Episode 78
“Oh, Angelina!”
Catherine rushed to the bedside, her heart pounding with disbelief.
Angelina’s skin, once marred by foul-smelling sores, was now pristine and clear.
Tears of joy welled up in Catherine’s eyes as she gazed at Angelina’s lustrous golden hair.
“Angelina! Are you… are you awake?”
Slowly, Angelina opened her eyes and sat up, meeting Catherine’s gaze.
“Mother. What happened?”
Catherine embraced her daughter, sobbing with relief.
“My daughter! My dear Angelina!”
The Duke, having heard the news, hurried into the room. He too was overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of the healed Angelina.
Watching the family reunion, Zeke quietly slipped out of the room.
‘Looks like I’ve secured the Graham family.’
The next morning, Catherine sought out Zeke in his quarters.
“Sir Zeke, how can we ever repay you for this kindness…?”
Her demeanor towards Zeke had completely transformed after he lifted Angelina’s curse.
Zeke gave her a sly smile.
“Perhaps you could assist with the upcoming martial arts tournament.”
Catherine laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Oh, Sir Zeke, is that all? The Graham family will do everything in our power to support you.”
Pharrell, witnessing the usually formidable Catherine’s gratitude, could hardly believe his eyes.
After Catherine left, Pharrell approached Zeke.
“Did you really lift Lady Angelina’s curse?”
Zeke made the sign of the cross, a faint smile on his lips.
“It was all the will of the Sun God.”
In the central and eastern regions of the continent, the influence of the Holy Empire ran deep. Most nobles, including Pharrell, were devout followers of the Sun Church.
‘To possess such skill and faith that he can dispel curses… truly a knight among knights.’
Pharrell’s admiration for Zeke grew even stronger.
Later, Zeke and his companions were invited to lunch by Catherine.
When Pharrell and Felix arrived at the dining hall, they were struck speechless by the sight of a stunning beauty.
Her golden hair cascaded like a sunset, her skin was smooth as porcelain, and her eyes sparkled like amethyst stars.
It was as if a goddess from myth had descended to the mortal realm.
“Oh, my God…”
Pharrell found himself involuntarily seeking divine intervention in the face of such beauty.
Felix, equally stunned, was overwhelmed with poetic inspiration.
‘No, no words can do her justice!’
While Felix despaired over his inability to capture her beauty in verse, Zeke merely nodded politely in greeting.
The woman approached Zeke.
“Sir Zeke Draker, I am Angelina Graham. Thank you for saving me.”
The breathtaking beauty was none other than Angelina herself, restored to her original form after Zeke’s intervention.
Zeke replied calmly, “I’m glad to see you’re well.”
Pharrell and Felix exchanged incredulous glances.
‘To remain so composed before a woman who looks like a reincarnated goddess… Sir Zeke truly is a knight among knights.’
Felix had a slightly different thought.
‘Master, could he possibly be… uninterested in women?’
At that moment, the Duke, Catherine, and other members of the Graham family gathered around Zeke, expressing their gratitude with kisses on his hand.
Zeke and his companions were treated as the most honored guests of the Graham family.
After the meal, Angelina invited Zeke for a walk in the garden.
He accepted without much thought, strolling alongside her.
Though her presence seemed to brighten the surroundings, Zeke remained focused on ensuring there were no lingering effects of the curse.
As they walked, Angelina asked, “Sir Zeke, how old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
Angelina was pleased to learn they were close in age.
‘Two years isn’t much of a gap.’
To her, Zeke was like a prince on a white horse—a knight who had saved her with divine power. Handsome, skilled, and from a prestigious family.
With a shy smile, Angelina tried to calm her racing heart as they continued their walk.
Zeke suddenly asked, “Do you have any idea who might have cursed you?”
Angelina was taken aback by the unexpected question.
“Pardon?”
Zeke’s expression turned serious.
“Someone who would have a reason to curse you.”
Angelina was startled by his cold gaze, misinterpreting his concern.
‘Could it be… Sir Zeke is angry on my behalf?’
Having been sheltered due to her illness, Angelina’s understanding of relationships was limited to fairy tales of knights and princesses.
She completely misunderstood Zeke’s intentions, thinking he was determined to avenge her.
“Sir Zeke, it’s alright. It’s all in the past. Your concern is more than enough for me.”
Zeke was surprised.
“Really? You don’t want revenge?”
Angelina smiled serenely.
“Revenge only begets more revenge.”
Though she thought her smile was compassionate and beautiful, it only made Zeke less impressed.
‘Seriously, after nearly dying from a curse, she says that?’
To others, Angelina might seem the most beautiful woman in the world, but to Zeke, she was just a victim of a curse.
He looked at her naive expression and sighed inwardly.
‘How does she expect to survive in this harsh world? Ah, but I suppose having money makes it easier.’
Unaware of Zeke’s thoughts, Angelina continued to dream of a rosy future with him.
“Javelin throwing?”
Pharrell was surprised by the unexpected choice of event for the tournament preliminaries.
Zeke, sitting beside him, asked, “Sir Pharrell, is it unusual for javelin throwing to be a preliminary event?”
Pharrell shook his head.
“No, it’s just surprisingly simple and straightforward.”
While most knights wielded swords, they also trained with spears, and javelin throwing was a popular sport among the central nobility.
However, it was a neutral event that didn’t favor anyone, making it rare in the Draker martial arts tournament.
Catherine nodded in agreement.
“As Sir Pharrell guessed, it’s not just simple javelin throwing.”
Pharrell was intrigued.
“Not simple javelin throwing? Is it a mounted event?”
Catherine shook her head.
“It’s javelin throwing, but the distance is extraordinary. You have to throw it incredibly far.”
“Incredibly far?”
Catherine nodded.
“Yes, I’ve heard the target will be placed beyond a mountain.”
“Beyond a mountain?”
“Beyond a mountain?”
Pharrell and Felix exclaimed in unison at the absurdity of the event.
Zeke nodded thoughtfully at Catherine’s explanation.
“It would require immense strength and precision to even reach the target.”
Pharrell’s expression darkened.
He turned to Zeke.
“Sir Zeke, based on the preliminary event, I think I know which family has secured the committee’s favor.”
“Which family, Sir Pharrell?”
Pharrell replied gravely.
“Most likely the Siemens family.”
Zeke nodded.
“Siemens, huh. That makes sense, given their expertise in aura control.”
“Exactly. Moreover, Edward Siemens, the second son of the Siemens family, is competing in the tournament. He’s a spearman by trade.”
“Edward Siemens…”
Zeke remembered him well.
In his past life, Edward had been one of the knights who, alongside the infamous Abel Draker, led the imperial forces in a bloody campaign across the continent.
Unlike his brother William, Edward was known for his cruelty and eagerness to take the lead.
‘So that scoundrel is entering the tournament.’
Something clicked in Zeke’s mind.
‘Edward Siemens and javelin throwing…’
He turned to Catherine.
“Catherine, could you tell me who provided this information?”
“It came from the Bronx family. One of their elders is on the tournament’s organizing committee.”
‘Directly from a committee member, and the Bronx family, no less.’
Zeke was familiar with the Bronx family and their close ties to the Siemens.
He rose from his seat.
Pharrell asked, “What’s the matter, Sir Zeke?”
“Now that we know the preliminary events, shouldn’t we start practicing?” Zeke suggested.
Catherine promptly instructed her attendants to set up a javelin target on the nearby mountain.
As soon as the setup was complete, Zeke, Farrell, and Felix readied their javelins and took their positions in the clearing, aiming for the target beyond the mountain.
Whoosh!
Felix’s javelin fell short, not even reaching the mountain. Farrell’s throw made it to the mountain but landed far from the target.
Finally, it was Zeke’s turn.
Whoosh!
His javelin soared high into the sky, landing just shy of the target.
Farrell, his face flushed with excitement, turned to Zeke. “Sir Zeke! At this rate, we’ll be ready for the preliminaries in no time.”
But Zeke, examining his javelin with a serious expression, seemed deep in thought. After a moment, he asked Farrell, “Sir Farrell, do you think other contestants who learned about the event earlier have already started practicing?”
Farrell nodded. “Of course. They’ve likely been focusing on javelin throwing and are nearly done with their training.”
“Are there any restrictions on the weapons?” Zeke inquired.
“We use the weapons registered before the preliminaries,” Farrell replied.
“And no switching them out midway?”
“That’s usually the case. But why do you ask?”
Zeke looked at his javelin thoughtfully. “What if we could modify this javelin to be longer, more aerodynamic, and precise? What would you do then, Sir Farrell?”
Farrell looked as if he’d been struck by a revelation. “Good heavens. I hadn’t considered that. Crafting a javelin specifically for distance… that’s something the Siemens family might think of.”
In throwing events, the weapon’s design could significantly impact the outcome. Having a javelin tailored for distance could give them a competitive edge.
Most knights focused on their throwing technique, rarely considering weapon modifications to enhance performance.
Zeke inspected the javelin from various angles, then nodded to himself. He approached Catherine, who was fanning herself in the shade.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“Hoho, anything for Sir Zeke,” Catherine replied with a smile.
Zeke explained how he wanted the javelin modified. Catherine listened, her head tilted in curiosity.
“Are you sure about this design? I may not know weapons as well as you, but this seems…”
“Please, I insist,” Zeke said firmly.
Reluctantly, Catherine agreed. “If it’s your request, Sir Zeke…”
“Thank you.”
Zeke turned back to the target beyond the mountain, a sense of readiness settling over him.
“With this, we’re all set for the preliminaries,” he thought, a cold smile playing on his lips as he considered the Siemens family.
“No matter how much you scheme, you’re still in the palm of my hand.”