Chapter 64

After eating the yam that Eliza gave me and feeling energized, it was finally time for my event.

During the waiting time, I made sure to stretch my body well. You don't want to get injured by suddenly doing intense exercise. Living with a painful leg is not something I want to do.

I clasped my hands together and leaned to the left and right, glancing sideways to check out the other competitors in my group. There was no one particularly impressive.

The 200-meter dash is the event with the most entries, and it consists of three races: the preliminaries, the semifinals, and the finals. Of course, this is only if you advance.

To qualify from the preliminaries, you need to be in the top two within your group. With the expectation that I could probably make it, it was finally my turn.

As the athletes entered their lanes, the introductions were made through a device with a voice amplification spell. The athletes' names and, of course, their family names were introduced in a grand manner.

It wasn't just for the parents who came to watch; it was also a chance to show off that the heir of a certain house was excellent.

"And in lane five, we have Kururi, the next head of the prosperous Helan territory!"

After being introduced, I raised my hand and bowed. I could see my parents, who looked relaxed, and the Iris family waving at me enthusiastically.

Surprisingly, I received a lot of cheers from other noble ladies. This was truly surprising, but perhaps it was a natural reaction because our territory was thriving, making it an excellent place to marry into.

Well, there's no way I wouldn't be happy to receive cheers, so I felt even more motivated. Just before the start, I regretted not practicing a bit more.

The starting gun went off.

I had a perfect start and burst out with momentum. Since it's a straight 200 meters, it's hard to gauge the distance, but I didn't think too much and gave it my all.

I finished in first place.

Panting and wiping the sweat from my face, I felt a slight surge of excitement.

With this, I had cleared the preliminaries.

I think I did the minimum required to stand out for my family name. After the race, I visited Toto, who had already been eliminated and was focusing on his business.

"I saw your race. You ran well."

"Thanks. More importantly, can I rest here for a bit?"

"Sure thing."

So, I decided to sit at Toto's suspicious energy drink stand. I helped him serve the suspicious gentlemen while having lunch.

While eating, I asked Toto about today's sales.

"Of course, as you can see, they're selling like crazy. We're almost running out. By the way, some upperclassmen opened a betting stand on who would win, and I got in on it."

"Is that happening? Who did you bet on?"

"Of course, on you. The odds were pretty good, and I knew you had good athletic skills, so I decided to bet."

"So, how much will I get if I win?"

The amount he whispered to me was honestly shocking. This is a noble school, after all; even when doing bad things, they do it on a grand scale.

"Will you win for me?"

"..."

With one more person wishing for my victory, I decided to run hard in the semifinals.

My group was made up of members who had qualified from the preliminaries, and they all looked in top form. It didn't look like it would be easy.

However, the power of money gave me an unprecedented amount of energy, and I successfully advanced to the finals. Sadly, the money wouldn't be mine, but I still felt motivated.

Now, only the final remained.

By this point, Toto seemed to be getting serious, eagerly waiting for the gambling results instead of focusing on his business.

In the final, there were the people I had almost forgotten about.

First was the hidden super-elite, Ryle.

He had entered the race and made it to the final, the coolest and most impressive pattern. He was getting a lot of cheers from the girls.

And, of course, the prince was still in the race.

He had entered with full commitment and made it to the final, the pattern of a passionate man who is popular. His eyes were burning, but what he saw ahead was probably Iris cheering for his victory. He needs to realize it's an illusion. Being fast and popular only lasts until elementary school.

He was getting even more cheers than Ryle, a mix of his inherent grace and his fierce determination. The women who loved him couldn't resist the atmosphere, even though he didn't seem to hear the cheers at all.

"Prince Arc, do your best!"

Among the many cheers, Iris's voice also rang out. I saw the prince smirk the moment he heard it.

... There's a weakness in the prince's heart. Wait, Toto, the money is one step closer.

The only other serious competitor was probably the upperclassman, Ursain, known for his speed.

"Hey, Ryle, why are you still in the final? I thought you weren't that interested in this kind of thing."

"The prince has some interesting delusions, so I thought I might as well win and see his reaction."

I see. Typical of a scheming guy, smiling and saying something outrageous.

But maybe it's better to wake the prince up from his delusions.

"I will not lose to anyone!"

Next to Ryle and me, who were whispering, the prince stood tall and declared his victory. It was a bit too intense, so I wanted to keep some distance.

I was running for money, the prince for love, and Ryle for his own enjoyment.

The future is unknown, but running will reveal it. We lined up at the starting line.

The starting gun went off, and everyone had a perfect start.

Among them, Ryle, who had a genius start, burst out.

He kept accelerating, determined to win in one go.

What must Ryle be feeling right now? He must be enjoying it to the fullest.

For the sake of the prince, I can't let the most selfish and devious wish win!

I clenched my teeth and tried to keep up with his speed. Not only me, but the prince and, as expected, Ursain also kept up.

However, Ursain suddenly had a malfunction! The favorite was down.

The prince and I, desperate to catch up with Ryle, gradually... gradually, the gap... the gap widened!

That guy is incredibly fast in short distances!!

In the end, Ryle won by a landslide, and the prince and I finished in a tie.

The prince and Toto collapsed.

All the ambitions were shattered.

The only one smiling was Ryle, saying, "Well, that was a good sweat."

And so, the sports festival ended with the scheming guy taking the best part.

"Are you leaving already?"

Iris, who was seeing off her family with a wistful look, had me and the prince waiting behind her.

"Yeah, I'm leaving. Just seeing Iris looking so lively was worth it."

Iris's mother said this with a gentle smile.

Mikal and Asia also smiled at their sister.

"Okay, we're leaving. Iris, if you ever feel down, you can come back anytime."

"Okay, but I'm fine. I'm having a lot of fun."

"That's good. You seem to have good friends, so you'll be fine."

With a light hug, Iris's family left.

Iris watched the departing carriage until it was out of sight.

The prince and I accompanied her, but halfway through, my parents passed by, shouting, "Hey, Kururi! It was fun!" and ruining the atmosphere. I hope you can forgive them. My parents don't read the room.