Even as a child, Ferdin had often curled up under his bed and cried just like Erin. That’s why he understood how miserable that feeling was.

This was also why he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Still, he had others by his side who helped him endure. From some point on, many people who cared about him became his strength.

Ferdin grew stronger for them and wasn’t lonely. But the Erin he saw was always alone. When he first saw her at the academy, Ferdin couldn’t help being surprised.

‘How is she enduring this situation?’

Everyone was condemning her. Of course, the circulating rumors portrayed Erin Liserth as a villain.

But was the Erin Liserth they met truly evil? Was she really capable of killing someone?

Ferdin couldn’t be certain that Erin wasn’t a villainess either. He couldn’t definitively conclude this based solely on the fact that she cried as a child.

So Ferdin began observing her, to judge for himself whether she was truly evil or not.

‘She is not evil.’

He became convinced after seeing Erin crying while burying a dead cat. After covering it with soil using her delicate, unblemished hands, Erin mourned the cat.

Ferdin watched her from behind for quite some time. Watching Erin cry silently with practiced restraint, he felt something twist inside his heart.

Could someone who harmed others cry like that? That was absolutely impossible.

Then what about all the rumors until now? Who should bear responsibility for the unreasonable hatred and blame she had to endure?

Who dared to spread such rumors?

“What are you thinking so deeply about, Ferdin?”

Count Asili’s words snapped Ferdin out of his thoughts.

The Count continued with a puzzled expression.

“And about that incident during the recent monster subjugation, when all those monsters were killed. Do you know who did it? No matter how I think about it, that wasn’t a horde of monsters an ordinary knight could handle… There are rumors that a new Sword Master has appeared.”

“I don’t know about that either. I only know that I’m here thanks to whoever defeated that monster horde.”

“Well, that’s possible. I should examine the others who participated in the subjugation.”

“Could it have been someone in the subjugation party?”

Count Asili shook his head at Ferdin’s words.

“Unfortunately, once people reach a certain level, they can’t gauge each other’s abilities. So even if I look at the people in the subjugation party, I can’t be certain. I’d really like to meet this hidden person.”

“It’s been a while since I found a worthy opponent…” Count Asili added.

There were two other Sword Masters in the Empire, but they were no match for the Count.

He always wanted to find someone who could be his equal.

‘If there isn’t one, why not create one?’

At this sudden thought, Count Asili’s eyes sparkled.

There happened to be someone with remarkable talent. What if he took Erin Liserth as his disciple?

Learning under him would lead to much faster progress than studying swordsmanship at this academy.

Count Asili nodded with satisfaction.

The thought that Erin might reject the position as his disciple didn’t exist in his mind at all.

After all, what knight would refuse to be his disciple? It would be the fastest shortcut to becoming a Sword Master!

The Count recalled Erin who had only given him a slight nod. Her proud temperament also made her suitable to be his disciple.

The more he thought about it, the more perfect the plan seemed, improving Count Asili’s mood. He was a simpler man than one might think.

‘Next time I visit Atenz Academy, I’ll propose it right away.’

With this thought, Count Asili said to Ferdin:

“By the way, it seems the Emperor will soon assign you a mission.”

“Here we go again.”

“This time it won’t be so easy to talk about. You’ll be sent to werewolf territory for subjugation and to rescue refugees. Of course, they say the Second Knight Order led by Count Leon will accompany you…”

“…”

“Well. That just means it’s a dangerous mission. I wish you good luck surviving again. Who knows? Perhaps another passing Sword Master will help you this time too.”

With those words, the Count rose from his seat.

* * *

Two months passed quickly.

Erin sat at the table, holding a small quill pen and drawing circles. As she did so, she recalled the events of the past two months.

Erin had diligently attended Swordsmanship Department classes.

As a result, she managed to rank among the top five students eligible for mission assignments with her outstanding performance.

Occasionally, she encountered Ferdin at the academy. When they met, they would exchange awkward greetings and pass by each other.

Thinking of him stirred feelings she couldn’t quite describe. Erin pressed firmly against the area over her heart. Then she continued her train of thought.

Sometimes the Princess would visit and chatter about her daily life. Most conversations were ordinary—the weather is nice today, or there’s a shop with delicious desserts we should visit together.

Also… she had sparred with Amon.

Erin drew Amon’s characteristic angry expression on the paper. He always walked around with an angry face even when nothing was wrong. And he would challenge her to duels at random times. But Erin never avoided these challenges.

Thanks to this, Amon’s skills improved rapidly, and seeing this, other Swordsmanship Department students asked her to spar with them too, putting her in awkward situations.

Somehow Karon had heard about this and requested a duel as well, leaving Erin speechless.

But she didn’t avoid sparring with her younger brother either.

After being thoroughly beaten by Erin, Karon kept muttering, “I can’t believe it.”

Then from the next day, he started behaving like Amon. That is, he began constantly singing for her to spar with him.

Smiling slightly at the thought of Karon, Erin recalled something that had happened recently.

While walking, she had unintentionally overheard Swordsmanship Department students talking.

“I can’t believe any rumors these days. The rumors about Erin are so strange.”

“What do you mean?”

“Erin is kind.”

“True, it’s hard to imagine she would have done such things.”

In the past, she had wished for such recognition, but now hearing those words didn’t stir much feeling. It just felt unreal.

And Raymon was like a foreign object inserted into Erin’s ordinary life.

Just when she would start to forget about him, she would catch him secretly watching her practice swordsmanship.

Seeing him, Erin contemplated how to live this life after her regression.

The events that would unfold, the things she needed to prevent. And… the people she needed to kill.

The past Erin couldn’t even kill an insect, and she had never thought about killing a person.

Even when being beaten by the Duchess, she only thought ‘It hurts’ or ‘I’m scared.’ She never even dreamed of revenge.

She believed it wasn’t her place to judge others’ lives and deaths.

But what if that person tried to kill her? Should she still just accept it?

If she was thoroughly used and then discarded like trash, would she still forgive that person?

Raymon coming to the Swordsmanship Department had happened exactly the same way in the past. The reason was to monitor her to prevent another accident, since the Princess had died because of Erin.

Back then, Erin had been grateful that Raymon came. She believed she had gained an ally with his arrival.

And Raymon, just as she expected, greeted her warmly. With the same familiar smile, he said exactly the same words.

“Erin! It’s been a while.”

But after that, Erin started receiving more unwarranted abuse.

People would come to her and get angry even when she had done nothing wrong.

After Raymon’s arrival, more tragedies began happening to Erin.

‘But since Raymon is here, I’ll be fine.’

That was probably naive, even though she knew better.

Raymon comforted her every time.

Erin recalled this same period from her past life.

In the past, Ferdin had received the exact same mission as now—to subjugate the werewolves and rescue the hostage refugees.

But Erin never learned whether Ferdin completed his mission. This was because she had fallen into a lake and hovered between life and death.

It happened when she was with Raymon.