A Blend of Romance and Fantasy Chapter 20

Chapter 20

“His Grace the Duke is currently practicing swordsmanship at the training grounds.”

When I visited the annex where he was staying, that was the stiff reply I received—from an aide just as rigid as the man himself.

Who practices swordsmanship in the middle of a royal banquet?

Then again… that sort of thing happened all the time in novels.

Was it basically an unwritten rule that male leads in romance fantasies simply didn’t enjoy banquets?

They avoid the ballroom, go to the terrace—meet the heroine.
Go to the lounge—meet the heroine.
Take a stroll through the garden—meet the heroine.

…Somehow, it always worked out that way.

Lost in those clichés, I arrived at the training grounds and noticed a cluster of noble ladies gathered at one side.

I hesitated for a moment—should I speak to them?

But since this was the only path forward, I cleared my throat.

“Ladies, good afternoon.”

“Oh! Your Highness!”

They all scrambled to their feet, hurriedly smoothing their dresses.

Their cheeks flushed bright red.

But I had absolutely no intention of criticizing them.

They were women pursuing love with their own will.

How could I possibly blame that?

“Why are you so embarrassed? Watching knights train is practically a sacred experience. It’s no different from appreciating an exhibition.”

“An… exhibition?”

I smiled and gestured toward the holy knights training in the arena.

“They likely take pride in it themselves. Why not go and ask them?”

“B-But that would be… improper.”

If you knew that, maybe you shouldn’t have come in the first place.

I swallowed the thought.

“Improper? The movement of muscles under sunlight is practically performance art. Honestly, it’s far more enriching than something as nutritionally empty as tea time.”

“I also believe Her Highness makes perfect sense.”

Of course—Lady Ariadne smiled, as bold as ever.

“Well… asking a knight a question wouldn’t be rude, right?”

“R-Right! My brother is a holy knight, and he says he trains to look good in front of ladies!”

“Oh my, Viscount Delius said that? With that adorable face of his…!”

Once one voice agreed, the hesitation broke like a dam.

I smiled at the ladies, whose faces—and desires—were now blooming brightly.

“Shall we?”

We entered the training grounds together, laughing.

Dust clung to our dresses, but that hardly mattered.

A little hardship was part of learning.

Then Sir Hans—prickly as I remembered—approached.

“Forgive me, but may I ask why you’ve come? Sword training is for men. Women are not permitted in the training grounds.”

“I simply wished to observe. You are sacred protectors of our kingdom—why should that prevent ladies from watching?”

“Even so, this area is restricted—”

“Now that I think about it… I believe I’m the princess.”

“….”

“Is that not sufficient?”

Hans cleared his throat, clearly cornered by my smile.

Then—

Gasp—!

A ripple of shock ran through the crowd behind me.

Ah. Cedric Myers.

I didn’t even need to turn.

“Your Highness, what brings you here?”

As expected, the most handsome man in the kingdom had appeared at my side.

I stepped closer and lowered my voice.

“Cedric, I came because I need to tell you something urgent. It’s about Blake.”

“…You brought all these ladies for that?”

“They were admiring the knights. For the sake of their reputations, allow them to stay nearby during the banquet.”

Cedric considered briefly, then nodded.

“I will grant the knights a break. Conversation is acceptable. However, during training, sword energy may be dangerous. They must leave at that time.”

“Understood.”

Unexpectedly generous.

In the original story, he would’ve politely told villainess Charlotte to leave.

(Of course, I wouldn’t have tolerated that.)

This is exactly why Cedric—the regretful male lead—and I could never work.

After informing Ariadne, I returned.

“Then let’s talk for a moment!”

“Please wait. I am not properly dressed to escort you.”

…What?

Only then did I properly look at him.

He was shirtless.

Sweat dampened his hair, his body taut with exertion. His slightly flushed skin made him look completely different from his usual composed, ascetic self.

…It was unexpectedly sensual.

“O-Oh. Right. I’ll wait.”

Embarrassed by my own lack of thought, I turned away—

—and froze.

A group was approaching.

Leonard. And his guards.

The first thing that caught my eye was the sword.

A massive greatsword—far larger than anything seen in Singcester.

And then—

The open collar.
The glimpse of hard abs.
The veins along his forearms.
The way his shirt clung to muscle with every step.

A raw, almost animal vitality.

Beside me, Dorothy gasped.

Leonard stopped a short distance away and smiled.

“What brings you here? Judging by the dress… not sword training. Admiring handsome men?”

“N-No, that’s not it!”

“You called yourself a ‘handsome hunter,’ didn’t you?”

His gaze shifted.

“And I see the most handsome man in the kingdom is here as well.”

He inclined his head.

“Duke Myers. A pleasure.”

“…Likewise.”

Silence fell.

Only the wind moved.

Watching them, I couldn’t shake the feeling—

This was a territorial standoff.

An imperial prince.
A duke.
Both male leads.

(And Cedric—the arrogant type—wouldn’t bow even to an emperor.)

Honestly… at that point, wasn’t that just bad writing?

Anyway—

A sharp chill brushed past me.

Abigail stood beside me, glaring.

“Please attend to your business.”

“O-Okay.”

I laughed awkwardly and stepped between them.

“Your Highness, forgive me. I need to speak with the Duke. May I borrow him?”

Leonard looked displeased.

Ignored.

“Duke, I’ll wait in the knights’ quarters until you’ve changed.”

He didn’t look pleased either.

Ignored again.

The reception room was as bare as expected.

A few minutes later, Cedric entered, now properly dressed.

He looked… oddly uneasy.

Likely because the tea served was nothing more than a teabag in hot water.

“I apologize for receiving you here. You could have summoned me instead.”

“No, I wanted to come. Training grounds are restricted, after all—I needed an excuse. I used to use my brother, but now he has his own.”

Honestly, medieval worlds were far too patriarchal.

I shook my head and lifted my teacup.

“What did you wish to discuss?”

“Duke. I heard you’re going to Blake. Is that true?”

“It is. Is there a problem?”

“Of course there is! You have no reason to follow me. Even if my brother ordered it—”

“I am going because I wish to.”

Still rigid as ever.

…Or so I thought.

Until—

“I cannot stand by and watch you follow a man you do not love.”