If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 69

It had been a long time since a battle had made him feel so alive. The thought of killing Regen made it three times more thrilling. After all, for Dominic, this moment was nothing more than a game.

 

Regen’s martial prowess was unexpected, but it posed no real threat to him. Holding out was merely a way to delay the inevitable; the end would come without Regen ever turning the tide. And that moment arrived quickly.

 

Regen swung his sword horizontally, aiming to slash Dominic wide open. In that instant, Dominic’s eyes caught sight of Regen’s exposed side, left completely unguarded. An opening like that was as good as a prey bearing its neck.

 

Before any conscious thought could form, Dominic’s predator instincts took over. He focused a decisive strike on Regen’s vulnerability. But in the next moment, Regen’s sword twisted in an unexpected direction, targeting Dominic’s vital point.

 

No way!

 

The exposed side had been nothing more than bait, a trap to lure Dominic in. By the time Dominic realized this, Regen’s blade was already closing in on his neck.

 

There was no time to think rationally. Once again, Dominic’s instincts moved first. With a thunderous crash, three massive trees nearby toppled backward simultaneously. Such a powerful shockwave, accompanied by immense physical force, was not something that could be produced by human strength alone.

 

Dominic stepped back, gripping his sword, his face filled with shock. I used magic.

 

And yet, it was as if Regen had anticipated even that. He had already distanced himself far enough to remain completely unscathed.

 

Everything had gone according to Regen’s plan, and Dominic had played right into his hands. The implication was clear. Regen was a step ahead of Dominic. At least when it came to swordsmanship.

 

“…”

 

Unable to easily accept this, Dominic stood there in shock, and Regen’s calm voice reached him.

 

“I understand. Sir Dominic, you have much real combat experience. It’s only natural for instincts to override will in moments of crisis.” Regen casually sheathed his sword. It was the victor’s declaration, a ceremonial gesture to mark the end of the duel.

 

For the first time in his life, Dominic felt the sting of humiliation so deeply that it felt as though his blood was boiling in reverse. His grip on his sword tightened involuntarily.

 

Regen sneered. “Even now, are your instincts overriding your will?”

 

“…”

 

He was asking if Dominic would continue to act like a beast.

 

Dominic realized something about himself today, that he had far more patience than he ever thought. With hands trembling from the humiliation, he managed to sheathe his sword with care.

 

“Thank you for being a true knight.”

 

“…Why the hell would you thank me for that?”

 

“I may dislike you, but it’s an honor to have competed with you for the same prize.”

 

“You…” Dominic’s face twisted in a terrifying grimace. Regen’s words hinted that he, too, had feelings for Sasha.

 

Despite Dominic’s murderous glare, filled with a promise to kill him, Regen spoke calmly. “Please take care of her, as her escape route.”

 

“…”

 

“I’ll do my best as her path forward.”

 

“…”

 

Without hesitation, Regen turned his back on Dominic and walked away. His long strides carried him quickly, cutting through the final garden.

 

✦

The hydrangea garden’s picnic area was buzzing with chatter.

 

“The winner is arriving soon!”

 

“Already? I thought it would take longer.”

 

“Who do you think got first place?”

 

The princesses, including myself, had stepped out of the pavilion to wait alongside the nobles. The live commentary using the board had stopped long ago, and the paper cards predicting the winner had already been submitted. All that was left to do was wait.

 

I thought all my worries had disappeared after giving the antidote to Regen, but I couldn’t let my guard down until the very end. It was all because of that cunning Marquis Osbond.

 

“The ending can’t be so trivial. So, Sir Dominic himself has agreed to take on the role of the final gatekeeper.”

“What? Then no one from our personal knights will be able to pass, right?”

“Please don’t worry too much, Princess Safflower. Sir Dominic will hold back, within reason.”

 

What nonsense. The words ‘within reason’ could never apply to Dominic. At least when it came to Regen, Dominic was bound to pull some kind of stunt.

 

Even though I knew how strong Regen was, I couldn’t help the worry pooling in my chest.

 

“Sister Sasha, are you okay? You’re sweating a lot.”

 

“…I’m fine. It’s just nerves.”

 

“So you are human after all, Sister Sasha…”

 

I gave Shumel a faint smile and fixed my gaze on the finish line. All I could hope for was for Regen to return safe and unharmed.

 

“The first place is approaching! Get ready to welcome him!”

 

The servant’s shout stirred the picnic grounds into a frenzy.

 

“It’s got to be horse number 2, right? I bet a townhouse on number 2.”

 

“Of course, it’s number 2. I bet my territory with a mine on it. Trust me.”

 

“Come on, horse number 7! Let’s aim for a surprise victory.”

 

“You can do it, horse number 1!”

 

The atmosphere was like a derby. The fact that they were betting on humans made it all more vulgar.

 

“I see the knight over there. The one everyone has been waiting for first place is…”

 

The sunlight spilling onto the road painted colors over the tall figure’s silhouette. There stood a handsome man with hair as white as snow, tousled by the wind, and delicate features as if sculpted by a master artisan.

 

Even the usually calm Marquis Osbond shouted with excitement. “Number 3! It’s Sir Regen! From last place to first, an incredible comeback victory!”

 

Cheers and jeers erupted simultaneously. I found myself nearly surrounded by a throng of nobles.

 

“Congratulations, Princess Silver Bird.”

 

“Two consecutive victories, following the last competition. Truly remarkable.”

 

“You must be proud to have such an outstanding personal knight.”

 

I hardly remember how I responded to all the congratulations. My entire mind and focus were solely on Regen, wanting to go to him. And it seemed he felt the same. Even through the crowd that surrounded us like a wall, we somehow found each other and locked eyes.

 

“The other personal knights are arriving one by one.”

 

The personal knights crossed the finish line at intervals ranging from a few minutes to over ten. The later they arrived, the more injured they seemed, some limping as they came. The order of arrival was Regen, Kilieon, Yulis, Noah, Ciel, and Bellinger. Accordingly, the banners of silver bird, golden deer, orange safflower, amethyst, amber, and blue wave. Instead of being raised, the banner of a black crescent moon was draped over a corpse.

 

Gwendellin, who returned to the picnic grounds belatedly, collapsed sobbing on the body and fainted.

 

“My condolences.”

 

After Marquis Osbond’s insincere moment of silence, the emperor announced the conclusion of the banquet.

 

“Well done, everyone. Rewards and penalties will be notified later, so for now, enjoy the rest of the banquet.”

 

The sweet music of string instruments filled the hydrangea garden. The nobles who had been noisily circling around and pestering me finally seemed to have lost interest. The social cage that had trapped me loosened its grip.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

At last, Regen and I were able to face each other up close. Without a word, he extended a hand toward me. I, too, raised my hand as if it were only natural to meet his gesture.

 

“The main character is leaving.”

 

“Such a shame… … .”

 

“Well, they must have been tired.”

 

With each step we took, the noise of the picnic faded layer by layer. The quieter it became around us, the more I felt not just my mind but my very soul settle into peace. Finally, when it was just the two of us, and the picnic site was completely out of sight, it happened.

 

“Sasha?”

 

I pulled Regen into a tight embrace, burying my face into his chest.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

I couldn’t help it. The countless words I wanted to say, hundreds, thousands of them, had turned into a jumbled mess in my head. If I opened my mouth now, I felt like I’d end up blurting out something ridiculous. Like how I was worried to death, how I thought I was going to lose my mind, or even, perhaps, that I loved him.

 

Thankfully, Regen didn’t ask me any questions that would force me to explain myself. He simply held me tightly in return.

 

“It’s okay. It’s all over now.”

 

“…”

 

“You can relax now.”

 

“…”

 

His voice gave me strength. The tension and anxiety that had been piling up inside me like a tall tower crumbled in an instant. The only problem was that my body collapsed along with it.

 

“Sasha…!”

 

He caught me as I staggered and held me in his arms. I wanted to stand on my own, but it was hard to even steady myself. As I was embarrassed, wondering why I was like this, Regen, who seemed even more flustered than I was, placed a hand on my forehead and, unusually, raised his voice.

 

“You have a severe fever!”