessions when she was young.

She imagined that if she curled up and waited in the tower of the Duke’s mansion, a prince on a white horse would come to rescue her.

‘Then this pain would end, and I could be happy too.’

So she kept waiting. Filled with hope that someone would rescue her if she just waited.

But that was merely fantasy.

Reality was always crueler, and nothing changed just by waiting.

She wasn’t the protagonist from modern novels she had read who eventually wins everyone’s love.

The girl who waited and endured, hoping to become the protagonist, had unknowingly become the villainess instead.

At some point, people began calling her a villainess and pointing fingers at her, but Erin said nothing.

Yet she always hoped someone would see her for who she really was. That it wasn’t something she had done. That someone would truly see her here.

That she wasn’t a villainess.

But nothing changed regardless. Back then, she didn’t realize that rather than hoping for someone’s salvation, she needed to fight for herself.

Erin thought this while looking into Amon’s clear eyes. She remembered vividly how he had died in the past.

It was when Ferdin died and the Duchess tried to execute her. Amon Hedor had tried to protect her until the end at Ferdin’s request.

“Damn it… Erin Liserth, you’re just getting in the way, so run!”

He was someone who couldn’t say nice things even at the end.

Yet now his tone with her was remarkably gentle. Erin could feel how much effort he was making.

That’s precisely why she shouldn’t be swayed by this kindness. Hadn’t she learned the consequences painfully in her previous life?

Bloodying her hands was still her duty.

“Sir Amon, don’t concern yourself with unnecessary matters.”

Erin stood up. Amon’s hand lost its purpose and wandered in the air.

“Unnecessary? You…!”

“Please leave with the Princess first.”

“What?”

“I’ll buy you both time to escape.”

He couldn’t believe his ears. He couldn’t understand what Erin was saying.

“And you?”

“The Princess isn’t doing well. Something’s been off for a while, and it seems to be getting worse.”

“Then you escape with the Princess. I’ll buy time!”

“I can’t run as fast as you while carrying the Princess, Sir Amon.”

Erin said this while waving her arms a couple of times.

Amon found her gesture ridiculous, suggesting he look at her thin wrists. Hadn’t she easily blocked his sword with those arms and even overwhelmed him?

Her argument lacked credibility.

“I will handle the monster horde.”

Saying this, Erin approached the Princess and placed her hand on her forehead.

Erin once thought that if she was the villainess in a novel, then the Princess must be the protagonist.

In her eyes, Princess Asili was always loved by everyone.

Even though she lost her name after becoming a Saint and was always sick, Erin had arrogantly thought the Princess must be happier than herself.

In this life, Erin had no intention of letting her die.

And if the Princess returned alive… Erin planned to disappear so she could be happy with Ferdin.

The moment she had this thought, Erin felt a sharp pain cutting through her chest.

‘Why? Everything is going well.’

Things were unfolding exactly as she had planned when she first opened her eyes here, intending to give everything back to him.

Everything was finding its rightful place.

Both the Princess and Ferdin could be happy.

‘And I…’

At that moment, the Princess’s closed eyes slowly opened. She looked at Erin with powerless eyes.

Seeing her reminded Erin of her past self, so she took the Princess’s hands and whispered softly.

“I’ll protect you. Don’t worry.”

It was what she herself had most wanted to hear in the past.

After saying this, Erin turned her gaze to Amon.

It was time to return the exact words he had said to her in her previous life.

“You’re just getting in the way here, so run.”

* * *

Amon ran. He could hear the Princess’s breathing behind him.

Despite his insistence that he couldn’t leave her alone, Erin Liserth remained firm.

“I don’t have the strength to carry the Princess, so what happens to her if you refuse to leave me behind?”

She seemed absolutely unwilling to carry the Princess. Instead, her tone grew fierce, reproaching Amon for potentially abandoning the Princess.

He had to choose. Either die together there or abandon Erin Liserth to save the Princess. Either choice meant failing to uphold a knight’s honor and betraying his duty.

But Amon had to move after Erin’s next words.

“You can only maintain your honor if you’re alive. Don’t kill the Princess for your honor. Above all, I won’t die.”

The way she added “I can’t die now” at the end was meaningful. They would soon reach the subjugation team. He could already sense people nearby.

Ferdin had surely sent knights to look for them after receiving no news for so long.

‘Damn it, faster!’

He cursed his legs for not moving as he wished.

Amon regretted neglecting his endurance training in the past. If he had trained a little harder… he could have run faster. And perhaps he could have fought more equally with Erin Liserth.

Amon’s eyes trembled as he ran. What would happen if he was too late? If Erin’s strength ran out while facing the monster horde alone because of his delay…

The sword she had wielded flashed in Amon’s mind. Her swordsmanship was incredibly concise even while relentlessly pressing him.

She lacked the textbook movements Amon knew. Thrust, slash, and block. Those simple actions combined to form a single sword.

Each of her sword paths wouldn’t leave his mind. Even now, running with all his might, the sword Erin had wielded kept replaying in his head.

Was Erin Liserth truly the villainess from the rumors he knew?

The scars on her back and the beautiful moment their swords clashed—if he never saw that sword again…

Amon’s thoughts were interrupted.

Before his eyes stood Karon Liserth, glaring at him fiercely with a sword in hand.

“Amon Hedor!”

Beside him were Ferdin, Derek, and Lilia.

Lilia quickly ran forward and spread the cloak she had been wearing on the ground. Amon carefully laid the Princess he had been carrying on the cloak. Lilia promptly began healing the Princess with magic.

At that moment, Karon grabbed Amon’s shoulder. His eyes glared at Amon, turbulent with emotion.

“Why… are you and the Princess the only ones here?”

“…”

“Where is Erin!”

Amon shook off his hand. He had no time for this confrontation now.

Monsters become stronger in moonlight. He needed to hurry before Erin Liserth fell to the strengthened monsters.

Amon spoke to Ferdin.

“We need reinforcements.”

“…”

“Erin Liserth is facing the monster horde alone.”

As soon as he said this, Karon’s face turned pale. The others reacted similarly. Ferdin’s face hardened terribly, and Lilia looked shocked.

Derek kept tapping his ear in disbelief. But soon realizing it was true, he gaped stupidly.

Erin Liserth facing a monster horde alone…?

Lilia spoke with a distorted expression, “That’s impossible. To me, that sounds like she went in to commit suicide. That woman shouldn’t die so easily…”

“Lilia, watch your words.”

She closed her mouth at Ferdin’s warning. Ferdin, who rarely got angry, had a fierce look in his eyes.

Karon rushed to Amon and grabbed his collar.

“Don’t tell me… you abandoned my sister to save yourself? You call yourself a knight? You know nothing of honor!”

At that moment, Amon recalled the words he had thrown at Erin.

Someone who knows nothing of honor.

Was Erin Liserth really someone who deserved such words? Amon could no longer be certain of anything.