Chapter 90
Chapter 90
Translation: godsn
Clang! Clang! Clang-clang!
The moment the bell signaling the start of the duel rang, the Fourth Imperial Princess charged forward without hesitation.
Whoosh, whoosh.
The terrifyingly lethal sound of wind accompanied the arcs of her blade.
"......"
The Princess's hand gripping her sword trembled faintly, her body rigidly tense.
The spectators assumed she was frozen in fear.
But no one noticed how her eyes, unwavering like a predator's, were tracking the Fourth Princess's every movement.
'Angelique, I know all your weaknesses. You never deviate from your patterns.'
Just as expected, the overconfident Fourth Princess rushed forward with a fierce assault, wearing a smug smile.
Medeia took a diagonal step back, deftly deflecting the Fourth Princess's blade.
Though the Fourth Princess had received the finest elite training in the imperial court, this very fact made her weak against unorthodox techniques.
She was the worst possible match for someone like Medeia, who had been tempered in real combat.
'Why won't my strikes land?!'
Unaware of this, the Fourth Princess grew increasingly frustrated as her decisive attacks missed by a hair's breadth.
No wonder this insolent Valdina wretch had boldly challenged her to a duel—she must have been hiding her true skill.
"You're quite good at dodging! Seems your brother's talent runs in the royal bloodline. Then try blocking this!"
The Fourth Princess's sword, gleaming with malice, danced wildly. Amidst the flurry, a vivid orange light bloomed.
"That's Aura!"
Someone recognized it and shouted, prompting gasps from the crowd. Aura required an additional stage of awakening through rigorous training.
The difference in skill between an Aura user and an ordinary swordsman was like that between an adult and a child.
Thus, it was an unspoken rule not to use Aura in a duel unless mutually agreed upon beforehand.
Yet, when the duel didn't go her way, the Fourth Princess had abruptly unleashed her Aura without warning.
In the world of swordsmanship, such underhanded behavior was considered so dishonorable that opponents would refuse to even engage.
'Now.'
Medeia's eyes gleamed.
She staggered back as if startled by the rapid onslaught of crimson light, twisting her body.
Time seemed to slow—each of the Fourth Princess's strikes became visible. But Medeia deliberately avoided dodging the last one.
"Tch."
Blood sprayed as the blade grazed her arm.
"Kyaaah—!"
"Medeia!"
A scream erupted.
The Queen Dowager couldn't hold back and called out Medeia's name, while Siseo clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug painfully into his palms.
The Kazen Princess had not only insulted the Late King but also, as an Aura user, had the audacity to hide her strength and inflict a dishonorable wound on the Princess who sought to defend her father's honor.
Was this truly the Fourth Princess's own idea?
No—this was a blatant provocation from the Empire to Valdina.
A message that they would never be a match for the Empire and should obediently submit.
It was infuriating to stand by silently, forced to witness such arrogance and pettiness. Never again did they want to feel this powerless.
They would strengthen Valdina and ensure this humiliation was never forgotten.
Siseo wasn't the only one burning with rage and resolve. The Valdinans watching the Princess tightened their fists fiercely.
While everyone endured Kazen's brutality, the sight of the young Princess standing tall against the Empire, her blood dripping, struck their hearts like a blade.
Even the Kazen spectators on the opposite side couldn't ignore the growing tension among the Valdinans.
'I deliberately missed the last strike, so why...?!'
The Fourth Princess, too, flinched in shock.
She had only meant to intimidate the arrogant Princess by showcasing her skill. But in that moment of confusion, Medeia closed the distance like the wind.
Far from dodging the Fourth Princess's reckless Aura strike, she boldly charged straight toward her chest.
A killer's intent, lying in wait for an ambush, surged forth.
A silver flash of Medeia's blade arced upward before the Fourth Princess's eyes.
"Tch!"
The startled Fourth Princess dropped her sword.
A fleeting movement. A single strike.
To wield both lightness and heaviness simultaneously was no easy feat. Only Facade's mercenaries recognized the depth of that skill.
"Hahaha. This side didn't stand a chance at all. It was decided from the very beginning."
Gallo snickered.
Clang—! A beat too late, the sword dropped by the Fourth Imperial Princess clattered to the ground.
"I've learned a lesson from you, Fourth Princess," Medeia said calmly, her sharp blade still poised at the princess's throat.
"Wooooah! Our Highness won!"
"Valdina won!"
A delayed cheer erupted. Everyone was dumbfounded.
Our Highness had just crushed the arrogant nose of Kazen's imperial princess!
The uproar was so loud that the chandelier lights trembled faintly.
The sweet scent of violetta wafting through the air heightened the joy of the Valdinans.
Meanwhile, the Kazen side still hadn't recovered from their shock. Some were even rubbing their eyes, unable to believe the Fourth Princess had lost.
"This is cheating!"
Belatedly, the Fourth Princess retorted, her face flushed red.
"Princess, you lied to me! Why did you hide your strength and deceive me?"
But her words were nothing more than absurd stubbornness.
Where in the world was there a duel where one assessed their opponent's strength beforehand? If she only wanted fights she could win, she shouldn't have accepted the duel in the first place.
"Let's do it again!"
But the Fourth Princess, utterly unable to accept her defeat to Valdina, stubbornly dug in her heels.
"This time, let's have a fair match between warriors—not this pathetic duel, but a real, proper battle to decisively settle things."
It was hardly a statement befitting someone who had drawn her aura just to win this so-called "pathetic duel," but the Fourth Princess felt no shame.
Only obstinacy and fiery temper burned within her.
Medeia's lips curled slightly.
"Has Your Highness forgotten your oath? This isn't some childish game where you can take back your loss and try again. That's why I warned you in advance."
Her calm voice carried an almost mocking lilt.
"First, you dangled the relief supplies Valdina rightfully deserves as a condition, and now that you've lost the duel, you want a rematch..."
A low laugh echoed through the training grounds.
The merciless remark didn't just crush the Fourth Princess—it trampled Kazen's dignity entirely.
"The Kazen Empire's calculations are truly bizarre. Such an absurd way of counting shouldn't be known only to Valdina. It ought to be spread across the continent."
The faces of the diplomatic mission hardened. Though they were a powerful nation, they couldn't outright dismiss other countries.
If today's events spread across the continent, the Kazen Empire wouldn't escape criticism for lacking honor. Future treaties with other nations would suffer as well.
Yet the Fourth Princess trembled, clenching her fists tightly.
'How can I accept losing to some Valdina wench like this?!'
She had her pride—she couldn't possibly return in such a disgraceful state.
Moreover, if word got out that she had lost to some arrogant half-wit from a minor kingdom, she couldn't even bear to imagine how her rival siblings would scorn her.
"Double."
In her agitation, the Fourth Princess threw out a massive bait.
"Double. If you win this time too, I'll provide twice the promised amount. That should balance the stakes, shouldn't it?"
A bait so enormous that even she, as an imperial princess, couldn't easily swallow—yet one the Valdinans could never pass up.
Twice the relief supplies! The crowd buzzed.
That quantity would not only resolve the royal castle's hardships but also allow them to send military provisions to the King on the plains.
"This is an offer I'm making even while considering my father's reprimand. Surely, Your Highness wouldn't refuse such generous terms, would you?"
But the one who had to accept the challenge was the Princess.
She had narrowly seized victory in this duel—there was no guarantee fortune would favor her a second time.
Moreover, with the Fourth Princess offering such lavish conditions, who knew what underhanded tricks she might resort to in order to win?
Hadn't she already stained the Princess's arm with blood?
So they had no choice but to wait silently for Medeia's decision.
"......"
Medeia's inscrutable emerald eyes darkened.