The Villainess is my fiance: But she is gentle towards me

After the problem of crossing the river was finally solved, the mood in the room changed at once.

Everyone's eyes brightened.

It felt like a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

The hardest obstacle was gone, and hope had finally walked back into the room.

Everyone at the table looked at Vivian with pride.

His father smiled, commander Vikram nodded, and the emperor simply stared with quiet admiration.

For a moment, he felt the respect that only real solutions can earn.

After a short while, once they finished talking about who would bring the materials, the emperor straightened in his seat.

"Now that these matters are settled," he said, "there is one last question. Who will take the vanguard?"

The room froze again.

The air felt tight, as if everyone was thinking the same thing but no one wanted to be the first to speak.

Commander Vikram stood up at last. His voice was steady.

"I will take the vanguard—"

But before he could finish, the emperor raised his hand and cut him off.

"No," the emperor said firmly.

"You cannot. Do not forget the Zakir Empire. They are waiting for a chance to strike. I need you to guard the eastern border."

Vikram's jaw tightened. He wanted to fight in the main battle.

Anyone could see that. But the emperor's order was final.

After a moment, he lowered his head and sat back down.

He had no choice but to accept it.

The room stayed heavy for a moment.

Then Duke Sant, Vivian's grandfather, stood up slowly.

His voice was calm but strong.

"Your Majesty," he said, "how about this? My son-in-law and I can take the vanguard."

He explained his plan calmly.

"You just need to give us around thirty thousand infantry and twenty thousand knights. That will be enough."

He paused and looked at his son-in-law, who was sitting quietly but clearly agreed.

Then he added, "If we count everyone properly, we have four powerhouses."

By "powerhouses," he meant warriors at Swordmaster level or higher.

Vivian listened, but his brows pulled together.

Something wasn't right.

"Grandfather… there are five," he said. "If we count Uncle—"

Before he could finish, Duke Sant turned and gave him a small smile.

"We are not counting you, grandson."

Vivian froze.

"Why?!" he shouted as he jumped to his feet.

"I'm a Swordmaster too, so why aren't you counting me?"

His voice almost cracked.

It sounded like a child who'd just had his favorite toy taken away.

If he wasn't allowed to go… how was he supposed to kill them?

That thought burned inside him, sharp and hot, and it showed on his face.

His grandfather didn't answer him.

Instead, Vined, Vivian's father, let out a slow breath and spoke.

"Look, son… even though you are a Swordmaster, you're still too young."

His voice dragged a little, as if something else weighed on his mind.

A certain person's face flashed before him, and he added quietly, "And besides… your mother will never accept it."

Vivian clenched his fists.

"But Father, I can protect myself. And if I go, the chance of taking down another Swordmaster will be higher. I can help!"

Vined shook his head.

"Listen, son. You are young. If you were a Grandmaster, then maybe… maybe I could let you join the vanguard. But not now."

The words hit Vivian like a stone. His chest tightened.

His plan, his long-awaited plan to kill the Tramplins, felt like it was falling apart right in front of him.

He had waited so long for this. So long.

His voice shook as he tried again. "But Father… you are also a Swordmaster."

The anxiety in him twisted deeper, making the words spill out before he could stop them.

Seeing Vivian's shaken face, Vined let out another sigh.

His son never reacted like this, so something in his heart softened.

"You really think so, huh?" he said quietly.

Then he stood up.

The room went still as he released his aura.

It hit Vivian like a wave.

Heavy. Deep. Sharp.

Nothing like before.

"G–Grandmaster…?" Vivian gasped, his eyes wide. His breath caught in his throat.

When?

How?

The last time they sparred, just a few months ago, his father had been at the very peak of Swordmaster.

Vivian remembered it clearly.

Even a few minutes earlier, he had been certain his father was still at that stage.

But now… this was different.

This was a Grandmaster's aura.

Vined took a slow breath before speaking.

"When we sparred last time, I was still a Swordmaster," he said.

"At that time, I had no enlightenment. But after that fight… something clicked. I understood something I had been missing."

He looked at his own hand as if remembering that moment.

"And with that understanding, I created my Genesis."

Vivian blinked. Genesis…?" he repeated, confused.

"Yes," Vined said with a nod.

"I was stuck at Swordmaster for almost twenty years. Vikram and I reached Swordmaster at the same time."

He let out a soft breath and continued, "So tell me… why do you think he reached Ascended four years ago, but I couldn't even reach Grandmaster until now?"

There was weight in his voice.

A weight built over two decades of trying, failing, and trying again.

Vikram was not just his friend. He was his rival since childhood.

They trained together, fought together, pushed each other.

So when his rival rose higher and higher… while he stayed stuck… the pain was sharp.

Anyone would feel it.

"He had clarity," Vined said.

"He knew what he was chasing. He had a strong ideal in his heart. That's why he reached Grandmaster thirteen years ago."

Vined's eyes lowered.

"But I didn't have anything like that. I was stuck at the early stage of Swordmaster long before I married your mother."

At that, Duke Sant let out a light, polite cough—"ahem"—as if reminding him to watch his words.

Vined didn't stop.

"For many years, I stayed at that early stage," he said.

"I felt trapped… like this was where my path as a warrior would end. I was lost, covered by despair."

His eyes softened suddenly.

"But after a year… your mother was pregnant with you."

His voice warmed, filled with quiet nostalgia as he looked at Vivian, a warmth deep enough to soothe all those years of frustration.

"During that year," Vined continued, "I stopped all training. I even stopped cultivating. I spent my time with your mother… taking care of her."

His eyes softened as memories rose in his mind.

It was clear he wasn't just telling a story, he was reliving it.

Those days felt close, like they had happened yesterday.

Calm mornings, small smiles, quiet moments, soft worries… all those simple things he once shared with Vivian's mother while waiting for their child to enter the world.

"They were beautiful days," he said quietly.

"In that time, I forgot everything except you and your mother."

He let out a tiny laugh, not loud, but warm.

"And the day you were born… that was the day I reached the mid-stage of Swordmaster."

Vivian's eyes widened, but he stayed silent.

Hearing his father speak like this, openly, honestly, took the words right out of his mouth.

Vined continued, his voice steady.

"That day, I understood something. My strength… my growth… it was tied to my family bond. So I focused on it. I accepted it. And after ten long years, I finally reached the peak of Swordmaster."

He looked at Vivian again, calm but proud, as if all those years of struggle were worth it for this moment.

Vined continued speaking, his gaze growing even warmer.

"And recently, when I needed that final push, I had that spar with you. That fight pushed me into the grandmaster realm."

His voice carried quiet pride.

"You are my blessing, Vivian. That's why I can't let you do something so dangerous until I feel you are ready."

His tone was firm, leaving no space to argue.

Vivian looked at him, biting his lip.

Hearing those words from his father made the wild urge to kill those people fade away.

He stared for a moment, then let out a long breath.

"I understand, Father."

He was just about to sit down when another question popped into his mind.

"Father… you said you created Genesis. What is that?"

Vined, who had been standing, slowly sat down again.

He looked at Vivian and smiled gently.

"It's like a vessel that holds your understanding of your emotions, your thoughts, and your heart."

Vivian frowned. He still didn't fully understand.

Vined noticed this and leaned forward.

"Think of Genesis as a kind of water flow," he said.

"It takes your emotions, your understanding, and your heart, and gathers them together. Then it turns them into something you can use, almost like a weapon."

Vivian's eyes softened a bit, but the confusion didn't disappear.

He felt like his father was talking about something big, something important, but he didn't yet know how deep it really went.

And Vined could tell.

So he kept his smile warm and patient, ready to explain more when Vivian was ready to hear it.