Chapter 104

‘The steak, the table, the fork, the knife—maybe even the napkin is what’s beautiful.’

 

I tried to hypnotize myself into a petty mental victory, pretending he was talking about inanimate objects, but it was an absurd thought.

 

‘The only thing here to call beautiful is me.’

 

My father, Winnie, and Norman—all the “hedgehog parents” in my life who saw only my best side—had always showered me with praise. I thought I had developed an immunity to being called pretty, but my heart began to thud against my ribs. I had never felt this kind of turbulence in my chest before.

 

‘Am I… a sucker for a handsome face?’

 

To have my heart race just because he looks like Freyer… Lilithia Baimery, you’ve clearly lost your mind. A wave of guilt washed over me, feeling like I was betraying Freyer. Amidst my confusion, Scarlet stepped in to settle the situation.

 

“Our Lilithia is quite the beauty, isn’t she? But you see, Lilithia already has an owner—”

 

“O-owner?!”

 

She hadn’t settled the confusion; she had invited chaos. My face turned crimson in an instant, and I raised my voice, cutting Scarlet off. We weren’t “like that” yet, but there was only one person who came to mind at the word “owner.” But I had never mentioned Freyer to Scarlet—how could she possibly know?

 

With crescent-shaped eyes, Scarlet teased playfully.

 

“Because I’ve claimed Lilithia for myself.”

 

Scarlet gave me a wink. Just as I thought the atmosphere had lightened thanks to her joke—

 

Thwack!

 

Before I knew it, Scarlet had pulled a jackknife from her bodice and slammed it into the table. She let out a fiery shout.

 

“So! If you want Lilithia, you’ll have to beat me to win her!”

 

“Eh…?”

 

The sound of air escaping my lungs was the only response I could muster. Scarlet yanked me to my feet and began dragging me away. With a boisterous laugh, she pushed my shoulders toward Kyle and shouted: “If you’ve got the guts, come to the training grounds!”

 

 

***

 

 

As it became clear a real duel was about to happen, I tried my best to stop Scarlet. Today was the second day of her birthday celebrations. The grand banquet was only hours away. Even if she wore a tailcoat instead of a dress, preparation would take time. Every second was precious, yet Scarlet seemed completely indifferent to the evening’s festivities.

 

The scorching sun beat down on Scarlet and Kyle as they faced each other.

 

“You won’t win easily.”

 

“I don’t intend to go easy on you either.”

 

I, the “prize” of this match, pressed a hand to my forehead.

 

‘Oh, Scarlet.’

 

A groan escaped through my teeth. I couldn’t fathom what Kyle was thinking, agreeing to such a match. We’d barely met—could he really have fallen for me that quickly?

 

‘That’s impossible.’

 

The knights, pushed to the sidelines by the impending duel, huddled behind me and whispered.

 

“Who is the Princess’s opponent?”

 

“Never seen him before. Is he from the Second Division?”

 

“He’s not from our order.”

 

“Then who is he?”

 

“Look at how he holds his sword, though. He’s clearly a master.”

 

Curious glances mixed with looks of pity fell upon Kyle.

 

“Still, it’ll be hard to beat Her Highness.”

 

It was a natural sentiment; Scarlet was a renowned powerhouse.

 

“You think so too, don’t you, Knight Commander?”

 

At the mention of the title, I turned my head to find Siphiel standing there, arms crossed, watching the field.

 

“Well. We’ll have to watch and see.”

 

Soon, gold and blue auras erupted from Scarlet’s and Kyle’s blades as they leveled them at each other. The duel—with Lilithia Baimery on the line—had begun.

 

 

***

 

 

The duel showed no signs of ending, and dust billowed up from the dirt floor of the arena.

 

‘What’s happening?’

 

I squinted, trying to see Scarlet and Kyle through the gray haze, but their figures were blurred.

 

Clang!

 

A flash of fire erupted within the dust, followed by a blinding spark and a massive roar. I could only track their positions through the sounds and the light.

 

Boom! Crash!

 

A golden aura soared into the sky, followed by another thunderous impact.

 

“It must be over now.”

 

“Looks like the Princess’s victory.”

 

The knights stared intently. Just then, Kyle was sent skidding back, crossing the boundary line of the arena. Seeing him covered in dust, something surged in my chest.

 

‘That man, Kyle… he isn’t even out of breath.’

 

With a lopsided smirk, Kyle adjusted his sword and dove back into the dust cloud.

 

“Oho…”

 

“Impressive.”

 

“I’ve never seen anyone duel Her Highness on equal footing like that.”

 

“Though I’m sure Princess Scarlet will still take the win.”

 

The knights had already decided the outcome. Most of them had never beaten Scarlet, and few could best a Princess whose swordsmanship surpassed even the Kingdom’s Knight Commander. I, too, having seen her fight before, had assumed her victory was a foregone conclusion.

 

‘But why… why do I find myself wanting that man to win?’

 

Clang! Clash! Clang!

 

Flashes of blurred blue light flickered within the haze. A low vibration began to rattle the ground ominously. A tsunami of dust rolled toward the edges of the arena, engulfing me and the knights.

 

“Hmph.”

 

I quickly covered my mouth, but the dust invaded my nose and throat instantly, irritating the sensitive skin.

 

Hack, cough.

 

I coughed into my hands. I heard the knights cheering and clapping—the winner had been decided. But I couldn’t care less about the victor right now. My eyes were watering from the continuous coughing. I tried to swallow hard, but it wasn’t enough to quell the fit. Just as tears began to bead at the corners of my eyes—

 

“Vice-Head Leader Lilithia.”

 

I looked up through my struggle. Siphiel was holding out a water bottle.

 

“Drinking this will help the coughing stop.”

 

“Tha—cough—thank you.”

 

Without a moment to wonder where he’d come from, I grabbed the water like a lifeline. The acrid dust that filled my throat washed away. My eyes, nose, and throat had certainly been through a lot today. Once I settled down, I handed the bottle back to Siphiel. He was practically my savior.

 

“Thank you so much.”

 

“I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

 

Before Siphiel could take the bottle, another hand reached out and grabbed it. It was Kyle, wearing a disgruntled expression.

 

“Thanks.”

 

Before I could blink, Kyle took the bottle from my hand and quenched his own thirst. Only then did I look toward the center of the arena to see Scarlet sitting in the dirt, covered in dust, with her sword planted outside the boundary line.

 

“Lilithia, I’m sorry! Your owner has changed!”

 

Scarlet’s cheerful shout made the world go faint. In the end, Scarlet did what Scarlet does. Kyle was the winner of the duel for me. That was why the knights had been clapping.

 

‘Even if it was a joke, you should have won…’

 

He couldn’t be serious, could he? Kyle finished drinking and wiped the moisture from his reddened lips with the back of his hand.

 

“It seems Vice-Head Leader Lilithia Baimery’s owner has indeed changed.”

 

His words sent a shiver down my spine.

 

“You’re joking, right?”

 

“If I were joking, I wouldn’t have accepted a challenge from the Princess.”

 

My head spun. The faint smile on Kyle’s face made it clear he was being sincere. I couldn’t understand it. We’d only just met—how could he be so serious about a duel for me? My gaze locked with his unreadable golden eyes.

 

My heart began to thud again. The moment he turned his head with a bittersweet smile, the pounding finally stopped.

 

I hadn’t been taking my medicine lately because I was so busy. Was the illness recurring because of that? Otherwise, there was no reason for my heart to fluctuate like this.

 

‘I need to start taking my medicine again.’

 

Just as I was steeling my resolve to focus on my health, a dry, cold voice rang out.

 

“What exactly do you and my sister think you are doing?”

 

Siphiel stood there, his expression frozen in ice. He hadn’t known the reason behind the duel. Scarlet, who had made her way over, wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

 

“We dueled to win Lilithia, didn’t we?”

 

“And did you obtain Vice-Head Leader Baimery’s consent?” Siphiel asked.

 

It was true; my will hadn’t been reflected in the duel at all. Scarlet laughed at the icy Siphiel, but his expression didn’t soften.

 

“It was a joke! A joke.”

 

“How can you treat a person like an object?”

 

“I consented to the duel too!” I blurted out.

 

If I didn’t say something, this situation was going to turn into a walk-in freezer.

 

“You consented?” Siphiel repeated.

 

“Of course!”

 

I thought the cold atmosphere was finally dissipating, but it turned out I was mistaken.