TBKBS 08

Chapter : 8

I was dumbfounded by the sudden appearance of Crown Prince Eden at the jousting tournament, spouting strange words.

As I stared in disbelief, Eden continued speaking.

“You still have what you need to forget lingering in your mind because you couldn’t forget it. Didn’t I say I would help you forget it, Miss Kaelin?”

What the—!

This guy! Again with that?

Using the 19+ night market book again! Trying to pressure me, right?

I glared at Crown Prince Eden.

Leon looked back and forth between me and the prince with a confused expression.

I wanted to say, “I never did such a thing!” but couldn’t bring myself to speak.

If I did, I had no idea what Eden might say in response.

Especially here, in front of so many people.

In the end, I decided I had to get through this somehow.

“Your Highness, Crown Prince Eden, I wanted to help you forget unnecessary memories, but I believe my handkerchief will be of great assistance.”

I was giving him the handkerchief, hoping he’d never bring up that book again!

“Just as I thought. Memories will not belong to everyone, but only to the two of us.”

What kind of vague nonsense is that!

“Only to the two of us”?

If anyone else heard that, they’d think there was something weird going on between us!

I was furious at Eden’s words, but since I couldn’t predict what kind of impulsive action he might take, I had no choice but to hand him the handkerchief, biting my lips.

Here! Take it and go away forever!

He smiled and tied my handkerchief to the shaft of his lance.

By then, Leon, whose face had turned bright red, had already passed in front of me.

Ah…! Great.

Only when Eden, now holding my handkerchief, began marching again did I remember the words I had written on it.

<With deep affection – Kaelin Brockburk>

I was ruined!

I had placed it thinking I’d give it to Calix, but now Eden had it…

Anger suddenly surged.

At Eden, who had snatched my handkerchief, and at Calix, who hadn’t taken it.

Ugh, Calix, what are you even doing!

I lifted my head to find Calix.

He had finished the march and was now seated on his horse, mingling among many knights as he waited for the tournament to begin.

You didn’t take my handkerchief, so I ended up giving it to Eden out of nowhere!

I glared at Calix, furious once again.

The jousting tournament went on for a long time.

At first, multiple participants fought simultaneously. Those who fell from their horses, broke their lances, or surrendered gradually left the arena.

Now, only ten participants remained, and the last one standing would be the ultimate victor.

Of course, the final one would inevitably be Calix.

But Eden wasn’t supposed to participate.

Though this development was unusual for my novel, I had already gotten used to these kinds of irregularities.

Many events had already deviated slightly or significantly from what I had written.

Anyway, among the final ten were Calix, Eden, and Leon.

In the novel, Calix would relentlessly push Leon until he was finally unhorsed.

But today, since I hadn’t given Leon the handkerchief, nothing like that should happen, right?

One by one, the number of participants dwindled until only four remained.

As expected, since I hadn’t given Leon the handkerchief, Calix and Leon didn’t face each other, unlike in the novel.

Strangely, though, Calix was now fighting Eden instead.

Leon was facing the captain of the prince’s personal knights.

Naturally, my eyes followed Calix.

Calix and Eden were engaged in a fierce duel.

Calix’s swordsmanship was unmatched, but since this was a lance tournament, Eden surprisingly matched him in skill.

Ah, right!

The lance…

At that moment, watching Eden swing his lance, something came to mind.

Eden’s lance…

“Ah!”

Just as I remembered something from the novel, Calix staggered from Eden’s attack, and I couldn’t help but let out a startled cry.

But Calix quickly regained his balance and launched a counterattack.

“Phew…”

I exhaled with relief.

Wait a minute!!!

What’s happening?

Why am I like this?

Am I… worried Calix might get hurt?

I realized I was holding my breath during every tense moment.

I had decided to indulge my obsession, yet somehow I was emotionally invested as if I were truly Calix’s partner.

Well, Calix was my male lead… and that handsome.

As a writer, it was natural to feel some affection for the male lead, right?

Or maybe I was just rooting for Calix because Eden was irritating.

Then it happened.

“Waaah…! Oh no!”

The crowd shouted and murmured in dismay.

Though Calix and Eden’s fight was intense, nothing seemed to change much.

Something had happened in another duel.

Following the crowd’s gaze, I turned my head and gasped.

Oh no…

Leon, who was facing the captain, had fallen off his horse and was lying unconscious.

Whether from the impact of the fall or the strike from the spear, he appeared to have fainted.

Good heavens…

It happened exactly as I wrote it!

The difference was that it wasn’t Calix who had unhorsed Leon, but the captain.

Calix glanced briefly at the fallen Leon but, showing no change in expression, continued fighting Eden.

Even though it was confusing that Leon was knocked out by someone other than Calix, the fact that he was injured was exactly as I had written, which was chilling.

Everything had subtly or significantly deviated from my novel.

But seeing Leon unconscious as in the story, I felt a creeping anxiety: even if small details changed, would the major events’ outcomes remain the same?

No matter how hard I tried to avoid it, would death ultimately still come…?

Watching Leon being carried away, my body trembled with fear.

According to the original story, after this tournament, I would frequently visit the palace to see and nurse Duke Leon.

But I had neither the desire nor the will to do that, and I paid no attention even when I heard occasional news of his recovery.

All I cared about was the repeated visits of Marquis Kerkain.

Even though I insisted I wouldn’t marry Leon, I couldn’t understand why my father continued to side with the Empress’s faction.

That day, seeing Marquis Kerkain at our home and feeling suffocated, I decided to go for an early walk.

But after walking a little, the sun was unbearably hot.

I can’t go without a sunhat!

Turning back home, I noticed someone watching our house from a short distance.

It was the deputy commander of the Crown Prince’s knights.

I remembered his face from the previous jousting tournament; he was among the final ten and had been designated in my story as Calix’s right-hand man.

Why was he here?

Ah!

Is he spying on our house?

In my novel, Calix’s obsession with me outweighed his desire for the throne, but oddly, at present, Calix didn’t show much obsession.

But the prince’s subordinate watching our house indicated that Calix was cautious about rebel forces.

Maybe he was observing because of his obsession with me…

Whatever the reason, a chill ran down my spine.

I suddenly worried I’d been too passive until now.

In a situation where the Empress’s desire was to place her son Leon on the throne, and my father blindly agreed, I needed to stick closer to Calix.

I had to be more proactive, show that I was firmly on the Crown Prince’s side, and ensure my family wouldn’t join the rebels.

Ultimately, I decided to visit Leon.

I needed a reason to enter the palace and meet Calix, who rarely showed himself.

Leon had fractured a leg in his fall and had to remain in bed.

When I visited him, he called my name with a voice full of excitement.

“Kaelin!”

Seeing his face, as if he were about to shed tears of joy, I felt a twinge of guilt for using him as an excuse to enter the palace and see Calix.

“Your Grace, I’ve come to check if you are well.”

“Lin! You were worried about me. I thought falling from the horse was just bad luck, but your visit makes it feel not so bad after all.”

He laughed genuinely, just as I had written in the story.

As in the novel, his injury had created private moments with Kaelin that deepened their bond.

But that was just fiction.

In reality, you are a human landmine I must avoid.

“Your Grace, thank you for your kind words, but since you’re still unwell, my staying too long might trouble you. Now that I’ve seen you, I will take my leave. Please recover quickly.”

I said this and prepared to leave.

“Lin!”

Leon called out urgently.

“Yes?”

“Why are you doing this?”

His face hardened.

“What do you mean, Your Grace?”

“Why are you suddenly leaving me? We love each other! Why are you like this?”

He hadn’t accepted the breakup I had sent in a letter.

Fine. I’ll make it clear to his face.

“Your Grace, my feelings for you are no longer what they used to be. I do not love you at all. I will not support your claim to the throne.”

Leon’s face turned ashen.

“Why…? You wanted to marry me!”

“That was the old me. My feelings have changed. I will take my leave. I hope you recover quickly, Your Grace.”

“Kaelin!”

He slammed the bed in frustration, calling me strongly, unable to rise.

I sighed.

Of course, if a woman who once loved you and promised to make you emperor suddenly withdraws her love and support, it would be hard to accept.

But whether I looked like a capricious madwoman or not, I had to survive.

What he felt toward me wasn’t important.

The man with the sword—the real male lead—was Calix.

“I’m sorry. No matter what, my feelings will not return to how they were. I cannot help you become emperor either.”

I said coldly.

Face reality! The old Kaelin no longer exists.

“Kaelin! I don’t need the throne! You love me! If you’re worried about our plan failing regarding Calix, then just leave this empire with me. Let my brother take the throne. I only need you!”

Wow…!

Such pure devotion!

No wonder Kaelin and Leon were such a perfect match.

Kaelin, too, despite having no desire for the empress’s position, had actively participated in Leon’s rebellion plan, believing that if Calix became emperor, he would eliminate Leon, a threat to the throne.

In short, both cared only about love, not power.

Tsk.

Sorry, Leon, I’m not that Kaelin.

I’m Lin. Kim Lin.

I need neither power nor love—I only want to survive.

“Duke Leon, I need neither you nor the throne nor anything else. I just want to live long and peacefully. I’m sorry. I will take my leave now.”

Leon must have been hurt by my sudden coldness, but I had no time to consider his feelings.

The reason I came to the palace was not Leon, but to see Calix, the man with the sword.

“Kaelin! Don’t do this!”

Ignoring Leon calling out to me, I quickly headed toward the Crown Prince’s palace.

He would be in the training grounds with his knights at this hour.

I planned to enter, pretending to have lost my way.