A Villainess pulled out the Sword instead of the Hero.

 

As they walked back to the residence, Morgana’s eye caught a piece of trash on the side of the road.

 

‘Would it make me look good if I picked it up?’

 

After a moment’s thought, Morgana bent down to pick it up, but Arthur, who was behind her, bent down and picked it up first.

 “Do you need it?” 

It was obviously trash, and he held it out to her without question.

 

If anything, it embarrassed Morgana, who was trying to be nice.

 “I just saw the trash and thought I’d pick it up.” “I see.” 

He grabbed the trash anyway. 

 

When they arrived at the mansion, they were met with an empty house and no questions asked.

 

When the nightstands and other pieces of furniture they’d ordered arrived, Morgana gestured for them to be moved or rearranged.

 

The day went by, and until dawn, he stood silently in front of Morgana’s room, fulfilling his duties as an escort.

 

Then, just after 6 a.m., he disappeared like a blade.

 

The next day, and the following, and the days after that.

 

It wasn’t until two days later that Morgana thought something was wrong with him.

 “Arthur, are you not sleeping at night?” 

He looked a little tired. It was a subtle difference from his usual emotionless demeanor.

 

Arthur answered without hesitation,

“No, I don’t.” “You don’t?” 

Morgana jumped to her feet at the firm grip. She walked up to him, dressed fresh from the boutique today, and put her arms around him.

 

Unlike the last time she’d seen him at the shop, the scar had grown.

 

‘It was a fresh, clear scar.’

 “You’re not going to tell me you fell and hurt yourself on the way home, are you?” 

Morgana squinted, and the movement of his gaze quickened.

 

It was as if he didn’t intend to speak for himself anytime soon.

 

In the few days I’d known him, he was more than a man of few words, if he didn’t want to answer a question, he preferred not to talk at all.

 

‘If he doesn’t want to talk about it, he won’t speak about it.’

 

Morgana crossed her arms and spoke with gravity.

 “It’s also against the contract, and it’s not like my escort can’t sleep at night, and it’s not like you’re supposed to fulfill your end of the bargain.” “I won’t let it interfere with my work,”

He replied firmly. 

 

It was so subtle, in fact, that a passerby would hardly notice the change.

 

She’d watched him from so many angles that she’d somehow come to see him as a good man.

 

Since nothing had changed on the outside, maybe he was right.

 

‘How can a man come back without sleep and with wounds?’

 

One day, perhaps, but two. Morgana looked up at him, taller than she was, and asked.

 “What are you doing at night?” “It’s personal.” “You weren’t trying to kill me and steal the dagger, were you?” “No!” 

Arthur quickly retorted, but didn’t seem inclined to explain.

 

After all, Morgana’s appointed time was until 6 a.m., so what he did with the time after that was none of her business.

 

She glared at Arthur’s sideways glance as he averted her gaze, but he merely remained stubbornly silent.

 

If he doesn’t speak, there’s no way to know.

 

Morgana rushed to the empty dressing room and pulled on her robe.

 

She walked straight out of the mansion, past Arthur, who stared after her to make sure the situation hadn’t escalated.

 

Even so, he quickly fell into step behind her, escorting her as usual.

 

They made their way to the tavern where Raon was.

 

Bursting through the door, Morgana turned to Raon, whose shoulders bounced up in surprise as he cleaned a bowl.

 “I’m wondering, Mister Raon, what does my escort do in the morning?” “Huh, erm?” 

He stammered, unable to form a complete sentence, apparently not surprised by her visit.

 “He, uh, well. Well, Miss, is there something wrong with your escort? It can’t be. Haha!” “I know all about it. What is it?” “Are you looking for a maid? Things like that happen, too. Oh, that’s right!” 

It was an awkward way to talk and act.

 

‘Was he really going to steal it, or what?’

 

Maybe he didn’t like being an escort. Does it hurt to go back to work after all that bloodshed?

 

Morgana seriously wondered if she should get him a replacement or something.

 

Should she make him a sandbox and build him a scarecrow?

 

Raon rolled his eyes at her, then fixed his gaze on Arthur, who was frowning slightly behind her.

 

Raon sighed heavily, then reluctantly spoke,

“Well, Arthur’s going on a light raid this morning.” “A raid?” 

What kind of raid was that, when he’d been given the time off to sleep?

 

Raon was not deterred. He glanced at Arthur with concern, then spoke.

 “I told him to get some sleep, but he insisted. He’s in high demand, you know…” 

Raon took a step forward. Arthur, who was behind them, stepped forward.

 “I’ll use the upstairs.” “Uh, yeah, sure. You two can talk it out.” 

Raon graciously offered the tavern’s upstairs.

 

Arthur followed him up a rickety wooden staircase, and the upstairs was just an empty room with some supplies in storage.

 

There was a pile of blankets in the corner, apparently used as a place for someone to lay their eyes from time to time.

 

Morgana whirled around. Arthur turned toward her and bowed.

 “I apologize for the trouble.” 

He straightened up and bowed again.

 “I will not disrupt my escort duties, so please allow me to join the raid.”  

Arthur Pendragon. The last of the Pendragons.

 

It was a seal given to him when he was quite young.

 

Though he was an illegitimate son of the Pendragon family, his father, Uther Pendragon, was quite fond of him.

 

He lived with his mother, but when he came to visit, he would often take little Arthur in his arms.

 

This routine began to fade after King Vortigern had a dream.

 “Treason, what treason!” 

The Round Table of the Knights of the Pendragon House was an assemblage of artifacts that had been broken into pieces.

 

Each of the knights of the house had one, including the lord of the house, Uther.

 

Because of its round shape, it was impossible to tell who was in charge, and it was meant to be an equal and impartial place for knights.

 

However, King Vortigern saw it as a way to eliminate royalty and make everyone equal.

 

This was especially true when the pieces of it were put together to form the red dragon seal that symbolized the Pendragon.

 

Eventually, most of the Pendragons were purged.

 

However, Arthur, the only illegitimate son, was separated from the Pendragon family and stayed with his mother.

 

Uther visited Arthur and his mother early on, before the royal purge.

 “This is a dagger called Carnwennan. Take it and run. I promise to grant you the honor of a knight.” 

Uther gave his mother a dagger to protect him and a knighthood.

 

As planned, the Pendragon family was purged by the royal family, and when they learned of his mother’s existence, they began to hunt her down.

 

They were unaware of Arthur’s existence. He was an illegitimate child who was not listed in the family registry or anywhere else.

 

His mother held up the carnwennan and said to Arthur, 

“You must never tell anyone, anywhere, that you are the child of the Pendragon family.” “Mother.” “I want you to live, Arthur.” 

She entrusted Arthur to the knight who was with her.

 “He’s in danger if he stays with me, so please, Sir, take him under your wing.” “Don’t worry.” 

She left him and fled from the royal pursuit.

 

Nothing was ever heard of where she died or what became of her.

 

But since he never saw her after that, he assumed she had gone on to live out her days somewhere.

 

All young Arthur could do was hope that she had closed her eyes without suffering too much.

 

It was one of the knights his father had given him that had allowed him to escape his family’s treasonous past.

 

Sir Ector was a great help. He took a very young Arthur with him to escape.

 

Sir Ector hid his identity, taught Arthur how to wield a sword, and raised him with the money he earned as a traveling mercenary.

 

Though Arthur was quite skilled, he was never allowed to show it.

 

If he was recognized as a knight of the Pendragon family, Arthur would be captured and taken with him.