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It didn't really matter if Zachary was in the tournament for Bianca or not. Either way, Bianca will attend the tournament. Bianca sighed slightly.
Zachary said that it was not honorable for Bianca to attend to suffer, but Bianca's participation depended not only on the honor of the Arno family but also on the Blanchefort family. They will probably inflate a lot of nonsense behind the scenes.
Although Bianca didn't much care what others said, there was no reason to be criticized on purpose. Furthermore, even if she didn't care about other gossip, she didn't want to hear criticism of her family upbringing.
Bianca reaffirmed her determination to go and participate, even if she falls and collapses. Of course, that promise never came out of her mouth.
* * *
As everyone in the castle was looking forward to the tournament, there was a lot of noise here and there. The maids passed by with a large basket full of fruit, and the servants came and went with wooden boards and tools. It was to create a tournament stadium on a wide plain near the capital.
The great purpose of this tournament was to promote friendship with the Knights of Castile who attended Prince Albert's engagement. The delegation from Castile had also arrived at Lahoz, so foreign knights were often seen.
The guests were not just foreign gentlemen. Many minstrels and bards were invited to participate in tournaments and banquets. Some minstrels were swept away by the children's tantrums and performed tricks, and the adults also stopped for a moment and watched.
This tournament is a different size than the previous one, so every time three people got together, they would talk about the tournament. There were many people who were interested in it, so some raised the betting table, but it was not a very effective method.
Usually, the highest stakes are placed on who will be the ultimate winner, but since rumors are circulating that the Iron Blood Knight, Count Zachary of Arno, will participate in this tournament, everyone thought, of course, that the Count Arno would win, so the bet was meaningless and people bet who would make it to the semi-finals.
As the people's attention focused on them, the knights participating in the tournament started to get nervous one by one. You can get your name out there in tournaments, but at the same time be ridiculed. The knights who were betting their lives on this tournament sped up their practice.
The spear used for riding a horse was long and heavy, and it was difficult to accurately hit the opponent's shield because they had to ride a horse.
So they used to train themselves to hit targets with spears, piercing trees, or hitting the shield a scarecrow was holding with their spear, and then quickly ducking and avoiding it before the scarecrow counterattacked.
However, training for one or two days did not improve his abilities.
They spent a day or two in that state, and soon the day of the tournament arrived.
Of course, there were not only knights dedicated to training. The tournament can enhance the honor of the knight, but at the same time further deepen his courtship relationship with the lady.
You could receive a gift from the lady you are in love with and dedicate the victory in her honor in return, or you could confess to the lady you always had in your heart. It didn't matter if she was married or not. Because it was literally just an elegant and honorable chivalry-based tribute to worship a lady by sacrificing her life.
The ladies were also excited as they imagined the moment when their lover or follower would play an active role in the tournament and place a victory wreath on their head.
Some young women waited only for the moment when the handsome gentleman stood before her victoriously and confessed to them.
For such women, Bianca was the most envied. Her husband, Zachary, was almost confirmed as the winner of the tournament, and there was a rumor that three knights from the Arno estate would compete.
As knights of the Arno family, there would be no arguing about their abilities. Also, since neither of them have lovers, of course, the honor of victory will go to Bianca. They were envious just thinking that she would constantly receive praise from the knights.
But Bianca, who was the real one involved, didn't really care how others looked at her. There were too many other things to worry about.
Bianca was still afraid of the future. The time when she was expelled from the Arno family without a successor was still stuck in her eye like a thorn. It was natural for her to feel even more anxious after meeting Jacob and Viscount Huegh. Because they were the ones who came up with her plan to expel her from her in the past.
He was afraid of their plans and whether they would bribe Fernand again this time. Still it would be nice if they used Fernand. At least he could prepare for it.
"The reason I keep getting sick is probably because of mental fatigue..."
Bianca was especially afraid that Zachary will participate in the tournament. Just thinking about the tricks they might be hiding made her anxious.
Come to think of it, it didn't make sense that Zachary in his previous life had died so uselessly in the war. Until now he hadn't been very interested in him, but seeing how Zachary was treated in the capital, he realized that he was a very good knight, and his doubts grew even more.
He doesn't know how dangerous and difficult the war in which he died was, but considering Jacob's insidious intent, it was more accurate to think that he ordered someone to assassinate him during the chaos of the war. Of course, this was just Bianca's hypothesis, but...
“What if he played some tricks in this tournament? Perhaps with his horse or weapon…”
However, this time there were many eyes watching, so he couldn't do anything too suspicious openly. Also, Jacob seems to be hiding his ambitions from him, so he won't act hastily. Bianca comforted herself over and over.
Still a little nervous, Bianca forgot to meet Zachary before the tournament to give him the lace scarf. Originally, it was customary for a lady to give sleeves of clothing, veils, hair or kerchiefs to the knights who participated in the tournament for her.
On the day of the tournament, Bianca made her way to the arena, fiddling with the scarf she couldn't deliver to Zachary.
"I'll have to stop by later when I have time."
She's not sure if Zachary will be happy, but it was awkward seeing him walk onto the field without anything of his own.
Until now, Zachary has never forced Bianca to do her duty as a wife, but he has to do the bare minimum. Bianca sighed and folded the handkerchief neatly.
There were already many people in the stadium.
It was not necessary for the nobles to arrive early, because they had a separate podium to watch the tournament, but the ones who did have to arrive early to get a seat were the commoners.
To sit close to the field, spectators would make their way to the stadium just before the morning sun came up,
and alcohol vendors came and went among them.
Bianca stepped up to the podium. Yvonne who looked at her seat pulled Bianca aside.
"Ma'am, this way." It will look better on this side.
"I don't care about the place.
"You can't sit anywhere!" Today, most of the gentlemen will give flowers to the lady.
A smile filled Yvonne's face as if she was proud just thinking about it. Bianca, unable to pour cold water on Yvonne, quietly sat down on the seat where Yvonne had guided her.
The tournament takes place over four days. Zachary will compete today and on the third and fourth days. Of course, under the assumption that he would win every match. He doesn't have to be on the field all the time, but that doesn't mean there's something else to do. Bianca leaned back in her chair as she thought.
At that moment, the sound of a lute playing was heard at the end of the podium. Apparently a minstrel had arrived. The podium was a space for the nobles, but if the ladies deliberately requested it, there might be minstrels to cheer them on. Bianca looked at the pitch without paying much attention.
But he couldn't fully concentrate due to the sound that reached his ears. As she listened silently to the strings of the lute, Ella Bianca realized that her melody was very familiar.
"Well, all songs are the same..."
As soon as the prelude ended, the minstrel's song began. The man's voice was as sweet as honey sprinkled with melted butter.
As soon as he heard the minstrel's voice, goosebumps spread all over his body. Bianca shivered at the terrifying and unpleasant feeling of being thrown before the nightmare of the past.
"It's not possible. How could he….?”
But he couldn't ignore it. She had to check it out. She had to confirm with her own eyes the reality that she never wanted to face, she Bianca slowly turned her head to where the song came from.
And just as I expected. There was his ex-lover, Fernand.
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