C82
As soon as Yvonne spoke, the sound of metal falling inside the tent could be heard. There was no response, so Bianca thought they might not have heard her. Just as Bianca was about to tell Yvonne to announce her once again, the tent entrance rustled and opened.
At the tent entrance, Zachary, dressed in armor, looked at Bianca with puzzled eyes.
Bianca felt embarrassed because his eyes didn't seem happy.
Zachary sighed and observed Bianca carefully.
"How did you get here?"
"How did I get here? I simply walked here."
Bianca felt a little hurt by the lack of hospitality.
Of course, she expected to be welcomed. Much has changed during this time. Bianca smiled and approached Zachary with relaxed steps, pretending to be as calm as possible.
Fortunately, Zachary didn't send her back. When Zachary leaned over her head and lifted the tent entrance to make it easier to enter, Bianca entered the tent with a small sigh of relief.
The feeling of the cold armor brushing against her shoulder was unfamiliar to her.
Yvonne, who knew what Bianca intended to do, waited outside the tent without entering.
"Gaspard is not with you today... Did something happen?"
"What could happen being so close to you?"
What could happen? Something significant. However, Bianca responded with the least expression possible.
The tent servants looked at Bianca, surprised, and tilted their heads. They were the ones assisting Zachary in putting on the armor.
Bianca waved her hand at them lightly. It wasn't a story others shouldn't hear, but it wasn't a story she wanted to tell either. To be honest, she was a little embarrassed to do something she had never done before.
When the servants left the tent at Bianca's order, only Zachary and Bianca remained in the tent.
Zachary's appearance in armor was unfamiliar to her. When he returned from war, she saw him from a distance, but it was almost the first time she saw him up close. She must have seen him a couple of times when she was younger, but she couldn't remember.
The armor was made of iron down to the seams, so it should be quite heavy, but Zachary seemed familiar and comfortable in it. In fact, the current arch of his eyebrows was more steady than when he wore silk and velvet clothes.
His silver-gray hair fell naturally over his eyebrows, which were more softly curved than usual. His silver armor was polished to a shine, and on top of it, he wore a black surcoat adorned with the coat of arms of House Arno. The knight of legend looked like this, and his appearance in armor was even sacred.
As Bianca stared at Zachary, Zachary asked,
"Did something happen until now? Not in the stands."
"... I remembered something I forgot this morning."
Bianca, who had just regained her senses, responded slowly. Zachary, wondering what Bianca had forgotten, raised an eyebrow.
Bianca put her hand on her arms. The fingertips holding the handkerchief trembled slightly. The conversation she had with Sauveur before coming here passed through Bianca's mind.
"Sir Robert is worried that Madam might refuse the tournament roses."
"He worries about every little thing. If he's so concerned, wouldn't it be better not to give me the rose?"
"Oh my. If we don't give Madam the rose, who else would we give it to?"
"Then he should worry about being rejected. If it's something he has to give anyway."
At that moment, she mocked Robert because he didn't seem to have faith in his actions, but now she seemed to understand exactly how Robert felt. Bianca felt a little sorry for him.
If Zachary is happy, he may not know. She said she was worried, but first of all, she was reluctant to watch the tournament.
She might think that having a handkerchief, received from a lady, wrapped around her arm and going to a match was nothing but cumbersome and meaningless.
Bianca's heart, deeply frightened by Zachary's reaction, beat strongly. The tips of her fingers cooled due to tension.
Please don't notice that they're trembling.
Bianca tried to be as calm as possible and straightened her expression. Still, she didn't have the courage to make eye contact with him, so she lowered her gaze a little and avoided his gaze.
The handkerchief had been in Bianca's hand for a long time. Bianca's heartbeat grew stronger and stronger. Sweat dripped down her cheeks, and it became increasingly difficult to control her expression. She could feel her eyebrows starting to furrow more and more. Many thoughts went through Bianca's mind.
"If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have come. Please take it. Say something...!"
Before impatient Bianca could shout, Zachary's hand, covered in iron down to the fingers, slowly took the handkerchief. He took it so calmly that she thought the handkerchief had fallen from his hand.
When the handkerchief disappeared, Bianca was able to breathe. It's over now. Whether Zachary's subsequent words were exclamations or criticisms, she felt she could endure anything but this silent pressure.
But it was a mistake to feel relieved so quickly.
Zachary, holding the white lace handkerchief, remained stunned for a long time.
Zachary toyed with the handkerchief in disbelief. The white lace handkerchief he held in his hand, which had become duller with the gloves on, seemed strange to him.
Zachary's silence lingered. Bianca wondered what the hell he was thinking, but she still didn't have the courage to confront him. She wished Zachary would respond to something. In the end, Bianca couldn't bear the tension and added a little.
"I made it myself."
"Did you make it yourself?"
Zachary asked, surprised. Astonished, his voice grew louder as he took a step closer to Bianca. Bianca raised her head in surprise as the large armored figure moved forward. For a moment, their eyes met. Bianca involuntarily turned her head. She was relieved from the tension that had been gripping her neck, but now she couldn't understand why her heart was beating so fast.
"Yes... it's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal? I really..."
As if Zachary's throat was choked, his voice faded. As if something was blocking his throat, he couldn't speak easily.
After confirming that she didn't hate him, he could await her words more calmly than before, but the tingling at the tips of his fingers was unbearable. While Bianca clumsily fiddled with the hem of her dress, Zachary, who barely suppressed the emotions in his throat, spoke.
"I'm really happy."
A profound joy was buried within his words. Zachary was so happy that Bianca felt embarrassed once again.
She never thought he would like it so much. It felt good, but it felt uncomfortable, as if she was wearing ill-fitting clothes.
Bianca added an excuse unconsciously.
"It really was nothing. It didn't require much skill, just woven with white thread."
At that moment, Zachary knelt in front of Bianca.
Embarrassed by his unexpected behavior, Bianca remained restless. Until now, she had been looking down, but when Zachary knelt down and looked at Bianca, their eyes immediately met. But deliberately avoiding his eyes would only make it more uncomfortable.
She had the illusion that the room was swaying from side to side as her eyes spun around.
While Bianca shuffled her feet, unsure of what to do, Zachary, holding the handkerchief over his chest, gently grasped Bianca's fingertips with his other hand and pulled her gently.
The fabric covering their hands slipped down, revealing Bianca's white back of the hand. The bones of her fingers protruded from her skin as white as milk.
Bianca thought it was unattractive and tried to withdraw her hand, but it didn't even budge because Zachary's grip, which she thought was holding her lightly, was stronger than expected.
Zachary whispered as he kissed the back of Bianca's hand.
"I swear on my family, I will dedicate my victory to you."
She could feel the movement of his lips on the back of her hand.
As if captured by Zachary's unwavering gaze, Bianca looked at him, unable to move.
The large shoulders, which always appeared tall and broad, were under her gaze. It felt very strange to look down at Zachary, whom she always looked up to.
It was uncomfortable and unfamiliar, yet she still felt a strange sense of accomplishment.
There was always a sense of exhilaration on Zachary's cold face. It was surprising to see him express his emotions so openly without hiding them.
It was the most impressive reaction Bianca had seen from Zachary. Intense, distinct, and completely incomprehensible.
And perhaps her expression was not so different from Zachary's.
Tags:
TWB (Novel)