Celine was sitting on the bed, her hair undone, and her makeup was removed. She looked younger this way, and Lucian almost forgot why he was there. To bother her in return.
She blinked slowly at him, her eyes half-lidded and unfocused. "What is it?" she asked.
He lay down on the opposite end of the bed, much to her maid's surprise and her disapproving stare, "I don't want to be accused of cheating the first thing in the morning, so I should as well sleep next to you."
"..." Celine was silent for a moment before she motioned to her maid, "Prepare him a bed," she ordered.
Her maid bowed, bringing a mattress from one of the other bedrooms. She rolled it out on the floor and covered it with a sheet, a blanket, and a pillow.
Lucian stayed in her bed for a while longer, and it was as if she could feel that he was here to keep her awake, so she dragged herself out of the bed and crawled into the makeshift bed on the floor, covering herself with a blanket. Her maid tried to argue that it was inappropriate, but she told her that he could have her bed if he wanted to sleep on it so badly, then she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
"Is something important going on tomorrow?" he asked her.
"Preparations for the Grand Knight Tournament begin tomorrow, and Father always gets into a bad mood when I fail to keep up with him. It would be nice to get at least a few hours of sleep before that happens," she said, her eyes closed.
"..." Lucian felt his actions to be very childish, but he couldn't take them back. He couldn't get her to return to her bed either, and he couldn't just sleep on her bed either without asking her first, so he decided to join her on the floor. She scooted over to the side and he covered himself with a blanket, the mattress barely enough to fit two people.
"..." Maya was sitting on the couch, her arms crossed, and her eyes staring holes in Lucian's direction. She did not approve, not one bit.
It was the sixth night they spent in the same bed, and a sixth time that nothing happened between them. Except this time, she was the one who ended up wrapping her arms around him in her sleep, and he was the one who had to deal with her hair on his face, and the rest of her body pressed against him.
Lucian still fell asleep easily. Even Maya gave him an impressed nod the next morning when he woke up with his pants still on.
He ruffled his hair, hoping this would clear the sudden womanizer stigma from his person. He received some grateful nods from the rest of the servants for the noble act, and a scowl from Maya, who was very much displeased that her Lady had to sleep on the floor.
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The Grand Knight tournament was a tradition in the Diamante Kingdom. It was a competition between the knights to show off their skills and represent their houses and lords. In short, the winners were awarded with gold and titles, while the losers were mocked and ridiculed.
The tournament was divided into several categories, including tactical, physical, and psychological tests. The final event was a grand melee, where the knights fought each other until only one remained standing.
Being knighted was a gateway into the aristocracy, but the competition was so tough that the commoners were often unable to compete with the nobles' resources. It turned into a competition between the nobles, and the commoners were left to watch from the sidelines.
The aristocracy was an exclusive club, and they didn't like outsiders, but it didn't stop people from trying. Lucian, who bought his way into the club, was yet to experience the full force of their contempt, and Celine, who was a woman, was not allowed to participate in the tournament, or so he thought.
Celine grumbled as Maya tied her hair into a ponytail, "There's no place for a woman in the ring, but there is always a place for a woman in the audience, so why can't I enjoy the show as much as they do?" she asked.
"You are a Rochefort," her father answered from his chair, "You represent our house, and you are to be an example to our people. They will be watching you, and you are expected to act accordingly."
Lucian was also present in the room, waiting for Celine to get ready together with her father. He also wore a riding outfit, but his was made of a soft fabric while his boots were made of a supple, comfortable leather.
The Duke was dressed in his military uniform, and he was the most imposing of the three of them. He looked like a man who was about to go to war, ready to kill anyone who would dare to challenge his authority. And here was his daughter, who dared to challenge his authority, and he was just scolding her, and not killing her.
Celine was tall and slender, but her figure was hidden beneath the thick leather jacket and pants. Her chest was bound with a cloth, making her appear flat. The only thing that gave away her femininity was the long dark hair that was now tied up in a high ponytail.
"I'm a Lady," she emphasized, "I'm not supposed to be an example of anything. I'm supposed to look pretty and bear children."
Lucian's lips quivered, and he turned his head to hide his amused grin. It seemed like not even her father was spared from her sharp tongue.
"A future Duchess should be able to lead her men into battle, and stand beside them, shoulder to shoulder, and fight for her people," her father said and stood up, towering over her, "You were never good at following, so you should as well start leading instead."
Celine looked around and ran to hide behind Lucian, "Everyone will just mock me and tell me to go back to looking pretty, and wait for a man to come along and take care of everything for me. Then they will tell me to have a tea party, and have my husband take care of the important matters."