Chapter 91: Three Foolish Knights

Having no heart and no soul is the foundation for standing in the political arena.

John didn't care at all about what was happening on Henry II's side; he was still enjoying his life in Dublin.

The tournament continued as usual, seemingly unaffected by the war on the continent. Well, it should be this way—Ireland is so far from the continent and shouldn't be entangled in its wars.

Pierre remained the undefeated champion, leaving everyone deeply impressed.

"How did you recruit such a formidable knight?" Isabella asked. "It seems we don't have such an impressive knight in Gloucester."

Standing beside Isabella, Red-Nosed Hugo felt a bit embarrassed.

But if he were to actually face Pierre, he wouldn't have the guts. Pierre's talent displayed in battle was too strong, and his experience was not inferior to other knights.

"A tournament," John said quietly. "I held a tournament in Lancaster and then discovered this guy. He was already terrifying at that time. But I don't know why, no one ever recognized his combat talent."

Isabella nonchalantly said, "Everything is God's plan. Even if it wasn't discovered, it was God's will."

John glanced at her; Isabella seemed very devout in her faith.

Who knows if she will donate to the church in the future; anyway, it feels like she probably will.

When Pierre raised his hands high in the arena, cheering his victory, John knew the time had come. After whispering a few words to a knight beside him, the knight walked away.

Everyone wondered what John was going to do.

While they were still pondering, Pierre, preparing to leave the arena, noticed a figure at the exit.

John's lips curled into a slight smile, as if his scheme had succeeded.

Helena stood there, dressed elegantly in a golden gown that highlighted her perfect figure. Her hair was golden, her skin snow-white, a typical Nordic image of a pure and icy beauty, yet she exuded the demeanor of a girl admiring her lover.

In her hands, she held a folded surcoat and a long sword. The sword was a gift from John, and the surcoat was woven by herself.

"Lady, what are you doing here?" Pierre sheathed his sword and walked up to Helena.

Helena, a bit shy, lowered her head. "This is my gift to you, Sir Pierre."

A gift?

Pierre was surprised, at a loss for words. He never thought a young girl would give him a gift for his brilliant performance in the tournament. He foolishly accepted Helena's gift, then didn't know what to do.

"I... my name is Helena. You can come find me!" 

After saying this, Helena covered her face and ran away. She never imagined she would do something like this in front of everyone. It was incredibly embarrassing for her.

Somehow, Pierre followed her, chasing after Helena, disappearing at the exit.

"What's with that guy?" Valkarin, standing next to John, looked shocked. They had promised to be best friends for life, so why did he suddenly get involved with a woman?

John watched this scene, feeling very satisfied. However, everyone's attention was drawn to the pair on the field.

At the exit, Helena hadn't run far before Pierre caught up with her.

"Helena! Helena!"

Pierre ran in front of her and blocked her way. Helena stopped but didn't dare to look up.

"This gift is too precious, Helena. I can't accept it like this." Pierre handed the sword back to Helena. "Why don't you take it back?"

Seeing the gift being returned, Helena wanted to argue but couldn't find the words.

In the end, she could only watch Pierre walk away.

...

"No, it shouldn't have been like this." John's tone was filled with a hint of disappointment. "You should have been more forceful and made him accept your gift."

"But that wouldn't work at all. How could I make him accept it?" Helena defended herself.

John rubbed his forehead. "Just like you are now. If you said it to him like this, he would surely accept your gift."

Helena felt a bit upset at being reprimanded like this. However, due to John's status, she couldn't show her displeasure directly, so she just puffed out her cheeks and sulked.

Seeing Helena like this, John continued, "Pierre is very simple. If you take the initiative, you'll definitely win him over."

Helena still didn't respond, lowering her head and fiddling with her clothes.

It might indeed have been a bit overwhelming for Helena, making it hard for her to adjust. However, the pursuit always involves some setbacks.

"Forget it, why don't you go talk to Isabella?" John decided to let a woman handle the matter of another woman. "I think she might understand better than I do."

Helena nodded, then watched as John went into the room and called Isabella out.

Meanwhile, Valkarin and Pierre were sitting face to face, a large barrel of beer and a small basket of bread on the table.

"What do you think I should do about this?" Pierre had just finished a mug of beer.

Valkarin shook his head. "You're asking me? How should I know?"

Indeed, asking him was a waste of time. Valkarin had never concerned himself with such matters, so how would he know what to do?

Pierre could only continue drinking, without touching the bread.

When two drinking buddies get together, the outcome is that the beer is never enough. After finishing the large barrel, they still weren't satisfied and moved to the bathhouse.

Red-Nosed Hugo was a regular at the bathhouse, so they went straight into the VIP room.

"What do you do about that pretty little lady who gave you the gift?" Hugo poured them drinks. "It's simple. Accept her gift, say a few nice things to make her happy, and then take her home."

His words left the two men looking at each other in disbelief.

Hugo continued, "Don't think there's anything wrong with that. Women like to be flattered."

"No, no, no, I just think it might be a bit inappropriate. What would His Highness think?" Pierre asked.

At this, Red-Nosed Hugo chuckled.

Indeed, many people believed that Helena was sent by Rolf to bribe John. Rolf probably thought so too, but from John's actions, it didn't seem like that was the case.

He said, "When I was at the tournament, I kept an eye on His Highness. Guess what I discovered?"

Valkarin and Pierre both shook their heads, waiting for Hugo to continue.

"Do you know that the reason Helena was able to meet you was all arranged by His Highness?" Red-Nosed Hugo said with absolute confidence. "Remember when His Highness called away that knight? He was sent to notify Helena to wait for you at the exit, Pierre."

Hugo's revelation was a bombshell for the two of them.

"Helena definitely likes you and asked His Highness for help. Understand?" Hugo pointed at Pierre.

Pierre, embarrassed by this revelation, admitted, "I've never encountered something like this before. I really don't know what to do..."

"Listen to me, Pierre. Helena is a great choice," Hugo sighed. "You now have the right to choose for yourself, and His Highness has given his tacit approval for you two to develop a relationship. In my opinion, you should pick a bouquet of flowers and go find her right now."

"How can that be right?" Valkarin was shocked.

Pierre's expression mirrored Valkarin's, showing his confusion and lack of understanding about Hugo's suggestion.

Hugo prodded him, "You boy, seize the opportunity while you have it."