(POV Elizabeth)
I knocked a specific rhythm on the carved door of the fencing cabinet. Three quick, two slow. The lock turned silently.
Inside, Duvont was leaning against Master Laurent's desk, his face illuminated by a single candle. The scar on his nose seemed deeper in the dim light.
"Did you bring what I asked for?"
Duvont asked me, rummaging through my pockets. He pulled a small violet glass vial from among my petticoats. The golden liquid inside emitted a faint glow.
"Lamp Oil of the Seven Sins. Three drops on the blade, and any wound will instantly become infected. Not even the royal physicians will be able to stop the necrosis."
Duvont reached out to grab the vial, but I pulled my hand back.
"First, the price."
"Don't you think you're being a bit much? I'm helping you hurt a man who betrayed you and showing that he shouldn't mess with you."
"You're right, and I'm grateful for that. Although I want to see him fall for switching sides and see Rossette's face when her last protégé becomes useless, this was difficult to obtain, and I must ensure you hold up your end of the deal."
"So, how do you want to do this?"
"Simply give me the money to pay for this. If you fulfill your part of the deal, I'll return the money. But if you fail, I'll recover my losses."
Duvont clicked his tongue and handed me a bag full of gold coins.
"You didn't even tell me how much it costs. I'm giving you this money since it's obvious I'm going to win."
This idiot is too arrogant, but oh well, better for me since this is a win-win situation.
"See you tomorrow, my dear future princess."
The idiot leaves, leaving me alone.
"This time you won't be able to escape me, Arthur. I'll make sure you regret betraying me."
(POV William)
The day has finally come. After training for the last three days while attending classes and resting only a few hours, the day of this class has finally arrived. I must be grateful that Rossette gave me a day off to rest as much as I wanted.
[
Name: William Sanders
Age: 19
Race: Human
Titles: [Neanderthal Assassin]
-----------------------------------
Strength: 10+3
Agility: 6+3
Stamina: 8
Intelligence: 9
Luck: 4
Perception: 8
Willpower: 10
-----------------------------------
[Skills]
[Calm Mind] [Running (Lv:3)] [Stealth (Lv:2)] [Boxing (Lv:3)] [Aura (Lv:2)] [Basic Fencing (Lv:3)]
-----------------------------------
[Missions]
[Shop]
]
Watching my stats slowly rise, even my [Basic Fencing] skill has increased to level 3, which provides more help at this moment.
"Today we will repeat the matches from last week. Crimson versus Duvont."
While lost in my thoughts, I hear the master's voice. So this time, I have to put on a better performance, and excuses like the last one won't work twice.
Duvont and I step onto the arena with our swords, ready to face each other, but that idiot still has that damn arrogant smile on his face.
"No dirty tricks this time, right, Crimson?"
"Relax, not this time. But I must admit you have great courage since, after I left you lying on the ground, you still have that attitude. I don't know if it's ignorance or ego."
"That only happened because I was caught off guard. You won't be able to do the same thing this time."
He draws his sword with a theatrical movement. Does that give them some kind of power or improve their skills? I even noticed a small glow coming from that sword. If I make that movement, will it happen to my sword too?
The battle began with a rapid exchange of blows. Duvont attacked first, a direct thrust to the chest that I barely managed to deflect.
"Wow! It seems someone has been practicing,"
he mocked while elegantly twirling his sword.
I counterattacked with a series of movements Rossette had taught me: high parry, lateral riposte, feint to the shoulder. Each move flowed better than in our nightly training sessions.
Clang! Clang! CLANG!
The swords clashed again and again, filling the hall with metallic echoes. Duvont began to frown when his fastest attacks were systematically blocked.
It seems practicing with someone faster helped me improve my reflexes.
I don't know how long we were at it, but looking at the idiot in front of me, I can tell it's been too long.
We were both sweating profusely and running out of breath. Duvont changed strategies, attempting a complex spiral move he had used to humiliate other students, as I had noticed in several of his fights.
But I had seen it before.
In our last training session, Rossette had warned me: "When he does that ridiculous spin, lower your guard and attack from below."
I waited for the exact moment, just when he was preparing to attack…
SLASH!
My sword struck his side hard enough to make him lose his balance, and while he was disoriented, I began launching constant attacks. I can't let him stay on his feet.
After a few of these moves, Duvont fell to his knees on the court while I tried to catch my breath after forcing myself during the battle.
As I tried to recover, I noticed the master approaching and raising his arm.
"Winner, Crimson! It seems this time you had enough courage to win a sword fight."
Not a single applause came from my classmates; it seems there's a tough audience that doesn't appreciate a good show.
Even Duvont on the ground looked at his hands; he can't even believe I beat him. I step down from the arena and leave with the other students since, at this point in the day, we can go if we've finished everything we were told to do in class. And since I've finished my duel, I decide to leave.
The students left murmuring, throwing looks of newfound respect my way. Rossette approached with her elegant stride, fan in hand.
"Not bad… for a beginner."
"I just followed my excellent teacher's instructions."
Rossette fell silent and walked beside me quietly, her closed fan tapping softly against her left palm. The rhythmic sound of our steps on the marble slabs was the only thing breaking the calm of the deserted hallway.
We stopped in front of a large window overlooking the botanical gardens.
Rossette leaned her back against the stone frame, studying me with that gaze that always seemed to see more than I wanted to show.
"Do you know why Duvont and you fought again today?"
"Because the master insisted we have that match but without my surprise attacks?"
"No. In fact, the master thought you would lose and Duvont would give you a beating. But someone insisted this duel happen. The fact that you won changed those people's plans."
I looked directly into her eyes, more or less knowing who she was referring to.
"Was it the prince?"
"Yes. Elizabeth was the one helping Duvont, and the prince was the one who ordered this duel to happen. So it was Elizabeth and our dear crown prince."
I moved a little closer to Rossette.
"Why are they doing this? I understand I might have humiliated that idiot, but besides that, I don't think I've done anything."
"They did it all because the prince desperately needs House Crimson to lose prestige before the council vote."
A group of first-year students ran past, throwing curious glances our way before disappearing around a corner. I lowered my voice.
"What vote?"
"A vote that basically determines who will support the prince, who will oppose him, and who will remain neutral. Since your family and mine carry more weight for being dukes, our families' votes are important. If he doesn't have our families' support, he'll be bound by many restrictions and won't be able to do as he pleases."
"So, since the previous owner of this body was on the prince's side, he was going to have the Crimson family's support. But now that I've turned against him, they want to discredit the family to make them more manipulable."
"Exactly."
Seriously, they're one of the most powerful families, but even they have problems with public scrutiny.
Rossette snapped her fan shut, her ruby eyes shining with determination.
"Now that you've won this duel, you've shown that the heir of House Crimson is still strong. That complicates their plans."
I nodded, feeling the weight of the situation.
"So, what's next? I don't think the prince and Elizabeth will give up so easily."
"For now, all we can do is wait. The council vote is in a few days, so at this point, they must be desperate."
Rossette and I walked in silence through the academy hallways, each lost in our thoughts. The afternoon sun filtered through the stained-glass windows, painting the floor with spots of color. Even though I had won the duel, something didn't add up.
"Why did Duvont seem so confident? Even after I defeated him last week, he acted as if he already knew he was going to win."
Rossette stopped and turned to me, her expression turning serious.
"Maybe he was confident because you didn't beat him fairly? Although, honestly, I did notice he was acting and attacking more frantically."
"Do you think he was trying to land a lethal blow or something?"
"That's precisely what worries me. Duvont isn't an exceptional swordsman, but he's not stupid either. If he was so sure of his victory, it's because he had something planned. Tell me, did you notice anything strange?"
I remembered the glint I had seen at the beginning of the duel, that strange glow that seemed to emanate from the steel.
"Yes, there was a gleam… as if it were coated in something."
Rossette pressed her lips together.
"Come with me."
She took my arm and dragged me into an empty room at the end of the hallway. Carefully closing the door, she pulled a silk handkerchief from her pocket and spread it on a table.
"Give me your sword."
Without questioning her, I unsheathed the weapon and handed it to her. Rossette examined it carefully, running her fingers cautiously along the edge.
"Here, this isn't rust."
I moved closer to get a better look. It was a sticky substance, almost imperceptible, with a faint golden hue.
"What is it?"
"Lamp Oil of the Seven Sins. A poison. Just a few drops can infect a wound within minutes. If he had cut you, you'd be agonizing right now."
"So, all that frenzy was his attempt to cut and injure me. At least all the poison ended up on the sword and not in my body."
"You're very lucky."
A shiver ran down my spine.
"And the master didn't notice?"
"No. Most likely, it was applied the day before, and since it has no scent, it's hard to detect."
"So… this was an assassination attempt?"
Rossette fell silent for a moment, her eyes shining with a mix of anger and concern.
"No. If they had wanted to kill you, they would have used something more lethal. This is a message. They want you to suffer, to fall from grace slowly."
"Was it Elizabeth?"
"Or the prince. It could have been both."
The weight of the situation settled on my shoulders. This went beyond simple school rivalry; they were playing a dangerous game.
"What do we do now?"
Rossette smiled, but this time there was no trace of mockery in her expression. Only determination.
"We're not going to do anything. As I mentioned, their plan failed today, so they might become more reckless, and that will work in our favor."
You say that because the assassination attempts aren't aimed at you. I wonder if she would think the same if she were in my situation.
"If I were in that situation, I would do exactly the same thing."
Can she read minds?
"In case you're wondering, no, I can't read minds. It's written all over your face."
Women's sixth sense is scary.
"So, how long do we have to wait?"
She gave me a calculating look, as if deciding how much to reveal.
"William, in this game, patience is a weapon. If we react now, we'll lose the advantage of knowing they're willing to poison you. Besides, I have a plan."
"A plan?"
"Listen. Tomorrow is the Silver Moon Ball. The entire royal council will be there, including the king. If the prince wants to discredit you, that will be his moment."
A knot formed in my stomach. Balls in this world never ended well.
"And what do we do? Carry antidotes in our socks?"
"Don't worry about that. Go to your room and rest until tonight. After that, we'll meet on the training field."
"And you?"
"I have a date with the royal gardener. The queen's white roses need a… special fertilizer tonight. After all, it's for a special party."
The smile that appeared on her face chilled my blood.