Chapter 12: Chapter 11: The Royal Cat and the Noble Mouse

Chapter 11: The Royal Cat and the Noble Mouse

The afternoon sun shone brightly over the Everhart estate, where Tiara was supposed to be practicing her swordsmanship. Instead, she found herself in a heated exchange of words with Chris, who had apparently decided her estate was his new favorite playground.

“I don’t recall inviting you here, Your Highness,” Tiara said, resting her wooden practice sword on her shoulder as she glared at him.

“And yet, here I am,” Chris replied smugly, lounging under the shade of a tree. “It’s not every day you see a noblewoman wielding a sword. I was curious.”

Tiara narrowed her eyes. “Curious, or bored? There’s a difference.”

Chris smirked. “Does it matter? You seem to enjoy having me around.”

“Enjoy?” Tiara scoffed, pointing her sword at him. “The only thing I enjoy about you, Your Highness, is watching you leave.”

Felix, standing a few feet away, coughed to stifle a laugh, while Lily, seated on a bench nearby, looked between them nervously.

“Shall we test that theory?” Chris asked, suddenly rising to his feet. He walked over and casually picked up a spare wooden sword from the rack. “Let’s see if your swordsmanship matches your sharp tongue.”

Tiara blinked, momentarily taken aback. “Are you challenging me to a duel?”

Chris twirled the wooden sword in his hand, his grin infuriatingly confident. “Consider it a lesson. I’d hate for you to embarrass yourself in front of someone more competent.”

“Oh, Your Highness,” Tiara said sweetly, taking her stance. “I don’t need to be competent to defeat you. I just need to be better than a goose.”

Felix lost his composure, laughing so hard he had to lean on the fence for support.

Chris’s grin faltered. “That was one time.”

“And yet,” Tiara replied, circling him, “it’s a memory I’ll treasure forever.”

---

The duel began with Chris making the first move, swinging his sword in a calculated arc. Tiara parried easily, her movements quick and precise.

“Not bad,” Chris admitted. “But you’re a bit slow.”

“Slow?” Tiara countered, dodging his next strike. “I’m just giving you a false sense of confidence.”

Chris lunged, but Tiara sidestepped, tapping his shoulder with the flat of her blade.

“Point for me,” she said smugly.

Chris scowled. “Beginner’s luck.”

“Oh, I didn’t know luck came with years of practice,” Tiara shot back.

Their duel escalated into what could only be described as a choreographed argument with swords. Chris aimed high; Tiara ducked and retaliated with a low sweep that nearly knocked him off balance.

“You fight dirty,” Chris accused, blocking her next strike.

“I fight smart,” Tiara corrected, her grin widening.

Their playful banter drew a small audience as servants and guards began gathering at a distance to watch. Felix, still laughing, leaned closer to Lily.

“I give it five minutes before one of them tries to cheat,” he whispered.

---

Sure enough, Chris feigned a stumble to catch Tiara off guard, but she wasn’t fooled.

“Really?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “That’s your strategy? Pretend to trip?”

“Worked, didn’t it?” Chris replied, regaining his footing.

“No, it didn’t,” Tiara said, jabbing his side with her sword.

Chris yelped, clutching his ribs dramatically. “You’re ruthless.”

“And you’re predictable,” Tiara replied, twirling her sword triumphantly.

In a last-ditch effort, Chris dropped his sword entirely and lunged at Tiara, grabbing her wrist to disarm her.

“Cheater!” Tiara cried, struggling to free herself.

“Adaptable,” Chris corrected, grinning as he wrested the sword from her hand.

For a moment, they stood there, panting and glaring at each other, their faces mere inches apart.

“You’re insufferable,” Tiara muttered.

“And you’re impossible,” Chris replied.

Felix cleared his throat loudly, breaking the tension. “Shall we call it a draw?”

“It’s not a draw!” Tiara protested. “He cheated!”

“Only because you were about to win,” Chris said, smirking.

Tiara glared at him, her cheeks flushing slightly. “I’ll remember this, Your Highness.”

“I look forward to it,” Chris replied, his tone annoyingly smug.

---

Later, as Tiara sulked in the drawing room, Lily tried to console her.

“At least you didn’t lose entirely,” Lily offered.

“I didn’t lose at all,” Tiara grumbled. “He just refuses to admit it.”

Felix walked in, carrying a tray of snacks. “Well, if it makes you feel better, the goose is still undefeated.”

Tiara threw a pillow at him, but her lips twitched into a smile despite herself.

From the shadows, Lilith observed the scene, her golden eyes gleaming with irritation.

“They laugh now,” she muttered to herself. “But they won’t be laughing for long.”

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