Chapter 21
***
【 Secret Pacts and Alliances 】
Under King Henry's orders, Julian had returned to his usual routine while under Walter Bradley's surveillance.
After his clash with Walter, he concluded that constantly butting heads with him would do him no good. Walter, as if he had been waiting for this moment, spent the entire day watching Julian’s every move, desperate to find fault.
He couldn't throw himself to the hyena-like creature, who was rushing like a madman to find his flaws.
Therefore, Julian resolved to feign peace for the sake of the future. After staying indoors for several days, he was now heading out early in the morning.
"Where are you going so early in the morning?"
Walter, who had been practically stationed beside Julian, appeared without fail and blocked his path.
Julian’s eyebrows twitched slightly at his appearance. Had he found an inn nearby? Walter's presence, stopping him so early in the morning, was most unwelcome, especially since Julian hadn't slept at all the night before.
"I have to go to work too."
"I thought you were dead, since you didn't show your face at all."
"Do I look like the type to die so easily?"
"Of course I was joking. Given your position, I just figured you'd have a lot on your plate going forward, so don't get so worked up."
"I'm handling things just fine, so keep your meddling to yourself. I am also a Knight Commander trusted by His Majesty."
"Hmm... It seems you have quite a ways to go before earning His Majesty's trust, though..."
Walter had a knack for choosing exactly the words to make people furious. More than once, his every utterance was so infuriating it made you want to punch him in the mouth.
Even when they exchanged polite pleasantries masked by smiles, their conversations were laced with hidden hostility.
Julian pondered his concerns about Rosette, but he also seriously considered the idea of crushing Walter Bradley's nose flat. He kept it to himself. He would see that day when that pompous bastard's face twisted in humiliation. Resolved, Julian flashed Walter a provocative smile.
"Since things have come to this, how about we train together?"
"Training?"
"Yeah. Since today's the day the members observe training anyway, I figured it wouldn't hurt to do it together."
"Really? Then let's do it."
And so, the joint training between the Dragon Knights and the Montagne Knights was arranged.
At the captain's sudden summons, knights who were practically sworn enemies gathered together.
And their inner thoughts were almost identical. Being rivals, they burned with fighting spirit, radiating hostility toward each other and determined to gain the upper hand in today's training.
A palpable tension hung thick between the two orders. The sizzling atmosphere was suddenly broken by Walter Bradley, leader of the Dragon Knights.
"In war, horsemanship determines speed, and that can mean life or death. Mastering the horse is the absolute foundation. To begin, we will select one representative from each order to compete and determine the training instructors."
At Walter's command, a meeting began to select the knights who would represent each order.
Among them, the knights of the Montagne Order showed particular excitement, for among their ranks was Sihern, known as Lightning Foot.
This nickname stemmed from his horse's lightning-like speed. He was a man who boasted of being the fastest, even among all the knights combined.
After speaking out of turn during the last monster hunt, Sihern had endured a long period of hardship. He had foolishly relayed words he shouldn't have to the captain, and to make matters worse, he had raced back on the grueling return journey for days without eating properly. Not only had he caused trouble for the other knights who endured that arduous journey with him, but he had also quickly finished his meals and disappeared under their stinging glares. The meat he had wasted alone would easily amount to over ten servings.
Today, Sihern had to prove himself before everyone and be selected as a training assistant to restore his honor. His expression bore a more resolute light than ever before. His horse, sensing the tense atmosphere, pawed the ground repeatedly, unable to keep its hooves still.
"Ready, Sihern?"
"Of course."
Next, a representative was selected from the Dragon Knights, and the chosen one was Dominic, reputed to be the fastest among them.
Dominic, whose eyes met Sihern's as he stretched, flashed him a sly smile. Properly annoyed by this provocation that wasn't quite provocation, Sihern glared at him as if he wanted to kill him, grinding his teeth.
"It's all a ploy to provoke your opponent into making a mistake. So calm down."
Even after hearing the words of another teammate standing beside him, Sihern’s rage did not easily subside.
Dominic. The name was unfamiliar to him, so he must be someone not particularly skilled.
He prided himself on being the fastest, above all else. Dare to mock this Lord Sihern, known as the Lightning Foot? Furious, he vowed to crush him with sheer skill.
Mounted, Sihern and Dominic shot forward at the starting signal.
With his exceptional horsemanship and his horse boasting overwhelming power, they raced through the area, the horse's thick mane flowing behind them. The black stallion, with its beautiful, solid muscles and dynamic curves, sliced through the wind, dashing like an arrow.
Sihern, leaning low to minimize air resistance, spurred the horse on by striking its hindquarters at just the right moments.
His skillful handling made him and the horse appear as one, a seamless union.
If things continued like this, beating Dominic was only a matter of time. A noticeable smile spread across Sihern's lips as he sensed victory.
But it wasn't long before he sensed something was amiss with his long-trusted steed. With the finish line now in sight, Sihern whipped his horse harder. The black stallion, which had been racing like an arrow at his command, suddenly staggered.
The black horse, moving at such speed, fell in an instant.
The horse, having lost its balance, could not withstand the momentum and collapsed. A thick cloud of dust rose from the spot where it fell.
Though he instinctively assumed a breakfall position upon impact, likely sparing broken bones, Sihern couldn't lift his head for an entirely different reason.
Sihern, who moved as one with his horse, had been thrown? There was no greater humiliation than this.
Kak, kak. Sihern rose, coughing incessantly, his face a picture of utter defeat.
The Dragon Knights were cheering and congratulating Dominic, who had just crossed the finish line. It was a stark contrast to the quiet, dampened atmosphere of the Montagne Knights.
Dominic glanced at the mud-covered Sihern and once again let out a snort of derision, his lips curling in mockery.
His sneer made Sihern's eyebrows furrow deeply.
There's no way he should lose. Did they use some cowardly trick? That thought flashed through Sihern's mind.
Then, feeling a piercing glare from somewhere, he turned his head and locked eyes with Julian. Julian’s icy gaze seemed to say, You've ruined a game you almost won.
'We'll see about that later.'
Lost in thought, Sihern roughly brushed off the dust caked on his clothes. He then approached his beloved horse, which lay fallen, and began examining it. He had to figure out why the perfectly fine horse had suddenly lost its balance and collapsed.
Soon, he discovered a bloodstain.
Looking closely, he saw a small nail embedded in the horse's hoof. It was driven in deep; pulling it out wouldn't be easy. Sihern let out a deep sigh. Julian had approached unnoticed and was watching this with him.
"I feel wronged, Captain."
He didn't know how the nail ended up in the horseshoe, but defeat was defeat. The world of competition was ruthless. Julian spoke to him in a firm voice.
"Failing to manage the horse properly was also your mistake."
He added again. Let's talk separately after training ends today.
Thirty laps of squat jumps were already the scheduled punishment. With a dejected look, Sihern led his horse away for treatment. Today, his shoulders seemed unusually slumped.
If the cause was the New Year's fortune told by the fortune teller he visited at the start of the year, then perhaps that was it. They said three bad things would happen this year, and weren't they all coming true?
And with one more misfortune still to come, what on earth was about to befall him next? His heartbroken face grew increasingly grim.
****
Meanwhile, Rosette, who had spent a long night with Theodore and fallen into a near-fainting sleep, had now regained her senses.
Though her entire body ached as if she'd been beaten, every inch of her skin tender, her mind remained crystal clear.
In the dead of night, she had sought out Theodore first and even touched his body, which seemed dangerous. In a way, she herself had invited the danger.
In short, that day's incident was practically an accident brought on by her meddling.
Rosette's face flushed crimson as she recalled that memory. No matter how she thought about it, the memory of that day was utterly shameful. The biggest reason was that, far from being in pain, she had been too preoccupied with feeling pleasure as they made love several times.
There were times when her body burned so intensely she spread her legs for him first, and times when she clung to him as if intoxicated by pleasure, losing all reason. The main reason for her embarrassment was that she felt far more than she ever expected.
But separate from that, a question also arose in her heart.
Back then, Theodore’s unusual demeanor and his unfocused eyes, as if he'd lost his mind.
So his appearance was like...
Knock knock—
Just as Rosette was deep in thought, someone knocked on her door.
The sudden sound snapped her back to reality, and Rosette spoke in a somewhat subdued voice.
"Come in."
The figure who opened her door and revealed himself was Ian Douglas, Theodore’s aide.
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