novellaaa Chapter 192 The Chapter of Dove: The Knight's Dream
Chapter 192 The Chapter of Dove: The Knight's Dream
Chapter 192 The Chapter of Dove: The Knight's Dream
The young man tended to his longsword in the thatched shed of the stable, the emblem of the Silver Lance Knights polished to a gleaming shine on the hilt.
Footsteps crunched on the dry grass as a figure walked along the perimeter of the shed, approaching the entrance.
"—I've already said it, my mind is made up, don't bother me anymore."
Without looking up, Augustine spoke sullenly to the person at the door.
"It's me, Brother Augustine."
The young man immediately looked up at the source of the familiar voice, and when he saw the girl's face, a moment of disappointment flashed across his face.
The knight sighed softly, forced a bitter smile at Chloe, and said calmly, "It's you. It's been years; you've grown into a beautiful young woman."
The young man's tone displeased the girl; he still treated her like a child. She quickly concealed her expression, took two steps forward, and bowed to Augustine.
"Yes, I'll be sixteen next spring. My mom says I'm at the age where I should be thinking about marriage."
Chloe deliberately emphasized the words "marriage," pinching the ends of her hair and intentionally puffing out her chest, displaying her developing curves through the fabric.
The young man was completely oblivious to the girl's flaunting. When he heard the word "marriage," Augustine wrinkled his nose and lowered his eyes, as if a nerve had been touched.
"Really? Time flies. It feels like just yesterday that we kids were playing horseback riding and fighting."
"—You must be talking about my older sister. I'm much younger than you all, and you've never included me in your games."
"Heh—maybe. Sorry, Chloe, I'm not really in the mood for a chat right now. Is there something important you need me for?"
Chloe took out what she was carrying: a tin wine jug with the emblem of the Silver Lance Knights embossed on it. The young man recognized the emblem at a glance, looking at the girl's face with some surprise, waiting for an explanation.
"My father asked me to bring you something." The girl handed the wine jug to the young man, her eyes lowered as she looked at him. "This is a vintage from the Eaglewood Family Winery—ever since the winery was mortgaged by my grandfather's generation, the family's wine collection has become rare, only brought out to entertain the most distinguished guests."
"But----"
"There are some things my father couldn't say in person, so he sent me. You know, for him, face is more important than anything else."
"What does Sir Albert want to say to me?" Augustine became serious upon hearing that it was the daughter of the old knight of the Eaglewood family who had come. He stopped fiddling with his sword, stood up, and raised his head to Chloe, saying, "I have great respect for your father—in fact, I owe my success today to Sir Albert's teachings. My brother is already a knight commander, and my father preferred me to become a priest rather than a martial artist. If I hadn't heard stories of the kingdom's knights from Albert since I was a child, I wouldn't have chosen the path of a knight."
Augustine paused, then continued, "However, if he wants me to withdraw from the duel, I must refuse. That would be disrespectful to chivalry, and thus disrespectful to Doffin—she challenged me, I accepted, and that is all. This is the tradition of the kingdoms, and Sir Albert knows it better than anyone."
"Are you really going to kill my sister, Brother Augustine?" Chloe suddenly asked, her voice trembling with tears, as she looked up, her eyes brimming with tears.
"this----"
Augustine's righteous indignation was instantly shattered by the girl's tears. He was at a loss for words.
"You clearly said you wanted to marry my sister, but now you want to kill her—do you really hate her that much?"
"Of course not!" Augustine shouted in his defense, almost indignantly—but his loud voice startled Chloe, and her tears flowed even faster. The young man quickly stepped forward, gently placing his hand on the girl's shoulder, and said in a low, excited voice, "Of course I don't hate Dove, I—I love her, otherwise why would I propose to her? No one in the family agrees to this marriage, but I don't care! Do you know how much pressure I endured—your sister humiliated me in front of everyone, saying I wasn't good enough for her, and asking me why I embarrassed her—I'm the one who was embarrassed! Can the Hawkwood family compare to the Monet family? How many women in the Holy Capital are chasing after me—"
At this point, Augustine realized his slip of the tongue and immediately shut his mouth. Unable to contain his excitement, he snatched the flask from the girl's hand, unscrewed the cap, took a few sips, wiped his mouth, then turned and walked to the haystack, slamming his hands down on it and venting his anger on the soft hay.
"So that's how it is—" Chloe said softly, her tears stopping abruptly when she saw the man drink. "—My sister was wrong in this matter, and I apologize to you on her behalf—"
"This is not your fault, why are you apologizing? — Please forgive my bluntness, but she is such a stubborn woman!"
I'm so angry!
"Actually, my sister and I have always admired you, Brother Augustine—although Father raised us to be knights, deep down I knew that for a woman to become a knight of the kingdom was almost a pipe dream. You were his most favored junior, and our whole family is proud of you for joining the Silver Lance Knights."
"What else did Dove say? He didn't deserve such words—"
"That's because she herself wanted to be a knight, the Rose Knight! A holy warrior who remained faithful to the Holy God O'Bak," Chloe said. "By marrying you, her dream of becoming a knight ended before it even began. She admired you, wanting to be like you, not just your wife. Didn't you see that?"
Augustine turned his head abruptly, his eyes wide, a faint blush rising on his face, whether from the alcohol or from excessive excitement.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chloe walked up to the man in two steps, took something out of her waist, and held it in her hands for the young man to see.
It was that shattered rose brooch.
The young man reached out to pick up the jewelry, but the brooch shattered into pieces at his fingertips the instant he grasped it.
Augustine was not a sensitive person, but at this moment, he understood what Chloe wanted to tell him.
He had given the girl the dream of the Rose Knight, and now he was about to shatter that dream with his own hands. The man seemed to understand Dove's intense reaction at the banquet.
"—So, this is her choice?"
"Please don't do anything to hurt my sister—I know, a knight's honor won't allow you to give up the duel, but my sister isn't a knight." Chloe leaned close, almost whispering in the man's ear, "I know you can defeat her anytime, maybe you can let her have a couple of moves—"
"I—I can't do this." The man pressed his temples, frowning, seemingly a little dizzy.
"You're her hero. If you defeat her too easily, my sister won't be able to accept it—no one can predict what she might do. I'm very worried about her—"
Augustine remained silent.
Chloe waited a moment, seeing that the man showed no intention of replying and instead fell into deep thought. She quietly took the wine jug from beside him, placed it back inside her clothes, and then squeezed the young knight's hand.
"You are my hero too—Brother Augustine."
After saying this, Chloe turned and left the stable, glancing back at the knight as she went. Augustine sat down dejectedly, the deep-seated anger he had felt upon first meeting completely gone.
Chloe had seen this expression on the training field.
Young girls preferred observing the men on the field to their fighting skills, their every move, their facial micro-expressions, and their hidden emotions and desires—these were far more interesting than wielding swords and spears.
What's even more interesting is the influence a beautiful girl has on them. Even without interaction, just the fact that Chloe pretends to watch with interest makes the boys train even harder.
When the fighting strength is similar, the one with more worries is less likely to win. When facing a loved one, the chances of being soft-hearted are even higher.
The gap between Dove and Augustine may not be bridged by a few whispered words—so some help is still needed.
Chloe quietly slipped out of the stable, passed a water trough, and seeing that no one was around, poured the liquid from the wine jug into it, then rinsed it with clean water and put it back in her bosom.
As she watched the purple liquid flow into the ground, the girl's thoughts slowly sank.
She and the herbalist seemed to have confirmed that the diluted nightshade juice was not enough to kill an adult, but it could slow him down.
Slow enough for Dove to win.
It was a foolish trick, but most conspiracies in this world are like that: born of a moment of impulse, crudely made to an appalling degree—you can't ask for more from a fifteen-year-old girl.
Sister, you will win, you must win, only then will Augustine give up completely.
All you need to do is make him bleed—even if you're not strong enough, at least you can do that.
Chloe looked at her reflection in the sink, a smile that seemed to be grinning at her, and a chill crept into the girl's heart.
She turned her head away uneasily, not daring to look directly at her reflection—a strange sense of guilt swirled in her chest.
Am I going to ruin my sister's happiness?
No—she wants to be a knight—then let her be.
Yes, I'm helping her!
I've won your duel, then go be your knight. Leave my happiness to me.
The fifteen-year-old girl buried her guilt in her heart and quickly left the place that made her uneasy.
Chloe's reference image: black curly hair and gray-blue eyes, she looks more like a young lady than her sister.