Erencia rode the horse excitedly.
In her past life as well as in the present, Erencia liked horseback riding.
Erencia believed that she had a talent for handling horses.
Although she had never once roamed the vast meadows throughout her three lives, her riding skills were perfect just by riding lightly inside the riding arena.
However, whether it was because it had eaten something bad or because it hadn't run in a long time, the horse got excited and went wild, and we almost got into big trouble.
She was grateful for it running wild at first.
It was obvious that her reputation among the merchants would hit rock bottom, as she had not only attracted people's attention but also covered the goods on the street stalls in dust.
Since she planned to buy and throw away all the items directly through Agnes anyway, it would add to the image of a waste of money.
It was very good up to that point.
But this!
The horse didn't stop even though there was a person in front.
Even though she had decided to live a bad life, she didn't want to hurt anyone.
Unless she can pull it off behind the scenes, hitting it directly is a bit...
The remorse and guilt she felt for Agnes, who was struck by the knife aimed at Erencia, kept surfacing even after repeating her life; if she were to personally hurt someone...
The world seems to be getting tired.
It was even a little girl!
Do not harm the innocent.
Why do the words of the Bible, which she studied while repenting in her past life, come to mind at this moment and prick her conscience?
Erencia gritted her teeth.
She held the reins tightly and shouted repeatedly.
"It's dangerous! Move aside!"
She gripped the reins tightly, practically lying down on the horse, and shifted her weight backward, but it only served to fuel the excited horse's instinct to charge straight ahead.
She briefly made eye contact with the man hugging the girl.
'What a lunatic.'
The man was cursing with his eyes.
She appreciate he cursing at her, but she felt a little bit wronged because what happened this time wasn't something Erencia planned or did intentionally.
She grew closer to the man who was holding the girl.
Erencia had to change her approach.
She had never done it before, but it was clear that a major accident would occur if she didn't do this.
Erencia decided to use a technique she had seen in a riding book.
Overcome obstacles.
Erencia pulled the reins tight, then gently let go and kicked the horse's waist.
Please, please, please.
She closed my eyes tightly.
She felt a refreshing breeze.
When she barely managed to open her eyes in the strong wind, Erencia was flying!
She felt a gaze following her from below. Black eyes and blue eyes met.
The man who had been cursing had his eyes shaking in bewilderment.
For some reason, it was thrilling.
Success! The child is safe!
Erencia wanted to shout with joy, but the moment she landed on the ground, the horse galloped away like an arrow, leaving her no time to rejoice.
"Ugh, sorry!"
Erencia could only stop speaking after running quite a distance further, having apologized to the child who must have been terrified because of her in a way that could not be heard.
Erencia barely managed to calm herself down and returned to properly apologize. There was a man there who was staring at her as if she were a villain.
At the fierce gaze and youthful murderous intent, Erencia's back muscles tensed, and she instinctively straightened her back.
Enjoying the thrilling gaze from head to toe, Erencia apologized to the child.
“Are you okay?”
"It's okay!"
The child shouldn't have answered bravely; she should have been crying and wailing that she was so scared, but instead, the child was grinning broadly.
"It's fine now, but there might be problems later. Right?"
The child had a look of complete ignorance. So Erencia spoke to the child's mother, who was sitting on one side.
"Physical damage isn't the only form of damage. Claim compensation in Novellita's name."
“Novellita?”
The irritated voice was not the child's mother's.
***
As Erencia lowered her gaze, the man who had been kneeling and matching the child's eye level stood up.
Erencia's head naturally lifted up.
His tall stature and sturdy physique exuded an intimidating aura.
To be able to exude an intimidating aura just by standing up—what an amazing person.
Come to think of it, that looks familiar.
Who was it?
Erencia stared at the man for a moment and reached out her hand.
"Sorry for the late introduction. I am Erencia Novellita."
The man scowled as if he had seen something he shouldn't have.
It was the first negative gaze she faced after deciding to fail.
Erencia was convinced.
'That person hates me!'
The man's attire, appearance, and aura made him look like a big shot of the aristocracy.
Reputation is passed down from mouth to mouth.
Indeed, the greater the power and status of the one conveying the message, the further and more surely it spreads.
'Good! I'm going to make this man hold a grudge!'
Erencia smiled broadly.
***
"According to the Xenos Three-Nation Agreement, the Empire has an obligation to protect neighboring weaker nations..."
The boring lecture continued.
Erencia had absolutely no intention of listening to the lecture, so she just stared blankly down at her palms, which were a mess from being rubbed by the reins.
Even though she was wearing good-quality leather gloves, her hand gripping the reins tightly was a mess.
'It stings.'
It was a relief that the man didn't take the hand she extended earlier.
'Come to think of it, he just stared at my hand.'
Erencia turned her head.
Unless one was holding something in both hands, it was customary to shake hands out of consideration for the other person.
'Is he the type to enjoy making enemies?'
Erencia carefully observed the man sitting furthest away from her.
Unlike when he looked at Erencia, he was listening attentively to the scholar's story with a faint smile on his lips.
'What? The atmosphere is completely different.'
When he looked at her.
He completely ignored Erencia.
Leaving aside the fact that they didn't shake hands, they didn't even introduce themselves.
What a jerk.
She was furious, but she also felt proud thinking that he came to hate her because of what she had done.
'Euclid.'
She later heard his name and family from the aide standing beside him.
Erencia leisurely admired the man's profile, which was perfect as if sculpted by a god.
Euclid Gredelu.
During the three lives she lived, neither that man nor his family had any connection with Erencia.
Because if Erencia's family, Novellita, was the axis of evil, then Gredelus was the axis of good.
Whenever the empire prospered, there was always Gredelus.
The Gredelus were a family that rooted out the corruption of the empire.
When it comes to corruption, it’s Novellita. Gredelus knew that better than anyone.
They are polar opposites who can never become close; when Gredelus's power grows stronger, Novellita becomes relatively weaker, and when Novellita's power grows stronger, Gredelus's power weakens.
Gredelus was completely excluded from everything promoted by the Novellita family.
That is also the reason why Erencia did not immediately recognize Euclid.
Because Novellita deliberately avoided the gathering where Gredelus was.
Come to think of it, it is a mystery why Duke Novellita encouraged the ten families to attend the tutoring session, even though he knew that the Gredelus family would be participating.
Anyway, the more she looked at it, the more charming he was. Her eyes were particularly drawn to the softly pulled lips.
If Euclid had not been a Gredelus, she would have married him, the only marriage she had ever had.
Because before the regression, Erencia fell in love easily and was attracted to good looks.
Huh. It's a shame.
Erencia giggled, thinking a silly thought.
Just then, she felt a piercing gaze. Erencia opened her eyes wide: she met Euclid's gaze squarely.
He was looking at her with a furrowed brow.
The smile on the corners of his mouth vanished like a lie.
'I know you're peeking.'
His eyes were speaking.
Erencia suddenly became a voyeur.
Erencia cleared her throat and turned her head haughtily.
"...Therefore, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor set out on an expedition to uphold the Xenos Covenant… "
The lectures continued without rest. Erencia avoided Euclid's gaze while focusing on the lectures.
'Let's not forget the purpose.'
Erencia steeled herself and raised her hand high.
“Wait a minute!”
"Yes, please speak, Lady Novellita."
The voice of the scholar who stepped forward as an instructor was gentle, but his gaze was not kind.
He knew that Erencia's gaze was fixed on Euclid throughout the lecture.
Are you saying that other weaker nations "were devastated to uphold the Xenos Accord? Are you using that incident to claim that the Empire is just?"
The tip of the scholar's eyebrow twitched.
In the Empire, there is an old saying: "One does not even step on the shadow of one's teacher."
No matter how wrong your teacher's opinion is, you should mention it discreetly after the lecture is over; you shouldn't reveal your opinion in the middle like this.
It's not even a discussion class.
However, Erencia does not need to make a good impression on the teacher.
'I'm going to make the teacher dislike me and get their attention. If the class goes to hell, they'll hate me, right?'
Sure enough, the salon, which was already quiet, became so silent that the sound of breathing could be felt loudly.
"The Empire has a duty to protect the nations that have sworn allegiance to the Empire, Young Lady."
The scholar gritted his teeth and spoke.
"That's right. Who said anything? That we will only protect nations that pay tribute to the Empire, and that we will provide in return for the money received—it is not that this is a bad thing, Scholar."
Erencia caught her breath for a moment.
"There is no need to act righteous or make a fuss as if you’ve done something great just because you made such a contract. Doesn’t everyone think so? If you were truly righteous, you should have helped countries that don’t pay tribute when they are invaded. That’s not right, is it?"
The scholar pretended to be nonchalant and took a sip of water to buy time to answer.
He looked very calm on the outside, but he could not hide his trembling eyes and enlarged nostrils.
Erencia inwardly rejoiced.
Now, all I need is for someone to step up and point out my rudeness...
“That’s a good opinion.”
An unexpected reaction came out.
As Erencia turned her head sharply, a man with brown curly hair met her eyes and grinned.
Silence returned. The silence did not break easily.
The scholar's face gradually turned red.
"...I will conclude this lecture here."
He glared at Erencia and turned around.
Huh? You can't just leave.
Erencia had prepared plenty of things to say in case the scholar did not back down from his argument.
For example, she even went through the dictionary to find words that would be offensive to a scholar to hear, such as blockhead, stubborn, or self-righteous, but to think he just went away like this.
Erencia looked at the scholar's retreating figure with a bewildered expression.
"Are you alright, Young Lady? I agree with your opinion as well."
Just then, a man who had supported Erencia approached and offered her comfort.
"The scholar who came today is terrible. To think he blatantly ignored you and walked away just because your opinion differed from his."
This isn't right, but people started insulting the scholar instead of Erencia.
"What era are we living in? Moreover, we are members of the ten noble families that lead the Empire. Is our purpose not merely to receive instruction, but to exchange opinions and broaden our knowledge? To tremble in anger and storm out just because our opinions differ slightly."
The voices condemning the scholar grew louder.
Erencia became disoriented.
"Lady Erencia? You look pale. Are you feeling unwell? I think you should go home immediately."
The man acted friendly, as if he knew Erencia very well.
That kindness was just beginning to make me uncomfortable.
"I'll give you a ride."
A long arm slipped in between Erencia and the man.
"Euclid, you?"
The man asked as if surprised. Erencia was also surprised.
"I have debt, you see."
Euclid looked back at Erencia.
"Isn't that so, Young Lady?"
Debt?
Me?
Ah! Is it because of the trouble the horse caused earlier?
Erencia nodded.
"It appears you do not have a carriage, so I will escort you in mine. May I?"
Then what about the horse?
"Leave the horse to my aide. He will be better than Lady Erencia."
With that handsome face, he only teases with annoying remarks.
Erencia raised and lowered one eyebrow.
Euclid saw the displeasure on Erencia's face but ignored it.
Yeah, there's the compensation issue and my palms hurt, so I'll give you a ride.
"Yes, Lord Euclid."
Erencia lightly placed her hand on Euclid's forearm. The forearm she was holding twitched.
You told me to get on, so why are you surprised now that I'm actually getting on?
“Let’s go.”
Erencia headed toward the carriage, escorted by Euclid.
The brown-haired man tilted his head as he watched the two walk away.
"They look really close. How long have they known each other? Gredelus and Novellita... That's big news."
The man pulled the corners of his mouth into a smile.
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