News of Leticia's rescue by an unknown knight spread through the castle like wildfire. Curiosity was rampant. Who was this mysterious warrior? Were his skills as impressive as the rumors suggested? The Royal Guard knights, proud and competitive, yearned for a duel, hoping to prove their superiority. However, one by one, they were defeated by Aleph, their frustration growing with each fall.
"Aren't you going to face him, Sir Hector?" Laurenn asked, watching the training.
"I'd rather not be humiliated, Your Highness," Hector replied with a bitter smile.
The knights, desperate to regain their honor, insisted that Laurenn challenge Aleph. The prince knew he was no match for Aleph, but the pressure from his colleagues and the desire to protect them from humiliation led him to accept the challenge.
The castle courtyard filled with spectators eager to witness the duel. Laurenn and Aleph positioned themselves, swords in hand. The fight began. From the first moves, Laurenn realized that Aleph's techniques had evolved significantly since the last time they trained together.
"What techniques are those?" Laurenn asked, surprised. "I've never seen them before… I wouldn't stand a chance if he were fighting seriously," he thought.
Aleph's strength and precision were impressive. Laurenn defended himself with difficulty, aware of his inferiority. Finally, they declared a draw, to the relief of the Royal Guard knights, who celebrated the result as a victory.
"I won't tell Leticia about your secret or your refusal to be her knight," Laurenn told Aleph after the duel. "But you should talk to her."
Rachel, who had observed the fight from a distance, asked the ladies-in-waiting about the mysterious knight's identity. Intrigued by his skill and physique, Rachel found herself inexplicably drawn to Aleph.
After the duel, Laurenn was summoned to King Hayden's office. The monarch's expression was one of contained fury.
"How dare you lose to a mere knight?!" Hayden exploded. "A draw is the same as a defeat! You let him humiliate you before the entire court! You are weak, useless, incompetent! You disappoint me!"
The cruel words struck Laurenn like sword blows. He cowered before Hayden's wrath, unable to argue or defend himself. All he wanted was recognition, a simple compliment, but all he received was contempt and humiliation.
"What do I need to do for him to acknowledge my effort?" he thought, despair gnawing at his soul.
Hayden's words, though unjust, echoed Laurenn's insecurities. Since his mother's death, the king had become cold and distant, taking out his pain and frustration on Laurenn. Despite his efforts, Laurenn ended up believing the king's cruel words, carrying the weight of rejection like an unbearable burden. With each criticism, his self-confidence drained away, pushing him further from the skilled and confident warrior he once was.
…
During afternoon tea, Leticia's ladies-in-waiting, animated, surrounded the princess.
"Your Highness, have you seen Knight Aleph?" one of them sighed dreamily. "He's a dream!"
"Our eyesight has improved considerably!" another joked. "Now we have two handsome knights to admire. And they're even friends!"
"For me, Sir Hector is still the most charming," declared a third, casting a lovestruck glance as she remembered the knight.
"But he's your boyfriend!" the others teased, drawing laughter from the lady-in-waiting.
"And you, Princess?" they insisted. "What do you think of Knight Aleph? Isn't he quite the catch?"
"Indeed, he is… handsome," Leticia admitted, raising her teacup to her lips to hide the blush rising in her cheeks.
"Oh! I can't even look at other men, I'm already committed, even though I don't even know what my suitor's face looks like. But they wouldn't understand…" she thought, taking another sip of tea.
"What do you find most attractive about him, Your Highness?" one of the ladies persisted. "I adore his silver hair and those blue-gray eyes!"
"They want to continue this conversation," Leticia sighed. "Perhaps… his physique? It's important for a knight."
"Not in that sense!" the lady exclaimed impatiently. "I mean… what makes him attractive as a man?"
Leticia didn't know how to answer. Before she could extricate herself from the insistent questions, Aleph appeared in the hall. The ladies-in-waiting greeted him with enthusiastic waves. He returned their kindness with a brief nod and approached the tea table, positioning himself beside Leticia.
"What were you talking about so animatedly?" he asked curiously.
"Sweets!" Leticia replied hastily, looking away so he wouldn't notice her embarrassment. "We were talking about sweets."
Aleph leaned closer to Leticia.
"Princess, I'd like to review your schedule," he said in a professional tone.
They walked together to the garden, sitting on a bench near a rose bed. Aleph, with a clipboard in hand, began to note down Leticia's engagements.
"Looking at him closely, his eyes are really beautiful…" Leticia thought, observing him discreetly. "But what strikes me most is his dedication, the way he pushes his hair back sometimes, or how he touches the pen to his lips when he's thinking…"
"Princess…"
"And how he looks at me attentively when I speak…"
"Princess Leticia? Are you alright?" Aleph asked, interrupting her reverie. "You seem a little… flushed."
He gently touched Leticia's forehead, checking her temperature. The sudden contact made her tremble.
"I-I'm fine," Leticia stammered, abruptly standing up. "I need to… take care of something."
She hurried back to her chambers, her heart racing.
"What was that?" she scolded herself as she closed the bedroom door. "Why was I looking at him like that? I hope he didn't notice. It was all because of what they said! Why is my heart pounding? I can't think about this."
But the image of Aleph, with his silver hair and intense gaze, persisted in her mind.