Chapter 58
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
The Male and Female Leads Broke Up - Episode 58
I surveyed my surroundings from atop my horse, taking in the full scope of the arena.
The palpable excitement radiating from the crowd filled me with a vibrant energy.
'This feels wonderful.'
"Are you Lady Belita Heitz?"
"I am."
"Please proceed this way."
Following the tournament official, I spotted the starting line ahead.
As I positioned myself there, the weight of anticipation finally began to settle upon me.
The rules of the Equestrian Tournament preliminaries were elegantly simple.
The first to complete twenty laps around this vast arena would claim victory.
Today was the women's preliminary round; tomorrow would belong to the men.
Victory in the preliminaries meant direct advancement to the finals.
Each preliminary heat featured ten competitors vying for supremacy.
Only the victor from that heat could advance to the championship round.
Standing at the starting line, I saw nine other noble ladies positioned on either side of me.
They greeted me first, acknowledging my presence.
After exchanging pleasantries with several of them, a horn blast signaled the final preparations.
"Porta, we can do this. You know it, don't you?"
My words were both encouragement for my horse and a reminder to myself.
The horn sounded a second time.
One final prolonged blast would signal the start.
The surroundings fell silent.
Even the spectators held their breath, their eyes fixed upon us at the starting line.
My heartbeat thundered against my ribs.
It had been far too long since I'd felt such exhilarating tension coursing through me.
My blood raced through my veins with electric intensity.
Buuuuu—!
The horn's final, prolonged cry pierced the air.
"Yaaa!!"
"Go!!"
The hushed arena erupted instantly into a roar of cheers and excitement.
I pressed my heels firmly into Porta's sides, urging her forward with decisive force.
Porta surged ahead at full gallop, her powerful strides devouring the distance before us.
* * *
I dominated the preliminary rounds overwhelmingly, securing first place.
It was exactly as I had anticipated.
I had no doubt that with Belita's skill, she would easily claim the championship title.
Upon returning to the Manor, I bathed away my fatigue.
Mary attended to me throughout, assisting with my bath.
"Miss, you were absolutely magnificent!"
"Really?"
"Yes! I wanted to shout out loud, 'That's my young lady!'"
Mary gazed at me with unmistakable pride as she spoke.
"The moment the match began, you surged forward so swiftly that no one could keep pace with you. With your skill, Miss, victory is absolutely certain—certain!"
I shared her sentiment entirely.
"Our Miss truly is capable of anything."
Mary's eyes sparkled with admiration as she thrust her thumb upward before me.
Her endearing gesture drew a soft smile from me.
"By the way, tomorrow is the men's preliminary rounds, and your finals are in three days, yes?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then you must recover properly. Allow me to give you a massage."
"No, it's fine."
"It's not fine. Our Miss must win the championship. Come now."
"Goodness, you're persistent. Very well. Thank you."
Mary massaged me with such dedication, as though she would not tolerate even the slightest muscle soreness.
Thanks to her care, aside from minor fatigue from training, my body felt remarkably light for days afterward.
And thanks to Mary's devoted attention, I displayed the same overwhelming dominance in the finals as I had in the preliminaries, claiming the championship with an insurmountable lead.
* * *
Today, the day after I won the women's finals, was the championship round of the Equestrian Tournament for men.
Through Mary, I heard that Aiden Byon had advanced to the finals.
So I had to watch the finals as promised with him.
After finishing my preparations, I departed for the Arena by carriage.
Though I'd visited this place several times before, this was my first time sitting in the spectator stands.
I took a seat in the front row where I could see the Arena best.
As I sat and looked around, I could see the finalists warming up.
Among them, one person caught my eye in particular.
It was Aiden Byon.
He looked absolutely striking in his riding attire.
The fitted navy equestrian jacket accentuated his broad shoulders and back even more.
Combined with the white breeches clinging to his legs and black boots, they revealed his long, muscular lower body without reservation.
'There's nothing that wouldn't suit him.'
With that face, that height, that physique—there was nothing that wouldn't look good on him.
As I watched his perfect appearance and observed his movements, he suddenly lifted his head and scanned the spectator stands.
He looked as though he were searching for someone, and moments later, our eyes met precisely.
Then he smiled brightly, as if he'd found something precious.
'Do well.'
I mouthed the words to him silently.
Though I was sitting in the front row, I thought the distance would be too great for him to understand.
But when he nodded as if he'd understood perfectly, a smile spread across my face unbidden.
'But hasn't Adela arrived yet?'
She said she would come, so I thought she would, but I couldn't spot her anywhere in the stands.
The seating for high-ranking nobility was fixed, so she couldn't possibly be sitting elsewhere.
'Could her health have taken a turn for the worse again?'
The thought struck me, and I grew concerned about Adela's condition.
I was thinking I should pay her another visit when something caught my eye.
Suddenly, among those in the Arena, another familiar man besides Aiden Byon came into view.
'So Cain Maxius made it to the finals as well.'
Cain Maxius's appearance wasn't bad either, of course.
Though naturally, the male lead couldn't be ugly.
Cain Maxius was wearing a red jacket, and the color was so intense that I couldn't help but look.
'Ah, I shouldn't have looked.'
But I regretted it immediately.
I shouldn't have given him my attention, yet our eyes met carelessly.
I deliberately turned my head away, dismissing him.
Pwooo—!
A single horn whistle echoed throughout the Arena.
It was the signal to prepare.
The finalists lined up in a single file at the starting line.
Pwooo— pwooo—!
The horn sounded twice.
And finally.
Pwooo—!
The moment the horn's blast filled the Arena, those at the starting line burst forward in unison with their steeds.
I moved my eyes rapidly, searching for Aiden Byon's position.
He was galloping at the very front alongside Cain Maxius.
'Don't lose.'
Even if Aiden Byon had been matched against someone else, I would have cheered for him, but pitted against Cain Maxius, I desperately prayed he wouldn't lose—that he would claim victory.
Whether their skills were evenly matched or not, the two of them continued to trade positions throughout the race, one surging ahead only to fall back again.
The rest were already far behind both of them.
So only these two were engaged in a fierce, intense battle for position.
'Please.'
Neither conceding an inch, they raced on for what felt like an eternity before the competition finally entered its final lap.
This last lap would determine the champion of this year's Equestrian Tournament.
It was a breathtaking, nail-biting race that kept everyone on edge.
Perhaps because of this, the crowd's fervor was even greater than yesterday's competition.
Though yesterday's final round had ended rather anticlimactically, if I'm being honest.
I had surged ahead so aggressively from the start that by the middle, I was already lapping the other competitors.
"Woooah!!"
"Go! Go!"
With half a lap remaining until the finish line, the two riders were neck and neck, neither pulling ahead.
Then it happened.
Just as the finish line came into view, something was wrong with Aiden Byon.
He couldn't maintain his balance, as though something was troubling him.
I could see one of Aiden Byon's hands go to his neck.
'His neck?'
Thud—!
In an instant, Aiden Byon tumbled from his horse.
"What?"
"What's happening?"
The horse he had been riding abandoned him and crossed the finish line.
Right after Cain Maxius.
"Woooah!!"
"How did that suddenly happen?"
"What's wrong with him?"
Loud cheers mixed with confused voices erupted from the crowd.
But I could no longer hear anything.
All I could see was Aiden Byon collapsed on the ground, writhing in agony.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org