Chapter 58: The Help Caelan Wants

Since the Duke had visited, she thought she wouldn’t be able to have lessons tomorrow. When going to meet the Duke, Bliss had told Echo she would come back later and asked him to wait. Echo, knowing all the circumstances, had agreed, but all of that had become meaningless.

【Looks like we can continue our lessons.】

Bliss looked up while gazing at Echo who had returned to her hand. She was about to thank him again. However, Caelan spoke before Bliss could.

“When you fully possess the dagger later, thank me then. For now, I’m satisfied with the one thank you I received.”

He had cut her off after sensing Bliss’s thoughts.

“Do you really think you can win?”

Instead of thanking him, Bliss asked about Caelan’s thoughts. Whether he really believed he could handle everything, or if he had other thoughts.

“I’ll help with whatever I can.”

The wager was already irreversible, and they had a chance to keep the dagger without giving it away. If only what Caelan had to bear in the process wasn’t so heavy.

“The Duke isn’t someone to be taken lightly. From the time he asked you to bring this dagger, he was already making various plans. I don’t think someone like that will simply participate in the tournament this time.”

Bliss gripped Echo tightly and showed a firm gaze toward Caelan.

“Will you help me?”

Caelan playfully accepted Bliss’s words. Thinking that he too must have been worried inside, Bliss nodded vigorously.

“Tell me anything. If you want information about the Duke…”

“That’s fine.”

When her words were rejected before she could finish, Bliss met his eyes with a bewildered expression.

“There are many others who can investigate the Duke without your help. What I want is something only you can do.”

“What is it?”

Bliss leaned forward, urging Caelan. As she placed her hand on his leg and looked closely into his eyes, Bliss showed a surprised expression. She had seen the pleased look in his eyes. Unable to express the emotion in words, she wondered if it was real, and after pulling back her upper body, Bliss composed her voice.

“Let me hear it first.”

Acting as if she hadn’t been the one urging him, Bliss realized her earlier eagerness and blushed with embarrassment.

“Until the knights’ tournament, I’ll go to the training grounds every day. I want you to watch me for just one hour each time.”

“Watch you? Nothing else?”

Bliss responded with a deflated voice at the help that was simpler than she had expected.

“Yes, it’s something only you can do.”

“Why is that something only I can do?”

“Because I think I’ll train harder if you’re watching.”

The laughter in Caelan’s eyes was real. Bliss narrowed her eyes and glanced at him playing around even in this situation, then laughed as if he was hopeless.

“Fine. But I’ll decide when to come as I please.”

It was a warning that she might appear when training was almost over and crack the whip to make him work harder.

“Do as you please.”

However, Caelan accepted it pleasantly.

***

Princess Jasmin handled the collectible she wanted to show when Bliss came. She had brought it after it caught her eye while looking through her collection, but she had been just holding onto it since she couldn’t figure it out alone. She thought she might find some answers if she showed it to Bliss and pondered over it together.

Finally, when she received word that Bliss had arrived, Princess Jasmin looked at the door with great anticipation.

“Princess Jasmin, Your Highness.”

As the door opened and Bliss entered, Princess Jasmin gave her a welcoming smile.

“Welcome. Actually, I have something I wanted to think about together with you…”

Just as she raised her head to show what she was holding, Princess Jasmin couldn’t continue speaking when she saw Bliss who had already approached right in front of her. The Princess, who had only been thinking about telling her about her item, belatedly noticed Bliss’s expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Please tell me about the knights’ tournament.”

“Knights’… tournament?”

“Yes, please tell me everything you know, Your Highness.”

Seeing Bliss’s somewhat grave expression, Princess Jasmin couldn’t say anything else. After some time passed and she collected herself, Princess Jasmin told Bliss to sit and put down the item she was holding to the side.

Though disappointed it wasn’t the conversation she had expected, Princess Jasmin bit her lower lip and turned to Bliss. Since she seemed like she wouldn’t listen to anything but the knights’ tournament right now, the Princess thought it better to address her curiosity first.

“Come to think of it, it’s almost time for the knights’ tournament. How much time is left?”

As Princess Jasmin gauged the time, she nodded.

“So that’s why Father has been so busy. It was because of the knights’ tournament that will be held in two months.”

While speaking to Bliss, Princess Jasmin muttered to herself in between and spoke indifferently.

“The knights’ tournament is exactly what it sounds like – a competition where knights test their skills against each other. Any knight in the empire can participate, and since the benefits given to the winner are substantial, it’s very popular. It’s held once every two years, so it’s fair to say there are many knights who wait just for this day.”

Princess Jasmin brought the item she had quietly put down back in front of her. It was a small bottle with black ink swirling inside. While handling it, Princess Jasmin continued her explanation.

“Since knights have a certain level of skill, it’s entertaining to watch, and you can see which family’s knights are exceptional, so interest is high. Of course, it’s become like a festival that the empire’s people enjoy too. After all, it’s not often you get to see knights dueling.”

Bliss fixed her gaze on Princess Jasmin’s face as if she wouldn’t miss a single word. Because of this, she didn’t notice at all what the Princess was handling.

“Do you know who won the knights’ tournament two years ago?”

“Two years ago…”

“It was Marquis Caelan Adrian.”

“Is the Captain allowed to participate in the tournament?”

There was hesitation about whether she should ask, but she didn’t change her words. Even though her ignorance about the tournament that had become like a festival might make the Princess find something strange, she didn’t change her question just to hide her identity, as that would mean getting less information.

“He is also a knight of the empire. It’s not like there haven’t been Imperial Guard Captains who participated in the tournament before.”

“When you say there haven’t been none, that means not everyone participated, right?”

“That’s right. The position of Captain is appointed by His Majesty the Emperor – imagine losing in such a tournament. Everything they achieved to reach that position would become meaningless. Ministers would submit appeals saying someone lacking in skill cannot continue as Captain, so they would have no choice but to step down. That’s why Imperial Knights, especially the Captain, rarely participate.”

Bliss showed a complicated look in her eyes. She realized that if Caelan lost to the Duke’s knight, it wouldn’t be as simple as just giving up the dagger. And Caelan had proposed this knowing that.

‘There’s nothing good in this for Caelan.’

He had become Captain of the most renowned knights in the empire and earned the Emperor’s trust. But if he happened to lose in the tournament, what kind of aftermath would there be… She felt suddenly afraid. Could she convince Caelan to cancel it even now?

“So now you’re showing interest.”

Bliss, who had been lost in thought, looked up at the Princess’s words.

“You said you’d only heard rumors before meeting you? Well, I can’t completely believe those rumors since they’re entirely different from now, but at least I know you weren’t very interested in things like the knights’ tournament. After all, it’s not pretty and just full of sweat and rough dueling.”

Only then did Bliss understand why Princess Jasmin didn’t find it strange that she was asking about the knights’ tournament.

“As you can see, I had forgotten about it too. Two years ago, when we weren’t married, how interesting could such a knights’ tournament be to us? Unless the winner wanted to receive a token from me, but what knight would reach out to a princess? It would be the fastest way to earn His Majesty’s displeasure.”

Seeing that Bliss didn’t immediately understand, Princess Jasmin lifted the bottle and tilted it in front of her eyes. The ink formed what looked like a small sea inside the bottle, making waves that were quite a sight to see.

“The winning knight receives a token of congratulations. If married, from their wife, if not, from the lady they have in mind. But if someone demanded it from me, it would be like publicly declaring they want to marry the princess, so no one would do that.”

Princess Jasmin put down the bottle with a somewhat dissatisfied face.

“This time too, the knights’ wives will probably come asking to make tokens together. I wish they would just do it among themselves, but they’ll include me too… Sigh.”

Finding it exhausting just thinking about it, Princess Jasmin let go of the bottle and held her head.

“Though the wives will give theirs separately later, I won’t even have anyone to give one to. Just thinking about having to waste time unnecessarily makes me sigh already.”

As Princess Jasmin complained with an annoyed expression, instead of asking for details, Bliss searched through her memories. The knights’ tournament had definitely appeared in the original story. Back then, Caelan had won and received a token from Latte…

‘That was when Caelan’s feelings were publicly revealed.’

But now many things had already diverged from the original story with the wager against the Duke. In a situation where she couldn’t be certain Caelan would be the winner anymore, Bliss thought of another worry.

‘That means I have to make one too.’