The news of Leticia's rescue by an unknown knight spread through the castle like wildfire. The curiosity was universal. Who was this mysterious warrior? Were his skills as impressive as the rumors suggested? The knights of the royal guard, proud and competitive, longed 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, observing the training.
"I'd rather not be humiliated, Your Highness," Hector replied with a bitter smile.
The knights, desperate to reclaim their honor, insisted that Laurenn challenge Aleph. The prince knew he was no match for Aleph, but the pressure from his peers 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 took their positions, swords in hand. The fight began. From the very first movements, Laurenn realized that Aleph's techniques had evolved significantly since they last trained together.
"What are these techniques?" 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. In the end, they declared a draw, to the relief of the 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 her ladies-in-waiting about the identity of the mysterious knight. Intrigued by his skill and his physique, Rachel found herself inexplicably attracted to Aleph.
After the duel, Laurenn was summoned to King Hayden's office. The monarch's expression was one of restrained fury.
"How dare you lose to a mere knight?!" Hayden exploded. "A draw is the same as a defeat! You let him humiliate you in front of 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 have to do for him to acknowledge my effort?" he thought, despair corroding 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, who, despite his efforts, ended up believing the king's cruel words, carrying the weight of rejection like an unbearable burden. With each criticism, his self-confidence withered away, pushing him further and further from the skilled and confident warrior he once was.
...
During afternoon tea, Leticia's ladies-in-waiting excitedly surrounded the princess.
"Your Highness, have you seen the knight Aleph?" one of them sighed dreamily. "He's a dream!"
"Our view has improved considerably!" joked another. "Now we have two handsome knights to admire. And they're friends, too!"
"For me, Sir Hector is still the most charming," a third declared, casting a lovesick 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 a total dreamboat?"
"Indeed, he is... handsome," Leticia admitted, bringing the teacup to her lips to hide the blush rising to her cheeks.
"Ah! I can't even be looking at other men, I'm already a committed person, even though I don't even know what my betrothed'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 insisted. "I adore his silver hair and those grayish-blue 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 the kindness with a brief nod and approached the tea table, positioning himself beside Leticia.
"What were you all talking about so animatedly?" he asked, curious.
"Sweets!" Leticia replied hastily, looking away so he wouldn't notice her embarrassment. "We were talking about sweets."
Aleph leaned in, moving 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 bush. Aleph, with a clipboard in hand, began to note Leticia's appointments.
"Looking at him more closely, his eyes really are beautiful..." Leticia thought, observing him discreetly. "But what catches my attention the most is his dedication, the way he sometimes pushes his hair back, or how he touches the pen to his lips when he's thinking..."
"Princess..."
"And how he looks at me so intently when I speak..."
"Princess Leticia? Is everything alright?" Aleph asked, interrupting her daydreams. "You seem a little... flushed."
He gently touched Leticia's forehead, checking her temperature. The sudden contact made her flinch.
"I-I'm fine," Leticia stammered, standing up abruptly. "I need to... take care of something."
She hurried back to her chambers, her heart pounding out of sync.
"What was that?" she chided 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 racing? I can't think about this."
But the image of Aleph, with his silver hair and intense gaze, persisted in her mind.