One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 61

“You don’t think you can win? Then why say you’ll face the winner? You could’ve just said you’d be facing my brother.”

Ashite, easily baited by the teasing challenge and Aileen’s raised brow, snapped back, visibly agitated.

“Who said I’d lose? I just thought you might not make it to the finals! Just wait and see. Be ready, Aileen.”

“What can I do if I’m not nervous in the slightest?”

Ashite glared at her, his eyes trembling slightly, then clamped his mouth shut. His earlobes were still red.

“Aileen!”

“Aileen!”

As Aileen chuckled and tried to leave the waiting room hallway with Ashite, voices called out from the distance, accompanied by hurried footsteps.

“Oh—aren’t you Sir Ashite Revart?”

“Greetings, sir. You shine as brightly as ever today.”

Although they had clearly rushed over with only Aileen in mind, a few knights—including Tanil and Setz—spotted Ashite belatedly and greeted him with utmost respect.

“Mm.”

As the vice-commander and future duke, Ashite returned their greeting with a short, commanding nod.

“Looks like you’re all here to offer congratulations.”

It was the kind of greeting one received from people they liked. Aileen waited quietly until the commotion died down, then greeted the knights with a calm smile.

“Congratulations! That was a merciless stomp, I must say.”

“That was so satisfying to watch. You really are the hope and light of Khan.”

Gone was the earlier formality—now the knights spoke in excited tones, offering their heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to Aileen.

“You’re the only one left representing Khan now, Aileen.”

“Show them the strength of the Khan Order.”

“You’re the one who’ll bring glory to Khan, Dame Aileen.”

Although Tanil and the others had done their best, Aileen was now the only knight from the Khan Order left standing.

There was just one match left before the finals, so the outcome wasn’t something to be disappointed about.

“I can’t say your support is deeply appreciated, but I’ll do my best.”

Aileen softened her expression and smiled gently.

“After all, I might just have to face Sir Ashite in the final.”

She added playfully, casting a sideways glance at Ashite beside her.

Though his growl of irritation echoed in her ears right after, it was quickly drowned out by the sound of everyone’s laughter.

Even the next day—and the day after that—Aileen continued her training, even after each match.

Her next opponent was a skilled knight, ranked among the top three of the Sel Order.

There was a chance he could be comparable to Carlisle, and though Aileen knew full well how overwhelming Carlisle’s swordsmanship was, she couldn’t help feeling a little nervous.

She herself had once served in the Sel Order, but that had been several years ago. In that time, a talented new knight might have joined—or someone already there could’ve grown immensely in skill.

That might be why she found herself half-agreeing with the rumors circulating lately:
“The martial strength of the Sel Order far surpasses that of the Khan or Lil Orders.”

On top of that, her opponent had made it to the semifinals. Given that the other two remaining knights were the commander of the Sel Order and the vice-commander of the Lil Order, there was no doubt this would be a tough match.

So, with quiet resolve, Aileen stepped into the arena.

“My daughter is the best!”

The Duke of Revart nearly leapt with joy as Aileen claimed a clean, decisive victory. Even the Duchess, beside him, wore an uncharacteristically high smile.

“I knew she’d do well. That’s our Revart, through and through.”

Aileen smiled awkwardly at the booming laughter of her father.

She had just come back from a casual dinner with fellow knights, meant to celebrate her victory in the semifinals—

Yet somehow, the table before her was now overflowing with delicious dishes.

More accurately, all the food that was meant for someone else had found its way in front of her.

“Thank you, Father. But I already had dinner.”

“Well, if you’re not too full, a little more wouldn’t hurt.”

“Why don’t you give it to my brother instead—?”

“Who would that be?”

In an instant, the Duke’s eyes turned sharp, all traces of laughter gone, and his gaze snapped to Ashite, who bowed his head like a guilty sinner.

“A knight who’s never even touched the finals has no place in House Revart.”

At those cold words, Ashite lowered his head even further.

“I was starving after the semifinals,” Aileen said softly. “But my brother fought before I did… By now, his stomach’s probably stuck to his back.”

Her brows arched with gentle sympathy, and her voice took on a sorrowful tone.

Unable to resist the heartfelt plea from the daughter he cherished more than life itself, the Duke let out a pained sigh and finally relented.

“…Let him eat.”

Ashite, clearly the day’s scapegoat, said nothing in protest for once and quietly pulled the food toward himself.

“Remain humble until the finals are over.”

“Yes, Father.”

Ashite had not been this quiet and docile in a very long time. Watching him eat so meekly, Aileen couldn’t help but feel strangely solemn herself.

In truth, whether Ashite won or lost didn’t really matter.

Although Duke Revart was a knight to his very bones, he was a far more open-minded man than people expected. Even if his son—the next head of House Revart—failed to secure victory, he was not the sort to raise a fuss.

The reason the duke scolded Ashite so harshly was simple.

Ashite had suffered a bitter defeat—at the hands of Carlisle Averg.

When it came to Aileen, the duke’s anger was even deeper. But it was precisely because it was about Aileen that this was the only way he could express his rage. This silent resentment was shared by all three Revarts—excluding Aileen herself.

By now, it should’ve all been meaningless.

Still, Aileen kept her frustration hidden and went along with their tune. Perhaps, in time, her family would begin to let go of their hatred as well.

The finals were scheduled for three days after the semifinals.

The day after securing her place in the finals by defeating the knight from the Sel Order, Aileen found herself summoned by the Emperor—alongside Carlisle.

Aileen, seated beside him, muttered inwardly: When on earth is that man Edys going to show up?

The appointed hour had long passed. An entire hour, in fact. Even if he was the Emperor, wasn’t this a bit much? If he was going to be this late, he should’ve just postponed the meeting altogether.

Her brows furrowed slightly with rising irritation as she stole a glance at her companion.

Carlisle, seated beside her, wore the same composed expression he always did. Not a trace of boredom could be seen on his face.

His sharp, high-bridged nose looked like the peak of a steep mountain. His deep-set eyes and prominent jawline gave him an even stronger, more masculine air than before.

His posture was as upright as ever—his long neck leading to a straight back, his form unchanged since the first day they met. Beneath his long lashes, his dark blue eyes stared straight ahead, unwavering.

From the moment they were left alone in the room, even after nodding once in greeting, Carlisle had not spared her a single glance.

Unlike Aileen, who couldn’t help but glance at him, gauging his mood during the long wait, he remained as still as an ancient tree deeply rooted in the ground—quiet and unshaken.

He had always been like that.

Aileen once believed that he was like an unbreakable fortress—someone she could endure any hardship with, so long as he stood beside her.

But now, she saw clearly—it had only ever been a facade.

Pushing aside such pointless thoughts, Aileen redirected her irritation back toward Edys.

At the moment, she and Carlisle were the only ones in the room.

In other words, an awkward silence had persisted for over an hour, with neither of them saying a single word.

She was just about to let out a sigh when—

“My apologies for keeping you waiting. I was terribly late, wasn’t I? Something urgent came up quite suddenly.”

With a bright smile on his pale face, Emperor Edys flung the door open and strode inside.

Carlisle, ever the model of discipline, rose immediately and offered a brief, formal bow. Aileen stood as well—though noticeably slower than usual.

“…You must’ve been quite busy, Your Majesty.”

Her voice came out blunt, almost before she realized it—his face was simply too cheerful for someone who had just wasted an hour of her time.

“I had every intention of arriving early, especially since it’s been so long since I last saw you, Dame Aileen. But something terribly annoying happened, and I couldn’t avoid it.”

Edys brushed off her displeasure with a grin, gesturing for them to sit.

Aileen pursed her lips briefly, then took her seat. He was no longer the familiar senior from the academy days. He was now the Emperor, and she, his knight.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, Dame Aileen, but a troubling matter has arisen within the Empire.”

Lately, Aileen had spent every waking hour buried in swordsmanship training and had paid little attention to political affairs.

Of course, she heard snippets of major news during meals—from Duke Revart, Ashite, or the Duchess—but nothing came to mind that seemed urgent enough for the Emperor himself to bring up.

“It started some time ago. A few individuals began showing symptoms similar to those caused by improper consumption of poisonous herbs. Hallucinations, for example.”

Hallucinations caused by toxic herbs… That, in and of itself, wasn’t so strange.

Such incidents happened—people could mistake one plant for another, doctors could make prescription errors, or long-term use of pain-relieving herbs could sometimes lead to side effects.

Even so, Aileen couldn’t help but question it.

“Isn’t that something that happens from time to time?”

At her question, Edys shook his head, a grim expression settling over his features.

Support