I'm in Love with the Villainess!-Chapter 170: Prodigies Really Are Built Different...

"You’re cuter," I replied with a smile.

"Okay, now you’re being corny."

Evelina laughed and closed the distance between us in an instant, her magic-enhanced speed far exceeding my expectations. Was she always this skilled, or was it because of the other two souls inside her?

Well... guess I have to take this a bit more seriously, especially since I’m weaker now.

She shot a quick jab at my chest, but I slipped just outside its range and caught her arm, clamping down on her elbow with one hand and her wrist with the other in a tight control grip.

"Needs some refinement."

I grinned smugly. This could be an interesting new dynamic... I’d never really thought about teaching her before, not even in my fantasies.

I released her arm and hopped back, resetting my stance and widening the gap between us.

"Try again."

Evelina nodded, her eyes flashing into a different color for a brief second—Trish’s color. Trish was a skilled fighter, and I could already see her influence in Evelina’s posture.

Problem is, I’m the one who taught Trish how to fight. Those tricks won’t work on me.

I slid my lead foot back just before she could hook it for a sweep, letting her leg cut through empty space and overextend. Her base shattered, she dropped low and ended up exposed on the ground—exactly what I expected from Trish’s style.

"That won’t work!"

I dipped in for a counter, but to my surprise she rolled away before I could bring my weight down. Mid-roll, she twisted her hips and snaked her legs around my arm, locking one thigh across my chest and the other over my neck in a tight armbar setup.

"E-Eh?"

T-1 never used an armbar before, did she?

[Photographic Memory]

FWOOSH!

Nope!

My feet left the ground as she kicked her hips up and used the leverage of her legs to flip me over, sending me crashing onto my back.

THUD!

THUD!

The breath rushed out of my lungs in a sharp grunt as the impact rattled through my spine. For a split second, the sky above us blurred, blue and white spinning together.

Evelina didn’t waste that second.

Her thighs tightened like iron around my trapped arm, hips lifting again to extend the pressure on the joint. It wasn’t perfect form—her angle was a little off—but it was close enough that my elbow definitely noticed.

"O-okay!" I raised my free hand quickly. "That one counts."

She froze for a moment, then loosened the hold.

"...Did I actually get you?"

I laughed, wincing at the lingering ache. "W-Where did you learn that?"

Evelina just grinned.

"I figured it out myself."

"W-What?"

"Remember when I left you to rest? Yeah—then."

So... if my theory was right and she really was behind the Whitestrake’s annihilation, when did she have time to add her own moves into Trish’s style? Did she do that in the middle of the fight?

I studied her face for a moment. She was wearing a slightly impish grin.

Of course she did. She’s a prodigy.

"Okay, that’s enough for a warmup."

"Already?" Her grin widened as she tightened her grip, making me wince even more.

"Y-Yeah!"

I grunted. The difference between having profaned healing and not having it was massive. Fighting people at my level actually hurt now. I really needed to stop underestimating people.

"Sigh... I missed my eye."

I chuckled as I stood up. Evelina finally got off me, hands on her hips as she looked down at me, satisfied. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"So, what’s the first step to getting a physique like yours?"

She obviously already knew the answer, but I guess even she had her own fantasy of being taught by a muscular trainer—or, more accurately, by me. I couldn’t really imagine her asking the same thing from any other muscular fighter.

Well... at least she’s having fun.

"Considering your style of fighting, we should start with legs first."

"Legs?" Evelina glanced down. It had been a while since she actually used them for their proper purpose. She’d been teleporting almost everywhere for a while now, after all. "I can do that."

"No using magic, though."

"H-Huh!?" Evelina immediately protested when I added the condition.

The original Evelina in the novel had been too far gone, but her weakness had likely stayed the same: her overreliance on magic.

I needed to fix that. Even if this was just for fun, it couldn’t hurt to actually help her get stronger.

"Can’t do it?"

I teased. Evelina was competent, but she was still a noble, after all. She still had similarities to someone like Vivianne, whether she liked it or not.

"Y-You..." Evelina let out a reluctant smile. "You’re getting way too cheeky."

Her crimson eyes flickered dangerously.

It took every ounce of my willpower not to ask her to punish me. My heart might not have been as weak as before, but my brain was still head over heels for her.

"I’ll reward you after, don’t worry."

"Reward?" Evelina raised a brow, clearly interested. She liked this side of me—taking charge now and then. "Okay, I’ll do it. So, how many laps?"

"Thirty."

Evelina’s eyes widened again. She opened her mouth to argue, but then her gaze went back to my muscles and the way the dirt clung to them. That shut her up immediately.

"You’d better make this worth it." She sighed and began running around the courtyard, while I watched and checked her form.

To be honest... I hadn’t expected her to be this bad at running. Thinking of her like that went against my entire worldview, but it was obvious she was specialized for magic.

She wasn’t the worst, per se, but compared to someone with high standards for physical combat like me, it wasn’t good.

I’d have to punish myself later for even daring to think badly of her.

"Straighten your posture and widen your steps. You’re wasting too much energy."

[Abyssal Lance]

The huge lance slammed into the ground beside me, barely missing my head.

"Don’t get too into it, I’d rather you still treat me with worship."

"Got it..." I said.