Claudia didn’t respond.
She seemed to want to hear more of what I had to say.
“The moment you accepted the duel with Sir Simon, your honor was also put on the line in the arena, along with your noble pride.”
“Will you give your best for honor and pride?”
“And you will win, as always.”
My eyes narrowed into a smile.
Simply smiling naturally in front of Claudia felt like a significant accomplishment.
Claudia spoke in a neutral tone.
“Sometimes, there’s anger that surpasses honor.”
“I agree.”
“My sword might be at your throat.”
Her blue eyes showed no sign of wavering.
Claudia didn’t emit a shred of killing intent.
Yet, instinctively, my limbs tensed, and a slight shiver ran through me.
“Do you want to cut me down?”
“Sometimes.”
“Is it because of Douglas?”
“Absolutely not.”
“May I ask for the reason again?”
“Because you help no one in this world.”
“Not everyone lives a useful life.”
“You’ve inflicted pain on countless people. Being by His Majesty’s side makes you even more dangerous. Your beauty could bring ruin to the empire.”
“So you came to decide whether to kill me or let me live.”
The Claudia I liked was just like the original.
Despite her skill and intent, she didn’t unsheathe her sword recklessly.
Even if her opponent was a villain who had trampled on her first love.
Meeting her made it even more apparent.
To Claudia, whether I had changed or not wasn’t important.
A person guided more by belief than emotions.
No matter how much I had changed or altered my environment, if she still viewed me as a societal evil, my future would only be death.
The moment had come to gamble.
Contracts, games, bets—why not?
“If you’ve made your judgment, then go ahead and cut me down.”
I relaxed my body and extended my arms.
Claudia’s eyebrows shot up.
“What are you doing?”
“Struggling against you would be pointless, Claudia. I’d rather depart in peace than live in fear of an unknown death.”
“Is this… some sort of trap?”
“I have neither the time, thought, nor capability for traps. What use would a trap have against the strongest knight?”
“……”
“Please take me without pain.”
I closed my eyes.
The lingering anxiety slowly faded away like mist at sunrise.
A strangely warm energy enveloped me.
Claudia took large steps to stand behind me.
A chilling touch on my nape.
It was her sword.
‘I wanted to protect Nikolai. I wanted to cure Susan’s illness, help Franz, give Owen opportunities, give Boritz chances. I wanted to live a new life, too…’
A burning regret pounded my heart.
But I had done my best every moment.
Therefore, I could accept any outcome.
With a different choice than the one made in my previous life, where I had handed over the oxygen mask reluctantly.
The only thing I could do was not to waste the time given to me.
‘It’s not up to me anymore. Those who will die will die, and those who will live will live. Generally difficult, but sometimes luck will come my way. Perhaps I can smile leaning on the warmth of kind people. So, I have no regrets.’
A crack formed in the shell of fear that had clung to me.
It began to split soon after.
Regret, anxiety, and impatience crumbled away.
It seemed like my true self was gradually being revealed from within.
“You’re not the Elizabeth I know. Where is the real Elizabeth?”
Claudia asked with life in her voice for the first time.
As if she bitterly resented the disappearance of the original Elizabeth.
(This is a time separator.)
A day before the duel.
Simon was summoned to the royal palace chapel.
Giant statues carved out of marble lined the long corridor.
A woman with her face veiled was waiting for Simon.
It had been a long time since they had met.
He had expected a kiss of victory.
But all that came back was an icy voice.
“When did you ever beg to be mine? You’re just like any other man, Simon.”
“What do you mean? My loyalty is only to Mother.”
“Why did you go against my command to only collect the reward?”
“That, that is…!”
“Didn’t I warn you not to get entangled in that woman’s schemes? Even when I gave you ways to persuade your goldblind father. Yet you still go for a duel?”
Under the sharp interrogation, Simon bowed deeply.
“I don’t know what came over me either.”
“It’s an utterly pathetic excuse.”
“I tried to cancel the bet, but Elizabeth… she…”
“Are you saying she cast some kind of spell on you?”
“I can’t explain it otherwise. I don’t understand why I would do such a foolish thing.”
Simon clenched his teeth.
He was still confused when he thought about that day.
As if trapped in an opaque glass bottle, everything was blurred and foggy.
“Tell me in detail.”
“Elizabeth winked at me. After that, everything is unclear. I remember what actions I took, but it felt as though it wasn’t me…”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
The woman flicked her sleeve as if annoyed.
Unable to bear the injustice, Simon pounded his chest with his fist.
“Father also tried to disown me! If I lose the duel, the seat for the next head will go to my brother.”
“Can you win? Your opponent is the strongest, Claudia.”
“That’s just a bluff. She’s a weakened woman who knows a bit of swordsmanship and is receiving praises for it.”
“Is that so?”
“I will crush the brat from the borderlands and erase Elizabeth from Mother’s sight.”
Simon pledged.
A chuckle escaped from beneath the woman’s veil.
“You’ll kill Elizabeth?”
“I’m waiting for the right opportunity. I can’t walk the same path as those incompetent kidnappers.”
“Let me help you.”
“What?”
The woman tossed a small leather pouch towards Simon.
Simon carefully lifted the leather pouch.
“What is this?”
“It’s your secret weapon. With it, you’ll never lose.”
“Mother…”
“If you’re afraid of death. If your life is the most precious, then burn it secretly. The choice is yours.”
(This is a time separator.)
Simon vs Claudia.
The duel between the two knights began in the grand square used for horse racing.
Who would win?
The son of Duke Brendan?
Elizabeth’s representative?
Not just the nobles, but even the commoners were enthralled by the duel of the century.
Requests to watch the duel were incessant.
Nikolai did not permit it.
The reason was both simple and complicated.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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