One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 67

Her hair was braided thickly into a single plait that lay neatly over one shoulder. The hair accessory, earrings, and necklace all shimmered with a soft sky-blue tint, perfectly matching her dress.

The gown itself was a cool water-blue, boldly baring her shoulders but wrapping gently around her arms. It hugged her figure down to the upper thighs, then flared outward just above the knees in a graceful cascade.

The necklace gifted by the emperor was far too conspicuous, so she wrapped the chain several times around her wrist and wore it as a bracelet, covering it with delicate silk gloves.

She didn’t want anyone to suspect it was an enchanted jewel.

“You look absolutely stunning, Aileen.”

The duchess, already seated in the carriage, greeted her with a warm, maternal smile.

“Who in the world keeps only one formal uniform?”

“Oppa, not now.”

“…That damn Sir Siran needs a talking-to.”

Ashite muttered under his breath and turned his head toward the window.

Aileen let out a soft laugh, then engaged in light conversation with her parents.

“The knights of House Revart should take lessons from you, Aileen. We need to increase our training regiment.”

The banter flowed nonstop, and before long, they had arrived.

As always, she took Ashite’s arm and walked gracefully into the ballroom. With a dress on, she had to mind her steps—no need for stiff soldier-like strides now.

The buzz of excitement and lively chatter from inside leaked all the way to the doors.

“Shall we?”

With the duke’s quiet word, the announcer proclaimed the entrance of House Revart, and a momentary hush fell over the room.

Aileen stepped past the threshold.

In that instant, it felt like a volley of thousands of arrows had shot toward her—every gaze in the ballroom locked on her all at once.

“Lady Revart has arrived. Or should we say, Sir Aileen now?”

“I thought she’d wear her uniform, but she chose a dress.”

“Those delicate arms—how on earth do they produce that much power? Incredible.”

“Should we go greet Count Avergue? After all, they were the stars of the tournament. It only makes sense to talk after such a match.”

Whispers spilled from every corner.

Believing their voices would be lost in the crowd, none of them bothered to lower their tone.

“…Looks like your entrance was even more dramatic than expected. Well, our daughter did make quite the impression today.”

The duke and Ashite surely heard them too, given how clearly the voices reached Aileen’s ears.

“You’ll be busy tonight. I’ll leave you to it.”

“Don’t you just cling to the wall when I’m not around, Oppa?”

“Just go already.”

Surprisingly, Ashite didn’t snap back like usual. It must be a special day.

Aileen smiled and let it go.

Her parents left to greet other nobles, and Ashite disappeared as well. She was completely on her own now.

I should find the other knights from Khan.
She hadn’t had a proper chance to thank them after the match, having returned home right after the finals.

Fortunately, she didn’t get far before several familiar figures noticed her from across the ballroom and began making their way over.

Aileen moved to greet them—but before she could reach them, a group of young nobles intercepted her.

“Lady Revart, your match was incredible. Truly impressive. I see you in a whole new light.”

A daughter of a marquess family—someone she barely knew—beamed at her.

“It was amazing. I almost want to learn swordsmanship myself.”

A young heir from a count’s family, whose name Aileen vaguely remembered, added his praise.

They slowly encircled her, eagerly speaking over one another.
She had never received such attention, even back when she briefly participated in high society events.

“Thank you, Lady Miolante. And you as well, Lady Bianto.”

Aileen politely responded to those who had so readily approached her, carefully easing her way through the growing circle of nobles.

Though she had made a brief appearance in noble society before, unlike the other young ladies of aristocratic families, Aileen had never been an active participant. As a result, she hadn’t built close connections with many, despite her high status.

It was hard to find people she genuinely clicked with in those settings, and the unspoken tension that always lingered—those veiled jabs and smiles—never quite suited her.

Besides, she had walked a different path entirely.

After graduating from the Academy, Aileen immediately chose the life of a knight. When she did attend social events, it was as something of an outsider among her peers. To most noble young women, Aileen was something unfamiliar—an enigma.

Apart from Retta, who had since moved to the provinces to rest and recover after childbirth, there wasn’t anyone she had stayed close to.

At most, she had exchanged names and attended a handful of tea parties—always with the same few faces—and tried to convince herself that was enough to qualify as “socializing.”

Which made her current situation all the more foreign.

“Wow. Our Aileen is really popular tonight.”

“Well, of course! She made it to the finals. Unlike someone we know.”

“Seth, there you go again with that mouth of yours.”

With their cheerful voices filling the space, Aileen felt her tense shoulders finally begin to ease.

“I didn’t get a chance to properly thank you. I really appreciate you all coming. And… sorry I couldn’t win.”

“Why would you apologize to us? It’s not like you dropped out in the preliminaries.”

“Hey! Seriously!”

Tanil’s face turned bright red as he exhaled sharply in protest.

“But really—you were amazing. I already knew you were strong, but I didn’t realize you were that strong.”

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll train even harder. Master, please take care of me.”

“Exactly! I’ve decided I’m going to rank you as my second-most respected person now!”

Tanil declared with dramatic flair, his eyes sparkling like a child’s, as if he hadn’t just been pouting moments ago.

The first must be Carlisle. He had once admitted to admiring him, after all.

Aileen smiled wryly.

“It’s a little disappointing I’m not the first, Sir Tanil, but… I suppose I understand.”

“Ah, no, I didn’t mean it like that—”

“Tanil, do you seriously have no tact?”

“Seriously. You’re kicked out of the Caylus Order. You didn’t even make it to the finals—how are you still qualified?”

Because of one poorly chosen word, Tanil had to spend the next few minutes sulking in silence.

Aileen and the knights spent a long while discussing the finals. Most of the time, the knights would heap praise or ask questions, and she would answer them in stride.

It was far more enjoyable and comfortable than nodding in response to nobles’ hollow compliments. She really was a knight, through and through.

“Sir Aileen of House Revart.”

“Ah, Commander.”

Just as they were joking about her torn uniform and how she only had one dress uniform to begin with, Caylus appeared. He made his way through the bustling crowd and came to stand behind her.

Wearing his usual expressionless face, the commander of the Caylus Order praised her in his typically blunt manner.

“Thank you for bringing honor to the Caylus Order. You’ve done well.”

“I wouldn’t say I brought honor. I didn’t even manage to win…”

“Managing both types of intense training and achieving these results deserves praise.”

“I… I see.”

“Continue your efforts.”

With that, Caylus turned and walked away.

Truly a brief interaction. Yet it was a powerful and memorable commendation.

“Wow… I don’t think I’ve ever heard the Commander speak like that before.”

“Exactly. I’m jealous, Sir Aileen.”

The knights who had quietly observed finally exhaled and broke into chatter.

“The Vice Commander isn’t here yet?”

“Seems like he’s not coming at all tonight.”

So that’s why Siran, who was usually always attached at the hip to Caylus, was nowhere to be seen.

“Is he sick?”

“Maybe he just didn’t want to show up after a lower-ranked knight like you outperformed him.”

“He doesn’t seem like the type to be that petty…”

Aileen trailed off. The Siran she knew wasn’t exactly what you’d call delicate.

“Maybe he just wanted some rest. Attending the banquet isn’t mandatory anyway.”

“Right. As long as the two stars of the evening are here, that’s all that matters.”

Only then did Aileen consciously register Carlisle’s presence.

So he’d arrived earlier than expected.

She hadn’t noticed him at first—not because she was trying to avoid him, but because, as usual, his height made him easy to spot, and she hadn’t seen a trace of him. She had assumed he hadn’t come yet.

She told herself she wasn’t looking for him intentionally. Carlisle simply drew attention wherever he went—it couldn’t be helped.

Still, that strange feeling she’d experienced when facing his unbalanced swordplay in the finals returned. She considered looking around for him, but stopped herself.

What was the point in checking if he was here? It was a useless question.

She had no desire to face Judith’s glaring crimson eyes or the hypocrisy of the Marquess of Hessiden hovering nearby.

“Oh, looks like the banquet is about to begin.”

Someone’s voice caught her attention.

The musicians had begun tuning their instruments, and now a soft, fluttering melody trickled out—like the stirring of a heart just before it begins to race.

As the gentle music picked up tempo and transitioned into a fuller melody, a familiar yet unwelcome guest made his way toward Aileen.

“Aileen.”

He was dressed even more finely than he had been on the night before the preliminaries.

“Jeron.”

His soft sky-blue eyes trembled ever so slightly. Perhaps because their last encounter had left behind such an unpleasant impression.

“Aileen, that was an incredible match.”

Even so, he greeted her with steady resolve.

Aileen looked toward her fellow knights. They seemed unsure of what to do, their expressions awkward as they picked up on the tense atmosphere between the two.

“Just a moment.”

She excused herself and led Jeron away. The place she chose was a quiet corner, mostly devoid of people.

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