She hurriedly clapped, joining in the applause that erupted around her.

The matches continued.

Hyacinth mostly watched absentmindedly. She snapped back to attention when the court knight who had asked for her handkerchief entered for his first match. After a triumphant victory, he respectfully bowed to Hyacinth and exited.

“That was Sir Jedith, right? He’s a top contender in the bet.”

“Is that so.”

After whispering quietly, Diane began to clap enthusiastically for the next knight. It was as if she had completely forgotten her earlier worries about the tournament being boring.

Others were the same.

Even the most esteemed noblewomen were earnestly expressing their admiration and disappointment.

“He won again.”

“Indeed……. The outcome is quite unexpected.”

“Sir Jedith must win.”

Some praised the famous court knight for another victory, while others were shocked that a top contender had been defeated so quickly.

Was she the only one not fully engaged in the moment?

Hyacinth wore a bitter smile.

“Hyce.”

“……Yes?”

When she tilted her head slightly towards Diane, her friend whispered in her ear.

“Who is that knight?”

That knight?

Hyacinth only moved her eyes to glance at the knight Diane was referring to. A knight in dark green armor, mounted on a black horse, stood firmly.

Oh? Hyacinth narrowed her eyes, focusing intently.

There was no crest of a knightly order on the cloth under the saddle. There was no family crest either, nor a handkerchief tied to the helmet. With no clues, identifying him was difficult.

“He’s emerging as a strong contender, but no one knows who he is…….”

“Hmm.”

“Could he be a wandering knight?”

At the far ends of the arena, two horses glared at each other.

The beasts’ tension was fiercer than that of the knights. Even the spectators widened their eyes.

As soon as the signal for the match to begin sounded, the knights quickly closed the distance. The lances, previously pointing up, were now aimed forward. The world, including Hyacinth, held its breath.

Clang!

With a loud crash, the match was decided.

A clean match. It was a game that inevitably drew gasps and cheers.

“As expected of a top contender……. Oh my, I’m so curious. Who could it be?”

“…….”

“There’s not even a handkerchief on his helmet. Why?”

“I don’t know? I have no idea.”

“We don’t even know who will be the ‘Lady of the Jousting Tournament’~.”

How much money was on the line? Hyacinth thought blandly as she watched the knight in dark green armor out of the corner of her eye.

Was it just her imagination? His back as he left the arena looked so…… resolute. It reminded her of the coldness that once made her feel so desolate and sorrowful.

The harsh winter. The lonely North…….

“Duke Trisel.”

Hyacinth muttered quietly.

And then, the next moment, she flinched. Unconsciously, the surroundings had fallen deathly silent. All the frequent conversations and chatter had stopped. Startled, she looked around, and all the ladies, including Diane, were staring at her.

“What’s the matter?”

Hyacinth smiled awkwardly. She looked desperately at Diane, but even her trusted friend offered no answer.

“Everyone?”

“Well, if it’s him, that would be interesting.”

Finally, Diane broke the chilling silence. Only then did the surrounding voices start to return one by one.

“Could Lady Laurel’s guess be correct?”

“Did you check the seats for the gentlemen?”

“He’s not there.”

“Oh my……. If so, then that knight really is…….”

“We don’t know. Let’s not jump to conclusions. He’s a notoriously elusive person, so he might not have participated at all.”

“Even in the jousting tournament? That’s unlikely.”

Oh dear. Hyacinth bit her lip, regretting her words.

If Arthur or Caleb heard about this, she could already predict their reaction. They would be furious. Her temples were already starting to throb. Now she had to fervently hope that the knight wasn’t ‘Duke Trisel.’

Maybe she should wish for him to lose the match.

If he lost, the attention would shift to the winning knight and his chosen lady, and her foolish mistake would be easily forgotten.

Hyacinth focused on the matches with renewed intensity. Anxiety was quite a motivator. She tensed up and observed every time the dark green armor appeared.

Victory.

Victory.

Another victory……. Damn it!

By the time the sun was setting, the sky was turning red for the first time. The jousting tournament had progressed steadily, leaving only the final match.

The final. One of those two remaining would be the star of the night.

Hyacinth clenched her teeth quietly, sensing impending doom. At that moment, the problematic knight entered the arena leisurely, as if mocking her.

Why do I feel like I’ve lost even though I didn’t participate?

Hyacinth struggled to control her ragged breathing. Of course, strictly speaking, she was in the wrong. She was the wicked one, wishing for someone else’s defeat……

“Hyce, I really hope that knight wins. I’m so curious, what should I do?”

I hope he loses.

“Do you think he’s really Duke Trisel?”

“I don’t know.”

“If he is, I wonder who he will choose as his lady!”

I never want to know.

Hyacinth clenched her teeth harder. Her molars ached, but it was far better than uttering something inappropriate and ruining her reputation.

Her insides twisted. For the first time, Hyacinth thought it was foolish to attend this tournament.

The signal to start the match.

The sound of hooves pounding the ground. The clinking of armor. The lances lowering swiftly and clearly.

Hyacinth closed her eyes and opened them.

And in that brief moment, the match was decided. As she lifted her tightly shut eyelids, Hyacinth saw the knight in dark green armor as the only one still seated on his horse and resigned herself.

The only consolation was that everyone was too busy cheering to notice her hollow laugh. Diane grabbed her arm tightly.

“What do we do! What do we do, Hyce! It’s happening soon!”

Yes, soon he will remove his helmet. He will choose his lady.

I’ve given up. Hyacinth laughed bitterly. A hollow laugh filled her lungs and escaped uncontrollably. She couldn’t stop laughing.

I’ve definitely given up.

The world was mocking her. It felt like fate was ridiculing her. I’ve definitely given up, Hyacinth stubbornly repeated.

But why does it burn inside? The embers that hadn’t fully extinguished were flaring up again from inside her. Every breath she took felt smoky. Her eyes stung as if pricked.

“Hyce! Look!”

Yes, I’m watching.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…”

The far western sky cries out in a deep red.

The surroundings are dusk. The encroaching twilight. The moment of the sunset is always intense. Intense and thus, poignant.

In the blood-red light sweeping the world, a man slowly removes his helmet. The silver hair that was so mysterious in the languid afternoon sunlight now held a sorrowful red hue, giving it a dreamy quality.

Everyone watching remains silent. It was a grave-like stillness.

As if they couldn’t believe this moment. Even if they knew, they had no choice but to doubt their eyes now.

Or perhaps they were overwhelmed by that man…

“Waaaaah—!”

“Trisel—!”

With someone’s cheer as the start, exclamations and applause erupted everywhere.

“Hyce, you were right! Wow! How did you guess?”

“That’s amazing, lady!”

Diane slapped her arm as if she were truly amazed.

Hyacinth let a non-amused laughter shake her whole body. It might have been akin to crying.

Even if she burned her insides with flames and strong liquor, would it be this heated?

You, I, I’m tired of you. It’s like a curse. You never help me, not even for a moment. You won’t even look back at me. Even though you won’t. Always. I want to get away from you, but you always invade! You barge in without a care and leave even more coldly. Does this make any sense?

To that man, it must be an unfair resentment.

Yes. Yes, I know.

Hyacinth suddenly wanted to bang her head against the wall. If she could only turn back time by inflicting such a shock. She slowly released the tension in her molars to take a deep breath.

Thanks to the pain subsiding, the feeling of wanting to cry was slowly fading away.

She became one of the many who stared blankly at him. Amidst everyone’s awe, the man slowly turned his head.

He seemed to be looking towards the direction where the northern people, who first cheered, were gathered.

Perhaps feeling the gaze of their master, the northern crowd roared again, so loudly that nearby nobles and knights were startled.

In the fading time, the man smiled.

Brightly and cheerfully. Like a boy running joyfully under the sunlight, so refreshing and clear.

The audience watching shuddered again. Was this the greatest shock so far? They generally shared similar sentiments.

Did anyone know the Duke of Trisel could smile like that? Was he someone who could laugh like that?

And the woman who never lacked anything acknowledged a new emotion.

…It was jealousy.

* * *