The waiting room for the Imperial Match, which also served as a welcome party for the new students, was filled with excitement.
In particular, students aspiring to become knights are feeling happy or sad depending on the results of the match.
And yet there seems to be a lack of tension, perhaps because this is a school event after all. Or perhaps it’s because the winner and runner-up are pretty much decided, so they just want to take it easy.
“Wolf, Shade.”
When I called out to the two people from the back, my fiance was the first to turn around.
“Lycoris”
His violet eyes softly sparkle.
Wolf had matured remarkably over the past few years, not only growing taller but also becoming more stout overall, making him stand out from the others even in this classroom filled with students who were relatively well-built.
Even for someone as tall as me, who is quite tall for a woman, I have to look up at him when we talk, which makes me realize how precious those days when we first met were, when I looked down on him, even if only slightly.
Although he has a very beautiful face, as he grows up he is often said to have a sharp gaze. Wolf’s narrow eyes are a very vivid and striking color, even with his black hair and clothes, so I think this is a misunderstanding that arises from that. In addition, he often keeps his expression blank when he stands in front of people, so his handsome face gives off an intelligent impression.
“Sister, did you come all the way out here to spank your cute little brother?”
My younger brother, who smiles cheerfully and says unattractive things, seems to have strangely become a lot like my father recently. Not in terms of his facial features, but in terms of his aura. Well, even if he’s not his biological father, they’re related by blood, so it’s not that strange.
But still, this smile. It’s the kind of expression my father would have if he were younger and had his eyes narrowed a little. (My father has a slightly childlike face.)
His hair is a lot more muted than when he was a child and can no longer be called blonde, but the parts of his curly hair that catch the light still sparkle. Combined with the whiteness of his skin, he gives off a glamorous impression, and his dark, deep reddish brown eyes stand out, making him a big hit with cute young ladies who say, “They make me want to peer into them,” and “They’re somehow mysterious and lovely.”
Although he looks slender next to Wolf, Shade has also developed a sturdy, manly build. That’s not cute.
“I probably won’t be able to watch the finals, so I wanted to encourage you while I can.”
My seat is in a conspicuous location, so I thought I might as well let them know in advance since I was going to be found out anyway.
“Did something happen?”
Wolf immediately let out a worried voice, so I shook my head in denial.
“There’s something I want to check. I’m used to watching Wolf and Shade’s matches, so I’ll take care of some business while you’re playing.”
“Your words are like pouring cold water on a man who is excited about a battle, sister.”
“If you make the excuse that you were unable to participate in the finals because of that, I’ll just point at you and laugh, Shade.”
I gave him a knowing glare, and Shade pretended to be overly scared.
“I’m sorry, Wolf. I wanted to have a front row seat to watch you defeat Shade and win the championship, but…”
“You’re treating me really badly,” Shade interjected, but I ignored him.
It’s not like I’m angry about the turmoil that continued until the beginning of the semester when some of the graduating girls threw a tantrum at the end of last year, refusing to part with Shade.
“That’s fine, but are you sure there’s no problem?”
“Yes. I’m just going to check on the underclassmen.”
“But don’t you look a little pale?”
“…Yes. Those stands are really tiring. The royal family is too close. The principal and the others are keeping an eye on us so they don’t talk to us, but I still feel strangely nervous.”
I explained the excuse I had prepared without any hesitation, and Wolf finally nodded as if he understood.
“They’re not that scary.”
“That’s probably because you’ve been frequenting the royal palace since you were little… Ah, I don’t have much time left, so I’ll go.”
“Yeah. Let me know if you need anything.”
Shade interrupts our conversation.
“Oh yeah, this is it. Mr. knight, your anxiety is already pathological. What on earth could possibly happen during a tournament in front of royalty and with such strict security?”
Wolf gave a wry smile as Shade got involved. Shade would sometimes purposely call Wolf a “knight” to tease him.
“Well then, my Black Knight. You must beat up my wicked brother. Shade, be careful not to get hurt. If you scratch your face, your followers will hate you.”
I made a particularly light-hearted remark and left the waiting room.
The matches continued, and the final match of the friendly series was duly decided to be between the favorite Wolf and his rival Shade.
At that point, I quietly get up from my seat.
…That said, people around me were constantly worrying about me, asking, “Where are you going?” and “The most important match is about to start.”
“I’m sorry, but I have a request from my teacher so I’ll have to vacate my seat for a bit. If you’d like, please let me know how the match went later,” I told them with a righteous look on my face, and they sent me off with looks of great sympathy and words of appreciation such as “We understand” and “Thank you for your hard work.”
My peers and juniors are generally well-mannered and gentle, and do not doubt what others say. … I am a little worried about their futures. I hope they will be blessed with honest spouses.
I attracted some attention when I moved, but as soon as Wolf and Shade appeared, the crowd’s eyes were focused on one spot on the arena.
I moved around carefully, avoiding being seen, and approached the seats of the freshmen.
The sound of the whistle signalling the start of the match echoed high into the blue sky.
At almost the same time, Shade casts a blinding spell. The petals that appear are typical of Shade, but Wolf remains unfazed and skillfully dodges Shade’s subsequent attacks.
The match started off a little silly, but the subsequent offense and defense were explosive.
Wolf steps in with a flash of light that is too fast to see. Shade dodges it by jumping backwards. Wolf doesn’t pursue him. In the next moment, Shade steps in to get in close to his opponent. Wolf parries it beautifully again, putting some distance between them.
While Shade attacks with many moves, Wolf only acts when it matters most. If the match drags on, Wolf will likely win, but if he lets his guard down for even a moment, they’ll both lose.
A moment of silence and balance came between the two as they glared at each other from time to time.
The audience watches with bated breath.
Among them was a girl with golden hair.
Her bright emerald green eyes sparkle as she watches the game.
Her cheeks flushed with excitement were rosy, her small lips pink.
She was wearing a relatively simple dress, with a white and sky blue base, but there was no hiding her cuteness.
It was exactly like the opening scene of the game.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!
