The courtyard erupted into action. Knights scrambled to set up boards, shuffle cards, and position dice. Some rearranged tables for more space, while others called dibs on who would play against Aisha first. The air was electric with excitement.

Julie sighed, shaking her head as she watched Aisha already hopping between tables, scanning her opponents like a general about to lead an army into battle.

‘Of course she took my joke literally.’

Isabelle, standing beside Julie, chuckled softly. “She really does have a competitive streak, doesn’t she?”

Julie smirked. “Oh, you have no idea.”

Aisha clapped her hands once, loudly. “Alright! Let’s set some rules!” She announced. “Since I’ll be playing multiple games at once, I’ll make my moves quickly! No stalling! No delays! If you take too long, I’m moving on!”

The knights exchanged glances, some grinning in anticipation, others muttering things like, “Oh, she’s serious-serious.”

A knight near the back raised a hand. “Chief! What if you lose?”

Aisha scoffed. “I won’t.”

Laughter rippled through the group, but it wasn’t mocking—it was pure excitement.

Julie crossed her arms. “Alright, then. If you’re so confident, what do we get if you do lose?”

Aisha’s tail flicked. She narrowed her eyes. “You won’t.”

“Oh come on.” Julie teased. “Humor us.”

The knights murmured in agreement.

Aisha huffed, crossing her arms. “Fine. If I lose more games than I win…” She hesitated, as if the very idea was unfathomable. Then, begrudgingly, she finished. “I’ll do whatever dumb punishment you guys come up with.”

A cheer went up.

Julie grinned. ‘Oh, this is going to be fun.’

“Deal.” She said. “But what if you win?”

Aisha smirked. “Then all of you who dared to challenge me half to do a hand stand so that more blood can go to your brain, that’s not working enough since you guys actually think I’ll lose.”

More laughter poured out

“Alright, deal!” One of the knights called.

“Let’s get started!” Another added.

Aisha turned to face her first batch of opponents. Her amber eyes gleamed as she placed a hand on the checkers board in front of her while simultaneously reaching for a die at the snakes and ladders table.

“Then let’s begin.” She declared.

And just like that, the first official Holy Guard Game Night was in full swing.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

For the next hour, chaos reigned.

Aisha darted from table to table, making moves at breakneck speed. She was playing carrom against one knight while simultaneously strategizing in life against another. She flicked a die across the Ludo board while calling out her move in mahjong without even looking.

Her brain was working overtime, processing multiple games at once. But she thrived on it.

Julie watched, half-impressed, half-amused, as Aisha’s usual cocky confidence turned into laser-focused intensity.

“She’s actually keeping up.” Isabelle murmured, watching as Aisha countered an opponent’s move in Backgammon while immediately following it with an aggressive placement in a mediaeval version of battleship.

“Of course she is.” Julie said, smiling like a proud older sister. “She’s always been way too smart for her age.”

The knights, who had been excited to take her down, were now starting to sweat. Some underestimated her at first, expecting her to crack under the pressure of multiple simultaneous games.

They were wrong.

“How is she so fast?” One knight muttered, moving a piece in Life, only for Aisha to respond immediately with a move that completely flipped the game.

“She’s reading my moves before I even make them!” Another groaned as Aisha wiped the floor with them in Sequence.

But Aisha wasn’t unstoppable.

She was dominating strategy-based games like chess and Checkers, but Snakes and Ladders? Ludo? Those were a different story.

“HA! You landed on another snake, Chief!” A knight cackled as Aisha, for the third time in a row, was forced to slide back down.

Aisha growled. “This game is stupid.”

The knights roared with laughter.

And in Ludo, while she was busy calculating an aggressive move in Checkers, she completely missed a knight rolling just the right number to send her piece back to the start.

“What?!” Aisha yelped as her token was sent back.

“Oops.” The knight grinned. “Guess you should pay attention.”

Aisha’s eye twitched. “This is such a dumb game…It basically relies on luck to win.”

Julie cackled as she watched her losing which was quite rare. “And it looks like luck isn’t on your side, Aisha.”

Aisha whipped around, glaring at her. “I don’t need luck! I have skill!”

“Yeah? Well, luck is currently kicking your skill’s ass.” Julie teased.

Aisha grumbled something under her breath but quickly moved on, diving back into her strategy games with renewed aggression.

Despite her struggles in luck-based games, she was still winning most of the matches. One by one, she picked off her opponents, leaving them dazed and defeated.

The energy in the courtyard was wild. Cheers, groans, and laughter filled the air as the knights either tried to take Aisha down or celebrated her unfortunate dice rolls.

The outcome had already been decided. The knights were probably going to eat their words soon.

Julie knew it. The whole courtyard knew it.

Aisha had played her ridiculous simultaneous tournament like a woman possessed, and despite her dramatic losses in games of pure luck, she had absolutely demolished anyone who dared challenge her in strategy-based games.

And now?

Now the knights were facing the harsh reality that they were going to have to swallow their pride and do headstands which would probably end with them puking all over the place with how drunk they were.

Julie sighed. She didn’t want to see such a pitiful sight—her own knights begrudgingly admitting defeat, mumbling the words like prisoners forced to confess their crimes.

It was honestly embarrassing.

So, instead of watching the inevitable unfold, she decided to look around and see if there was anything else in the courtyard that she had missed.

And oh, there was plenty happening.

Over on the far side, Skadi was still playing volleyball. Or rather, she was singlehandedly destroying eight knights at once.

Julie stared for a moment, watching as Skadi launched herself into the air, twisting her body mid-flight, and then— BAM—she spiked the ball down with such force that it might as well have been weeping from the impact.

The knights on the other side barely had time to react before the ball slammed into the ground.

“THAT’S FOUR POINTS IN A ROW, LOSERS!” Skadi howled, throwing her head back with a victorious laugh. “IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT?!”

The knights groaned, some falling to their knees dramatically.

“How is she even human?” Sne of them muttered.

“She’s not, you idiot.” Another knight grumbled. “She’s from the Fenrir race that are known for their ridiculous battle prowess and small brains.”

Julie shook her head…Of course Skadi got influenced by Aisha’s antics. It seemed like tonight was all about ridiculous one-versus-many matchups.

Her gaze then drifted elsewhere.

In the middle of the courtyard, Aisha was still deep in her tournament, currently stealing every single property from her unfortunate opponent in a game of Monopoly.

The knight across from her looked devastated, her expression that of a woman who had just lost her actual house rather than a few pieces of paper and plastic hotels.

“Y-You can’t do this.” The knight whispered, staring at Aisha with wide, betrayed eyes.

Aisha leaned back in her chair, grinning like an evil noblewoman. “Oh, but I can. And I did.”

She twirled one of her newly-acquired property cards between her fingers. “Now, let’s see…I think I’ll raise the rent on Boardwalk. Oh wait—I own that now too. What a shame.”

The knight clutched her head. “No…NO!”

Julie exhaled. This is getting out of hand.

And, of course, the jazz band was still going strong.

The upbeat melody filled the air, blending seamlessly with the sounds of laughter, shouting, and competitive banter. Julie had grown quite fond of this music—there was something strangely relaxing about it, despite the chaos all around.

But as much as she wanted to get a closer look at the strange new instruments and hear them better, she absolutely wasn’t going anywhere near the dancing knights.

Because if she did?

Those drunken fools would drag her into the mess, and Julie—who could barely walk without tripping over thin air—would inevitably embarrass herself.

Nope…Not happening.

So instead, she decided to just find a seat somewhere and relax.

But just as she was about to do so, she spotted something she hadn’t noticed before.

A table, sitting near the band, which had previously been completely crowded…But now?

Now it was free.

Julie furrowed her brows, curiosity tugging at her.

From a distance, it looked like a jewelry display, with the way the table shimmered under the warm lantern light.

But as she got closer, she realized—

These weren’t jewels.

Her eyes widened slightly as she stopped in front of the table, Isabelle following close behind.

Laid out in perfect rows, almost too perfect, were an array of desserts—each one immaculately decorated, arranged like priceless artifacts in a royal collection.

Julie had seen many extravagant feasts before. As a noble, she was no stranger to decadence. But what truly took her by surprise wasn’t the sheer amount of desserts.

It was how they were presented.

Every single treat was adorable.

Miniature pastries, no larger than the palm of her hand, decorated with delicate swirls of cream and fresh berries. Chocolate truffles that looked almost too perfect to eat, their glossy surfaces shimmering under the lantern glow. Tiny fruit tarts, arranged like miniature bouquets, their colors vibrant and eye-catching.

And then there were the macarons—stacked in neat, rainbow-colored towers, their delicate shells painted with golden designs.

Julie stared.

And kept staring.

“They’re quite pretty aren’t they, Miss Julie?” Isabelle asked with a smile on her face when she saw Julie staring at the sweets like she was looking at a divine painting.

Julie finally blinked, snapping out of her daze.

She pointed at one of the delicacies—a small, pastel-pink mousse cake, topped with a single candied rose petal. “What is this?”

One of the maids standing by the table smiled. “That is a raspberry rose mousse cake, Captain Julie.”

Julie turned her head sharply. “It has a name?”

The maid chuckled. “Of course. Every single one of these desserts was made with precision and care.”

Julie’s eyes flicked across the table again.

There was a small, round cake dusted in powdered sugar, with an intricate pattern etched into its surface.

There were tiny éclairs, filled with what looked like the smoothest cream she had ever seen, each one topped with a thin layer of caramel that glistened.

There were cupcakes with gold leaf on them…A gold leaf.

She let out a slow breath.

This wasn’t just a dessert table.

This was an art exhibition.

Julie, a woman who had faced countless battles, fought through grueling training, and commanded the Holy Guard without hesitation—felt hesitant to even touch these masterpieces.

“They’re…” She started, struggling for words.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” Isabelle finished for her.

Julie nodded and then stared at the desserts with a deep, almost suspicious gaze. They were just too perfect—so immaculate, so delicate, that they hardly even looked like food.

She narrowed her eyes and turned to Isabelle.

“Are you sure these are desserts?” She asked, skeptical. “I mean…they look more like treasure pieces than something you’re supposed to eat.”

Isabelle chuckled softly. “Of course they’re desserts, Captain. Why else would they be at a party?”

Julie still wasn’t convinced. Her gut told her this was some kind of elaborate trick.

Isabelle noticed her hesitation and smirked. “If you don’t believe me, why don’t you try one?”

Julie hesitated again. She didn’t want to ruin the beauty of these little masterpieces. It felt almost wrong to disturb their perfect form.

But at the same time…curiosity tugged at her.

She exhaled, bracing herself. “Alright.” She muttered, as if she were about to commit some great crime.

And then carefully, with a level of precision that was almost comedic, she picked up one of the desserts—a small, pastel-pink mousse cake with a delicate rose petal on top. It was so light that she could barely feel its weight in her fingers.

With one last moment of hesitation, she brought it to her lips and took a small, careful bite.

The moment the dessert hit her tongue—

Her eyes widened.

Her whole body stiffened.

A slow silence stretched between her and Isabelle.

Then, in a hushed, almost reverent tone, she whispered—

“…Delicious.”

Isabelle smiled knowingly.

Julie blinked, still frozen in place. She looked down at the dessert in her hand as if it had just changed her entire worldview.

“It’s…so delicious.” She said again, dazed.

She took another bite, slower this time, as if savoring every last moment.

She had tasted countless desserts before—she had attended noble banquets, extravagant feasts, high-society parties filled with decadent sweets.

And yet…

Nothing had ever tasted this rich. This smooth. This perfect.

Not only was the texture airy and velvety, but the flavors blended in a way that felt almost unreal. The light tartness of the raspberries, the delicate floral notes of the rose, the subtle sweetness that didn’t overwhelm the palate—it was all perfectly balanced.

She swallowed, her lips parting slightly in wonder.

“Not only is it delicious…” She murmured, staring at the cake in her hand like it was a divine artifact. “But it’s utterly gorgeous too, looking even prettier then the flowers in the garden.”

She took another bite—this time with no hesitation.

After savoring it for a moment, she sighed, her expression softening into one of genuine appreciation like she was eating a treat that had fallen from the heavens.

“The chef who made this…” She said, shaking her head in amazement. “…must be praised for their glorious work.”

Isabelle’s smile grew at the compliment. She folded her hands together proudly. “I appreciate the kind words, Miss Julie.”

“…I’ll be sure to tell my Young Master you said so.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep