Lady Bianca sent Lucian a good luck gesture before running toward the hut to pack her things. The knight wanted to follow her, but she assured him that she was fine.

  She used to live in the countryside together with her aunt. Then illness came. And with it, the truth. Her aunt wasn’t truly family, just a former servant of her mother’s fallen house, who had hidden Bianca to protect her.

  "..." Sir Cude looked at her leaving figure with concern. His wavy red hair covered most of his face, but his bright green eyes shone through. After training by a minor knight of her mother’s fallen house, he followed Bianca to the Viscount estate as her knight.

  "Have you fought the Crown Prince before, Sir Cude?" Lucian asked, closing the distance between them, he rolled up his sleeves.

  "Yes, once...during the Grand Knight Tournament," the knight answered, "He was not someone to be trifled with. I had no chance."

  Instead of going to war to prove their strength, the nobles used the Grand Knights Tournament as their battlefield. Lucian would soon have to send three representatives of the house to fight in his pce.

  "Then, you are the man I need," Lucian said, lifting his hand, waving his fingers in his direction, "Could you help me confirm a few things?"

  "..." The knight's eyes widened in understanding and his face became serious. "You want to fight the Crown Prince?"

  "No," Lucian said, "I just want to know my odds against him. That's all."

  The knight rexed and raised his fists, "Then, I shall assist you."

  Lucian moved his hands into a defensive stance. He couldn't afford to lose the muscle he gained over the years.

  His overeating used to even itself with all the heavy manual bor. But with more and more people eager to serve him, there was no need for him to exert himself as much, so he was getting a bit chubbier. All the sitting during travels did a number on him too, but at least he had some weight to throw around.

  He considered modifying his carriage so it would be easier to exercise on the way to the next destination. Maybe some bars to hang from and pull himself up. A bag to hit was a must.

  A fist flew past his cheek, and Lucian jerked back, "What were the rules again?" he asked, feeling the heat of the knight's fist on his skin.

  "We keep going until one of us surrenders or falls unconscious,” the knight said, "Any punches or kicks are allowed. You can also grapple and wrestle each other down."

  "Understood," Lucian nodded and dodged the next hit.

  "You are good at avoiding attacks for a merchant," the knight said, impressed. "I can barely nd anything."

  "Getting hit hurts a lot. Of course, I'd try my best to not get hit," Lucian said, and the Knight used the knowledge to his advantage. He feigned his next punch and jumped forward, knocking his whole body into Lucian and taking him down. "Oof!"

  He grabbed Lucian's wrist, twisting it behind his back and pressing his head into the ground with a palm.

  Lucian struggled for a few seconds before tapping the ground with his free hand, admitting defeat. The fighting style was completely different compared to the pirates, and there was no way for him to win against a seasoned knight in an honorable way.

  "Again?" the knight asked, letting him go.

  "Again," Lucian said, standing up. He dusted his clothes and stretched his neck.

  His schedule was packed and squeezing a training comparable to that of a knight was simply not feasible. He had to find a shortcut. A loophole.

  Even though his current status was that of an Earl, a Baron or a Viscount with a lower status could still crush his reputation and influence if their champions managed to defeat his.

  It would make others question his ability to rule and lead his territory. This equaled less support, less respect, and fewer chances for him to advance forward.

  The royal family would also participate, and would send someone with royal blood to represent them. To show that even with their busy schedule, they could still hold their own. It was no secret that they were most likely to become the winner of the Grand Knight Tournament, with a lot of people betting on the Crown Prince to win.

  It's exactly these tournaments that have been tampering Rochefort's influence for the past few generations. The previous head has been reduced from Grand Duke to Duke. With the ck of a male heir, many believed the current head would be reduced to Marquess in a few years.

  The other two dukes, Duremont, and Verian were breathing down Rochefort's necks as well.

  "Do you have any experience in managing a territory?" Lucian asked while blocking the punches and avoiding the knight's grapple.

  "No," the knight said, "but I know some basics."

  "Would you be interested in serving the Arclight’s house then? You would be bestowed a fief and all the rights and responsibilities of a ndowner," Lucian asked, and the knight became distracted for a moment. He used the opportunity to nd a blow into the man's side, "A nded noble is a step above a knight, is it not?"

  "It's a tempting offer, but I swore my loyalty to Lady Bianca and I intend to keep it," Cude responded after recovering from the hit.

  "So if it's her wish to serve the Arclight House, will you follow?" Lucian gasped as a fist connected with his chest, the knight using his own momentum against him. He was forced to take a step back, but it was not enough to send him to the ground, "Then how do you expect to become her husband one day?"

  "..." The knight flew backwards, Lucian's feet connecting with his torso and sending him down.

  "You don't have to answer immediately but think about it. She will need more than a single knight to protect her," Lucian said, offering his hand to the fallen Knight, "and I can't be here all the time."

  "..." The knight stared at his open palm, contempting his choices, before taking it, "But Lady Bianca...are you not ...pursuing her?"

  "Me?" Lucian pointed at his chest, "With Lady Bianca?" he ughed, shaking his head, "No! She's not my type!"

  The Knight frowned, "But she likes─"

  “I don't!”

  A nearby pot fell to the floor and broke into pieces, interrupting their conversation and making them both turn their heads towards the source of the noise. The girl in question stumbled forward, staring at them with wide eyes.

  "Please just ignore me!" she said, blushing furiously at their interlocked hands, before turning around and running towards the greenhouse.

  Cude gred at him, "This is your fault. She overheard everything!"

  Lucian threw his hands up, exasperated, "What did I say?"

  "You said she wasn't your type!" Cude shot back and ran after her, leaving Lucian alone. "Lady Bianca! Wait!" he shouted, "Don't take what Lord Arclight says seriously! I'm sure he was just teasing you like always!"

  · · ─────── · ???· ─────── · ·

  “...” Lucian turned around to find a spot to sit down and rest.

  His looks always attracted attention from the dies. A smile, a little praise, a small compliment here and there and they would be more inclined to buy something or accept his offer.

  His immunity to their charms made him wonder if he was damaged in some way. He believed that only the smell of tasty food could make his heart beat faster.

  The problem with Celine was that he never tried to charm her in the first pce. It was the opposite. She always caught him in the most embarrassing moments of his life, most vulnerable, most exposing. He never knew how to react properly afterwards.

  Just right now.

  He felt a familiar stare when he got pinned down by the knight.

  He looked at the neighboring building to confirm his suspicions.

  The curtains swayed slightly in the wind, and the person watching hid away. Only the raven remained, hopping towards the edge of the window, it cocked its head to the side as if mocking him.

  Lucian threw his arm over his face. His ears were burning hot and he really hoped to dig a hole and bury himself there. Why did she always have to find him in such weird situations?

  That damn snitch! Lucian took off his boot and threw it at the bird. ‘Get here!’ he hissed under his breath when the raven flew away. ‘I'll pluck every feather from your body, and use it to stuff my pillow!’

  Except the boot didn't nd on the bird but flew through the window.

  "Ah!" Celine's scream made his blood freeze. His heart dropped into his stomach and he ran to the building, climbing the brick fence like a lizard and jumping through the open window, inside the office room, knocking her down.

  "It's really you," he said, looking down at her, his heart beating excitedly, "Is stalking becoming your new hobby? Are you that obsessed with me?" he teased, but his voice cked humor.

  "Obsessed?" She hissed, fisting his hair, "I'll show you what it means to be obsessed! Obsessed with seeing you suffer in pain!" she threatened, pulling on his scalp, "You nearly killed me, you imbecile!" she cried.

  Lucian blew at the red spot on her forehead, cooling the burn, her grip on his hair not loosening one bit. He continued to blow, ignoring her weak attempt to pry his head away. "I can’t hug you, my hands are dirty," he said, leaning down, his nose brushing against her cheek, "You'll need to take initiative if you want to do that."

  She brushed her nose against his, "Blow more," she said, closing her eyes, "It's not enough." Her breath tickled the corner of his lips, "Don't stop until your lungs colpse."

  "..." Lucian's gaze dropped to her lips. They were so close, he barely needed to move to...

  He tilted his head to the side, his tongue peeking out.

  "Why did you stop?" she asked, "It still burns a lot."

  "..." His lips quickly moved back to her forehead and he blew at the sore spot again. A vein popped out on his forehead when he rubbed her forehead with his nose. The redness smudged and spread over her forehead, "..."

  She tricked him. Again.

  She tricked him again!

  Sensing the murderous intent, Celine wormed her way out from under him. "You should have seen your expression," she cackled, "Priceless."

  Lucian grabbed her ankle and dragged her towards himself, "Where are you going?"

  "You need a bath," Celine said, "You reek of something foul. Like a sweaty mare in heat. Keeping her in your stable for months has finally taken its toll on you, huh?" she scoffed, "Better hope I won't catch whatever you have from her."

  "Oh?" Lucian chuckled and dragged her closer. "Then what about the stud you are keeping by your side? Have you two already had your first ride?" he asked, pulling her dress up, "Let me see if you have any bruises from his saddle."

  "Ah, I am so scared," she said, feigning horror, "A donkey wants to py stud with me. What shall I do? I'll be ruined!" she gasped.

  “...” Lucian pulled out a handkerchief from his breast pocket, "It's a bit te for that," he said and poured some content of a gss vial into it.

  Celine widened her eyes when she realized what he was about to do, "No...Mmffmm!"

  Lucian put the cloth over her nose and mouth, pressing her head against his shoulder with his other arm. "Is this smell more to your liking, my Lady?" he asked quietly.

  "Mmfffmm!" She struggled, but the more she inhaled, the weaker she became.

  “Your expression is priceless as well." He met her gaze and held it, "Let me enjoy it a little longer." He nudged her temple with his nose, "Don't close your eyes yet. I'm not done admiring you."

  Her eyes watered and the hands holding onto his wrists lost strength. No scratches were left on his skin, even as her head slumped into the crook of his neck.