A Scumbag Always Gets What He Deserves

42: Moving you into my heart (End)

Jian Qiao's knights returned safely from the battlefield.

Seeing his master receive so many challenge letters, the knight commander immediately sent someone to find out the reason.

"It's Princess Clarice." That evening, the worried knight commander returned to report the situation. "The brand on Lord Rege's neck is visible to everyone. He chose to pledge his allegiance to you and went to war in your place, and he almost died on the battlefield. He did this rather than stay in Grande and marry Princess Clarice, which greatly insulted the princess. She wrote to her admirers, full of tears and complaints."

The knight commander sighed and said, "You must not underestimate the charm of Princess Clarice. Lord Rege doesn't care for her at all, but her suitors can be found throughout Tortus. And there's no shortage of warriors just as famous as Lord Rege. If they receive a request from the princess, they'll naturally do their best to serve. That's the reason you received a dozen challenges in a row."

The knight commander frowned and said, "I suspect Princess Clarice did it on purpose. She wants you to die."

Jian Qiao laid out the challenge letters neatly on the table, shaking his head with a bitter smile.

He hadn't known what Princess Clarice intended. He'd only discovered that she hated him the day he watched Rege depart from the city wall.

She couldn't wait to destroy the man who ruined her marriage!

While Queen Moen waited patiently for news that Jian Qiao had died of illness, Princess Clarice was waiting too. But Jian Qiao had survived, and he was getting better by the day.

So she orchestrated a grueling round of duels.

The dates of the dozen or so challenges were all linked together, one match per day, like a timetable. If Jian Qiao didn't die the first day, then every day after that someone else would appear to send him on his way. There was no chance at all to catch his breath.

Jian Qiao picked up one of the challenges. His fingers trembled slightly but his tone was extraordinarily firm, "Arles, teach me swordsmanship. I want to live, understand? I have to stay alive."

In the past he'd lived only because he was more afraid of death. But now he lived because there was someone to live for.

His life was beautiful because of that person. Because of him, his life had meaning.

"I must survive!" Jian Qiao put down the challenge letters and looked directly at the knight commander.

The knight commander was in a difficult position. "My lord, you have to understand it's impossible for you to learn swordsmanship in just three days. It might be more useful for me to buy you a set of sturdy armor. No, no, no, you can't wear armor, it would be too heavy. You wouldn't even be able to walk. You'd just be a living target. Your opponent could simply pull off your helmet and stab through your head with a sword."

The knight commander paced around and around the room. He couldn't think of any way to help his master out of this predicament.

There was no escape. Those men would chase his master to Desolette. Moreover, if he became a deserter, his reputation would be ruined, and that was also a kind of death.

The knight commander anxiously raked his hair.

The manservant who'd gone to inquire about the news, however, hurried in and shouted excitedly, "My goodness, you'll never imagine what's going on out there! Just now, Lord Rege issued sixteen challenge letters in one breath! Those men—"

The manservant pointed to the letters laid out on the table, his cheeks flushed red. "All of those men received challenges and not one of them was missed! He also set the duel time for this afternoon. This afternoon he's going to fight sixteen people at once! My God! He's so brave!"