Please Leave The Sickly Villainess Alone

“Have you been well in the meantime?”

Duke Rayes was only smiling outwardly.

Thanks to his years of life in the Imperial Court, Luka immediately sensed he was in a foul mood.

“Not that I couldn’t have been well. Did you come to give your statement to the guard?”

“Yes. And to pass along Ria’s regards while I’m at it.”

At the mention of Ria’s wellbeing, Luka’s expression differed from before, urging him to speak.

How long had it been? To others, it may have seemed an unusually short time, but to Luka, it felt like 100 years – would you believe that?

Did he say she wanted to see him? That she wished he would come, even now?

Luka couldn’t hide his expectant gaze. Naturally, the seasoned Duke Rayes noticed his feelings and gave a wry smile.

‘…What’s this?’

The Duke wore a seemingly affable smile on the handsome face that had once set many a woman’s heart aflame, but to Luka, that smile seemed strangely ominous.

“Ah… I forgot. You’ll understand once you reach my age, Your Highness. Please forgive this incompetent vassal.”

At Duke Rayes’s sly grin, Luka nearly hurled the wooden sword he was gripping.

To dare forget Ria’s precious greetings! It was inconceivable.

Duke Rayes was a man who could recall even 18-year-old court records in exhaustive detail to assert his will in Imperial Council meetings.

Unless he had chewed on Ria’s message along with his morning toast, for such a monster in that regard to…!

“Very well, I shall visit the Ducal estate myself. I’ll go once my sword training ends, so consider it promised.”

Luka sighed and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt. Then, with a flourish, he issued a challenge.

“You must have seen how this loyal subject who reinstated you is being chastised by the noble faction.”

Duke Rayes didn’t seem to be in a position of being chastised at all.

Rather, he appeared to relish having a rare chance to step out of neutrality and get involved in the power struggle.

Where would a battlefield brawler like him go? Duke Rayes was an extremely bellicose man.

“And today is the day Ria is going out, so it’s even more impossible. Let’s make it another time.”

“Going out?”

“Ah, I hope you’re sleeping well? You’re not still trying to hold my daughter’s hand, are you, perish the thought…”

The previously unbroken, sleek smile cracked, and the Duke quickly reined in his rising anger before continuing.

“There’s a gift for Your Highness, so please check it later. And it would be wise to abandon any frivolous dreams.”

With those words, Duke Rayes left the training hall.

‘Sleep…? Hand…?’

From the Duke’s words, Luka perfectly deduced the reason for his foul mood.

-Luka, then would you at least hold my hand? You’d know I’m by your side even without opening your eyes, right?

-Huh? You want to sleep holding hands again today? Alright, I guess you slept well last night! That’s a relief.

Luka clasped his own hands together.

She said she was going out today? Then he should have accompanied her all the more.

For Ria, it was tantamount to her first outing, was it not? It was unacceptable for him to be absent during such a momentous occasion.

“Your Highness, have you finished your academic lessons already?”

It was then that Chensel, the Captain of the First Knight Order and Luka’s sword instructor, entered the training hall. Lightly dressed, he had a shoulder-load of around a hundred wooden swords.

“We have enough wooden swords, so shall we begin the duel? You’ve already reached an outstanding level theoretically, so from now on, it’s just practical application.”

Luka drew a wooden sword.

“Today’s lesson will continue until I successfully put a sword to your neck. Much more difficult training than yesterday when just hitting your body counted as a success. If you can’t do it before sunset, we’ll have the same training again tomorrow… Huh?”

Before he could even finish speaking, Luka charged at Chensel with his wooden sword. It wasn’t a simple, reckless rush, but an exceptionally fluid motion in terms of speed and direction.

It was Luka’s unique swordsmanship that even Chensel acknowledged.

Thud, Chensel dropped the wooden swords he had been holding and instantly grabbed one to immediately block Luka’s attack.

Crack-

Where did a child get such strength from? The wooden swords Chensel had brought today were specially made from Aaron wood that didn’t break easily, yet it cracked from a single strike. Of course, Luka’s sword broke as well.

Thud thud!

The two engaged in an intense exchange.

Like Luka, Chensel had become a knight of the Imperial Knights at the youngest age possible. In his twenties, he could wield aura, and he was currently the third youngest among the Empire’s twenty who could manifest a Sword Aura.

The very first was none other than Crown Prince Arzenluka standing before him now. At just eleven years old, Luka had manifested an unstable aura with monstrous talent, and it was Chensel who helped refine it into a Sword Aura.

He still couldn’t forget the thrill from back then. Such a prodigy was unprecedented across the entire continent. The emotion of personally making history with his own hands… was actually recorded in his diary.

Despite his rugged physique, Chensel’s hobby was keeping a diary, and on that memorable day, he had meticulously written his diary entry, shedding tears of joy with each word.

However, the current Crown Prince Arzenluka, while retaining the aura perception, couldn’t use aura at all.

The terrifying yet refined aura perception that allowed him to strike all of Chensel’s vital points remained, but the fact that Chensel could fully defend against it with wooden swords sadly indicated Luka had lost his aura.

Had he imbued his strikes with aura, he would have easily shattered such wooden swords and seized the advantage.

“Look over there, the Captain and His Highness are already dueling.”

Alerted by the clashing sounds, a few knights from the nearby training grounds came to watch.

“I saw it yesterday too, but it’s really impressive. His Highness is much smaller than the Captain, yet he’s sufficiently covering his weaknesses.”

“The Captain is going easy on him by not using aura at all.”

Thud thud! Craaack-!

After the intense exchange, Chensel unleashed a powerful strike that Luka blocked, shattering his wooden sword in half.

Creating some distance with a recoil, Luka swiftly picked up another wooden sword from the scattered pile and dashed towards Chensel.

After one, two, and eventually ten wooden swords had broken, Luka muttered at some point:

“I should end this now.”

Even from a distance, Chensel understood his intent.

In that moment, Luka charged forth at a speed he had never shown before, despite having already dueled for nearly 50 minutes – a duration his stamina shouldn’t have allowed.

Craaaack!

With all his might, Luka deflected Chensel’s wooden sword.

It wouldn’t have been difficult for Chensel to block that strike with his strength, but Luka’s movement was too fast. No one present witnessed the boy who had been in front of them suddenly appear behind to attack Chensel’s arm, it happened so instantly.

With a wooden sword now pressed against Chensel’s neck, the panting Luka declared:

“It’s over.”

Chensel had left his throat, a strike zone that could determine life or death, completely exposed to the little Crown Prince.

Though Luka didn’t use aura, from the midpoint onward when his swordsmanship intensified, Chensel too had given his all without holding back.

He could say with certainty that he didn’t go easy on him.

Chensel smiled awkwardly and spoke.

“Yes, it’s over. You really are a monster, as they say. I’ll let the high-speed magic you imbued slide just this once.”

At his words, Luka lowered his sword and adjusted his clothes.

For a sword wielder capable of manifesting an aura to also excel at basic magic would be the ideal combination.

In that sense, the Crown Prince possessed boundless potential.

Chensel said pleasantly:

“Since you seem busy today, we’ll end the duel here.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Master.”

Watching Luka’s retreating back, Chensel felt pleased to have new material for his diary entry today.

‘I should buy some sword-patterned stickers for the afternoon.’

Gazing up at the beautifully clear blue sky, Chensel wiped his sweat with a refreshing smile.

* * *

“Miss, I’m all ready.”

“Yeah, let’s go now!”

Today, with Dad’s permission, I decided to leave the estate grounds for the first time. Of course, given the faction that had once kidnapped me, I couldn’t let my guard down, so Miller had to accompany us too.

Unlike at the orphanage, the fact that I could go out whenever I wanted filled me with immense elation.

As I descended the stairs, Garnett, Miller, and Sister Serine were waiting for me.

We boarded the carriage and headed to ‘Lerue 14th Street.’

Lerue Street was supposedly the trendiest area right now, making me think of somewhere like Myeong-dong*. (tl/n: it is known for being one of Seoul’s main shopping, parade route, and tourism districts)

Until now, I couldn’t shake my doubts over whether this really was a reincarnation, if this wasn’t all just an act. But now, I could truly feel it.

Finally, in my 15th year of reincarnation, I was going to explore this world!

Seeing my unusually excited state, Sister Serine smiled and said:

“This is a first for both you and me, huh Ria?”

“Everything has been a first since escaping that slum of an orphanage.”

After laughing, Sister Serine suddenly realized something and said:

“Ah, that’s right. I should start correcting how I casually speak too…”

“Hm?”

Sister Serine seemed to take note of Garnett’s presence.

As Garnett’s maid trainee, she was being given the cold shoulder by the other servants for being in a position unbefitting her commoner status.

The fact that she shared a close bond with me must have been unpalatable to the other servants.

‘But Sister Serine practically raised me…’

From what I had observed, Garnett was a strict principlist, so much so that I thought she would never allow a commoner like Sister Serine to become a maid.

Just as I was about to carefully make a request to Garnett, she spoke first.

“Since it’s just the young master, you, and me in this carriage who know your relationship, you can speak somewhat casually if the Miss wishes. But in front of the other servants, you must maintain decorum. Don’t forget that upholding the Miss’s dignity is our role.”

“Ah, yes!”

Sister Serine nodded in acknowledgment.

Garnett’s stance was unexpected. Soon after, I could sense the warmth in her gaze towards Sister Serine.

Garnett had mentioned having several younger sisters, and I once heard that her second youngest had passed away at a young age from a monster attack.

If that sister were still alive, she would have been around Sister Serine’s age.

Sister Serine’s kind nature seemed to have melted even the rigidly principled Garnett’s heart.

Good people were gradually emerging for both Sister and myself, leaving me unable to suppress my budding smile of contentment.

Watching me with an indulgent expression from the front seat, Miller spoke up.

“If you see anything you want today, just say so. I’ll buy you whatever.”

He seemed to want to act the cool big brother role, but he was only seventeen after all.

Younger than my previous life self, Miller’s pretense was endearing, so I humored him with a measured response.

“Alright, let’s see how deep Rayes’ pockets run.”

I said it jokingly with a smile, but I would soon come to regret those words.