Chapter 51: The Masked Knight

The match format is a tournament system, and the pairings were carefully selected after thorough consideration.
Choosing completely at random would be equal in theory.
But if luck alone causes one person to struggle while another has an easy path, that isn’t truly fair.

From the organizers’ perspective, we also want the matches to be exciting.
So after evaluating each participant’s skill level in advance, we decided the matchups so that the gaps in ability would be as small as possible.

“…The Masked Knight?”

A blond participant wearing a mask has entered.
I recognize him immediately, since we only met recently.
That is Crown Prince Julian.

I’m not saying what would happen if he showed his face, but…
Does wearing a mask really make it okay for the Crown Prince to participate?

“Look, Lady Electra. That masked knight.”

“What about him?”

One of the operations committee members hands me a copy of the matchup sheet.
The name written for the masked knight I was pointed to is…

“‘Robin’? That’s his registered name? No family name?”

“Yes. His identity is listed as unknown.”

“…I don’t think someone whose identity is completely unknown should be allowed to participate.”

“Lady Katalina approved it.”

“Oh. I see…”

If it’s Lady Katalina, I can easily imagine her saying, “It’ll be fun, so why not.”
I’m starting to understand what kind of person she really is.
Honestly, this kind of role-playing might be more exciting than the Crown Prince appearing openly.

The masked knight’s true identity is none other than His Highness the Crown Prince.

…Well, it’s almost too perfectly staged.
As long as he’s actually strong, there won’t be any problems.
I’m cheering for Sir Richard, of course, but from an entertainment standpoint, having “Robin” win would also be very compelling.
It would definitely become a huge topic of conversation.
All I can do is pray that he doesn’t suffer any serious injuries.
Of course, there are plenty of healers standing by, myself included, so we should be able to respond if needed.

And now, there’s something else I need to consciously acknowledge.

My former husband, Viscount Harird Carlson, is participating in this tournament.
I’ve been deliberately avoiding looking at him, but I can’t keep ignoring him forever.
Because he was looking at me.

He was wandering around absentmindedly, repeatedly glancing in my direction.

“…It’s been a long time.”

Those words slipped out of my mouth without thinking.
I felt no resentment toward him.
That makes sense.

I chose the divorce of my own will and left without ever facing him again.
Even on our wedding night, I chose a white marriage while already assuming we would part ways.

On paper, we were married for two years.
During that time, I never once met him face-to-face.
I heard news of him fighting on distant battlefields and prayed for his safety.
Then I heard rumors and reports of his infidelity.

And before Lord Harird returned home, I left.
Without a confrontation or discussion.
His infidelity was a fact, but…
Whether I handled things sincerely is questionable.

Of course, I don’t regret my choice.
From what I’ve learned since then, my actions weren’t wrong.
They were necessary to protect myself, and I feel no guilt over them.

After the divorce, more than half a year passed.
I lived as a sister at the church, then moved to the border marquisate.
And there, I grew closer to Sir Richard.

During that time, Lord Harird married Lady Livia, and then came that incident.

After hearing information about the Pharmason ducal house from the Border Marquis, we began to move.
We came to the royal capital, received Lady Katalina’s support, and prepared for this tournament.

“…It’s been four and a half years.”

The last time I saw him was the morning he left for the battlefield, the day after our wedding.

…Thinking about it now.

We simply had no fate together.
That’s how I see it now.

After all, we never even held a wedding ceremony.
There wasn’t even a ceremonial kiss.
I have my thoughts about his attempt to consummate the marriage, but looking back, a white marriage was absolutely the right choice.

Most of the things I should have been angry about were preemptively resolved by my prophetic dream and never actually happened.
So, in truth, there isn’t much left for me to be angry about now.
Of course, his lack of sincerity is undeniable.

Rather, because I was able to escape at that exact moment.
Because my circumstances pushed me to that choice.
I met Sir Richard and became his fiancée.

That’s why I believe it’s correct to say that Lord Harird and I never had a bond to begin with.
There was never any real necessity for us to be together.

“…Yes.”

I pulled myself together and refocused on the tournament.
My next major role won’t be until the very end.
Until then, I’ll be working as part of the medical team.

The finer details of operations will be handled by the rest of the team.

I also make sure to keep track of other noteworthy competitors.
From the Ryuswell house, there are Captain Ronan Fanburg and Sir Paul Berstein.

And there are also participants from the Pharmason ducal house.

“That man is…”

Greg Godwin, the captain of the Pharmason knight order.
When I looked over, he was glaring at Sir Richard.

It seems he’s very conscious of him.
Does he know that Sir Richard and I are engaged?

People who openly display obsession while being eaten away by inferiority often shift their target.
When they realize they can’t beat the person they envy, they go after someone weaker whom that person cherishes.
That’s something Lady Katalina once told me.

In this case, that potential target would be me.
It’s unlikely he’d make a move in such a public place.
Still, staying alert won’t hurt.

Next, my attention shifts not to the knights, but to the spectator stands.

Since the Pharmason knights are participating, it’s only natural that they’re here.

The Duke and Duchess of Pharmason are both present.
Not just one of them, but the couple together.

I know a lot about their circumstances, but…
I can’t tell whether “Saint” Livia is here.

We did reserve priority seating for the families of participating knights.
But I don’t even know if she’s the type who would want to watch an event like this.

…Or so I thought.

“Ah.”

Our eyes met.

As I scanned the spectator seats, my gaze locked with a woman.
I’m standing in one corner of the arena where the operations team has gathered.
From here, I can see almost the entire seating area, and I’m close to the tents where the knights are waiting.

A single woman in the stands is staring at me intently.
Even from afar, I can tell she has golden hair and ruby-red eyes.

“It’s her…”

Why is she staring at me?
No, perhaps it’s because her husband, Harird, was staring at me first.

Should I make a point of showing my closeness with Sir Richard?
Hmm…

The engagement ring I used to wear is now with Sir Richard as a charm.
Showing off a ring here would probably just make things awkward anyway.

Saint Livia Carlson is aware of me.
Will she make a move?
Will she try to approach me?

Before that, has she even heard about her own birth circumstances?
Shouldn’t she be more focused on the father sitting right there?

“Everything’s come together, hasn’t it…”

Most of this setup was orchestrated by Lady Katalina.
As long as everyone behaves with basic decency, nothing should happen… but it still makes me uneasy.

And just as that anxiety crept in.

The first round of the swordsmanship tournament was about to begin.
That’s when the masked knight, “Robin,” raised his voice.

“My name is… Robin!”
“I swear here and now!”
“That I will dedicate this sword to one woman!”
“Please, watch me!”

He certainly has a powerful voice.
His golden hair isn’t hidden, only his eyes are covered by what looks like an eye mask.
It doesn’t obstruct his breathing.
His eye color isn’t hidden either, so anyone perceptive enough might guess who he is.

Of course, blond hair and blue eyes aren’t exclusive to the royal family.

By the way, I can see Lady Katalina laughing as she listens to his declaration.
And beside her sits a man about the same age.
That must be Eldmica Ryuswell, the Duke and Lady Katalina’s husband.

“I will win this tournament!”
“And with that victory… I will convey my feelings to a certain woman!”

Since the masked knight Robin made that declaration, the woman he’s referring to must be in the audience.
In other words, the future queen.
At least I already know that it isn’t me.

So who exactly will he choose?
This has suddenly become the most talked-about aspect of the entire tournament, completely unrelated to me.

Incidentally, the masked knight easily advanced through the first round.
Even to an untrained eye, his skill is obvious.

“What kind of tournament will this turn out to be, in the end?”

I couldn’t help but mutter that to myself.