"...Huh."
Liam finally let out a low laugh. It was short and light at first, but soon he opened his mouth wide and let out a light, almost sly laugh.
"Hahahahaha! Oh, really... what a funny woman."
At that moment, Odelia and Calix's gazes crossed once again. In their silent gaze, countless emotions flowed. Yet, neither of them spoke a word.
Calix bowed his head very slightly and spoke slowly, using only the shape of his lips.
Good job.
Odelia seemed to catch her breath for a moment, but the corners of her lips twitched slightly, as if nothing had happened. It was a calmness that suggested, "It was nothing." A suppressed joy radiated from deep within her eyes.
Liam, oblivious to the brief exchange, continued chuckling and fingered the broken piece of the stick's handle with his toe.
His gaze at Odelia was a strange mixture of contempt, curiosity, and playful interest.
After a while, he turned around and threw the broken clog stick at the attendant.
"Get your sticks ready, that's all for today's game."
At the short, firm command, the nobles and ministers all hastily bowed and cleared their places. Yet, their gazes were constantly directed toward Odelia.
The nobles belatedly exchanged glances and began whispering. A mixture of surprise, wariness, and a hint of slyness flashed across their faces.
Liam's relaxed voice broke the silence.
"By the way, Odelia, did you know how much the royal family's croquet sticks cost?"
Then Calix took a step forward.
"Your Majesty, Odelia is my subordinate. I am responsible for her mistake."
“No way”
In an instant, the air around them froze. The nobles' gazes darted between the two brothers, filled with tension and anxiety.
Calix's brow furrowed slightly, but he couldn't continue. Liam, seemingly enjoying the reaction, took a leisurely step back, his wrists slightly extended.
"So, Odelia, you must find another way to compensate for the joy you've destroyed."
Then he gave an order, lightly snapping his fingers.
"Tell the Imperial Knights in the training grounds! We will be sparring soon!"
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The servant bowed deeply and hurriedly ran out. Liam slowly turned back to Odelia. His cold, twisted smile faded.
"I want to see with my own eyes how you performed on the battlefield."
The Imperial Knights were considered the most elite of the Empire. However, the word "sparring" on Liam's lips carried no honorable connotations.
'How is this any different from just throwing dust in a dogfight with a human...?'
"Your Majesty is trying to play a bloody prank again."
The ministers' faces hardened. Their eyes were a mixture of fear and resignation.
Calix's face also hardened. The composure he had previously possessed completely vanished, and a cold, sharp sound flowed out.
"Your Majesty, it is dangerous. Even if it is Your Majesty's play, you cannot let a hero risk her life in a prank."
"No."
A voice cut in decisively, and all eyes turned to Odelia at the same time.
Without a moment of hesitation, she stepped between Calix and Liam. Her eyes sparkled firmly under her deeply bowed hair.
"I'll take responsibility."
And clearly, again.
"I'll spar."
Calix's gaze quickly turned to her. But Odelia turned away from that gaze and only looked at Liam. The corners of Liam's mouth slowly curved.
***
The imperial waiting room, with its thick stone walls towering majestically, was filled with a tense atmosphere.
Various swords were neatly arranged on the iron weapon rack, but the smell of iron and the chilly air that permeated the air were different from the battlefield.
This wasn't a stage for honor, but a stage for the Emperor's amusement. Odelia, who knew this better than anyone, examined the sword with an indifferent expression.
"The blade is too thin. It may look flashy, but it's weak in combat."
His eyes naturally turned to the rough, long sword. She picked it up without hesitation. The heavyweight was conveyed through his fingertips.
"Odelia."
She felt the force of her wrist with a familiar voice. When she turned around, she saw Calix standing.
His eyes were shaking coldly and violently. The kind of eyes she sometimes sees on the battlefield.
"It's reckless. You know this is no joke. But why the hell did you say you would do it?"
His eyes wanted to persuade her somehow to quit sparring right now.
"Really, if you say it's because of that trivial croquet stick reimbursement-"
"That's not the case."
Odelia cut him off firmly. Odelia's eyes sparkled strongly.
"It's not a price to repay a stick, but a price to ask for it. Your Highness knows that. The reason why the Emperor called me here today. Shouldn't you listen to what the Emperor wants?"
Calix's eyes darkened even more. Still, Odelia took a step closer and met his gaze directly.
"And... I wanted to show it more than anything."
Her voice sounded low.
"I'm not a woman who would just be trampled on like that, I'm not the kind of woman who would just breathe quietly no matter how much you press me down."
Calix remained silent for a while. Only the breath between them trembled slightly.
After a moment, he slowly let go of Odelia's wrist and exhaled deeply.
"...If you really mean it."
Calix slowly unsheathed the sword on his waist and held it out in front of Odelia.
"Take this, not that sword."
It was Calix's sword, which had accompanied him in countless victories on the field.
Odelia stared at Calix silently, then silently accepted the sword with both hands. The weight of the sword felt at her fingertips, and a heavy resolve filled her heart.
"... Thank you, Your Highness."
***
The shallow breath in the armor kept ringing in her ears. Odelia tightened her shoulder strap with one hand and took a deep breath. His fingertips inadvertently pointed to his waist.
The sword was handed over by Calix. When the cold metal touched his palm, his heart sank a little.
A white light spread from the end of the narrow and long passage.
When the door opened, a dazzlingly bright circular sparring field appeared.
The audience seats are stacked in a high cascading manner. The nobles trembled and swallowed their breath with their fingertips in their grips on the fan, all eyes on Odelia. In the center of the podium, Emperor Liam sat on a chair covered with red silk.
Everyone here knew that this couplet was not just a 'demonstration'. Losing the Emperor's sparring means death.
Odelia's toes stepped on the white sand. The iron scales of the armor collided with each other, making a faint sound. She looked up and looked under the awning.
There was Calix standing. The back of his hand holding the railing was pure white, but his face was as firm as usual.
Short and deep eye contact. That one time gave Odelia a sense of stability that she forgot about the cold sweat on her back.
The first opponent entered the circle. It was an imperial knight with an elongated sword. The moment he approached with his toes brushing against the sand, the air trembled with tension.
"Hahaha!"
The first sword strike that flies with spirit. Odelia pushed her toes to the side, holding her sword level. Ching! The sound of metal splashed, and the two swords collided.
The opponent's strength was stronger than expected. Tendons rose in her wrists, and Odelia's wrists trembled. But she did not waver.
Subtly twisting the trajectory of her wrist, she slid her opponent's sword and immediately launched a counterattack. The sword reacted by vibrating slightly at her fingertips. That sharp sensation led to Odelia's fingertips.
"Ugh...!"
The knight's wrist flinched, twisting as if he might drop his sword. Odelia seized the opportunity and swiftly unleashed it.
The tip of the sword, which had been extended fiercely, stopped right between his neck and shoulder, on his collarbone.
When fighting outside of the battlefield, Odelia's iron rule is not take lives but simply disarm them.
The referee's hand rose high, and the first victory was declared.
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