Chapter 18
Ridon and I sat across from each other, awkwardly exchanging glances. Ibria sitting across from Ridon—it felt strange even to me.
“I was hoping for a private audience with Your Highness.”
In the tense silence, there was another guest as well. El Roitz stood stiffly in the corner like a statue. Even though I glanced at him, he didn’t move. As always, his emotionless, dry eyes simply looked downward.
‘Isn’t it unfair to be two against one?’
Seeing my complaint, Ridon shrugged.
“You also seem to have company.”
His gaze shifted to the dog sitting beside me. Harry stuck his tongue out innocently, meeting Ridon’s eyes.
“Are you putting a dog and Lord Roitz on the same level?”
“Whether a dog or a knight, they protect people the same way. Right, El?”
Even at being equated with a dog, El remained unshaken. If he was willing to accept being treated like a dog, what could anyone else say?
‘Well, Harry isn’t exactly a real dog anyway, so maybe I can let this slide.’
I sighed and leaned back in my chair.
“Shall we get straight to the point? It may not be very noble, but we aren’t the type to exchange pleasantries for long.”
“Interesting. I never thought Ibria Oberon and I would ever understand each other.”
“Since you agree, let’s get to the point.”
The one topic to discuss with Ridon was obvious.
“A clear achievement no one can take credit for. Wouldn’t Your Highness need that?”
Ridon’s expression shifted subtly, as if he didn’t know how to respond.
“…Didn’t you say we were getting straight to the point?”
“This is the point. If you want, I can create that achievement for you.”
Even El, who had been quietly observing, changed his expression slightly.
In the original story, Catherine’s allies fall into three groups: Crown Prince Cassian’s faction (Cassian and Mason), First Prince’s faction (Ridon and Luke), and the neutral faction (El). The protagonist, Catherine, was the one who united these five men with different goals.
“Weren’t you with Cassian?”
Ridon asked, clearly confused. Indeed, if characters were divided into three factions, Ibria had been firmly in the Crown Prince’s camp.
“That was a long time ago. I’ve even been engaged to the Crown Prince now.”
“So, did you get engaged to Cassian and develop a grudge?”
“How amusing.”
“What’s amusing?”
“That you think I still have lingering feelings for him. A grudge only exists when you still care about someone, doesn’t it?”
“You don’t care anymore? You were desperate enough to risk killing someone for him.”
“Good heavens. I didn’t expect to revisit this tiresome story. I…”
“You didn’t kill anyone. You just tried to. That’s what you mean?”
Exactly what I had intended to say. I stared blankly at Ridon, who chuckled softly.
“I’ve heard that line a few times myself.”
But the smile didn’t last long.
“If you have no grudge or lingering feelings…”
He stared at me with the cold, calm gaze he always used when looking at Ibria.
“Then why help me?”
“I think you’re mistaken. I’m not helping Your Highness.”
“But you said you could give me an achievement?”
“I did.”
“That would be helping me.”
“Effectively, yes.”
Ridon frowned, clearly unsure of my intentions.
“Is this some kind of guessing game?”
“I only want one thing: to sever ties with you permanently.”
“Did we even have ties worth severing?”
“Every year the Royal Knights come to Erel to hunt wyverns. That means I have to see these unpleasant faces annually.”
I sighed, glancing between Ridon and El. Objectively, their faces were handsome—typical of secondary male characters—but they made me feel suffocated.
The duke, who had already lost interest in Ibria, wouldn’t summon me to the capital again. That meant I, too, would spend my life in Erel. Besides the cold, Erel was a decent place—much better than the capital, which overflowed with people watching my every move.
But if I relied on the Royal Knights to hunt wyverns, I couldn’t avoid the crown. If I wanted a peaceful life in Erel, I had to sever that link.
“Once the wyvern issue is solved, the crown will have no reason to pay attention to Erel. The prince and commander will no longer come, and our ties will end cleanly.”
“…You’d give me an achievement just for that?”
“It’s important to me.”
I propped my chin on my hand and smiled. Ridon frowned, tapping the table with his fingers.
“What do you want in exchange for this achievement?”
“Nothing. Once Your Highness reports that the wyvern issue is solved, I get what I want.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
Ridon rubbed his face in frustration.
“So Ibria Oberon helps me just for that? Considering our history?”
“You’ve been somewhat unpleasant.”
“Somewhat? More like extremely.”
“Sometimes past enemies become allies for a goal. If Your Highness isn’t interested, I could find someone else.”
“Someone else would naturally be…”
“Cassian.”
At Cassian’s name, Ridon’s gaze shifted.
“I’d rather give the achievement to Your Highness. After the Crown Prince annoyed me recently, I don’t want to help him much.”
In the original, Ridon leaves the kingdom after Cassian becomes king. Catherine struggles to reconcile the brothers, but it’s impossible to fix fundamentally broken relationships. Later, a watch believed to be Ridon’s is found on a distant continent, cracked and stained with blood—foreshadowing his death.
‘Cassian probably sent an assassin.’
Among major characters, only Ibria and Ridon met death.
‘Thinking that way gives me a strange sense of kinship.’
I glanced at Ridon and he let out a small, amused laugh.
“Ibria Oberon offering me a poisoned chalice…”
He muttered, looking down, then lifted his head to meet my eyes.
“Fine. I’ll take the chalice you offer. Things can’t get worse now, so this gamble is worth it.”
“There’s no poison.”
“We’ll see.”
I hadn’t expected his trust anyway.
‘I never wanted his trust in the first place.’
I shrugged, meaning he didn’t need to trust me.
“Alright. This shallow relationship suits us perfectly.”
“Then what achievement will you give me for this shallow relationship?”
“We’ll discuss that tomorrow. It’s too late for a long conversation now.”
Normally, it would already be time to sleep. Ridon looked out the window and agreed.
“Indeed, this isn’t the time for a long talk. I’ll come to see you tomorrow.”
“It’s an honor that Your Highness will come personally.”
“Those who receive move—it’s only logical.”
“Is that so? Then I shall arrogantly await the prince’s visit.”
“…You can even joke like that?”
“Depends on the person.”
I ignored Ridon’s strange stare and stood. Our conversation was mostly done, so I intended to return to my room.
“See you tomorrow, Your Highness.”
I bowed to Ridon and left, with El silently following. So quiet, I wouldn’t have noticed if Harry hadn’t kept watch.
“Why are you following?”
I asked without slowing.
‘Ah. He probably won’t answer.’
El surprised me by speaking.
“Since it’s late, I will escort you to your room.”
His low, rich voice.
“Wow.”
I was stunned—his voice didn’t match his refined, serious appearance.
“You have a really nice voice.”
It was the first time I’d heard El speak.
‘I read it in the book, but couldn’t hear it there.’
Even when he came to confront me over the attempted murder, he hadn’t spoken.
‘Just silently glaring made it more terrifying.’
“Why stay silent with such a great voice? I’d be talking all day if it were me.”
This time, no reply. Glancing back, El’s face was slightly flushed, lips pressed together.
‘Doesn’t want to hear my praise, huh?’
Seeing his red face, it seemed so.
‘Better just keep quiet.’
Before I could finish that thought, he spoke again.
“…I’ve never heard that before.”
“Oh? Really?”
I tilted my head, puzzled.
El had a complex about his voice from childhood. The Roitz family was a famous knightly family, and he trained with a sword from a young age. He had been small, frail, and delicate-looking, unlike his family.
‘Basically, the ugly duckling.’
His siblings bullied him. When he protested, they mocked his “girlish” voice.
Yet El had inherited the Roitz blood strongest of all. No one could mock him as a “Roitz mutant” anymore. His voice lowered during puberty, but the memory remained, leaving him taciturn. Catherine was the one to break that long-standing complex.
“Didn’t Catherine tell you your voice was good?”
El’s rare emotional expression appeared—confusion and surprise. That made me realize something.
‘This must be before the episode with Catherine…’
I held my head in shock.
In Lady Catherine, Cassian becomes king, proposes to Catherine, and they marry. The story I was in was still ongoing; they hadn’t married yet.
‘Catherine breaking El’s complex is a later event…’
So I hadn’t yet reached that point in the story. I’d been isolated in the countryside and completely forgot the original plot was still progressing.
[Harry, is there any magic to erase memories?]
[There’s no such convenient magic.]
[Harry Potter can do it. Why not you, Harry?]
[Harry Potter? Who’s that?]
Harry’s voice sharpened—clearly annoyed at me comparing him to another wizard.
‘He takes great pride in his own abilities.’
[I don’t need that…]
I sighed and glanced at El. He’d returned to his usual expressionless self, but I still felt heavy-hearted.
‘That must have been a truly moving moment for him.’
Though the male protagonist was Cassian, many readers remembered El and Catherine’s moment most vividly. And I had accidentally stolen that moment.
‘Ugh, my conscience…!’
But I quickly shook it off.
‘No, I’m the villain here.’
I had forgotten for a moment.
‘The villain’s words aren’t the same as the heroine’s.’
I glanced at El and reassured myself—his face showed no reaction. He must have already forgotten what I said.
‘Or maybe he took it sarcastically. Probably more likely than a literal meaning.’
Satisfied, I calmed down. I didn’t care about the overall story, but I didn’t want to ruin a key event for one person. El and Luke had the darkest pasts; I didn’t want to mess with their good memories.
‘Later, Catherine will properly praise you, Lord Roitz.’
I patted him mentally as we reached my room.
“This is my room. Thank you for escorting me with such chivalry.”
El bowed, and his expression looked even stiffer than usual.
‘He took my praise as sarcasm, as expected.’
Ah, the wonderful effect of being the villain—whatever I do, it comes off as teasing.
I sighed in relief and quickly opened the door.
