Evil Person, Indeed

Oath of Knighthood

A sacred vow passed down since ancient times, the Oath of Knighthood bound a knight to protect their chosen master. It was said that breaking this oath would doom them to eternal, excruciating pain. Personally, I didn't believe in such things—there were no real cases to prove it. Yet, knights and commoners alike continued to uphold this belief with unwavering faith.

"By my sword and soul, I vow to shield thee. Let my strength be thy shield, my life be thy armor. Should I falter in my duty, may my blade turn against me, and my essence be unmade. This vow, spoken under the gaze of the Almighty gods, binds me beyond death, beyond fate, beyond all mortal will."

Evan knelt before me, reciting the knight's oath with unwavering resolve. Marshal stood between us as a witness. Despite the solemnity of the moment, I couldn't suppress the smirk creeping onto my face.

As Evan completed his vow, he stood up, glaring at me with barely concealed disdain. But I was satisfied—I had secured a shield to protect me from the game's protagonist. Of course, I had no idea when he might decide to backstab me, but for now, this was enough. Someone strong, standing by my side, shielding me from the dangers that lay ahead.

Marshal gave a brief nod before excusing himself from the room. The moment he left, Evan turned away, already heading for the door.

"Wait," I called out, stopping him in his tracks.

"Whaaattt?" He drawled, his face twisting into an ugly scowl, already irritated by my voice.

"Go to the library and retrieve a textbook on basic fire element magic and mana circulation. Bring it to me."

He gritted his teeth. "I'm a knight, not your personal errand boy. Get it yourself."

"What? I lost that book yesterday because you decided to beat me up."

"Not my problem. You deserved it, and I'll happily do it again if you give me a reason."

"Don't you have any honor? Shouldn't you take responsibility for your actions?"

His expression darkened with fury. "Look who's talking about honor—you, a scum—"

"Forget it. I'll get it myself. Oh, and by the way, I was planning to stop by the dining hall for breakfast. Who knows? I might run into Daisy."

Evan stiffened. "I'll come with you."

"What? You don't need to—"

"Stop acting like a bastard. I'm coming."

"Hah! You should have told me that from the start, Follow me, come on!"

I shrugged, a victorious smile tugging at my lips as I strode forward. Evan clenched his fists and followed reluctantly.

As we moved through the estate, the servants and maids shot me the same disdainful looks as always—except this time, there was a hint of surprise in their gazes. Evan had gained quite a bit of praise yesterday for his bravery, taking action where others hesitated. That alone made my new alliance with him all the more amusing.

After retrieving the book, we entered the dining hall. I had expected to see Daisy, but she was nowhere in sight. Had she left upon hearing I was coming with Evan? Possible. Shrugging it off, I ate my meal in silence before returning to my room.

I "ordered" Evan to leave, knowing full well he had his own training routine. He would likely go straight to Daisy to warn her about me or instruct other servants to keep an eye on my movements. Either way, it didn't matter.

Lying on my bed, I closed my eyes.

Tak. Tak. Tak.

The sound of knocking stirred me awake. I muttered groggily, "What time is it?"

Glancing out the window, I noticed the sun had already reached its peak. I must have dozed off without realizing it.

"Come in," I called in a half-asleep voice.

Clara stepped in with her usual poised steps, dressed in her maid uniform. Her face looked much better than it had yesterday. I sat up, stretching, before handing her the book I had retrieved from the library.

"Here. Read this. It will help with your training."

Clara took the book, her expression thoughtful, before nodding in understanding.

---

I exhaled slowly, rubbing my temples as I sat cross-legged on the cool stone floor of the training hall. Clara was focused, her mana circulating as she honed her skills.

It had been over two hours since she started. Meanwhile, I had done nothing but sit here, lost in my thoughts. I didn't know who else in this estate was waiting for an opportunity to kill me, all thanks to Nathan's past atrocities. I couldn't trust anyone.

Suddenly, a thought surfaced in my mind. What happened to Nathan? I had taken over his body, but where had he gone? There was no trace of his consciousness. Had he, perhaps, taken over my body back on Earth?

A smirk crept onto my lips. If that was the case, then he was in for a rude awakening. If he thought this world was unfair, he had no idea what true suffering felt like.

Sighing, Whatever I have my own problems to worry about. I looked at the sky, it was already afternoon. 

Clara and I entered to the dining hall for lunch. The moment I stepped inside, my eyes locked onto a familiar figure—Daisy. Evan's sister. The maid who had looked absolutely terrified of me yesterday.

I hesitated for a moment before gathering my resolve and walking up to her. This was my chance to start fixing things.

"Hey…" I cleared my throat. "Daisy, right?"

She stiffened but nodded, her expression wary.

"Look, I don't know how much my words matter, but… I'm sorry." Silence. Daisy blinked, clearly caught off guard. I pressed on, my voice softer this time. "I know I've done terrible things—things that probably can't be forgiven. But I… I want to change that. I don't expect you to trust me or believe me right away, but I'll make it up to you. In whatever way I can."

Daisy's lips parted slightly, but she said nothing. Her hands, however, trembled slightly as she gripped the serving tray.

I took that as my cue to back off. She wasn't ready—and maybe she never would be. But at least I had said it.

Lunch passed uneventfully. But as I stepped out of the dining hall, Evan stormed toward me, his face twisted with rage. He grabbed my collar and snarled, "You bastard! I told you to stay away from her!"

"Evan," Daisy's voice rang out from behind. "Leave him."

"But Daisy, he—"

"Ask her yourself." I cut him off. "Then decide."

He hesitated before releasing me and rushing back to Daisy.

Ignoring them, I returned to the training hall with Clara.

---

Night fell, and Clara was still meditating, forming her mana circle. I lay on the cold stone floor, watching her. After lunch, I had done nothing but stare at her face. No matter what state she was in, she looked effortlessly beautiful. Did all women in this world have such flawless skin?

 "Young… Master…"

A soft, hesitant voice broke the silence beside me. I looked up and found a young girl, no older than nine, standing there in a maid's uniform, holding a tray of food. Her round face and wide eyes gave her an innocent charm, making her look even younger.

What the hell?

Did Evan send her here so I wouldn't have an excuse to visit Daisy? And why a child? Did he think I wouldn't dare to do anything to her? Or was he only concerned about Daisy?

Letting out a sigh, I took the tray from her hands.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"R-Rose… Young Master," she answered, her voice laced fear and curiosity.

Ah, she must've heard all kinds of rumors about me.

"Nice. Your name suits you, Rose." I gave her a small smile, trying to ease the tension.

Her cheeks tinted pink as she fidgeted slightly. "Th-thank you, Young Master."

Haha, kids are so easy to impress. It was refreshing to talk to someone who didn't already have a mountain of preconceptions about me.

"Who sent you here with the food? And how did you know I was here?" I asked, keeping my tone casual.

She pursed her lips, deep in thought, as if debating whether to answer. Then, with a small sigh, she spilled everything anyway.

"Sister Daisy gave me this. Everyone in the estate knew you'd be here with Sister Clara."

So it really was Evan's doing.

I exhaled through my nose and leaned back, glancing at Clara as she trained in the distance. "How about sitting with me and watching Clara's training?" I asked, growing tired of being alone.

Rose placed a finger on her chin, her brows scrunching together in deep contemplation. "Hmmm…."

I let out a quiet chuckle. She really has an expressive face.

"Come on, it's not like I'm going to eat you. You already brought me food. But if you had come empty-handed, well…" I trailed off with a teasing smirk. "I might've had second thoughts about my dinner."

Her eyes widened in horror. "Eeek—!" She took two quick steps back, clutching the hem of her uniform.

I grinned mischievously. "Haven't you heard the rumors? I'm an evil person." I leaned forward slightly, making a mock-threatening face. Her expression was priceless and I couldn't resist teasing her further.

"You dare to come here, you are doomed. Soon, you will be the main course at my dinner table."

"Sob… sob…"

Her face flushed red, her lips quivering, and soon, tears welled up in her big eyes.

Shit.

"Hey, hey! I was just joking! Don't cry!" I panicked, waving my hands.

"Sniff… w-wahhh!"

Crap. Damage control.

I turned toward Clara. "Clara! Let's take a break! Come eat your dinner!" I called out, desperate for backup.

After a while, we sat down to eat, and I made Rose stay, hoping she'd warm up a little. She ended up sitting as close to Clara as possible, sneaking glances at me with her big, wary eyes.

I chuckled again, shaking my head. 

Maybe if I cleaned up my reputation in the estate, and dealt with game hero, life here wouldn't be so bad.