The Archduke’s Gorgeous Wedding Was a Fraud

‘Wow, isn’t this an article-worthy event?’

Lacius, who descended into the sparring field, was expressionless. Ziontin also looked calm, but it seemed to me that she forcibly hid her nervousness.

Oh well, the nickname Lacius earned on the battlefield was “The Knight of Madness.”

Since it was a romance novel, in the original story the male lead was only described as such.

But seeing the sudden tension, his skills must be no joke.

“Excuse me, my lady. Do you need more drinks?”

Before the intense battle began, Sir Luke, who had been walking behind me for some time, whispered to me.

He couldn’t even say a word when Lacius was around, but as soon as Lacius disappeared… Seeing this, it certainly seemed like Lacius was terrifying.

“I hope there’s something cold.”

I smiled gently and looked straight at Sir Luke.

One, two, three seconds.

Ding!

Sir Luke’s face gradually reddened to the point that he looked like he was on the verge of exploding. He couldn’t even look me straight in the eyes for more than three seconds and quickly fled the scene..

‘Hmm.’

I licked my lips in satisfaction. Yeah, that’s the normal reaction. I smiled sincerely earlier at Lacius, but he didn’t even bat an eye.

I think a male lead is a male lead. He’s a man that is only meant for the female lead.

Soon I directed my eyes back at Ziontin and Lacius, who were both slowly starting to measure each other’s distance.

Lacius held the sword lightly and stretched his arms out. 

But Ziontin was different; her eyes held a mix of seriousness and desperation.

I clasped my hands tightly and looked forward to what was about to happen.

And then…

Ziontin suddenly disappeared.

When she reappeared, she held the sword right above Lacius’ head.

However, Lasius did not move a step from his position even after seeing this. He just raised his hand holding the sword.

Chae-aeng!

A piercing sound uncomparable from the previous battle resounded.

At the same time, a thunderous roar broke out among the watching knights.

“Wow!”

Ziontin bit her lips, stepped back, and attacked again, but Lacius still remained unphased.

A demeanor that seemed to insinuate that no matter how deadly the next attack would be, he would feel nothing. He displayed an arrogant face like the god of the sun, which I couldn’t believe only made him look even more attractive.

I alternated between looking at Ziontin and Lacius, while holding my chest tightly.

‘Wow… I feel like I’ve become a wow-rrot.’

A parrot that could only say ‘wow’ everytime it opened its mouth. I thought Ziontin was really cool too, but Lacius was just on a different level. He clearly felt like ‘an existence on a higher state*’.

*(경지/Gyeongji/state- concept that expresses the skills or achievement of a martial artist.)

That’s why you can’t help but fall in love with him. You`ll be fascinated by his mere existence. You’ll have no choice but look up to him with feelings beyond love and friendship. I now understand why he’s the male lead.

“Lady, here’s tea with ice, sipping—”

“Shhh. Quiet.”

“……!”

“Focus.”

Sir Luke seemed to have placed something beside me, but my eyes were stuck to Lacius and Ziontin, so I had no time to look back.

Thus, I roughly reached out my hand and pressed my index finger to my lips. Then I felt Sir Luke stiffen.

I opened my palms as I watched Ziontin draw her sword upward, aiming for Lacius’ neck. Sir Luke quietly put down the glass and disappeared far away.

“Whoa.”

Tension emanated.

Lacius flexibly extended his torso, avoided the swing, and kicked Ziontin’s sword away with astounding force. No matter how much you could say he was going easy on her, Ziontin, who didn’t lose her sword, was also amazing.

I chewed the ice and tightened my hold on the glass.

I didn’t care at all about the surrounding gazes, because I would still look pretty anyway even if I ate carelessly. 

“Wow!”

Then, the knights stomped their feet.

Just like what she did in her previous battle, Ziontin widened the distance for her last move. Noticing that no matter how hard she attacked, she couldn’t make Lacius take even a single step, it seemed like she planned to hit him with all her might this time.

I stared once more at the great man standing under the dazzling sunlight.

Blonde hair like melted pure gold and a face of indifference. He was handsome enough to make me want to see him every day. Sometimes when we met at breakfast, it felt like he appeared with a blindingly bright light behind him.

He always wore an expression that made it difficult to decipher what he was thinking about, but actually there were tiny changes to his expressions.

Lately, I have been able to read these changes in Lacius’ expressions.

‘And that’s something I’m enjoying.’

I did not know if others were also aware of it, but it was a really rare expression.

I made a taking-a-picture gesture and looked at Lacius through the square lens. He was a perfect person that not anyone could manage to scratch. This was why the princess was really amazing to me.

I actually wanted to meet the princess, the main culprit of Lacius’s torment. There were descriptions of her in the original work such as someone who was like a venomous snake or a viper, and I wondered how worse it would be. 

Honestly, while reading it I thought that I might get along with her personality.

‘uh?’

When I turned around to look for the servant Lacius had mentioned to be a spy, there was no one there.

During the matches, that servant was always on standby, so when a sword fell he would pick it up. No, before that, can the servants change their appointed seats by their own will?

‘Something is not right…?’

I quietly checked inside my sleeve. The self-defense paper I made was properly intact. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with the drink, and there was also no one around me. 

Ah right, if I were him, I’d aim for this moment.

Ziontin, who evoked the wind, clashed with Lacius, and a thick layer of dust rose and blocked the view.

Without delay, I took out the paper with my right hand and threw it into the air.

‘I choose you!’*

*(This line was literally what Ash would say in Pokemon: Pikachu, I choose you! Lol)