episode_0104

Thud.

Pieces of stone clattered to the ground.

Thump, thump.

My heart trembled. The reason was nothing serious—Lucia was staring at me after punching the wall.

Her crimson eyes narrowed sharply.

She slowly looked me up and down, as if sizing me up, then—

“You don’t seem like a gay man.” “I prefer the opposite sex.” “That does seem to be the case. I can tell from your reaction right now.” “……” “But then, why did you reject me?”

Her voice carried a hint of displeasure as she gazed at me.

The reason was simple.

Our relationship was not a normal one.

It was one-sided.

From the very first meeting, it had been a mistake.

I looked at Lucia. She spoke in a slightly sullen voice.

“……Do you dislike me?” “That’s not it.”

How could I dislike her?

I studied her. Snow-white skin, crimson eyes, and hair—a peerless beauty who could render ordinary women plain by comparison.

No woman could hate her.

However.

The relationship between us was wrong. I had stolen the nature of her obsession.

And because of that, I had made her obsessed with me.

Playing with human emotions only brings fleeting pleasure.

So—

“……I have ambitions.” —You?

The Holy Sword’s voice dripped with disbelief at my nickname.

Did the word “ambition” really not suit me?

—Of course not. A word like “ambition” has no place with someone like you.

I couldn’t tell if it was admiration or an insult.

Unlike the Holy Sword, Lucia reacted differently.

“Ambitions?”

Her previously gloomy voice brightened. Lucia looked at me.

A strange, creeping desire flickered in her eyes.

“Ambition… ambition is good. But for those ambitions, wouldn’t you need me even more?”

She subtly pushed out her chest as she stepped closer.

But something was off.

She was usually a rational woman—why was she suddenly acting like this?

“More importantly, you seem… different all of a sudden.” “Ah, my apologies. I’m just a little impatient.”

Lucia grinned at my words and said,

“Actually, before I came here, I had some… bothersome matters to settle.”

Bothersome matters?

If Lucia called something bothersome, it had to be serious.

The Lucia who was obsessed with me always seemed composed and strong—so if she found something annoying, it piqued my concern.

“Technically, I’ve joined the clan, but it’s a bit dangerous.” “Dangerous?” “Well, more accurately, there’s a risk that some overstepping fools might act out.” “What do you mean?” “I have a fiancé.”

Fiancé.

My eyebrow twitched at that word.

“Oh? You’re reacting.”

Lucia suddenly smiled, as if pleased.

“Right now, I have absolutely no such thoughts… In fact, I only want to make things work with you.”

She rambled on, as if making excuses.

“Really, I have zero interest in that so-called fiancé.” “I see.”

How could anyone not be interested?

Just how broken was her personality for such words to come out of the kind Lucia’s mouth?

“Ahem… I got a little carried away. Anyway, to return to the original topic—at first, since it was an alliance between families, I thought I’d try to get along with him.” “I see.” “It was just business between families.”

She glanced at me, as if waiting for some reaction.

‘It’s just business.’

And Lucia had even made an effort.

In this situation, wasn’t Lucia the one who had done nothing wrong?

—……Most people wouldn’t care about that sort of thing. ‘What’s with that look?’ —I can’t give looks, but… whatever.

The Holy Sword sounded exasperated. Ignoring it, I focused ahead.

“So, I tried to get along with that fiancé, and he liked me too. As you can see, I’m quite pretty, right?”

Lucia’s self-praise made me nod seriously.

Flustered, she fanned her face with her hand to cool it down.

Why is she embarrassed after saying it herself?

“Ahem, anyway… So, that fiancé liked me too, but… suddenly, everything changed.” “Changed?” “First… do you know about my family?”

Lucia’s family.

I didn’t.

Only that she was a villainess.

And a few things my friend had told me.

But one thing I did know—

‘Her fiancé is a bigger piece of trash than I thought.’

And that those connected to him were dangerously influential.

That was all.

“The Philhart family.”

I’d never heard of it.

But the Holy Sword reacted.

—Philhart? That Philhart family still exists?

It sounded shocked.

Just what kind of family was this?

—An assassins’ family. In the Eastern tongue, they’re called the ‘Gate of Slaughter.’ ‘Why would an assassin family…?’ —You really are free of prejudice. It’s a long, complicated story, but assassin families usually can’t survive. Because those in power fear them the most. ‘Makes sense.’ —But the Philharts were different. They attached themselves to the powerful, eliminated rivals, and gathered blackmail. That’s how they maintained their status… ‘But they fell in the end, right?’ —Yes. The problem is, the one who moved to destroy them was the previous Sword Hero. ‘……’

The previous hero.

Come to think of it, what happened to the previous heroes?

Given that the Holy Sword and Holy Bow continue to exist, did they relinquish their titles like honorary positions?

—It’s possible in times of peace.

The Holy Sword’s voice was nostalgic, as if reminiscing.

I looked at Lucia and said,

“I know a little.” “I’m a survivor of the Philhart family. I carry their blood, but I was half-abandoned and lived here for a time.” “……”

So that’s how she earned the title “Executioner Princess.”

A terrifying nickname, but I suppose wandering down that path could lead to such things.

—What terrifying rose-tinted glasses. Or is this just you being oblivious?

Dismissing the Holy Sword’s muttering, I kept my eyes on Lucia.

“If you were half-abandoned and made your own way, why bother with an engagement…?” “Haha… I was a little crazy back then.”

Her expression turned hollow.

“After being alone for so long, I craved affection. I wanted my family’s recognition. I climbed my way up, only to be treated as livestock—married off to some parasite to fatten the family…”

Her lips curled bitterly.

“Well, thanks to that, I met you, Han Yuseong, so it’s not all bad… but it’s still annoying.” “Annoying?” “The family’s clinging to me, and honestly, I’m sick of it… Ah, not that I’m the type to lose interest easily, but my focus has just… shifted.” “……”

I had an idea why.

From the very beginning.

When I first fell into this world, the thing I stole from Lucia—

‘Lucia’s obsession.’

Was this the result?

As I looked at her with that thought, Lucia smiled ambiguously.

“So… the reason I brought this up is…”

A blush spread across her face as she quietly met my eyes.

“Will you be my fake fiancé?”

Lucia asked me.

Carrying a wooden crate filled with potions brewed by Cheongju,

I headed toward the guild.

The adventurer guild’s Hilda had agreed to buy them at market price, so I walked with anticipation.

“……”

Soyeonhwa was there.

Her face was slightly puffy. Had she been crying somewhere?

“What’s up?” “Teach me swordsmanship.”

Swordsmanship, huh.

I studied Soyeonhwa.

The Empire’s meticulously crafted Sword Hero. A talent so overwhelming it drove countless geniuses to despair.

But.

I had seen her future.

The Holy Sword had said—

She would wield the power of “Annihilating Light.”

I had seen the future where Soyeonhwa became that.

And I had glimpsed just how absurd that power was.

‘Is teaching her swordsmanship really the right thing?’

I wanted to ask the Holy Sword,

But ever since that moment, it had acted as if it had forgotten.

‘…This is giving me a headache.’

Unconsciously, my face twisted into a scowl.

I was seriously about to lose it. Between Lucia’s proposal,

Soyeonhwa’s issue,

And Veronica’s problem.

‘But she’s done nothing wrong.’

I forced my expression to relax and looked at Soyeonhwa.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” “……No, not really.” “Good.”

She seemed relieved.

“That’s good. Other people don’t like me.” “……They don’t?” “Yeah. They hate that I only swing a sword. They refuse to spar with me.”

It made sense.

Soyeonhwa had said that if not for me, she would have stolen others’ swordsmanship.

I, on the other hand, had stolen hers.

‘Her sword aura looked pretty impressive.’

Combined with the Eclipse Blade and Heavenly Thread, it seemed like it could unleash tremendous power.

But that wasn’t the point.

I recalled the future version of Soyeonhwa I had seen.

A body of light.

And a colossal sword of light, capable of cleaving the world.

Facing that as I was now—I couldn’t even imagine it.

An unstoppable force.

Defeating it was impossible.

So, I wondered—

Was the one who showed me that damned vision

Asking me to keep her from ever walking that path?

‘Maybe it’s better to prevent it entirely.’

This might just be my own delusion.

If anything truly strange happened, I could always rely on Absolute Combat to handle it.

Teaching her the orthodox swordsmanship of a hero might not be a bad idea.

‘Though it might accelerate the arrival of that future.’

But choosing the option with less regret now

Was better than regretting it later.

The future is something no one can predict, after all.

I looked at Soyeonhwa. Her slightly puffy face.

She stared back at me. Her gem-like crimson eyes fixed on me.

“I’ll teach you.” “Really?” “Yeah.”

At my words, Soyeonhwa broke into a bright smile.