Can an Enemy Become Salvation? (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
“What’s with this reaction?”
Not only Shan, but all the knights present shared the same thought. How could she possibly laugh after hearing such an insult?
To Shan, Ivenel’s expression looked nothing short of mockery directed at him.
“Why are you laughing?”
“It seems there’s something you still don’t understand.”
From Ivenel’s perspective, using the training ground was a matter tied directly to her life, so she had no intention of quietly backing down.
‘It doesn’t seem like this issue will be resolved even if I meekly bow my head here.’
This might just be the beginning.
If she showed any weakness here, they would undoubtedly grow even more arrogant—and likely escalate to worse behavior.
Ivenel wanted to make one thing absolutely clear: she was not an easy opponent.
“His Majesty himself granted me permission to use the training ground as I please. Doesn’t that mean you have no right to dictate what I should or shouldn’t do?”
“Well…”
Shan naturally had no reply. Since his lord Suhel had given permission, defying that order was simply unthinkable.
Yet everyone present wore expressions of clear displeasure. Sensing their unwillingness to accept her words, Ivenel let out a quiet sigh.
‘I suppose there’s no other way.’
She hadn’t wanted to go this far, but it seemed necessary to prevent further trouble. Her gaze soon settled on Shan.
“You all wish I wouldn’t even set foot in this place, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then how about we make a wager?”
“A wager?”
When Shan echoed back in confusion, Ivenel nodded to confirm he’d heard correctly.
The other knights reacted similarly—taken aback by her sudden proposal.
Then Raoul calmly asked, “What do you mean by a wager?”
“I want to use this place, and you don’t—so let’s settle it with a contest. The winner gets their way. If I lose, I’ll withdraw cleanly.”
“A contest, you say…”
“Archery. We’ll each fire six shots at the target; whoever lands closer to the center wins.”
Hearing this, Shan scoffed. He’d seen her skills in the arena, but they were knights who’d trained rigorously for years.
Moreover, they had abundant combat experience fighting monsters.
Thus, he was certain she couldn’t possibly win, no matter how skilled she claimed to be.
“Why go through the trouble of a contest we’ll obviously win?”
“If it’s a contest you’re certain to win, as you say, then you have no reason to refuse—unless you’re afraid you might lose?”
Deliberately provoking his pride, Ivenel succeeded in making Shan flare up immediately, just as she’d intended.
“Fine. I’ll accept your wager. But you must keep your promise.”
“Of course.”
‘He took the bait.’
In that brief moment, she’d already gauged his character. Dealing with Shan—who quickly lost his temper and couldn’t hide his emotions—was far more advantageous than handling the ever-cautious Raoul.
“Shan, if the captain finds out…”
“What’s there to worry about? If I win, the captain will actually be pleased.”
Seeing that Raoul had finally given up trying to stop him, he turned to Ivenel.
“Follow me. The archery range is further inside.”
Following Raoul deeper into the training grounds, she came upon another spacious area enclosed by trees.
The familiar scent of gunpowder instantly put her at ease. Seeing the well-maintained facility only strengthened her resolve not to back down.
“Please use this rifle.”
She accepted the rifle Raoul handed her—it was already loaded with six rounds of standard ammunition, not the specialized kind used against monsters.
After thoroughly checking that everything was in order, she began slowly warming up while they prepared the target.
Since her opponents were knights, she couldn’t afford to let her guard down—especially since they were far more accustomed to this weapon.
“We’ll even let you stand closer to the target, as a courtesy.”
“No need.”
When Shan spoke as if granting her a favor, Ivenel flatly refused. Her tone was so resolute it bordered on cold.
It was a contest, and she intended to compete fairly, relying solely on skill.
“You’ll regret this. My marksmanship is among the best in the entire knights’ order.”
“You can say that after seeing the results—it won’t be too late then.”
Without even glancing at Shan, Ivenel stepped up to the firing line. Her eyes were now filled with complete seriousness.
‘Why on earth did His Majesty make such a decision?’
Shan couldn’t comprehend Suhel’s judgment. Caries’ power alone should have been sufficient—why seek Aodin’s aid?
Thus, he intended to make one thing crystal clear to Ivenel today:
No matter how hard she struggled, she was less than a mere pebble on the roadside.
[This is the timeline separator]For Ivenel, shooting had been a daily routine in her past life. And unlike monsters, a stationary target gave her even greater confidence—several times over.
Actually, more than confidence, she felt a flicker of anticipation—the thrill of testing her skill against someone else.
‘Time to show what I’ve got, after all this time.’
At Raoul’s signal, Ivenel assumed her stance with practiced ease.
Soon, Shan, the knights, and even the surrounding scenery vanished from her awareness. All she saw was the target before her.
A faint smile naturally curved her lips as she fell into that familiar sensation. From the moment she stood at the line, it was a battle against herself alone.
‘I can do this.’
The onlookers held their breath, watching intently. In their hearts, they hoped Shan would crush her so thoroughly she’d never dare rise again.
After Shan fired his shots, Ivenel took her turn, pulling the trigger in sequence. The knights hurried to inspect the targets.
“Oh, Shan’s shots are slightly closer.”
Regardless of the murmurs around her, her eyes remained fixed solely on the target. Her posture showed not the slightest tremor.
Though Ivenel disliked losing, what she found even less tolerable was facing a result that left her personally unsatisfied.
‘I’ve definitely got the feel for it now.’
True to her confidence, her second shot landed much closer to the center.
‘Yes, that’s the feeling.’
The exhilaration of hitting the target exactly as intended was indescribable. This was precisely why she loved shooting.
‘It really is too much fun.’
Ivenel continued the match at her own pace, lowering her rifle only after her final shot struck almost dead center.
Only then did the surroundings return to her awareness, along with the voices of those around her.
“Oh, right—I was in the middle of a match.”
She’d been so utterly absorbed in shooting that she’d nearly forgotten the contest itself. She finally turned to examine Shan’s target.
His marksmanship wasn’t poor, but several glaring mistakes stood out—as if his concentration had completely shattered mid-contest.
But for Ivenel, the only thing that truly mattered was that she’d won the wager decisively.
“I’ve won.”
No one dared utter a word of protest—the result before their eyes spoke for itself.
In truth, Ivenel hadn’t noticed, but each time she pulled the trigger, the knights had barely managed to suppress their gasps of astonishment.
Her skill was truly exceptional—undeniable proof that slaying that monster before had been no fluke.
Shan stared blankly, alternating his gaze between the two targets.
‘How could I make such a rookie mistake?’
He’d been so stunned by Ivenel’s skill that his focus had slipped entirely. Even his composure had faltered—thanks to her calm, composed expression.
Her demeanor hadn’t resembled someone in a contest at all; rather, she’d seemed genuinely enjoying herself—so much so that he’d felt utterly overwhelmed. Perhaps the outcome had been decided the moment the match began.
“Then I’ll be using the training ground. You’re not going to go back on your word, are you?”
Ivenel deliberately threw Shan’s own words back at him.
“I… lost.”
Though his eyes still clearly showed his dislike for her, his willingness to accept the result without complaint made her think they weren’t entirely bad people.
“What are you doing over there?”
At the voice from behind, everyone turned to see Demil standing there.
“Captain.”
Demil glanced at the knights bowing to him, then carefully surveyed the surroundings to understand the situation.
Finally spotting Ivenel holding a rifle, he asked again in a voice laced with chill.
“I asked what’s going on, Raoul.”
Sensing Demil’s imminent reprimand, Ivenel quickly interjected—after all, she’d started this herself.
“I was the one who first proposed testing our skills.”
“I wasn’t asking you, my lady.”
Under Demil’s impatient gaze, Raoul explained everything meticulously—from their conversation to the wager’s outcome.
“So we accepted the challenge, and Shan lost.”
Demil examined the disputed targets, then fixed Ivenel with a gaze showing no visible disturbance.
“I’ll escort you back to the palace.”
She hastily handed over the rifle and followed him out of the training grounds. Demil remained silent until they reached the palace gates.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Oh, thank you. And about earlier—I was the one who brought it up, so please don’t blame the knights for…”
“You’ve done something unnecessary.”
“Excuse me?”
Ivenel looked at him, puzzled by his meaning. His reply was not just cold—it was icy.
“Don’t think you’ll gain anyone’s approval through this. Nothing will change, no matter what you do. So please don’t cause unnecessary commotion in the palace just to draw attention to yourself.”
‘So he’s telling me to know my place and simply obey orders, then.’
But Demil had gravely misunderstood one thing: she hadn’t proposed the contest to seek approval.
“I only wanted to use the training ground.”
“His Majesty has already granted you permission for that…”
“By doing this, they’ll have no choice but to accept my presence there. Surely even you, Sir Demil, understand what that means.”
Hearing the same dismissive assumptions repeated—and his hasty judgment of her—made it impossible for Ivenel to keep her tone gentle.
“If I kept feeling I didn’t belong there every time I trained, I wouldn’t be able to focus properly. That’s the only reason I did this.”
Yet to Demil, her actions had appeared as nothing more than a show of skill to win everyone’s recognition.
“I think it’s you, Sir Demil, who’s mistaken.”
Her smile had vanished entirely. When their eyes met—hers sharp and unwavering, his of a different hue—Demil found himself unable to utter a word. For some inexplicable reason, Suhel came to mind.
But just as quickly as that thought arose, Ivenel’s expression softened again into the same gentle smile as before.
“Well, I’ll be going now. Thank you for walking me this far.”
Demil stood rooted in place for a long while, watching her retreating figure. He couldn’t grasp at all what she’d meant by “mistake.”
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
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MANGA DISCUSSION
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Chapter Comments (41)
if i were you ivenel i would pack my bags immediately
she does not give a f…..ck about what others think,let her be
is being an innocent bystander a crime?she is just trying to stay alive
Inline Comments (2)
“After reading those books and hearing Your Majesty’s words, I can’t help but ad
Yas gurl give him a piece of your mind. He needs to know its not ur gault
Then, in the distance, she spotted a familiar figure—Lia.
Nah bro get out. You gonna get the pieci of my mind
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debban23
judging an innocent lady because of what her family and country