Chapter 6: The Immature Little Villainess Appears on the Battlefield (1)

Xavier hurriedly descended the mountain and convened an emergency meeting with three generals at the command tent.

Inside the tent, a peculiar atmosphere lingered. Receiving supply support was not unusual, but it was the first time a noble lady had come directly to the battlefield.

Moreover, the woman entering the camp was notorious as the immature little villainess, one who had persistently followed Xavier like a leech.

Xavier was slightly taken aback, and the generals felt the same.

“Your Grace, this is a bad omen. A noble lady who only knows dresses and jewelry coming to the battlefield!”

The one-eyed, long-haired blond General Wilhelm pleaded with Xavier, spitting as he spoke.

“Indeed, you must stop her.”

The black-haired General Ethan, with a long scar on his face, agreed.

“Then what am I? Watch your mouth, Wilhelm, Ethan.”

The red-haired short-haired General Jude glared fiercely at the two men. Unlike the previous two, she had freckles scattered across her nose instead of scars.

“Jude, you’re just a general in a military uniform with a sword. Are you a woman?”

“Wilhelm, you lost an eye to the crow beastmen, and now your brain is damaged too?”

“What? Damaged!”

Wilhelm, infuriated by the insult, lunged at Jude.

“Both of you, stop it.”

Ethan, glancing at Xavier, intervened between the two about to come to blows.

At that moment, Ethan’s deeply scarred cheek trembled like a warning light signaling danger.

This inexplicable biological signal had saved Ethan’s life many times on the battlefield. Wilhelm and Jude were well aware of this fact.

All three generals turned their heads simultaneously toward the Duke. The killing intent of the Swordmaster was emanating from Xavier’s body.

“Do you wish to die?”

“No, Your Grace!”

The three generals, who had been bickering moments ago, snapped to attention, their military discipline evident.

Despite their unmatched skills and loyalty, Xavier often found himself exasperated by the simple-minded, pure-hearted antics of the three generals.

‘Dealing with those three is a headache, and now the baron’s daughter too!’

During wartime, there was neither the capacity nor manpower to look after a noble lady. Just yesterday, they had fought a fierce battle to drive the beastmen trying to cross the Hume River back by force.

‘This is going to be exhausting.’

If they wanted to send military supplies, they could have done so through her father, the military supplier. Moreover, the Graham Trading Company had clearly withdrawn their contract intentions this time. So why on earth?

“Why is this happening?”

Xavier muttered to himself unknowingly.

“Isn’t it because of that?”

One-eyed Wilhelm raised his hand and answered without being asked.

“What do you mean?”

“They said that Lady Graham loves Your Grace, doesn’t she? That’s why she used to come to the ducal residence incessantly to see you…”

Before he could finish speaking, a terrifying glare from the Duke silenced him. Wilhelm gulped and lowered his eyes. Then he met Jude’s gaze, which looked as if she would kill him.

As the two were about to engage in a staring contest again, a soldier entered the tent and whispered to Rexton.

“Your Grace, they have arrived.”

“Understood, let’s go.”

Xavier sighed and left the tent, where the atmosphere had become chaotic.

＊

The twenty large carriages, rattling along, arrived at the allied camp after two days.

Ten carriages were loaded with daily necessities, medicines, and potions needed by the soldiers, while the remaining ten carried volunteers and healers. They were selected through thorough interviews for their dedication and volunteer spirit. Additionally, they were ‘specially’ mentally prepared with money.

‘I promised them 200% of their base pay and a life allowance if they completed their month-long mission well, so they had to come.’

“Miss, I’m scared.”

“Maya, it’s okay. We’ll just stay in the camp.”

“Still…”

“That’s why I told you not to come.”

I told Maya it was fine, but… honestly, I was just as scared.

‘No, in the novel, Duke Xavier won the war without much damage, so it should be safe.’

I came only trusting the novel. This might be a very reckless move.

Ah, seriously. What kind of hell is this because of the villainous duke?

At that moment, Maya clung tightly to me, her trembling hand gripping mine firmly.

“No, Miss. Even if a sword flies at you, this Maya will protect you.”

“How can you protect me like this? Anyway, thank you.”

“Miss.”

Holding Maya’s hand, I looked out the carriage window without glass. Below the mountain, dark blue military tents were densely packed.

The carriages stopped about 100 meters from the Duke’s military camp.

After a while, a man with a rugged, hairy face popped up between the bars. He was the leader of the mercenaries I had hired.

“Now that we’ve arrived at the camp, we’ll be heading back.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“I was worried the whole way here, being so close to the Beast Kingdom, but fortunately, we didn’t encounter any beastmen. It’s as if someone dealt with them for us.”

I blinked at the unexpected news.

The journey here was so quiet and peaceful that it seemed as if the war was a lie. So I hadn’t even considered the risk of encountering beastmen.

“Dealt with them? By whom?”

“Haha, it’s just a manner of speaking. It’s the first time I’ve crossed the territory so quietly. Anyway, I’m glad we arrived without any major incidents, Miss.”

“Thank you for accepting the request.”

“It’s our job. And I admired your courage to come all the way to the battlefield. I’ll make this story a drinking tale for years to come. Hahaha.”

The leader laughed heartily, placing his hand on his waist.

I handed the large box of gold coins I had prepared to the mercenary leader. His face lit up as brightly as the gold when he received the box.

“Then, when you plan to return, send a carrier pigeon, and we’ll come to pick you up.”

“Yes, see you then.”

“Anyway, be careful. It’s hard to distinguish between beasts and beastmen.”

Leaving those words behind, the mercenaries disappeared the way they had come. As I thought about hiring more mercenaries for the return trip, I turned to sit down. The tents, which had been mere dots, were now right in front of me.

There lies the ‘ultimate villain’ from the original story.

‘I have to do well!’

With the supplies, volunteers, and healers I’ve brought, they should meet with me.

I clenched my fist resting on my thigh, steeling my resolve.

The twenty large carriages loaded with military supplies slowly entered the center of the camp.

＊

A slender figure watched from behind the thick branches. The figure, enveloped in a green aura, exuded a dangerous energy, with small daggers strapped around the waist.

‘Hang in there, Yuria.’

And then, the figure vanished into the forest in an instant.

＊

As the large carriages reached the central clearing of the camp, non-combatants gathered around to gawk at them.

Among the many people, one person stood out. I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I was seeing things.

‘Is this real?’

There was no need to ask who the Duke was.

Just standing among the sturdy figures who looked like generals, he shone as if he had a reflector on him.

‘Wow, I’m shocked.’

He looked to be at least 190 cm tall, with a shirt unbuttoned a couple of times, revealing his chiseled chest muscles, and a uniform casually draped over his broad shoulders, exuding an overwhelming sexiness.

His black hair was styled in a guile cut with a hint of silver-gray in the sunlight, and his teal eyes gave off a mysterious and enchanting glow.

‘Is this what it means to surpass the male lead in looks?’

Duke Xavier’s appearance was a scam in itself. I now understood why Yuria had been so fervently chasing after Duke Xavier. If permitted, I’d want to be a fixture here just to gaze at the Duke all day.

The Duke, who had been watching the carriages, approached the door. Up close, he was even larger and more imposing than he appeared from afar.

“Welcome, Lady Graham.”

“Ah, hello. I’m Yuria Graham, acting head of the Graham Trading Company.”

Ugh. I was so nervous that, without realizing it, I introduced myself!

Even though it wasn’t our first meeting, I ended up introducing myself. But he didn’t seem to care and nonchalantly extended his long arm.

“Your hand.”

“Ah.”

I carefully placed my hand on his and bowed slightly in greeting. The Duke acknowledged it with a slight nod and helped me down to the ground.

‘Why are the hands of someone who fights so pretty? Is it because he’s a great noble? Or because he’s a Swordmaster? Look at the length of those fingers. No wonder Yuria fell for him.’

I’m not even a hand enthusiast, but I couldn’t stop staring at his hands. I managed to keep my wandering gaze fixed on the ground and quietly stood beside him.

Then I felt a gaze staring intently at me. It was the three large men who had been standing next to the Duke earlier.

‘They’re practically drilling holes into me.’

I glanced up. The man with the black eye patch was staring at me with his mouth agape. Glancing sideways, I saw Duke Xavier also looking down at me with an appraising gaze, even frowning.

‘What’s with them?’

“That outfit isn’t a dress typically worn by young ladies.”

“Ah.”

So they were curious about this Nike-inspired sportswear.

“I just prefer comfortable clothing.”

At my words, the Duke frowned deeply and swept his bangs up without responding. Then he introduced the three people formally.

“These are Generals Ethan, Wilhelm, and Jude, responsible for the FIrst Division.”

“Hello, I’m Yuria Graham.”

“Yes, hello.”

The three generals responded mechanically and looked at me again. Especially…

‘That freckled redhead looks like she could kill someone with her eyes.’

Her face was as red as her hair. She glared at me so fiercely that it reminded me of a drunken troublemaker I once encountered while working a part-time job at a convenience store.

“I didn’t expect to have guests at the camp… Please understand if the camp is in disarray.”

“No, it’s my fault for coming unannounced during wartime.”

In fact, I had preemptively come because I feared they might refuse if I said I was coming instead of my father.

At my words, the Duke’s lips curled up slightly before falling.

“It’s fortunate you know that.”

Hmm, not an easy personality, huh?

“Of course.”

I replied with a smile.

“Anyway, you must have had a tough journey.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

Judging by the atmosphere… will they accept me? If this goes well, things might go according to plan.

“But.”

“Yes?”

Suddenly, the Duke’s gaze turned icy as he slowly opened his mouth.

“Do you think war is a joke? Did you come all the way here to ask me to marry you again?”