Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Because You're Too Beautiful
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"Get along well. Until we stab each other."
It was something Lena had said to Lin before. The two of them had promised to continue their midnight friendship with that condition attached. Lena bit her lip, finding the words that had just come to mind all too fitting. Before her, the emperor was urging her on with eyes as clear as a lake. Urging her to fight Lin.
'He praised me just yesterday, and now this.'
What kind of nonsense was this toward someone who had returned after earning merit? When Lena hesitated to step forward at the burdensome command, Lin moved first from across the way. Unlike her, he didn't waver as he approached the page holding the sword. So Lena followed him, slowly shifting her steps. As she turned, her gaze briefly fell on the knight slumped on the floor.
'I should have scolded him more firmly.'
Lena let out a silent sigh as she looked at the knight. Then she stood beside Lin before the page. The sword the page offered was an elegant ceremonial blade befitting the imperial dignity. But it wasn't just for show. Though narrow, the edge was sharp enough. Sharing the identical swords, a mix of emotions surged through her. As they walked to the center of the banquet hall, Lena whispered to Lin.
"Someone must have overheard our conversation from yesterday."
That was why things kept going wrong. Lena found their alliance talk veering straight into disaster absurd. She tossed out a light joke, but Lin didn't even pretend to hear. He looked serious. Whether it was just the emperor's command or the incident in front of the council chamber earlier, she couldn't tell. With Lin silent, Lena quietly mulled over the emperor's order.
"Until one of you can no longer hold a sword..."
It wasn't just about determining a winner. It meant fight until one collapsed from injury.
'Should I aim for the wrist or shoulder? Or knock him out briefly.'
Lena didn't want to hurt Lin. But she had no intention of refusing the command to prove her worth. Sorry, Lin, but she planned to win for now. So she pondered the least dangerous way to do it. That was when it happened.
"Lena."
As they reached the center of the banquet hall, the silent Lin suddenly called her name. Then he whispered low to her as she turned.
"Hold out as long as you can."
'Hold out?'
Before Lena could puzzle over it, Lin widened the distance and raised his sword. Facing his battle-ready stance, Lena quietly lifted hers. The spot where they faced off was where gentlemen and ladies had danced rapturously moments before.
'Come to think of it, we talked about dancing together too.'
Who would have thought it would turn into a sword dance? Lena swallowed a wry laugh at the irony.
"Begin."
With the page's voice, Lena's proof began. She tried to create distance first. But unexpectedly, Lin charged straight at her. His sword scraped the floor with a grating screech. The upward slash from below came at her ferociously. Clash! Their swords met with a sound like a hammer striking an anvil.
'Ugh...!'
Lena panicked at the fierce opening assault. Lin's strike was overwhelmingly heavy. Her shoulder creaked under the force. And her shoulder wasn't even fully healed. The lingering poison seeped into her aching joints. Gritting her teeth against the burning pain, Lena retreated. Lin immediately pursued. He swung wildly, as if to crush her with sheer power. Not just swinging, but scraping the floor repeatedly to add weight to the slender blade. And when it rebounded from resistance, it shot back like an arrow.
'Lin, are you serious?'
Lena dodged repeated attacks while watching him. She'd thought he'd go easy on her a bit, but that was a pipe dream. She evaded one after another. His attacks were vicious, but fortunately not hard to avoid. The floor-scraping upward arcs made the trajectories simple. Still, the relentless barrage left no room for carelessness.
'I'll get hit at this rate.'
Sensing the threat, Lena sharpened her gaze. She now knew how merciless Lin was to enemies. He was clearly in earnest, so she had no need to hold back anymore. Steeling herself, Lena backpedaled to lure him in. As she retreated to a corner of the banquet hall, the watching nobles startled and pulled back. She drew him to the pillars, and Lin's furious assault faltered at the sudden obstacle. Lena seized the gap, spinning like a dancer into his guard. Embraced effortlessly in the enemy's arms, she slashed down at his forearm.
"Ugh!"
Lin hissed and retreated. A thin trickle of blood ran down his wrist. Yet he didn't drop the sword.
'Too shallow.'
Lena clicked her tongue inwardly. She wanted to end it with as little pain as possible. Deciding to be firmer, she pressed forward without giving him an opening. At the Proxy of the South Duke's bold counterattack, the momentum flipped instantly. Where the Eastern Duke had pressed fiercely before, now the Proxy unleashed breathless assaults.
'My god...'
The nobles swallowed dryly at the ceaseless clashes and the shattering sounds. Such merciless collisions—would their arm muscles even hold? Lena's strikes were swift and precise. Lin barely parried one only for another to come flying, leaving him no time to breathe. His right arm, grazed multiple times, had long since frayed his sleeve to rags. Their swords clashed again. As Lena tried to pull back from the blocked attack, Lin pressed down with brute force. Caught in the sudden contest of strength, Lena held firm.
Their blades creaked under the strain. Her shoulder screamed in pain again. As she bit her lip to endure, Lin whispered right in her face.
"Dodge."
Right after the unexpected whisper, Lin heaved his sword upward with full might. The blades collided head-on, and the sudden shift in force made Lena drop hers. With a metallic clang, her sword flew. She looked up in dismay, then widened her eyes realizing not one but two swords arced toward the chandelier. Lin had dropped his too. His rebounded blade clattered onto the marble floor. Lena dashed for her sword. But just before her hand reached it, Lin kicked it away. It spun far off. Brushing past her crouched form, he snatched the other. Swordless, Lena rolled toward the remaining one. Fortunately, she grabbed it before he charged. Then she realized the swords had switched. The one she'd reclaimed was smeared with Lin's blood. And the feel in her grip was strangely different.
'What?'
Feeling the incongruity, Lena glanced at the sword Lin had wielded. The once-beautiful blade was scarred from scraping the floor and striking pillars.
'No way...'
As she wondered, Lin charged again. He scraped the floor even with her pristine sword.
'At this rate, his arm won't hold up.'
Doubting his intent, Lena dodged. The blade flying while cracking marble was fast but its path predictably simple. Yet Lin kept destroying walls and floor in pursuit. To the spectators, he looked utterly savage—like a madman hunting a woman, evoking the Eastern Duke's bloody rumors. But Lena saw it differently. She felt like a fox chased by bells. All noise, no real threat. Doubting his aim more, she focused purely on evasion. Even so, the flying marble shards and thunderous crashes made it look brutal enough. Soon after, the abused sword began creaking again. The grating sound reached her ears. Just then, her eyes met Lin's. His gaze said it.
'Take it.'
Unlike his rough actions, his eyes were calm. Lin raised his sword high. He meant to swing hard. Now certain, Lena didn't dodge but laid her blade flat. The swords clashed once more. This time, a shattering crash echoed. The sound of Lena and Lin's swords breaking.
...
"Ooh!"
As the swords shattered, the tense nobles burst into exclamations. Lena's blade had snapped under the downward force, and the one that broke it hit the floor and crumbled too. Fighting until the swords broke—a rare spectacle indeed. Bare-handed, Lena and Lin panted, staring at each other. Their hearts pounded from the sprinting and swinging. Their arms, pushed to the limit, could barely move. But they hid their exhaustion and looked to the emperor. In any case, it had gone as he commanded. With broken swords, neither could hold one. If he didn't order new ones, they could end this farce unscathed, no winner or loser. Lena and Lin awaited his verdict. The emperor gazed indifferently at the pair catching their breath, then looked down.
"What do you think?"
At his feet, the dragged-out knight still knelt. The emperor asked him.
"Do you still think I'm wrong?"
"Y-Your Majesty. I deserve death..."
"Yes, exactly. Treason is punishable by death."
The emperor nodded calmly. Then he turned back to Lena.
"That was entertaining."
It signaled the end.
"Next time, show us a dance. In a pretty dress."
With that and a wave, he dismissed them. The boisterous proof ended. Lena and Lin sighed in relief unbeknownst to others, sharing a brief glance. But unlike them, one person couldn't relax yet.
"What to do with this?"
The emperor muttered at the knight by his feet. The knight trembled, begging mercy. Fortunately, the emperor was in good spirits.
"It was enjoyable enough, so I'll spare you. But you'll pay for your loose tongue."
Decided, the emperor signaled Clavis. Clavis approached the slumped knight. Unsure what was coming, the knight blinked anxiously.
"Engrave His Majesty's mercy deep in your heart."
"Uh..."
Clavis covered the groaning knight's forehead with his hand. The white-robed cardinal extending his hand seemed almost holy at a glance. But reality was the opposite.
"Ugh, aaargh...!"
Under Clavis's touch, the knight began to scream. He convulsed like a torture victim. At the same time, his burly frame withered.
"Kuh...!"
As his breathing grew ragged, the cardinal finally withdrew. The knight collapsed. His sprawled body was now gaunt and skeletal. The nobles swallowed at Clavis's cruel authority. He smiled at them.
"Revere His Majesty's mercy."
Chilled to the bone, they forced smiles and echoed.
"Revere His Majesty's mercy."
What mercy? No one understood, but none questioned. Discard thought and echo the imperial word. That was the surest way to survive the palace. Everyone knew it.
***
The victory banquet dragged late. But the protagonists didn't stay long. A more important promise awaited.
Deep into the night, Lena and Lin met again by the lake. They smiled faintly at each other, right on time. They'd already spent much of the day together, yet the joy was inexplicable. But despite the warmth, words didn't come easily. Hesitant, cautious. After a long silent stare, Lena whispered first.
"I thought you wouldn't come."
"Why?"
"Because getting along only lasts until we stab each other."
Lena looked apologetically at Lin. Truth be told, they hadn't stabbed each other. Only she had stabbed him. Lin hadn't hurt her. He'd shouldered the burden and found a way. Foolishly so. As she felt sorry, Lin deftly changed the subject.
"Is your arm okay?"
"Fine. You?"
"Me too."
A lie. Lena remembered how relentlessly she'd slashed him. Should she apologize? He'd forgive her, say it was fine. Maybe even comfort her. Knowing that, she couldn't. She didn't want to exploit his kindness. Instead of apology, she made an offer.
"Is yesterday's alliance proposal still on the table?"
The unexpected words startled Lin. His baffled expression left her no choice but to explain.
"Honestly, I wasn't keen yesterday."
"Then?"
"I've changed my mind. Because you're too beautiful."
Her answer was nonchalant. But Lin felt like he'd been struck in the heart. Stunned, he stayed frozen before protesting aggrievedly.
"I get you like that phrase, but saying it so casually..."
"Don't like it?"
"...No."
"Good."
But Lin couldn't handle Lena. He fell silent, and she smiled deeper at the sight. He didn't seem to know. Why she kept calling him beautiful.
"I think it'd be okay with you. Whether allying or joining hands."
Lena couldn't handle Lin either. Despite her suspicions and boundaries, his steady approach overwhelmed her. Surrendering again, she yielded space beside her and continued.
"But I have a condition."
"A condition?"
"Finish the story from yesterday."
Lin eyed her curiously. Meeting his deep gaze, she added.
"I want to know why you can't have a partner."