Perhaps due to fatigue, Dana woke up late the next day. Kaiden was already gone from beside her.

While having a light breakfast-cum-lunch of bread, cheese, and soup in her bedroom, Dana heard from a maid that Kaiden had left at dawn, and that people were gathering to watch him spar at the Rowen Knights’ training ground in the royal palace.

“People are watching the knights’ sparring?”

Feeling puzzled, Dana realized the reason.

“Ah, because of the jousting tournament.”

Dana murmured, remembering what was written in Taras’s letter.

In the capital, to celebrate the prince’s birth, a jousting tournament was scheduled to begin from Solsita’s feast day after the banquet.

Originally, since Rowen was a country blessed by Yurhemia, the goddess of spring, they considered Yurhemia’s birth feast day second in importance only to Vican’s grand birth feast day. Thus, most banquets were held to coincide with Yurhemia’s birth feast day, but the period of Solsita’s feast day wasn’t ignored either.

During Solsita’s feast days, long festivals were often held not only in Rowen but in other kingdoms as well. Since it was the hottest time when farming was difficult, farmers also needed a brief rest.

According to legend, the mischievous goddess Solsita radiated hot gazes at farmers who only worked, making the heat persist. Therefore, it was said that they needed to show the goddess how much fun they were having, as she wished. Even the sun not setting until nighttime during this period was said to be due to Solsita’s desire to enjoy together.

Moreover, with Prince Elias’s birth this summer, the king was also hosting a jousting tournament alongside it. It was to provide entertainment and boost the morale of farmers tired from agricultural work.

Thus, the jousting tournament was scheduled for the afternoon, with festivals in the evening. And now it seemed Kaiden was sparring at the training ground that was open for tournament practice.

Originally, Taras’s letter had included an invitation for Kaiden to participate in the jousting tournament, but he had declined due to the northern situation making it difficult to stay longer in the capital. In other words, Kaiden wasn’t scheduled to participate in the tournament. However, it seemed he could still practice sparring with the participants.

Dana said without realizing:

“I want to see too.”

If others could watch, she wanted to see as well. In Khalid, she couldn’t go watch because the knights’ duties were literally matters of life and death, and she didn’t want to interfere. Above all, thinking she couldn’t casually visit the knights and disturb them while Kaiden was busy with many tasks, she had restrained from visiting as much as possible. But now it seemed fine.

Throughout the continent, jousting tournaments were popular for allowing people to watch and enjoy knights’ skills. Though it originally flourished in the western Kingdom of Etrang, famous for its lancers, it had spread across the continent because it was such an exciting competition.

As a result, large bets were placed and audience reactions were tremendous. Victorious knights gained honor and high prize money, but countless knights who fell from their horses during matches became disabled or lost their lives.

In Dana’s case, she didn’t particularly enjoy it because it seemed too dangerous. But since Kaiden was doing jousting practice, she wanted to watch. There was still plenty of time until the evening banquet. When Dana said she would go to the training ground and to prepare, the maid responded politely and withdrew.

Dana quickly finished her meal and ordered the maids to complete her grooming quickly. The maids hurriedly dressed Dana in a thin, light flesh-colored dress and neatly braided her hair up.

Dana stepped outside with a maid following her carrying a bag and parasol. Thinking what if the sparring was already over, or what if they passed each other on his way back, she walked at a somewhat hurried pace out of the palace.

Having heard of her outing, knights had positioned a carriage waiting in front of the palace gates. Walking down the stairs, Dana discovered a familiar face among those knights.

Dana curtsied slightly to the knights who bowed their heads in greeting. Then she called out the name of the knight she had seen before.

“Sir Connors?”

The knight’s brown eyes widened inside his helmet.

“You know my name, my lady? I’m honored.”

Ian Connors remembered the duke’s warning not to approach the duchess closer than a certain distance or dare to waste her time by speaking to her. But he thought this was fine since the duchess had addressed him directly.

He placed his hand on his chest and bowed at the waist to Dana. Dana smiled gently at the bowing Ian.

“I heard from Kaiden.”

Ian said with an impressed expression.

“Ah, is that so! Did Lord Khalid already tell you about my contribution to your marriage? I thought he didn’t appreciate my efforts!”

“Contribution?”

Dana asked, hearing this for the first time. To her question, Ian answered with a proud face.

“Yes. Before the marriage, I chose the outfit Lord Khalid wore to your birthday banquet. I also selected the clothes he wore when visiting Khalid the next day. You may not know this, but my lord had no experience attending such banquets and didn’t know what to wear, so he couldn’t prepare. That’s why I helped him.”

Dana found this unknown backstory fascinating. Learning that Kaiden had sought someone else’s help to prepare his outfit for her birthday banquet somehow felt cute.

“I didn’t know that. You have good taste. He looked really handsome that day.”

“Is that so indeed? Please make sure to tell Lord Khalid exactly that. That without the outfit I chose… this marriage might not have been possible.”

Dana smiled watching Ian speak with sparkling eyes.

“That might not be true, but I’ll tell him it had a positive influence.”

“That’s enough.”

Ian smiled brightly and extended his hand. Dana, smiling likewise, took Ian’s hand and got into the carriage. The maid followed Dana into the carriage. The carriage door closed.

Through the carriage window, Dana saw Ian showing off his hand that had touched her to the other knights. The knights were making “woah” sounds and taking turns touching Ian’s hand. They had all seemed uninterested and gruff toward her, so it was surprising to see them suddenly become different people.

Only after Sir Declan cautioned them did the knights come to their senses and mount their horses. The carriage began to move.

The carriage rode quickly and arrived in front of the royal knights’ training ground. This time Dana got out of the carriage taking the hand of a knight taller than Ian.

With black-armored knights standing guard before and behind her along with her maid, she headed toward the training ground where people had gathered. The knights cleared a path for her. If anyone blocked the way, the knight in front of Dana would say quietly:

“This is the Duchess of Khalid. Please make way.”

People who heard “duchess” stepped back in surprise. Even without the duchess title, Dana was able to advance easily to the front of the spectators thanks to the imposing knights in black armor.

The maid stood beside Dana who had stopped at the blocked viewing area, and the Khalid knights stood guard around them. Since this wasn’t a real jousting arena, there weren’t many viewing areas, but they were positioned with a clear view of the training ground.

Dana looked around from among the knights surrounding her protectively. In the training ground were two knights in armor on horseback, each holding a long lance with pointed tips. Since this wasn’t an official match but training, other armored knights were gathered on one side of the training ground. They too appeared to be watching the sparring about to begin in the center.

Dana looked at the mounted knights’ armor. The knight on the right wore familiar black armor and rode a black horse she had seen before. The lance in his hand was a silver-colored metal lance. Since he wasn’t scheduled to participate in the jousting tournament, it was likely borrowed.

Dana turned her head to check with the knight standing beside her. When she looked up at the tall knight, he bowed his head. Dana first asked him politely:

“Your name?”

“Declan Dieter, Vice Commander of the Khalid Knights, my lady.”

Dana nodded.

“Sir Dieter, is that Kaiden on the right?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Dana looked at Kaiden again, then turned to look at the knight on the left. He wore chain mail with brass-colored clothing over it, and held a lance decorated in the same color while mounted on his horse.

Naturally, the lances both knights held looked dangerous, being very long and heavy with pointed tips. Dana felt somewhat worried.