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"Why else?" she said, mirroring his earlier tone with a touch of mockery. "Fame, fortune, glory. That\'s what these tournaments are about, aren\'t they?"

Lucavion\'s smirk widened, clearly amused by her attempt to mimic him. "Ah, so the great Valeria Olarion seeks fame and fortune, too? I never would\'ve guessed," he said with an exaggerated chuckle. "How… predictable."

Valeria clenched her jaw, forcing herself not to react to his teasing. "Don\'t act like it\'s so ridiculous," she shot back, her tone sharper than she intended. "It\'s not wrong. I am trying to make a name for myself. To regain my family\'s previous glory. So, yes, fame and fortune matter." Her voice trailed off slightly at the end as if realizing she had revealed more than she meant to.

For a brief moment, Lucavion\'s expression shifted, his smirk fading into something more thoughtful. He didn\'t mock her or toss out another teasing remark. Instead, he simply studied her with an intensity that made Valeria feel exposed as if he could see through her defenses, the ones she had built so carefully over the years.

"Well," he said softly, his voice carrying a weight she hadn\'t expected, "at least you\'re honest about it."

Valeria blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. She had been prepared for him to laugh at her, to twist her words into another joke, but instead, he simply nodded, as if he understood. It unnerved her more than anything he had said before.

"Of course I\'m honest," Valeria replied, quickly regaining her composure. "Why wouldn\'t I be? This tournament is an opportunity to prove myself—to show that the Olarion name still carries weight. It\'s not just for me. It\'s for my family." Her voice was firm, but there was an undercurrent of vulnerability that she couldn\'t quite mask.

For the past few days, she had been wondering now that she was traveling alone.

\'What does it mean to regain my family\'s former glory to me?\'

This was something that suddenly she asked herself.

Was her family\'s glory something important to her? Was she really supposed to spend all of her life chasing it?

Was that how life was supposed to be lived?

Lucavion didn\'t push further, but the look in his eyes told her he had noticed. "Well, then," he said with a grin that returned just as easily as it had slipped away, "I guess we\'ll both be making names for ourselves."

Valeria nodded, though her mind was still lost in the swirl of thoughts that had plagued her over the past few days.

Lucavion\'s playful voice cut through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present. "But you know," he began, leaning back in his chair with a smirk, "if you\'re really aiming for the top, Valeria, you\'ll eventually have to beat me." His grin widened, clearly enjoying the shift in the conversation. "So, tell me, are you confident you can do that? Take me down in front of all those spectators?"

Valeria shot him a sharp look, recognizing the challenge in his words. "Don\'t act like you\'re some unbeatable force," she muttered, crossing her arms. "You may have talent, but I\'ve been training my entire life for moments like this."

Lucavion chuckled, clearly unfazed by her retort. "Ah, training your whole life, huh? Impressive. But let me remind you..." He leaned in slightly, his eyes sparkling with that infuriating confidence. "I\'ve already beaten you once. Or have you forgotten our little duel?" His voice was light, but there was a deliberate edge to his words, one that stoked her irritation.

Valeria\'s jaw tightened at the memory. He had beaten her, and despite the fact that she hadn\'t gone all out, the defeat still lingered in her mind. "I wasn\'t at my best that day," she said coolly, trying to maintain her composure. "Don\'t get too comfortable thinking you\'ll have the same result."

"Oh, I\'m not comfortable," Lucavion replied, his grin widening. "But confident? Absolutely. I mean, look at me." He gestured to himself with an exaggerated flourish, as if his mere presence was proof enough of his superiority. "I\'ve got the skills, the talent, the charm. I\'d say I\'m pretty much the whole package."

Valeria cringed at his self-aggrandizing display, feeling a mix of irritation and secondhand embarrassment. "You\'re insufferable, you know that?" she muttered, rolling her eyes. "This isn\'t about charm or talent alone. It\'s about discipline and hard work."

Lucavion laughed, clearly enjoying how easily he got under her skin. "True, true. But talent makes things a lot more fun, don\'t you think? Besides," he added, leaning forward slightly, "I wouldn\'t be so quick to dismiss me. After all, you\'ll need more than discipline if you plan to beat me in the tournament."

Valeria narrowed her eyes at him, her competitive spirit flaring in response. "We\'ll see about that. I\'ll show you that there\'s more to being a warrior than swagger and showmanship."

Lucavion\'s grin remained, but for a brief moment, something sharper flashed in his eyes, a reminder that beneath his playful exterior, there was a dangerous skill that he rarely showed. "I look forward to it, Lady Olarion," he said, his voice softening but still carrying that same teasing edge. "But don\'t be surprised if I end up stealing the spotlight. It\'s just what I do."

For some reason, she felt like these words really contained truth.

Why did she just get chills from that statement just now? Why did her senses tingle and warn her?

\'This bastard…..is he planning something?\'

The thought crossed her mind briefly, but she quickly pushed it aside.

No, he\'s just trying to mess with me again, she told herself. This was Lucavion, after all—always teasing, always finding a way to keep her off-balance. There was no point in overanalyzing every word he said.

With a dismissive shake of her head, Valeria buried herself in her meal, determined to let the conversation fade. She focused on the taste of the roasted meat, the warmth of the bread—anything to keep her mind from wandering back to his cryptic statement.

Lucavion, to her surprise, didn\'t say anything else either. He simply continued eating, his earlier grin replaced by a quiet, contemplative expression. It was odd, the sudden silence between them, especially after their usual back-and-forth, but Valeria didn\'t question it. She wasn\'t in the mood to engage further, and perhaps neither was he.

The tension from earlier gradually dissipated as they ate in silence, the only sounds being the clinking of utensils and the occasional murmur of other patrons in the inn. It wasn\'t an uncomfortable silence—just one that felt... different.

Valeria glanced at Lucavion from the corner of her eye, half-expecting him to start up again, to break the quiet with another one of his infuriating remarks. But he remained focused on his food, his expression unreadable, and for once, she found herself thankful for the reprieve.

Eventually, they finished their meals. Valeria wiped her mouth, feeling the weight of the day beginning to settle in. She leaned back in her chair, exhaling softly as the warmth from the food spread through her, bringing a sense of calm.

Lucavion stretched lazily, the usual grin making a brief appearance again as he caught her eye. "Well," he said lightly, "I suppose I\'ll have to save the rest of my brilliance for another time."

Valeria rolled her eyes, though this time there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Please don\'t," she muttered, though without the usual sharpness.

Lucavion chuckled, standing up and tossing a few coins on the table. "Good meal. Let\'s hope the tournament\'s as satisfying."

"Heh... Arrogant bastard..." Valeria mumbled to herself, a slight smile tugging at her lips as she watched Lucavion.

"Did you say something?" Lucavion asked, turning his head slightly, a teasing glint already forming in his eyes.

"No," Valeria responded quickly, straightening her posture.

"I could\'ve sworn I heard something…" he pressed, leaning in a little, his grin widening.

"You misheard it, then." Valeria\'s tone was flat, though the smile still lingered on her lips.

Lucavion shrugged, feigning innocence. "I see," he said, though it was clear from the way he chuckled that he didn\'t believe her for a second.

Valeria shook her head, standing up from the table and feeling lighter than before. Despite his infuriating nature, she had to admit that the banter between them—no matter how irritating—was oddly grounding. As much as Lucavion got under her skin, he also had a way of making her forget, even if just for a moment, the heavy weight of the expectations she carried.

They walked out of the inn together, the air cool and refreshing against their skin.

*******

"Hello, Madam Iron Matron."

And just as it was evening, Lucavion stood right before the Madam, this time alone.