I Became the Heroine’s Stand-in - Chapter 72

Watching him over time, Diana had worried that he might stop her. But contrary to her expectations, Ersivan didn’t refuse.

“Since you’re accompanying us anyway, make sure to learn well.”

Seeing an opportunity, he even turned it into a teaching moment to enhance her learning skills. Ersivan was exceptionally skilled at transforming coincidences into advantages.

Before they set off, Diana was given a protective shield for her safety. A thin barrier wrapped around her body, designed to absorb shocks and protect her from harm.

“If the shield breaks, you must call out immediately.”

Since it could shatter after a few hits, she was sternly instructed to alert them before that happened.

With the temporary protection of the shield, a dagger in hand, and even the jacket she had been given bearing traces of his blood, she should have felt reassured.

But he still couldn’t bring himself to feel at ease.

If it were up to him, he would have left her behind.

Had she not gazed up at him with those deep, expectant eyes and asked him at the last moment, he might have refused. He might have gone as far as listing every terrifying aspect of the dungeon to dissuade her.

Upon entering the dungeon, they cleared out the lesser monsters at the entrance. With each swing of Ersivan’s sword, the swarming creatures vanished without a trace.

He dismissed the feat, saying it was nothing—something any knight could do. But that humility only made his skills seem even more impressive.

He casually shook the blood from his sword, droplets falling onto the ground.

“We’ll be heading deeper inside now.”

“I’ll be careful. Evan, you be careful too, and good luck.”

Evan’s eyes narrowed slightly. The elegant yet arrogant smile he wore seemed to say, “Why are you worrying about me?”

Ersivan struck his sword against the ground a few times, triggering its activation. The blade extended, its tip slicing through the air with precision.

With a slight twist of his wrist to the left, the sword shifted seamlessly, as if stirring the very wind. The monsters it pointed toward were instantly swept away.

Watching him dispatch the approaching creatures without even moving a step, Diana found herself not just amazed but intimidated.

“What an astoundingly foolish man.”

“…Your Highness?”

“There’s no need to use such techniques on mere small fry. Sure, it’s not like swinging a few times will tire him out, but still, it’s wasteful.”

“Then…”

“Why else? It’s because of you.”

Diana had barely begun to ask the question before the spirit cut her off.

Clicking its tongue in disapproval, it mocked her for being oblivious, as if pitying her for having such a clueless master. She wanted to hit the spirit for its condescending attitude, but first, she needed to understand what it meant.

As they ventured further, the number of monsters increased significantly. The creatures near the entrance had been small and weak, but deeper inside, they were much larger and more menacing.

Driven purely by instinct, the monsters drooled as they lunged from every direction.

Of course, none of them even managed to touch Ersivan before being cut down. He handled them effortlessly, his swordplay almost artistic.

Even as a novice, Diana could see that he was exerting far too much effort for such insignificant foes.

“Surely not…”

She blinked.

“Surely it’s not because of me.”

…It couldn’t be.

No matter how freely she let herself indulge in foolish thoughts, this one was too much. Even if it was just a fleeting notion, she felt embarrassed for even entertaining it.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?”

A scoffing voice corrected her thoughts.

“Anyone can see it’s because of you.”

“That can’t be.”

“Oh, so you think he’s just showing off? Do you really believe that?”

Between the two possibilities, the idea that Ersivan was doing it for her sake was actually more plausible.

“But I have a shield, so there’s no need…”

“Seems like he can’t even tolerate the thought of that shield breaking.”

Diana blinked, over and over again, struggling to process the words. The spirit chuckled softly, amused.

Emotions were things that everyone but the person feeling them could see clearly.

“So, did you muster up the courage today just to stand there and watch?”

“…”

“Sure, admiring his noble face from a distance is nice, but isn’t it a waste to use this one and only chance like that?”

Annoyingly, everything the spirit said was correct.

Diana cleared her throat, gathering her resolve. She steadied her voice, preparing to call out to him.

“We’re going deeper. Have you been hurt anywhere?”

Before she could, he spoke first, making her lose her timing.

Feeling awkward, she simply followed Ersivan as he stepped forward.

The cave, already dim, grew darker and more ominous. The air carried a foreboding sense of something lurking within, like the kind of dungeons where demon kings resided in fairy tales.

Suddenly, Ersivan halted and turned back to her.

“The item I entrusted to you—could you take it out?”

He must have meant the mask he had given her to hold before they entered.

Diana reached into her cloak, retrieving the mask she had kept safe. She smoothed it out before handing it to him, assuming he meant to wear it.

But instead of putting it on himself, he wrapped it around her face.

“The air inside isn’t good. It may be uncomfortable, but try to keep it on as much as possible.”

“But what about you, Your Highness? Evan, are you not going to wear one?”

“This much is nothing. My body naturally purifies itself.”

Though she wasn’t entirely convinced, Diana couldn’t bring herself to reject his concern outright. Nor could she throw a tantrum about the possibility of feeling unwell.

Ersivan, now standing a fair distance away, once again raised his sword. He swept back his sweat-dampened bangs, took a deep breath, and brought his sword down with force.

The monsters—some as large as him, some even bigger—fell without a sound, just like before.

She could feel the mask against her lips and chin with every breath she took. The rough fabric was irritating at first, but then his words echoed in her mind.

“The one to protect me, my lifeline.”

Why did he always prioritize her in every situation?

Why was it that, while he showed not the slightest interest in others, he was constantly on edge when it came to her?

“…Evan.”

The distance between them, coupled with the mask muffling her voice, made it come out as a murmur. She doubted he would hear her, but somehow, Ersivan understood.

“Speak.”

His broad, unwavering back stood out against the dim light. For some reason, she found it frustrating that she couldn’t see his face.

“Did you know me before?”

She couldn’t even confirm what kind of expression he wore as she asked the question.

Realizing that her words had been unclear, Diana revised her question with more precision.

“If I were to tell the truth… I have no memories of my childhood. When I opened my eyes, I was in a small, shabby room in the slums.”

“…”

“In the part of my memory that I don’t remember… were you there?”

Perhaps she hadn’t needed to ask at all.

Ersivan, who had been listening intently, suddenly let go of his sword at her final question.

A sharp clang rang out as metal clashed against the stone floor.

When she looked up, Ersivan Valencia was already turned toward her, his pupils trembling violently.

“High-ranking monsters resemble humans in appearance and even possess intelligence. Because of that, they are difficult to deal with unless one has exceptional skill. Their abilities are already formidable, and when combined with strategy, they become even more dangerous.”

Just as Ersivan had warned, the upper-tier monsters were not only humanoid but also cunning.

The moment he dropped his sword, the monsters seized their chance.

She saw them—a horde lunging forward, shrieking loud enough to rupture her eardrums.

No matter how skilled and powerful Ersivan was, a sudden ambush would still be difficult to counter.

At that moment, Diana moved without thinking.

Still dazed from the shock, he didn’t react as she reached for him with one hand while drawing the dagger from her chest with the other.

Pressing down on the jewel embedded in the dagger, the short blade extended into a longsword.

She kicked off the ground, sword raised, leaping into the air.

Her body felt impossibly light, as if she were no heavier than a feather.

“Evan! Duck!”

Ersivan instinctively lowered himself.

In that fleeting moment, Diana descended from above, throwing herself into the horde of monsters that had been closing in on him.

Swinging her sword diagonally, the blade suddenly curved, generating a violent storm.

The monsters screamed, their voices disturbingly human, as they were swept away by the raging wind.

“What… is this…?”

Startled, Diana let go of the sword, and the turbulent wind vanished instantly.

Now, however, the monsters had shifted their focus.

Recognizing her as the greatest threat, they turned their fury on her, enraged by the death of their kin.

Ersivan, seeing the creatures closing in to tear her apart, finally snapped back to his senses.

Snatching up his fallen sword, he mercilessly cut down anything that reached for her.

He didn’t even use any of his advanced techniques—he didn’t need to. The monsters died painfully, their bodies sliced apart repeatedly until their suffering finally ended.

“Don’t open your eyes.”

The corpses of the monsters looked disturbingly human.

Their blood, a dark crimson, gave off an ominous presence—something Diana would surely be shaken to see.

Covering her eyes with his hand, Ersivan kicked aside the carcasses littering the ground.

The thick blood that had splattered onto his boots dripped onto the ground as he shook it off.

“…Is it over?”

At her quiet question, his body briefly tensed.

She didn’t know what he had just done.

Yet somehow, it felt as though she had seen right through him.

For a moment, a strange anxiety gripped him.

Forcing himself to smile with ease, he lifted his hand from her face.

Just as Diana had parts of herself she didn’t want him to see, he, too, had a side of himself he wanted to keep hidden from her.

“Yes. It’s over.”

Even in the darkness, her violet eyes shone brilliantly.

Standing there, staring at him, she was preparing to ask the question he already knew was coming.

A question he hoped she wouldn’t ask— And yet, one he knew he would have to answer eventually.

“Then, you can answer me now.”

“…”

“In the memories I’ve lost… were you there?”

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