Chapter 64

“Oh my, how adorable.” 

Elena sat down with Little One, who smiled so brightly his eyes disappeared. Felix must have arranged it beforehand, as there was even a child’s chair prepared.

She seated Little One in the chair and fastened the safety belt. He puffed his cheeks in dissatisfaction at being strapped in, but she handed him a snack, which he began munching on happily, his expression relaxing.

After stroking Little One’s hair, Elena straightened her back.

“I’ll just go see William and, while I’m at it, Cedric too.”

“I want to! I want to see Cedric too!” 

Thomas raised his hand enthusiastically.

“Alright. Felix, what about you?”

Felix gestured toward Little One with his chin. 

“Someone has to watch him. I’ll stay here.”

“Got it. Little One, don’t cry and listen to your big brother, okay?”

Little One immediately protested, 

“No! No!” 

He looked like he was about to burst into tears if she left.

‘What should I do?’

Elena didn’t want to lie to William, even about something minor. Sensing her hesitation, Felix whispered softly into her ear, 

“Just say he’s my nephew.”

“Alright, got it.”

Feeling a bit lighter, she unbuckled Little One from the chair. Worried she might leave him behind, Little One clung tightly to her leg.

Holding his hand, Elena set off to find Cedric and William. Felix and Thomas followed her, but they went to see Cedric first.

In the distance, William stood with his colleagues near the judging panel. Elena led Little One, who was wide-eyed with curiosity, exploring everything around him, and approached her brother.

“Brother.”

“Ah, Elly.”

William’s gaze shifted to Little One. Feeling self-conscious, Elena quickly explained, 

“He’s Felix’s nephew.”

“Is that so?”

That was all the reaction William gave. He didn’t ask further about Little One nor did he warmly greet him. When Little One stared at William and waved his hand, saying, “Baa,” William raised his hand slightly before letting it drop.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Just… I’m leaving soon, and I thought I’d see you one last time. You’re busy, after all.”

“You’re not here for advice?”

Elena felt a pang of guilt. She did have an ulterior motive. She smiled sheepishly and played it off, 

“Well, maybe a little.”

William scrutinized her for a moment, a slight frown forming on his face as if he was displeased.

Why? What’s wrong? Was he upset that I was trying to gather information under the guise of our relationship?

“You, with that student…”

William began to speak after a long silence, but before he could finish, another man appeared, draping an arm over William’s shoulder.

“Hey, Bellote, who’s this?”

William seemed about to say something, but he stopped and acknowledged the man who had interrupted him. 

“Sir Fredric.”

“Who is she? Your girlfriend?”

At that, William irritably swatted away Fredric’s arm. 

“She’s my sister.”

“Oh, your sister.”

Fredric whistled. 

“She’s cute. If the youngest knights saw her, they’d probably come running.”

He motioned toward a waiting room in the corner of the judging area. A group of knights, who appeared to be around Elena’s age, were sneaking glances in their direction. The moment Fredric caught their eyes, they quickly scurried inside.

Watching this, William spoke in a slightly annoyed tone, “

Sir, please mind your words.”

“Ah, sorry. I’ll be careful.” 

Fredric grinned mischievously. Though he joked around, he didn’t seem like a bad person.

Well, it wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression on her brother’s colleague.

“Hello, I’m Elena Bellote, William’s younger sister.”

“Baa-baa.” 

Little One waved his hand again as he greeted Fredric.

Fredric’s attention shifted from Elena to Little One. 

“Oh? Who’s this little guy? I didn’t know Bellote had a much younger sibling.”

“Oh, he’s my friend’s nephew.”

“Ah, I see. But he looks a bit like you, so I thought you were siblings.”

“Dya-dya.”

“But, little one, ‘bye-bye’ is something you say when you’re leaving. Try this instead: ‘Hello.’”

“Aaah!”

“Good job. So, Miss Bellote, are you here just to see your brother?”

“Well, yes, but also, my friend is participating in the tournament today, and I thought I’d get some advice from my brother. They sparred once before.”

“Ah, could it be Cedric from Verka Academy?”

Hearing the familiar name, Elena’s eyes widened. 

“Oh, do you know him?”

“He’s been quite the talk of the knights lately. Ah, if it’s him, let me think. Sometimes when he attacks, he tends to swing his sword wide, leaving his sides open. As long as he’s careful about that, he should be fine.”

“Sir Fredric.”

“What? That’s just a small tip.”

Fredric shrugged nonchalantly, his face full of curiosity as he looked at Elena. 

“You must be quite close to him to care so much. Is he your boyfriend?”

“Sir Fredric!”

“Oh, look at Bellote getting all riled up at the idea of his sister having a boyfriend.”

Elena quickly waved her hands in denial. 

“No, Cedric is really just a friend.”

Sensing the conversation spiraling, she grabbed Little One’s hand. 

“I’ll be off to cheer for my friend now. Let’s go, Little One. Say bye-bye.”

“Baa-baa.”

Waving their joined hands, Elena hurried off toward the waiting room for participants.

Inside, Cedric was chatting with Felix and Thomas.

“I hope you win!”

“I think you’ve got what it takes to win.”

“Thanks. Oh, Elena, you’re here?”

Noticing her, Cedric pushed past the other two and approached her. 

“I was worried you wouldn’t come.”

“Baa-baa.” 

Even amidst this, Little One greeted him diligently. He truly was a polite child.

Seeing Little One wave his tiny hand, Cedric tilted his head curiously. 

“Who’s this?”

“My nephew. He’s my cousin’s son, and I’m looking after him for a bit.”

“I see.”

Thanks to Felix’s magic, Cedric accepted the explanation without suspicion.

With no time to waste, Elena skipped the introductions and got straight to the point. 

“Cedric, sometimes when you swing your sword wide, your sides are left open. Just be careful about that.”

He nodded. 

“I figured as much, but it’s good to hear from others. I’ll watch out for it.”

“But don’t focus on it too much. If you concentrate too hard on one thing, you’ll lose your rhythm.”

“True. Thanks. You came all the way to see Bellote for me, didn’t you?”

“Well, partly.”

At that moment, the whistle signaling the start of the match blew. Felix picked up Little One, who was wandering around the waiting room making popping noises.

“Let’s go. Cedric, good luck.”

“Thanks. I’ll do my best to meet your expectations.”

“Baa-baa.”

“Thanks, Little One.”

With Cedric’s bright smile as their last image, they returned to their seats in the special section. As soon as they sat down, the tournament began. Or rather, the pre-match ceremony started.

First, a priest came out to bless everyone and wish them good fortune.

Then, the Crown Prince delivered a speech.

“The Crown Prince is here?”

Surprised, Elena asked Felix, who replied with a tone that suggested it was obvious. 

“This is the biggest event of the Founding Festival. It’s one of the year’s most important occasions, so of course, the royal family would attend.”

“But what if something happens?”

This time, Felix answered in a tone of mild exasperation. 

“Do you think royal security is that lax? Nothing will happen.”

Still, Elena couldn’t shake her unease. If she were to target the Crown Prince, today would be the perfect opportunity. It was harder to infiltrate the royal palace, after all.

Well, they wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t safe.

Feeling somewhat reassured, she focused on watching the matches.

Cedric’s match was the last one. That meant they had to sit through the entire event without leaving.

Some matches were thrilling, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats, while others were rather dull.

At least Elena found some entertainment in watching. Little One, however, was different.

“Uuuuu!”

Not understanding the excitement of the matches, Little One began to squirm. Thinking he might feel confined, she let him down from the chair, and he happily toddled around, making popping noises.

She placed a toy she had bought from the Bellote Trading Company on the ground for him, and he sat down to play with it.

Much time had passed. Finally, the last match began.

“Cedric, go for it!” 

Thomas yelled, pressing against the large window. Hearing his cheer, Cedric glanced their way and smiled.

But only briefly. He gripped his wooden sword and took his stance.

Elena, forgetting even Little One, focused entirely on him. She clenched her fists tightly without realizing it.

As the whistle blew, Cedric charged at his opponent.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a deafening noise shook the ground.

What just happened?

Before she could process it, another explosion followed, this time closer. A group of masked individuals flooded the arena, all wielding sharp, real swords—something not used in the tournament.

“Ahhh!”

The arena turned into chaos. Screams erupted from all directions outside.

“Mama!”

Little One, who had been frozen in place like Elena, ran toward her. Instinctively, she scooped him up into her arms.