Was it really short?
I might have made a mistake.
I pinned the lance under my armpit and aid forward.
“…Oppa..?”
Asena and Keirsey stared at and asked curiously.
But I kept doing it and counted periodically.
1…2…3…4…5…
The lance soon beca heavy and the tip of the lance began to lower.
I was sure: The lance was shorter and lighter. Because there was a difference from my original record.
If it was an ordinary knight, they would not have known it, but I was sensitive to subtle differences as I practiced with a standard lance every day.
I looked at Asena. She still had her characteristically firm expression.
Normally, I would have thought that it was just a mistake, but I couldn't think it was a mistake this ti because she had a history of talking behind the scenes.
In the first place, Asena rarely made mistakes on important things. So personally, I felt it was intentional.
“Asena, I think this is a little short?”
I asked and focused on her expressions.
She wasn’t surprised like soone who heard sothing unexpected. Instead, she swallowed saliva like soone caught doing sothing wrong.
Her firm face was broken, and it was colored with embarrassnt rather than surprise.
She averted her gaze and looked around as if thinking of an excuse.
So, this was indeed intentional. I, who had known Asena since childhood, could at least discern this much. But It was a fact that ca to as a shock.
“…Short?” She asked cautiously. “...Yes, I ordered it to be light and short. Is this disadvantageous?”
Seeing not answering her, she continued:
“Ah… well, we have a competition lance, so let’s throw it away and use that.”
She stuttered anxiously, trying to rectify the situation. I could tell she didn’t want to find out about this.
Still, I was glad she was behaving that way. Asena, who I read in the novel, was instead proud of her evil deeds.
“I’m sorry, Oppa… I must have made a mistake.”
Still looking at the lance she brought without looking at . She, too, seed to know that if this was intentional, it wouldn’t be a simple matter.
“…..”
Why is she doing this to ?
Why?
Gossiping about , telling not to go to the jousting contest, and eventually ssing around with my weapon.
Was she ashad?
I asked her a few days ago: Do you want to live like a dead mouse?
She said it wasn’t the case, but that’s exactly what she did.
To be honest, I was starting to get pissed off.
Did she just want to hide inside the Pryster castle? Was she ashad of coming in the public?
I raised her. I beca a pillar on which I expected her to lean when she was having a hard ti. I did my best to fill the vacancy of her parents.
But she just underestimated and ignored . She downgraded for being incompetent in front of people and promised to expel .
She couldn't have any faith in , regardless of the mories we had built up through my efforts.
“…..Phew!”
I mixed my frustrated heart with a sigh and let it go.
Yeah, her actions didn't change what I was going to do anyway. Rather, it motivated further to achieve the three goals I had set for myself.
I gripped the lance tightly.
'I’ll show you that even with a disadvantageous lance I'm more competent than others, that I’m more suited to be called Pryster than anyone else.'
“No, I’ll use this lance,” I spoke in a confident voice.
Keirsey, who was watching the whole situation from the side, murmured.
“But it’s disadvantageous... What if you get hurt?”
'I have to stand up from my disadvantage, so you won’t ignore .' I thought to myself.
“Don’t worry," I assured Keirsey and turned my head to Asena. "Asena, do you rember what we promised?”
“….yes..?”
She asked, blankly.
She must still be ashad that I had caught her red-handed.
“Promise, rember?”
“What promise…?”
“I asked you to cheer for and you promised you will.”
“…..”
“…watch carefully.”
She stiffened and nodded her head. Her eyes still couldn’t look into mine.
✧ ✧ ✧
The twins left, and I got onto Storm and put my helt on.
Storm wasn't used to this much weight yet because it was the first ti I was wearing such heavy armor while riding him.
“It’s okay.”
I consoled him and rode him around in the tent to get him used to of added weight.
Suddenly a boy poked his head inside the tent and spoke:
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Soon, the competition will start! Make the final preparations and co out when you hear the call!”
“I get it.”
After the boy had finished speaking, he hurriedly ran towards the next tent.
I had nothing more to prepare. I was just thinking about not being swayed by Asena's betrayal.
I didn't want to be bullied anymore, and I hated being ignored by twins even more.
But words were aningless. Now, I just had to show them, I just had to prove to them I was a Pryster as well. And a Pryster could never be so pathetic.
They’d only seen train, they’d never seen in such a direct battle like this. So I wanted to show them properly that my hard work wasn't in vain, and that I was not incompetent.
‘The next Knight belongs to the Pryster family!—’
As the host introduced , boos began to pour out. That enthusiastic booing caused to laugh.
A hostile group was an enemy. I first confird the voices of the enemies that I must press and dominate.
Being Pryster might be helpful in this regard. In the end, it was the family of the villains in the novel. So indeed, there would be many aristocrats who look at our family with not-so-comfortable eyes.
It was rather good.
The bigger and stronger enemy I defeated, the stronger I would look. And the mont I succeeded and overturned my reputation, all the students in the academy would begin to recognize . Then the twins would have no choice but to acknowledge as well.
'—Cayden Pryster!'
“Hyah!”
I rode the Storm and headed out of the tent.
As if the curtain was being removed, the booing sound beca more and more clear.
Instead of feeling dejected, I puffed my chest and stood up to the boos.
I looked around the crowd and found Asena and Keirsey sitting with other student council mbers.
'Is this what you wanted? I didn’t expect anything in return... but is this the result of my efforts?'
Suddenly, another girl caught my eye.
“…..”
Okay. I’d been preparing this gift for the twins… but I changed my mind.
I rembered grandma's words.
‘If there is a child you like, don't hesitate to pursue her.’
✧ ✧ ✧
One by one, all the knights who faced Cayden were smashed.
No one could be his opponent.
No one could hold out more than once.
The son of a famous knight family, a man with an overbearing size, and a knight who seed invincible, if he collided with Cayden, he would fall out of the horse. It was overwhelming.
His appearance, united with a horse, was like a huge beast, and even those who booed at first swallowed up in fear one by one and shut their mouths. They had just heard so rumors about Cayden Pryster and cursed him, but they were looking at Cayden who was completely opposite of the rumors they had heard. So how could they continue to boo him anymore? Now there were even people cheering for him.
After responding with no indifference to all booing and criticism, Cayden was proving himself by stepping on everyone with his skills. It seed to show just how much effort he had put in, so the students even began to feel guilty without realizing it.
Asena's mind was also far from calm.
Every ti she looked at him, her heart thumped as if it would co out of her chest at any mont.
Every ti Cayden flicked Storm’s reins and dashed fearlessly towards his opponent, he took her breath away.
He was unbelievably cool, and Asena's urge for him was greater than ever. As if in magic, she could only see him.
Nothing else made her heart feel this way. It was the first ti she had seen his wild and manly appearance. He was already perfect, but today's appearance combined with it seed to grab Asena’s heart.
She wished Cayden to be only hers. Then there would be no need to put up with this urge. As soon as the jousting match was over, she could lead him to his room to hug and kiss him.
It was a pity that she couldn’t. She was way more impatient today.
Asena was also confused. At first, she just wanted him to be eliminated quickly and not appear in front of the academy’s students. But seeing him fight in person, she couldn’t.
Her hands were sweaty and her legs were shaking. Every ti he defeated an opponent that seed impossible to win, she gripped the hem of her skirt.
If soone saw Asena now, they would think she was in great pain; Her cheeks were red like never before, and she was exhaling roughly. It was only because of Cayden's performance that it went unnoticed.
Everyone was captivated by his overwhelming skills and confidence, and they couldn’t even think of shifting their eyes from him and seeing anything else.
‘…Unlike rumors, the real skill is good…’
‘..I knew it. That's why I was quiet even when everyone was swearing.’
‘…that’s…that’s cool. Isn’t he like a perfect knight?’
‘My heart is pounding…’
In Asena's eyes, these were unforgivable words, but she was already having a hard ti controlling herself. So she couldn't pay attention to those words.
In addition, Cayden looked at Asena every ti he took the opponent off the horse. His face was covered by a helt, so she couldn’t see his expression. But every ti he turned his head, Asena’s heart seed to drop.
It was as if he was asking for support as promised. Every ti Cayden looked at her, she raised her hand resting on her knee and waved it. She continued her own cheering but she made sure that no one could see her. She had to suppress the desire to shout his na to not foil her initial plans. Just cheering for him could be seen as a younger sister supporting her elder brother, she couldn't let it happen no matter what.
Soon, the last mont had co.
The host shouted with an excited voice.
“It’s the final!”
No booing could be found.
Everyone cheered for the two knights one by one. There was an overwhelming amount of support for Cayden as well.
Everyone was in awe of the knight who turned boos into cheers.
The host began to introduce the finalists.
“Here on the white horse! Judy Ice from the House Ice!”
Cheers poured out.
As the enthusiastic cheering gradually faded, the manager’s gaze turned to Cayden.
“Invincible! No one can stand against this knight: Cayden Pryster from the House Pryster!”
Everyone cheered even more loudly. The ground seed to be shaking with cheers.
They seed to have forgotten all about the fact that he was the adopted child of the scornful Pryster family.
Cayden bowed his head on the horse and loosened his neck.
At his knightly attitude, the sound of noble girls grabbing their chests and groaning stimulated Asena.
Asena looked around and t Keirsey's gaze, who was looking at her from a seat a little further away. Keirsey also didn’t seem to like the situation.
“Start!!!”
With that announcent, the ga began.
Storm, Cayden’s horse, scread and raised his front legs for a mont. Everyone exclaid in admiration at the wonderful appearance that would usually appear only in dramas.
Imdiately after, the Storm shot like an arrow.
On top of him, Cayden grabbed the lance Asena had prepared, and leaned forward.
The decision was made in an instant.
-Bang!
Two riders passed through the middle of the wooden wall and again, Cayden did not fall.
Judy flew through the sky and a mont later crashed to the ground.
The champion of the competition was decided.
– Woah!!
– He is different!
Cayden raised his lance and looked at his fallen opponent.
He sat on his horse proudly and waited for the loser to leave. Even this was an act that stimulated won’s hearts.
He appeared like a noble knight; Not responding to any stimuli, not showing any emotions, he was the perfect picture of a cold, disciplined knight whose stories they had always heard.
Asena looked at him and bit her lip involuntarily. She wanted to hug him so much. At the sa ti, she felt a sense of superiority. The other noble girls were heartbroken when they saw him.
It wasn’t sothing she liked, but… Asena knew that it wasn't their mistake. Because that’s how cool Cayden was.
And that sa Cayden cherished herself. The older brother, who beca the main character of this contest, loved and cared for her the most. He was so cold and strong in front of others but he smiled, joked around, and showed his caring side for her. That fact alone made her happy.
Judy scrambled to get up, then rode off the horse. And at that mont, the host called the winner.
“The champion is Cayden Pryster!!”
Everyone gave warm cheers. Asena finally gave a small applause as well.
The plan didn’t work out the way she had hoped, but she still felt undeniable happiness from Cayden’s success.
“Cayden! Co to the podium!”
Suddenly, Sir Horslow, who had climbed the podium in the center, called him.
Asena could no longer look at him.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Her heart hurt. She needed so ti to catch her breath.
Still, with courage again, Asena looked up at him. It was a sha to miss this brilliant mont.
And suddenly, their eyes t.
“…Uh?”
Ignoring Sir Hoslow’s call to the podium, Cayden looked towards her. She couldn’t tell the expression on his face that was hidden by the helt, but he was definitely looking in her direction.
Then, in an instant, he rummaged through his saddle pockets. And what he brought out was a single flower.
She could see that the flowers they had grown in the garden had finally blossod.
The fact that the flower in the saddle pocket was still intact clearly showed how overwhelming Cayden's skills were.
Asena inhaled a cold breath.
Even if she tried to maintain a firm expression, it was too difficult and almost impossible.
He slowly rode his horse towards her.
No one made a sound.
– Tugdug. Tugdug.
Hundreds of people were watching this competition, and it was so quiet that the hooves of Storm could be heard.
“…Huff. Huff…”
She waited for him with her eyes raised, trying to control the trembling sound of her breathing.
She had never been so nervous in her life.
Not even Keirsey, but he was coming straight toward her.
Asena knew this mont would be of great help to her plan.
Now that the student council mbers were questioning the relationship between her and Cayde, this event would be another symbolic mont.
Everyone would still be surprised if she announced that she would hold a wedding ceremony after graduation, but they would soon nod their heads when they would think of this incident.
Cayden suddenly approached Asena.
Asena carefully raised her trembling hands.
Cayden was also handing flower.
A burst of joy filled Asena’s chest.
– Ugh.
Until he passed her.
“…?”
Asena looked at her hand in disbelief with petals brushing past it.
His shadow passed over her, and the bright sunlight blinded her eyes.
And at that mont, Cayden’s voice echoed in her ears, whose face she couldn’t see because of sunlight.
“To the most beautiful woman.”
But it wasn’t sothing he was saying to her.
Asena covered the sun with her hands and saw a single flower leaving Cayden's hand, slowly floating in the air, it fell on a girl's lap.
The sa girl Asena was sitting with because she was also in the student council.
The flower was in… Daisy's lap.
“……uh?”
Asena could not believe what had happened before her very eyes.
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