The Munchkin Knight from the Continent's Knight Kingdom
The kingdom known across the continent as the Knight Kingdom, the Kingdom of Karl.
A nation that worships the martial arts above all else. If you only judge by the quality of its knights, it's on par with the vast Astoria Empire, despite being a mere kingdom. There's even a saying in the Kingdom of Karl: "Don't brag about your swordsmanship."
Whenever the hottest topic in taverns—the continent's strongest fighter—comes up in some drunken debate, most of the names dropped are from there. And at the pinnacle of that place, where no one would dare claim to be second in martial prowess, stands the Frank Knight Order.
Among those superhumans, holding the position of vice-captain is Bien di Olivier. And his daughter is none other than the Angelica di Olivier standing right in front of me.
She awakened to aura after just four days of holding a sword. Within a year, she defeated the weakest member of the Frank Knight Order in pure swordsmanship. A monster who mastered her family's secret techniques after seeing them just once.
It might seem diminished since it was the weakest member, but the Frank Knight Order consists of twelve utter madmen, every single one a Sword Master. Even with the penalty of no aura or mana use allowed against the weakest, the fact that a Sword User beat a Sword Master in swordsmanship alone proves she's an absurd freak.
Her sword skills are at a level where she could teach at the academy without anyone batting an eye. So, with that kind of talent, there was nothing for her to gain here. At best, maybe some cultural refinement or networking.
But the reason she came to the academy anyway? Thanks to Charles Karl, the first prince of the Kingdom of Karl.
A name that sounds like it could belong to some guy named Cheolsu, but surprisingly, he's a male lead type. His backstory: from childhood, he idolized legendary heroes and knights.
And Dawn Star Academia is the continent's top educational institution, where countless heroes have passed through. Naturally, the moment he hit enrollment age, he wanted to join. That threw the Kingdom of Karl into a panic.
Of course, they couldn't just send their first prince alone to another country, so they dispatched escorts. One of them was Angelica.
But the real issue is why Angelica is here.
There's only one protagonist per route. So Angelica shouldn't exist here.
But Donnesia is already here. So why is Angelica too? Does that mean the others are here as well?
That would be pure honey. Heroines getting duplicated? This world's doomed without a heroine, but flip it: as long as there's a heroine, it won't end in ruin.
With both Donnesia and Angelica as heroines? No guarantee the other protagonists aren't here either.
Then I don't have to bust my ass. Just get strong enough to survive moderately into the future.
But hey, just hold out for four years. Four years!
I imagined sucking honey in the Northern Territory while sipping my wine.
Then—
Claaap——!!!!
A massive clap echoed from somewhere. The sharp sound of flesh slamming into flesh.
Down at the terrace railing, behind that pillar. This was the upper level near the banquet hall entrance, so most noises got drowned out, but that slap rang clear.
This was definitely someone getting their cheek turned.
Fight ahead. Angelica flinched a bit too, so I wasn't the only one who heard.
Man vs. man? They'd throw punches, not pull some girly slap.
Woman vs. woman? They'd rip clothes and draw swords.
But a slap? At night? One hundred percent man vs. woman. A couple on the verge of breaking up.
To witness this prime drama event with my own eyes? Too good to keep to myself.
I glanced at Donnesia. Still swamped. Plenty of guys and ladies trying to chat her up. Too bad.
With Angelica here, the male leads should be arriving around now.
No choice.
"Milady, care to join me?"
At least drag her along. Angelica shot me a "Why should I?" look.
Miss this ultimate drama?
"Milady, know what the most fun thing in the world is?"
"…………."
"Watching fires. Watching fights. And the absolute best? Watching couples fight."
The moment I finished, she pondered, then nodded as if convinced. Guess she couldn't resist peeking at a couple's spat either.
A terrace where cold, quiet winds blew in stark contrast to the bustling banquet hall.
There, I faced him.
"Your Highness. You're a real fucking bastard."
I snapped at the bastard staring blankly at me, stroking his reddened cheek from my slap.
Does it hurt? So you feel pain too?
But just one slap and you're hurting? I hurt way worse.
My previous life. It was utter humiliation.
That bastard pouring the love and attention I craved onto others. Me, submitting to him, wagging my tail for even a scrap of his focus.
I can't fathom why I groveled to that bastard back then.
You lived like a wastrel. Foolishly, I loved you.
The you I saw as a child was my hero.
I fell for that scrappy kid who grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the forest covered in wounds.
But you never gave me the love or attention I yearned for. Not a crumb.
Still, I hoped. Hoped for even a sliver of your love.
But what came back?
Poison.
I died from poison. Vomiting blood, calling one person's name.
Died agonizingly alone.
I don't know who poisoned me—no proof—but suspicion lingered.
Kyle de Astoria, Your Highness. Was my love for you such a grave sin?
Did I have to swallow possibly planted poison and die so pathetically alone?
As I vomited blood on the cold ground, breath fading, I opened my eyes to regression.
Back to the past, poison still in my system.
To the banquet hosted by the imperial family, just before academy enrollment. Where I'd collapsed after the poison.
The first thing I did upon returning?
Meet my fiancé.
The loathsome man I'd mentally murdered a thousand times while dying, yet longed to see.
I asked him: If there'd been poison in my food, would you have fed it to me?
His reply?
"You're asking if there'd been poison? Why ask something so obvious, Duchess? Of course I'd have fed it to you myself."
At those words, my fevered head cooled. And before I knew it, my hand met his cheek.
My first rebellion. My first slap.
"Yes. I should have done this from the start."
His face whipped around. His cheek stained red by my hand.
"We've come too far for old ties to hold us."
Pain? Or did he never expect this? His face turned toward me, but his eyes were lost.
"As you wish, I'll end the engagement, Kyle de Astoria, Second Prince."
To deny him any excuse of confusion, I enunciated his full name and shoved the dissolution papers at him.
Yes. As you wanted, I'll remove this collar you put on me.
Like before...
As I snarled and went to hurl the collar to the ground—
I spotted something and shut my mouth.
From behind the pillar, muscular arms in a tuxedo poked out on both sides.
He was trying to hide, but no effort at all. With that bulk, it was like advertising "Look at me!"
"Who are you?"
The meaty arms didn't react. As if he didn't know I was calling him.
Did he really think he wouldn't get caught?
"I'm talking to you. The muscle lump behind the pillar deluding himself he's hidden well."
Only then did the muscle lump twitch.
I ignored the prince's actions and expression. My focus was solely on the fool who thought he was stealthy.
Then, a head peeked from behind the pillar.
And apparently, the musclehead wasn't alone listening in. Another woman popped out from behind a different pillar.
The woman was Angelica di Olivier from the Knight Kingdom of Karl. The guy... vaguely familiar.
"How long have you been there?"
To my question, the guy who stuck out his face replied:
"Oh, ignore us and keep going."
And shoved his head back behind the pillar.
What the hell is this guy?
The terrace. A space where two beauties beyond mere "handsome man and beautiful woman" stood like actors on a moonlit stage.
But the atmosphere was so chillingly cold and silent, you couldn't believe such paragons were there.
Could you believe that frigid vibe came from them?
A woman in a gorgeous dress, platinum blonde with blood-red eyes, wearing an expression icily at odds with her looks.
One of the five great dukes upholding the empire, guardians of the center: the Eternia Ducal House. Their only daughter, called the Flower of Eternia in high society—Isabella von Eterna.
Yes, the regressor villainess protagonist in this romance fantasy.
And the golden-haired, golden-eyed hunk stroking his slapped, reddened cheek? Astoria Empire's Second Prince, Kyle de Astoria.
A male lead candidate. The empire's notorious wastrel. Isabella's fiancé.
The hilarious event I'd thought was just drama turned out to be the heroine delivering her breakup notice to the male lead.
Angelica and I watched breathlessly.
"I'm talking to you. The muscle lump behind the pillar deluding himself he's hidden well."
Busted.
I peeked out. Isabella glared with shadowed contempt. Angelica looked pitifully at me like "You really thought you wouldn't get caught?"
"Oh, ignore us and keep going."
Couldn't handle their stares, so I ducked back.
"Come out."
No dice. I slunk forward awkwardly.
Trouble.
Isabella slapped Kyle. Normally, her choices here were two.
One: Endure his abuse.
Two: Slap him, like now.
This was the infamous "sweet potato" arc—slapping tanks relationship points. Fixable, but a pain, leading to breakup route and harder difficulty.
You need Kyle events for the male lead path, but he avoids Isabella for a while.
"Isabella... You dare lay hands on me?"
See? We're right here, but he snaps back to spewing venom without a care.
And now he raises his hand to slap her back.
Slapped by a woman and retaliating the same way. Champion of gender equality? What a pussy.
This guy's a disgrace to the imperial family. He has his reasons, but intentionally or not, Isabella got poisoned because of him. And his excuses are childish bullshit.
I didn't like it. Angelica moved to intervene, but as a foreigner, she'd get blamed.
The Knightly Stars are watching you.
Perfect timing—the voyeurs wanted this.
"Pardon the interruption, Your Highness."
I grabbed his wrist.
To challenge him to a duel, I removed my glove and threw it—
Thwack!
.........
The sound of the glove hitting the prince's face was louder than expected.
Guess I threw it too hard.