HTRE 08

Chapter 08

“Eroica. Don’t you think this is too sudden, even for you? I know your abilities well, but your opponent is Kyleve. If

he truly wanted to, he could kill you right there.”

As soon as they returned to their room, Ethan grabbed Eroica in a hurry, unable to hide his concern.

The Emperor had chosen the Fourteenth Prince as her opponent after she demanded the Duchy of Claudis.

Even if Kyleve’s swordsmanship was not officially known, there were rumors circulating quietly about him.

That he was a swordsman capable of overthrowing the entire Empire on his own.

Choosing such a prince as her opponent meant that the Emperor had no intention of simply allowing Eroica to get what she wanted.

“The Emperor doesn’t trust your existence. This is a trap. Wouldn’t it be better to refuse while you still can?”

Bosarva had not been suspicious of Eroica from the very beginning.

It was only after she demanded the duchy that the Emperor’s attitude changed.

This was not a situation they could afford to judge carelessly.

Sending her alone into an arena when his intentions were so obvious was far too dangerous.

But Eroica had more than enough reason to refuse to let this opportunity slip away.

“I have to reclaim my family’s name. And the Emperor’s proposal might be a good opportunity to establish my position within Franz.”

Her expression was so full of confidence that Ethan’s worried appearance seemed almost pointless.

Eroica never made deals that would bring harm to her.

That was the one thing he knew for certain.

So he could no longer stop her.

Eroica had always exceeded Ethan’s expectations.

Now, all he could do was trust her stubborn determination.

“Don’t worry. Surely they won’t kill the daughter of a duke in front of everyone. And when it comes to enduring, I’m confident in myself.”

Eroica smiled.

She rarely smiled under normal circumstances, and when she did, there were only two reasons.

When she wanted to reassure those around her, and when she sensed victory.

Ethan desperately hoped that this smile meant the latter.

“You called for me?”

Eroica summoned Soma to a small courtyard within the Imperial Palace.

The swordsmanship match was tomorrow, and she needed to loosen up her body, which had been stiff for some time.

After taking off her dress and changing into her familiar training clothes, she saw her master waiting for her.

Soma’s expression was filled with concern.

He had already heard the news.

“If you’re going to lecture me, just go back. I’ll do this alone.”

Eroica had already received more than enough worrying from Ethan.

There was no point in hearing it again.

“If that’s not why you’re here, then pick up your sword.”

She pointed toward the wooden sword lying beside her.

Honestly, there was no stopping his master.

Seeing her hair tied up brought back memories of the day Eroica had first decided to learn swordsmanship.

“Please teach me how to use a sword.”

He remembered Eroica approaching him while carrying a sword nearly as large as her own body, asking him to teach her.

After settling down in Palestian, Tiller had willingly become Soma’s master.

Under his teacher’s guidance, Soma’s swordsmanship improved day by day.

One day, Eroica, who had been watching their training closely, approached them.

“Swordsmanship? Lady Eroica, that’s far too dangerous.”

Tiller had tried to stop Eroica when she appeared holding a sword.

But her determination was unwavering.

“I know why Soma is so obsessed with swordsmanship. I know that even when his hands are covered in calluses and his blisters burst to the point that he can’t even eat with his own hands, he still refuses to put down his sword. I know he does all of this to protect me.

And I have no doubt that one day, Soma will grow strong enough for me to entrust my back to him.”

Even when his legs were covered in blisters and every muscle in his body ached as though he had been beaten all over, Soma never skipped a day of training.

Watching him, Eroica had come to a conclusion.

“That isn’t enough. Our opponent is the great Empire of Franz. And I am a member of Claudis, the family that protects the Empire.

You once said you would become stronger. I need to become strong by any means necessary, without caring what methods I have to use.

I don’t want to rely on someone else. I want to be strong on my own.

So please teach me swordsmanship.”

In the end, Tiller had no choice but to accept her decision.

Her determination was simply too firm.

“If you’re going to do this, then give it everything you have.”

From that day onward, Eroica held a sword every single day without exception.

She would collapse into bed from exhaustion, wake up, and repeat the same cycle of swinging her sword.

Calluses formed on her small, delicate hands, completely unsuited to them, while bruises covered her entire body.

She had lived like that for eight years.

She regarded the Emperor’s proposal as an opportunity.

And the one who had created that opportunity was Eroica herself—the woman who had gritted her teeth and kept moving forward even on the days when she wanted to give up.

Soma, who had crossed swords with Eroica countless times, had never doubted her abilities.

He only hoped that Kyleve’s seemingly unfathomable swordsmanship would prove at least somewhat manageable.

The young ladies of the noble families were enjoying a tea party.

It was an extravagant gathering of women who flaunted their social standing through meaningless adornments.

At the banquet the previous night, Kyleve had not offered his hand to Brigitte.

She was too embarrassed to face the women, but if she had failed to attend the gathering, she would certainly have become the subject of ridicule.

“His Highness is so mischievous. When he came wearing matching clothes with you, I thought he was such a considerate man. I never imagined he would ask a woman he had never met before to dance.”

The women spoke in tones that sounded sympathetic while actually looking down on her.

But Brigitte was not easily discouraged.

“I’ve already danced with His Highness several times. I heard she is the youngest daughter of the Claudis family, so it was only natural for His Highness to escort her.”

Brigitte tried her best to appear calm, but inside, she was burning.

Who would have thought he would humiliate me in front of so many people?

“Lady Brigitte, you certainly have a generous heart.”

The sarcastic tone struck deep into her chest, but for now, she had no choice but to smile.

If she showed how angry she was, she would lose.

“By the way, that woman is quite remarkable too. She returned to Franz and immediately challenged His Highness to a swordsmanship match.”

Now the women’s attention shifted to Eroica.

She was a woman with an appearance that seemed to belong to an entirely different world.

The thought that someone who looked as though she had been raised to be nothing but beautiful could wield a sword was almost unbelievable.

Eroica’s very existence was enough to heighten their excitement.

“Still, she must have some confidence in herself. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have accepted His Majesty’s proposal, would she?”

“Who knows? She lived in Palestian for so long. Perhaps she doesn’t know His Highness’s reputation.”

Amid the various speculations, one of the women asked Brigitte, who had remained unusually quiet.

She was a young lady from a baronial family who had only recently made her debut.

“What do you think the outcome will be, Lady Brigitte? Surely you’re on His Highness’s side?”

“Who knows…”

It was such an obvious question that there was hardly any need to ask.

The entire Empire probably had only one opinion.

There was no way an ordinary woman could defeat Kyleve.

“I just hope His Highness doesn’t get hurt.”

Brigitte smiled innocently and prayed for the prince’s safety.

News that there was an entertaining spectacle to be seen spread throughout the Imperial Palace in an instant.

The Fourteenth Prince Kyleve was going to have a swordsmanship duel, and his opponent was apparently a woman.

Everyone came to watch the match, from the royal families of foreign nations staying in Franz to the various diplomatic delegations.

“You only need to play along with her for a little while. Gauge her ability to read the situation, then feel free to crush her thoroughly. Take this opportunity to show them the dignity of the Imperial Family.”

The moment Bosarva saw Kyleve waiting in the staging area before the match, he approached him as though he had been waiting for him.

Kyleve found his elder brother’s obvious intentions disgusting.

Bosarva must have disliked Eroica, who had suddenly appeared and wanted to reclaim her position.

His intention was to humiliate her in front of everyone.

He wanted to crush her with such an overwhelming difference in ability that she would never dare to make trouble again.

Kyleve had indeed intended to play along for a while, just as the Emperor had instructed.

He already knew how stubbornly Eroica wanted to prove herself.

But he had no intention of crushing her through sheer force.

“I will use only my left hand.”

Bosarva narrowed his eyes as though he could not understand Kyleve’s words.

“Please make sure that no shameful story remains that an Imperial Prince gave his all against a woman.”

This was also the last bit of pride Kyleve could not give up.