116. Lovers of Jeu de Paume (1)
“What do you mean I only talked about that woman? What nonsense is that?”
Mikhail jumped up and said to Irina, who was looking at him with a sulky face.
“You’ve been doing it throughout our walk. And it’s the first time I’ve seen you smile so brightly.”
“This?”
He pointed to his awkwardly twitching the corner of his mouth.
Though he had been laughing so hard his cheeks hurt just moments ago, now he was being serious. Irina found it somewhat amusing.
This stubborn and prideful man would never admit it.
“I’m just laughing in disbelief because I find it so absurd!”
“When you talk about her, you seem so energetic and happy that I must have misunderstood.”
“No, how on earth does this look happy to you?”
Mikhail’s neck turned red as he burst out in anger.
Though he had no response to her words that hit the mark precisely, usually the person with the louder voice won.
“Look at the time already. I forgot I had an urgent matter, so I’ll be going now.”
He stormed ahead on the walking path, breathing heavily.
Irina watched him go and let out a small sigh.
Though she liked him, he was truly a difficult man to please.
“Seriously, you’re so dishonest.”
It would be a lie to say she hadn’t noticed.
But what Mikhail was doing now was a forbidden love.
Even though they hadn’t held the state wedding yet, they were already technically married in the South before a priest and registered as a couple.
“Why are you pursuing such a love, Your Highness.”
***
On a bright afternoon.
A friendly jeu de paume match began on the newly built outdoor court in the Hersen palace.
Originally a sport from Arsetia that had become popular long ago, it was now a very common sport in Western society.
The word ‘jeu de paume’ itself was Arsetian.
Though nobles often enjoyed playing it at weekend afternoon suburban gatherings or parties, since this was on an official court and in front of such a large audience, the players seemed quite nervous.
“Players from both sides, please enter.”
It was a 32-player tournament where pairs were formed regardless of nationality through drawing lots, with winning teams advancing through the bracket.
Nikolai and Luka appeared on the court as the first players.
Their opposing team consisted of two boyars from Hersen who were Luka’s childhood friends.
While everyone was warming up, they called out across the net first.
“Please go easy on us, Your Highness the Grand Duke.”
After making playful appeals to the Grand Duke, the two turned their heads to his side and asked with startled expressions.
“Hey, what’s with that look?”
“Did you get an eye infection?”
Beside him, Luka wore a wide-brimmed hat pulled low and even an eye patch like a one-eyed person.
His father had insisted he must absolutely, unconditionally participate in this match no matter what, so he had ended up being pushed out here.
Despite firmly stating he absolutely would not participate, Duke Oblonsky had put his youngest son’s name on the participant list anyway.
That’s why Luka’s name had been in the drawing box, and he ended up on a team with Nikolai.
“Yeah. So if you don’t want to catch my eye infection, let’s just get this over with quickly.”
“Never mind that. What’s with that hat?”
“It’s stylish.”
“Ah, from what era’s fashion?”
His friends grimaced and giggled.
At those words, Nikolai also cracked a smile.
Though Luka had thought at least the Grand Duke would let it slide, he just had to add a comment too.
“For a moment, I thought you had wandered onto a theater stage instead of the court.”
“Your Highness is already an accomplice.”
Luka spoke through gritted teeth like a ventriloquist.
He was half-turned to the right like someone with a stiff neck.
As Nikolai briefly surveyed the audience seats, he naturally first noticed Bianca holding opera glasses next to Katya.
“How long are you going to keep this up? Since it’s come to this, wouldn’t it be better to just reveal your identity?”
“You know that’s not possible.”
Though they weren’t exactly enemy families, the relationship between the Smirnov and Oblonsky houses was quite ambiguous.
In any case, Duke Oblonsky would not have the slightest intention of becoming in-laws with the Grand Duke’s father-in-law.
If Luka brought home the Grand Duke’s sister-in-law saying he wanted to marry her, his father would adamantly oppose it.
That’s why he had decided not to even start anything in the first place.
Moreover, a romance that began with deception was unlikely to end well.
Whatever the reason, Bianca might feel betrayed by the fact she was deceived.
She would no longer be able to trust him.
She might even think she had been toyed with.
In fact, when Nikolai and Katya had gone on their secret trip, he should have confessed his identity at least then.
But he couldn’t.
The feelings he thought he could rationally control had broken through the dam and were flowing endlessly.
He had no way to stop this helpless love.
“Why don’t you at least take off the hat? I think you won’t be able to focus on the game either, worried it might fall off.”
“It’s fine. I’ve secured it like this.”
Luka tightly tied the hat string under his chin.
“Focus now and pay attention.”
“Did you really have to pair with me even though it was drawing lots?”
“Why, worried you’ll stand out more the longer you stay in the game?”
“You already know. Being on Your Highness’s team means we won’t lose.”
“Are you honored to be on a team with someone who has both competitive spirit and skill?”
“……”
Luka didn’t make empty comments.
What a ruthless guy.
“Pretend to get injured in the middle and leave.”
“Pretend to get injured? You mean substitute players?”
Understanding the Grand Duke’s deeper meaning, he asked with a broad smile.
“But win the game first. As you know, my sister-in-law isn’t the only one watching this match.”
“Understood.”
Luka immediately realized he meant Katya.
No man wanted to show a losing appearance in front of the woman he loved.
The Smirnov sisters were making men tense in various unintended ways.
The two men approached the game seriously.
Mikhail was irritated with envy watching the two healthy men practically flying across the court.
‘Why is the world so unfair.’
While he would often collapse from dizziness just from being in the sun too long, Nikolai was enjoying sports with his muscular body dripping with sweat.
It was something he could never have.
The young ladies of society screamed and cheered wildly at the powerful visual combination of Nikolai and Luka.
Frowning at the ear-splitting cheers, Mikhail stared intently at Katya’s profile sitting diagonally in front of him in the tiered seats.
How could that tomboy miss even have strawberry blonde hair?
He had been watching her closely since before the match began.
As everyone’s attention turned to the court, he was now openly staring at her.
‘You only have eyes for my brother too.’
To the point she didn’t even notice he was behind her.
Unlike the young ladies squealing and praising the two men’s looks, Katya was watching her husband intently with clasped hands, worried he might get hurt during the match.
Seeing her tightly clasped hands filled with anxiety made his irritation rise.
“Ah!”
Katya suddenly flinched, her shoulder blade twitching as she watched the game.
As she looked back as if something was bothering her, Bianca who was sitting next to her asked,
“What’s wrong, Sister?”
“No, did an insect pass by? My back feels ticklish.”
“Really? There’s nothing there though?”
She said after examining her sister’s back.
Katya turned her head back again feeling uneasy, but there was no one in the seats behind.
As she turned forward again to watch the match, something hit her back with a flicking sensation two or three more times after that.
Katya frowned and turned around, lifting her head a bit higher than before.
Going up one more row, she saw Mikhail smiling at her.
He had been throwing candy bits the size of beans at Katya’s back like a child trying to get an adult’s attention.
Katya stood up abruptly from her seat.
“Sister, where are you going? Not watching the rest of the match?”
“Just going to the bathroom quickly.”
“Want me to come with you?”
“No. I’ll be right back.”
Katya gave Mikhail a look telling him to follow and left first.
After she departed, Mikhail followed after Katya with some distance between them.
Coming out behind the court, he saw his sister-in-law kicking at the sandy ground in front of a wooden wall, trying to calm her anger.
With just a wall between them and the occasional cheers coming through, Mikhail grinned broadly, just happy to be alone with her like this.
A secret meeting with his sister-in-law…
The nerve-wracking situation was thrilling too.
“Why do you keep picking fights?”
“What?”
“Do you have some complaint about me?”
She asked with a casual attitude.
The way she made threatening expressions with that small frame was cute, like a sparrow puffing up its body to face an enemy.
Though she was far too strong to be called a sparrow.
Seeing that terrifying face made his hamstrings ache remembering getting hit that day, but strangely he had the sudden perverted thought of wanting to get hit by her one more time.
Maybe then he could come to his senses?
He had been in a daze ever since she hit him.
These days, whenever he lay in bed at night, he kept seeing her everywhere—the ceiling, beside him—and could hardly fall asleep.
Sometimes when he saw her in passing, Katya was always smiling happily as if something excited her despite facing opposition from her in-laws.
That would make him feel strange.
While he was suffering so much from this damned unrequited love…
You seem to have it so easy.
