Teishar Spencer took a step back beside Lorencia, who was standing in front of the platform. Lorencia swallowed a small sigh.
Lorencia quickly scanned the expressions of the people gathered at the training ground. Then, her lips slowly parted.
“I am Lorencia of the Pol Heredian family.”
It was her first time receiving so much attention from people, so she felt nervous, but she began to speak clearly.
She had prepared many good things about Ruans for today.
“His Highness Prince Ruans took care of me, a bastard child who was being abused, along with my half-sister Illina…”
Ruans would be satisfied whenever she mentioned the many good things she had prepared about him.
‘If you pour water into a glass until it overflows, the water will naturally spill over.’
“So he took care of me, an abused bastard child, together with my half-sister Illina.”
‘The overflowed water will be wiped with a dry cloth.’
“His Highness Prince Ruans threw a white glove to protect the honor of a bastard like me.”
‘The cloth used to wipe the spilled water will be twisted and wrung out with both hands until the end.’
“I heard I had to marry Viscount Lorirolls, but thanks to His Highness Prince Ruans, I won’t have to get married.”
‘Twist and wring the cloth until not a single drop of water comes out, hoping it will be torn and discarded.’
“His Highness Prince Ruans is the hope for powerless people like me.”
Finishing her speech, Lorencia smiled at the people. Teishar, who had stepped back, walked forward and offered his hand to her. Lorencia, escorted by Teishar, stepped down from the platform and sat in her designated seat.
And in the tension-filled training ground, Lorirolls and Ruans faced each other.
Teishar looked at Ruans and Lorirolls standing in the training ground.
As Ruans and Lorirolls, who had been keeping each other in check, seriously drew their swords, he unknowingly closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them.
If one of them had excellent swordsmanship, it would at least be entertaining to watch the duel, but Ruans’ swordsmanship that he had experienced was extremely ordinary or below average. Yet, the reason he confidently threw the white glove to Lorirolls was probably because he thought, ‘I can beat someone like Lorirolls.’
Teishar thought it was understandable.
Although Ruans held the sword and assumed a stance to some extent, Lorirolls’ protruding belly made it impossible for him to assume a proper sword-holding stance. He looked exactly like a pig holding a sword and walking on two legs.
“To be honest, this is the first time I’ve seen a duel with such low expectations.”
“This is my first time seeing a duel, so I’m excited. Lord Spencer, who do you think will win? Everyone is betting, so let’s participate in the betting too.”
“If I had to choose, I think Prince Ruans is more likely to win.”
“If His Highness Prince Ruans loses, the nobles will point fingers at him behind his back, right?”
“That’s likely.”
At Teishar’s words, Lorencia’s heart began to pound as if it would shatter.
“I remember something His Highness Prince Ruans told me before.”
“What did Prince Ruans say to you, Lady Lorencia?”
“His Highness Prince Ruans said that for my sake, he could endure any kind of finger-pointing from people. If he were to be defeated in the duel of honor against Viscount Lorirolls, as you said, Lord Spencer, he would be pointed at by people. But surely he wouldn’t be defeated by Viscount Lorirolls, right?”
Teishar glanced at Lorencia, who seemed to be enjoying herself, and inwardly sighed as he looked at Lorirolls standing in the training ground.
In fact, Teishar had gone to Lorirolls and offered him a large sum of money if he would allow a substitute on the day of the duel. However, Lorirolls refused, saying that he would not use a substitute for the sake of the honor he might regain if he won the duel by any chance.
Teishar was puzzled. Even though he could lose his life if he made a mistake, Lorirolls shouted, “I can win.” Had he given up on both money and his life? That’s what he thought. If not, was he crazy?
And on the day of the duel, Lorirolls stood in the training ground, holding a single sword.
Teishar was disappointed that he couldn’t serve as a substitute in the duel. However, he highly valued the noble pride of Lorirolls, who stood in the training ground despite knowing he would lose. Even if he was a trash of a man.
“Look over there, Lord Spencer. It seems the match is about to begin.”
“Yes, Lady Lorencia.”
Duke Rox von Letia, the captain of the First Knight Division of the Imperial Palace of the Isuter Empire, who had been selected as the referee for the duel, walked to the center of the training ground.
“On the afternoon of the 29th day of October in the year 454, as the sun sets, at 3 o’clock, His Highness Prince Ruans von Isuter and Viscount Lorirolls Stoppu will soon begin an honorable duel. The honor bestowed upon the victor will shine, and the loser must humbly accept defeat. May the mercy of Goddess Ella descend upon the clashing swords!”
It was a declaration that the winner would regain their lost honor, and the loser must accept the outcome of the duel. Only then would they receive the blessing of Goddess Ella, who watched over the duel.
Rox, who announced the start of the duel, stepped back.
Ruans raised his sword in front of his upper body. Lorirolls also straightened his blade in the same manner. Then, they began to glare at each other from a distance.
“Lord Spencer, why are they just glaring at each other like that?”
Lorencia tilted her head and asked Teishar, seeing the two men’s behavior.
“That’s a probing phase. They’re trying to gauge who will make the first move.”
“Who do you think will make the first move, Lord Spencer?”
“Prince Ruans will launch the first attack.”
As soon as Teishar’s words were out, Ruans and Lorirolls, who had been far apart, suddenly came closer. They began to look for openings in each other while maintaining a slight distance. Between the two men who were keeping each other in check, Ruans readjusted his grip on the sword and rushed towards Lorirolls.
“Hup!”
“Hiyah!”
The clashing sound of swords filled the training ground. Lorirolls blocked Ruans’ first attack. A sinister smile spread across Lorirolls’ face as he blocked Ruans’ sword.
“That was quite a heavy attack, Your Highness Prince Ruans.”
“You blocked my sword quite well, Viscount Lorirolls. Actually, I thought you would at least have a substitute for the duel of honor…”
“There were several people who offered to be my substitute, but I refused.”
“Who would substitute for trash like you? And in a duel of honor, no less? That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard recently.”
At Ruans’ mocking laughter, Lorirolls’ face visibly crumpled. There were indeed a few people who had come to offer to be his substitute.
In particular, Teishar and an elderly man who seemed to be his butler had coveted the substitute position, saying they would give him a large sum of money. Honestly, he wanted the money they were offering. However, because of what Lorencia had said to him, he couldn’t easily hand over the substitute position.
“We’re in the middle of a duel right now, what are you thinking about? Focus, Viscount Lorirolls!”
“My apologies. I was thinking about Lady Lorencia.”
“How dare you mention Lorencia’s name in front of me?”
“For her sake, I will win today’s duel and restore my honor.”
“You really have a talent for telling amusing jokes.”
Ruans lowered his body and slightly bent both knees. And as he straightened his bent knees, he thrust his sword as if to pierce through Lorirolls’ neck.
Lorencia, who was watching the duel between the two men, smiled. Then, in a small voice that no one could hear, she muttered while looking at Ruans’ shoes.
[Slip.]At the same time Lorencia’s words ended, Ruans slipped and fell. Sighs of disappointment erupted from various parts of the spectator seats.
“Tsk.”
Seeing Ruans fall forward in a spectacular manner, Lorirolls raised the corner of his mouth and suppressed his laughter.
Ruans used the sword he was holding as a cane to stand up. His face turned redder than an apple. He was so embarrassed that he gritted his teeth.
“Are you alright, Your Highness Prince Ruans?”
“Damn it.”
Rox, who had been watching as the referee, approached Ruans with a worried expression.
“Your Highness Prince Ruans, it would be best not to underestimate this Lorirolls too much.”
Ruans sent a cold gaze towards Lorirolls, who had spoken to him. Before readjusting his grip on the sword, Lorirolls made a move. He grasped his sword tightly and charged at Ruans.
Ruans assumed a defensive stance, seeing Lorirolls rushing towards him with his bulky body. Lorirolls swung his sword with all his might at Ruans, as if he would cut through the air itself.
The sound of swords clashing repeatedly echoed terrifyingly throughout the training ground. Lorirolls kept raising his sword and bringing it down countless times. Ruans calmly blocked all of Lorirolls’ sword swings. Gradually, Lorirolls’ breathing became rough. He had reached the limit of his stamina. In other words, it was an opportunity for Ruans, who had been on the defensive.
Ruans raised his lowered blade and swung it forward in a wide arc. Lorirolls, noticing his attack, took a step back and pulled his waist back to avoid the attack.
However, due to his slow reaction, his protruding belly was slightly cut by Ruans’ sword.
“Argh!”
Lorirolls, whose belly had been cut, bent his body. A smile of assured victory momentarily appeared on Ruans’ face. However, Lorirolls used the momentum from his bent posture to twist his wrist and exploit an opening in Ruans’ defense. The tip of his sword narrowly grazed Ruans’ hair.
Ruans, in his haste to avoid Lorirolls’ sword, stumbled and fell backward in an unsightly manner. The training ground, which had been buzzing, became quiet again. Ruans couldn’t get up right away like before. The first time could be considered a mistake, but the second time couldn’t be called a mistake.
It felt as if humiliation was piercing his entire body.
Lorirolls raised the corner of his mouth wide.
He recalled the words Lorencia had said to him on the day he was hit with the white glove by Ruans.
__________
He Said He’s Pregnant, and It’s My Child (Female-dominant)
Intro 1
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro 2
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
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