Chapter 39: Clashing Fates on the Training Ground

The Company Commander thrust his sword upward as he entered. Mrs. Waron swiftly dodged to the side and countered with a punch aimed at his stomach. In response, the Company Commander drew the hidden dagger from his bosom and swung it fiercely.

Mrs. Waron effortlessly snapped his wrist, causing him to drop the dagger.

“A knight resorting to tactics fit only for lowly mercenaries…”

“Gah, you brute!”

“Face me squarely!”

Gripping his wrist, the Company Commander hoisted his sword once more and charged at her with all his might. All the knights fighting nearby went silent, their blood spattering as all eyes focused on their duel.

“Stop—enough!”

A voice as clear as dew resonated across the training field. Lara Schmord turned her head toward the gate. With flowing silver hair and a heart-wrenching, wistful expression, Lady Elina I was rushing over.

It was the moment Lara heard the voice of God in her mind. Lady Elina I interposed herself between the glaring Company Commander and Mrs. Waron.

“Stop it! Please, stop hurting each other because of me… I beg you…”

‘No, you’re not fighting for me! It’s embarrassing, so quit it!’

Lara was shocked. How could someone be so full of self-importance as to behave like that? It was beyond the comprehension of an ordinary extra.

Yet, whether it was her passionate plea that had an effect, or something else, both the Company Commander and Mrs. Waron exchanged wary glances and slowly sheathed their swords.

Lady Elina I, suddenly weak in the legs, collapsed onto the ground and drew in a soft, ragged breath.

“It’s a relief no one was hurt…”

As her faint murmur escaped her lips, a tall man appeared from afar, sprinting toward them. It was Diches, his face etched with desperation.

With the stern look of a man meeting his lover on a battlefield, he quickly reached out with trembling hands to grab Lady Elina I’s shoulder.

“…Why are you here… Alone in this place?”

“Diches.”

“Isn’t it dangerous? Why take such reckless risks…?”

“No one got hurt at all.”

Lady Elina I lifted her right hand and brushed Diches’s slightly roughened, gaunt cheek. A warm sensation spread to him.

“I just wanted to see you up close… Will you forgive me?”

Lara nodded quietly in agreement. The surrounding clamor had faded into a look of dispirited defeat on everyone’s face.

“Disperse! Everyone, break up! What, are we filming a show?”

“Exactly. How can you film in the middle of all this? It’s going to ruin the training ground!”

“Damn it…!! The battle is postponed until next time!”

“May your wishes be as vast as the sea.”

Both the Company Commander and Mrs. Waron completely sheathed their swords and exchanged glances. As they began to walk past one another, the Company Commander was the first to offer a slight, knowing smile.

“They call you Mrs. Waron… You truly have impressive skills.”

“And you, though rough around the edges, wield your sword with remarkable flair. Heh.”

They brushed shoulders and parted ways, returning to their respective camps as the duel came to an end.

“Why hasn’t Elina II arrived?! Hey, Elina I, speak up!”

Lara, who had arrived ninety-nine times over, grabbed Lady Elina I and implored anxiously. After a brief hesitation, Elina I reached into her pocket and pulled out something to show.

“This is…”

“A note.”

The hastily scribbled note read ‘Sleepy’ in a mess of sloppily drawn letters. Lara trembled with a sense of betrayal, and as a large hand reached from behind to grab her shoulder, she shuddered violently.

“Since Elina I didn’t disguise herself as a man, the official record should be voided. But for now, since she submitted an application to join as a male knight, we will count her. A total of ninety-nine. Regrettably, Sir Raan, you shall never leave my side.”

“Ah…”

Lara had hoped to finally escape the clutches of that tyrannical commander, but disappointment washed over her.

The deeper the darkness in Lara’s eyes became, Diches’s lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile. He signaled for Elina I to step aside before closing the door, then turned back to extend his arm toward Lara.

“Do you have time this weekend?”

“Huh?”

Caught in his grasp, Lara looked up dazedly. The looming shadow over her head was unmistakably threatening.

“Um… why are you asking about my schedule?”

“Let’s meet.”

“…Huh? Why me?”

“Because you clearly have an interest in Sir Raan.”

“…But Lady Elina I is right outside!”

Lara raised her hand and smacked Diches on the cheek. Clutching his stinging cheek, Diches stared down at her in shock.

“You’re the 412th person to hit me.”

“So what?”

“That makes you the 412th special one.”

“Stop it. I already… have someone I love…”

As Lara struggled to break free from his grasp, Diches clutched her wrist and began to inspect her eyes, nose, and mouth with fervent intensity—as if he had just fallen in love for the first time.

“Come to my mansion this weekend.”

“But I already have someone I care about… and you have someone too.”

“I love all of humanity equally.”

“Get lost! You peace-loving dove!”

“Let’s go on a date.”

Lara smacked Diches’s cheek with her right hand again. Diches’s face flushed a deep red, giving him the look of a bashful man.

“You’re the first to hit me more than once.”

“Make sure to meet me that day. I’ll be waiting.”

‘Arghhh!’

* * *

Recently, disturbing rumors had been circulating within the Imperial Guard. It was said that before retiring for the night, the Emperor would clandestinely summon one of the young knights to his private chamber.

A middle-aged knight, unable to contain his curiosity, had cornered one of the young knights who had been summoned, only to have the youth shake his head and remain silent.

“This is all so suspicious…”

“…Indeed.”

In response to the middle-aged knight’s comment, the young knight Tion murmured in a low tone. Anxiety overtook him as the thought of being chosen that very night made his face drain of color.

Despite being a robust adult, the rumor within the Guard was that the Emperor, who neither had a designated heir nor a companion, might have a penchant for men.

Although being chosen to receive his majestic presence was an honor passed down through generations, Tion felt compelled to decline. Even if blessed by the Emperor, he had no desire to do something he detested.

But reality was unforgiving.

“Sir Tion, the Emperor summons you.”

As Tion drew near to the Emperor’s chamber, he felt as if the world was falling apart. Finally, standing before the door, he resolved to set his burdens aside.

Inside, a man with deep red hair dressed casually was seated on a sofa. Tion knelt before him and curtseied.

“I present myself before Your Majesty, the very Sun of our Empire.”

“Raise your head.”

Tion slowly lifted his gaze. Having admired the radiant dragon from afar, meeting him up close made his head spin with dazzling brilliance.

“Answer me truthfully: What is your situation with women?”

“…I’m still a virgin.”

“I see. So you haven’t had any women around you?”

“Yes.”

The tension made Tion’s fist clench automatically. Before he could utter another word, a disinterested, deep voice drifted from above.

“It seems you are not my type.”

“…Pardon?”

“You may leave now.”

With that, the formal summons ended, and Tion left the room in a daze. Was his virginity to blame? He reassured himself that being inexperienced was a blessing.

Meanwhile, in the room, Karlahee remained alone. She perused the list of young knights from the Imperial Guard that she had compiled earlier. Next to Tion’s name she scribbled a mark and then nonchalantly placed the folder on the sofa.

‘Who could this possibly be?’

There were eleven names in total, and among them was the notorious young bodyguard known for his scandalous affairs—the very one who had made a close friend cry.

Although she wished to interrogate all the knights of the Guard at once, the late hour forced her to question them one by one. Time was no concern, however.

Karlahee vowed then and there to confront the rogue face to face.

* * *

“…There you are?”

Lara sighed as she looked down at Elina II. True to her outgoing nature, perhaps having grown close to Mikhail, Elina II seemed to have come over on her own.

Though the cliché of a cheerful heroine seeking solace in a reclusive male lead was endearing—and Lara herself welcomed it—she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of bitterness given that Elina II had stood her up the previous day.

“Heh, Sir Raan, you made it… Sorry about yesterday. I was too drowsy to get up.”

“Enough. You’ve already ruined it because of you, Elina II.”

If it weren’t for Mikhail, Lara might have collapsed in tears right there. Though she could slack off as an excuse for not training and lounge around freely outside, what she truly longed for was genuine freedom—from the obsessive possessiveness of that male lead.

“I’m sorry, Raan.”

Elina II said dejectedly, as if finally remorseful.

“Oh, and by the way, have you heard the news?”

In a flash, Elina II perked up within three seconds and clapped her hands excitedly. Her cheerful voice rang out brightly in the room.