The Reason Why That Villainess Picked Up a Sword

“A Sword Master who can’t even control her own body.”

Yet whenever Erin stood before Ferdin, she seemed to forget she was a Sword Master, reverting to her former self.

“I… I truly thought something terrible had happened to you, Lord Ferdin. That’s why…”

I was so terrified. Erin swallowed those words, not wanting to sound childish anymore. Ferdin embraced her trembling form without asking permission—he couldn’t bear seeing her holding back tears with tightly pressed lips.

Why was she grieving so deeply over him? Erin possessed their complete shared memories, but he had none. No matter how hard he tried to remember, everything remained foggy, like being shrouded in mist. Ferdin felt sorry for not remembering everything.

“You mustn’t get hurt, Lord Ferdin. You mustn’t leave me alone.”

Since he had promised never to leave her, Erin had no intention of letting him go. She would protect everyone, and then truly be with him.

Ferdin repeated the same words in her ear until she calmed down.

“I will never leave you, Lady Erin.”

He continued whispering this until her body finally stopped trembling.

* * *

Duke Asili moved forward with purpose.

“According to the Second Order knight, Count Leon definitely imprisoned Lady Erin.”

If what the knight said was true, there was something that needed verification. Duke Asili hurried toward the academy prison, where he immediately noticed the mana-controlling iron bars bent out of shape.

He slowly approached the mana-controlling stone as the knights who followed him murmured in shock at the sight.

“Just being near the mana-controlling stone gives me chills…”

“Did Lady Erin really do this?”

“So she’s a Sword Master, just like the Second Order said?”

“Wait, how old is Lady Erin again?”

Duke Asili examined the mana-controlling stone carefully before placing his hand on it. An unpleasant sensation washed over him—Erin had indeed bent the mana-controlling stone. His low laughter echoed through the prison.

“Duke?”

“Isn’t this remarkable?”

“Pardon?”

“Look at this. She bent the mana-controlling stone using pure mana alone.”

“…”

“This isn’t a level one can reach in just a year or two.”

The chief knight’s eyes filled with questions, as this was beyond his comprehension.

“We must find Lady Erin immediately,” the Duke declared.

* * *

Duke Asili gazed at his daughter standing in his way. The Princess stood with her arms crossed, staring directly at him.

“You cannot enter, Father.”

Had it been anyone else, the Duke would have ignored such words. But this was his daughter, Princess Asili.

“I have received the Emperor’s order to kill Erin Liserth.”

“I know, but that’s completely absurd.”

“Once I receive an order, I have no choice, daughter.”

The Princess gritted her teeth. She didn’t want to disturb Erin and Ferdin’s time together.

‘He must have already confirmed everything,’ she thought. The Duke surely knew about Count Leon’s corpse and who had made him that way.

“If you barge in, I’ll tell Mother.”

The Duke’s expression turned to shock at his daughter’s words. The First Order knights behind him looked equally stunned. What most people in the Empire didn’t know was that Duke Asili was actually extremely devoted to his wife.

After sighing, the Duke spoke. “Count Leon is dead.”

“…”

“It happened within the academy grounds. I was told that Erin Liserth was imprisoned.”

The Princess squeezed her eyes shut.

“But she wasn’t in the prison. What I witnessed were iron bars made of mana-controlling stone bent out of shape.”

The expressions of the First Order knights behind the Duke grew serious. Even if Erin had been falsely accused, k*lling a Sword Master of the Empire who was acting under the Emperor’s orders was unacceptable.

Though she might feel wronged, following proper procedures to prove her innocence was the imperial law that all citizens should obey.

“A Second Order knight testified that Lady Erin is a Sword Master. Her escape from prison confirms their statement.”

Duke Asili hadn’t believed it at first. He remembered Erin’s still insufficiently trained body. Her existence was certainly mysterious—had there ever been a knight with such excellent swordsmanship yet a body that appeared so undertrained?

“Lady Erin is hiding something, and I need to confirm what it is.”

The Princess made an indignant face and shouted at the Duke. “Father, the Emperor is corrupted by evil! He’s not in his right mind! There’s a demon in his brain!”

Some knights were shocked by her words, which clearly constituted imperial slander. Duke Asili commanded his knights in a low voice, “Erase this from your memory.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Duke was about to caution his daughter—even in front of her father and his knights, slandering the imperial family was dangerous. But just as he was about to speak, the color drained from the Princess’s face.

She staggered, overwhelmed by a shock far greater than any she had experienced when revealing the future before.

Duke Asili rushed to catch her.

“Are you alright?”

The Princess muttered resentfully, “D*mn it, I can’t even call a demon a demon. Goddess… why put me through such trials…”

“…”

“Die, you demon…”

Duke Asili held his head and shook it. He knew his daughter occasionally used rough language, but this was extreme.

“Your mouth seems to be working fine, so I suppose you’re alright.”

Just then, the closed infirmary door opened. The Princess turned around in surprise. After seeing who emerged, she rose from her father’s arms, appearing so composed that the Duke couldn’t shake the feeling he’d been deceived.

“Lady Erin, weren’t you talking with Ferdin?”

“Lord Ferdin fell asleep, so I came out. He still needs to recover.”

The Princess looked troubled. Erin’s hearing as a Sword Master must be exceptional—she couldn’t have missed their conversation outside the infirmary.

“Hello, Duke.”

“Lady Erin, it’s been a while.”

After bowing slightly, Erin approached him. Duke Asili examined her closely.

‘A Sword Master…’

He had been a genius among geniuses. From the moment he first held a sword, through his academy years and graduation, to the present—he had never once met a worthy opponent. Even those hailed as geniuses commanding the world seemed diminished before him.

To say the world wasn’t easy would be a lie. It had been too easy, which made everything boring. Though he continued practicing swordsmanship out of habit, that was the extent of it.

‘Yes, it’s all just excuses.’

What he had told Princess Asili was merely an excuse. When Count Leon died, he felt nothing special. He had no interest in a knight who had forgotten to improve.

‘He was so greedy that it’s questionable how he reached the level of Sword Master. He must have committed a proportionate wrong.’

What interested the Duke was Erin, standing before him now. He couldn’t forget their duel before she left for her advancement trial.

“Why didn’t I notice?”

Duke Asili blurted out these words unexpectedly, but Erin immediately understood what he meant.

“Perhaps for the same reason I couldn’t gauge your level, Duke.”

The Duke burst into hearty laughter at her response.

“Interesting, Lady Erin. Can you prove your innocence? You know why I’m here, don’t you?”

As the Duke said, she knew exactly why he had come. The Princess stepped in front of him.

“No! Lady Erin just finished dueling Count Leon!”

“It’s fine, Your Highness. This is what I want as well.”

Erin read the competitive spirit in Duke Asili’s eyes. She too had been unsatisfied with their duel before her advancement trial. Hiding her abilities during that match had felt like an insult to him.

Erin placed one hand on her chest and bowed her head to him. “Please give me a chance to prove myself, Duke. I request a duel with you.”

The Duke smiled with satisfaction at her response and said, “The First Order will join this duel. Prove your innocence there, Lady Erin.”