Episode 52. My goal is not victory
Adele gently stroked his head, which was leaning against her shoulder.
Christine, who was quietly leaning his head against her, felt like a really big kid, or even a gentle large dog.
The time they spent making love together was nice, but feeling each other quietly like this made her heart feel at peace.
Now, it seemed like she couldn’t even imagine life without him.
How much time had passed?
“Ahem! Ahem!”
A cautious cough was heard from outside the door.
“Wait a minute, Chris. It must be Henry.”
When Adele hesitated and pushed him away, Christine’s expression turned fierce. He was displeased that their time together had been interrupted.
“What’s going on?”
Henry’s voice was heard.
“We have a guest.”
“Tell him to wait.”
“That... It’s been a long time since she's waited... Ahem, I didn’t want to interrupt your time if possible, but still, since she came from far away…”
“Who on earth would come at this hour!”
“You’ll know when I say Allie.”
At that moment, Christine’s expression brightened noticeably. As if she had been waiting for someone.
“Yes. I’ll go to the reception room right away.”
“Allie?”
Allie was a woman’s name. Adele was curious that a woman had come at this hour of the evening, but seeing Christine’s bright expression, she was naturally curious.
“Oh, Allie is a wandering gypsy. I received help from her in many ways during the war, and I wanted to ask her about something. I guess I got in touch with her sooner than I thought.”
“Yes, I know you’re an important guest, but can you tell me why you’re meeting?”
Adele’s voice became a little sensitive.
“What? Are you jealous?”
“What about jealousy?”
Adele smiled broadly.
He found Adele cute, so he gently grabbed her nose and shook it.
“Actually, I called her because of your problem.”
“My problem?”
“Just meet her. I’m sure you’ll like it too.”
Today was the last day of the four-day Imperial Equestrian Competition.
In the four groups that were held, four winners emerged. Those four will compete in the finals today.
Of course, one of them was Christine, and the other three, including Stone, were all from noble families of the Council of Elders.
“As expected, it’s Count Weiss. The Count entered and showed off His Majesty’s face.”
“But Marquis Oswald will win. He’s the best so far.”
“It would be a mistake to think that the Count gave it his all.”
Even the spectators were divided into the Emperor’s faction and the Council of Elders faction, cheering for Christine and Stone.
The heavy snowfall that had fallen not long ago had covered the inside and outside of the palace with pure white snow. However, not only the nobles but also the citizens gathered like clouds to watch the big match. This was because the palace riding arena and surrounding areas were opened while the competition was in progress.
After a while, Emperor Jan appeared on the platform of the riding arena. He was covered in fur, had a golden crown on his head, and held a long scepter in his hand. The Emperor usually enjoyed simple attire, but when he appeared in front of the citizens, he would often dress up in such a dignified manner.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor!”
After receiving the people’s greetings, Jan looked around at the four riders who had gathered to compete.
The final round of the equestrian competition was always decided by the Emperor. It wasn’t just about running fast or being good at horsemanship that one could win.
Soon, Jan slowly opened his mouth.
“I have been very satisfied with your abilities through the fierce competitions so far. Now, only the final round remains. The last one is the one who finds my treasure before the sun sets, and that will be the final winner of this competition!”
A small commotion broke out in the hall after the Emperor finished speaking.
The Emperor’s treasure?
“I have hidden a precious treasure somewhere in the forest of this palace. Whoever finds it will not only claim the glory of this year’s equestrian competition, but I will also grant one request. Of course, it would be difficult if they asked for something beyond my capabilities. Then, good luck to all!”
The Emperor smiled lightly and was about to leave the stage.
“How can we recognize His Majesty’s treasure?”
Stone asked.
With his golden-brown hair and brown jacket, he had a different charm from Christine at this competition, captivating the hearts of the women.
While Christine had a cold and beautiful aura, he had a darker and rougher charm. Furthermore, the women’s attention was focused on Stone, who had potential, rather than on Christine, who had become Adele’s.
“If you’ve been watching me closely, you’ll probably know right away.”
Everyone’s eyes were on the Emperor. And they noticed that the top ornament of the long scepter he was holding was missing. A treasure that had been passed down from the previous Emperor.
“But this match can only be advantageous to Count Weiss, right? The Count is in charge of all the palace security and the security of this competition.”
Then Jan looked at Stone with a cold and intimidating expression.
“Marquis Oswald. I am the one who wants this competition to be fair more than anyone else. May I swear on the authority of the Emperor that there is absolutely nothing to worry about?”
At that moment, Stone’s eyes narrowed.
“I apologize, Your Majesty.”
He stepped back with one foot and bowed politely in apology.
Soon, the host shouted in a loud voice.
“Then, the riders, please take your positions!”
“Please, let nothing happen!”
Adele clenched her clasped hands and prayed.
Until yesterday, there had been no match between Christine and Stone. But this last match, as everyone expected, would be a fight between Christine and Stone. Moreover, it was an off-course match, not an on-course match, where everyone was watching. She was worried that the cunning Stone might do something to him where no one could see him.
At that time, the riders rode their horses and passed Adele one by one. Unlike the ordinary citizens, the nobles sat in the designated seats around the riding arena. And Adele, along with the Empress, her daughter, and Seira, sat next to the platform where the riders could see them the best.
At that moment, Stone, who was passing Adele, stopped riding. It was only natural that people’s eyes were focused on his actions, as his popularity had skyrocketed in this competition.
He lifted his feathered hat and bowed his head politely to Adele. He smiled triumphantly, as if he was pledging victory to his lady.
His smile took her breath away and gave her goosebumps.
‘What on earth does that smile mean?’
She couldn’t even hear the people looking back and forth between the two.
That was the moment.
Christine galloped between them, then lightly jumped off the horse. The graceful and beautiful movement drew exclamations here and there. He quickly climbed over the fence, approached Adele, knelt on one knee, and kissed the back of her hand.
“Wow!”
Adele finally came to her senses as exclamations were heard here and there. And she realized that it was showtime. She had to impress upon people that she and Christine were the best lovers.
Adele cupped his cheek and kissed him gently. She felt embarrassed and blushed, but she felt a strange pleasure just thinking about Stone’s distorted expression.
“Isn’t it too hot to show?”
He whispered as he ran his finger over Adele’s lips after the kiss ended.
She glared at him with a flushed face.
“You don’t have to win, so please come back safely.”
“My goal isn’t to win.”
“Then?”
He winked without answering and quickly climbed over the fence. Stone’s presence had long since faded away due to the two’s intense love affair. Adele felt a little sorry that she hadn’t seen what kind of expression he was making.
And the noble ladies weren’t the ones to just quietly watch this situation.
“I’m really jealous, Miss Adele.”
“Yes. Miss Adele must be feeling a little strange. She used to be a member of the Oswald family, but now she’s rooting for the Weiss family.”
The noble ladies around Adele were talking as if she had been Stone’s woman and had changed her mind about Christine.
Even the Empress added a word.
“Everyone, stop being jealous and learn a little. I don’t know if it’s something you’re born with or something you’ve honed.”
Adele bowed her head politely, pretending not to notice their sarcasm.
“If you want to learn, I’ll be more than happy to teach you. Of course, it’s more about your innate nature.”
The ladies coughed in vain at her provocative answer and looked at Seira. However, Seira, sitting next to the Empress, just smiled quietly while waving her fan. She would have been the one to attack Adele before anyone else if it had been a normal day.
'Adele, no matter what you do, do you think my brother will let you go?'
Seira was thinking about the meaningful words Stone had said just before she went into the game.
"It doesn't matter who Count Weiss is. There's nothing a dead person can do."
"Him? No way. He's the Emperor's right-hand man. If you mess with him carelessly, His Majesty will be angry."
"Well, would the Emperor really be angry even if you played a better card?"
"What did you talk about with the Emperor?"
"That's a secret."
Whoosh!
Soon, the sound of a horn signaling the start of the game was heard.
The four riders began to run ahead of each other.
The first one to go was Stone. Christine followed at a distance. The other two were nowhere to be seen, having taken different paths.
Stone was heading towards Wolf's Valley. It was said that it was named that way because wolves often visited the area before the palace was built.
It seemed like the opportunity would come sooner than expected.
There was only one way up Wolf's Valley. And there were many cliffs.
Even the most skilled horseman could easily slip and fall off the cliffs with his horse. The heavy snowfall that had fallen recently had made everything slippery with snow and ice.
And Stone would be like that today.
If you climbed that hill, there was an old hut that had been used as a guard post. It was a good place for the Emperor to hide his treasure, so Stone would definitely get off his horse and search there first.
It was the perfect place to get rid of him.
Considering what he had done to Adele, it seemed too merciful to kill him with one stroke. However, it would be a pain if the nobles who followed noticed, so it would be better to finish it quickly.
Christine followed closely, speeding up his pace.
As expected, Stone arrived in front of the guard post, got off his horse, and went into the hut.
Christine also kept a distance, lightly jumping off his horse and approaching quietly.
When he arrived in front of the post, he grabbed the sword on his waist with one hand and the doorknob with the other.
“...?”
At that moment, he felt strange.
Stone’s movement was not detected inside. If he was looking for the Emperor’s treasure, he should have been moving around busily by now, but he couldn’t even hear his breathing. However, his unpleasant body odor was clearly emanating.
That was when.
“Huh!”
A thin laugh was heard.
It was an unpleasant sound, as if he had been holding back laughter and then burst out.
‘Did you expect me to follow you?’
Stone was cunning and smart. Maybe he was waiting inside, setting a trap.
Then Christine's lips turned up coldly.
'This is fun.'
Well, it might be absurd to deal with it too easily.
Adele gently stroked his head, which was leaning against her shoulder.
Christine, who was quietly leaning his head against her, felt like a really big kid, or even a gentle large dog.
The time they spent making love together was nice, but feeling each other quietly like this made her heart feel at peace.
Now, it seemed like she couldn’t even imagine life without him.
How much time had passed?
“Ahem! Ahem!”
A cautious cough was heard from outside the door.
“Wait a minute, Chris. It must be Henry.”
When Adele hesitated and pushed him away, Christine’s expression turned fierce. He was displeased that their time together had been interrupted.
“What’s going on?”
Henry’s voice was heard.
“We have a guest.”
“Tell him to wait.”
“That... It’s been a long time since she's waited... Ahem, I didn’t want to interrupt your time if possible, but still, since she came from far away…”
“Who on earth would come at this hour!”
“You’ll know when I say Allie.”
At that moment, Christine’s expression brightened noticeably. As if she had been waiting for someone.
“Yes. I’ll go to the reception room right away.”
“Allie?”
Allie was a woman’s name. Adele was curious that a woman had come at this hour of the evening, but seeing Christine’s bright expression, she was naturally curious.
“Oh, Allie is a wandering gypsy. I received help from her in many ways during the war, and I wanted to ask her about something. I guess I got in touch with her sooner than I thought.”
“Yes, I know you’re an important guest, but can you tell me why you’re meeting?”
Adele’s voice became a little sensitive.
“What? Are you jealous?”
“What about jealousy?”
Adele smiled broadly.
He found Adele cute, so he gently grabbed her nose and shook it.
“Actually, I called her because of your problem.”
“My problem?”
“Just meet her. I’m sure you’ll like it too.”
***
Today was the last day of the four-day Imperial Equestrian Competition.
In the four groups that were held, four winners emerged. Those four will compete in the finals today.
Of course, one of them was Christine, and the other three, including Stone, were all from noble families of the Council of Elders.
“As expected, it’s Count Weiss. The Count entered and showed off His Majesty’s face.”
“But Marquis Oswald will win. He’s the best so far.”
“It would be a mistake to think that the Count gave it his all.”
Even the spectators were divided into the Emperor’s faction and the Council of Elders faction, cheering for Christine and Stone.
The heavy snowfall that had fallen not long ago had covered the inside and outside of the palace with pure white snow. However, not only the nobles but also the citizens gathered like clouds to watch the big match. This was because the palace riding arena and surrounding areas were opened while the competition was in progress.
After a while, Emperor Jan appeared on the platform of the riding arena. He was covered in fur, had a golden crown on his head, and held a long scepter in his hand. The Emperor usually enjoyed simple attire, but when he appeared in front of the citizens, he would often dress up in such a dignified manner.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor!”
After receiving the people’s greetings, Jan looked around at the four riders who had gathered to compete.
The final round of the equestrian competition was always decided by the Emperor. It wasn’t just about running fast or being good at horsemanship that one could win.
Soon, Jan slowly opened his mouth.
“I have been very satisfied with your abilities through the fierce competitions so far. Now, only the final round remains. The last one is the one who finds my treasure before the sun sets, and that will be the final winner of this competition!”
A small commotion broke out in the hall after the Emperor finished speaking.
The Emperor’s treasure?
“I have hidden a precious treasure somewhere in the forest of this palace. Whoever finds it will not only claim the glory of this year’s equestrian competition, but I will also grant one request. Of course, it would be difficult if they asked for something beyond my capabilities. Then, good luck to all!”
The Emperor smiled lightly and was about to leave the stage.
“How can we recognize His Majesty’s treasure?”
Stone asked.
With his golden-brown hair and brown jacket, he had a different charm from Christine at this competition, captivating the hearts of the women.
While Christine had a cold and beautiful aura, he had a darker and rougher charm. Furthermore, the women’s attention was focused on Stone, who had potential, rather than on Christine, who had become Adele’s.
“If you’ve been watching me closely, you’ll probably know right away.”
Everyone’s eyes were on the Emperor. And they noticed that the top ornament of the long scepter he was holding was missing. A treasure that had been passed down from the previous Emperor.
“But this match can only be advantageous to Count Weiss, right? The Count is in charge of all the palace security and the security of this competition.”
Then Jan looked at Stone with a cold and intimidating expression.
“Marquis Oswald. I am the one who wants this competition to be fair more than anyone else. May I swear on the authority of the Emperor that there is absolutely nothing to worry about?”
At that moment, Stone’s eyes narrowed.
“I apologize, Your Majesty.”
He stepped back with one foot and bowed politely in apology.
Soon, the host shouted in a loud voice.
“Then, the riders, please take your positions!”
***
“Please, let nothing happen!”
Adele clenched her clasped hands and prayed.
Until yesterday, there had been no match between Christine and Stone. But this last match, as everyone expected, would be a fight between Christine and Stone. Moreover, it was an off-course match, not an on-course match, where everyone was watching. She was worried that the cunning Stone might do something to him where no one could see him.
At that time, the riders rode their horses and passed Adele one by one. Unlike the ordinary citizens, the nobles sat in the designated seats around the riding arena. And Adele, along with the Empress, her daughter, and Seira, sat next to the platform where the riders could see them the best.
At that moment, Stone, who was passing Adele, stopped riding. It was only natural that people’s eyes were focused on his actions, as his popularity had skyrocketed in this competition.
He lifted his feathered hat and bowed his head politely to Adele. He smiled triumphantly, as if he was pledging victory to his lady.
His smile took her breath away and gave her goosebumps.
‘What on earth does that smile mean?’
She couldn’t even hear the people looking back and forth between the two.
That was the moment.
Christine galloped between them, then lightly jumped off the horse. The graceful and beautiful movement drew exclamations here and there. He quickly climbed over the fence, approached Adele, knelt on one knee, and kissed the back of her hand.
“Wow!”
Adele finally came to her senses as exclamations were heard here and there. And she realized that it was showtime. She had to impress upon people that she and Christine were the best lovers.
Adele cupped his cheek and kissed him gently. She felt embarrassed and blushed, but she felt a strange pleasure just thinking about Stone’s distorted expression.
“Isn’t it too hot to show?”
He whispered as he ran his finger over Adele’s lips after the kiss ended.
She glared at him with a flushed face.
“You don’t have to win, so please come back safely.”
“My goal isn’t to win.”
“Then?”
He winked without answering and quickly climbed over the fence. Stone’s presence had long since faded away due to the two’s intense love affair. Adele felt a little sorry that she hadn’t seen what kind of expression he was making.
And the noble ladies weren’t the ones to just quietly watch this situation.
“I’m really jealous, Miss Adele.”
“Yes. Miss Adele must be feeling a little strange. She used to be a member of the Oswald family, but now she’s rooting for the Weiss family.”
The noble ladies around Adele were talking as if she had been Stone’s woman and had changed her mind about Christine.
Even the Empress added a word.
“Everyone, stop being jealous and learn a little. I don’t know if it’s something you’re born with or something you’ve honed.”
Adele bowed her head politely, pretending not to notice their sarcasm.
“If you want to learn, I’ll be more than happy to teach you. Of course, it’s more about your innate nature.”
The ladies coughed in vain at her provocative answer and looked at Seira. However, Seira, sitting next to the Empress, just smiled quietly while waving her fan. She would have been the one to attack Adele before anyone else if it had been a normal day.
'Adele, no matter what you do, do you think my brother will let you go?'
Seira was thinking about the meaningful words Stone had said just before she went into the game.
"It doesn't matter who Count Weiss is. There's nothing a dead person can do."
"Him? No way. He's the Emperor's right-hand man. If you mess with him carelessly, His Majesty will be angry."
"Well, would the Emperor really be angry even if you played a better card?"
"What did you talk about with the Emperor?"
"That's a secret."
Whoosh!
Soon, the sound of a horn signaling the start of the game was heard.
The four riders began to run ahead of each other.
***
The first one to go was Stone. Christine followed at a distance. The other two were nowhere to be seen, having taken different paths.
Stone was heading towards Wolf's Valley. It was said that it was named that way because wolves often visited the area before the palace was built.
It seemed like the opportunity would come sooner than expected.
There was only one way up Wolf's Valley. And there were many cliffs.
Even the most skilled horseman could easily slip and fall off the cliffs with his horse. The heavy snowfall that had fallen recently had made everything slippery with snow and ice.
And Stone would be like that today.
If you climbed that hill, there was an old hut that had been used as a guard post. It was a good place for the Emperor to hide his treasure, so Stone would definitely get off his horse and search there first.
It was the perfect place to get rid of him.
Considering what he had done to Adele, it seemed too merciful to kill him with one stroke. However, it would be a pain if the nobles who followed noticed, so it would be better to finish it quickly.
Christine followed closely, speeding up his pace.
As expected, Stone arrived in front of the guard post, got off his horse, and went into the hut.
Christine also kept a distance, lightly jumping off his horse and approaching quietly.
When he arrived in front of the post, he grabbed the sword on his waist with one hand and the doorknob with the other.
“...?”
At that moment, he felt strange.
Stone’s movement was not detected inside. If he was looking for the Emperor’s treasure, he should have been moving around busily by now, but he couldn’t even hear his breathing. However, his unpleasant body odor was clearly emanating.
That was when.
“Huh!”
A thin laugh was heard.
It was an unpleasant sound, as if he had been holding back laughter and then burst out.
‘Did you expect me to follow you?’
Stone was cunning and smart. Maybe he was waiting inside, setting a trap.
Then Christine's lips turned up coldly.
'This is fun.'
Well, it might be absurd to deal with it too easily.
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