“Uh… Lady Cecilia, that sword…”
Lita stammered, a thought suddenly popping into her mind.
There were things only she could see; besides that silvery orb of light with glitch-like color blocks, there was something else.
It was something Lita could recall with just a little effort.
There was also the curse on Cecilia’s chest.
Seeing Lita’s expression change from confusion to understanding, Cecilia didn’t say much more—she simply lowered her lashes and closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, Cecilia’s gaze had softened even more.
“As your master, I shouldn’t order you to choose, but I truly hoped you would pick it, so much so that I tried to guide you. But no matter what, I’m truly happy you made this choice.”
To Lita, these words sounded a bit redundant, hardly the kind of thing Cecilia would normally say.
All the more reason for Lita to believe that what seemed a small gesture to her meant the world to Cecilia.
Of course it did. That secret which had lain dormant on Cecilia for so long—so much that even Cecilia herself was ready to give up—had started to turn again, like a gear, ever since she met Lita.
As for what the end result would be, whether everything would collapse or let Cecilia touch more things she’d never imagined, that was still unknown. But no matter the outcome, Cecilia would never let go of this chance.
“All right, that’s all I wanted to say.”
“Then, Lady Cecilia, I’ll take my leave for now…”
“If I just wanted to say these things, why do you think I called you here at this hour?” Cecilia asked softly.
“Then what do you mean, Lady Cecilia…?”
As Lita nervously spoke, she saw Cecilia pat the bed beside her.
Well, she should have known.
Since the day they met, nothing between them had ever gone too far.
The most they’d done was kissing or hugging, and while her own clothes might not always be neat during those times, and Cecilia’s hands might not always behave, it never got too out of hand.
It just didn’t get too out of hand, that’s all.
Some time passed.
“Lady Cecilia, you went too far this time.” Lita lay on the bed, eyes blank, glancing at the bruises on her body.
“You’ve been training these days, right? Getting a few marks is perfectly normal. I believe you can figure out how to cover them up. No, actually, others won’t even see them at all.”
Cecilia rested her head on Lita’s soft stomach, gazing up at the glass chandelier on the ceiling, where the moonlight shone.
“But training bruises and… this… are different! They’re not the same, Lady Cecilia!” Lita sat up a little, trying to explain in all seriousness.
“I say they’re the same, so they’re the same.” Cecilia replied with the calmest of tones, acting shamelessly.
“Fine… then I’ll just say it was a kitten… Ow!” Before Lita could finish, pain shot through the soft flesh at her waist, making her twist in agony. She looked down to see Cecilia pinching her side.
“Who are you calling a kitten?” Cecilia’s expression didn’t change, but the strength in her hand increased a little.
“N-nothing…” Lita mumbled, giving up.
Silence lingered for a long time. Lita stared at the ceiling, letting her mind wander to all sorts of unrealistic things.
“Lita, are you asleep?” Cecilia’s voice came from above her, the vibrations passing clearly through Lita’s stomach as she spoke.
“Not yet,” Lita replied.
“Actually…” Cecilia let two words slip out, but for dozens of seconds afterward, all Lita could hear was her own heartbeat and the distant-then-near, near-then-distant footsteps outside the door.
Lita didn’t press. Cecilia’s rare uncertainty made Lita reluctant to ask what she wanted to say.
If Cecilia wanted to speak, she would.
“Actually, I don’t feel very safe.” Cecilia said, “Living here, under the watch of others, I can’t feel at ease.”
Lita had never been good at answering questions like these. Maybe she was just too honest—even a well-meaning lie was hard for her to say if it was something she couldn’t truly do.
She knew that words like “I’m here,” “It’s okay,” “Things will get better” could help a lot at times like these.
But she was too straightforward—if she said it, she had to mean it.
Promises were nothing compared to actually following through.
Still, there was one thing Lita had never figured out.
No one knew the details of Cecilia’s curse, but why was everyone so afraid? Was it just because the curse couldn’t be lifted? Just because of discrimination against the cursed? Or just the mystery of it?
She didn’t know, but couldn’t exactly ask, either.
But she could try to unravel the mystery—though that would have to wait.
For now, her top priority was to defeat Xingxian, to best her in a fair fight, and prove she was worthy to be Cecilia’s exclusive knight; to prove Cecilia was second to none, and to take Cecilia away from this stifling place.
Bang.
Cecilia’s little fist landed on Lita’s stomach, making Lita cry out with an “Ow!”
“Were you listening?”
“I was! I heard you say you don’t feel safe, Lady Cecilia.” Lita quickly explained.
“That was a minute ago.” Cecilia sighed and gave her another gentle thump.
“So what did you say now?” Lita asked weakly, instantly regretting the question.
“I said, if you pass the exclusive knight exam, let’s leave the palace together.”
A few days later.
Main Avenue of the Royal City.
Claire was walking down the main avenue with her lute in her arms when someone bumped her shoulder out of nowhere.
“Sorry! Sorry!” The young man who’d bumped into Claire turned his head, waving his hands in apology, then started to run.
“Wait a second, miss!” Claire called after him, noticing that many pedestrians were also hurrying in the same direction. “You look like you’re in a rush. What’s going on?”
The young man stopped and looked her up and down, noting her flashy, ostentatious attire. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
“That’s right,” Claire nodded. “I’m a bard, traveling the land in search of stories—”
“Stop, stop! There’s a Holy Knight challenging an Emblem Knight to a duel today. Everyone’s going to watch—I need to get a good spot! If there’s nothing else, can I go? Otherwise I’ll miss it!”
Seeing Claire nod, the young man immediately trotted away.
A Holy Knight versus an Emblem Knight? Today?
Wasn’t that perfect story material?!
Claire hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed the young man. The youth looked annoyed when he saw Claire trailing after him.
“If you want me to pay for your clothes or something, can we talk after the duel? I really—”
“No, sir, you misunderstand. I’m also quite interested in the duel. Could I come with you?” Claire picked up her pace to walk beside him.
“You want to see the duel too?” the young man asked, half-believing.
“Of course. As a bard, I must remember every story in my heart. How could I miss such a thrilling event?” Claire placed a hand on her chest in a theatrical gesture, nearly stumbling a few steps before regaining her balance.
“Well then, come on, let’s go!” The young man’s demeanor changed instantly, and he grabbed Claire’s arm, excitedly speeding up.
After a while, the Court of Dawn and Dusk unfolded before Claire’s eyes. Though it was still early, the place was already bustling with people, and most of the seats were full.
The young man pulled her into a remote corner. Claire pointed at the best seats in the house. “Wait, what about those seats?”
“Of course not! Those are reserved for the esteemed guests!”
Claire nodded, half-understanding, and sat in the little corner.
The crowd was abuzz with discussion about the upcoming battle, talking about the two contestants. Since both were Holy Knights, the crowd’s debates were relatively restrained, but without exception, everyone favored the Emblem Knight.
As a bard, Claire had heard of the name Xingxian.
The exclusive knight of the Third Princess, she wielded a massive bow, her arrows raining down like falling stars, hence the nickname.
As for her opponent, Claire knew nothing, only piecing together rumors from the audience’s chatter.
Things like: she once killed a Night Sovereign barehanded and made its shell into a weapon; she broke a man’s legs over missing a dessert; just a few days ago, she took on ten Holy Knights with nothing but a decorative sword and held her own.
Pretty impressive, pretty impressive.
After a while, the sun was almost directly above the Court of Dawn and Dusk, its golden rays illuminating the branches of the golden tree in the arena, making them look like jade flowing with holy golden blood.
Someone cried out, “Her Highness the Princess has arrived!”
Although Claire had composed many songs praising the princesses, this was her first time seeing them in person.
First to enter was a girl with long rose-gold hair; at her side, a tall girl bearing a huge bow—no need to guess, this was the Third Princess.
Next came a platinum-haired girl seated on the shoulder of a three-meter-tall giant wearing a Bone Helm. Claire knew these two as well; the towering Holy Knight had become synonymous with the Fifth Princess.
Finally, the last two to enter left Claire dumbstruck.
Wasn’t that the kind person who’d given her bread before?
A party of six took their seats at the very center—the best spot in the arena. Well, five sat; Helrag’s towering frame made it impossible for him to sit in the stands, so he knelt on one knee beside Illya.
Then, Xingxian Terista bowed slightly to Lilia, the two exchanged a few words, then headed into the center of the arena.
On the other side, the silver-haired girl who’d chatted and laughed with Claire before also skirted the crowd and strode confidently toward the golden tree at the center.
Everyone held their breath.
This battle was about to begin.
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