Please Leave The Sickly Villainess Alone

As Hewt signaled the start, I gripped the wooden practice sword and took a stance. The sensation of holding the sword sent a tingling thrill through my hands.

In that dream… no, was it another reality? I had emerged victorious in the selection tournament. It was an outcome anyone, including myself, would have expected barring any major upheavals.

I tightly shut my eyes, then reopened them. Ion’s vital points were completely exposed. Over ten attack locations were visible.

All calculated in an instant.

Of course, I knew his mind was solely focused on not harming me.

‘In that case…’

At my shift in stance, the knights’ gazes changed momentarily.

Instead of targeting Ion directly, I changed my aim to the wooden sword in his grasp. Setting my sights on disarming that blade from his hands, I charged at him.

Clack! Thwack, thud-!

The moment our strikes connected, both Ion and I widened our eyes in unison.

‘It’s not about recalling the theory. I truly…’

My body still remembered. While this form was too unrefined to powerfully strike, incapable of accurately applying force as evident by the description ‘limp noodle,’ I could effortlessly penetrate my opponent’s defenses to strike their vulnerabilities.

The entire hall stirred at the sight of me freely wielding the staff-length wooden sword as if it were an extension of my body.

Ion, however, lived up to the knight Hewt had trusted enough to spar with me, calmly deflecting my assault despite the disorienting situation.

There was a considerable gap in our strengths. Even without exerting force, his defenses felt as impenetrable as a rock wall to me.

The ten openings I had initially spotted dwindled to five or less in an instant as he subconsciously corrected his defensive stance.

Only now did it feel like a true bout had begun.

To create an opening for him to backstep, I aimed a strike at his abdomen. The instant Ion defended against that, I seized the opportunity to swing at his flank.

Anticipating the moment he would cry out and backstep while trying to block my attack on his flank.

I caught his gaze shifting towards my flank and immediately struck at the grip of his wooden sword.

A gentle breeze blew around me.

Thwack!

While the force was weak, Ion’s grasp on his sword had loosened as he adopted a stance to swiftly deflect the blow to his flank, causing the blade to go flying – swish! – straight towards Hewt’s feet, embedding itself there.

I had disarmed him of his sword!

As this unbelievable scene unfolded in the training grounds, no one could so much as open their mouths in astonishment.

Even Ion stood agape until Hewt finally spoke up amid the silence.

“The victory is yours, My Lady.”

So it seemed there could be a decisive winner, even in this unfair bout where one side only defended while I solely attacked.

For now, I lightly bowed my head towards my opponent as I always did after a match, a display of respect that must not be forgotten.

That moment marked the beginning of the knights’ raucous murmurs.

“How did this happen?! Disarming Ion’s blade in just a few exchanges!”

“You must be a born general, My Lady.”

“But the Miss never had a chance to learn the sword! If this is mere talent, it can only be described as a divine blessing.”

I had proven it to myself. The heart pounding wildly in my chest seemed to urge me to reclaim that shattered dream.

Unable to conceal my euphoric expression, I beamed openly. One of the knights remarked at my radiant smile:

“There is no mistaking the Rayes bloodline. You are the very image of the Master.”

Hewt raised his hand, instantly quieting the clamorous hall.

He then approached Ion and me.

“Ion, the Lady has shown her respect after our bout, yet you still stand there dumbstruck. You should offer her the same courtesy.”

At Hewt’s words, Ion finally closed his agape mouth and hastily bowed.

“Ah, I couldn’t read the Lady’s movements at all! It felt like sparring against the Commander himself!”

Ion asked with an impassioned expression:

“My Lady, have you perhaps studied the sword before?!”

I had, for over 15 years in fact. Korean early education is no joke.

But I was only fifteen years old in this body, so what was the point of claiming 15 years of training?

While I could brush it off vaguely with the knights who were unaware I had been confined in an orphanage, Garnett’s astonished gaze was also present.

She knew the truth, so an excuse like ‘I played around with swords a bit outside the city’ would not fly.

Putting on an innocent smile, I opened my mouth:

“I’ve been secretly training a little each day because I love swords.”

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

“It wasn’t a conventional martial art. Aside from a slightly skewed center of gravity, lack of arm strength causing the sword tip to drop somewhat, there were no openings in the Lady’s stance. Ordinarily, swordsmanship emphasizes force and domination, but the Lady’s style focused on grace and speed.”

Hewt’s eye was precise.

However, since my sword techniques originated from Eastern martial arts, they would have appeared unconventional and unrefined to their eyes. I decided to capitalize on that perception.

“It was due to my lack of proper training that it didn’t appear conventional. I merely thought that was how I must fight to counter stronger males.”

Exclamations erupted from various places at my words.

“Our Lady is undoubtedly a genius.”

“And so humble too. If you were to properly learn the sword, I can only imagine…”

“Shh! Silence. As if our Master would permit it.”

While Hewt looked slightly disconcerted by my statement, even he likely had nothing further to say on the matter.

The swordsmanship I had displayed was certainly practical and highly effective against opponents, but it was unprecedented – without any known examples across this entire Empire, even this entire continent.

It seemed unreasonable to claim where I had learned such techniques.

“By any chance, have you studied the martial arts of the East?”

I shook my head.

Like Miss Belly, he seemed aware of their existence, if not the specifics.

However, even he, one of the most renowned swordmasters in the Empire, couldn’t possibly believe that a child like myself had learned and self-taught an art he didn’t fully comprehend, so he eventually accepted my explanation.

Nevertheless, as he retrieved Ion’s embedded wooden sword, he remarked:

“If only for an instant, I sensed a faint sword aura.”

Sword aura…? Like the transcendent power fantasy novels described?

Was he referring to wielding auras akin to light sabers?

“If the Lady has enjoyed swordsmanship thus far, and your visit to the training grounds today stems from the same inclination, then I would recommend you properly learn swordsmanship .”

“…!!”

Hewt’s suggestion caused a momentary stir of surprise throughout the hall.

His gaze seemed markedly different from before. No longer merely indulging a naive young lady’s earnest wish, he now appeared quite solemn.

“Your stance, gaze, focus – in no aspect were you lacking compared to our formally trained knights.”

“Ah…”

Of course, if I built up my physical strength and stamina from this body, coupled with learning swordsmanship from a true master like Hewt, it would be incomparable.

As he suggested, I did wish to take up the sword. I wanted to attain something that could preserve my identity. It was a primal desire.

After some contemplation, I eventually nodded. In this frail Laveria body, not only was I congenitally lacking, but having grown up confined in the orphanage, I had no muscle whatsoever – even slight movements left me winded, like just now.

In this state, I would be unable to embark on a journey to find a cure for the incurable illness. It would require traveling to another country, which an ordinary noble lady’s body couldn’t endure. Moreover, based on my observations, training would be a necessity, not an option, if I were to protect myself in unfamiliar lands.

“I will be sure to obtain Dad’s permission first.”

Though Garnett watched with concern from behind, having witnessed my bout, she seemed to realize my desire to learn the sword wasn’t a fleeting whim, so she remained silent.

“Ion, thank you truly for being my partner today. Next time, I will meet you not as a young lady, but as a trainee knight.”

I smiled at him, my face likely flushed red and sweaty from our intense exchange.

Ion was in a similar state, but his ears in particular had turned beet red.

“I, I was honored! I shall eagerly await our next encounter!”

Watching the flustered Ion rustle his golden locks, a golden retriever suddenly came to mind.

“Apologies for taking up your time. I’ll take my leave now, Commander.”

Hewt silently saw Garnett and me off.

As we retraced our path through the forest, Garnett asked with a worried expression:

“Your wrist, it doesn’t hurt? Even a wooden sword looked quite heavy…”

“I’m fine for now? But it will likely ache tomorrow. Once I get used to it, it’ll be nothing.”

Looking up, a breathtakingly beautiful sky filled with vibrant clouds came into view.

* * *

Upon returning to the estate, Luka was waiting for me.

“You’re frequently away like this even as the Crown Prince?”

I asked in dismay as he lounged on the reception room sofa, leisurely sipping tea.

“Ria is more important to me. You seem much improved in health.”

Luka remarked, eyeing my attire and sweat-dampened hair.

His gaze demanded an explanation for my current state.

It wouldn’t be easy to deceive Luka as I had misled those people. First and foremost, he had been my constant companion while I was at the orphanage.

I weaved a tale about developing an interest in swordsmanship and using this opportunity to train my sorely lacking fitness, mixing in various embellishments.

Luka might believe me, but I knew him far too well.

“I see.”

If I seemed reluctant to answer, he would never pry further.

“But I can’t help worrying you might injure yourself. Yet you’ll still proceed, won’t you?”

He understood me equally well. I let out an awkward laugh.

Luka hadn’t come empty-handed. Likely still concerned about my condition, he had brought various medicinal herbs and purportedly precious potions.

After showering and drying my hair, Luka said he would gift me the necessary items for sword training next time.

“More importantly, how have you been faring?”

While his outward appearance only made one assume he was thriving, becoming more handsome with each passing day, I had a general grasp of Luka’s situation from the novels’ contents.

The Golden Throne had found its lost master, but no one welcomed his return.

In the tumultuous two years of his disappearance, someone had desperately tried to erase Luka’s footsteps and elevate a new Crown Prince, resorting to wicked means.

Money and titles had surely changed hands, rumors spread, to sway a significant portion of Luka’s former followers.

Now, they watched each other with suspicion, scrambling to determine which side to pledge allegiance.

The ministers were too preoccupied with debates, the Emperor infatuated with his new foreign woman, showing no interest in his returned son. Meanwhile, the Consort traveled far and wide, raising forces to devour Luka, their sole ally – the ailing Empress who should have supported him as his birth mother – bedridden by illness.

Luka’s sister Rachel had departed for a foreign land to search for him. I knew she was currently preparing to return upon receiving news of Luka, but…

“Are you really alright?”

I countered the indifferent Luka, who was openly staring at me, with that question.