Thus, the fight in the banquet hall came to an end.
A gust of wind blew in through the open window. With the wind cooling the heat in the ceremony hall, everyone present regained their senses, as if awakening from a dream. All eyes were drawn to the back of a young man standing tall, alone in the hall.
The battle must have lasted only about a minute, maybe even less, just a fleeting moment. Yet, to all the guests gathered, time seemed to stretch into eternity. Moments ago, the vicious exchange of killing intent between the combatants left a deep impression on everyone present.
For the aristocrats, who had lived their lives gracefully and elegantly, witnessing a savage battlefield where life and death clashed was beyond anything they had ever imagined.
The fight was over.
The loser lay unconscious, while the victor stood alone, his back turned to everyone.
The crowd sat, holding their breath, unable to move. The tension in the air was palpable, no one daring to disturb it.
Outwardly, his appearance from behind was far from heroic. His back was drenched in sweat, and his uniform, shredded by his opponent’s sword, was in tatters. His crushed fingertips bled profusely, his hands covered in countless sword wounds. He didn’t look like a winner. In fact, he resembled more of a defeated man than a victor.
Yet, no one in the room thought him unimpressive. On the contrary, looking at his back, everyone in the ceremony hall felt their hearts racing. His appearance didn’t matter. To their eyes, that young man was closer to a victor than anyone else in the world.
Because they had seen it. They understood now.
He had faced an overwhelmingly stronger opponent to protect his fiancée, who could not move for the moment. With no weapon in hand, he fought bravely, relying on sheer fighting spirit, even as his body bore the marks of numerous wounds—each one a medal of honor.
His courage and determination moved everyone present. They knew he had faced death not for himself, but for his fiancée, and in doing so, he had overcome it.
“…Young Lord Cain.”
His name escaped someone’s lips like a whispered incantation.
All the nobles present knew of him. How could they not?
He was Cain von Estel, one of the four great dukes of the Empire, the heir to the Estel family. A young man without any notable traits, often dismissed as unremarkable.
To be honest, many had underestimated him. Unlike the heirs of the other great dukes, Cain didn’t stand out. They viewed him as a testament to the decline of the Estel duchy, a symbol of its diminishing glory.
His engagement to Bianca del Castana had even been ridiculed, with many believing it was a union far beyond Cain von Estel’s worth. Some secretly laughed, thinking that if he weren’t the direct heir of the duchy, there would never have been a connection with the sole heir of the Castana marquisate.
But they had been wrong. He didn’t need grandiose words to prove himself. His actions in that fight spoke volumes about the kind of person he truly was.
“…ah.”
And so, the fight ended. The explosive clash that had shaken the ceremony hall, the fierce swordplay—it was all over. What remained was a young man standing with a terrible, yet unyielding, back.
The nobles who had witnessed the battle began bowing their heads in respect, as if in silent agreement. In their eyes, Cain had earned their admiration.
Silence filled the hall.
Unaware of the reverence being shown to him, Cain quietly stroked Aria’s head, cradling her in his arms.
****
[Cain’s POV]
“Young Lord Cain, are you really going back home now? Yes? You won’t return to this strange place, right?”
I smiled wryly at Aria, who looked up at me with wide eyes, clearly displeased with the Marquis of Castana, and gently patted her back.
“…Yes, it’s truly over now. I’m going back home, Aria.”
I said this to Aria, recalling all the sweet yet troubling memories I had experienced while staying with the Castana marquis family. What I said was the truth.
With the capture of the culprits hiding behind the Castana family, the contract between Bianca and me had automatically ended. It was no longer necessary to continue the farce of pretending to be Bianca’s fiancé.
The engagement ceremony between Bianca and me had been disrupted by the attack.
It was no surprise.
An attack during an engagement hosted by the Marquis of Castana was bound to stir things up. Although there were some who thought it was deliberate, in the end, the attack had brought disgrace to the Castana marquisate.
When I questioned the Marquis of Castana, his response was simple:
[The Castana marquisate is not so weak as to be shaken by such events. Rather, if this is how we catch our enemies, then we’ve made a good deal.]
From my perspective, it wasn’t exactly a victory, but since the family head saw it that way, there was no need for me to argue. After securing a promise from the Marquis to share the information we had uncovered, I resigned quietly.
It was over.
Given my age, I couldn’t bear the strain of such incidents happening repeatedly. It was time to return to the Duchy of Estel and finally enjoy a peaceful life.
Suddenly, the door swung open without warning.
I turned my head, wondering which impudent fool had barged in without knocking, only to see Bianca standing there, panting heavily.
“…Cain, what are you doing? Why are you packing?”
Bianca’s voice trembled as she asked, barely containing her rising emotions.
I blinked, confused by her question. I couldn’t understand what she was upset about.
“What do you mean? I’m packing to go home, of course. As we discussed, I caught all the suspicious people. Our contract has ended, so there’s no reason for me to stay here any longer, right?”
Goblin: Want to read more? Become a IPUAW Level 1 patron at Patreon, and you will get Two Advance Chapters (4 chapter parts) immediately for only $5 a month and you will stay 4 chapter parts ahead of the regular release for the month.
You can also become a Supreme Patron for $30 a month to access all the advanced chapters of all the novels on Goblinslate! You can support me by sponsoring chapters at BuymeaCoffee. Please turn off your a*dbl0cker to support the translations. A little support can help me a lot!