* * *
Just as the attendant, who had been quietly following behind me wherever I went, was about to speak urgently, I silenced him and pulled him into the nearby bushes.
The moment we hid ourselves, the footsteps confidently striding our way came to an abrupt halt.
“Ugh…”
Startled, my heart jumped in my chest.
The person who had stopped right in front of us was Willoy, one of Klen’s supporters.
As Klen’s wife, I had no reason to avoid him.
He didn’t seem hostile, based on our last encounter—but he wasn’t exactly friendly either.
So I simply had no desire to deal with him.
His sharp gaze swept the area, as if unwilling to miss even an ant.
I clutched the attendant’s head firmly from above and pressed it downward, urging him to sink lower into the brush.
“Hm.”
His gaze, slow but relentless, hovered around our hiding spot.
The attendant began to tremble uncontrollably.
I gently patted him, as if to say, “Don’t worry.”
Even if we were found, it wouldn’t be a matter of life and death—maybe just a long scolding.
And if it did become dangerous, I wouldn’t stay silent.
Perhaps that reassurance reached him, as his trembling slowly subsided.
Willoy’s gaze eventually drifted elsewhere, and he tilted his head slightly.
Then, as if he hadn’t noticed anything, he began walking again.
“Whew…”
Only after his figure disappeared completely did I step out of the bushes, finally able to breathe easy.
“Was it really necessary for us to hide like that?”
“Not exactly. But… that man’s a bit difficult to deal with.”
“Oh, I feel the same way.”
He quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, but the words were already out.
So that’s why he had obediently followed my lead—he was just as uncomfortable around Willoy as I was.
He glanced sideways at me and quickly spoke again, flustered.
“Are you really going? If you collapse again just from watching—”
“Shhh.”
His voice had risen a little too high in his attempt to change the subject.
I pressed my finger to my lips, silencing him.
He nodded rapidly, covering his own mouth.
“I let it slide when you followed me to the stables last time, remember?”
“Ugh…”
“And we got to see outside the castle, thanks to that.”
We were now accomplices—and he had no way out.
He understood that well enough, closing his mouth with a resigned look.
No more objections came.
“Wait here.”
“B-But… going alone is dangerous.”
“I can’t be seen. And I have emergency medicine.”
I discreetly showed him a small vial I had hidden in my robes.
Of course, it wasn’t real medicine—just a mixture of fruit juices that Klen once used to fool me.
The color was convincing enough to pass as something brewed by a healer.
The attendant was fine in many ways, but his footsteps were too loud for sneaking around.
He must’ve known that himself, because after frowning in displeasure, he nodded.
I then carefully slipped inside.
“The hunting tournament isn’t far off now.”
“…!”
I had wondered why I hadn’t heard the usual clanging of metal—turns out they weren’t sparring today.
Instead, some knights were off to the side practicing alone, while others worked on physical training.
Fabian and Nesser were calmly tending to their swords.
Some of the knights moved with admirable precision, while others were so poor I wanted to storm in and correct them myself.
But I couldn’t act out in front of my oldest brother—and as someone seen as fragile, they wouldn’t take me seriously anyway.
Just as my frustration neared its peak, Fabian tilted his head toward a group.
Then, as if already aware of everything, the senior knights moved toward the poorly performing ones.
‘So he was watching.’
My brother had clearly been observing them too.
“Have you heard about the prize for the winner?”
“I haven’t heard what it is. Probably saving the announcement for the day itself.”
He continued chatting casually with the other knights.
A prize, huh…?
My ears perked up despite myself.
Of course there would be a reward—this was a tournament, after all.
‘Not that I could aim for it.’
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what it might be.
I licked my lips in frustration.
“I also heard that that young lord is going to participate.”
“Oh— the delicate one? He fainted last time just from seeing a sword fly by!”
“Is he really part of the Caldric family?”
“What if he collapses again during the tournament?”
Just when it seemed like they’d changed topics, they started mocking me.
I already knew they said things like this behind my back—but hearing it directly was different.
Part of me wanted to storm over and challenge them to a duel right then and there.
But I held it back.
I was eavesdropping, after all—not exactly the most honorable position.
“He’s my brother’s spouse. Watch your mouths.”
‘Brother!’
In the end, only Fabian stood up for me.
At his words, the knights all flinched, their expressions instantly sobering.
“I did hear he’s been getting better though.”
“Apparently the third young lord went to the healer every day, demanding medicine for him…”
“Even used the secret passage in their room just to get it to him quickly.”
It seemed Klen’s laziness was infamous even here.
So when he went to such lengths, rumors had spread quickly.
Most seemed to think, “For someone like him to do this, it must be serious.”
“Everyone’s dying to see the holy bride, so maybe Klen’s just rushing to show him off.”
‘Bride, now?’
First wife, then spouse… now bride?
The word still felt foreign.
Not everyone had attended the wedding, so many were still curious about me.
And since I hadn’t attended any official gatherings so far, that curiosity had only grown.
Introducing me to the vassals was likely part of the plan for this tournament.
It might also be a chance to force Klen to participate—two birds with one stone.
For the sake of the Count and Countess’s reputation, I’d better avoid fainting this time…
‘Is that why Klen had the medicine made?’
He’d done everything he could to prevent me from joining the tournament, so probably not.
Still, my chest felt inexplicably heavy, like something was dragging it down.
‘There’s no sparring going on—might as well head back.’
I’d learned plenty. But I hadn’t come here to spy.
Without any matches to watch, there was no reason to stay.
My burning motivation had already cooled.
I carefully turned back the way I came.
“Lord Adrian. How was it?”
“…My head started spinning. Let’s just go back.”
“Are you all right?”
The attendant, pale with worry, quickly supported me as I stumbled forward.
Thinking I might have overheated, he even added some fanning with his hand.
I felt guilty for his concern, yet continued to sway unsteadily, pretending to be more exhausted than I really was.
And in the room we arrived at, the usual stacks of books welcomed me.
Aside from a few that made my head spin the moment I opened them, I had read most of them.
Not that I fully understood everything.
“Should we put the books away now?”
“Oh my, have you already finished them?”
The maid who followed me in tidied up the sofa so I could sit more comfortably and set a warm cup of tea on the table.
Her eyes, full of concern, sparkled faintly with admiration.
“More or less.”
“To think you’ve read all of these despite your frail health… How impressive.”
Her shining eyes felt a little too much.
‘I really just skimmed them…’
I knew I wasn’t gifted in magic. I’d never been properly trained, but still, it was clear I was better with a sword.
Rather than drawing complicated runes from afar and manipulating mana, I preferred close combat.
It suited me better.
* * *
Kinda sad. I was hoping he’d become a magic swordsman