First, due to the incomplete organization of the mansion, Herald, who had stayed longer in the ducal residence than initially planned, extended his stay a few more days using an injury as an excuse. As the time spent at the ducal residence increased, nobles from the imperial faction tried to persuade him to come to his mansion, but no one dared to step forward when he mentioned that if there was a mansion in the capital larger, more splendid, and more luxurious than the ducal residence, he would move there.

Herald, who casually dismissed their dissatisfaction, willingly accepted the loss compared to the few additional days. For him, those extra days were worth the sacrifice.

“Ah.”

Sitting at the dining table, Herald, who had been reminiscing about the past few days, let out a sigh. He was enjoying happier days than ever, discovering facts about Retina that he hadn’t known in the short time they spent together.

Unable to stay in Retina’s bedroom for long due to the ever-present eyes and ears in the capital, Herald, however, had a moment where they could be alone without anyone’s watchful eyes.

Holding Retina all day was incredibly satisfying compared to the brief moments of contact they had. The feeling of quenching a lifelong thirst made his once heavy body, like a sandbag, feel light.

“Haha.”

Herald, without touching the meal in front of him, unconsciously touched his smiling lips. Uncontrollable laughter kept escaping.

“Crazy man.”

Sat, who watched his friend laugh while looking into the air, spat out a curse. It seems he finally lost his mind. The only one who knew the real reason behind Herald attaching himself to the ducal residence, Sat, pretended not to notice and turned away whenever he saw Herald entering Retina’s bedroom every day.

Sat turned his head to look at Retina, who was sitting next to him. Retina’s slightly swollen lips were tightly pressed together as she stared at the fish on her plate. Her expression seemed uneasy.

‘Could it be that Retina…’

Sat, who heard about what happened in Penelope’s gala first, discreetly gripped a knife. Although he had promised not to be curious about what was happening in Retina’s bedroom, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of jealousy whenever he thought about the possible activities the two might engage in in a place where no one could see.

“Uh… What’s going on?”

Haint, who was the last to notice the changed atmosphere at the dining table, stuffed his mouth full of meat and looked at the three alternately. With his cheeks puffed up with food, he moved his jaw vigorously.

“Nothing happened. Haint, did you confirm the security deployment?”

“…Yeah. Since there were many disturbances in the VIP stands last time, I increased the forces there. Two guards per section. I selected some knights who showed promise in the first qualifying round.”

Haint answered with a mouthful of food. Taking advantage of the few days of rest, he focused on addressing the issues from the first qualifying round to improve the situation.

“Are you really going to participate like this?”

Sat, who had set down the knife with a clatter, interjected into their conversation. The first day of the second qualifying round, after a short four-day break, was starting, and it was more intense than any other match in the swordsmanship competition. It was also a match where the most injuries occurred.

Normally, Herald would have no problem advancing to the third round of the main tournament, but in his current state, with the bandaged hand still not fully healed, he couldn’t guarantee success. On the contrary, it could further aggravate the injuries to his hand.

“By the time of the qualifiers, my left hand should be sufficient. I’ll unwrap it completely by the main tournament.”

“A while ago, the bandaged area burst open, and the doctor said it needs absolute stability until the stitches are removed. How on earth can your hand’s bandage burst open?”

Sat’s fist slammed onto the table. Feeling as if those words were directed at her, Retina, who was pricked by them, shrugged her shoulders.

“It’s not entirely without fault on my part.”

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

How shocked she was when blood flowed profusely from the hand that grabbed the bed! In the moment when he moved his immobilized hand and the accident happened, Retina felt her mind go distant.

“I did try to convince him to take a break for this tournament since I’m also busy with the event, but…”

Herald insisted on participating without bending his stubbornness. For some reason, he had a clear determination to win this tournament.

While she wondered why the Crown Prince, risking his life for something that seemed unworthy of receiving the Emperor’s attention, she didn’t delve deeper into the reasons. The swordsmanship competition involved not only the Emperor’s reward but also the honor of a knight.

“Are you going to watch today’s match too?”

“Yeah, my brothers have a match, so I have to go watch.”

“Here, the tickets. Divide them as you wish if there are any extras.”

Sat, who finished his meal first, placed the tickets on the table. Despite leaving first as part of the preparations, he didn’t forget to take out the tickets he promised to give to Retina.

“If there’s any other match you want to watch in the future, let me know. I’m in charge of managing it, and sitting in those places wouldn’t be appropriate for you.”

“That’s a kind of VIP seat too…”

“You couldn’t see well because of the flags, right?”

Sat, who didn’t separately get tickets for Retina, remembered that she had sat in an unfavorable seat. Among the five seats they took, he gave her the ticket for the central seat, which was the most uncomfortable.

“I’ll go ahead.”

“I’ll follow shortly.”

Herald’s eyes followed Sat’s departing figure as they exchanged glances, and then, as if they had made an unspoken agreement, they reconvened in Retina’s bedroom on the second floor.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Now that they were alone, Retina, holding Herald’s right hand, voiced her concerns with an anxious tone. Although he would surely reassure her, Retina couldn’t let go of the worry after witnessing the opened wound.

“Don’t worry too much. It’s not like there’s a hole in my stomach, and I can manage with just my left hand.”

“I didn’t know you were ambidextrous.”

“I’m not ambidextrous. I only use my right hand when wielding a sword. It’s part of the training all nobles undergo when learning swordsmanship. You never know when one arm might be incapacitated.”

Herald moved his bandaged right hand, speaking casually. Retina, however, looked at him with astonishment, as if taken aback by his nonchalant mention of the possibility of one arm going astray. It was a shock similar to when she heard about him ingesting a small amount of poison daily since the age of five due to assassination threats.

“Because the Crown Prince occupies such a perilous position, everyone poses a threat to him.”

Retina held Herald’s right hand tenderly. Every time she heard him casually recount the threats he had faced, her heart sank.

“Your Highness, you excel in swordsmanship, so I trust you. Please don’t get hurt anymore.”

“Since you insist so earnestly, I’ll have to make sure not to get hurt.”

“And this…”

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

Retina pulled out a light yellow handkerchief from her pocket and gently wrapped Herald’s hand, revealing the visible wounds. The handkerchief depicted a poorly drawn chick in the corner, a result of her efforts to learn embroidery from Lena for a few days. Responding to his request to keep it, Retina decided to hand over her handkerchief to him. She kissed it on top of the securely tied knot, preventing it from unraveling despite the vigorous movement.

Herald, having seen Retina’s fingers pricked several times by the novice needlework, lifted her chin with his left hand, engaging in a kiss with her. He gently opened her lips, nibbled on the lower one, and then pressed firmly, savoring the softness.

“Mmm…”

Retina, placing her hand on Herald’s chest, clutched at the fabric of his clothes as he held her cheek, not releasing the grip on her cheekbone. Their kiss, which began as a gentle exchange, gradually transformed into a more explicit and fervent display. The sound of their lips smacking intensified as they playfully explored each other, tilting their heads to deepen the connection.

Herald, supporting the weight of their passionate embrace, pressed his lips against Retina’s with increased intensity. His fingers beneath her chin pressed firmly, and the arm wrapped around her waist pulled her closer, creating an intense connection. Their synchronized movements explored each other’s mouths, delving into the hidden recesses. Herald’s tongue, with a tingling texture, ventured deeper into the mouth, exploring every corner.

“Haah, haah…”

Breathing heavily, Retina, now completely absorbed, extended a strand of saliva as she caught her breath. The room was filled with the intertwined sounds of their ragged breathing, creating an alluring and intimate atmosphere.

Breathing heavily, Retina, with saliva like a thread, extended, gasping for breath as she looked at Herald, who had pulled away. The room was filled with the mingling breaths of the two, creating a subtle and mysterious atmosphere.

Herald, stealing a kiss with saliva whose owner was unknown, swelled his chest, then gently placed his lips on Retina’s neck as she settled down.

‘Next time, come back.’

To avoid leaving any marks, he only touched her with his lips, and then, with a sense of regret, he withdrew from Retina.