CHAPTER 67

Interference (2)

 Puk. Puk. Dull sounds echoed in the small training ground adjacent to the mansion. The continuous noise, now lasting for thirty minutes, made the people inside the mansion merely glance at the training ground but dared not interrupt him.

Herald, who was practicing with a practice dummy using a training sword normally used for warming up, brought a new sword when the old one couldn’t withstand the impact and broke. The one-sided blows only strained his hand, offering no help in training, yet he did not stop.

‘By the way, there are many skilled individuals in the Empire. I didn’t expect to be eliminated before reaching the semi-finals.’

‘Of course. The Empire’s knights are recognized talents even on the continent.’

‘Thanks to that, my motivation has been boosted. There aren’t many worthy opponents in the North to compete against. Even those few are hesitant to face me, claiming I’m a prince. I almost forgot when the last time was that I had a proper duel.’

‘I recall there being no forces in the North aiming for the prince’s life. Is there a reason to work so hard?’

‘Nevertheless, the woman who will become my wife should have the strength to protect, don’t you think?’

Gritting his teeth, Herald exerted force throughout his body and swung the training sword. With a solid blow different from before, the leaning practice dummy finally toppled backward.

‘You seem to be eagerly pursuing something that’s not even confirmed yet.’

He threw the broken training sword, missing its blade, in frustration. Not pleased. Since meeting Norden, scenes of the two of them being together have incessantly flashed through his mind. Conversing affectionately with Norden, the smiles she showed him, and imagining Retina swearing an oath during the engagement Every time he imagined it, anger surged from the depths of his heart.

‘I must win this tournament by any means necessary.’ As the Crown Prince, he had no interest in the prizes offered in the swordsmanship competition. He never had a strong desire to win the competition since he had the ability to obtain what he desired without asking the Emperor.

He participated annually just to test his skills and rarely had a genuine opportunity to compete with the other knights, excluding Haint, unless there was an occasion like this.

However, this time, a strong determination to win burned in his heart. Only the Emperor could grant him the gift he sought. To sweep aside the ongoing selection and engagement and marry Retina.

‘Then Prince Raglaras won’t dare to look at Retina so casually.’

Herald wiped his hands, smeared with sand, with a damp towel. Behind him, broken practice dummies and shattered training swords were scattered untidily.

“Clean up.”

Handing the towel to the chief steward waiting at the entrance of the training ground, he commanded. In response to his words, unseen servants quickly moved to tidy up. The chief steward neatly folded the towel on his arm and followed the Crown Prince’s strides.

“Helen Histing Duke’s daughter is coming. Would you like to receive her after bathing?”

Herald’s steps came to a halt at the chief steward’s question. Since he always took a bath after training, the bathwater had already been prepared.

“No, it’s fine. Let’s go like this.”

Nevertheless, Herald changed direction, heading straight to the reception room. Welcoming a guest who arrived in such a disheveled state meant he wouldn’t stay with them for long.

“There’s no need to appear well-groomed for someone I didn’t make a prior appointment with.”

He roughly swept his damp hair with sweat back. In the reception room, Histing, who had been waiting since he started beating the scarecrow, was sitting. She had been throwing a tantrum with the maids until just before his arrival, but when informed that the Crown Prince was coming, she abruptly closed her mouth, pretending to be modest.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince!”

“What’s the reason for your sudden visit?”

Unlike Helen, who greeted him warmly upon seeing Herald, his reaction was cold, if not harsh. He glanced briefly at her, who had made an effort to dress up as if attending a banquet or something.

“Please don’t be so harsh. I came with the permission of Her Majesty the Empress. Of course, I was the one who brought up the topic first, but…”

“What does visiting my mansion have to do with the Empress’s permission?”

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

Herald retorted, revealing his displeasure.

Among the women who had become candidates, he particularly felt a strong aversion towards her because of her behavior. It irked him that she behaved as if she were already the Crown Princess, even though nothing had been decided yet.

“Still, you have a semifinal match tomorrow, so I thought it would be nice to tie a handkerchief for you…”

“Not needed. Just take it with you.”

“But you tied a handkerchief back then!”

“So what? What does that have to do with being a candidate? Do you think you’ve become my lover just because you made it to the selection?”

Herald laughed mockingly and questioned her. Holding the handkerchief tightly, Helen, who was standing next to him, felt a twinge of jealousy. She had tied the handkerchief for an unknown candidate in the preliminary round but refused to accept his.

“Now… Do you… have a lover?”

“I don’t see any reason to tell the candidate about my relationship with an unknown candidate. How about leaving now? If you came just to give me a handkerchief, there’s no need to stay any longer. It seems a bit awkward, doesn’t it?”

Consistently displaying his irritation, Herald dismissed Helen with an annoyed attitude. If she came just to give a handkerchief, she seemed unnecessary for her to stay. It was clear that he was either referring to the dusty body or to her. In the face of the Crown Prince’s explicit dismissal, Helen bit her lip, but she couldn’t endure it any longer.

“Even if you say you have a lover, it’s okay. But still, you’ll marry me.”

Helen spoke with a smiling face despite the humiliation. Naturally, when she became the Crown Princess, she wouldn’t just let the Crown Prince’s lover go, but until the engagement, she had to show only a good side to the Crown Prince.

“Still, I’ll leave this. It’s my sincere wish that Your Highness won’t get hurt. I hope you use it and come back safely.”

Placing the handkerchief on the table, Helen, with folded hands, passed by the Crown Prince. Without saying a farewell, she left the mansion, and her elegant face twisted in frustration.

“He’s making trouble again after spending a year. Even if I don’t know who it is, I’ll definitely find the Crown Prince’s hidden lover.”

* * *

The semi-final held in the morning ended with Teten’s victory. It was a duel between a commoner named Felix, known as the soldier of Rudenheim, and Teten, the current crown prince’s bodyguard. Therefore, his victory was almost predictable.

Immediately after the match, the pavilion echoed with the enthusiasm of the still-lively audience and the cheers of those dividing the winnings. Despite this, there was not a single person leaving their seats. The anticipation for the upcoming semi-final, with every box seat occupied, was the reason for the crowded and bustling pavilion.

“Whoever wins here will be the champion, right?”

“Well, it’s a duel between Haint and the Crown Prince, so… Whoever wins, it’ll be a dilemma for Teten.”

“Most likely, unless it’s Haint, his highness has usually won the championship.”

While it might have been a story that would make Teten feel uncomfortable, people considered this match as the de facto final. Teten was an excellent knight, but compared to Haint Deneuve, who was crazy about swords, and Herald Rudenheim, another madman, he was just an ordinary person.

“Who is Lady Retina cheering for? Probably Sir Haint, right?”

Retina, who was fidgeting with a handkerchief on her leg, suddenly lifted her head at the question that came to me. Even though she wanted to give her handkerchief to Herald again this time, unable to convey it to Sat, Retina had already given a handkerchief to the Crown Prince before Teten’s match had even begun. Helen’s bragging about this had distracted her from the conversation between the ladies.

“Lady Retina?”

“Oh, sorry. What was the question?”

“I’m curious about whom Lady Retina is supporting. I guess it must be Sir Haint, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. I gave him the handkerchief as a subtle hint to behave.”

Retina said, hiding the handkerchief she held under the table. Thinking about Haint’s whining this morning when he asked for a handkerchief, Retina couldn’t help but let out a short laugh.

“It’s not meant to ensure victory, just a suggestion to behave, you know?”

“Probably because brother Haint sincerely opposed both of them getting hurt. Even if the Crown Prince may  know, Brother Haint is someone who doesn’t understand the meaning of ‘moderation.'”

“Ah, I see….”

Cecil sighed, agreeing with Retina’s words. The others nodded in agreement, seemingly sharing the sentiment. With the famous Gwent and Fito meeting, the hope was more for the avoidance of bloodshed than for someone to win.

“Still, Sir Haint has a higher winning rate, right? I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I think Sir Haint will win again this time.”

“But Your Highness seemed more sincere in this tournament than at other times, right? Until now, it felt like, ‘Let’s see how far we can go,’ but this year, there seems to be a determination to win at all costs.”

“Well, the atmosphere has been different since the preliminary rounds.”

Continuing the conversation, Basilius and Isabelle spoke. Retina, once again, shifted her attention from their discussion to the arena. Despite the ladies’ words and wishes, she hoped that the Crown Prince, who seemed genuinely determined to win this time, wouldn’t get injured.

“I asked my brother to behave, but he probably won’t listen.”

Haint, who was foolish in simplifying everything, was sensitive when it came to competitions. No matter how excellent the Crown Prince’s swordsmanship was, defeating someone like Haint, who trained as if his life depended on it, seemed challenging if he didn’t move a muscle for even a day.

“It seems like the ladies are having an interesting conversation. May I join you?”

At that moment, a gentleman approached Retina.