The Villain Saint is my secondary account

"You idiot, you got caught so quickly, how could I have used it in time!" Greta said angrily. "It's all your fault, I'm confiscating the medicine!"

"Okay, don't be angry, big sister..." Asamonte's tone was sincere, but from her playful smile, it was easy to predict that she would most likely get beaten up again next time.

After everyone left, the empty bedroom returned to its tranquility.

……

After a while.

As the banquet drew to a close, the final dance music, heralding the end, filled the hall. Ye Xiao and Ella, who had arrived late, entered the hall and returned hand in hand to the crowd dancing to the music.

Fortunately, when Duke Heville, waking from a sweet dream, entered the hall, the two had already begun to dance hand in hand in perfect harmony.

This dance did not involve any complex interplay of techniques, and Ye Xiao's movements were even slightly awkward, far less elegant and beautiful than her dance partner, who was a noblewoman.

But their unspoken understanding made everything seem so harmonious; every turn and every step they took seemed so natural and effortless.

Ella's light and flowing white skirt resembled a lily swaying in the moonlight, graceful and lively; Ye Xiao, in a deep, dark black dress, was like a silent, watching green leaf, calmly and solemnly accompanying her.

The two complement each other perfectly. The girl's happy smile was wrapped in her silver hair. After watching this dance, who could not believe that the two were of one mind?

As the dance ended, even Duke Heville couldn't help but applaud the couple as they took their final bows.

The Duke then delivered a speech of thanks, and the dinner concluded peacefully.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, the Duke found Ye Xiao and Ella in a corner.

"Kid, did Ella teach you ballroom dancing?"

"I learned a little on my own, but Miss Ella did teach me quite a bit."

The Duke crossed his arms and sized up Ye Xiao. "Not bad. For my daughter to patiently teach you something like this, it seems she really likes you."

“Father…!” Ella said, feigning shyness.

"Hahahaha," the Duke was quite amused to see his daughter like this, and then turned to Ye Xiao, "As for today's assessment... although I was feeling a bit unwell during the banquet and had to rest for a while, and didn't watch the whole thing, from what I could see, your performance was barely acceptable."

After observing for a day, the Duke discovered that Ye Xiao and Ella's interactions were unusually natural and harmonious.

Although the two were not as affectionate as a couple deeply in love, the meticulous care they showed each other was far beyond what ordinary couples could achieve.

If the Duke initially viewed things from a critical perspective, later on, he even felt that he should learn from Ye Xiao how to take care of his daughter.

During banquets, Ye Xiao would always manage to grab a bottle of wine from the table next to Ella before she emptied her glass. The Duke also noticed that the type of wine poured each time wasn't exactly the same; sometimes Ye Xiao would deliberately reach for juice placed a few steps away, making it difficult to reach, clearly not just randomly.

But throughout the process, Ella was engrossed in chatting with others and never once mentioned to Ye Xiao what she wanted to drink. Yet, every time Ye Xiao poured her a drink, it seemed to satisfy Ella.

The Duke knew all too well that his daughter's tastes were discerning and fickle. One or two times might be a coincidence, but to be able to choose the drinks Ella needed every time without any communication required a level of understanding and tacit agreement.

And there were countless examples like this on this one day alone—when they were out shopping during the day, Ye Xiao did all the putting on and taking off of Ella's coat, and he seemed to know exactly when Ella felt cold and when she felt hot; when ordering food, although they hadn't discussed it beforehand, they both ate every dish with great relish; when chatting with a group of nobles, their topics were perfectly coordinated, and there was never a situation where one of them interrupted the other or misunderstood the other's meaning...

These small details may seem insignificant, but Ella is not one to give in easily, as the ill-tempered Duke knows all too well. Yet, she never showed even a single sign of dissatisfaction towards Ye Xiao, which means that all of Ye Xiao's actions were perfectly timed.

The Duke asked himself, even if he were in that situation, he could not have done it so perfectly.

The last time he came to the capital, he and Ella had many disagreements during their conversations, which led to unpleasantness between them. Even at the family dinner, his daughter showed disdain for the dishes on several occasions.

Ella, whose self-esteem had been trampled on by the Second Prince, had an exceptionally bad temper. The resentment on her face was so deep that it seemed as if nothing in the world could satisfy her.

The Duke also felt guilty about the harm that his marriage had caused Ella, but no matter how he tried to make amends, it seemed there was no way to undo the damage.

Thinking of this, the Duke sighed unconsciously, and his eyes even became a little moist.

"Father, what's wrong?"

Ella was surprised to see the Duke suddenly pick up a handkerchief and start wiping his eyes. She was a little flustered. Could it be that the illusion that Asamonti had created had caused some problems for the Duke?

“It’s nothing, I just suddenly thought of some things from before…” Duke Hevil smiled, “I’m really… so sorry, daughter.”

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Duel Agreement

“What are you saying, Father?” Ella asked, puzzled. “What could you possibly have done to wrong me?”

"To be honest, I was too focused on the affairs of the territory and neglected to care for you as much as I should have."

“After what happened to the Second Prince, I realized how incompetent I was as a father, but it was too late.”

"I can only watch you stay indoors all day, trapped in resentment. I am filled with deep self-blame, but I can't find a way to save you."

“I tried to pull you back from the abyss, but then I realized that as your father, I didn’t know much about you. What you liked, what you disliked, how you lived in the capital, how you got along with your noble colleagues… I knew nothing about any of it.”

"At one point, I felt that I was a really bad father."

Duke Heville spoke with a slightly trembling voice, and tears welled up in the corners of her wrinkled eyes again.

As Ella listened, she began to understand the old man's feelings.

Because of the annulment of the engagement, he was still feeling guilty towards his daughter, which is why he conducted a strict investigation of Ye Xiao and why he frequently showed concern for Ella after arriving in the capital.

After all, in the memories that Ella inherited, the former Duke of Hevil had been more caring towards Ella than close to her.

However, what made Ella feel somewhat conflicted was that the soul of the daughter this father truly cared about was no longer there.

His sincere confession came a little too late.

But if it had appeared earlier, whether it could have changed the original person's mindset and prevented the evil god's descent from happening, Ella still felt it was hard to say.

However, those were all just speculations, and the result was that this old father never had the chance to truly resolve his daughter's inner conflict.

Fortunately, Ella can still understand her father's regrets.

“No, Father, you don’t need to blame yourself,” Ella gently stroked Duke Heville’s hand. “I’ve long since moved on from the annulment of the engagement, and I’ve never been angry with you about it.”

"Ella..." Hearing that light, melodious, and charming voice, the Duke finally couldn't help but burst into tears. "Can you really forgive me?"

“Of course,” Ella smiled, “you will always be my best father.”

Even if the lies are false and create an intoxicating illusion, as long as the feeling of happiness is real, that's enough.

As the moon rose higher, the Duke's banquet finally came to a close with Duke Heville at peace.

……

The next day comes quickly.

At dawn, Duke Hevil bid a reluctant farewell to Ella at the city gate, then boarded a carriage with his eldest son Allen and headed east back to the duchy.

On the other side, Ye Xiao, exhausted from a long day and tormented all night by being clamored to sleep with a humanoid maid who had returned to her room, dragged her weary body to the academy's training ground.

Despite all that has happened, Ye Xiaoke still remembers that today is the day of his duel with Princess Femishire.

Since Skadi was acting as guarantor, Ye Xiao, though reluctant, still dressed properly and went to the appointment on time.

Skadi and Princess Femishel were already waiting in the preparation room. As soon as Ye Xiao entered, Femishel saw him and said angrily, "Hmph, you've finally arrived. I thought you really dared to break your promise!"

"There's still half an hour until the agreed time..." Ye Xiao scratched his head, wondering what this guy was in such a hurry for.

"Ye Xiao, how are you feeling?" Skadi asked with concern when she saw Ye Xiao's large, dark circles under her eyes, which looked like she had applied smoky makeup.

“No problem, Your Majesty. I did the same thing last time, and it didn’t stop me from fending off the assassins from Duke Isaac’s mansion.”

"...I almost forgot!? You were secretly seeing that woman while you were with me..."

"Ahem, Your Majesty, there are outsiders here." Ye Xiao quickly interrupted.

"What are you talking about?" Princess Femishire was completely confused.

Children should not interrupt adults.

"Go to hell, you're the one who's a kid!" Fimishil gritted his teeth. "You'd better hurry up, I'm waiting for you on the field!"

"I'll show you what Aslan's swordsmanship is all about!"

Watching Femisciel's departing figure, Skadi leaned closer to Ye Xiao and straightened his clothes. "To be honest, this princess isn't a bad person. Although I often bicker with her at the academy, she hasn't done anything wrong. Don't bully her too much."

Having witnessed Ye Xiao's one-on-one duel with the Royal Knights Commander, Skadi still had full confidence in Ye Xiao's strength.

"Huh?" Ye Xiao was taken aback. "I actually wanted to lose..."

"Huh??" Skadi raised an eyebrow. "No way! You're my and Ella's boyfriend! It would be so embarrassing for us if you lost!"

"I feel like beating this guy would cause a lot of trouble," Ye Xiao shrugged. "But it doesn't really matter, as long as His Majesty wants to see me win."

"Of course we have to win!" Skadi patted Ye Xiao's chest and laughed. "As for the trouble you're afraid of, don't worry, this queen will take care of it for you!"

"Haha, sure, then I'll trouble Your Majesty." Ye Xiao patted Skadi's head.

……

When Ye Xiao was ready and went outside, the training ground was already packed with people.

Having weathered the turmoil in the capital and with life returning to normal, the noble youths began seeking out more enjoyable activities.

Meanwhile, Princess Aslan's challenge to a commoner swordsman at the academy, while not as delightful as the earlier encounter between the saintess and the princess, is still an interesting event worth watching.

The final battle of the Royal Selection took place in the palace. Ye Xiao rode a scorpion lion from Lyra Peak and descended from the sky to join the party. In order to avoid trouble, all the credit that was later claimed to the public was given to Skadi and Ella, as well as the Septian Society that assisted in the participation. Therefore, the noble children mainly knew the name "Ye Xiao" as his title of "Knight of the Order".

Of course, there were also some who knew that this guy was the Holy Maiden of Light's boyfriend, and they shouted on stage, begging Princess Aslan to beat this guy who had ambiguous relationships with both the Holy Maiden and the Queen to a pulp.

"This skeletal bastard, having an affair with the Holy Maiden of Light, how can he be worthy of the knighthood bestowed upon him by our noble Queen!" "I can't accept this! This guy doesn't deserve to be the Holy Maiden's lover!" "Your Highness, kill him!!!"

Ye Xiao naturally couldn't empathize with these aristocratic scions. After stepping onto the stage and looking at the packed audience, he could only think that these "pillars of the empire's future" didn't study properly and were always running around watching entertainment. How could this country possibly prosper?

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Majesty of a Grandmaster

At the other end of the venue, Princess Femishire tied her long, grey-gold hair into a ponytail, and a tight-fitting azure blue bodysuit that ran from her neck to her lower abdomen accentuated her graceful curves.

With the help of magical craftsmanship, the materials and styles of clothing in this world are actually much more avant-garde than those in the Middle Ages on Earth. It is not impossible that "the less fabric used, the higher the defense."

"Student Ye, although I am grateful for the token you delivered to my guards, let's keep things separate. In the name of the Aslan royal family, I will definitely avenge the humiliation you inflicted on me that day!"

"...Your Highness, I was too rash in that duel, and I sincerely apologize for the harm I caused you."

Ye Xiao sensed that the hatred in the audience was intensifying, and felt rather helpless. "But could you please use a less easily misunderstood way of saying it? The people upstairs are already ready to tear me to pieces."

"Kill him!" "Go Princess Femisil!!" "To see this bastard who defiled the Holy Maiden be killed by hand, even death would be worth it!..." The cheers from the audience grew more and more intense.

“…Your reputation is really too bad.” Femishire was speechless at the shouts from the surroundings. “Ignore them. I hope you will take this seriously.”

As she spoke, Princess Femisil slightly raised the tip of her sword, pointing it at Ye Xiao.

This royal sword, representing the highest level of rune forging craftsmanship in Aslan, is pure white and as thin as a cicada's wing. A row of gilded inscriptions is engraved on the blade, and when activated by magic, it emanates a faint blue light.

“That’s for sure. Thank you, Your Highness, for showing me the Aslan nobles’ unwavering commitment to honor. I will give it my all in this duel.”

Ye Xiao placed his left hand on the scabbard. "However, Your Highness, you should be prepared."

"Because... I'm very strong."

As those languid words fell, Femishire suddenly felt the wind blowing across the field pause for a moment.

The shouts from the stands became distant and indistinct, and even her breath seemed to freeze.

In that instant, it seemed as if the only sound in the world was the muffled thumping of my own heart.

A bead of sweat slid down the princess's beautiful face, and her hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

Such a strong... sense of oppression!?

Although it was only a fleeting feeling, once he came to his senses, the man in front of him returned to his usual lazy demeanor.

But the sweat-soaked back made the princess of Aslan realize that what she had just experienced was not an illusion.

This guy's strength... is probably far beyond her imagination.

Femishire had realized that she probably had no chance of winning this duel.

"The duel begins!"

At the host's command, Ye Xiao simply stood still, but Fimishier did not make a move immediately. Instead, she took a deep look at Ye Xiao, took a deep breath, and then gathered the magic power around her.

"In the name of the descendant of the highest mountain, I call upon your name—Cerris, and pray that the power of the winds may cleanse me and grant me the sharpness to cut through all things!!"

Oh?

When Ye Xiao heard Femisil begin chanting, he raised an eyebrow and inwardly praised the princess's decision.

Good. Sensing the opponent's strength, they understood that instead of recklessly going in and getting themselves killed, it was better to go all out with a single shot at the start.

It seems she already understands that no matter what fighting style they adopt, the duel will end the moment they clash.

Go all out when you're at your peak; even if you lose, at least you'll have no regrets.

But of course, in the eyes of the audience, Fermisil's actions were somewhat baffling.