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chapter 54
I wanted to say, “Why are you eating that?!”
“Didn’t it taste strange? The lemon is sour, and the flower probably wasn’t very tasty either.”
But I couldn’t say it so bluntly. I carefully framed my question and asked Sir Winchester instead.
“Well… it did taste like that, but…”
It seemed clear he hadn’t eaten it because it was delicious. Anyone who genuinely liked that would be unusual.
“So why did you eat it?”
“….”
Of course, the question came out. But Sir Winchester didn’t answer immediately.
He looked a little embarrassed by his strange behavior. He slightly opened his mouth, then closed it again, as if unsure how to explain.
Before, I had thought Sir Winchester’s face was always expressionless, devoid of any emotion. But now I realized that wasn’t the case.
I could see a hint of his feelings now.
“Interesting!”
I quietly grinned inside as I watched the rare sight of Sir Winchester flustered. I even thought that maybe, on a day when I’m bolder, I could tease him about this moment.
“Because you gave it to me.”
That was Sir Winchester’s answer.
“You gave it to me, so I ate it all without leaving any.”
I was stunned into silence. Sir Winchester repeated it, looking straight at me. The embarrassment from before was completely gone from his eyes; only a firm resolve, as if to say he was doing nothing wrong, remained.
“Uh…”
It felt like facing a big dog that boldly eats something strange and then proudly says, “You gave it to me!”
It was a flower and a fresh lemon. Nobody would normally eat that. But since I had given it to him, of course he trusted me and ate it, he was saying.
Strangely, that illogical statement touched my heart.
“But… those were like tea bags. When you drink tea, you don’t eat all the tea leaves, right?”
My face flushed for some reason. His steadfast belief was both overwhelming and delightful, so I lingered on the topic unnecessarily.
“….”
This time, Sir Winchester was the one who fell silent. His blue eyes flickered, as if retracing how he had drunk tea before.
Seeing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Hahaha…”
The situation was too funny. Just a moment ago, I had been scared watching the violent gladiatorial matches and had anxiously watched whenever Sir Winchester appeared.
And now, here I was, bickering like this with the very person.
“Well, since it’s all edible, there’s no problem.”
I shrugged. I certainly hadn’t given him anything inedible.
“Did you like the taste? Oh, not the marigold or lemon—just the drink.”
“It was good.”
Sir Winchester also smirked faintly and nodded.
“Then that’s fine.”
I smiled at him as well.
“You ate the whole marigold flower. With eyes wide open like that, you’re sure to win.”
Finally, the finals had arrived.
On one side, naturally, was Sir Winchester, and the other side…
Who is that?
I narrowed my eyes at the man in the blue cloak but had no clue who he was.
Well, he’s probably just an extra.
I didn’t bother trying to figure out who he was. Surely, it would be over in five minutes, just like every time Sir Winchester had done before.
Perhaps, since it was the finals, it might take ten minutes.
“It’s Sir Winchester versus Dudley.”
“Well, it’s the expected outcome. Anyone would have predicted the finals would be these two. Winchester of the land, Dudley of the sea. Both are exceptional young knights.”
I overheard someone talking casually while I sat there.
“Who will win?”
“Well, obviously Sir Winchester. Who in the empire could beat him?”
“Who knows? I heard Dudley has almost reached the level of a Sword Master. He even learned some martial art from the East on this voyage.”
“Really? Then maybe Dudley has a chance. Though, Sir Winchester has been winning for three straight years.”
Even after becoming Countess Winchester, the extra buffs still worked—people didn’t know I was here and spoke freely.
Hmph! No matter what, Sir Winchester will win!
I snorted inwardly and looked ahead. My seat was close enough to see Sir Winchester’s face clearly.
Sir Winchester?
Even the paleness of his face was visible.
Something felt off. The more the match progressed, the more I sensed it.
“Well done!”
“Sir Winchester! Keep your strength up!”
“Dudley! You will be the new champion!”
“Waaaah!!”
“Win! Win! Whoever, just win!”
Amid the crowd’s cheers, the royal gladiatorial finals were underway. Everyone was excited to witness today’s champion, shouting as if they themselves wielded swords.
And there I was, silent, hands clenched tightly, staring only at Sir Winchester.
In the midst of the rising tension, I felt utterly alone in my stillness.
Something’s wrong.
I couldn’t tell how much time had passed. What was certain was that the five or ten minutes I had expected were already long gone.
Of course, George Dudley, being a navy man, was a formidable opponent—much more challenging than previous rivals. Having made it to the finals, he was obviously an excellent knight.
But what made me uneasy wasn’t that the match was long, or that Sir Winchester was struggling against him like he hadn’t before.
His movements seem slower than usual. And that expression… it’s not his usual self.
Others might not notice. Sir Winchester’s face was expressionless, and his tightly pressed lips usually made emotions hard to read.
But I could see it. Compared to when I met him during the break, his complexion seemed subtly pale. His expression was far more rigid than usual.
The difference in Sir Winchester’s usual demeanor was obvious to me.
“Ah…!”
When George Dudley struck Sir Winchester’s wooden sword hard, his wrist twisted slightly, causing the sword to wobble. My gaze shook along with it.
Dudley, right in front of me, couldn’t have missed what I saw. He began relentlessly attacking, as if sensing victory.
“Whoa! Dudley’s amazing! You’re a true Sword Master!”
“Sir Winchester, hang in there! Show your Sword Master power!!”
The stadium reverberated with cheers. My heart was pounding so hard I felt like it could leap out, and all I could do was stomp my feet helplessly.
I wished the match would end quickly. I didn’t care who won or lost.
“George! Well done!”
“Winchester!”
Dudley targeted the previously shaken left wrist, swinging his sword hard. This time, Sir Winchester couldn’t hold it, and the wooden sword was completely horizontal.
With the sword gone from sight, Sir Winchester’s face and chest were fully exposed.
“Hiyahhh!”
Dudley’s sword thrust into Sir Winchester’s chest. It was a wooden sword, and Sir Winchester wore armor, but such a precise strike would certainly cause some injury.
“Darling!”
Breaking my silence, I jumped up instinctively and called out to him.
