A Marriage of Convenience /The Marriage Business

Ch.80

It didn't really matter if Zachary was in the tournament for Bianca or not. Either way, Bianca would attend the tournament. Bianca sighed softly.

Zachary said it wasn't honorable for Bianca to attend and suffer, but Bianca's participation depended not only on the honor of the Arno family but also on the Blanchefort family. There would probably be many inflated rumors behind the scenes.

Although Bianca didn't care much about what others said, there was no reason to be deliberately criticized. Moreover, even if she didn't care about other gossip, she didn't want to hear criticisms about her family upbringing.

Bianca reaffirmed her determination to go and participate, even if she falls and collapses. Of course, that promise never left her mouth.

----

As everyone in the castle eagerly awaited the tournament, there was a lot of noise here and there. Servants passed by with a large basket full of fruits, and servants came and went with wooden planks and tools. It was to create a tournament stadium on a wide plain near the capital.

The main purpose of this tournament was to promote friendship with the Knights of Castile who attended Prince Albert's engagement. The Castile delegation had also arrived in Lahoz, so foreign knights were often seen.

The guests were not only foreign knights. Many minstrels and bards were invited to participate in tournaments and banquets. Some minstrels were dragged by the whims of children and performed tricks, and adults also stopped for a moment and watched them.

This tournament had a different scale than the previous one, so whenever three people gathered, they talked about the tournament. Many people were interested in it, so some started betting pools, but it wasn't a very effective method.

Usually, the highest bets are placed on who will be the ultimate winner, but since there were rumors circulating that the Iron Blood Knight, Count Zachary de Arno, would participate in this tournament, everyone naturally thought that Count Arno would win, so the bet was meaningless, and people bet on who would reach the semifinals.

As people's attention focused on them, the knights participating in the tournament started getting nervous one by one. You could make your name known in tournaments, but at the same time, be ridiculed. The knights who staked their lives in this tournament accelerated their practice.

The lance used for jousting was long and heavy, and it was difficult to accurately hit the opponent's shield because they had to be on horseback.

So they used to train by hitting targets with lances, piercing trees, or striking the shield held by a scarecrow with their lance, and then quickly ducking and avoiding it before the scarecrow could counterattack.

However, training for one or two days didn't improve their skills.

They spent a day or two in that state, and soon the day of the tournament arrived.

Of course, it wasn't just knights dedicated to training. The tournament could enhance the honor of a knight but at the same time deepen their courtship with a lady.

You could receive a gift from the lady you are in love with and, in return, dedicate the victory in her honor, or you could confess to the lady you've always held in your heart. It didn't matter if she was married or not. Because it was literally just an elegant and honorable tribute based on chivalry to adore a lady by sacrificing one's life.

The ladies were also excited, imagining the moment when their lover or suitor would play an active role in the tournament and place a crown of victory flowers on their head.

Some young women were eagerly waiting for the handsome knight to stand before them victorious and confess their love.

For such women, Bianca was the most envious. Her husband, Zachary, was almost confirmed as the winner of the tournament, and there was a rumor that three knights from the Arno estate would compete.