Congratulations, I’m Now the Villainess’s Training Dummy

I had a bad feeling about this.

Scratch that. I had a terrible, soul-crushing, impending-doom feeling about this.

The moment we stepped into the Academy training grounds, I could feel the nobles' gazes snapping toward us.

The whispers started immediately.

"That's him, right? The commoner sitting with Lady Selene?"

"Why is she bringing him here?"

"Wait… don't tell me she's going to train him?"

I sighed. Yep. Here we go.

The training grounds were massive—a large open courtyard lined with weapon racks, sparring dummies, and enchantment circles for magic duels. Nobles were scattered across the area, practicing their swordsmanship and magic under the supervision of instructors.

And now, they were all looking at me.

Selene, of course, didn't seem to notice. Or care.

She calmly walked over to the weapon rack, picked up a wooden training sword, and turned toward me.

"Here," she said, tossing it in my direction.

I barely caught it.

I blinked at the sword, then at her. "…You expect me to fight you?"

Selene gave a small, elegant shrug. "It's training."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Her crimson eyes gleamed with thinly veiled amusement.

"To make it fair," she mused, "I'll only use one hand."

I stared at her, deadpan.

"…That doesn't make it fair at all."

Selene tilted her head slightly, her smirk widening.

"Oh?" she mused. "Would you prefer if I used both hands?"

I tightened my grip on the wooden sword. She was enjoying this.

The nobles around us were still whispering, their intrigue growing.

"Is she seriously going to spar with a commoner?"

"What's she thinking?"

"Does she want to humiliate him?"

I sighed, already regretting every life choice that had led me to this moment.

"Look, Selene," I muttered, lowering my voice. "I don't know what you're trying to do here, but I—"

The wooden sword in her hand moved.

Fast.

I barely had time to react before it whistled through the air, aimed directly at my side.

Instinct kicked in.

I stumbled backward, lifting my own sword just in time to deflect the strike.

The impact sent a sharp vibration up my arms.

I barely had a moment to process that before Selene stepped forward, closing the distance again.

Another strike. Then another.

Each one was precise, fluid, and relentless.

This wasn't training.

This was violence.

"Wait, wait, wait—!"

I stumbled backward, barely managing to deflect another strike before Selene pivoted smoothly, her next attack already lined up.

I tried to block—failed spectacularly.

The wooden sword slammed into my ribs.

I wheezed.

Stars danced in my vision as I staggered sideways, clutching my side.

"Ow!" I gasped. "That actually hurt!"

Selene tapped the training sword against her shoulder, looking completely unimpressed.

"I did warn you."

"That was a warning?!"

She sighed, tilting her head. "You barely lasted ten seconds. Are you truly that helpless?"

I straightened, still wincing. "I don't know if you noticed, but I'm a commoner. We don't exactly get fencing lessons in between washing dishes and avoiding starvation."

Selene hummed thoughtfully, as if considering that.

Then she took a step forward.

"Then we'll start with the basics," she said smoothly.

I blinked. "Wait. Basics? That implies this is going to be a repeated thing."

Selene smiled.

It was not a reassuring smile.

I took a step back.

Selene took a step forward.

I took another step back.

Selene advanced again.

"…You're serious about this, aren't you?" I muttered.

She raised an eyebrow. "Did I give the impression that I wasn't?"

"Well, I was holding on to a tiny shred of hope," I said. "But now I'm realizing that was a mistake."

Selene smirked. "I'm glad you're learning something already."

I groaned. The worst part was, the nobles were still watching.** Intensely.**

"Is she actually training him?"

"Is she planning to turn him into her personal knight?"

"Hah! As if a commoner could reach that level!"

I clenched my jaw. Great. Just great. As if my reputation wasn't already in the dirt, now the entire academy was speculating about why the villainess was personally training some no-name commoner.

"Pick up your sword," Selene instructed, stepping back into position.

I sighed. "I never dropped it."

"Then stop standing around and defend yourself."

I barely had time to register that sentence before she was swinging again.

I barely managed to block this time. Barely.

The force of Selene's strike rattled up my arms, nearly knocking the sword out of my grip.

Was she holding back? Probably. But was she still way too fast for me to handle? Absolutely.

I gritted my teeth, trying to adjust my footing. "You sure this is training and not just an excuse to beat me up?"

Selene smirked, effortlessly shifting into another stance. "If I wanted to beat you up, you'd already be on the ground."

"…Wow. That was unnecessary."

Before I could complain further, she struck again.

This time, I actually dodged.

Not gracefully. Not cleanly. But I threw myself to the side fast enough that her wooden sword whiffed past my shoulder instead of slamming into my ribs again.

Selene paused.

Her crimson eyes flickered with something—curiosity? Mild amusement?

"Oh?" she mused. "That was better."

I exhaled sharply, adjusting my grip. Maybe I wouldn't die after all.

Then I heard a snort from behind me.

"Is this what passes for swordplay now?"

I recognized that voice immediately.

I turned my head just in time to see Iris von Edelweiss walking toward us, arms crossed.

Fantastic. Just what I needed—an audience of critics.

Iris approached with the kind of confident stride that only high-ranking nobles could pull off—like she owned the entire training grounds.

Behind her, a small group of noble students watched with thinly veiled amusement.

"Interesting," Iris mused, stopping a few feet away. "I thought I misheard when someone said Lady Selene was training a commoner, but I see it's actually true."

I sighed, already exhausted. "You don't have to sound so disgusted about it."

Iris smirked slightly. "Oh, I'm not disgusted. Just… curious."

Yeah. That didn't sound reassuring at all.

Selene, meanwhile, was completely unfazed.

"Curious?" she repeated, tilting her head slightly. "Why?"

Iris raised an eyebrow. "Because I can't tell if you're training him… or simply bullying him."

The nobles watching chuckled.

Selene smiled. "Why not both?"

I choked. "Can we not say things that make my life worse?"

Iris let out a soft hum, clearly entertained. "Still… a commoner receiving personal training from Lady Selene? That's bound to cause quite a stir."

I already knew that, thank you very much.

And, unfortunately, so did the new person walking toward us.

I glanced up, my stomach sinking.

Because heading straight in our direction, drawn by the crowd, was none other than Reinhardt Alstein.

The Crown Prince.

The protagonist.

And from the way his piercing blue eyes landed on me, I could tell this was about to get so much worse.

Oh, for the love of—why him?

The gathered nobles immediately straightened as Reinhardt Alstein strode into the training grounds.

Tall. Blonde. Stupidly handsome. Dressed in his pristine royal uniform, exuding that natural protagonist aura.

And he was walking right toward us.

Iris smiled. "Your Highness, what a surprise."

Reinhardt nodded at her before turning his attention to Selene. "I wasn't expecting to find you here, Selene. Let alone training someone."

Selene barely glanced at him. "And yet, here I am."

The tension spiked.

Because, yeah—these two had history.

Reinhardt's smile faltered slightly. Maybe because Selene wasn't acting like a bitter ex.

No anger. No resentment. Just calm, composed indifference.

Which, honestly, was probably worse.

After a moment, Reinhardt turned his gaze to me.

I froze.

His bright blue eyes studied me with something unreadable.

Then—to my absolute horror—he smirked.

"You're not bad," he said casually. "For a commoner."

I blinked.

Wait.

What?

I stared at him.

Did… did the Crown Prince just compliment me?

I glanced at Selene, expecting her to look surprised, but she was as unreadable as ever.

Meanwhile, the gathered nobles were murmuring amongst themselves.

"Did the prince just acknowledge a commoner?"

"That's rare."

"Maybe he's just being polite?"

I, on the other hand, was completely thrown off.

Because Reinhardt? Reinhardt never acknowledged background characters.

He was the protagonist of this world, destined to be the strongest, the most charismatic, the perfect noble hero.

And me? I was just an NPC.

So why the hell was he talking to me like I was someone important?!

I quickly forced a response.

"Uh… thanks?"

Reinhardt chuckled, clapping a hand on my shoulder.

"You should enter the dueling tournament," he said.

I almost dropped my sword.

"What."

Selene hummed thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea."

I turned to her, betrayed. "You're supposed to be on my side!"

She smirked. "Am I?"

I felt my soul leave my body.

This wasn't happening.

It couldn't be happening.

I turned back to Reinhardt, desperate for a way out. "I appreciate the, uh… suggestion, Your Highness, but I'm just a commoner. I doubt anyone would take me seriously in a noble dueling tournament."

Reinhardt laughed. "Nonsense! If Lady Selene is personally training you, then you must have some potential."

I felt Selene's smirk without even looking.

"See?" she murmured. "Even the prince agrees."

I was so, so doomed.

Iris, still watching with amusement, tilted her head. "Actually, that would be rather interesting."

"Why are you agreeing?!" I hissed.

She smiled sweetly. "Because I'd love to see how badly you lose."

I groaned.

Meanwhile, the nobles who had been eavesdropping started whispering even louder.

"A commoner in the dueling tournament? That's unheard of."

"If he's trained by Lady Selene, maybe he's some hidden talent?"

"Or maybe he's just her personal entertainment?"

I closed my eyes, inhaled deeply, and mentally screamed.

Then—as if the gods themselves hated me—one of Reinhardt's knight followers stepped forward.

"If he wants to prove himself," the noble said with a smirk, "why not a duel? Right here. Right now."

I almost died on the spot.

I slowly turned my head toward the noble who had just casually suggested my public execution.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had the smug expression of a man who had never worked a day in his life.

His expensive uniform was lined with gold embroidery, and his sword—a real one, not a wooden training weapon like mine—rested at his hip.

A noble knight-in-training.

One of Reinhardt's followers.

Someone who could absolutely destroy me.

I exhaled. "Okay. No. That's a terrible idea."

The noble smirked. "Are you afraid?"

"Yes," I said immediately. "Very much so."

A few nobles snickered, but the knight simply scoffed.

"Then why are you here?" he challenged. "This is the training grounds. If you're too weak to fight, perhaps you should go back to whatever commoner job you had before."

Oh, wow. Amazing. An elite noble who insults people for sport. How original.

I glanced at Selene, hoping she'd step in and shut this down.

Instead, she sipped her tea.

Because of course she did.

Meanwhile, Reinhardt grinned. "It's just a friendly duel."

I turned to Iris. "You want to weigh in on this?"

She smiled. "Oh, by all means, accept. I'd love to see what happens."

I buried my face in my hands.

I hate all of you.

This was an actual nightmare.

Reinhardt looked way too enthusiastic about this. Selene was still sipping tea like she was watching an entertaining play. Iris was enjoying this far more than she should be.

And now? Now I had an arrogant noble knight challenging me to a duel.

I took a slow, deep breath. Think, Kaito. Think.

Option one: Accept the duel and get beaten into the ground in front of the entire academy.

Option two: Refuse and be labeled a coward.

Option three: Run.

Option three sounded great.

Unfortunately, before I could casually sprint into the distance, Selene spoke.

"I accept," she said smoothly.

I choked.

"YOU accept?! I'm the one who has to fight!"

Selene finally glanced at me. Calm. Amused. Merciless.

"Well," she mused, "this will be a good test of how much training you'll need."

"I can already tell you the answer," I snapped. "A lot. I need a lot."

The noble knight smirked. "So you are afraid."

I scowled. "I just prefer my bones inside my body, thank you."

But it was too late.

The crowd had already caught on.

"The commoner's actually going to duel?"

"This will be over in seconds."

"I almost feel bad for him."

I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples.

Okay. New plan: Survive.

A ring was quickly formed around us as students eagerly gathered to witness my impending death.

The noble knight—who I still didn't know the name of—stepped into the center, rolling his shoulders with an easy confidence.

I, meanwhile, stood there gripping my wooden training sword like a total idiot.

"This is a bad idea," I muttered under my breath.

Selene, standing just outside the circle, gave me a calm, unreadable look. "It will be fine."

"That is an absolute lie."

She didn't even deny it.

The noble knight smirked. "Do you need someone to hold your hand, commoner?"

I resisted the urge to throw my sword at his face and walk away.

"Alright, alright," Reinhardt called out, stepping forward with his usual golden-boy energy. "This is just a friendly duel. First to land a clean hit wins. Understood?"

"Understood," the noble knight said, still smirking.

I sighed. "Do I have a choice?"

Iris, standing next to Selene, smirked. "Not really."

I groaned.

The noble knight casually drew his sword.

An actual steel sword.

I blinked. "Uh. He knows I have a wooden sword, right?"

The knight grinned. "I'll hold back."

Oh, wow. That's so reassuring.

I looked at Reinhardt. "You're okay with this?"

Reinhardt laughed. "You'll be fine!"

…Yep. I was so, so dead.

I took another deep breath, gripping my very inadequate wooden sword.

Across from me, the noble knight smirked with the confidence of a man who already knew he had won.

"Try not to embarrass yourself too badly," he said, spinning his sword once for show.

I stared at him, deadpan. "Buddy, my entire existence is an embarrassment at this point."

Reinhardt chuckled. "Alright, then. Duel—"

Wait. He's starting it just like that?!

"—begin!"

The knight moved immediately.

And by moved, I mean he exploded forward like a human battering ram.

I had zero time to react.

One second, he was standing across from me.

The next—his sword was already swinging toward my ribs.

Oh. I'm going to die.

My body moved on pure survival instinct.

I threw myself sideways, rolling across the dirt like a ragdoll.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Not because I dodged.

But because I looked completely pathetic doing it.

Laughter erupted from the nobles.

"Did he just dive into the dirt?!"

"This is painful to watch."

"Maybe we should stop this before he actually dies."

I groaned, brushing dust off my sleeves.

Selene's voice cut through the noise.

"Get up," she said. "You're not done yet."

I exhaled sharply. I hate this. I hate this so much.

But I pushed myself to my feet.

Because if I didn't, Selene would probably throw me back into the fight herself.

I barely got back on my feet before the noble knight lunged at me again.

He was faster than I expected—his sword was already swinging for my side.

I can't dodge in time.

My arms moved on instinct.

I lifted my wooden sword—too late to block properly—but just fast enough to deflect the blade slightly.

The noble's sword grazed past me instead of landing a clean hit.

The force still sent me stumbling back, my hands shaking from the impact.

The crowd murmured.

"Did he actually deflect that?"

"…Accidentally, maybe?"

"Still, he should've lost already."

I could hear the smugness in the knight's voice as he took a step forward.

"Not bad," he said. "For a beginner."

I sighed. "You're acting like I did that on purpose."

He grinned. "Didn't you?"

I absolutely did not.

But I wasn't going to admit that.

I exhaled sharply. Focus, Kaito.

If I was going to survive this, I had to think.

This guy was stronger. Faster. More experienced.

So if I fought him normally…

I was going to lose.

I adjusted my grip on my sword, an idea forming in my head.

"Alright," I muttered. "Time for a different strategy."

The noble knight smirked, adjusting his stance.

"Finally ready to fight back?" he taunted.

I exhaled. "Something like that."

He took the bait.

With another smug grin, he charged forward, sword raised.

And I?

I did the smartest, most tactical thing possible.

I grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground—

—AND THREW IT STRAIGHT INTO HIS FACE.

A gasp rippled through the crowd.

The knight stumbled, cursing loudly as dust and grit flew into his eyes.

Iris choked. "Did he just—"

Selene blinked. "Huh."

Reinhardt burst out laughing.

I, meanwhile, wasted zero time.

I rushed forward and smacked the noble square in the ribs with my wooden sword.

The hit wasn't strong, but it was clean.

A moment of stunned silence followed.

Then Reinhardt clapped his hands together. "And that's a hit! Looks like Kaito wins!"

The crowd exploded into noise.

"He won?!"

"That was dirty!"

"Did he just cheat his way to victory?!"

I ignored all of it, staring down at my own hands in shock.

…Wait. Did I just win?

Selene's voice cut through my thoughts.

"A desperate move," she mused. "But effective."

She tilted her head, her crimson eyes gleaming with interest.

"Perhaps training you won't be a waste of time after all."

I gulped.

Oh no. I've made things worse.