Chapter 105
The count called out to Sophia, who was rushing out during the match, but she couldn’t hear any sound.
She had no interest in the emperor’s congratulations on Ian’s victory.
Sophia ran towards the waiting room, looking for Killian.
Due to the vast area of the participant’s zone, she wandered for a while before discovering a place where people’s voices could be heard and entering.
“Killian!”
At Sophia’s abrupt entrance, the doctors and military police in the room were surprised, staring at her.
“Miss Sophia, please, if you come in here…”
“What about Killian!”
As if she were about to burst into tears immediately, Sophia shouted, making the military police officers awkwardly exchange glances.
“He is under treatment. It’s inconvenient to see him now. Would you like to wait here for a while?”
The officers guided her to a corner of the athlete’s waiting room.
They urged her to calm down, and they helped Sophia sit down.
Seeing her hands trembling, one of the officers brought her some water.
“Don’t worry. His Excellency is not weak enough to collapse like this.”
One of the military police officers tried to console her by speaking.
Sophia knew. That Killian wouldn’t die to this extent. But what could she do when her heart was pounding and tears were about to flow?
Sophia tried to gather herself, burying her face in her hands.
* * *
“Ruchtainer won against the military police!”
“It was a spectacular match!”
“I thought His Grace would win…”
“Hey, since you lost the bet, you have to buy drinks today.”
The voices of people leaving the stadium after the curtain fell on the match were full of excitement.
“At the end, I was surprised by the fist fight.”
“If he had fought with a sword, it might have been a real trip to heaven.”
“Did he know that and put down the sword?”
“Whatever it is, the most enjoyable part of the fight is a dogfight. When will we see the impressive fist fights of these two great and prideful individuals again?”
“At least for now, the atmosphere that had been stern and gloomy due to the recent Black Moon seemed to be forgotten.
People exclaimed that this match would become a historic event, lasting for years, maybe decades.
However, paradoxically, the one who felt the dirtiest after this magnificent match, the winner, Ian Krauss.
“This match is void!”
He shouted multiple times that this duel was invalid, but there was no one to listen. Today’s match involved various entanglements with the Imperial Family, Ruchtainer, and the military police.
No one wanted to dampen the excitement of the intense match.
Even during the moment when Ian received the Emperor’s congratulations and the Golden Laurel, he couldn’t hide his icy expression.
Although he contemplated whether to declare it void even in front of the Emperor and throw away the Laurel, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Still, people saw Ian’s cold expression and thought he was maintaining decorum.
“Indeed, it’s Ruchtainer.”
People clapped, thinking that Ian was careful with his expressions and attitude, considering Liam’s recent death.
Ian accepted the praise and cheers and left the stadium.
If only it weren’t for the Emperor’s decision, he would have wanted to throw the given Golden Laurel on the ground.
“Ian! You did great! I knew you would win!”
At that moment, the Count and Countess Fraus, waiting below, rushed to greet him.
“Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”
Since he didn’t want to respond to the insincere questions, Ian avoided them.
Holding the Laurel as if passing it to his mother, he scanned the surroundings with his eyes.
Sophia wasn’t visible.
He had seen her sitting next to his parents in the stadium, at least.
‘She probably rushed to that bastard.’
Considering how his impressive fiancée surrendered, being injured to the point of giving up.
Blood was flowing from Ian’s wounds as well.
But in Sophia’s eyes, it seemed like his wounds were not visible.
‘Even though she doesn’t know how despicable her fiancé is.’
He bit his lip.
“Ian, you’ve elevated the name Fraus. Probably no Fraus has achieved such a thing.”
Rubisella said this with admiration while examining his arm, which had been treated urgently.
At that moment, a little late, Zenon, the commander of Ruchtainer’s knights, approached him.
“Commander, about today’s match…”
“Ian Krauss, Her Majesty the Empress is calling for you.”
When Ian tried to explain about the match, Zenon intercepted him.
Zenon could already tell what Ian wanted to say.
As if advising him subtly, Zenon shook his head, implying not to talk about it further.
Ignoring Zenon’s subtle warning, Ian tried to speak again, but Zenon spoke first.
“If you have something to say, save it for later. Don’t keep Her Majesty the Empress waiting.”
“But…!”
“Ian Krauss.”
Zenon looked at Ian with stern eyes.
“Don’t get arrogant just because you ‘won’ once.”
Zenon emphasised the word ‘victory’ and pointedly mentioned it, indicating that he knew about Ian’s defeat and was criticising it.
Ian had lost the strength to resist further.
Silence is the way of the defeated.
“Ahem, go ahead quickly.”
Count Fraus cleared his throat and nodded, gesturing for Ian to go since the Empress was calling.
While doing so, he expressed concern about his son’s injured leg, asking, “Should I give you a cane or something?”
Ian ignored his mother’s fussing and followed Zenon.
Rubisella gestured for him to go quickly, saying that he couldn’t keep the Empress waiting, even though she was concerned about her son’s injured leg.
Ian had lost the strength to resist further.
The defeated often have nothing to say.
“Ahem, go ahead quickly.”
Count Fraus cleared his throat and nodded, gesturing for Ian to go since the Empress was calling.
While doing so, he expressed concern about his son’s injured leg, asking, “Should I give you a cane or something?”
Ian ignored his mother’s fussing and followed Zennon.
Rubisella gestured for him to go quickly, saying that he couldn’t keep the Empress waiting, even though she was concerned about her son’s injured leg.
Ian had lost the strength to resist further.
The defeated often have nothing to say.
* * *
The place where the Empress had been waiting for Ian was one of the many waiting rooms in the arena.
Since the arena had been built for quite some time, it had an old and musty smell, but the place where the Empress was waiting had been recently renovated and was neat and pleasant.
In the room, there was wine and some simple cheese, either brought down after drinking while watching the match or prepared to entertain guests.
When Ian entered, Beatrice greeted him with a gentle smile.
“You, the winner of today’s match, have come.”
Beatrice suggested that Ian, who was injured, sit on the sofa.
Although he felt uncomfortable, thinking that sitting might prolong the conversation, Ian followed the Empress’s suggestion, or perhaps it was an order.
“Today’s match was quite impressive, sir Ian.”
Beatrice said as she poured wine for Ian.
Ian stiffened his face upon hearing the ordinary comments coming from Beatrice’s mouth.
Ian wanted to once again argue with the Empress about the invalidity of today’s match.
But the words Zenon had spoken on the way here silenced him.
“You probably have a lot to say about today’s match, but don’t mention it in front of the Empress.”
“But, Commander.”
“It’s not a problem that can be solved by telling the Empress right away. You know that, right? Discuss it after talking to the military police and finding out exactly what happened.”
“But if everyone just goes back like this…”
“Don’t disappoint me more, Ian.”
Zenon’s words pricked Ian’s conscience.
Normally, Ian would have shouted that he would do as he pleased, but after losing to Killian, he could only be humbled.
Ian fell into a bitter silence.
“It’s a great honour to have talent like you in our empire.”
Beatrice continued with a rather dull and uncomfortable conversation.
Ian half-listened to her unnecessary words with one ear while reflecting on today’s match with the other.
At that moment, Beatrice brought up a new topic.
“Have you ever been interested in something other than fighting?”
Ian, who had been ruminating on today’s match, raised his head at her question.
“If it’s something else…?”
“I heard you’ve been in Ruchtainer since you were very young.”
Beatrice lowered her long eyelashes and took a sip of wine.
Ian, not knowing what story she was trying to tell, waited for her next words in silence.
“Of course, I also don’t know how reassuring it is to have Ruchtainer protecting the empire. Without Ruchtainer, how could the empire be what it is today.”
The introduction was lengthy.
Ian found the rhetoric of these naive nobles frustrating. However, it was a role he couldn’t refute.
Patiently waiting, Ian saw Beatrice gradually bring up the main story.
“But I think the bigger the vessel, the more you should experience a broader world.”
“Are you suggesting that I leave Ruchtainer and do something else…?”
Even in a conversation with the Empress, Ian responded very sharply.
With a sharp gaze, he made Beatrice somewhat flustered, and she smiled.
“I’m not saying you should leave Ruchtainer. Instead, I think it would be good to try something other than what you’ve been doing in Ruchtainer.”
Beatrice calmly persuaded the increasingly sensitive knight.
Leaving Ruchtainer work alone was busy enough, and now something else?
In Ian’s shining green eyes, one could almost hear the unspoken words.
Beatrice, who delicately observed Ian’s reaction, moved her sweet tongue again.
“As you know, the empire is currently facing unprecedented danger and is in great anxiety.”
Ian realised that Beatrice was talking about the ‘Black Moon.’
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TRANSLATOR:
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