Chapter 12

“I won’t.”

Yui told me to win and so it was all but certain that now I would.

The problem I now faced was the secondary objective I had set for myself to make Yuri happy - I needed to determine what Lord Michael’s trauma was and how to resolve it.

Perhaps his perversions had stemmed from insecurities he had or maybe a childhood event like Prince Cain had?

But then my interests had no basis for them - was that because I had been designed to be a one note villain in the story of Yui’s life?

Maybe that’s true for me, but what about you, Lord Michael?

Neither of us were moving towards the other.

Instead, we were observing one another to the most minute details.

For Lord Michael, he couldn’t attack first without leaning into the Armina family’s narrative, so I had plenty of time to think of my plan of attack.

His longsword was standard issue for the kingdom’s knights, just like my short sword, but our armours were custom made for us.

My instructors often told me that a sword fight is quite like a conversation or a dance, and that conversations and dances are often a battle to shine the most in a sky full of stars.

For now, the best way to speak to Lord Michael was to communicate through our swords.

Slowly, I moved forwards, keeping my blade low, leaving myself open for an easy attack.

Lord Michael shifted his stance, but he did not take a step towards me.

He was probably waiting to pounce like a cat, building up his strength and energy to unleash it all at once in a powerful flourish of steel.

I could exploit that.

All I needed to do was upset his balance or concentration. Ideally, I’d hit both at once.

This time, however, I wouldn’t use my words to dig under his skin.

So, I kept moving forward, changing my pace every other beat.

I got close enough for Lord Michael to pounce.

He darted forward in a tight stance, keeping his body small and pushing his sword out before him. It gave him offensive and defensive power.

Normal opponents would try to deflect or dodge an attack like this.

I sped towards it.

And he faltered.

Only briefly, only for a second, but it was enough.

I drew in close, batted his now slightly loosened sword towards the back of the blade, and then stabbed at his chest.

Lord Michael had to awkwardly move back to escape, but the damage I wanted to inflict had inflicted.

Two blows had been exchanged but only he’d taken damage.

It was not a good look or start for him.

I needed to keep chipping away at his armour.

This time, I would wait for him to come to me.

I moved to a defensive stance, but I left another hole in my guard.

I’d overextended my left side, a fatal flaw given how I was right-handed.

Ah, he saw the bait.

But will he bite?

Lord Michael swung his sword thrice. “Is this the way the Armina family fights? Cheap tricks and-?”

“If this had been a real fight, you would be dead or barely clinging to life,” I said, loudly. “It’s not my fault that you were unable to handle my swordsmanship.”

“That’s not-!”

“Just because it isn’t a style you are used to seeing does not mean you can look down on it or insult it. Or.” I smiled. “Is that how the Wessex family fights?”

He was angry, but he had to hide it.

Even a slight sign of rage would make everything currently considered a rumour a fact.

So, what would-?

He tried to dart at me, but I darted at him, smirking a little.

My swing was quicker than his, so he had to prematurely abort his attack to block. I followed through by swinging my sword at his opposite side, and I repeated that ten more times.

It was a simple, but effective, way of keeping him on his toes and keeping him distracted.

How could he plan a counterattack if the onslaught never ended?

I stabbed his right shoulder enough to pierce the plate but not deep enough to draw blood.

Then and only then did I withdraw to give him breathing room.

For the promising prodigy of the Wessex family, this was beyond a humiliation.

It could even be called a social execution.

It might just be what Lord Michael needed.

A vein on his neck was protruding more and more, as if threatening to burst free from the skin.

He took time to use some breathing exercises to forcefully calm himself down, and then he was ready to begin again.

…I wonder.

“Lord Michael, may I ask you something a little personal?”

“…What?”

“It might be a stretch or reach of epic proportions, but I think I am starting to see the man beneath the bravado.

“…Is it possible you’ve never had a real challenge before?”

“…huh?”

I think I can see it.

Based on Yuri’s many, many, many, long conversations about these ‘games’ of hers, what I have seen of Lord Michael myself, and what Victoria has said about him, I can see who he really is.

Michael Wessex was talented and strong, but he had never faced any hardships or struggles in his life. He had been better than his peers in everything and started to take pleasure in seeing those around him suffer trying to match him. Then, perhaps, in his route, Yui tells him about her past of abuse and neglect, and Lord Michael realises just what sort of pain and suffering he’s been inflicting on others?

The only reason he didn’t in this new ‘scenario’ as Yuri would call it is because I loved Yui and had ‘picked a fight’ with Lord Michael for Victoria’s affections.

He would not realise this now unless someone told him, like how Yuri told me.

…I imagine in his ‘bad end’, Yui would be made to suffer forever in a cell as his slave. At least, I presume as much based on these observations.

Just imagining someone else do that to Yui pisses me off.

Oh, dear me, more foul language.

Lord Michael is still looking at me dumbstruck.

I hadn’t shared my deeper thoughts with the public, but maybe I could with Yuri later.

Not that the little pervert would know even if I was right.

While I had been wondering what lies inside Lord Michael’s soul, he, meanwhile, had started getting so angry he’d turned vibrant red and shaking.

“…Are you mocking me again?”

“…Not at all.”

“Heh, right. Of course not - that’s definitely not something you would do, is it? Yeah, right, Raena von Armina!”

…I think I upset him.

“You mock me, dishonour me and try to ruin my relationship with my fiancé. You really are a devil wearing a mask, aren’t you?”

“How rude.”

“You dare-!”

“Michael.”

His father’s cold as ice words stopped Lord Michael’s outburst.

“…My apologies, Lady Raena.”

“It’s fine, Lord Michael. This would not be the first time that you have misunderstood my intentions.”

“…Even now, you-”

“I had struggled to find a proper challenge, too.” I lowered my sword slightly. “No matter what I put my mind to, I could do. I rarely felt joy in knowing I was talented. I wanted to earn those abilities and skills, not have them lying dormant inside me naturally. Whenever I found something too easy, I asked my tutors and parents to make things harder, to give me a real challenge.

“Truthfully, I imagine your life might have been the same. That day, when you came to warn me not to get closer to Lady Victora, I was going to let you off with a light warning. Until you insulted Yui’s hard work and effort.

“That girl has been pushing herself day in and day out to become a fine lady, one who could stand by my side without being an embarrassment. Of course, I and my family would never think of Yui like that, but she has been determined to make her dream come true.

“She is my pride and joy and has been pushing herself to do even more hard work and training than I ever endure. People like us who were born with better, innate, natural talent don’t get to criticize and insult the hard work of others!”

My outburst was a surprise to everyone, including myself, but it was the best chance of getting through to Lord Michael. Even then, it might not work out.

“…I worked hard too,” he grumbled. “But…but I…I-”

“Lord Michael.” I sheathed my sword. “Did you really or did you just forget how blessed of a life you’ve lived? I’ve never once forgotten, and I’ll always act in a manner befitting of my station.”

Lord Michael clicked his tongue loudly and shouted, “What’s wrong with being born with talent?! What’s wrong about not wanting to face hardship?! Who wouldn’t want to live like that?!”

You’re right but at the exact wrong time and in the exact wrong moment.

In this place full of nobles who were born and raised in wealthy families whose ancestors brought them to this point.

However, Lord Michael, the young prodigy with so much promise and potential, now appeared like a spoilt brat, propped up onto a tall pedestal by those around him.

This was not the most ideal outcome, but since it had come to this, I had to go with it now.

“Lord Michael, despite our differences, I had hoped that beneath it all, you were a worthy heir of the Wessex Duchy and a good match for my dear friend, Victoria. However.” I redrew my sword and ran forward. “It seems you still have a long way to go!”

“Raena Armina!”

He roared forward and our steel clashed again and again.

His rage and hatred towards me made his blows hit hard and swing wide; he was exhausting himself but didn’t realise.

All I had to do was win this battle of attrition which would not be an easy task.

I wasn’t able to block or parry everything.

I had to start dodging and retreating, narrowly avoiding his blade multiple times.

Dammit - my plan had gone too well.

Lord Michael wasn’t even trying to act like a proper gentleman now - all he cared about was defeating me, no matter the cost.

We battled and battled until one of his slashes landed on me.

Across my face.

From cheek to cheek and across my nose.

It was, thankfully, a shallow cut but it was one that could scar if not properly treated.

“Raena!”

I heard Yuri’s shock horror and decided to try and force this duel to end here and now.

I disarmed Michael by slamming the blunt end of my sword against his wrist, kicked him in the knee, kneed him in the face and knocked him to the floor with a powerful strike across his helmet that drained the last bit of my strength.

Lord Michael was knocked out cold and I nearly collapsed.

But I couldn’t yet, even with blood dripping down my face.

Not until the judge called the match.

“The winner is Raena von Armina!”

Good - I can hear the crowd cheering too.

I tried to smile reassuringly at Victoria, at Yui and Yuri, but-