When My Enemies Began to Regret

“Before that, if you could have Europa, would you really do anything?”

“Yes! I will give you anything I have and do whatever you ask me to do!”

“From now on, can you keep everything related to me a secret?”

“Of course!”

Carl had a kind personality that seemed endless. But, wasn’t this kind-hearted boy’s nature quite serious? 

Fanora had a reason to choose this person as her accomplice. This was because he was from the Andras family.

Carl Andras. When it comes to cruelty on the battlefield, he was the second most cruel man in the Kingdom. The story of how he made all those who fought against him into a dough and laughed happily for a long time was already well known to the public. That was why Fanora choosed this sadistic human being.

Perhaps there won’t be any more reliable accomplice than him in this Kingdom. 

Fanora threw a solid move to get rid of the small mistrust in her mind. 

“Then, first of all, I have a favor to ask you…”

It was to create a small event to test how far he could go for Europa. However, Carl cut her off when she took out the word ‘favor.’

“Wait a minute.”

The following words were obvious. Fanora stopped, wondering why he brought up the cliché word now.

“That, before I make a promise…”

Fanora listened to him and tilted her head. It meant to keep going. Then Carl came a few steps closer to her side and looked into her eyes.

Carl Andra’s eyes were too pure. The distance also made her awkward as Fanora rarely made eye contact with someone. However, she tried hard to keep her face calm. 

“Then Lady… Fanora? If I become your dog, you can really give me Europe… right?”

But when he was so close, he did something. He looked directly into her eyes and checked again. 

Of course, I answered without a single lie. “Yes.”

Afterward, Carl began to grin as Fanora rolled her head about how she should prove that she could give him Europa.

“Thank god! I don’t think you’re a liar. I will follow Lady Fanora from now on!”

How did he decide to trust Fanora right away? 

But it was enough for Fanora to join hands with him anyway. With that, she could think about it slowly.

“Others say that there was a time when 100 years of war fought to obtain a holy relic, but I will definitely become Lady Fanora’s dog for a few years if Lady can really give me Europa!”

“Don’t be that excited…”

After calming him down, who had been carrying on his imagination, Fanora continued to talk. “Carl Andras. Now we are on the same boat. So I want to give you the first job to confirm your loyalty.”

“Yes? Yes!”

“Listen to me, and you should never tell your family anything about this.”

“Of course, it’s all a secret…”

“You say you will do that, but I don’t have enough faith in you. Betrayal always begins with unexpected reasons.”

Was it because people can’t see it? Fanora stared at Carl with a strange look that didn’t fit her 15-year-old body.

“So…”

“…”

“The sword competition of knights will be held right after the birthday banquet. There, you should fight a person named Shuteri.”

“And after that?”

“Just have a match with him. Instead, you must take responsibility for everything that will happen as a result of that match.”

“All I need is to have a match with him? I see… Shuteri. Shuteri. Shuteri. I remembered.”

If Carl completed this request safely, she would be able to trust him. In addition, Fanora would be able to deal with one of the people she targeted.

SheI did her best to negotiate, so she decided to leave the rest to heaven. 

And a moment later, Before she knew it, the tune of music flowing outside had changed to quiet. As she slowly got out of the staircase and tried to return to the banquet hall, Carl asked her a question.

“Lady Fanora, I have a question for you. Is there a reason you chose me to help you with your work?”

“Because I can give you Europa.”

“Ah, it’s interesting you said that. It’s true that I really need Europa, but I never said anything about it when I came to the royal capital.”

“…”

“Lady Fanora seems to be a noble from the central region. How did you know this?”

Fanora’s heart jumped inwardly after hearing those words.

Fortunately, she didn’t show any signs of agitation.

But she could make up an excuse quickly.

“Well, who in the world doesn’t need Europa?”

“Ah!”

“I’m just looking for someone to pay the best price for it, and it happens to be you, who is from the prestigious Andras family.”

Carl smiled brightly when Fanora explained one after another. However, as the conversation continued, the color of Carl’s face, which had been bright, gradually darkened.

“I can’t believe Lady chose me with such expectations.”

“…”

“If Lady wants me to do anything in the future, Lady will need to contact me often, but if Lady Fanora’s reputation is damaged…! I will do my best so I won’t make Lady ashamed of me.”

Fanora, puzzled by that remark, said to him, “The only thing I am ashamed of is my family, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of being with you.”

“Everyone said they’re scared of me because I like to fight. But isn’t it better to hit someone than to get hit by someone? Still, they said I’m barbaric…”

“…”

“Actually, I don’t have any friends. So I was alone here. Did you come here not knowing that I have a horrible reputation?”

It was only after listening to everything he said that Fanora finally understood.  The violent tendencies that flowed through the Andras family’s blood were in a category that ordinary nobles couldn’t understand. Although his family was good in the military force, Carl often heard bad things from young nobles who couldn’t hide their expressions.

Fanora looked at the boy who was looking at her for a moment. Apparently, he will be very tall in the future. But now, he was a young boy, and that was enough for her to make eye contact without lifting her chin.

“That’s all right. I don’t care about it.”

“!”

“People can be violent. In fact, I really like to hurt others.”

Carl opened his eyes wide to the following voice. Then Fanora continued to talk with a subdued expression, recalling the old past. “And the biggest reason why I wanted to join hands with you… was because of your personality.”

“…”

“I think you’ll be good at keeping your promises…”

Fanora looked up at Carl in front of her. Then a young, good-looking face came into her sight.

Why did Fanora choose him as her accomplice? Why did she want to hand over the information about Europa to Carl, not to anyone else? 

In fact, this was the most fatal reason. “I really think you will keep your promise.”

In her past, Carl died at the age of twenty. He was killed in a conquest war waged by an irresponsible king. So Fanora couldn’t even thank him for the bail, and now the right opportunity had come.

* * *

About five days after I made a deal with Carl Andras.  The day had come for her to visit Shuteri’s corpse.

The sword competition held in the royal capital was over while Fanora was reading the new midnight novel. The knights sent by Count Celsius to participate in the competition also returned one by one. Most of them didn’t appear to have been injured, but one or two of them were wearing splints, perhaps breaking their bones. Fanora leaned against the window and watched them come in.

“Aargh… Uurggh…”

“Are you all right?”

“Didn’t you hear my groan! Arrgh. I… I think my ribs are broken too. Andras, that bastard drop me like trash then acting cool!”

“You’re really unlucky. Out of all of the contestants, you had a match with Andras. You should have abstained, you idiot.”

“That bastard hit me in the mouth first!”

However, Shuteri, the knight who was barely breathing, was transported to the mansion. It looked like he had been treated by the doctor in the capital, but he might have to lie down for a few months. 

Fanora predicted this outcome since the time she asked Carl to have a match with him. This was because no human had ever walked out on two legs from a  1:1 match with Carl in the future. Carl was beating him in moderation. 

“…”

Well, anyway. If Shuteri, who had competed with Carl, suffered serious injuries like that, his life would be over soon. Farnora let go of her hand that was holding the curtain and turned around.

* * *

That night.

“Uuugggh”

A groan was heard from one of the countless rooms on the first floor of the Celsius mansion. It came from a guest room with a luxurious bed and a tea table. However, the one lying down was not a noble but an apprentice knight of the Celsius family. 

He was seriously injured in the sword competition he had participated in for honor. The Celsius family decided to give him this luxurious bedroom as a courtesy until he recovered to some extent.

“Ugh…”

After taking the prescribed medicine, Shuteri’s pain subsided, and somehow, his body was limp and sleepy. Indeed, the soft bed helped him greatly, and he soon fell asleep. At the same time, the door of the luxurious room opened silently.

“It’s not locked.” A mysterious female voice filled the cold room. The woman, who didn’t lift a lamp or make a footsteps sound, quietly closed the door. She quietly looked down at Shuteri, who had fallen into a deep sleep. Her messy hair was braided up into one and hidden with a nightcap.

“…”

Fanora leaned over without saying a word and lifted Shuteri’s top. Then, she saw countless bruises on his stomach that looked mottled even in the dark.

“Sir Knight.”

When Shuteri tossed and turned in a sweet dream, she began to speak her words.

“You didn’t lock the door.”

Fanora spoke with a merciful tone as if telling an old-fashioned story.

“If something happened to me like what will happen to you…”

She whispered those words and then lowered her eyes.

“It would be very embarrassing.”

The darkness fell, and no one could see what her last expression was like.

* * *

The next day.

Fanora’s veins already stood out from the morning. Lately, it has become common for her to write down the midnight novel in her diary and scribble the letters so that only she could understand them. 

However, when she re-read the novel she had copied so much that her eyes fell out, all she could see was that Vasago was given a doll as a gift from her cousin and that she was given a warm hug by her mother.

She would have burned it out if this had been a tangible novel.

“The mansion seems to be noisy today. What’s going on?”

But it was all right. There was good news for her today, which made her feel better. 

“Ah, that’s…”

“Cecil, I don’t have anyone to talk with me unless it’s you. So, if it’s not your precious secret, it wouldn’t hurt if you tell me a little bit about the mansion.”

“Alright, Lady.”

FanoraI coaxed my maid, who was flinching beside her, to open her mouth. Her following words seemed like a good poem recitation.

“It is said that a man named Shuteri, the apprentice knight of the family, died last night.”