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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: The Spoils of Victory
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“The first contestant has just crossed the finish line! The winner is Lady Lilis Rubinstein!”
The judge's voice boomed, announcing my victory. A murmur rippled through the awards ceremony at the unexpected winner's appearance.
Pulling the reins to stop Zephyr, I felt a little dazed.
Chessier arrived right after me.
*‘Wow, don't tell me... did he deliberately wait before the finish line so I could take first place?’*
That's insane. It would be much harder to control a horse with a natural instinct to gallop like that.
Unless he had a connection with his horse that made them seem like one body...
I was astounded. He really was the protagonist.
“Congratulations on your victory. I'll now release the anti-fall magic.”
An official approached to help me dismount.
And then, he looked surprised.
“Huh?”
The magic had already been dispelled, and upon closer inspection, my condition was...
...a complete mess.
My cheek stung, and my whole body ached as if it were covered in bruises.
I pulled my foot out of the stirrup and let it dangle limply. The people watching the whole scene began to murmur.
“What's going on? Why is she so injured?”
“I-It looks like she fell.”
“Are you crazy? Was the anti-fall magic not cast properly?”
“That's impossible! We checked it thoroughly before the start!”
The competition officials rushed out, all of them trembling with pale faces.
They were all terrified.
And for good reason. I wasn't just any ordinary contestant...
I was the youngest participant, and it was my first time riding.
Moreover.
“Lilis!”
I was the daughter of the Duke Rubinstein.
The officials parted like the Red Sea, and Dad strode toward me with wide, shocked eyes.
Grandfather was right behind him.
“What is all this...?”
“Dad...”
I reached out my arms. Dad lifted me into his embrace, his mouth agape as he checked me over.
“Why... why are you hurt like this? Did you fall? And why is the magic dispelled?”
Before I could answer, Dad spun around with a furious expression. Grandfather already looked livid.
Faced with their intensity, the officials all shrank back, ducking their heads.
“It's not that, Dad. The magic was cast just fine. It was dispelled midway through.”
“Then why...!”
Just then, Damon crossed the finish line.
Noticing the chaotic atmosphere, his face turned deathly pale.
*‘Now you're worried? Tsk, tsk.’*
I sighed and climbed down from Dad's arms.
The awards ceremony fell silent, as if doused with cold water.
All eyes were on me.
Even amidst the chaos, I could see reporters with pens poised, their eyes gleaming.
“I was riding alongside Young Master Martini on Course C when he suddenly dispelled the magic on my saddle.”
“Gasp! How could he...?”
“Good heavens!”
“Th-Then that's cheating, isn't it?”
“You think he didn't know it was cheating? He probably did it on impulse because he thought he was going to lose!”
I could hear the reporters whispering among themselves.
Damon, now off his horse, stood frozen, trembling pitifully.
“Without the magic, I'm still not very skilled at riding... so I fell once. That's when I got hurt.”
Dad glared at Damon, his face a mask of fury.
Realizing their son had caused trouble, Count and Countess Martini rushed over, flustered and unsure what to do.
“This is shameful. I cannot let this pass.”
Grandfather turned toward the Count, his wife, and Damon.
“Wait!”
I hurried over and grabbed Grandfather's arm.
Then, once again ensuring the reporters could write a good story, I raised my voice and said.
“I'm alright, Grandfather.”
“What?”
“It hurts a little, but I'm not seriously injured. And I can understand how Young Master Martini feels. With everyone's eyes on him, he must have desperately wanted to win.”
“Oh, my goodness.”
“What? She's forgiving him?”
The reporters' pens moved swiftly.
“Grandfather, Young Master Martini must have done it without thinking. Please don't punish him. I'm begging you.”
Grandfather looked down at me quietly.
“Wow, that's a Rubinstein for you.”
“That is the virtue of a noble...”
“Still, how can she forgive that?”
“Impressive. And she's so young.”
Listening to the reporters' murmurs, I suppressed a smile.
Since Chessier's consideration had gifted me the victory anyway, I was going to get everything I possibly could out of this moment.
The winner's trophy.
The family's reputation.
And even the image of a generous and magnanimous noble...!
*‘Even I think I'm being a bit cunning.’*
But that's life.
There was nothing really wrong with my leg, but I limped over to Damon.
With every pathetic step I took, sympathetic sighs rippled through the crowd.
“It was a good match, Young Master Martini.”
I offered a handshake. Provoked by my act, Damon's face contorted as he trembled.
“Look, he won't even shake her hand.”
“I mean, after the lady went that far, why is he acting like that?”
“Well, he must be furious about losing the trophy.”
Glancing around at the murmuring crowd, Damon finally forced himself to accept the handshake.
“Next time we meet, let's have a fair and square competition.”
“...Yes, L-Lady. I... I'm s-sorry.”
With everyone watching, he knew he had to apologize, but it was clearly against his will. Damon gritted his teeth as he spoke.
I smiled brightly and opened my arms for a hug.
“She's truly remarkable. Not just her skill, but her magnanimity is incredible.”
“That's what you'd expect from an heir to the Rubinstein name!”
As I embraced Damon, who had bent down slightly, gasps of admiration erupted from the crowd.
Ah...! This glorious spotlight!
I smiled and whispered very, very quietly into Damon's ear,
“Pisses you off, doesn't it~? You're totally furious, right~?”
I whispered.
***
May's spring festival came to a spectacular close.
The biggest topic during the festival was, without a doubt, the equestrian competition.
Newspaper articles poured in steadily.
The well-written headlines were quite satisfying.
“Zephyr, smile! This is going to last a lifetime!”
There was more good news.
As I stroked Zephyr, I waved at Chessier and Walter approaching in the distance.
“Chessier, hurry up!”
We posed side by side against the backdrop of the ducal estate's beautiful garden.
A middle-aged man with an easel, brush, and palette set up before him twitched his butterfly-shaped mustache.
“Hold the reins with your right hand, and, hmm... let your left hand hang down lightly.”
“Like this?”
“Yes, that pose is perfect.”
He was the court painter.
Upon hearing of my victory, the Emperor himself had ordered a commemorative portrait and sent the painter here.
It was an exceptional occurrence for a high-ranking court painter to personally visit a noble house to paint a portrait.
“Chessier, should we hold hands?”
“...”
Chessier gazed down at me for a moment before taking my hand.
“Hee hee.”
A warm spring day.
The weather was beautiful, and my heart pounded with overwhelming joy.
I beamed.
***
A boy and a girl in riding attire, affectionately holding hands.
Beside them stood a beautiful white horse and a black one.
The court painter's portrait, which captured the moment as if preserving it in time, was hung in the very center of the ducal estate's living room.
Chessier stared at it for a long time.
“Whoa, that's sick. I'm jealous. I won the hunting competition, so why don't I get one?”
“Lilis was the youngest winner ever. It's a huge deal. How can you compare the two?”
Just then, the approaching twins marveled at the portrait.
When Chessier turned, he saw they were each holding a box.
“...What's that?”
“Oh, this?”
Leon grinned and whispered quietly in Chessier's ear.
“Princess Lala's dress.”
“And this is Princess Lala's tiara.”
Theo added with a smile.
Ah, birthday presents. Chessier realized.
The ducal estate was currently bustling, all because of Lilis's birthday, which was just three days away.
“They said it was finished this morning, so we went to pick it up the moment we opened our eyes.”
Leon boasted, cracking open the box slightly to show him.
A red silk dress was adorned with so many dazzling jewels it was almost blinding.
“The original Princess Lala dress doesn't have any jewels. So we put in a special order at the dressmaker's to cover it in them.”
“We had the tiara custom-made, too. When we looked at the ready-made ones, they were all fake jewels, just imitations. So we ordered a new one from scratch. It's got 200 diamonds and 5 rubies.”
“...I see.”
The tiny, densely packed glittering things were diamonds, and the red gems set in the center were exquisitely cut, high-quality rubies.
“We have to hide it until her birthday. Should we lie and say we didn't get her anything?”
“Lilis will get mad if we do that.”
“Heh heh. Let's hide it for now, hide it.”
Leon and Theo chatted excitedly as they carried the boxes away.
Left behind, Chessier watched their retreating backs for a moment before returning to his room.
*‘Her birthday...’*
He opened the drawer of the nightstand next to his bed and found a small bundle lying inside.
He turned the bundle over and shook it out onto his palm. Four silver coins rolled out.
