Chapter 37

I recalled what had just happened.

My sword followed exactly the trajectory Nine had taught me, and at the end of that path was Roana’s neck.

Caught off guard by an opponent she had never expected, Roana looked at me with startled eyes.

But only for a moment. Trained as a knight, she immediately traced the arc of my blade with her eyes.

Yet, what use was the reflexes of her youthful knightly days?

Her body, ruined by alcohol, could not follow her perception or will.

She tried belatedly to twist away, but instead, her stiffened body lost balance as her upper half jerked back.

My sword, which she failed to block, slipped into the opening in an instant.

“……”

“……”

Silence fell over the training ground.

By the time Roana barely managed to steady herself, the edge of my blade was already poised at her throat.

Time seemed frozen as Roana and I faced each other, even forgetting to breathe.

On her neck, a thin line cut by my blade welled up a bead of blood.

“…The victor is the Duchess, Lady Chacha Eclipse!”

A ringing voice thundered between me and Roana.

At that booming declaration, the excitement of clashing blades drained from me.

The sensation of regaining my scattered wits was like waking from a dream, or like surfacing from deep underwater.

The sounds of the surroundings rushed into my ears all at once.

“Huh?”

“Really? The Duchess won?”

Murmurs of surprise and disbelief rippled through the crowd.

Only then did the reality of my victory sink into my skin.

I withdrew my sword and released a breath I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding.

Perhaps overcome by the pain and shock of defeat, Roana collapsed to the ground as soon as the blade left her throat.

As stunned as she was, the spectators, who had been equally struck with disbelief, soon erupted into cheers directed at me.

“Wow!”

“Duchess! Congratulations!”

Because everyone had expected me to lose, they grew even more exhilarated at the overturned result.

I caught my breath as their cheers rained down.

Though all around me rejoiced in my victory, for me the duel was not yet finished.

Clang.

I planted my sword into the ground of the training field and approached Roana.

Just as at the beginning, the duel was only truly concluded when the two opponents shook hands. That act itself was an acceptance of the result.

I did not think she would throw away her honor by rejecting it, but even if she did, and tried to attack me with her sword, the vice-captain would intervene to stop her.

“Lady Roana.”

Standing before her, I held out my hand. Roana blinked and stared up at it.

“Ha…”

She let out a hollow laugh, as if unsure whether it was bitter or merely weary.

At that sight, not only I but Annie and Sir Kroel nearby also stiffened nervously.

Yet, contrary to our tension, Roana quietly lowered her sword, rose to her feet, and brushed the dirt from herself.

Straightening her attire and posture, she grasped my hand firmly. There was no provocation, no excessive pressure—

It was a handshake in true acknowledgment of the outcome.

It’s over.

At last, the duel with Roana was completely finished. I felt the strength drain from my body, long held rigid with tension.

Only then did I lift my gaze from our clasped hands to meet hers.

And now, Roana looked utterly different from the woman I had known until this moment.

The constant annoyance and irritation on her face had vanished, replaced with an expression that seemed almost refreshed.

“…Duchess! That was a truly splendid duel!”

“Thank you, Sir Kroel.”

Sir Kroel, seizing the moment, approached us with a sly smile in his eyes.

Though he spoke to me first, it seemed more to open the way for conversation; immediately, he leaned toward Roana with a teasing tone.

“You don’t mean to say you lost because of the drink, do you?”

At his words, Roana shot him a glare and then closed her eyes as if to dismiss him. But Kroel didn’t stop there.

“Well, drinking before a duel was your choice, so of course you wouldn’t think that! Ha ha! Then again, you are narrow-minded enough for it!”

“……”

“…Sir Kroel?”

As he tapped Roana’s shoulder, clowning around, I grew more anxious than amused.

Though his antics did help to lighten the atmosphere, I worried it might turn sour instead.

Not wanting the sparks to fly my way, I quietly stepped back from them and glanced around.

Where is Nine?

The attendants and knights were chatting in small groups, though I could feel their attention still lingering on me.

But the one I most wished to thank—Nine—was nowhere to be seen.

I was sure I had seen him still present until the handshake, but he had slipped away without notice.

Suppressing my disappointment, I decided I would thank him later.

And just then, a cold voice rose at my side.

“I knew you’d lose! Always drinking like that…”

“Hey.”

At Roana’s low murmur, the air went deathly still. Though the duel was finished, I felt a cold sweat bead on my skin.

Sir Kroel… how far did you push her?

Unable to intervene, I watched tensely. Kroel, either oblivious or deliberately ignoring the tension, answered without shrinking back.

“Why? Don’t you think it’s funny yourself?”

“Ha.”

Ha?

“Hahaha!”

Suddenly, Roana burst into hearty laughter.

For a moment, I doubted my own ears.

Clutching her stomach, tears in her eyes, she laughed uncontrollably, while Kroel pointed at her and joined in.

What on earth was this?

“Ahaha…! Ha, whew!”

As the two of them roared with laughter loud enough to shake the training ground, everyone else stared, baffled.

When at last the laughter ebbed, I cautiously asked, “…Are you both all right?”

“Oh, perfectly fine, Duchess,” Kroel answered. And Roana added: “It’s been so long since I last laid in the dirt.”

Her tone to me had become polite.

So suddenly, right after the duel?

Though inwardly taken aback, I forced myself to smile naturally.

Roana, looking at me, smiled deeply as well.

It was not a mocking smirk, but a genuine smile—and that, more than anything, startled me again.

“Well then, be sure to treat the cut on your neck. I’ll excuse myself now.”

I offered a courteous farewell, handed my sword to the knight at my side, and turned away.

I could feel the gazes of all gathered following me. But in those gazes, there was no longer worry or suspicion.

I had taken another step forward in this place.

And it did not feel bad at all.

From that day on, Roana changed.

Even now, days later, she not only kept to the “no drinking” condition she had staked in the duel, but also began training her body and swordsmanship every morning and evening, as she had in her knightly days.

And then—

“My sister visits often these days,” Adel told me as we walked toward my office.

“She doesn’t tell me not to play with you anymore, and even when I’ve already had plenty in the office, she still brings more snacks.”

Not only was she treating me with respect, but she was also making efforts to approach Adel.

Though Adel grumbled about it to me when we were alone, his expression showed he didn’t truly dislike the change.

“You’re lucky, Adel. But remember, don’t eat too much before meals.”

“I know! You always say that. And… um.”

“Yes?”

“Can she eat dinner with us tonight?”

Though still wary of how Roana had once treated me, he asked carefully, watching my reaction.

I bent down to his level with a wide smile, so he would no longer need to worry.

“Of course. In fact, shall we invite her for both dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow?”

“…Yeah!”

Adel’s face bloomed with a bright grin. Almost bursting with excitement, he wriggled in place before dashing ahead down the hall.

“Then I’ll go tell her!”

“Take your time—don’t run!”

“Okay!”

I waved after him, then returned to my office.

As I removed my cloak, Annie followed to take it.

When I sat down, I noticed something unfamiliar placed atop my desk.

“…?”

A simple card, plain and without decoration. Annie, while putting away the cloak, asked, “What sort of card is that?”

“Not sure.”

Tilting my head curiously, I turned it over.

On the back, in a familiar hand, was a short note:

[Tomorrow at 3 p.m., at the greenhouse. – Nine Eclipse]

“……”

Written in elegant script, it was an invitation to tea.

From none other than Nine himself.