TRWTVPS 08

Chapter 8

“Did you just call me noona (older sister)?”

“What?”

Erin gave a faint smile.

At that smile, Karon completely forgot everything he had just been saying.

All he could do was sit there and stare blankly at her.

At that moment, the marchioness’s words resurfaced in his mind.

“Don’t believe anything Erin says. That child is deeply flawed.”

But how could he possibly not believe her, when she was looking at him with such unwavering eyes?

“Even if I stayed still, it was bound to happen someday anyway. If something is wrong, it should be set right.”

As she said that, Erin looked straight into Karon’s eyes.

* * *

“If something is wrong, it must be corrected.”

Those were words the marchioness always said to Erin.

She would say them while punishing her.

Erin despised the marchioness, but she agreed with those words.

If something is wrong, it must be corrected.

‘The monster subjugation expedition departs in one month.’

It wouldn’t be perfect, but it was enough time to create a mana core.

Erin looked at the spot Karon had left. The mug he had been drinking from was now empty.

That was where her younger brother would lose one arm.

And Lady Asilly would die.

Of course, those things would not happen in this life.

* * *

Over the course of a month, Erin quickly adapted to the Swordsmanship Department.

It was certainly strange, but the atmosphere there was better than expected.

She came to realize how even the smallest actions could change the future.

First of all, Philip apologized to her.

He said he was truly sorry for trying to humiliate her publicly based on mere rumors.

For some reason, he even blushed as he spoke.

“You were more knightly than anyone else. The one who wasn’t worthy of being a knight… was me. I want to apologize… though I wouldn’t blame you if you refused to forgive me. I’m sorry.”

“……”

“I was blinded by trivial prejudice. Only now do I realize how meaningless rumors are. Anyone who loves the sword and works hard deserves to become a knight…”

Erin felt strangely conflicted hearing those words.

In the past, Philip had been one of the people who criticized her the most. Because of him, her life in the department had been even harder.

But this time was different.

He apologized—and even acknowledged her as a fellow knight-in-training.

His attitude was one of the reasons she was able to settle into the department without much trouble.

Watching him, she realized that people could have many different sides.

Someone who once tormented her was now helping her instead.

If she hadn’t met Philip in the Swordsmanship Department in the past, maybe they could have been quite good friends.

Then… could the marchioness also be someone precious to someone else?

Erin decided not to think that far.

In any case, Philip being friendly toward her was a good sign.

In the past, he had been one of the knights who stood at the forefront of supporting the First Prince against her.

In a way, one enemy had been reduced.

However, there were things that hadn’t changed.

The fact that Erin would participate in the monster subjugation remained the same.

She recalled what she had said to Ferdin.

“I’ll be going to the monster subjugation anyway.”

She also remembered how he frowned at those words.

By now, he had probably already received the imperial order to send Erin Lisers to the expedition.

“You don’t have to object to that order. I want to go, Sir Ferdin. You don’t have to do anything for me.”

Those were words she had wanted to say in her previous life as well.

Erin remembered, without exception, the tragic ends of everyone who had tried to protect her.

They all met horrific fates in different ways.

Even now, she sometimes wondered how Ferdin’s future might have changed if he had distanced himself from her—if he had treated her like a villain and despised her.

The same went for Calips, Lilia’s older brother.

Erin squeezed her eyes shut as she thought of him.

There were people one could never forget, no matter how many lives passed.

Calips was one of them.

If only she had awakened earlier in the past, she would never have let him die like that.

He was the first to notice the marchioness’s ugliness.

“My lady, you must tell the marquis.”

But Erin had been young. And afraid.

Her father and Karon both adored her stepmother.

“What if I tell him, and he believes her instead? What if he thinks I’m a useless child? What if nothing changes…?”

“That won’t happen. The marquis loves you.”

Calips had been the one who gave her a small piece of courage.

But… he died.

Was that the price of courage?

Was it wrong to even harbor such feelings?

Along with him, her small courage died as well.

Erin opened her eyes.

Before she knew it, the sun had risen.

* * *

As soon as dawn broke, Erin prepared to leave.

As expected, her participation in the expedition was approved without issue.

It was due to an imperial command.

“If the Lisers family insisted on transferring their daughter to the Swordsmanship Department, she must have some skill. Let Erin Lisers join the subjugation force.”

In the past, Ferdin had defied the imperial order and angered the emperor.

Not only that, but he had also drawn criticism from other knights who agreed with the emperor.

Some even said that entering the Swordsmanship Department without such resolve was wrong.

At the time, Erin had been terrified of facing real monsters and had only been a burden.

And it didn’t end there.

‘The monsters were far stronger than expected. And sometimes, powerful ones appeared in groups.’

Even high-ranking knights struggled to hold them off.

In the end, many promising trainees who supported the empire died trying to stop them.

Ferdin’s trainee unit suffered heavy losses as well.

During the retreat, Ferdin was forced into a terrible choice.

Amid the chaos, he had to choose between Erin’s life and Lady Asilly’s.

He chose Erin.

When Asilly’s father learned the truth, his rage was terrifying.

For the first time, the ever-composed duke lost control.

After his daughter’s death, he devoted himself to destroying everything Ferdin had.

‘They told me to prove my skills… so I will.’

With a crooked smile, Erin picked up her sword.

This time, she would be the one to protect them.

* * *

This combination is far too strange.

That was the only thought in Derek’s mind.

He slowly turned his gaze toward Ferdin and Erin, then thought of Lady Asilly in the carriage beside them.

The three individuals at the center of Atens Academy’s biggest scandal being together—it felt unnatural.

Derek carefully observed them as he continued thinking.

‘Whatever the reason, the fact that all the children of House Lisers are participating in the expedition must be good news for the marquis.’

He wasn’t the only one thinking that—other knights were also glancing at Erin.

The expedition force included not only students but also a significant number of knights.

Monster subjugation was one of the most important events in the Swordsmanship Department.

It was only natural for knights to accompany the students—to broaden their experience while ensuring their safety.

And most of those knights looked at Erin with hostility.

From Derek’s perspective, that was understandable.

Unlike the students, they hadn’t seen her swordsmanship.

‘Well, it doesn’t seem like she cares anyway.’

Derek noticed Karon approaching Erin.

“Aren’t you in pain? Riding a horse for so long must be exhausting… And since when did you even learn how to ride? Huh? What have you been doing without telling me?”

“……”

“And are you properly taking care of that bandage on your hand? Why hasn’t it healed even after a whole month?”

Throughout the journey, Karon wore a disgruntled expression.

Yet he never left Erin’s side.

Derek realized this was the first time he had seen Karon talk so much.

‘Were they always this close?’

Karon acted as if Erin might disappear the moment he looked away.

Despite his constant nagging, she accepted all of it.

She even seemed to smile faintly at times.

And there was one person watching the two of them with intense interest.