A Villainess pulled out the Sword instead of the Hero.

  

The palace was in an unprecedented uproar.

 

Duke Fay protested vehemently, claiming that the tea leaves had been switched in the middle.

 

He demanded that Raves give him time to catch the culprit, and he shouted in semi-threatening tones.

 “You all know what the tea leaves that have been coming from Fay lately have been capable of!” 

When he asked for a favor, no one but the King could answer.

 

Even the royal knights scratched the back of their heads awkwardly.

 “I know, well, we know but…” 

He trailed off as the others looked away.

 “His Majesty is entering!” 

A huge trumpet sounded, announcing the entrance of Avalon’s new King.

 

A black uniform, the symbol of Avalon. And the insignia on his shoulder, a dragon.

 

The golden eyes and black hair that had been given to Avalon’s monarchs for generations filled the great hall with his presence.

 

All kneeled in deference to the Lord of Avalon.

 

Not out of reverence or loyalty to the King of Avalon.

 

It was simply fear and dread of the man who had slain thirty-two of his brothers.

 

The rightful King should inherit the crown.

 

He took it upon himself to place the crown on his head because he had earned it.

 

Rumor has it that he killed the previous king.

 

It was like stealing, usurping.

 

He stood before the bowed heads and scrutinized them.

 

A shiver ran down everyone’s spine as his fierce gaze swept over them.

 

Kellive smiled slowly, his gaze fixed on one in particular.

 “Duke Fay.” “I, Your Highness.” 

The Duke of Fay stepped forward and clasped his hands beneath his head.

 “Greetings, Your Highness, the Sun, and Eternal Light of Avalon, Kellive Avalon.” 

On one of his visits to the Fay family, he had ordered them to bring him tea leaves.

 

But the Duke of Fay had been unable to locate the tea leaves, or even Morgana, the person who had made them.

 

Once you’re in the palace, there are limits to what you are permitted to do.

 

As much as he wanted to ransack the palace right now, he couldn’t do it.

 

Kellive pointed that out and said,

“You came empty-handed.” “That’s because my foster daughter, the one with the power, was not feeling well today and returned early.” 

Duke Fay spoke up as soon as he could,

“As, as long as you give me a period of time, I will somehow arrange for the tea leaves again!” 

For now, it was urgent to get out of this situation somehow.

 

The reputation and trust that had been built up here could not be lost all at once.

 

After all, the efficacy of the tea leaves was already well established throughout Avalon. He couldn’t afford to let others assume he was a fraud just because he brought in weeds.

 

Watching him rattle, Kellive asked gently,

“I’ll give you another chance.” 

His soft voice echoed in the silent Great Hall.

 “You say it was your daughter who was the one whose powers were manifested again?” “She is a distant kin, to be exact, but I have chosen to adopt her as my own.” “Distantly related…” 

So that’s what they were going for. No matter who looked at her, Morgana’s silver hair and purple eyes resembled Duke Fay’s.

 

The Duke of Fay must have thought he’d never seen Morgana before. Kellive swallowed hard, knowing the obvious lie.

 “The Duke pleads for it, and you would never lie to me.” “Yes, of course. Don’t worry, Your Highness!” 

All Duke Fay could do now was bow his head. He stared at the polished floor of the palace and muttered Morgana’s name to himself.

 

‘Morgana…! This time it won’t end with locking you in a room.’

 

It was one hell of a banquet. The succession ceremony ended on a bitter note, with most of the guests trying to keep an eye on Kellive.

 

Back at the ducal residence, Duke Fay sought Morgana out first.

 “Morgana! Morgana, where are you!” 

He searched every room in the house, not to mention the cabin, the annex, the south wing, and the main house.

 

Morgause and Elaine, who had come to the banquet late and had read the atmosphere, followed him, panting.

 “Why did my father trust her!” 

Elaine grabbed Morgause as he stumbled away.

 

She calmly asked the servants,

“Has Morgana returned to the mansion?” “Ah, no.” “You’re not lying, are you?” “Lady Elaine, absolutely not, she even went to the Succession Ceremony and told everyone that the kingdom was quiet!” 

The servants, who had mistakenly assumed she had gone to the succession ceremony, were distracted by Duke Fay’s shouts for Morgana.

 

He stormed into Morgana’s room. The room he’d been in and out of so many times looked much the same as before, only without the occupant.

 

Little else was different.

 “Where is Morgana?” 

A servant answered his question with a shudder.

 “She has not been back since she left with the Duke.” 

The Duke of Fay opened every chest of drawers and every door.

 

There were tea leaves, but very few. All the clothes he had recently tailored for her were still in the closet, even the shabby ones, and it was hard to tell what was missing.

 

Dresses and jewelry. Was it a coincidence that the most expensive thing she had on was also the most valuable.

 

Taking a deep breath, Duke Fay cackled maniacally.

 “Hahah. Hahaha…!” 

That’s right. From the beginning, Morgana had been planning to run away.

 

The succession ceremony was just an excuse to flee.

 

That’s why she threatened to use all sorts of methods against me. I could see it now.

 

He had been in a foul mood since Morgana had suddenly started selling tea leaves to gain influence and raise money.

 

He fiddled with the jar containing the small amount of tea leaves Morgana had left behind.

 

The Duke of Fay’s tea had already become one of the most famous in Avalon.

 

Morgana had been slowly reducing the amount she was selling, claiming to be growing tea for the palace.

 

As a result, he’s been selling them at increasingly higher prices, sometimes many times the original price.

 

Occasionally, people he knew would contact him and offer to pay double the price for his tea leaves. But now, I don’t even have anything to sell for a profit.

 

It’s not that they don’t have tea leaves to bring to the palace, it’s that the tea itself, which has been the measure of the Fay family’s reputation, simply disappeared.

 

With that kind of money, there’s nowhere else to go.

 

‘But I will find it.’

 

I must. Not only for the family’s honor, Kellive had commanded it.

 

It must be found, wherever she may be.

  

Arriving in Britain, Morgana felt a strange sense of comfort.

 

The bustling people, the climate a little warmer than Avalon.

 

Everything was perfect, down to the slightly peculiar accents of the mercenaries who traveled in groups and the free-spirited atmosphere.

 

The original Morgana had lived in the slums of Britain before traveling to Fay. There was something comforting about that.

 

‘Wow, Avalon was so uptight about being polite, this is a different world.’

 

No, it was a different country.

 

The broker who arranged Morgana’s departure to Britain seemed a bit of a hustler, but he didn’t have a big enough liver to be a fraud.

 “This is the best place in Britain. How do you like it?” 

The broker asked confidently, pointing to a small, ramshackle house.

 

Morgana glanced around and replied dryly,

“It’s a marketplace, so I don’t think it would be desirable.” 

Normally, nobles live in huge estates, with gardens and large mansions.

 

Morgana had come from such a family in the first place, but when she saw this tiny house, she didn’t believe him.

 

He clicked his tongue slightly, and then grinned again, so wide you couldn’t see his eyes.

 “Well, unlike Avalon, houses are a bit expensive in Britain. I don’t think you’re familiar with it, young lady…” “I’m from Britain.” “Oh?” 

Morgana said, pointing to a place along a vague memory lane.

 “There used to be a big shop there, but they must have moved it, it’s gone. I want to go south from Britain, the temperature is better there, and it’s close to where I want to go.” 

She pulled a gold coin from her bosom and tossed it to him.

 “If you want a decent tip, don’t try to scam me, and show me the right house, or I’ll just use another broker.”