Chapter 135
In that moment, Anasha’s eyes widened and began to sparkle brightly.
Just from the child’s clear eyes, Elena could tell who had sent the letter.
“Big Sister, look at this!”
“What is it, Young Miss?”
As Elena deliberately tilted her head pretending not to know, Anasha raised both hands high to show the envelope.
“I finally got a reply from Lady Hestia!”
Elena barely managed to suppress her emerging smile, finding her young lady’s overjoyed appearance utterly adorable.
* * *
At the imperial palace’s arena, flags flew high in the wind, and trumpets loudly announced the start of the swordsmanship tournament.
Elena visited the arena with her confidante to support Lupeon, who was participating in the tournament.
Though Anasha desperately wanted to watch her brother’s matches, children weren’t allowed to attend.
Feeling sorry for her disappointed young lady, Elena had prepared desserts the child would like before coming.
As many knights gathered for the tournament matches, Vivian looked around curiously.
“This is my first time seeing a swordsmanship tournament at the imperial palace!”
“Yes, it’s my first time watching one in person too.”
Unless her lover was participating like today, she would have no reason to watch a swordsmanship tournament.
Moreover, during the era of corrupt imperial authority, winners were typically predetermined through mutual agreements.
Due to such obvious manipulation, knights’ morale and tournament participation rates had steadily declined.
However, as this was the first swordsmanship tournament since Lupeon’s imperial coronation, they said knight applications had overflowed.
It seemed they placed significance on the opportunity to cross swords with the empire’s greatest swordmaster.
Vivian, her eyes sparkling, looked at the tournament bracket she was holding and whispered softly.
“His Majesty will surely win.”
“You think so?”
‘Though Lupeon’s skills are certainly exceptional…’
Elena could only give an awkward smile at her dedicated maid’s confident words, offering no particular response.
Since the tournament’s basic rule was that abilities couldn’t be used, matches had to be decided purely by swordsmanship.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Valdeon Empire’s excellent swordsmen honed their skills solely for this day.
Elena didn’t hope for her lover’s victory; she only wished for him to complete the tournament safely without injury.
As she scanned the faces of the gathered knights, she soon spotted Lupeon ascending the platform.
As the tournament host, he delivered the opening speech with Nicollman’s assistance.
His jet-black hair particularly gleamed in the sunlight.
Elena, who had been staring absent-mindedly at him thinking how beautiful he always looked, suddenly snapped to attention.
Then she maintained her position as if nothing had happened.
‘Summer is approaching soon.’
Looking up at the blazing sun for a moment, Elena thought the season of fresh greenery had already arrived.
She had agreed with her lover to discuss wedding preparations after safely concluding the swordsmanship tournament.
Just then, a whistle blew to start the tournament matches, and the sound of knights wielding swords began to echo throughout.
The spectators’ eyes sparkled with anticipation as they speculated who would win this tournament.
The arena’s atmosphere grew increasingly heated with people cheering for their family members or affiliated knights.
“Speaking of which, isn’t Sir Josephine next?”
At Elena’s question, Vivian checked the tournament bracket and nodded in response.
“Yes, he’ll finally get to show his skills.”
Unlike the North, as the capital rarely experienced monster appearances, Josephine seemed somewhat awkward with palace life.
Therefore, he must have welcomed the swordsmanship tournament more than anyone.
In fact, they said Josephine was the first to submit his tournament participation application to the palace department.
When he appeared in the arena and looked around, he spotted Elena and waved.
‘I can’t bear this…’
Elena wore an awkward smile as her guard knight, showing a bright grin, seemed completely unaware of any embarrassment.
However, after exchanging proper courteous bows with his tournament opponent, Josephine’s eyes suddenly changed.
Drawing his sword from its scabbard, he easily deflected his much larger opponent’s blade.
“Watching like this, the knight really is skilled.”
“Indeed. He always downplayed himself so much that it didn’t sink in…”
As if determined to firmly establish his honor as Devon’s Knight Commander in the capital, he flew around wielding his sword.
The spectators began to stir as they watched Josephine’s swordsmanship, which they had never seen before.
He must have made quite an impression as the imperial palace’s Guard Captain.
After several matches proceeded in order, only the final match remained.
Josephine, who had unfortunately been eliminated in the semifinals, was talking with his superior with an unburdened expression.
He seemed to be giving advance advice about the opponent he had faced in the semifinals.
‘Must have been a difficult opponent.’
Lupeon’s finals opponent appeared to be extremely skilled, having defeated Josephine to reach the finals.
Lupeon, who had been nodding gravely, strode to the center of the arena for the final match.
The spectators began to cheer wildly at the emperor’s appearance.
The man’s gaze, exuding dignity with his unwavering posture, naturally fell on one spot.
His gaze was so intense that surrounding spectators couldn’t help but glance at Elena as well.
Elena wore a faint smile and moved her lips slightly toward her distant lover.
‘Don’t get hurt, Lupeon.’
As if understanding those words, Lupeon nodded with an elegant smile.
Vivian, beside Elena, showed a crafty smile and spoke in a voice only Elena could hear.
“By the way, Miss, do you know about the winner’s special privilege?”
“You mean the golden rose?”
As the palace-hosted tournament was large in scale, they presented a special gift to the winner each year.
This was none other than the golden rose that bloomed just once a year in the palace garden, so noble and rare that it appeared in Valdeon’s founding myth.
They said the imperial family had long tried to cultivate more golden roses at great expense but ultimately failed.
Thus, it seemed a romantic legend had spread that only the tournament winner could win love.
After Elena shared what she knew about the golden rose’s story, Vivian wore a fresh smile.
“They say a woman who receives the golden rose will live happily ever after with her lover.”
Though she couldn’t entirely believe such a romantic superstition, Elena nodded with a slight smile.
“I hope that legend proves true.”
Perhaps because she had witnessed people’s efforts to win the golden rose firsthand, she hoped its blessing would reach this year’s winner too.
Soon, the tournament’s announcer raised the final flag, signaling the start of the championship match.
Only the sound of sharp blades clashing echoed through the palace arena, and Elena watched their match with bated breath.
The match proceeded intensely, impossible to predict.
Around sunset, complete victory was determined only when someone dropped their sword to the ground.
* * *
Originally, the emperor was supposed to present the laurel wreath and golden rose to the tournament winner.
However, as the glory of victory went to Lupeon, Nicollman began to proceed with the ceremony in his place.
When the victor’s golden rose was presented to Lupeon, he immediately left his position as if he had been waiting for this moment.
The spectators began to murmur at the emperor’s sudden departure.
But soon the commotion died down as people seemed to understand his actions.
The place Lupeon headed was none other than where his fiancée sat.
As Elena approached the fence, the man easily jumped over it and loosely pulled up his lips in a smile.
“Lupeon…”
