Chapter 49.

Second QUALIFYING Round (2)

“Prince said he was the owner of the handkerchief… I could have been in big trouble if I had brought it for throwing it away.” Lena muttered, fanning herself toward Retina. She pondered over the identity of the man who had thrown the young lady into distress while cooling her flushed face with a cold sensation.

“But surprisingly, Prince seems to be a sincere lover. Until now, he changed partners at every ball. It’s natural for Crown Prince, who is outstanding in appearance and ability, to be popular among all young ladies. However, he has never sincerely kept a woman by his side. That’s why there were always rumors of him being a playboy.”

“Yeah, I heard that too.”

“At first, when Prince came to you, I was a little worried, but now it seems like unnecessary worry.” Shaking her hand to get rid of the remaining moisture on her face, Lena knocked on Retina’s forehead with determination. She had spread rumors and fussed about Prince.

“Although he may not stay for long, he comes to see your face on the second floor at least once a day. Even though there are many people who see it, seeing him coming, he really seems to love you sincerely.”

“Noble servants are usually tight-lipped. You must believe in that.”

“Oh, child, he seems to want to see you so much that he doesn’t mind the trouble! It’s romantic, isn’t it?” Lena, who had been folding her hands and looking up at the sky romantically, focused on her makeup again. Retina felt embarrassed at Lena’s attitude, which was more fluttering than herself. It was awkward to say with my own mouth that the prince liked me. The reality that my relationship with him had become so deep still seemed unbelievable. It felt like I was still dreaming occasionally since I faced the prince.

Again, slapping her cheeks to dispel stray thoughts, Retina was worried. Am I really dissatisfied with my desires? I was concerned that I might really confess like this. No, is it already like that? But from the beginning, the only person who felt such emotions was the prince.

If she talked to him about these worries, he might not dislike it, but she had a premonition that she should never get caught. Not going to a party, Retina quickly prepared and headed to the arena with inflated expectations.

Even though she left earlier than the appointed time, there were young ladies waiting for Retina at the arena.

“I seem to have come the latest.”

“No! Actually…” Bacillus’s maid, who looked around, quietly lowered her voice.

“Isabel said she wanted to see Herald’s match, so she got up early in the morning and came out. She was so sleepy.”

“Bessie!” She covered Basilio’s mouth, who was talking so smoothly, with her palm and shouted, burying her face in her hands. Blushing to her ears due to embarrassment, she seemed genuinely fond of Herald.

“Was the handkerchief meant for that?” “I think a handkerchief tied by a lover is like that. As a symbol of luck, we tie it to the wrist or arm. It’s usually a kind of superstition that is done only in the main tournament matches, so it’s unusual to do it from the preliminary rounds.” Basilio burst into playful laughter, teasing Isabel. Always the subject of teasing in the group, Isabel blushed. It seemed like a kind of expression of affection for her, as they wouldn’t see each other often once she got married and went to the Cepheus territory.

However, there was one more person who blushed at Basilio’s teasing.

“The handkerchief… meant that?” Retina recalled the events of the day when she tied a handkerchief to the prince’s hand. No wonder the prince’s reaction was different. Although it was just tying a handkerchief, he had kissed her with a mysterious smile.

The memory of kissing him passionately, until it felt like her breath was about to burst, rushed back, and Retina quickly handed the tickets she received from Sat’s brother to the young ladies.

“The remaining matches, from now on, will be secured by our brothers.”

“Here, unless you’re a high-ranking noble, you can’t get these seats! As expected, it’s different when it comes to the Deneuve.”

“Not really. This time, our brothers are in charge of hosting the swordsmanship competition with the Crown Prince, so they gave us tickets. Since both of them are participating, there are extra tickets.”

“Oh, I see. It must be nice to have such affectionate brothers.”

Bacillus, who had been disappointed that the VIP seats he managed to secure were not in a good location, widened his eyes when he saw the seats Retina handed him. It was a seat that, even among the VIP seats, could not be obtained without a strong connection—a seat separated by a tent—where only the imperial family and very close associates could sit.

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

“Is this a dream, or is it reality?”

Bacillus and the maids sat in their designated seats with a dazed expression. There were tables set up so they could enjoy a simple snack while watching the matches.

Even Retina was puzzled by the luxurious seat. She blamed herself for thinking that it would be better than the previous seat. Although it was hosted by the imperial family, she didn’t know how they managed to get these seats.

‘From here, we’ll be visible even from the arena. Herald mentioned that he had a hard time finding me, even though he looked around the VIP seats for a few minutes last time.’

“It was probably difficult to find because the seats were attached.”

“At one point, I even considered wearing a bright pink dress so that I could be easily found.”

“Then I wouldn’t have sat next to you.”

The maids, who quickly adapted, chatted happily. In their fast-paced conversation, the hottest topic was undoubtedly their lovers.

From Retina, who was preparing for her engagement, to Bacillus, and Clara, all were involved in romantic relationships. As a result, their overflowing affection for their fiancés or lovers became the most talked-about subject. They would eagerly praise their partners, and their lips seemed to dry up from talking so much about their love.

“Retina, you really don’t have any chance to meet Crown prince? No one you like?”

“As the Crystal Gate, your engagement ceremony must have been incredible. Didn’t eligible bachelors from good families come to see you?”

“Well, with Lord Sat and Lord Haint at home, do you expect any eligible bachelors to look like men?”

“If I were there, they would all look like walking dried beef jerky.”

The questions directed at Retina were resolved through their conversation. Retina listened to their talk without saying anything and smiled subtly. In her current state, any words she spoke might seem suspicious, so she chose to remain silent.

As the matches began and the cheers of the audience drowned out their voices, the maids who had been chatting loudly cheered enthusiastically when their respective lovers appeared. All of them recognized their lovers immediately and, after a moment of surprise, waved their arms and greeted them with bright smiles.

As it was the final gateway to the main event, the second preliminary round was intense. People with considerable skills in swordsmanship gathered regardless of their status, leading to numerous injuries.

“Oh… What should I do? Herald is in the same group as the Crown Prince Norden.”

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

“Herculean, who became famous in the first preliminary round, is also here.”

“They should have done a better job with the draw.”

Retina’s eyes widened in disappointment as she spotted Herald entering with the Crown Prince Norden. Despite getting up early in the morning and giving him a handkerchief, the competition within the group was tough. She prayed that no one would get hurt among the skilled participants in the same group.

Like the other young nobles, Herald, who had been searching for Retina and temporarily withdrew when he couldn’t find her, pretended to innocently acknowledge her when he finally spotted her. Retina reluctantly wave hand toward Herald and also reminded him not to get injured.

“Did the Crown Prince find someone too?”

“Oh my, what does the Crown Prince have in his hands?”

“I heard a rumor that despite injuring his hand, he didn’t give up and dedicated himself to the match until the end. Using a handkerchief instead of a bandage…”

Bacillus and Cecilia exchanged words as they saw Herald behind them. The Crown Prince, who covered his right hand with a handkerchief, looked around the VIP seats as if searching for someone. Then he easily found her, gazing through the distinguished seats, and smiled warmly, waving his hand.

‘Dangerous, he’s not even wearing gloves.’

Seeing him precisely meet her eyes and smile, a tingling sensation surged through her chest. Retina didn’t pretend not to know him but faintly smiled.

Seeing him intentionally raise his right hand with the handkerchief tied, she worried. Heracles was known to be skilled in swordsmanship, comparable to the Second Knight Division, despite being a commoner. She was concerned that the once-healed injury might reopen.

“Oh my, oh my! Did you see that? The Crown Prince smiled!”

“I never thought the Crown Prince would have such a smile…”

“Who, who did he smile at? Who?”

His laughter stirred the entire distinguished seat. Those who didn’t catch the subtle glances between Retina and the Crown Prince each tried their best to figure out which woman the Crown Prince was looking at. Some thought they had made eye contact, while others tried to calculate the trajectory of his gaze based on facial angles. In any case, it meant that the woman presumed to be the Crown Prince’s companion was somewhere in the distinguished seat.

“Did he really smile towards Lady Marie?”

And indeed, as usual, Marie was seated in the distinguished seat.