Chapter 69
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: The Prince's Wreath
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Joseph and Charlotte waved to the crowd for a long time, surrounded by trophies and bouquets, in response to their cheers.
"Please take this as well."
"And this too."
"Here's another bouquet."
Though only one set of prizes had been prepared for the champion, the sheer volume of bouquets showered on the two adorable victors by the nobles made such details irrelevant.
Joseph accepted each prize meant for the winner only to hand it straight over to Charlotte without a second thought—the jeweled victor's crown, the chalice-shaped trophy, the sword symbolizing victory, flower necklaces, and more.
The one exception was a single white wreath made of chrysanthemums, which he kept for himself.
He also took the larger bouquets that Charlotte struggled to hold.
Charlotte tried to protest at first, but his actions were so natural and brazen that she couldn't find the words.
'Who's he to tell who off? Isn't Joseph the one turning down prizes he rightfully deserves more than I am?'
She grumbled inwardly, but Joseph, enveloped in a sea of flowers, looked dazzlingly beautiful, and the moment was so dizzyingly joyful that she couldn't bring herself to say more.
- Dear spectators, please calm down and take your seats. We will now hear the victory speeches from our two champions.
The audience, whom Charlotte had thought so well-behaved, was so exhilarated that the announcer had to repeat the request to quiet down three times before they finally settled.
As silence fell over the vast arena, the pounding of her heart suddenly seemed thunderously loud.
She felt far more nervous now, having to speak before everyone, than when she'd entered the arena sword in hand.
As fidgety Charlotte reached out, Joseph took her hand.
Her eyes caught sight of the emperor standing before her, his face beaming with pleased anticipation.
'...Ah. Come to think of it, victory speeches on Shadow Blade Day are usually oaths of loyalty to the emperor.'
In the other tournaments from the book, victors either confessed their love to the lady of their dreams or offered thanks to the gods, pledges of loyalty to the emperor, or gratitude to their parents or mentors who had supported and guided them.
'Well, none of that is hard...'
Honestly, the only ones who had gotten her here were herself and Joseph.
No matter how she thought about it, others were just somewhat grateful at best—not enough to credit them for her current standing.
'I've already thanked Joseph dozens of times, and he's right beside me, so no need to mention him...'
Recalling her vow in this life to live freely and happily, unbound by constraints, Charlotte boldly opened her mouth.
"I never imagined I'd make it this far, but if I had to name the reason, I'd say it's my own effort. Thank you all for your tremendous support. I promise to work harder to show even better matches before His Majesty the Emperor and all of you. May this day be filled with blessings for everyone."
Typical speeches overflowed with "thanks to [someone]" ten times over, but Charlotte's mentioned not a single name.
The pristine brevity left the crowd momentarily speechless. But as she clearly signaled the end by stepping back, they erupted in fervent cheers.
Waaaaah—!
So cool—!
Long live Charlotte Setia—!
Petal after petal rained down onto the arena floor like a cascade.
No one in the audience thought she truly had no one to thank; they assumed the child had simply kept her speech short.
The only one who grasped her intent was Joseph.
As if fully aware of the poor treatment she'd endured before this day, he gripped her hand firmly.
The announcer waited for the cheers to subside before speaking again.
- Prince Joseph, please share your victory speech.
Joseph nodded slowly and released Charlotte's hand.
She assumed, as she had done, that he'd step forward toward the podium—but instead, he took a step sideways, away from her.
He then set down the bouquets he'd been cradling like a cascade onto the nearby table.
With his hands finally free, Joseph picked up the victor's wreath and turned to Charlotte.
As he held it with both hands, the once-quiet crowd grew abuzz.
"Is he going to confess to a lady?"
"But doesn't he lack a set partner for that?"
"The prince is over ten now— no fiancée?"
"...You seem perceptive. Think he has one?"
"...Ah."
A massive stir rippled through the populace, well-versed in Prince Joseph's upbringing.
Traditionally, Shadow Blade Day victors pledged loyalty to someone or confessed their love here.
With so many high nobles' children competing—many already betrothed—it was often just formalizing the obvious.
Yet receiving a proposal from the champion knight was a grand romance for any lady.
Even if predictable, the custom had set countless hearts aflutter.
But Joseph, with no fiancée, clutched the victor's wreath and stared into space.
The crowd's unrest was inevitable.
"No way... Does he have a lady he's harbored feelings for all this time?"
"...What if it's me?"
"I told you, you're perceptive. Have some tact too. What makes you special?"
"...Still."
Whispers and excitement fluttered among the young ladies, wondering if they might be the one.
Charlotte watched the scene with delight.
In the old days, even if Joseph proposed for real, those around her would have recoiled in horror, perhaps even slapped him. Now, after this tournament, the ladies all looked thrilled—it was absurdly amusing.
But she loved it. It starkly showed how perceptions of Joseph had shifted.
She glanced at him.
He clutched the wreath so tightly, lost in thought toward the arena wall, dragging out the moment—it was easy to see why people might misunderstand.
'Well, Joseph probably has no lady he wants to propose to. He doesn't meet Princess Shales until much later...'
Charlotte smiled warmly.
Though she hadn't advised him, his act of drawing out the tension as if about to propose was masterful.
But as his silence stretched, the announcer, looking flustered, tried to move things along.
- Ah... It seems we've asked too much of Prince Joseph. If you have nothing to say...
"No."
- ...Pardon?
"I do."
Like a man reaching a slow decision, Joseph extended his open palm to halt the announcer and turned fully toward Charlotte.
Before she could grasp the meaning, he dropped to one knee, took her empty hand, and placed the wreath atop it.
The buzzing crowd froze in stunned silence.
A proposal from Prince Joseph carried vast political weight—and to the direct youngest daughter of House Setia, no less, complicating minds further.
Joseph was the emperor's neglected youngest, now thrust into the spotlight by this tournament; Charlotte, the near-discarded daughter of her house, now basking in immense popularity...
No clear judgment emerged on who gained or lost more.
And one more person stood frozen.
Charlotte, utterly baffled by Joseph's actions, went rigid.