Ibnel looked around the First Knight Order, but everyone just glanced around cautiously without giving any response.

‘Well, I guess that’s understandable. Of course they would have been confident they would win.’

She felt completely satisfied after thoroughly crushing that arrogance. How wounded their pride must be.

She looked at Hakin, who had first picked a fight. Her gaze conveyed the message: Do you intend to pretend you don’t know after earnestly insisting with your own mouth to keep your promise?

“Surely I can believe that those who call themselves imperial knights would not go back on their word. So, may I hear your apology?”

‘Kneel before that woman now? And to those guys too?’

As if he hated the idea of bowing his head to Ibnel and those he had always looked down on more than death itself, Hakin quickly changed his words.

“Honestly, what we said wasn’t wrong, was it? We said it out of concern for you, milady. Please don’t associate too closely with those guys.”

‘So you’re going to be like this.’

Ibnel could only give a hollow laugh. Last time they told her not to get close to them, and now they shamelessly claim it was out of concern.

Unaware that she had heard all of their insults, Hakin continued to badmouth them, perhaps trying to divert attention.

“You probably don’t know well, milady. Unlike us nobles who have proven our skills at the academy, those guys are just people who have rolled in from who knows where. With their unclear backgrounds, they must have been up to no good in back alleys.”

He was too busy spewing insults to notice Ibnel’s gaze growing increasingly cold.

“Especially that Demil person, the captain of their order, is the most suspicious.”

“Why is that?”

Seeing him mention Demil, who was clearly his superior, without hesitation made it painfully obvious how much they had looked down on and despised them.

“The atmosphere he gives off, for one. It’s unpleasant, you could say.”

“That’s right. Especially that scar on his eye. His Majesty brought him in one day and placed him as captain of the order, which is really undeserv—”

“Ah, I really can’t stand to hear any more.”

Ibnel boldly cast aside her refined manner of speech. Even that minimum level of courtesy was too much to maintain for these people.

‘Right, there are always people like this wherever you go.’

Even when she was Arang, there were people who looked down on her for not having parents and for her poor circumstances. Back then too, she completely shut them up with her skills.

If they were going to cross the line like this despite that, she had no reason to maintain that line either.

“Do you really know what you’re talking about when you spout such nonsense? No, do you think you even have the right to say such things in the first place?”

“What are you saying?”

“Why don’t you take a look at the state of your training grounds? Don’t you see all that garbage with your own eyes?”

Their training grounds were strikingly different from the always neatly kept grounds that Ibnel usually used. And that immediately gave an idea of their usual conduct.

“Even just this gun. The people you’re insulting meticulously maintain their weapons like swords and guns even in normal times. Of course, the same goes for spare weapons too. So they’re ready to use at any time. But now who’s insulting whom?”

Even seeing their faces turn red at her scathing criticism, Ibnel did not hide her scorn.

“Seeing there’s even a liquor bottle, it’s clear you couldn’t have done any proper training. What right do you have to belittle people who train hard every single day without fail?”

So there was no reason for Demil and everyone else to be treated in such an absurd manner. The reason she was so worked up might be because she saw herself reflected in them.

There’s nothing more infuriating than having one’s efforts denied.

“You actually know, don’t you? That they are stronger and more capable. That’s why you’re jealous now.”

“Don’t say such nonsense!”

Hakin vehemently denied it with agitation, but Ibnel could clearly see the jealousy in his eyes. Of course, if that became the driving force for growth, it wouldn’t be a problem.

She too had felt such emotions when seeing players with skills far superior to her own. But this vile method was of no help whatsoever.

“Just admit it. And make an effort to win. Don’t just move your mouth. This is extremely ugly.”

On one hand, Hakin couldn’t understand why Ibnel was defending them. After all, wasn’t she a noble like himself?

Why was she taking the side of these insignificant commoners?

“Milady still doesn’t understand how the world works…”

Ibnel’s patience snapped there. To not understand even after she had said this much.

“Don’t carelessly belittle others’ efforts. Don’t speak carelessly about things you don’t know well. And don’t judge someone recklessly just by their appearance! Is that so difficult to understand?”

Ibnel ended up raising her voice too. At the same time, this was also her honest feelings.

Just once, she wished they would see her for who she truly was, not as a person of Aodin.

“I only believe what I’ve seen with my own eyes. Even if they had such a past, that doesn’t matter to me at all. Because the present is far more important.”

As she defended the knight order to this extent, Hakin tried to bring up yesterday’s conversation. Expecting to see a shocked expression on her face.

Of course, that was his complete miscalculation.

“You seem to be seriously mistaken, but those guys don’t think of you as on their side. No, they rather despise you! Even if you do this, they won’t care at all!”

“I know that much too. I heard everything yesterday.”

“…! Then why…”

To the question asking why she was going this far for them, Ibnel remained silent for a moment.

As Hakin said, she could have just pretended not to know. But if she did that, she would be no different from those who insulted her.

“I just didn’t want to become a coward like you.”

There was one thing she had firmly resolved in her heart since deciding to stay here.

“If I have to prove my worth, I’ll show it with my skills. I can’t change the fact that I’m a person of Aodin, but I can at least do that much.”

Her eyes showed strong determination, yet also looked a little sad. But that was only for a brief moment.

“Don’t worry, I won’t be getting friendly with you. I’d rather not associate with someone with such poor skills on my end either. The same goes for the apology. If there’s no sincerity in it, it’s worse than not receiving one at all. But make sure to keep your promise not to speak so rudely again like earlier. If you truly are knights.”

“You’ve lost all respect since we’ve been lenient. How can you be so brazen when you would have died if not for that ability!”

Hakin and the First Knight Order approached threateningly in numbers, as if to teach her a lesson. They seemed to have forgotten the result of the match already.

‘Vile people to the end.’

Just then, a voice rang out that immediately stopped their movement.

“That’s enough.”

When the knights’ faces all turned pale, Ibnel turned around and was surprised too. Shuher, Demil, and the entire knight order were all there together.

“How long have you been there? Don’t tell me you heard everything?”

They didn’t answer, but everyone’s expressions said it all. Moreover, the atmosphere around the knight order was so fierce it seemed they might pounce at any moment.

It was admirable that they had managed to stay quiet until now.

Realizing what they had said, the First Knight Order showed a hesitant demeanor.

“Your Majesty, please hear our side first…”

Hakin tried to somehow explain the situation, but it was a useless action to Shuher who had heard the entire conversation.

“Pathetic.”

At the cold words that fell on their heads, they firmly shut their mouths.

“I’ll make sure to thoroughly reform that mentality of yours.”

With those final words, Shuher turned his back, and Ibnel followed behind him after gauging the situation.

They had left the training grounds, but a somehow heavy silence flowed between the people. Then Shuher spoke first.

“You’re quiet, unlike earlier.”

“No, that’s… Because I didn’t know you were watching.”

It was almost resentful that he hadn’t intervened sooner if he had been watching the whole situation. When Ibnel glanced back at the following knight order, they were all avoiding her eyes.

“Lord Demil too, don’t worry about what was just said. It’s not even worth listening to. Of course, you probably know that better than I do.”

In fact, this was a familiar situation for Demil and the knight order. They knew what was said about them behind their backs too. That’s not to say they weren’t angry.

If Shuher hadn’t stopped them, there probably would have been a big fight.

‘I guess they were upset that I stepped in.’

Ibnel felt uneasy at their lack of response. Regardless of her intentions, she had caused unnecessary commotion, and it could seem like she was pretending to know better.

But she didn’t regret her decision. If a similar situation arose again, she would have made the same choice.

When her thoughts reached that point, she stopped walking, and the following knight order naturally stopped too.

“They’ll only say things about me anyway, so don’t worry about it. I’ll go ahead then.”

Saying just that, Ibnel slowly moved away from them.

Shuher found her appearance somehow irritating. If it were her usual self, it would have been more natural for her to be triumphant or demand gratitude for standing up for the knight order.

“You were really watching us properly.”

Then Raul’s voice was heard from among the silent knight order, and everyone looked at him. Receiving their gazes, he spoke sheepishly about the emotions he felt while listening to Ibnel’s words.

“That’s why you could say those things. Because you knew with what heart we approach our training.”

Then Shan opened his mouth.

“That’s right, the cowards were… us. We called her ladyship terrible, but she took our side.”

Even though she had heard the conversation with Hakin yesterday, when they saw her standing alone against the First Knight Order, a sense of shame washed over them.

Both as individuals and as knights.

“You two are right.”

“We didn’t even thank her for coming back from the subjugation.”

In fact, after agreeing with the First Knight Order’s words yesterday, they had felt uncomfortable all day as if something was stuck in their throats. She had even saved them from monsters several times, hadn’t she?

“So that’s why you didn’t come to the training grounds yesterday.”

While listening to the knight order’s conversation, Shuher’s gaze remained fixed on Ibnel, who was gradually moving farther away. Not looking back even once until the end.

“Your Majesty, may we go greet her? We… don’t want to remain cowards like this either.”

When Shan gathered the courage to ask, Shuher read the determination in their eyes and spoke.

“Why are you asking me that?”

Understanding it as silent permission, the knight order hesitated for a moment before heading together to where Ibnel was.

“I’ll go too.”

After Demil left as well, he remained alone and watched the scene from afar.

When the knight order bowed their heads, she waved her hands quickly with a surprised face, and soon her expression gradually brightened.

As her clearly joyful smile came into view, Shuher simply couldn’t turn his gaze away from Ibnel’s face.

‘Is just a word of thanks that pleasing?’

When he heard Ibnel’s words to the First Knight Order, he felt an emotion that couldn’t be defined in words. It was similar to when he saw her covered in filthy water right before his eyes.

‘Why does it keep bothering me?’

She was just someone to be used anyway, it shouldn’t matter whether she gets hurt or not, she’s just Aodin whom he despises so much.

Even now, why can’t he take his eyes off her?

At that moment, their gazes met, and Ibnel suddenly approached Shuher. After catching her breath for a moment, she asked him.

“Your Majesty, they say they’re doing shooting practice now. If it’s not a bother, may I go too?”

“I don’t particularly mind.”

“Thank you.”

After receiving his permission and about to turn back, she then looked towards the gathered knights and asked in a serious voice.

“I wonder if it’s really okay for me to go. In there…”

Ibnel murmured those words, hesitated for a moment, then moved away with a bow. As she was moving away, those last words kept echoing in Shuher’s mind.