Enemies Meet at the Engagement Ceremony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As if he couldn’t understand, Seffield Emblem questioned,

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“It’s about Cherrya.”

 

“What’s the problem? My baby is doing well.”

 

“She’s only 7, yet she’s doing training several times more intense than what I did back then. If she pushes herself like this and ends up breaking her body, what will we do…”

 

Concerned, Melsia voiced her worries. Seffield Emblem responded with a snort.

 

“Why suddenly such weak talk? You know our Emblem blood is not so fragile. Besides, Cherrya is doing it willingly; I never asked her to do anything.”

 

Seffield Emblem defended himself, raising his hands to show his innocence. Melsia glared at her father, her eyes shining.

 

“Who’s been consistently relaying news about Enoch to the knights, then?”

 

Faced with Melsia’s remark, Seffield subtly avoided eye contact. There was nothing to say on this point.

 

Every morning before training, Seffield Emblem played the role of conveying news about Duke Gray to boost the knights’ morale.

 

‘Cough, cough. That Jade Gray fellow said his grandson mastered horizontal slashing today. Certainly, he must have heard that our Cherrya began practicing horizontal slashing and trained her intensively?’

 

‘Hmm, that Enoch Gray is no ordinary novice. He created an advanced move without even being taught by the Duke. It’s quite impressive…!’

 

‘Hmm, don’t tell our Cherrya about this! She might overexert herself, heheh!’

 

Unable to tell Cherrya directly, but indirectly conveying these messages to the Emblem knights, they enthusiastically shared the news with Cherrya.

 

Witnessing this dynamic of competition between the Gray Duke’s family and the Emblem knights, fueled indirectly through this process, was quite a spectacle.

 

Melsia felt overwhelmed, unsure of how to break free from this cycle.

 

“Look at that! What fiancée would trample her fiancé’s portrait like that!”

 

“Well, in this world, there might be some fiancées who would… somewhat…”

 

“Dad!”

 

“Oh dear. It seems our Cherrya might be thirsty. I’ll get her some water.”

 

Melsia’s fiery temper was too much for even the seasoned Seffield to handle. He subtly evaded her and swiftly approached Cherrya.

 

In the blink of an eye, Seffield, who had been watching her from a distance, rushed to Cherrya as he avoided Melsia. A cautious butler approached Melsia, who was eyeing Seffield.

 

“Lady Melsia, there’s something you need to see.”

 

“Ugh, what is it now?”

 

“It’s… ”

 

The butler cautiously lifted a velvet tray.

 

On the tray lay an official invitation with the imperial emblem engraved in gold.

 

“Isn’t this an imperial invitation? We’ve already received them for the scheduled imperial events, like the hunting competition. Why…?”

 

“It’s not for you and your father, milady.”

 

“What?”

 

Melsia, surprised, opened the invitation.

 

The first name prominently displayed in gold caught her eye.

 

[To Lady Cherrya Emblem:

 

His Imperial Majesty of the Grand Lutinas Empire invites you to the Imperial Official Hunting Competition.

 

Join us to celebrate the majesty and dignity of the Lutinas Empire. Your presence will not only honor your house but also showcase the glory of your lineage.

 

If you wish to attend, kindly resend this invitation to the Imperial Chief Chamberlain. We await your positive response.]

 

Melsia’s eyes widened as she examined the invitation.

 

“Our Cherrya is only seven years old, and she’s invited to the Imperial Hunting Competition…”

 

The butler’s expression mirrored Melsia’s dismay.

 

Invitations for imperial events were sent to all nobles in the empire. The list of invitations was usually compiled in the Emperor’s advisory office.

 

However, receiving all the invitations belatedly, at this stage, meant there might be a separate order from the Emperor.

 

“His Majesty seems to have taken an interest in the young lady.”

 

“… Check if the invitation also went to Duke Gray’s residence. It’s likely that Enoch received one as well.”

 

“Yes, I will verify immediately.”

 

The butler was about to hurry away but hesitated. He turned his head back slowly and asked Melsia,

 

“Surely His Majesty didn’t send the invitation for you to participate in the hunting competition?”

 

“… I need to visit the palace.”

 

Melsia hastily walked away. An uneasy feeling settled. The butler followed her quickly.

 

“……”

 

Watching from afar while wiping sweat from Cherrya’s forehead and offering water, Seffield observed Melsia and the butler.

 

“Grandpa, what are you looking at?”

 

Cherrya, somewhat out of breath, grabbed Seffield’s arm and asked. In response, Seffield casually smiled and kindly replied,

 

“Your mother seems to be taking a detour.”

 

“Where is she going?”

 

“She stopped by the palace for a moment.”

 

“Why just for a moment? Usually, once she goes, she stays for a long time.”

 

“Well…”

 

Seffield swept Cherrya’s hair down, lifting one corner of his mouth. The smile closely resembled that of Emperor Marchian Leopardo Lutinas.

 

“It’ll be more fun that way.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Our Cherrya doesn’t need to know just yet.”

 

Seffield lifted Cherrya with a swift motion. Feeling the sensation of soaring through the air, Cherrya giggled.

 

“Oh, you lovely thing! Thanks to you, Grandpa enjoys life!”

 

“Ahahaha! Grandpa, throw me up once more! It feels like riding an amusement park ride!”

 

“Hmm, what’s that?”

 

“There’s something like that! Hurry!”

 

“Here I go!”

 

Seffield threw Cherrya far away, and Cherrya’s small body floated in the air.

 

“Spread your wings, jump!”

 

“Well, who knows where you learned such strange words…”

 

Watching Cherrya occasionally utter unfamiliar words, Seffield felt the generation gap.

 

However, seeing his granddaughter’s bright smiling face, which was particularly lovely, he eventually burst into laughter together.

 

“Dad!”

 

Until Melsia, who discovered Cherrya shooting up towards the sky rather than heading to the palace in the distance, rushed over at full speed.

 

On the other hand, Duke Gray was no different from Emblem in terms of prestige.

 

“Hm!”

 

Enoch thrust his sword with a sharp gaze towards the scarecrow.

 

With a thud, accompanied by a sound, the tree supporting the scarecrow split apart.

 

“Haah, haah, haah…”

 

Duke Jade Gray looked at his grandson, who was breathing heavily with clenched fists.

 

The vice-commander of the Gray Knights whispered quietly beside Jade.

 

“Cherrya Emblem managed to defeat the scarecrow on her seventh attempt.”

 

“Tsk.”

 

Jade Gray clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. Enoch, upon hearing about Cherrya’s success, also managed to topple the scarecrow on his seventh try, yet there was no satisfaction in his demeanor.

 

It was expected, considering that Enoch had not grasped the sword ahead of Emblem’s women. Cherrya’s achievements so far were barely keeping up with Enoch through sheer determination and effort.

 

However, Jade Gray knew bone-deep that complacency was a grave mistake. While Cherrya had caught up with Enoch through sheer will, Enoch’s talent and prowess still outshone her. Yet, Jade Gray understood the danger of underestimating his opponent.

 

“Is Enoch’s new training method gaining traction?”

 

“Yes. He is following Master’s guidance diligently.”

 

“That child is a genius. When you talk about geniuses, they usually have no equals among their peers. Even if it’s Emblem.”

 

“No problem. Although Cherrya Emblem catches up in terms of mental strength, she cannot surpass our Gray in the technical aspects of swordsmanship.”

 

“Hmph, Emblems always tend to rely on brute strength.”

 

Only then did a smile finally appear on Jade Gray’s lips.

 

He looked at Enoch, who raised his sword and assumed a stance in front of a new scarecrow, leaving the fallen one behind.

 

Undeniable affection emanated from Jade’s eyes.

 

“This time, that child will triumph over Emblem. This hunting competition will likely mark the beginning of her success.”

 

In Jade Gray’s hand, which held the Emblem’s invitation that had arrived at the Gray’s mansion just like Enoch’s.

 

As he watched Enoch resume training for a while, as if suddenly realizing, he called the servant standing behind him.

 

“Is Enoch’s meal being prepared properly? Lately, my baby seems to have lost interest in food. I should go check the kitchen. How can my baby lose his appetite?”

 

“My lord, if you dismiss this cook as well, we won’t have anyone left to hire….”

 

“There’s no one competent! I’d rather do it myself!”

 

“What? No, my lord, how could the head of the family do such a difficult job!”

 

“It’s for my baby. If Enoch says it’s good when I cook, then he’ll enjoy it.”

 

Jade Gray rushed into the kitchen of the mansion, shaking off those who were trying to stop him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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