Chapter 143

The dining room was full of activity. I sat in the host's seat, as I was the owner of the house, and looked around at the guests. To my right, Dylan was quietly cutting his meat with a stern look on his face. Beside him was Ravis, eating a salad slowly with a soft, thoughtful smile on his face. To my left, eating with gusto, sat Eris. She put a piece of meat in her mouth and opened her eyes wide in enjoyment.

"The cook's skill is extraordinary. It's been a while since I had duck conté this good!" Eris exclaimed.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," I said.

Eris kept chatting about random things during the meal. I reacted to her comments from time to time, as I concentrated on my food. When I took a bite of the seasoned potatoes, the flavour reminded me of a favourite dish from the palace. I wonder if Ridrian ate? I thought as I set my fork down on the table.

Before I had come, the emperor would eat candy instead of a proper meal, because he was too lazy. I knew he couldn't do anything about sleep, but I was hoping he was at least eating properly.

"Iona, what are you thinking about?" Ravis asked.

'Hm? Ah, it's nothing." I blushed as I was brought back to reality.

The rest of the meal ended in silence and an iced red-herb tea was brought out to help with digestion. As we drank, we let out satisfied sighs, content from the delicious meal.

"It was very tasty, Iona," Eris said.

"Thank you for the meal, Viscount Lesprey," Ravis said.

"Thank you, Miss Iona," Dylan said

All three pleasantries were spoken at the same time. They glared at each other, each one wanting to have been the first to show gratitude. I was tired of the three of them constantly bickering since Eris had shown up earlier in the day.

I silently sipped the tea. I liked the fragrance, as it also reminded me of the palace. I was thinking I should aske Ella where the tea originates from when Ravis spoke up.

"I should go to the palace and ask His Majesty what he was thinking when he assigned young lady Deron as a guard."

"Oh my, did I not tell you already?" Eris responded. "I have experience with facing demons, so I will be a better protector. Are you disagreeing with His Majesty's decision?"

"I'm here and capable," Dylan said. "So, you don't have to put yourself in danger. You must be busy with guarding the border. There's no problem if you decide that you want to go back."

"There's no use trying to kick me out," Eris said with a smile. "I'm only going back when I'm sure Iona is safe."

Everyone fell back into silence, with looks of annoyance on their faces. They sipped their tea, staring at each other, until Dylan spoke up again.

"If you're going to stay, then I want to check your skill?"

"Are you going to spar with me?" Eris asked, surprised.

"It's necessary," Dylan said.

Eris stared at expressionless at Dylan. "I accept," she said. Then she laughed.

* * *

Under the hot sun, Dylan and Eris stood on the training grounds. When the Claude family owned the home, the field would be filled with observers. As there was no formal knight order in the Lesprey family, the pitch was basically empty. I sat in a chair, underneath a tree for shade, and watched the ensuing challenge.

Dylan wore a loose tunic with a sword strapped to his side. "I heard that you have faced demons since you were fourteen. With that kind of skill, I feel I don't have to give you a handicap."

"It's an honour to hear such words from you, Sir Fortis." Eris replied, slightly mocking.

Eris had also changed into sparring clothes. They both drew their swords and nodded that they were ready to begin. They lifted their weapons and settled into defense stances. I could tell that they were both taking this competition extremely seriously.

Ravis had been chosen as the referee, and he began the event by calling out "Start!"

Both of them lunged at the same moment. The swords struck repeatedly, with amazing speed. The clash of metal echoed across the field. Dylan attacked with force and precision, while Eris had more of a flourish to her style that was almost like a dance. It was obvious that they both had incredible skill. The two of them seemed like they were performing a choreographed waltz to the music of clanging weapons. As they moved back and forth, it seemed apparent that Dylan still had the edge and would come out victorious. And then, as suddenly as it had begun, Eris's sword snapped in her hands and Dylan stood over her as the winner

Eris went red in the face, angry. She stood and approached me. "Iona, do you have another sword? I can't believe I lost because of a faulty weapon!"

Dylan walked up behind her with a smug look on his face. "Only commoners blame failure on their tools."

"What are you talking about? You never warned me that you were going to switch to a broadsword at the last minute. It's a stronger sword than mine." Eris said.

"Then shall we try again, after you switch to a new sword?"

"Yes. And I won't lose this time!"