A Villainess pulled out the Sword instead of the Hero.

“One sheep, two sheep… three moonworts… no, not this one!” 

Apparently, Raon had done what she asked.

 

In fact, the moonwort distributed to the VIP participants was fake.

 

They were merely a mimicry of a herb that produced a luminescent effect.

 

‘How can you give away something that’s so hard to get?’

 

It wasn’t even clear if Percival’s mother had gotten it. Morgana, too, was waiting impatiently for a letter.

 

She had her reasons for handing them out to VIP guests after calling them moonwort.

 “Hmm, so it’s Moonwort? Can I peek at it now?” “It’s supposed to work at night. It’s too early in the day.” 

Turning to Guinevere, who reacted badly, Marleau proudly straightened her shoulders to show off the pendant.

 “But I have a gift for you, my dear. Come, Lily!” 

At her call, the maid who had flashed the picture frame last time entered, this time carrying a large batch of tea.

 

‘It’s all that’s left over from the harvest…’

 

The strength of her arms must not have been an illusion, as she easily lifted the load with both hands.

 

Morgana, who had been waiting behind Maren, extended her arm to receive the dessert and tea.

 “Give it to me. I’ll carry it for you!” 

Morgana’s hand grazed Lily’s as she took the box from her.

 

In an instant, the countess’s maid staggered.

 

Lily, who had been stunned into silence, floundered like a dazed person.

 “Uh, uh…? Sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” 

Guinevere, who had been watching from the couch, chimed in nonchalantly.

 “Sometimes carrying heavy things makes her tired. Let her rest.” “Yes, Your Highness.” 

Somehow, that sounded too much like a whimper.

 

Morgana helped her to her feet, and Lily staggered to her senses.

 “I apologize. I haven’t been sleeping well lately, and I’m sorry for my mistake.” 

Hastily straightening her clothes, she grabbed the box of tea and dessert.

 

‘What’s the big deal…?’

Morgana asked, embarrassed.

 

More than anything else, she felt strangely out of it.

 

‘Lord Caradoc suffered from sleeplessness, and was delirious during the day.’

 

Lily’s condition was much better, so I couldn’t really put my finger on it.

 

But a nagging feeling of reluctance followed Morgana like a tail. Eventually, she handed over the remaining box, gently imbuing her with power.

 

‘Just in case.’ 

 

Afterward, everyone went to the VIP banquet and came to see Guinevere, adorning Moonwort with dress ribbons, bags, and necklaces.

 

As the trend spread, the young ladies who weren’t able to attend the VIPs expressed their disappointment.

 “I should have bought some herbs earlier.” “I’m going to sweep up some on my way back from the palace today, so come with me!”

Seeing this, Mauren turned to her.

 “Why don’t you buy some moonwort in Tir na Nog, too?” “They say it’s not for sale.” “We are who we are, the Royal Family of Britain. How does it make sense that you would turn down a royal title while doing business in Britain?” 

Well done, Mauren!

 

Not that Guinevere cares, but this has already been the second thief.

 

A loyal servant should have seen Moonwort and offered to rescue him.

 

‘Then I won’t have to ask the Princess to wear the Moonwort around her neck!’

 

Morgana cheered her on.

 “That’s right! Moonwort isn’t the most basic of herbs, isn’t it?” 

Guinevere replied, chewing on two cookies at once, not really caring.

 “Well, whatever. Morgana’s bought herbs before, so I’m guessing she knows how to shop. You can get one.” “Of course!” 

Morgana nodded quickly, not wanting to change her mind.

 

With her permission granted, Morgana rushed to her quarters as soon as she was done.

 

When she got to her room, she found the light bulb had already been switched off, leaving a puddle on the bed.

 “She ate all the breadcrumbs.” 

Collecting the empty bowl, she sat down on the bed and picked up the three letters.

 

Two were from Raon, and one was about Percival’s mother.

 “What’s the other one?” 

Morgana scratched her head as she looked at the neat, unsigned letter.

 

The first letter she opened was from Raon.

 

「My lady, the reception went well. As for your earlier request to find a wizard, let’s give up on Britain. No, but Confucius came to the tavern today. Shall I tell him?」

 

Morgana sighed.

 

Wizards who could make tools are rare. What’s more, the clock was ticking, and time was running out.

 

I have to ask Confucius again. Since I had to communicate across a distance, I didn’t know what he liked.

 “Hmm, well, if a wizard is hard to come by, so be it.” 

This time, I had saved up quite a bit of herbal tea, so I was prepared to send it by force if it didn’t work.

 

Now that Guinevere had instructed me to get Moonwort, I had the perfect excuse to leave.

 

The next letter was from Percival. He was just learning to write, so his handwriting was crooked. He even misspelled a few words.

 

「Dear Morgana, My mother found the Moonwort and sent it to me, and I have it in the storeroom as a traveling charm! I tied the blue ribbon to the bottle!」

 

Morgana immediately rummaged through her bag.

 

True to Percival’s word, there was a new bottle with a blue ribbon tied neatly around it.

 “Okay, we can give this one to her tomorrow.” 

Thinking she should take a gift for Percy on her way out, she tore open the last letter.

 

It was from Brenna, the pink-eyed lady of the Kingdom of Arca.

 

Morgana’s eyes narrowed even more questioningly at the name.

 “This is strange. I don’t remember ordering Brenna to do anything…?” 

The mercenaries have been assigned to keep an eye on Count Marleau.

 

Tomorrow, when they met, she would hear from Raon herself.

 

The letter began with a question, but the more I read, the more my mouth dropped open.

 

「Miss Morgana, this is Brenna. I apologize for the abruptness. There was a person in the hall that I sensed was enchanted. At Countess Lady Marleau’s table of honor.」

 

She was from the Kingdom of Arca, and there was something in her eyes. That made me even more puzzled.

 

‘Countess Marleau doesn’t know how to use magic or swords?’ 

 

No. She was too primitive to be able to wield a sword with training.

 

There was no skill involved, not even the slightest will to scratch with her nails.

 

It was simply a hand that flew off in anger.

 

‘Given her personality, I’m inclined to believe it’s a curse.’

 

But then she read the next sentence. Morgana couldn’t help but realize.

 

「Not Countess Lady Marleau, but the maid behind her, a woman who looked to be in her early twenties with brown hair pulled back into a low bun, please examine her.」

 

Flipping open the picture frame, she looked particularly flustered today.

 “Lily…” 

The curse was black magic.

 

Black magic was magic, and it required the use of sorcery.

 

It wasn’t strange that Brenna could see it. Behaviors that had been mildly curious fit together like a puzzle.

 

‘As soon as I touched her, she suddenly collapsed, didn’t she?’

 

In Lord Caradoc’s recent history, the curse solidified into nightmares at night.

 

Which led naturally to what Lily had said.

 “I’m sorry, my lady. I haven’t been sleeping well lately, and I apologize for my mistake.” 

What if she’d been under some sort of curse, and touching her had woken her up…?

 

Realizing this, Morgana took a deep breath and swept a hand across her chest.

 “Well, good thing I sneaked my power in.” 

If it was a shallow curse, less power would have been enough to break it.

 “No, but who the hell…” 

Who would curse a Count’s maid?

 

And she didn’t come from an ordinary background. She was the maid of the Count of Aestiva, and nowhere else.

 

A count who would soon be wiped clean off the map of Britain with the kidnapping of Guinevere.

 

‘Uh…? And the Count Mellowart?’

 

A chill went down her spine. Morgana shrugged and closed the window.

 “Ugh, look how cold it is.” 

Apparently, the nature of the kidnapping was not simply to obtain Excalibur.