One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 29

Haller scoffed as he glanced at Aileen’s slender wrist, half-hidden beneath her uniform sleeve.

He had heard the rumors—that Aileen had bested several knights in the Khan Order, that she truly lived up to the Revart name—but he didn’t believe any of it. People loved to exaggerate, after all.

“I’d say I’m still better than you, Sir Haller.”

Aileen replied with a dry, indifferent tone rather than taking offense.

Perhaps at a social gathering, she might have worn the title of Duke Revart’s daughter with grace. But with a sword in her hand, Aileen was, above all else, a knight. She had no patience to extend courtesy to someone who offered her none.

“I thought the Khan Order was full of incompetents. Now I see they’ve added fools who don’t even know their place.”

Haller could no longer hold back his temper. He snapped, biting off each word with venom in response to Aileen’s equally curt tone.

Strictly speaking, Haller, as the second son of a mere count, had no right to openly disrespect the daughter of a powerful and well-respected ducal house. But the Petter family had long been under the protection of the Marquess of Hessiden.

Ever since Aileen’s engagement was annulled, there had been whispers in noble circles about the shifting dynamics between House Revart and House Hessiden—especially in light of the Emperor personally placing Aileen in the knight order. The situation was volatile, and many sensed a deepening rift.

Even though Emperor Edys was known to select talent without regard to background, he was still an emperor—and thus, not entirely free from political consequences.

The nobility was busy calculating their next moves within the tangled web of alliances and rivalries. The Count of Petter had already made his decision: to side with House Hessiden.

Anyone with common sense might have kept such hostility subtle, even if their house had chosen a side. Unfortunately, Haller lacked that level of restraint.

He clearly thought that since the lines had already been drawn, he could act as he pleased.

Aileen sneered inwardly.

“I think we’ll see soon enough who doesn’t know their place.”

Right then, a breeze passed by, brushing a few strands of pale pink hair across her cheek as she spoke with a faint smirk tugging at just one corner of her lips.

The confidence in her posture, the arrogance in her voice—it all only made her beauty shine brighter.

Even Haller, who had been standing in front of her shouting, faltered for a moment, dumbstruck. But his expression quickly twisted into a grimace.

“What did you just say?”

Haller growled, and the Khan knights standing beside Aileen exchanged uneasy glances between the two.

When they had first called out to Aileen, none of them had expected the situation to escalate like this. Knightly banter between orders was usually half in jest—though sometimes a bit of competitiveness slipped through. But no one had imagined it would turn so personal.

Haller was clearly more unhinged than they’d thought.

It was difficult to step in. What had started as playful provocation had turned into something much more serious. One of the Khan knights stole a glance at the Lil Order members across from them and saw that they, too, looked unsure of how to handle it.

In the end, they all opted to do nothing for now—just to see how things played out. But the next words that rang out forced even the onlookers to abandon their neutral stance.

“Draw your sword. Now.”

Haller’s tone was low but tightly restrained with fury. He fully intended to see this through.

Though he carried deep resentment toward Ashite, he had never dared confront her outright. He knew full well that her rank and skill outmatched his. But Aileen? A newly appointed knight, a woman, one whose strength he believed could never compare?

Having completed his mental math, Haller turned his petty, displaced rage toward her.

Aileen, unfazed by Haller’s threats, hesitated only briefly as she considered her next move. Then she glanced at her fellow knights standing nearby. Their expressions weren’t filled with the kind of anticipation that hoped for a brawl—they looked more concerned than anything else.

After a short pause, she parted her lips.

“You might not know this, but His Majesty isn’t exactly fond of personal duels between members of the Imperial Knight Orders. If it’s all in fun, maybe he’d overlook it—but if you’re going to grit your teeth and go all in, that’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

She tilted her head slightly.

“How about we leave the swords alone for now and go with something lighter—say, a dagger toss? That shouldn’t be a problem, right? It’s not technically swordplay.”

“…”

“I’ll aim for the spot just above your head. If I hit it cleanly, you’ll stay out of my sight until the tournament. If I miss, I’ll serve as your attendant for a month. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?”

Gulp. Someone swallowed hard in the background.

“Not every knight is good at throwing daggers. And since I’m still just a new recruit, let’s call it a little performance. You don’t even have to move a finger, Sir Haller. Just stand still. Honestly, it sounds like a great deal.”

Among knights, it wasn’t uncommon for them to focus entirely on swordsmanship. Some trained with spears or broadswords as well, but daggers—those were rare.

Among the knights—most of whom came from noble families—dagger throwing was considered a crude skill, associated more with assassins or lowborn mercenaries. It was looked down upon, regarded as beneath proper knights, and few gave it any serious thought.

Aileen, of course, knew this better than anyone. Even so, she didn’t hesitate to reveal her skill with the weapon. She felt no shame in it. Let them scoff if they wanted.

In truth, it was none other than Carlisle who had taught her how to throw a dagger.

As a man of common birth, Carlisle valued practicality over appearance. Many commoners-turned-nobles worked hard to imitate the lifestyles of the aristocracy, but Carlisle had been different from the start.

And Aileen, despite her status as a high-ranking noble, had always been someone relatively free from prejudice. Loving Carlisle had only broadened her world further.

She’d had no reason to refuse learning. Daggers were light, easier for her to handle, and—most of all—they suited her.

As the other knights began to pale, Haller could only stare at her in disbelief.

A dagger toss? Who would ever take that seriously as a proper contest of skill? She clearly didn’t know what she was talking about. Did she think it would be easier just because the weapon was light?

Even if she had something up her sleeve, he was convinced a dagger wasn’t enough to bring him down. He didn’t think much of her skill, but still—Aileen was Duke Revart’s daughter. A high-ranking noble like her willingly tossing away aristocratic pride? Ridiculous.

The answer came easily.

“Fine. Prepare yourself.”

He was slightly suspicious of her confident tone—but not enough to reconsider. She was a noble lady, a newly appointed knight. The idea that she could truly handle a dagger was laughable.

But Aileen, catching onto his thoughts, let the faintest smile slip across her lips.

No matter how this ended, she would be criticized. If she lost, they would sneer. If she won, the fact she had even suggested such an unorthodox match would draw scorn.

Even if she kept her skills hidden and succeeded, the noble-born knights who already looked down on her would find something else to tear her apart with. That she had won would only deepen their contempt.

So either way, she had nothing to lose. It wasn’t a cowardly proposal—it was a calculated move. Her real goal was to humiliate Haller.

Eventually, Aileen stood with a dagger in hand, at a distance from Haller, who now had his back pressed firmly against a large tree nearby.

The other knights had gathered at the side, holding their breath as they watched.

“Don’t forget to hold your breath, Sir Haller.”

Aileen smiled brightly, spinning the dagger lightly in one hand.

If she could plant the blade just above Haller’s head, within the length of her own hand from his scalp, she’d win. If not, victory would be his.

As he looked across at her, standing poised with confidence, a sudden chill ran down Haller’s spine.

A moment ago, he had been too blinded by rage at her sharp tongue to think clearly. But now… the thought struck him.

What if she missed and actually hit him in the face?

Worse—what if she decided to make it look like an accident, just to leave a scar as an excuse? To humiliate him even further?

As he stood alone in front of the tree, the quiet around him only made it worse. With each second, his rational thoughts returned—but it was already too late. He couldn’t back down now—not in front of this many knights.

Cold sweat trickled down his temple.

What if that dagger hits my throat? My eye?

The unease built into a pressure that gripped his chest.

“I’m throwing now. Keep your eyes wide open, Sir Haller.”

Aileen raised her arm, the dagger gleaming in her hand. Haller’s eyes widened involuntarily, almost hypnotized.

Swish—

A sharp gust cut the air as a glint of silver flew at terrifying speed.

It felt like the wind itself had pierced above his head. Something heavy and fast whistled past him.

Thud.
A heavy sound echoed through the air.

Haller’s face turned pale as death.

He had lost.

Even without opening his eyes, he knew.

The silence around him was absolute.

His legs gave out beneath him, and he slumped to the ground. The vivid fear of death had drained all strength from them.

“Let’s not see each other again until the tournament.”

Aileen’s voice came softly from up close. She pulled the dagger, now half-buried in the tree above his head, cleanly from the wood as she spoke.

Haller’s eyes shot open, glaring at her with a look that could kill. His fists trembled with fury, but Aileen spared him no further attention. With a cold glance, she turned and walked away.

Her soft, rose-pink ponytail swayed gently behind her with each step.

Behind her, the voices of the excited Khan knights rose in quiet cheer, and the sound of the other knights approaching the collapsed Haller followed scattering like smoke behind her.

Support