Chapter 76

The two faced each other with swords raised, their stances identical, as if mirrored.

“You haven’t gotten rusty since I last saw you, have you?”

“As always, I’ll be inferior to Your Majesty.”

“How boring.”

With that, Cali was the first to move, stepping forward and swinging her sword. The sharp motion cut through the air with a sound like tearing wind.

Dylan didn’t flinch. Instead, he closed the distance between them and thrust his sword toward her side.

Agnes clasped her hands tightly, her knuckles turning white as she watched, terrified that Dylan might get hurt.

“Ha!”

Cali laughed brightly, stepping back in one swift motion and locking blades with his.

Clang! Screech!

The harsh grinding sound filled the training hall. Agnes flinched and instinctively took a step back.

Even without understanding swordsmanship, she could tell their movements were beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Their blades were blurs, moving too fast to follow, striking and deflecting with perfect rhythm. Cali would advance, Dylan would parry, then the flow would reverse, each taking a turn to retreat by a step.

Then, suddenly, Cali’s sword sped up. She pressed her attack, forcing Dylan back three steps in a single breath.

“Dylan!”

Cali shouted his name and swung hard.

Clang!

The sound was both sharp and heavy, reverberating through the hall.

Dylan’s blade snapped and clattered to the floor.

Cling…

But Cali didn’t stop. She drew her sword back and struck again with a swift thrust.

Slash!

The point came dangerously close to Dylan’s neck.

Agnes gasped and covered her mouth with her hands to stifle a scream.

Dylan didn’t glance at the broken blade on the ground. He lowered the shattered sword beside his thigh and straightened his posture.

“I concede.”

At his calm declaration, Cali’s lips curved into a crooked grin.

“Good. I win.”

She gestured to a nearby servant and handed over her sword. The servant quickly approached, took it, and placed it back on the rack.

“You insolent brat.”

Her tone was low and rough, as if she were gritting her teeth in frustration.

“I don’t even want to see your face. Go back to the north.”

Cali clicked her tongue and left the training hall.

Only Dylan, Agnes, and a few servants remained.

One servant took the broken sword from Dylan’s hand, while another gathered the fragments scattered across the floor.

Dylan exhaled quietly, then turned to Agnes.

“I’m sorry for startling you.”

His voice was calm, but from the anger Cali had shown, Agnes could tell who the real victor was. It wasn’t Cali. The match had been deliberately thrown.

Agnes opened her mouth to speak, but Dylan was quicker.

“I’ll change clothes and return shortly. Please wait for me.”

He gave brief instructions to a maid to attend to Agnes, then left to change.

* * *

Not long after, the two met again in front of the Imperial Palace.

When Dylan offered his hand to escort her, Agnes took it and looked back anxiously.

“Is it all right to leave without greeting Her Majesty?”

“If we tried to soothe her now, we’d be stuck here for two more weeks. I doubt that’s what you want.”

“But still…”

“It’s fine.”

Dylan spoke firmly, his voice carrying quiet reassurance.

“She really doesn’t want to see my face right now. Come, let’s fetch Noah.”

Agnes nodded and followed him into the carriage.

As the carriage passed through the gates and rolled toward the administrative district, she finally voiced the question that had been troubling her.

“…You let Her Majesty win on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Yes. You noticed?”

Dylan leaned back against the seat, crossing one leg over the other. His blue eyes, reflecting the passing sunlight, looked faintly tired.

“Her Majesty is an exceptional knight. She has skill, pride, and diligence. A true knight finds a rigged victory more offensive than a fair loss.”

“Then shouldn’t you have fought honestly?”

At her naive question, Dylan shook his head.

“If I were an ordinary knight, I could. Her Majesty would even appreciate that. But I’m not. I’m of royal blood. A royal cannot do that.”

His tone was calm, yet there was a faint, bitter smile on his lips.

“If I had won today, Her Majesty would have been pleased for a while. But once I returned north, she would start watching me more closely. That’s the burden of the throne.”

It was clear now. The duel had not been about skill. It had been about the unspoken imbalance of power and the deep mistrust between them.

“I see…”

Agnes could only answer softly. To say she truly understood would have been a lie.

The bond between Cali and Dylan was far too complicated. Their love and resentment ran so deep that perhaps only rebirth could make them ordinary siblings again.

Dylan glanced at her, his lips parting as if to say something, then closing again.

When the Imperial Magic Division came into view in the distance, he cleared his throat and finally spoke.

“Have I done something to upset you?”

Agnes blinked in surprise. Then she remembered Cali’s teasing words in the training hall.

‘You’ve been making your wife feel neglected.’

She had completely forgotten that remark during the duel, but clearly, Dylan hadn’t.

Agnes’s eyes flickered with guilt as she looked away.

“N-no. Not at all. Absolutely not. Her Majesty was only joking, you know that.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, of course.”

Her voice came out louder than she intended, which only made her more flustered. She rushed to explain herself.

“Her Majesty asked if our marriage was happy. I started talking about the northern social circles instead, and she teased me for not mentioning you. That’s all it was. Nothing more.”

Finally, the words came out properly, and Agnes managed a more natural smile.

Dylan, who had looked doubtful at first, slowly relaxed.

“I see. Her Majesty can be mischievous, but she doesn’t usually tease people outside the family. I suppose you’re an exception. I’m sorry.”

His apology carried a trace of genuine embarrassment.

“It’s fine. You always help me, and Her Majesty forgets her jokes soon after she says them. Really, there’s no problem.”

Fortunately, the carriage stopped in front of the Imperial Magic Division, giving her a reason to end the awkward exchange. Agnes let out a breath of relief.

“I’ll bring Noah right back. Please wait here.”

“Very well.”

Dylan’s expression darkened slightly as he looked toward the building.

Just that small change on his face was enough for Agnes to sense how much he was enduring for Noah’s sake.

Feeling a swell of sympathy, she stepped down from the carriage and entered the building.

It looked much the same as it had that morning. No one came to greet her, and a few magicians were huddled together in the corner, whispering excitedly.

“Push it, push it!”

“That’s it, little one. Just like that!”

“Did I just lose to a five-year-old?”

“You read too many books! No wonder your mana control’s a mess.”

At the mention of a “five-year-old,” Agnes’s gaze darted toward the group.

But she couldn’t see Noah among them. Frowning in confusion, she noticed the back of Louis’s head.

“Sir Sepion?”

The moment she called out, the magicians all turned toward her at once, Louis included.

“Madam! You’re here!”

As Louis turned around, Agnes finally saw Noah tucked under his arm.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

Noah’s cheeks were flushed red, his eyes sparkling as if he had just finished the most exciting game in the world.

“Mom!”

“Noah.”

Agnes hurried over and took him from Louis’s arms.

“I’m so sorry, Sir Sepion. I hope Noah didn’t cause any trouble…”

Before she could finish apologizing, Louis waved his hands quickly.

“No, no, not at all. I offered to hold him myself. There wasn’t a proper chair nearby.”

“What in the world were you all doing…”