Chapter 26
“How could I possibly attend such an event in your place, my lady…?”
“Richelle, I think you’re the best person for the job. Ideally, I would go, but both my parents and I are too busy. I believe you can represent me well at the tournament.”
Bellietia gently held Richelle’s hand and smiled warmly at her, who was too emotional to speak.
“Can you do it?”
“Of course, my lady! I’ll make sure everything goes perfectly so you won’t have to worry at all!”
Richelle’s voice was full of joy and excitement. She bowed repeatedly, savoring the opportunity she had been given, and returned to her seat.
The other ladies watched Richelle with envy. They thought this was her chance to win Bellietia’s favor completely.
Bellietia’s proposal caused a rift among the ladies. Richelle, whom they considered to be at the bottom, had suddenly risen. She now spoke more boldly, sometimes making snide remarks about the other ladies.
Even so, none of them could say anything back to Richelle. All Bellietia had done was call her out, yet it changed everything.
“Viscount Rodburn.”
Bellietia replaced her cooled teacup with a warm one and smiled leisurely.
“Don’t make the same mistake twice.”
“I understand.”
“Then, I’ll be expecting good results.”
Bellietia smiled faintly, thinking of Sierra’s distant face beyond the steaming tea.
Noble Sierra, graceful Sierra, elegant Sierra.
My dearest friend.
The friend I want to emulate.
And the friend I resent.
“I wish you’d come back.”
Back to the days when you danced to escape my grasp.
Bellietia imagined Sierra falling from the sky, tumbling in the mud, and smiled a sweet, innocent smile.
* * *
Shortly after lunch, the detailed schedule was delivered.
The final preliminaries, which had started in the morning, were over, and the main event was about to begin.
“The finals are tomorrow? That’s a tight schedule.”
Considering that tournaments usually take 3-4 days, the main event was really short.
Maybe they’re rushing because of the rainy season.
Well, the sooner it ends, the better for me.
I folded the schedule and got up to attend the opening ceremony of the main event.
I thought about changing clothes, but since I hadn’t brought many outfits and didn’t have a maid with me,So, I gave up.
In the end, I headed to the ceremony with just my bodyguard, Lippert.
When I arrived at the VIP seats prepared for the major sponsors, the lord, who had already taken his place, greeted me again.
I nodded briefly in acknowledgment and glanced at my seat and the two remaining empty seats.
Apart from the Brilloxen family, the top sponsors of the tournament changed every time.
According to the report from the last tournament, the Marquess of Edgar was one of the top sponsors. This year, it hasn’t been announced yet, so I had no idea who would occupy those seats.
As I sat down, the lord took his seat across from me.
“The tournament will start soon. Today, we’ll have the semifinals, and tomorrow, the finals. Ah, did you receive the briefing?”
“Which one are you referring to?”
“This tournament is very short due to the rainy season. That’s not ideal for the tourists who come to watch. So, before the final match, there will be a formal knight competition. After a brief showcase by the knights, the finals will take place, followed by the awards ceremony.”
Since there was no issue with this, I nodded briefly.
The lord, satisfied with my reaction, looked down at the arena. As people began to fill the seats and the opening ceremony approached, the seats beside me remained empty.
Who could be so late?
Just as I glanced around, the door opened.
“This is the place!”
A high-pitched, grating voice.
Turning my head, I saw an all-too-familiar, unwelcome face.
“Oh, the Brilloxen Count’s daughter is here too?”
Leading the way was Richelle, who always chattered annoyingly next to Bellietia. Behind her followed a calm-looking woman with brown hair.
She was Bellietia’s follower, even more devoted than Richelle. This was Fiorllete, the eldest of the Bairon family, and the right-hand of the Bozeborne Duke’s household.
“Nice to see you here. Is this the first time since the last party? Let’s forget about what happened last time and get along during this tournament.”
Richelle stood there grinning like an airhead, extending her hand. I just stared at her for a moment before looking away. Fiorllete, unaffected by Richelle’s chatter, took a seat and looked straight ahead. Her face was expressionless, devoid of any emotion.
“What is it?” Fiorllete’s cold, dry eyes met mine, sensing my gaze.
Shaking my head, I averted my eyes, and she looked away as well. I watched Richelle, who, feeling snubbed by me, turned away angrily. Then I glanced at Fiorllete again.
‘The Bairon family shouldn’t have enough funds to sponsor this tournament.’
Of course, as vassals of the Bozeborne family, they could sponsor it, but there was no reason to. There was no honor, foundation, or justification for them to do so.
The one remaining seat was also taken by Bellietta. Just as I narrowed my brows out of concern that something might be wrong, the door opened again.
“Ah, here they are. This is the person for the remaining seat.”
The lord, who had stayed seated when Fiorllete entered, now jumped up and hurried to the door.
I stood up, curious to see who had arrived.
“Thank you for coming such a long way, Your Excellency!”
Behind the lord, who was bowing deeply, I saw a familiar face come into view.
…Why is that guy here?
“Let’s not overdo it with the welcome.”
Aden, with his gray hair, casually entered and smiled at me before confidently taking the seat right next to me, crossing his long legs and resting his chin in his hand.
“Long time no see, Sierra.”
I froze in surprise at Aden’s unexpected appearance but quickly leaned toward him. Aden mirrored my move, leaning his upper body towards me.
I whispered quietly in his ear, his face close.
“…Did you win the lottery?”
How did he get here without money?
Aden’s expression turned incredulous.
* * *
The tournament kicked off with the lord’s declaration announcing the start.
In the midst of the nervous, focused knights and aspirants getting ready for their matches, Rick Derind, Hauteman, and Altas were huddled together.
Rick, the leader among them, glanced around cautiously and acted subtly.
“Are you really planning on doing this?”
Hauteman asked Rick with a worried look.
Rick, who was looking pitifully at his friend who was the youngest of the three and had a lot of worries, widened his eyes.
“You just need to trust me and follow. If you do as I say, everything will be fine.”
“But isn’t this too risky? What if something goes wrong?”
“There’s nothing that can go wrong, trust me. Seriously, do you really think this will fail?”
Rick, standing confidently, tried to reassure Hauteman, who still looked worried.
Althas, quietly listening from the side, nervously licked his lips, shifting in his seat.
“So, Rick, are you sure there will be a reward for this?”
“Yes, I am. Didn’t you see the last event? Have you ever seen the princess look so sad?”
“No, never.”
When Althas answered reluctantly, Rick nodded as if signaling them on.
Althas exchanged a worried glance with Hauteman, who was nervously darting his eyes around.
“Plus, let’s face it, neither of us is really accepted by our families, right? We’re treated like outcasts. It can’t get much worse. But if it succeeds, the princess will remember us and our families might start to take us seriously.”
Hauteman, looking as scared as a rabbit, nodded.
“The father who mocked you as a coward will see you in a new light. Then you can resume your training as a knight.”
“…”
“Althas, the same goes for you. If we finish this, you can make up for what happened before.”
“Well… I guess that’s true.”
“And I can finally break free from living in my older brother’s shadow…”
Rick’s voice trailed off as he looked up with a fierce expression.
Hauteman flinched, and Althas sighed, their reactions mixed.
Rick reached out, grabbing their shoulders to emphasize his point.
“This could change everything. We could break free from our family ties.”
“…Alright, fine. If your plan works out, it shouldn’t be a problem, since we won’t get caught.”
Althas scratched his head, frustrated.
Rick gave Hauteman a steady look, waiting for a response. Hauteman, who was scared at the sound of a pigeon cooing, bit his lip for a long time before finally nodding.
Rick’s eyes lit up after getting confirmation from the two.
“Alright. So, since you probably won’t even pass the first round, don’t waste your energy, just lose suitably. Got it?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“And?”
Rick grinned broadly as he glanced outside in response to Althas’s question.
He casually raised his eyebrows while watching the backs of people climbing up to the arena for the main event.
“We just need to wait for the night to get deep. Once it’s dark, everything will sort itself out.”
Rick chuckled slyly.
* * *
“Rippleton has always funded the Genoa tournament. They needed to bolster their knights. But with financial constraints, they had to cut back on the amounts, though fortunately, thanks to some help, we were able to secure the full amount we couldn’t previously.”
As the main event was in full swing, Aden rambled on, justifying his presence as he wandered around the Genoa castle grounds.
It was surprising enough that he had suddenly shown up, but it was even more shocking to see him in a place meant for the top sponsors.
