In This Life, I Will Be Your Dog - Chapter 50

The man didn’t even try to avoid it. His body froze in place.

His bright blue eyes, completely paralyzed with fear, stared intently at the tip of the sword that had stopped right before them. He trembled, realizing that if it had come just a little closer, he wouldn’t have escaped without losing his sight.

Rondo, too frozen to even wipe the cold sweat dripping down his face, finally understood one thing: she had been gauging his skills and drawing out the fight all this time. It was a clear defeat.

“You’re skilled, but your mind is filled with too many unnecessary thoughts. Either that, or you severely underestimated me.”

Her words, laden with criticism, hit him hard, and he bit his lip. Bowing his head, Rondo finally admitted his loss.

“I’ve lost.”

Only then did Bellona sheathe her sword, offering him a genuine compliment to preserve his pride.

“I learned a lot as well. I’m glad we’re on the same side.”

Rondo lifted his head slowly, his expression conflicted. Turning to face Akon, he bowed his head in apology, unable to meet his commander’s eyes.

When Bellona looked over, Akon’s cold gaze was fixed on her.

Though she had enjoyed the duel more than expected, she wasn’t ready to let things end there.

She noticed Akon’s fingers twitch slightly—he seemed on the verge of stepping forward. Bellona met his gaze with an impassive expression, silently urging him to come at her.

Just as his feet began to move, a lighthearted voice cut through the air.

“It seems my fiancée is always surrounded by men.”

All eyes turned toward Caelus, who had nonchalantly made his way over. The knights immediately jumped to their feet and bowed their heads.

The man, who had spoken such audacious words without a hint of shame, approached the knights with a bemused expression as he looked toward Bellona, standing in the middle of the training ground.

“Your Highness, if you needed something, I would have—” Akon began, but his face twisted into a frown, realizing his mistake.

Having spent so much time in the palace, he had automatically assumed the chamberlain was always by Caelus’s side. Akon, too, had been in favor of bringing in servants. However, knowing that Caelus rarely retracted his decisions, he said nothing more.

Still, moments like these reminded him of just how understaffed they were to properly serve the prince.

“I didn’t summon you, so why are you standing there, Sir Bellona?” Caelus asked with a mischievous smile, tilting his head.

Bellona was relieved to see that none of the knights seemed to have reacted to the word “fiancée,” meaning she was the only one who had heard it.

“I was sparring.”

“With whom?” he asked, his gaze finally leaving her as he scanned the group of knights. Noticing that none of the knights seemed injured or bruised, he tilted his head in confusion.

Akon quickly answered, “Sir Uta and Sir Rondo both sparred with Sir Bellona.”

Caelus’s golden eyes narrowed as he looked at Rondo. But Rondo’s face was unscathed, and there was no sign of Uta.

“Where is Uta?”

A heavy silence fell over the group as no one dared to answer. Then, unexpectedly, a voice broke through the quiet.

“Sir Uta was knocked out with a single blow by Sir Bellona and taken to his quarters.”

It was Net who had bluntly revealed the secret the Valensis knights had been trying to keep.

Caelus’s golden eyes bore into the red-haired knight, the one Bellona had brought with her from the Imperial knights.

Caelus vaguely remembered seeing him on the battlefield before. Though his skills hadn’t been particularly impressive, his tenacity in killing enemies had left an impression. Now, it seemed he was only an apprentice knight.

Caelus had no idea why Bellona had chosen to bring him along, but one thing was clear.

‘I don’t like his attitude.’

“The one who defeated Sir Uta was Sir Bellona, but you seem rather pleased with yourself.”

“Yes, I’m filled with admiration for Sir Bellona. She’s so incredible that it’s overwhelming,” Net responded without a hint of hesitation.

Akon’s eyes narrowed at Net’s impudence, but Caelus’s face turned cold for a different reason. He masked his expression with a smile as he pressed further.

“Are you sure that overwhelming feeling is merely admiration?”

“For now, yes.”

“For now?”

Caelus’s voice grew colder as the tension thickened. Bellona, watching the exchange, hurriedly descended the steps, her face hardening at Net’s brazen behavior.

She had never seen this side of Net in her previous life, and it left her deeply unsettled.

“Your Highness,” Bellona called, but Caelus didn’t take his eyes off Net.

“So you’re implying that won’t always be the case.”

“That much—”

Bellona quickly intervened. “Net, shut your mouth.”

Only then did Net bow his head and fall silent.

Caelus, clicking his tongue in frustration, ran his fingers through his hair, attempting to quell his rising anger. There was no point in showing emotion over the words of a mere apprentice knight.

“I apologize, Your Highness. I will punish Net for his disrespect today.”

“Forget it. It seems your swordsmanship is more impressive than I thought.”

Bellona, sensing his displeasure, furrowed her brow and bowed her head.

She had come to Akon to ask for money, but things had gone awry. In her attempt to bridge the gap between the knights, it seemed she had only made things worse for the Imperial knights.

As she deliberated on how to resolve the situation, Caelus muttered something strange.

“It seems you were serious about the duel. You even tied your hair up. I brought you here to assist me, but it looks like you’re planning on taking down all my knights instead.”

Though his words sounded like a scolding, his lips curled ever so slightly in a smile. Far from being angry at her, Caelus actually seemed proud that the woman who had so thoroughly defeated the elite Valensis knights was his.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere shifted again as the knights exchanged bewildered glances. Bellona, however, remained calm.

Ever since Caelus had referred to her as his fiancée, she had expected this.

It was clear that he intended to reveal their relationship to the knights today. She had known this moment would come eventually, so she wasn’t embarrassed. Her only concern was how the knights would react to having a common knight as their future Grand Duchess.

‘I should have dueled Akon,’ she thought with regret, her face betraying none of her inner turmoil as she looked back at Caelus.

“We were merely sparring,” she said, her voice obedient, in contrast to her usual demeanor.

Caelus chuckled at her uncharacteristically docile response. “Then, is the duel over?”

It seemed that the tension Net had created had finally eased. Though she wanted to say she still wished to spar with Akon, she decided it was better to let it go for now. After all, there would be plenty of time.

But then, a cold voice answered in her stead.

“If Your Highness permits, I would like to spar with Sir Bellona.”

It was Akon.

Bellona’s eyes flickered with a sudden spark of life as she looked up at him.

“Do you really need to do this?” Caelus asked, sounding as if he were trying to dissuade him, but Akon bowed his head in determination.

“Please allow it, Your Highness.”

Caelus, who had spent many years with Akon, could tell that his knight was angry.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Caelus wondered whether it was wise for Akon to fight in such an emotional state. It was already a fight he was destined to lose, but engaging in it with clouded judgment would only ensure his defeat.

Though he was tempted to stop Akon, knowing the blow it would deal to the morale of the Valensis knights if their commander lost to a mere knight, Caelus looked at Bellona. Her eyes were already burning with competitive fire as she stared at Akon.

Caelus couldn’t help but laugh, though it left a bitter taste in his mouth. It seemed that in her heart, Bellona still regarded the Valensis as her enemies. And he was the leader of those enemies.

“Will you accept Akon’s challenge?”

“Yes.”

Her answer came quickly, as if she had been waiting for it. Realizing he couldn’t stop them now, Caelus hatched a small plan.

“Very well, I permit it. But first—”

Akon, who had been about to draw his sword, paused.

“Rondo, gather the knights. Make sure not a single one is missing.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Everyone exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what Caelus was planning. As the silence stretched on, Bellona suddenly made a proposal.

“It wouldn’t be any fun if we just fought. Let’s make a wager.”

Akon’s eyes narrowed at her bold suggestion. He found her confidence grating.

He had already acknowledged that the rumors about her skill weren’t unfounded, having seen her previous duels. For a common knight, she was indeed impressive. However, that was where his praise ended.

During the duel, she had barely managed to defend herself, and when she finally counterattacked, there had been plenty of openings in her technique. He hadn’t expected Rondo to lose so easily. Though her final attacks had been fierce, they were certainly avoidable.

Annoyed by her arrogance, Akon smirked. “Fine. What do you want to wager?”

“If I win, I want the knights who came with me to be accepted into the Valensis knights. And I don’t mean just in name—I want them to be accepted fully, with heart and soul. They are no longer Imperial knights. They came here to serve His Highness with their lives.”

Caelus’s gaze shifted toward the Imperial knights standing in the corner.