“It’s better to be honest. Really, what was your role in the South?”

As expected.

Did you sense from my brief movements during the day that I was not just an ordinary woman?

I, Arcadia.

Just because you tell me to be honest doesn’t mean I can be completely honest in this situation.

How could I tell you what I did in the South in my previous life?

But I can’t keep playing this tug-of-war with you who suspects me forever.

What truth can I confess while hiding my real identity, what fact can make this person understand me?

‘Can I… tell that now.’

I hesitated but finally decided.

It’s something I was going to start eventually.

To give the Northern Grand Duke all the weaknesses of the South that I know, to give him the cards to bring them down. To save the Grand Duke.

“Deputy Commander, if you allow me, I would like to give that answer in the presence of His Highness the Grand Duke.”

“His Highness the Grand Duke?”

“Yes. If I may be so bold.”

Arcadia’s narrowed green eyes scan me.

“Why?”

“Because speaking to both the Deputy Commander and His Highness the Grand Duke means I’m willing to stake my life on it. I will tell you what you want to know, and add what I want to say.”

His piercing gaze meets mine.

“Very well. You’re aware that there will be consequences for this statement too, of course?”

“Yes.”

There’s nothing to fear. This is my second life obtained by God’s grace anyway.

The time has come to begin now.

[This is the timeline separator]

Though it was late at night, the Grand Duke was not asleep.

He was sitting at his noble white desk that resembled him, buried in countless unknown documents.

The Grand Duke, who had been calm at Arcadia’s sudden visit, put down his papers when he saw me following behind.

“What’s the matter?”

“It seems there will be an important confession.”

At Arcadia’s words, one of the Grand Duke’s eyebrows rose.

“What confession? Whose? Yours?”

“No. This woman’s. I don’t know what the confession is about, but she’s decided to entrust her life to my sword.”

“……”

The Grand Duke got up and pointed to the dining table. Then he looked at me.

“Sit down. I won’t allow recklessly staking one’s life, though.”

Why does his voice sound a little angry?

The Grand Duke personally poured something from a white teapot into cups and placed them in front of Arcadia and me. It was a tea with a sweet and fragrant grass scent.

“I’m honored, Your Highness.”

Unlike his words of being honored, Arcadia drank the tea as if familiar with it. But I couldn’t bring myself to touch the teacup.

“Drinking it will ease your body and mind a little.”

The Grand Duke said in a gentle tone.

I carefully took a sip of the tea. The tea was warm. Its subtle warmth and fragrance flowed down my throat and into my stomach.

“So, what is it you want to confess?”

The Grand Duke’s low voice filled the space between the three of us.

I looked at the Grand Duke. He was staring straight at me, with a slightly tense expression.

“The South is secretly building its own army, Your Highness.”

Arcadia, who was about to bring the teacup to his lips, put down the cup he was holding as if dropping it. Then he stared at me with wide eyes.

I observed the Grand Duke’s expression. A brief look of disappointment flashed across his face, which usually didn’t show much emotion. As if it wasn’t the words he had expected.

What could be the meaning of that expression?

Just as I thought I might have seen wrong, the Grand Duke’s expression changed. To a serious expression anyone would expect.

“By the South, do you mean the Southern Grand Duke Lahert?”

“Yes.”

The Grand Duke was silent for a moment at my answer.

“It’s sudden. And hard to believe. Of course… I’ve joked about such speculation with the Deputy Commander before.”

I knew it.

I remember what the Grand Duke said on my first day here.

[It seems the South is determined to turn all their employees into soldiers. Did they teach you swordsmanship too?]

“Esther.”

My name uttered by the Grand Duke shook me.

“Yes.”

“Do you know that secretly building an army means planning treason?”

“Yes.”

“That is indeed something you should stake your life on saying. You know that too?”

“Yes.”

Sion Belfast’s blue eyes wavered.

“Arcadia, in what situation did you two come to my tent together?”

“I asked what she did in the South. Other than the lie about cleaning and odd jobs, what she really did. And then……”

Though he was speaking in an aggrieved tone, Arcadia’s eyes were staring at me more sharply than ever.

“It’s also true that I did cleaning and secret errands for Lady Medeia, Deputy Commander.”

“Another lie.”

“I am telling you the truth. I have been telling the truth all along.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s my job to doubt.”

Arcadia replied curtly.

“I have a lot to protect.”

For a moment, his voice, which had always been cold to me, lowered deeply.

His words about having to protect struck my heart.

I quietly caught my breath.

“I… when I was young, I was bullied by the maids and cleaned their rooms, and when I grew a little older, I became Lady Medeia’s lowly minion, and I learned the sword.”

“The sword?”

“Yes. Though you didn’t believe me, I already told you that my usefulness lies in ‘being able to fight well’.”

Arcadia’s eyes trembled slightly.

“When.”

“On the first day we arrived at the plains, when you called me out separately to interrogate me.”

“Interrogate? When did I ever.”

Then he pauses.

“When I said I could fight well, you sneered and said ‘With those thin arms?'”

“……”

“Is that true, Arcadia?”

“Yes. Come to think of it, I guess I did say that.”

Arcadia replied sulkily with a face that looked like he’d been caught out.

The Grand Duke silently stared at me.

The crimson light illuminating the tent cast shadows on Sion Belfast’s face as he looked at me. His gaze was intense.

The Grand Duke and Arcadia remained silent until the steam rising from the teacups had all cooled down.

Perhaps both of them were trying to gauge where to start from the ‘story about the South’ that I had thrown out.

At this moment, why does the half-mask covering my original face feel so cumbersome?

I took a deep breath and exhaled softly.

“I received training in the South. A nameless orphan learning swordsmanship at the main castle.”

Orphan.

I have no intention of revealing that the dead crown prince and the fallen saint are my parents, that I am the real princess.

“Lady Medeia took me in. But as I said, I was mistreated. Because I was just an accessory anyway. Me, and Yora with his half-cut tongue.”

“Can you prove it? The fact that the South is secretly building their own army.”

Belfast asked.

“The evidence……”

I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them again. Recalling memories of the past.

“For now, it’s only what I’ve seen, heard, and experienced.”

“……”

“More than half of the employees at the Southern main castle where Your Highness stayed know how to handle a sword. They hire people who originally used swords, and also train ordinary people to be soldiers. But that’s not all. I once overheard Lady Berk and Lady Medeia talking. They said that Grand Duke Lahert was secretly gathering mercenaries of free status to build an army. And.”

I took a sip of the cooled tea.

“They’re reducing the military funds that should go to the North and using that tax money to build the Southern army.”

“Diverting military funds.”

The Grand Duke muttered.

All of this is information I learned after becoming a white butterfly. Words that Medeia started to reveal bit by bit after that day when I began assassinating those she wanted.

To me, who had bloodied my hands and started living a life that could no longer be reversed, she finally shared, as if doing me a favor, the snake skins she had shed along the way.

Skins. Traces of countless molts to become a bigger snake.

It was only after I died that I realized how long ago those traces had begun.

“When the Northern Knights came to subjugate the barbarians of the South, Lady Medeia said, ‘The Southern Grand Duke House pleaded to His Majesty the Emperor like this. The Northern Knights and their army use too much tax money under the pretext of guarding the empire’s borders, so there’s always a shortage of money that should be used for the Central and Southern regions. Because of that, the South has become unable to even have the strength to repel the barbarians on its own. So it’s only natural that the Northern Knights come to help the South.'”

“……”

“Probably, the South will say the same about the assassination attempt you suffered in the South and the attack on Sir Arcadia. That the South was too weak to even prevent assassins coming from outside. And His Majesty the Emperor… will side with those words.”

Mentioning the Emperor made a corner of my heart ache.

But it can’t be helped. The Emperor of my previous life ended up only siding with the South and killed the Grand Duke, this person in front of my eyes.

Sion Belfast’s expression changed.

“How do you know even such things?”

“Because I’m a worm, despised. So even though I had ears, they didn’t think I had them. But I was right next to them.”

“I’m hearing about the taxes for the first time.”

“As I said, I don’t know how to prove that the South has been doing this. But I do know that the person who attacked Sir Arcadia was not someone from outside, but a person from the South.”

“You know that?”

Arcadia asked, seemingly surprised.

“Yes, it’s a familiar face. One I’ve seen for a long time at the main castle.”

“The Black Bug, was it?”

The Grand Duke said.

“Yes.”

“Did you know?”

“Yes. This young lady told me. I forgot to tell the Deputy Commander since it’s obvious to even a fool that the assassin was sent by the Southern Grand Duke.”

“For, got?”

Arcadia’s cheeks puffed out even more than before. He coldly asked me.

“Then did you learn swordsmanship in the South for that reason too? To join the South’s secret army?”

“Maybe. But I was able to escape before that happened. Thanks to you saving me.”

I bowed my head towards the Grand Duke. And to Arcadia as well.

The Grand Duke got up from his seat and put the teapot with the tea into the pechka.

“Why are you telling me these stories now? To prove your usefulness?”

“I want to be helpful.”

And.

From now on, these are not words I have to say, but words I want to say.

“The reason I couldn’t tell you earlier was”

I swallowed dryly for a moment.

“Because it would have been useless anyway.”

“Why?”

The Grand Duke asked.

“Because for now, Your Highness doesn’t have the power to defeat His Highness the Southern Grand Duke.”

“How impertinent!”

Arcadia burst out angrily.

Yes, it’s an impertinent thing to say. But it’s the truth.

Sion Belfast made an interested expression.

“Yet you spoke now? To gain trust?”

“Yes. I want to gain trust.”

“Esther.”

“Yes.”

“I will use what you’ve said usefully when I can be certain of it.”

Truly, that’s a relief.

I stood up from my seat and bowed deeply. The Grand Duke spoke again.

“And, you said you received training?”

“Yes.”

“How skilled are you?”

“I’ll show you tomorrow.”

I can’t show that I’m a Sword Master. If I do, I’ll attract attention not only from the North, but from the South and the entire Empire.

It was then.

“I’ll be your final opponent.”

Arcadia said. I doubted my ears.

“What?!”

Why does this person want to cross swords with me?

He is in a different league from me. He’s the Deputy Commander of the Northern Knights.

Why?

“You have a very peculiar way of getting under people’s skin. I want to see if that arrogant attitude of yours is proportional to your skills.”

“Ah, no. It’s probably not even a skill that can be called skill.”

If it’s Arcadia, he might realize my true skill the moment our swords cross. Just like the Black Bug did.

My voice raised without me realizing.

“I refuse.”

Arcadia’s eyes widened as big as a lantern.

“This is ridiculous. I make the decisions.”

Ah, Arcadia.

“I’m sorry. But you’re too much of an opponent. A soldier would be one thing.”

“Where did that confidence from earlier go? You said you’d prove your usefulness.”

“Still.”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to become someone helpful to the North? I remember everything you said.”

Arcadia grinned.

“And I have no intention of changing my decision. That’s alright, isn’t it, Your Highness the Grand Duke?”

“……If you wish.”

The Grand Duke’s blue eyes stared at me.

[This is the timeline separator]

It was an afternoon with warm sunshine but cold wind.

Like a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse, I walked towards the center of the plains far away where the sword duel would take place.

Many knights were already gathered there.

A woman wearing a half-mask. A woman suspected of being a Southern spy. A woman who said she knows how to use a sword and would prove herself. A woman who saved the poor Yora from Bern.

Due to the unexpected buzz I had caused, the duel attracted even more attention.

Today, here, in front of those elite knights of the Empire, I have to hide my skills.

Just enough to give the impression of having a promising future. The feeling that with continued effort, I might become an excellent swordsman, that’s the level of impression I need to give and end it there.

My real skills should only be used when I need to save the Northern Grand Duke Sion Belfast.

But that’s still years away. Until then, I need to act as if I’ve become the best knight through hard work.

I arrived at the center of the plains that would be used as the training ground. Yora, who had arrived earlier, waved at me happily. Seeing Yora sitting among soldiers of similar age made me feel a little more at ease.

‘That’s good. He seems to be doing well.’

At that moment, I saw Grand Duke Belfast approaching this place.

The Grand Duke himself?

A skilled person similar to Arcadia, or perhaps even more skilled. The thought of having one more person from whom I needed to hide my skills gave me a headache.

Behind the black-haired Grand Duke, Arcadia was walking, his long platinum blonde hair fluttering. And two men were following behind him.

“Wow! Today’s contestants are entering!”

Someone among the knights whistled to greet the two men at the back.

But one of their faces looked familiar.

Light green hair, black eyes full of intelligence, a face that looked about the same age as me.

The knight who had whistled called out to that man.

“Are your injuries all healed, Bran?”

‘Ophilit.’

I looked at the man before me, who seemed to have only recently become an adult.

Bran Ophilit, who had fallen for my whispers and raised a rebellion in the North. Bran Ophilit, who died by my hand after his usefulness was spent. That Bran Ophilit is alive in this life.

‘So this is how radiant you were back then.’

A dull warmth welled up in a corner of my heart.

The Grand Duke sat on a chair placed under a large old tree. Everyone focused on the Grand Duke, but it was Arcadia, standing next to Bran, who spoke.

“The first contestant to face that woman is Bran Ophilit! Though not yet an official knight, he’s a knight-in-training.”

– Woaaaaaah!

The knights’ cheers filled the plains.

I see. For you all, this duel is a joyous festival enjoyed after a long time since the fierce battle.

…While I feel like I’m going to die.