[IHTTMBW] Chapter 68

As I turned to watch, Gelbart leaned closer and said, “When it’s all over, I’ll give you a bouquet.”

“Thank you, Grandpa. At least I won’t have to play the role of the wallflower.”

I replied with a sly smile, and Auzette let out an indignant shriek beside me.

“Wallflower, you say!”

Ah, there it was again—her exaggerated speech pattern. I turned to her with some effort, only to see her pointing dramatically at the knights below.

“Look down there!”

“At what?”

“And don’t mimic my tone! Don’t you see what’s happening?”

Following her gaze, I noticed several knights below flushing bright red and hurriedly looking away whenever my eyes met theirs.

‘Oh. I think I get it.’

“You’re giving me that knowing look again!”

“Hmm…?”

“After today, every single knight here is going to dream about you, Princess!”

Auzette beamed with delight, as though this was an achievement of her own. To be fair, she wasn’t wrong. The knights were indeed staring shamelessly at me, the kingdom’s officially declared most beautiful woman.

‘No wonder I heard someone gasp when I put on the tiara.’

One thing was certain: while I might not walk away with a bouquet here, I had certainly secured my place in their dreams—and their hearts. If this wasn’t the king’s blunder, then what else could it be? The thought almost made me burst into laughter, but instead, I settled for a modest smile and waved lightly at the knights.

Clatter!

A helmet hit the ground.

‘A little more, and they might start chanting my name.’

Somewhere in the crowd, cheers and the sound of fists pounding against shields rose. I couldn’t help it; I was genuinely entertained. My mood was improving, so I contentedly snuggled the bundle of desserts Gelbart had given me and returned my attention to the match.

The tournament was in full swing now, with only a handful of knights remaining on the field. That’s when the tension spiked. Three white knights and a single black knight were left, and it seemed two of the white knights had decided to pick a fight with the black knight.

I nibbled on a biscuit, watching intently as the scene unfolded.

“Where does a lowborn like you think you’re going?”

“Do we fight with lineage now? Does your noble bloodline have feet to march with?”

“You little—!”

One of the white knights exploded with rage, but his horse pawed the ground nervously, while the black knight’s steed stood calm and obedient. Another white knight raised his lance, pointing it menacingly at the black knight.

“You’d better pray you don’t face me in the tournament rounds.”

“Bring it on. Even two of you don’t scare me.”

“Hah! Hiding behind the rules of one-on-one combat, are you? You can’t even hold your tongue!”

The crowd began murmuring, their attention clearly fixed on the brewing altercation. From one corner of the stands, someone yelled, “Fight! Go on, fight!”

The cheers grew louder, urging the knights to clash. The referee, who had been hesitant to intervene until now, finally stepped forward.

“Violation of the rules! You three, separate immediately!”

But it was too late. All eyes, including the king’s, were now on the knights. The king raised his hand, his cold voice cutting through the noise.

“What’s the commotion?”

The referee trembled, bowing deeply before answering, “Nothing, Your Majesty! Just a disagreement among these three knights…”

“It seems this knight here has no problem taking on two opponents at once, Your Majesty.”

‘Oh, the audacity of this newcomer.’

I crunched into another biscuit, as though enjoying a bucket of popcorn. The black knight had spoken, addressing the king directly.

For a ruler as bored and capricious as ours, this must have been a rare treat. His gaze sharpened with interest.

“Two knights, you say?”

“Fight! Fight!”

The crowd roared, and even the nobles began to look intrigued.

“Are you serious?” the king asked.

“I would never speak falsely, Your Majesty.”

For the first time, the black knight’s steed shifted, its hooves scraping the dirt as its rider bowed slightly in response to the king. I paused mid-bite, narrowing my eyes.

‘Wait… this guy…?’

No need to finish the thought. The king’s eyes glinted with dangerous amusement.

“Then let it be so.”

As expected.

The crowd erupted, the referee staring slack-jawed at the king.

“But—but, Your Majesty, such a match would increase the risk—”

Yes, exactly. That’s the point, isn’t it?

I turned my gaze back to the black knight. For a fleeting moment, I thought his eyes met mine through the visor of his helm.

‘Hmm?’

But before I could confirm, he turned his horse toward the white knights.

“It’s the Princess’s coming-of-age celebration. What’s a little risk for the sake of entertainment?”

The audience erupted in cheers, chanting for the king. He looked utterly delighted, but I knew the truth.

‘One of those three is as good as dead.’