“Say that again.”

The man who had been blurting nonsense instantly froze. A large shadow loomed threateningly over him.

“M-me? I didn’t… I mean, what did I…”

“Just because you’ve got a mouth doesn’t mean you can use it recklessly. Mouth or otherwise. If you want to keep your parts working properly, keep your nose out of another man’s woman.”

“S-sorry…”

“Caleb, let’s just go.”

When Astrid, nestled in his arms, tugged gently at his sleeve, Caleb finally relaxed his furrowed face. Taking advantage of the moment, the man Caleb had intimidated, along with a few companions, fled in haste.

“Tsk, tsk. Pathetic. A good beating would keep their mouths shut. Instead, they’ll just go around ruining the festival mood.”

Astrid scolded Caleb, who clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

“Were you planning to stand out like this? Right now, you’re just an ordinary man out at the festival with his lover. Not a Grand Duke or a knight commander.”

“…What?”

Arms folded, lecturing him, Astrid made Caleb give her a baffled look.

“No, what I meant was—”

“Never mind. Who am I to you?”

“…An ordinary man?”

“No, before that.”

“Um, let’s see. Out at the festival with—ah. With my lover…!”

Before Astrid could finish, Caleb bent down and urgently captured her lips. Standing on tiptoe, Astrid closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his firm waist.

Behind the young lovers, fireworks burst with sharp pops, and cheers from the crowd marked the official beginning of the festival.

With the hot breath parting her lips, Astrid forgot all the words spoken by that strange foreign woman.

It was the beginning of a curious night.

***

“Everyone, the highlight of the festival you’ve all been waiting for! We will now begin the slave auction!”

Waaaah—!

Thunderous cheers, whistles, applause, and stomping filled the venue. Amid the peculiar heat and excitement, only one person wore a grave expression.

“Astrid, are you all right? That’s why I said we should’ve rested before coming—”

“Did you hear that just now?”

“Hear what?”

Seeing Caleb’s casual, puzzled face, Astrid shook her head.

“You must not have heard properly. Just now, they said they’re starting a slave auction…”

“…Ah.”

Seeing Astrid’s serious face, Caleb gave a small chuckle as if realizing something.

“This isn’t something to laugh at. A slave auction… Such illegal things are happening openly within your territory. Why are you—”

“Whether it’s laughable or not, we’ll see soon enough.”

“…What?”

When Astrid’s face filled with questions, unable to understand, men had already appeared on the tall stage, lining up in formation.

“What in the world…”

“Well. They are slaves, but in a different sense of the word.”

“…Oh no.”

Astrid couldn’t believe the sight before her eyes. Burly men stood on stage, each flaunting their charms.

A man in tight clothes revealing his build, another bare-chested, another covered in hair from head to toe, another so pretty he could be mistaken for a woman at first glance.

The young men each struck poses, radiating their appeal.

“What… is this supposed to be?”

“What else? It’s a contest to pick the most attractive man. Whoever donates the most money earns the right to a date with the most popular man.”

“Ah…”

“Don’t make that face. This is just a festival. Those men are representatives chosen from each village. The winner gets a large prize, which usually gets donated. Unless he’s some greedy fool, the money goes to helping orphans, the elderly, or the poor. It’s nothing like what you’re imagining.”

“Wh-what? I wasn’t imagining anything. Why do you think I was—”

“Then why are you stammering? That’s not like you. Are you unwell? Your cheeks are red. Do you have a fever?”

“…”

Pressing his forehead against hers to check, Caleb only made Astrid’s flushed cheeks burn hotter.

Noticing people’s glances shifting from the stage to her, Astrid quickly pushed Caleb away with both hands.

“…”

She had only been embarrassed by the attention, but perhaps her push was stronger than she thought. Caleb stumbled back a step, his face stiff.

Astrid, flustered, was just about to stammer an excuse when—

“Mr. Emcee! There’s a perfect candidate here! For a man like this, I’d gladly put down a hundred dalants in donations right this instant!”

Before she knew it, a woman pressed close to Caleb’s side raised his arm and shouted loudly.

“What the…”

Just as the flustered Caleb was about to shake off the woman’s hand—

“Hmph! A hundred dalants? I’ll give three hundred!”

“This woman’s insane! She’s determined to squander her entire fortune!”

“If you’re jealous, then pay more!”

“What, are you trying to compete with me right now?”

In an instant, countless women surrounded Caleb, and Astrid found herself forced away from him in the blink of an eye.

“Caleb…?”

Seeing Astrid drifting farther away, about to be swallowed by the crowd, Caleb’s expression hardened at once.

“Astrid! Don’t move from there—”

Just as he was about to shake off the many hands clinging to his arm and head toward her—

“Now, now, don’t resist. Please come up to the stage! Oh, my! Height, physique, face—not a single thing lacking! Since this festival began, we’ve never had such a splendid candidate. Everyone, shall we welcome him forward?”

At the man’s words before the stage, the crowd roared in unison with cheers.

“Great!”

“Send him up right now!”

“What is this…?”

“Forward, forward!”

As the crowd shouted “forward” together, a group of men suddenly appeared, surrounding Caleb and leading him toward the stage.

“Caleb…!”

Astrid cried out his name in panic, but it was useless. The distance between them widened in an instant, leaving Astrid stranded alone amid the crowd.

“Excuse me, could you step aside, please?”

She tried again and again, hoping to get closer to where Caleb was. But it was impossible. She had barely taken two or three steps before collapsing onto the ground.

Whether someone had tripped her, shoved her, or her legs had simply given out, she couldn’t tell. She was too disoriented to know.

“This isn’t right…”

She was wondering if she should pay a great sum and claim Caleb herself when—

“Do you need help, Lady?”

“…Ah.”

Astrid stared blankly at the hand extended before her.

It was a long, well-shaped hand, with tanned, sturdy bronze skin. Adorned with ornate rings on each joint and multiple bracelets on the wrist, it was clear at a glance he was no man of Cliff.

“Quickly now! If you stay sitting like this, you’ll get hurt.”

Before the startled Astrid could answer, the man grasped her hand firmly and pulled her up.

“…”

Startled, Astrid instinctively looked up at him. The man, as tall and imposing as Caleb, had his face wrapped entirely in cloth, yet he smiled brightly.

Though she couldn’t see his whole face, even the features visible beyond the cloth were handsome enough to recognize at a glance.

“Did you come alone? If you don’t mind, may I accompany you for a while, Lady?”

His Croatan was fluent, yet carried a faint foreign accent.

“No, I…”

She had been about to say, ‘Thank you for helping me, but I must find my husband.’

“Meeting like this in a foreign land is a kind of fate. How about a meal—or at least tea time? Ah, don’t misunderstand me, Lady. I’m not so frivolous as to ask every woman I meet. I just feel I’ll regret it if I let this chance pass. Please forgive my boldness.”

“…”

“…Lady?”

Noticing Astrid’s unwavering gaze fixed on him, the man fell silent.

“Are you, perhaps, Prince Murad?”

“…!”

At Astrid’s words, the man’s alluring lips parted slightly, revealing his white teeth.

‘I knew it…’

She had only suspected, but her guess was right.

“I heard you came as an envoy this time. To purchase Cliff’s potions.”

“How does Lady know of that?”

“Oh…!”

In that instant, jostled by the excited crowd, Astrid stumbled. Murad quickly reached out, wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her to him.

“My apologies. I didn’t want you hurt.”

“Ah, yes…”

Flustered, Astrid stepped back at once to widen the distance again. For a fleeting moment, Murad’s brown eyes glimmered with coldness. But it vanished before she could notice.

“You heard I came as an envoy… from a rumor?”

“No, I received it directly from His Majesty the King by letter. Allow me to greet you formally. I am Astrid Lionel, Grand Duchess of Cliff, Your Highness.”

“…!”

Murad stared in silence at the lady before him, who, despite not being dressed as a high noblewoman, displayed flawless etiquette.

A small figure with a fair face. Delicate, refined features, and hair that shone like threads of gold.

Before him stood the Grand Duchess of Croatan, the first developer of Cliff’s potions, the woman renowned as Cliff’s treasure.

Before his visit as envoy, he had heard much about her. Yet she was nothing like he had imagined. The Grand Duchess of Croatan was more dignified and elegant than he expected, and at the same time, utterly enchanting.

‘This is… troublesome.’