The Villain's Ending is Only Death Chapter 56
I was thoroughly flustered.
Apart from the combination of Renald and Derrick, it was almost unheard of in the game to meet both male leads at the same time.
While I was floundering at the unexpected turn of events, he murmured in an even lower voice.
A chilling coldness crept up my neck.
'This is not good at all.'
No matter what, I had to break this situation quickly.
I hurriedly tried to slip out of Eclis's embrace.
However, the hot palm that held my wrist didn't budge.
I called out to him and twisted my wrist again.
But the more I struggled, the tighter his grip seemed to become.
"Eclis, let go. It hurts."
I finally tilted my head back to look up at him.
His ashen eyes slowly moved to me.
After a moment of eye contact, he finally released his hold on me.
The hand that let go felt cold, unlike before.
I quickly slipped out of his embrace and bowed to Derrick.
But all I got in return was a cold stare.
I had just finished the matter with the knights and the duke smoothly.
Derrick hadn't said much for days, and I hadn't done anything to provoke him since then.
I tilted my head in confusion at Derrick's bad mood and obediently replied.
"I was practicing with my bodyguard."
"Are you leaving the family archers out in the open?"
His cold gaze extended past me to Eclis behind me.
"I can't torment the soldiers who are training."
I slightly blocked Eclis as if to protect him from Derrick and added,
"Besides, my bodyguard knows a lot about crossbows, so I was learning from him."
I could see a blue spark in Derrick's eyes, as if he was irritated by something.
His head started to flash ominously.
However, I found his face, which was turning more and more menacing, more frightening than the affection gauge.
Derrick looked back and forth between me and Eclis and sneered disdainfully.
"What can you possibly learn, when you don't even know the basic etiquette to aim a bow at young ladies of your age?"
"I'm trying to learn a bit before the tournament, Young Duke."
While I wasn't particularly affected by his harsh words, I couldn't help but sigh at his sharp reaction.
"If you find it unpleasant for me to use the training ground, I'll go somewhere else."
I tried to leave quickly with Eclis.
Just as I was about to pass Derrick,
I couldn't take another step due to the hand that grabbed my arm.
Turning around with a startled look, I saw him sneer with a fierce expression.
"If you need so much teaching, I'll teach you myself."
He suddenly turned his gaze from me to Eclis.
"If there's no additional training, go back to your quarters."
I couldn't say anything as I watched Derrick command Eclis with a haughty gesture.
Even though I had brought Eclis and made him my bodyguard, it was only because of Derrick's implicit permission as the captain that Eclis could participate in the training.
Like any army, the Eckart Knights were very strict about hierarchy.
So I thought Eclis would obediently return to his quarters.
However, instead of leaving, Eclis gently held my wrist with his free hand, the one holding the crossbow.
"…My lord wishes to learn from me."
He tilted his head and replied.
'Why are they like this?'
With both hands held, I could only look back and forth between them with a trembling gaze.
Derrick's expression turned fierce at Eclis's defiant stance.
"Who do you think you are to teach anyone, you slave?"
"The Imperial Army was also defeated by Delman's archery in the Livius battle."
Eclis's immediate retort made my mouth drop open.
This was clearly a provocation.
I could feel a chilling aura, though I couldn't tell from whom.
'I wish they would let go and talk…'
I tried to twist my wrists, but neither of them budged.
After a moment of silence, Derrick suddenly sneered.
"A petty country that was erased from the map without a chance to fight back, betrayed by the small nations it was plundering, a land of crude barbarians?"
Eclis's grip on my wrist tightened instantly.
'Damn, this is going to turn into a fight!'
I couldn't even groan as I looked back and forth between the two men in a panic.
Honestly, I wished Eclis would just shut up.
After all, the status difference between him and Derrick in the empire was huge.
But contrary to my desperate wish, Eclis looked back at Derrick and spoke.
"How a crude barbarian teaches the empire's only noble lady to use a bow."
Derrick's face twisted menacingly at the sarcastic tone.
Their heads started to flash ominously.
Anxiety crept up my body.
If this turns into a fight, I'll definitely be caught in the crossfire and end up dead.
I had been holding my breath, afraid of getting involved, but I couldn't just stand by anymore.
I shouted, shaking off the hands that held my wrists with all my strength.
Thanks to their momentary lapse, I managed to free my wrists.
I brought my hands together in front of my chest to avoid being grabbed again.
"I'm done. I don't want to practice anymore."
I turned to Derrick first and hurriedly announced.
'I have to leave here now!'
I tried to slip out of the target range, leaving them behind.
Surprised by my actions, the two men immediately tried to grab me.
Even Eclis, who I thought wouldn't, came close and clung to me.
I narrowed my brows and coldly pushed him away.
"Don't follow me. I'm going back to my room alone."
Though I said it to Eclis, it was also directed at Derrick.
He might follow me all the way to the mansion, calling me his sister.
'Please, if you're going to fight, do it outside and just the two of you!'
I hurriedly left the training ground, fearing they might chase after me.
I could feel their intense gazes on the back of my head.
My quick steps gradually turned into a run as I moved farther away from them.
As I entered the forest path, I panted and kept glancing back.
Fortunately, no one was chasing me.
Only then did I slow down.
"Phew… I almost died getting involved."
Anxiety always hits the mark.
The chilling coldness I felt earlier returned, making me shiver.
Despite the chaos, I found it funny that I had remembered to bring the crossbow, and I muttered to myself in relief.
"At least I managed to escape…"
I didn't know if they would start fighting after I left.
Even if they did, it didn't matter anymore.
Since it was a fight between the two of them, my affection gauge wouldn't drop for no reason.
'I should ask the duke to assign me a separate archery teacher and practice in the backyard alone.'
I resolved several times not to go near the training ground for a while and started walking again.