The chess pieces kept moving. Unlike me, who was advancing slowly without exerting force from the beginning, the Duke’s moving pieces were consistent. Pawn.
It was an aggressive opening method.
When he chose a piece other than a pawn, it was a bishop, as expected. While defending the king, he placed the piece he had chosen in a position to attack the opponent’s pieces.
‘I need to block the bishop’s path first.’
I looked down at the progressed chessboard. I carefully examined the movement paths of the pieces. Although my winning rate looked higher so far, as Yurik said, Duke Fenton was quite a skilled player. Even though the attacks weren’t as impactful as Baron Kito, they were all hefty.
‘The price for ignoring me is great, Your Grace.’
The sound of a clock somewhere in the entrance hall sharply rang.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
“Hmm… If I do this, it will be blocked here, Lise.”
As time went on, I felt my plan crumble. When the Duke moved his rook, I realized I had been complacent all along.
I inadvertently bit my lip.
The game completely turned around.
From a favorable situation, the reversal shattered my composure. As if all the strategies and moves I had planned were swept away by the waves, all that remained inside me was the blank slate that had been there originally. Contrary to hope, I started making ridiculous mistakes afterward.
I tried to run away until the end to force a draw, but the Duke created an opposition (where the kings face each other) and checkmated me with the same rook that had oppressed me.
“Checkmate.”
I sat there dumbfounded by the bitter defeat, forgetting to shake hands. Even after coming to my senses, I looked at the chessboard again, carefully examining where I had made a mistake. While following the paths of the pieces with my eyes, I heard the Duke’s cough.
When I raised my head, he was looking down at me with an indifferent face. Only then did I come to my senses and asked for a handshake to acknowledge defeat.
“Ah, thank you.”
“Yes, Lise. Now, where did you make a mistake…….”
“No, no! I think I can find it myself!”
I hastily interrupted the Duke and turned my eyes to the chessboard. It seemed that I had not utilized the pawn properly.
If that pawn had been in its proper place…….
“Can we have a rematch?”
“……Once more?”
“Is it not possible?”
At my request, Duke Fenton arranged the pieces without a word. I thought it was over, but Duke Fenton placed the arranged pieces. He had responded to my request.
The rematch began. This time, I moved the chess pieces with the opening I had become accustomed to using. Instead of adventuring, I planned to gradually increase my winning rate and move to the middle game. One mistake was enough.
I entered the game with a heavier heart than before. Whenever I was nervous, I reassured myself that I could win.
We moved our hands silently for a long time.
As a result, I lost in every game.
“You underestimated me.”
After losing the last game, the Duke said heavily.
“What?”
“……Aren’t you going to shake hands?”
“Ah, thank you for playing the game with me…….”
Struggling to respond, my hand was filled with tension. After shaking hands with the Duke one last time, I immediately lowered my head.
I knew why I had lost all the games. I also knew how I would win. Despite knowing the future and the situation, what came before me was not victory but defeat.
“You’re in a hurry.”
“…….”
“You trusted yourself too much.”
The Duke said as he tidied up the chessboard. He wasn’t wrong.
“You were too greedy.”
“Ah.”
Reflect on yourself again, lacking. Don’t think you can do it vaguely. Faith is not always a good thing. Sometimes it becomes the cause of failure.
The cause of failure.
My heart sank at the painful advice. Heavy air settled on my shoulders. Rather than tasting bitter defeat, it felt like the vague hope that I could do it was plucked out entirely.
Was I arrogant at the words of Count Kito, or did I think I was better than others in my second life, gained by good luck?
“Honey.”
“Ah… I’m sorry. I didn’t realize my words were harsh.”
The duke apologized at his wife’s reproach, but I didn’t hear it.
Strength came into my hands. As I was reflecting on myself for a moment, a hand was placed on my shoulder. Startled, I shrank my shoulder, and Yurik’s scent came closer.
“Father, may I show Lise my room now?”
What? Yurik interrupted.
“Lise, let’s go.”
Yurik pulled me without hearing my response. Startled, I stood up and stared blankly at Yurik’s retreating figure for a moment.
“Wa, wait!”
“We agreed to take a look.”
Was Yurik eagerly watching for a chance to show me his room while I was distraught over defeat?
In conclusion, he succeeded in dragging me to his room. The problem was that I was in a very bad mood.
[This is a time separator.]“Here it is.”
“I see…….”
Yurik dragged me to the room to the very end.
I wanted to get angry, but I didn’t have the energy. I only thought about looking around and responding appropriately and quickly leaving the room.
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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