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Her mind, already active, seemed to have been awake long before her body, preoccupied with thoughts of what lay ahead.

She had spent much of the night thinking about the tournament in Andelheim, the opportunity it presented, and the pressure that came with it. This was no ordinary competition—this was her chance to reclaim her pride, to prove her worth as a knight, and to restore some dignity after her ill-fated trip.

Valeria sat up, her violet eyes blinking against the dim light filtering through the curtains. Her thoughts were already on her training. As always, discipline was the foundation of her morning. No matter how much weighed on her mind, her routine never faltered.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, the cool floor meeting her bare feet, and moved with the efficiency of someone who had done this a thousand times before. Every motion was deliberate—there was no time to waste.

The pressure on her shoulders, the expectations of her family, and her personal need to excel were all driving forces that kept her moving forward.

As she dressed in her training gear, her mind raced through the tasks for the day. The training today needed to be precise and focused.

She couldn\'t afford to be distracted by the events of the previous days and certainly not by the annoying presence of him.

Valeria stepped out of her room, the air crisp in the early morning. She glanced across the hallway instinctively, half-expecting to see Lucavion emerge from the room opposite hers, ready to provoke her as he had done the previous morning.

But the hallway was empty, quiet. There was no infuriating grin waiting to greet her, no casual teasing to throw her off balance.

A small sense of relief washed over her.

\'That is how it is supposed to be,\' she thought, her lips twitching into the faintest hint of a smile. \'Peace and quiet.\'

As Valeria began her morning run, the steady rhythm of her feet against the cobblestones provided a much-needed distraction from the swirling thoughts in her mind. The air was cool, each breath filling her lungs with the crispness of dawn, but despite the physical clarity, her mind remained occupied.

The tournament. The opportunity it presented was undeniable. Marquis Ventor\'s martial tournament would attract skilled fighters from across the kingdom, and winning—or even performing well—could elevate her name and reputation.

She would have the chance to prove her abilities on a public stage, something she sorely needed after the debacle with Korvan. It would be the perfect opportunity to salvage her trip, to return to her family with some form of victory.

But there were risks.

Valeria\'s pace quickened as her thoughts deepened. The tournament wasn\'t just a showcase—it was a battlefield of its own. Skilled knights, mercenaries, and fighters of all kinds would be competing. Any slip, any weakness, could result in injury or worse.

And then there was the matter of her family. What would they think? Her father, in particular, might see this as reckless, a distraction from the path laid out for her.

And it wasn\'t just about her. She wasn\'t traveling alone. The six knights who accompanied her were a force in their own right—each skilled, loyal, and representing the Olarion name.

Each of them had been chosen for this mission because of their loyalty and skill, all representing the honor and prestige of House Olarion. They were her protectors, tasked with ensuring her safety as the heir to the family. But the more she thought about the upcoming tournament in Andelheim, the more she realized that taking them along might not be necessary—and could even complicate things.

\'I know they\'re here to protect me, but that place must be safe at least,\' she reasoned.

Marquis Ventor\'s tournament would be a high-profile event, drawing attention from nobles, skilled fighters, and the upper echelon of society.

The Marquis himself would ensure the safety of the participants, both for the sake of the competition\'s prestige and the nobility in attendance. In that kind of environment, her knights might not be as essential as they would in more dangerous or unknown territory.

\'It\'s not just about protection,\' she mused. \'It\'s about my own image, my independence.\'

The more Valeria considered it, the clearer it became. Her knights had been with her every step of the way, shielding her from danger as was their duty. But this tournament?

This was different. It wasn\'t about life-threatening battles or covert missions. It was about skill, honor, and reputation. If she took her knights along, it could seem as though she was relying too heavily on her family\'s protection. Worse, it might give the impression that she wasn\'t capable of handling herself on her own.

That thought stung her pride. Valeria had worked too hard, trained too long, to be seen as simply the heir of a noble house who couldn\'t stand on her own in battle. She needed to prove herself, not just to her family but to the wider world. And this tournament could be the perfect opportunity.

\'I may deal with this on my own,\' she decided, her pace slowing as the thought solidified in her mind. \'The Marquis will have accommodations prepared for the fighters, and I\'ll be able to handle myself without the need for my knights to hover over me.\'

The more she thought about it, the more the idea made sense. Her knights were valuable, of course, and there would always be a time when their protection was necessary. But not here. Not at this tournament. This was her chance to shine, to prove that she didn\'t need to lean on her family\'s name or their resources to succeed.

She could already imagine the look on her father\'s face when she returned home, victorious and independent, having faced a challenge on her own terms. The thought spurred her forward, her steps regaining their purpose.

\'I\'ll leave the knights here,\' Valeria concluded. \'Andelheim is my challenge to face alone.\'

But as she Valeria continued her run, her mind thought of something else.

The idea of going to Andelheim alone appealed to her fiercely, but the question of how lingered like a heavy weight.

How could she convince her knights to let her go without them? More importantly, how could she oppose the explicit orders from her family that required them to stay by her side?

She knew the knights well—each of them was steadfast, loyal to a fault, and deeply committed to their duty of protecting her. They had been handpicked by her father for this very reason. They weren\'t just soldiers, they were guardians of the Olarion legacy.

And while they respected her authority as the heir, Valeria understood that when it came to her safety, they were ultimately beholden to her father\'s orders. If she simply told them she wanted to attend the tournament alone, they wouldn\'t listen.

They wouldn\'t disobey her, but they wouldn\'t leave her side, either. They would insist on following her, believing it their duty to protect her—even if it wasn\'t necessary.

\'What excuse could I possibly give them?\' she wondered, her pace slowing slightly as the weight of the dilemma pressed on her.

She couldn\'t lie to them, not directly. They would see through any weak reasoning, especially if it involved her safety.

And even if she were to insist that she wanted to face the tournament alone, they would argue that the competition could be just as dangerous as any battlefield. No, they wouldn\'t leave her side willingly.

\'Maybe if I framed it as a political move,\' she thought, but even that felt flimsy. What political maneuver could justify leaving behind her protectors?

She was stuck, trapped between her desire for independence and the rigid duty that bound her knights to her.

Valeria\'s fists clenched as the frustration gnawed at her. It wasn\'t just about proving herself anymore. This was about more than just one tournament—this was about her ability to take control of her own life, her own destiny.

She didn\'t want to be the sheltered heir who could only succeed with a retinue of knights at her back. She wanted to show her strength, to carve her own path, without the constant reminder that her family\'s name was what protected her.

Valeria\'s feet pounded rhythmically against the ground as her mind churned through the same questions over and over again. No solution seemed to present itself, and the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. She had finished her run, but the tension in her chest remained, tightening with each passing moment.

Her training, which usually cleared her mind, had done little to help today. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she neared the inn, her pace slowing. She was no closer to finding a way to handle the situation with her knights, and that feeling of helplessness was gnawing at her.

\'Maybe I\'ll figure it out after a bath,\' she thought, letting out a long breath as she approached the entrance of the inn.

Just as she was about to enter, her sharp senses picked up the sound of voices inside, faint but clear. One of the voices immediately caught her attention, causing her to pause mid-step.

That infuriating voice.

Lucavion.

Valeria hesitated for a moment, her hand hovering over the door handle as she strained to hear the conversation. His voice carried that same casual, easygoing tone that had irritated her endlessly.

"I\'m really leaving," Lucavion was saying, his voice light.

"You\'re leaving so soon?" The innkeeper\'s voice, warm and motherly, reached her ears next. "But you\'ve only been here a short while! Are you sure?"

Valeria pressed herself against the wall just outside the inn, listening intently.

Lucavion\'s reply was smooth, almost amused. "Yeah, I\'ve been freeloading for long enough, don\'t you think? I came here for a reason, and that reason\'s dealt with. I can\'t stay here forever."

"But you\'re always welcome here, you know that," the innkeeper insisted. "You helped this town a lot, and you\'re like family to us now."

"Ahaha….Family….It is not a word to be used lightly." Lucavion chuckled, and Valeria could practically see his infuriating smile in her mind. "Well…..That\'s kind of you to say, but I don\'t want to overstay my welcome. Besides, there\'s nothing left for me to do here. I\'m moving on."