As soon as I heard the longed-for voice, my heart sank, welcoming it.
“If an angel came to care for you, would he be like me?”
His golden blond hair sparkles in the sun, and his wide eyes sparkle like clear lakes.
Next to them is a charming smile that brings happiness to the heart of whoever sees it.
Michael ran into my arms.
“Sister Erica, I miss you!”
My arms opened to embrace Michael, the little boy, so wrinkled and like a delicate little lamb.
A warm feeling came over me, as if I had met my little brother after a long absence.
“I'm so happy to see you, Mr. Michael. You're even more handsome than ever.”
Even though I knew it might be rude, I smiled as I stroked his curly hair.
Michael pursed his small lips.
“Don't underestimate me, I've grown a lot!”
I suppressed the laughter that almost broke out.
Even in his letters to me, he usually concluded them with the assurance that he had grown taller.
I exchanged letters with Michael once every three days.
Because I felt sorry for him as he lived alone in the vast ducal palace, I sometimes sent some books worth reading with her.
“Miss Erica, I hope you had a good time.”
Gilbert, who was escorting Michael, greeted me very politely.
His appearance was dignified, worthy of a knight, but his joy, which he could not hide, was clearly visible.
“Yes, did you have a good time, Knight Gilbert? I hope your companions in the Shadow Knights are doing well.”
Gilbert, despite his innocence, is like a kind-hearted younger brother, so I felt comfortable meeting him after a while.
Recently, with Carlex busy with the matters of the Royal Palace, the Shadow Knights have stopped guarding the Royal Library, and I no longer meet with them.
That's why I was happy to see him more.
“Oh, don't mention that.”
Gilbert whispered, scratching the back of his head, then let out a sigh.
Now that I looked, his face was noticeably thinner, and his armor was dirty with dirt as if he had just returned from battle.
“In fact, I'm almost dying of fatigue from participating in equestrian competitions these days.”
“Equestrian matches?”
When I was about to ask what it was, Michael interrupted our conversation by coughing.
The pampering appearance disappeared, and he straightened his stance, looking at me seriously.
On the chest of his white uniform, the Reinhardt family crest was emblazoned, and gold shoulder tassels sparkled.
He looked as dignified as befitted the heir to the ducal family.
“The reason for my visit today, as the youngest son of the Reinhardt family, is to deliver this to you, Miss Dale.”
Michael humbly presented me with a letter envelope stamped with the Duke's family seal.
“This is an invitation from His Highness Duke Reinhardt. He has invited Miss Diehl to an equestrian match.”
I remembered that Rose was singing a while ago, wanting to go watch the equestrian match!
I accepted the invitation with my own hands in bewilderment.
The moment I touched the high-quality envelope, I was automatically reminded of the events of the original story.
“Fresia. I will tie the handkerchief you gave me on the tip of my spear, and I will fight with all my might to defend your honour, and lay the glory of victory at your feet.”
In the original story, Carlex personally participated in a knighthood match to defend Frisia's honor.
She tied her handkerchief to his spear, praying for the safe return of her hero.
Carlix took to the field carrying the symbol of his beloved on his spear, and overthrew all competitors to ultimately become the sole winner.
Then Carlix knelt at Freesia's feet, joyfully offering her the glory of victory.
The equestrian match was the scene of the formal declaration of their love affair, a romantic event similar to the sublime love of the lady and the knight in chivalric literature.
Freesia was supposed to be the one to receive this invitation.
“What should I do about this? I’m very busy today and won’t be able to come...”
I started to apologize, but Michael cut me off with a bright, pointed smile:
“Don’t worry, sister. Director William said he can come for you.”
“No, but I have a lot of work to finish...”
Michael stared at me, his big, attractive eyes filled with tears.
An attack with the looks of a kitten so cute,
This is an unfair competition in every sense of humanity.
“Won't you go with me for my sake? It's my first time too, and I really want to come.”
“Ah, so this is also your first time attending, Young Master.”
“Yes. My brother has never participated in an equestrian match before, but he decided to participate this time. I don’t know what change has occurred in his feelings. I really want to see him fight skillfully.”
He begged me with a face as desperate as one who was drowning, and looked at Gilbert.
“If I can’t bring Miss, I will have to live in the training ground for a month. Consider me a knight you are saving, and please come.”
I held on to the invitation, hesitating, until the end.
After learning my role as a secondary villain, I set myself a goal: “to live quietly in the library.”
For the sake of peace and order in Ruberia, I have been practicing social distancing.
But it was Gilbert's crucial statement that got me on the bandwagon.
“In this tournament, His Highness the Duke is set to compete with the Duke of Spern’s family for the ultimate title.”
***
The streets of the capital, Artemia, were bustling with vitality and enthusiasm.
Crowds of people, with bright faces full of excitement and expectation, headed in rows towards the arena of the equestrian competition.
“Equestrian matches seem to be held often?”
Michael, who was looking out the window, smiled in response to my question.
“They are held every few years. For a long time, there was no room for such competitions due to the war against monsters.”
Ah, that's why everyone is so excited.
I nodded my head while I was in a complicated psychological state.
Soon the cart reached the target.
In front of the competition arena, the carriages of nobles coming from all over the continent were lined up, and there was no room to pass.
Under the specially raised royal cabin, which was built at high levels, tents were set up for the participants, including waiting seats for the duelists.
In front of the tents, the knights and their assistants were busy checking their equipment and inspecting their horses in preparation for the duel.
Crowds of spectators had gathered like a cloud around the wooden fence erected around them, awaiting the competition with faces full of anticipation.
People would bet on who would be the best knight this year, or gaze in amazement at the knights' decorations, horses, and equipment such as spears.
A curious boy was wandering around in vain near the knights, and the assistant of one of the knights rebuked him and he fled.
In the middle, colorful flags bearing the slogans of the participating knights were raised high, swaying violently.
Among them, I saw a flag embroidered with the family lion of Duke Reinhardt.
Michael continued his explanation, which stopped for a moment, looking at the flag with pride.
“The equestrian match is a competition that the knights participate in to defend the honor of their teams. It lasts for three days in a knockout system, where the winners qualify until the final match on the last day, and today is the final match.”
“So His Highness the Duke has been involved since day one?”
I felt like my heart sank.
I didn't care about winning or losing.
My most important concern was for his safety.
To erase my anxiety, Michael said calmly:
“According to the reports of the Shadow Knights, my brother has achieved a series of victories and was not injured.”
“Thank God for his safety.”
I didn't realize it until I was wiping my chest and sighing in relief.
Michael looked at me calmly.
The boy's always bright eyes sparkled with a depth disproportionate to his age.
“My brother hated equestrian matches because nobles used them to entertain themselves. He used to say that a knight’s fame was gained through real battles, but this time he decided to participate to defend the honor of someone dear to him.”
Couldn't Carlex be participating to defend my honor?
Doesn't he want to avenge me for Eliade's slap?
If so, I'm not happy at all.
The hero should focus on the heroine only.
“Miss Dale, will you come up to the podium? Come take my hand.”
Michael extended his hand to me like a dignified gentleman, asking to accompany me.
I gladly offered my hand to that handsome young gentleman.
“It is an honor, young master.”
We went up, holding hands, towards the royal cabin.
Around the platform, the flags hanging on each family's spears were swaying like waves.
A luxurious canopy made of gold curtains created a wide shade.
Underneath, a luxurious red carpet was spread out, making the place look like a huge ballroom.
High-ranking nobles, luxuriously adorned noble ladies, and beautiful maidens were eagerly waving their fans as they stared at the competition arena with eyes full of anticipation but no attention to anyone else.
In the middle of the royal cabin, there was an elegant chair with luxurious golden decorations, waiting for its owner.
When I looked at him, Michael whispered in my ear:
“His Highness the Crown Prince will attend the last ceremony today. His Majesty the King was also supposed to attend, but he will not attend due to his poor health condition.”
As we took our seats together, I attracted the attention of the noble ladies.
They looked at Michael, smiling and looking sideways, with looks of admiration, love, and humor.
“Oh, he is the young master of the Duke Reinhardt family.”
“How dignified and handsome!”
“It is said that His Highness the Duke has a deep love for his little brother, which seems very plausible.”
The virgins began to narrate expressions of admiration for Michael like a bird singing, while they were covering their mouths with fans.
Fortunately, no one cared about me next to Michael, so I felt relieved.
Maybe they thought I was a maid accompanying him.
I did well to dress up as a librarian.
When I told Rose that I had been invited to the riding competition, she became very angry.
"I can't believe it! You go to the competition arena looking like this! Put my dress on now."
“I thought you were going to punish me because I would skip work to have fun.”
“Is work important now? Don’t you know the meaning of an equestrian match?”
"not quite."
“The knighthood match is a sublime battlefield in which knights risk their lives to defend the honor of those they love, so the invitee must encourage the knights who risk their lives for him in the most beautiful and perfect form! This is his most important duty!”
Rose exclaimed, clenching her fists like an impassioned orator.
Her speech was so moving and her enthusiasm was so high that it was a little terrifying.
Although I quickly ran away while Rose was preparing the dress.
The equestrian match is the important occasion on which Duke Carlix and Friesia officially become a couple.
I'm not the heroine.
As Michael scanned the podium stairs, he gave me a slight nod.
“Look, here comes His Highness the Crown Prince of the Duchy of Spern, Prince Franz, and his sister, Princess Eliade.”
The noise increased below.
In the midst of a lavish procession accompanied by dozens of courtiers, Prince Franz and Eliade were ascending with haughty faces.
When the two brothers of the Spearn family appeared, the nobles on the platform stood to greet and welcome them.
The two handsome brothers entered side by side, looking like a painting.
Franz, dressed in a charming purple coat, and Iliade, dazzling in her sparkling gold dresses, greeted the nobles with elegance.
Eliade in particular had an expression of self-admiration on her face, as if she had already become the Lady of Victory.
Well, let others look.
I shrugged and averted my gaze.
From time to time Michael would tell me the titles and names of high-ranking nobles.
I knew of the young master's vast knowledge and sharp intelligence, but he still amazed me.
How could he, living only in the ducal palace, know all the figures in society?
“How do you know all these details about the nobility, Master Michael?”
Michael, who had been watching the nobles intently, looked at me with a bright smile.
“The Duke’s family members should know at least this much. We know information about all the nobles in Ruberia, and we even know some of the nobles’ personal secrets that we may use as leverage in negotiations one day.”
To talk about secrets and negotiations with such a bright face!
Couldn't my beloved boy's cute personality actually have a dark side... Events wouldn't develop like this, would they?
I took Michael's soft hand and begged him earnestly.
“Young Master, please. Do not let the darkness taint you, and always appear as you are now.”
“What? Sister, what do you mean...”
I held back the urge to hug Michael tightly, as he stared at me with round eyes that didn't understand what I meant.
At that moment, a dark shadow fell over my head.
“To be continued in the next chapter”
Loving translation