When they were young, Karon adored her greatly.

But after the Duchess remarried the Duke, their relationship deteriorated beyond repair.

Erin was the disobedient daughter who wouldn’t listen to the Duchess, while Karon became her precious son.

Well, none of that mattered anymore.

“Lord Karon! That’s not it…”

Sarah protested to Karon. It was an impertinent action for a maid.

Karon’s face hardened. However, his expression wasn’t because of Sarah.

Karon belatedly noticed that the bandage wrapped around Erin’s hand was turning red. His rough grip had reopened her wound.

With a face turned pale, Karon released her hand. It was an unconscious reaction.

He looked at Erin with a complex expression. Seeing him like this, she sighed.

He opened his mouth, appearing flustered.

“You… why didn’t you say you were injured…”

“Can I go now if you have nothing else to say?”

“What?”

“I just arrived and I’m tired.”

At Erin’s words, Karon couldn’t respond.

It was strange. This wasn’t typical behavior for someone who would normally scream denials at whatever was said to her.

Erin silently walked past the stunned Karon. Her behavior was completely different from usual.

* * *

Mysterious green eyes. A nose neither too high nor too low. Lips tinged red like bitten flower petals.

Her hair was ordinary brown, but even that suited her appearance well.

Erin was captivated by nostalgia as she looked at her face. It was an incredibly fragile appearance.

Her slender limbs looked too weak to even walk.

In reality, Erin couldn’t run or walk by her own will under the Duchess’s shadow.

When she was young, she thought this was normal. She believed living like a doll displayed in the Duke’s house was her destined fate.

As she grew older, she tried desperately to escape the situation, but each attempt only made things worse.

Back then, she didn’t know how to clear up people’s misunderstandings.

She shouted denials and shed tears, but people wouldn’t believe her words.

Instead, they avoided her more, saying it was typical behavior for a villainess.

But now she would no longer shout alone on a cliff where no one could hear.

Erin smoothed her clothes while looking in the mirror.

Unlike students from other departments, she wore the comfortable attire of the Swordsmanship Department.

“My lady, couldn’t you still not go?”

Sarah trembled with fear behind Erin.

Today was Erin’s first day in the Swordsmanship Department and the day of the swordsmanship evaluation. It was also the day she had been humiliated in her previous life.

The Swordsmanship Department conducted evaluations at the beginning of each semester. While called an evaluation, it was essentially an opportunity to showcase each family’s swordsmanship.

Students simply had to demonstrate their family’s swordsmanship or what they had learned in the department.

This should never be difficult for a typical Swordsmanship Department student. But Erin was not a typical student.

In the past, she had been humiliated because she couldn’t even properly hold a sword.

Moreover, she had been so terrified by the malicious comments directed at her that she ran back to her dormitory and trembled for a long time.

Erin remembered that Sarah had tried to dissuade her like this back then too.

Unlike Erin who knew nothing at the time, Sarah probably knew what would happen in today’s class.

“I’ll be fine, Sarah. So don’t worry and return to the Duke’s residence. Understand?”

Sarah became even more anxious at her words.

Sweet Sarah.

Erin thought this as she gazed steadily at her.

Sarah didn’t know the Duchess’s true nature.

When Erin, unable to endure anymore, confessed everything while begging for help, Sarah was killed by knights sent by the Duchess while trying to protect her.

“My lady, run away. You poor thing…”

Though she had become quite desensitized through two reincarnations, the shock of that moment still hadn’t faded.

That’s why in this life, she wouldn’t reveal the truth to Sarah.

Everything was for her to bear alone.

Erin began to walk. Her steps showed no hesitation.

* * *

The Swordsmanship Department of Atenz Academy was the Empire’s last bastion. It was where knights were trained to defend the frontlines against the increasing monsters.

The students took great pride in being part of the Swordsmanship Department.

They never missed a day of training.

Only those with talent counted among the best on the continent could enter this place, so their pride was justified.

As much as the Swordsmanship Department students took pride in their skills, they were extremely sharp toward anyone who invaded their territory.

The gazes of several students in the training ground turned toward one spot.

“It’s Erin Liserth.”

With those words acting like a trigger, everyone’s attention shifted in one direction.

Someone completely out of place was walking in from the entrance of the training ground.

There wouldn’t be anyone involved in swordsmanship who didn’t know Erin Liserth. Not because she was the daughter of the famous Liserth swordsmanship family.

She was impossible to ignore as the crazy person who applied to transfer to the Swordsmanship Department without any knight’s pride or skill.

And most Swordsmanship Department students opposed her transfer.

But the other party was Duke Liserth.

He was the head of House Liserth, one of the five families guarding the frontlines against monsters.

Even the academy’s headmaster would find it difficult to refuse the repeated requests of such a duke.

Thus, for the first time since Atenz Academy was established, Erin Liserth, who couldn’t handle a sword, was allowed to transfer to the Swordsmanship Department.

“She really came?”

“Impressive in many ways.”

“Can she even hold a sword with those arms?”

The Swordsmanship Department students’ gazes toward Erin were sharp.

It was natural. Having been a knight in her previous life, Erin could understand their reaction.

As long as she belonged to the academy’s Swordsmanship Department, she was a knight, not a lady they needed to protect.

Moreover, since Erin’s skills were clearly the worst in the Swordsmanship Department, she couldn’t complain about their contempt.

Erin turned her gaze away from the students glaring at her. She was so accustomed to people’s contemptuous looks that they hardly bothered her anymore.

There was someone else who caught her attention more than them. Her eyes turned to a corner of the training ground.

There sat a man with golden hair that looked like melted gold wire and blue eyes like lakes. Erin pressed her lips tightly together, fighting the emotion welling up inside her.

‘He’s alive.’

He was breathing, moving, and speaking right before her eyes.

Erin’s heart began to beat faster. It felt like color was being added to a monochrome world. She desperately held back her tears.

That man was Ferdin Lexia, the Empire’s Second Prince and Erin’s fiancé.

Ferdin was conversing with his closest aide, Derek Athern, who sat beside him.

She still didn’t know why she had returned to the past. But now the reason didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she could change the future.

Ferdin’s and Erin’s eyes met.

Unlike others, he was looking at her without any hostility.

* * *

Ferdin was someone who stood out wherever he went. This wasn’t just because he was an Imperial Prince.

He possessed not only handsome looks and excellent swordsmanship but also a charm that drew people in.

The First Prince Ditrion was also known as an outstanding prince, but Ferdin was no less impressive.

Nevertheless, the reason Ditrion was considered more likely to succeed to the throne was that while Ditrion received the Emperor’s favor, Ferdin did not.

‘I don’t even ask for favor… judging by the Emperor’s actions, it’s almost close to hatred.’

That’s why Ferdin needed Count Asili’s cooperation all the more.

Derek couldn’t help feeling irritated no matter how much he thought about it.

To break up with Princess Asili in this situation! Everything had gone wrong because of Erin Liserth.

Unaware of his burning frustration, Ferdin seemed rather uninterested in the situation.

“The Duke’s demand is absurd. Your engagement to Erin Liserth is preposterous!”

“…”

“Besides, did you hear what the Duchess said while crying? She said Erin threatened to kill herself if she couldn’t be engaged to you. Even I, a third party, got goosebumps. Doesn’t it bother you at all?”

Derek’s face contorted as he spoke.

“I don’t believe what I haven’t seen myself.”

At this frustrating response, Derek struck his own chest. He couldn’t bear his burning frustration.

Ferdin was a cold-headed person, but occasionally acted irrationally.

He claimed he could tell when someone had ill intentions, but Derek couldn’t agree.

The more malicious someone is, the more they would try to hide it, so how could he know?

“That’s not the point! Erin Liserth is just an obstacle in your path.”

“It’s not like we have a good solution either.”

“Why not? Can’t we just make her lose interest in marrying you?”

At Derek’s words, Ferdin frowned and looked at him with disdain.

Facing that gaze, Derek opened his mouth with a serious expression.

“You could die if you’re not careful.”