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“……”

In this absurd situation, Prince Enzi stood there, dumbfounded, his mouth agape.

‘Is this a dream?’

Yes. It must be a dream. Otherwise, there’s no way I would lose to a mere girl, and experiencing something as absurd as this would be unimaginable.

‘It has to be.’

In other words, this was a continuation of the nightmare.

“……Ow!”

Right after, Enzi pinched his cheek hard.

“It hurts.”

Meaning, it’s not a dream.

“Then, am I seeing things?”

This was also a highly likely scenario. He must have been tired after his long journey.

‘Because otherwise……’

Enzi’s gaze soon focused on one spot.

“……Worm.”

That hallucination couldn’t possibly be saying such crazy things.

Andrew von Meeke.

No matter how much he looked, it was the same person. It must be a hallucination. The worm he remembered couldn’t even make proper eye contact like he was now.

He was always slumped over, exuding a gloomy aura, like he was the most pitiful person in the world. A hopeless case who was ignored not just by the noble children of his age, but even by mere knights.

That’s why they called him a worm. A lowly creature, similar to a parasite. A nickname that perfectly suited the trash who did nothing but take up space in the palace.

Accepting that such a creature was ‘of the same royal blood’ was impossible in the first place.

“So, you really did call me a worm.”

“H-Hey, fiancé!”

Winley quickly stepped in between them. The situation seemed to be on the verge of diplomatic collapse. So, she deliberately emphasized the word ‘fiancé’.

“F-Fiancé?”

Enzi’s expression became one of utter shock, as if he’d just been hit hard by a hammer. Taking advantage of the moment, Winley squeezed out her voice.

“I-I’m still not fully warmed up. So, how about sparring with me as part of my morning training?”

“Huh……?”

“L-Let’s have a match!”

Winley started blurting out whatever came to her mind. But she immediately regretted it.

‘A match? I’d be lucky not to get beaten to a pulp again.’

Still, she couldn’t take back what she said. She needed to resolve the current situation first.

‘Judging by Prince Enzi’s reaction, it’s clear he doesn’t know the true nature of this boy.’

That seemed to be the most likely scenario. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be practically begging for his death.

‘He’s probably been hiding his true abilities all this time.’

That’s how extraordinary this boy was.

‘But why?’

Why, after hiding it so well, is he now acting as if they’re complete strangers?

‘Is he trying to impress me?’

Winley shook her head.

That couldn’t be it.

‘I heard there were a lot of incidents. If he lost part of his memory during those events……’

Then everything would make sense.

‘Then that’s all the more reason to de-escalate this situation. If he ends up beating Prince Enzi out of anger……’

Then the situation would be truly irreversible.

“So, you want revenge for the knight’s exam?”

“……Sigh. That’s right.”

Phew.

With a sigh, Winley adopted a serious expression. Once she decided to go through with it, she was determined to do it properly.

Even if she managed to defuse the situation now, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen again once his presence was known.

Therefore,

‘I have to show Prince Enzi that the worm of the past no longer exists.’

It was too late to help him hide his abilities. There had been too many incidents already.

Rather, if she showed a glimpse of his strength now, Prince Enzi wouldn’t dare to act so arrogantly again. Not while they were in the Kingdom of Hart, at the very least.

“I’ll be in your care.”

And so, Winley decided to sacrifice herself. She raised her sword, bringing it level with her nose. It was an exquisitely formal salute that she hadn’t even shown Enzi.

“……Sir Ancelot.”

Winley did not address her opponent as the 7th Prince of the Principality of Meeke, Andrew von Meeke.

She treated him as Ancelot, an official knight of the Kingdom of Hart. In fact, that was the path she had to follow from now on.

“……”

Ancelot silently looked at Winley, then a faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Are you sure you won’t regret this?”

Flinch.

Winley shuddered, maintaining her salute.

“O-Of course not.”

“What on earth is going on here!?”

But Enzi, who had been watching the situation unfold without understanding Winley’s actions, finally exploded in anger.

There was no greater humiliation than this.

“Princess, are you really engaged to this worm?”

“Y-Yes, it’s true.”

“I can’t believe it. What could you possibly be lacking to be engaged to this worm?”

Unlike Winley, Ancelot didn’t hold back.

“You’ve been deliberately choosing words that piss me off. Who the hell are you?”

“What? Crazy bastard. Have you lost your mind since the last time I saw you? Or are you just trying to deny reality?”

“Explain it to me in a way I can understand.”

At that moment, Ancelot’s brows furrowed.

“H-He’s your older brother. Don’t you remember?”

Winley, convinced that her guess was correct, quickly approached and whispered.

“Brother……?”

“Enzi von Meeke, the 1st Prince from the Principality of Meeke, like you. He’s considered a strong candidate to become the next king.”

“……Oho.”

Finally, Ancelot’s eyes lit up with realization.

“Why? Is your lost memory coming back now?”

Enzi sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He had been seething with anger, needing someone to take it out on. Winley, forgetting the seriousness of the situation, couldn’t help but chuckle.

On the other hand, Enzi’s face turned bright red, like a ripe tomato.

“This bastard……!”

“If I’m a bastard, then are you a bastard brother?”

Grab!

In an instant, Enzi picked up a wooden sword that had been lying on the ground.

“I’ll tear your mouth apart!”

And he meant it.

Enzi’s body shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

Hummm!

A resonating sound followed behind him.

‘Stay calm. Just do it like you always do.’

The way Enzi swung his sword was vastly different from before. People learn from experience, and Enzi wasn’t an exception.

He had already lost to a girl. There was no guarantee that underestimating another would end any differently.

‘Though there’s no way that’ll happen again!’

Enzi gripped his sword even tighter. His fierce momentum even made Winley’s eyes widen.

But.

Grab!

“……Huh?”

The fierce attack was effortlessly caught in Ancelot’s hand, almost anticlimactically.

‘Th-That move shouldn’t be that easy to catch……’

Enzi’s pupils shook wildly. He hadn’t let his guard down. His stance was perfect, and he had poured all his strength into the strike.

If it had collided with human flesh, it would have easily shattered bones.

After all, he had used ‘mana’.

“All that big talk, and this was all you got?”

“……!”

“Utterly worthless.”

While Enzi was reeling from shock, a disapproving ‘tsk’ sounded in his ear.

“This is the problem with power. Whether it’s a great nation or a small one, once they get a taste of even a little power, they can’t help but misuse it.”

“……”

“Hah, he’s still trying to act like a prince. If it were me, I’d spend this time swinging my sword instead. No wonder he keeps getting beaten up everywhere he goes.”

The veins on Enzi’s forehead became even more prominent.

“You filthy bastard……!”

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

In just a matter of seconds, the sound of a series of sharp blows echoed through the air.

“Eek!”

Winley instinctively covered her mouth with her hands.

The wooden sword……

Correction. The club, which had found a new owner, was beating Prince Enzi like a dog.

Having experienced something similar herself, Winley’s face went pale.

“……Urgh. Grrrk.”

Eventually, Enzi foamed at the mouth and passed out. Blood streamed down from his cracked forehead.

Clatter!

After relentlessly beating Enzi all over, Ancelot finally tossed the wooden sword to the ground.

“How long did you think I’d keep listening to your insults?”

“……”

Winley quietly made a vow.

Yep.

I’m definitely never going to insult him. Of course, that resolve didn’t change the fact that……

“W-We’re doomed……”

Winley’s face was filled with despair.

“I can’t believe you committed such an atrocity!”

“Atrocity? He’s only a half-brother.”

“Even if he’s a half-brother, he’s still your brother!”

“Didn’t you hear him? He called me a worm.”

“……”

Winley fell silent. She realized it was pointless to argue with someone who wouldn’t listen to reason. She might as well have been talking to a mirror.

“Anyway, let’s finish the conversation we were having earlier.”

“H-Huh?”

“You said you wanted to have a match with me, didn’t you?”

Ancelot quietly picked up the wooden sword from the ground again. Winley couldn’t help but glance over at the unconscious Enzi.

“……Me?”

“Yeah, you.”

“When?”

“About a minute ago?”

“Yeah, I think you were just hearing things.”

“Are you insulting me too now?”

“I-Insult? What a ridiculous thing to say!”

“He also insulted me by saying I was avoiding reality. Isn’t that basically what you just said?”

No, it’s not!

Absolutely not!

‘I couldn’t see it again.’

Of course, it wasn’t just fear that was making her hesitate. Winley genuinely wanted to repay the beatings she’d received and become stronger.

However,

‘There needs to be a limit to the gap in power.’

How could she possibly spar with someone when she couldn’t even see how he was beating people in front of her very eyes?

“There’s still plenty of time before morning. Let’s get a proper warm-up in before the day starts. You’ll need to pass the knight exam next year, after all.”

“I-I think I can do it on my own.”

“Trust me, you’ve got talent. I’ll make you strong.”

“I said, no thanks, you crazy bastard!”

“Crazy bastard? Now you’re really insulting me.”

Flinch.

Her survival instincts screamed at her. Her organs felt like they were doing a tap dance inside her. If you’re going to die, keep us out of it, please.

“W-Wait!”

Fortunately, even in dire situations, there’s always a way out. Winley quickly scanned the area and pointed her finger at something.

“Wh-What about him?!”

Her finger was directed at the unconscious Enzi.

“Huh?”

Finally, Ancelot started to seriously consider the situation, propping his chin in thought. Clearly, he hadn’t given any thought to what he was going to do.

‘They say to let sleeping dogs lie, so why did you have to provoke him, Winley? Huh? You idiot.’

Winley was certain. This bastard definitely had a screw loose.

***