chapter 118 part 1
Chapter 118 Golden Rose
Greene Kleb did not pursue Loras Tyrell relentlessly.
Greene Kleb silently extended his right hand, palm facing up, as if sensing something.
He gazed into the distance and sighed softly, his eyes filled with regret. "I thought King's Landing was steeped in mourning... it is weeping..."
The crowd fell silent.
At this moment, watching the scene unfold, the people who had just been cheering and laughing felt a complex mix of emotions.
Some felt ashamed, others were embarrassed, while a few remained indifferent... a motley collection of reactions.
Renly's expression was grave, the fury in his blue eyes barely concealed.
Since childhood, wherever Renly went, he was fawned over by crowds, like the moon among stars.
Renly found it hard to believe that a minor noble would dare to humiliate him in front of so many people.
Renly's eyes shifted, glancing at Jaime, who stood beside Greene Kleb.
Could this be a Lannister plot?
He already held no goodwill toward the Lannisters, and combined with Greene Kleb's utterly inconceivable behavior, Renly couldn't help but overthink.
Renly stared at Greene Kleb, his gaze arrogant and tinged with a warning.
Renly's stare was too intense. Greene Kleb shifted his gaze to meet it.
A flicker of contempt, perfectly timed for Renly to catch, crossed Greene Kleb's face.
Greene Kleb spoke in a mild tone, "Lord Renly, does the old Lord's passing grieve you?"
The fleeting look of contempt Greene Kleb had just given him sent a blaze of fury through Renly.
The words of House Baratheon are "Ours is the Fury."
The perceptive Greene Kleb had pushed Renly to the very brink of unleashing that fury.
Renly felt all eyes upon him. He gave a very stiff nod.
Renly was not a transmigrator like Greene Kleb. At just over twenty years of age, he had not yet reached a stage of mental maturity, and the person he faced was... Greene Kleb, who was indifferent to a person's bloodline and status.
Given Lord Renly's station, he could have simply ignored Greene Kleb's question.
But he was now a candidate for Hand of the King. If he didn't give a direct response today, who knew what sort of rumors would spread by tomorrow.
Greene Kleb, respecting the rules of the game, first bowed his head in tribute to Lord Renly.
A smirk played on Greene Kleb's lips, and his face took on the expression of a conspirator whose plot had succeeded.
Renly's eyes trembled. *I wasn't wrong. It really is a Lannister plot!*
"Then..." Greene Kleb began to speak slowly.
The handsome Loras suddenly stepped in front of Renly, facing Greene Kleb.
Loras snapped coldly, "I said, you will not offend Lord Renly!"
Greene Kleb raised an eyebrow and looked at Loras, whose face seemed to be coated in a layer of frost.
"Ser Loras, are you trying to slander someone out of thin air again?"
Flames seemed to erupt from Loras's golden eyes. His hand tightened on the hilt of the longsword at his waist. "I do not engage in wars of words! The gods will be just. My sword shall be my proof."
Greene Kleb looked at Jaime beside him with amusement. "Ser," he said, "he doesn't mean to challenge me, does he?"
Jaime shrugged. "It's rather obvious."
Greene Kleb's dismissiveness made Loras's anger uncontrollable, as if he were about to erupt with surging fury.
The smile on Greene Kleb's face vanished in an instant, his eyes flashing with a cold light. "All of you here can bear witness."
Greene Kleb's entire aura changed abruptly. Loras felt as if he were being stared down by a savage beast.
Loras shook off this absurd notion. He had absolute confidence in his swordsmanship.
The surrounding crowd stepped back, clearing a space for the two to duel.
He would teach this fellow who dared to offend Renly a harsh lesson! With a *shing*, Loras drew his sword.
With his longsword drawn, Loras looked like a sharp, precious blade himself, drawing gasps of admiration from the onlookers.
And then... he fell. With one heavy blow from Greene Kleb, Loras was knocked unconscious.
Ser Loras Tyrell was too handsome; the kind-hearted Greene Kleb had not harmed his beautiful face.
...
The change on the field had been too sudden. The crowd, unable to react in time, stood there, utterly stunned.
Renly, ignoring everything else, rushed over to check on Loras's condition.
Renly knelt and cradled Loras in his arms.
Loras's eyes were shut tight. He looked a bit disheveled, but still exceptionally handsome.
At that moment, Loras's appearance bore a striking resemblance to his sister, Margaery.
Renly's gaze was sharp. His eyes swept slowly over Greene Kleb and Jaime.
Jaime lifted his chin, his gaze just as sharp. The Golden Lion never feared the Crowned Stag.
Greene Kleb held his sword hilt in his right hand, the longsword resting by his side, the picture of nonchalance.
Greene Kleb could feel the hateful glares from the young ladies among the nobles in the crowd, which gave him the strange feeling that he was some sort of villain.
Greene Kleb sighed inwardly. *We're both handsome men, why the different treatment?*
Greene Kleb, having just cruelly struck down a flower, now turned his attention to Renly's other guards.
"Does anyone else wish to try slandering out of thin air?"
Renly's guards glared at Greene Kleb furiously.
Renly handed Loras over to his attendants, then stood up and raised a hand to stop his guards, who were about to draw their swords.
Renly walked over, first looking at Greene Kleb, then speaking to Jaime. "Ser Jaime, I will remember your 'greetings'!"
Jaime's lips curled into a smirk as he said coldly, "Lord Renly, I will also remember your 'greetings'!"
Renly was referring to the day's events, while Jaime was referring to Renly's past schemes to harm Cersei.
Now it was time for the great lords to trade threats. House Baratheon of the Stormlands versus House Lannister of the Westerlands.
Greene Kleb watched the two with a placid expression, inwardly wondering whether he should add more fuel to the fire.
Going too far is as bad as not going far enough. Greene Kleb quickly suppressed the thought of pushing things further.
Greene Kleb suddenly thought of Petyr and Varys. It seemed the three of them were all scheming to create chaos.
It was a pity they all had their own positions, and these positions were in conflict with one another.
Otherwise, if the three of them were to join forces, the so-called great nobles would probably die without ever knowing how.
Just as Greene Kleb finished his lament, he heard a cold snort from Renly.
Renly shot another angry glare at Greene Kleb, then turned on his heel and left the marble plaza with his guards.
As the crowd dispersed, Jaime said with a smile, "Lord Greene Kleb, your method of provocation is truly unique. You've certainly made a deep impression on Renly."
Greene Kleb's tone was full of regret. "A pity the others were stopped by Lord Renly."
Jaime smirked. "That's no small amount of courage. Aren't you worried Renly will retaliate?"
Greene Kleb raised an eyebrow. "Would a Lannister worry about Renly's retaliation?"
Greene Kleb had made his stance clear: *We are on the same side.*
Jaime laughed freely and clapped Greene Kleb on the arm. "At the tourney, let's you and I have a match."
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