The sight of him expressing admiration with the lips that had spoken such cruel words was unbearable.

‘You confessed your love to me with those lips and promised eternal trust.’

Chetter’s dual-toned voice echoed like a ring in her ear. The completely different manner of speaking threw her mind into confusion.

As his lips drew closer, her breath quickened, and she felt she might lose her mind.

At that moment,

“We meet again.”

Though she had looked around, she hadn’t seen him…

Lutz approached unnoticed and snatched Hinael’s hand from Chetter.

It seemed he had been hiding and watching the situation with amusement.

Lutz boldly kissed the back of Hinael’s hand. Just before kissing it, he noticed the scratch and frowned.

“You’ve hurt your precious hand. It must have been so painful.”

He spoke as if he were as concerned about Hinael as Chetter was.

Though she wanted to feign ignorance, Lutz’s playful act almost made her laugh.

How was it when he sneaked into the princess’s palace? He didn’t care if someone got scratched by a jewel or bled.

Knowing the context, Hinael couldn’t help but smile faintly.

She quietly held out her hand, blushing as if embarrassed.

“It’s just a scratch from a branch, it doesn’t hurt much.”

“The Count is right. It’s the servant’s fault, so they should be sternly reprimanded.”

Ridiculously, the blame for the scratch from her scuffle with him fell on Dea, who had nothing to do with it.

Hinael barely suppressed her sharp gaze. She had no choice but to remain compliant in this utterly disadvantageous situation.

Lutz surely knew. That’s why he played the role of a suitor, teasing Hinael.

When Hinael grasped Lutz’s hand tightly, signaling him to stop, he straightened his posture.

His relaxed expression and elegant stance revealed a different kind of beauty, unlike Chetter’s. While Chetter embodied the pinnacle of physical beauty, Lutz exuded an innate charm in various ways.

His pronounced features inspired admiration, and his commanding presence intimidated others.

As his nickname ‘War Devil’ suggested, his mere presence was overwhelming.

Chetter couldn’t even open his mouth. He could only glare at Lutz’s audacious behavior of taking Hinael away.

“Your Highness, thank you once again for finding my item.”

“I only did what was necessary. You must have been worried about losing such a valuable item. I’m sorry I didn’t return it sooner.”

People beyond their gaze sneered.

Everyone knew that Hinael had deliberately not returned the almoner to see Prince Viant’s face.

The rumor had spread, which was why Chetter was so blatantly trying to keep Hinael from being taken.

Even after kissing her hand, Lutz didn’t let go of Hinael’s hand. This prompted Chetter, who had been quietly enduring, to voice his dissatisfaction.

“Is the etiquette in the North very different from that of Sarr?”

“What do you mean…”

“I was the first to greet Her Highness. Did you not see, or are you pretending not to?”

“Was that so.”

Lutz’s carefree attitude seemed to be aimed at the infuriating Chetter.

His tone, filled with boredom, only made Chetter’s demeanor more hostile.

“No matter how barren the land, there must be some etiquette in the Trycas imperial family. Things like the duties and moral conscience one should uphold between people.”

“Enough.”

At that moment, Lutz’s expression changed drastically.

A tremendous force fell on the hand gripping Hinael’s. She stifled a groan, feeling the crushing pressure, and watched Lutz’s mood.

Even under the bright indoor lights, his dark eyes seemed to grow even darker. The amount of condensed anger was uncertain, causing vague fear.

What would happen if he really expressed his anger here? Would this disrupt the peace agreement between the two countries?

Sarr had tasted the bitterness of defeat after invading Trycas. Naturally, Trycas demanded accountability for the war and appropriate compensation.

To extract as much as possible—that was Prince Viant’s mission.

In such a situation, Chetter’s audacious words were bound to be infuriating.

“Did Sarr have a moral conscience when it trampled on others’ territories?”

His lowered voice was not a question.

It was a tone filled with deep anger and contempt, merely passing judgment.

“Did you attempt to take what wasn’t yours out of moral duty? Answer me.”

“Even so, you should show respect…”

“Respect? Your attitude is nothing but childish bravado, you bastard. Why should I show respect?”

Far from showing respect, Lutz referred to the noble of Sarr as ‘bastard.’

Everyone in the banquet hall was shocked and held their breath. Hinael also froze under the tension, feeling the imminent danger.

The suffocating silence tightened the air, and the sound of people swallowing nervously could be heard.

Chetter should have backed down at this point, but his wounded pride made him tremble with anger.

“If you know who I am! Hooh… Please show respect. It would be good for Your Highness’s reputation as well.”

Lutz took a step closer to Chetter, dragging Hinael along with him.

Hinael thought it was rather fortunate.

Chetter’s provocation had ignited Lutz’s competitive spirit, which would inevitably affect her as well.

In a contest of pride between the two men, Hinael could not be separated. The competition to possess her only added fuel to the fire.

“Who do you think you are?”

“What did you say?”

Chetter, from the prestigious Phil family of Sarr, couldn’t believe Lutz didn’t recognize him. He gasped in disbelief.

Regardless, Lutz continued speaking.

“Will you only bow your head after paying the full price of war for breaking the peace?”

Chetter clearly underestimated Lutz. He seemed to think he could act recklessly because Lutz’s foundation wasn’t solid.

Hinael found Chetter’s attitude pathetic.

‘Foolish man. High on pride alone…’

He was the type to lash out violently when humiliated.

He had to have whatever he wanted by any means, and if it was taken from him, he couldn’t sleep out of frustration.

Such a vile temper wouldn’t change.

“The one who first acted rudely was Your Highness, so why are you turning this into a national issue? Don’t you think it’s petty?”

As he hurled insults, Evan, who had been waiting nearby, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Preparing to draw it if necessary, Lutz sternly stopped him and continued speaking.

“It sounds like you’re saying it’s okay to take this personally. It will be hard to handle…”

For the first time since entering the banquet hall, a smile spread across Lutz’s face. His overwhelming sense of superiority was so evident that the outcome seemed decided before the confrontation even began.

The heated argument was abruptly interrupted by a loud proclamation.

“His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen are entering!”

Only then did Lutz release Hinael’s hand.

With the conversation halted, hope faded, and anxiety began to take root. The movements to claim Hinael also stopped.

There was considerable anxiety that Lutz might break his promise due to Chetter’s rude remarks.

Though he likely wanted to throw everything away in frustration, including their promise…

Honestly, now that he had retrieved the almoner, Lutz could have chosen to ignore Hinael.

‘You mustn’t change your mind at the crucial moment.’

She looked at him with desperate eyes, but Lutz did not turn back.

King Varsel of the Kingdom of Sarr appeared in the banquet hall with Marsily. Around Marsily’s neck was the white jade necklace Lutz had given her. It was an incredibly expensive jewel, and she seemed eager to show it off in front of everyone.

As expected, the nobles who recognized the necklace bowed their heads while glancing enviously at the white jade necklace.

Lutz kept his head held high until the end. Then, Varsel turned towards Lutz.

Only when his eyes met those of the king did Lutz politely bow his head.

“Greetings to Your Majesty.”

“Hm… What has happened here?”

There had been sparks flying between Lutz and Chetter, and the hall had been deathly quiet as everyone watched. Even if he had entered the banquet hall late, he would have sensed the unusual atmosphere.

Varsel looked around the banquet hall. However, since everyone had their heads bowed, he couldn’t read their expressions.

Everyone was curious whether Lutz would keep silent. Hinael just hoped he wouldn’t suggest breaking the alliance.

“There was an unfortunate incident.”

“An unfortunate… incident, you say.”

“Please understand it as a mere quarrel between males.”

At the word ‘males,’ Varsel quickly showed an intrigued smile. He seemed curious about who Lutz had quarreled with to win a woman’s favor, and who that woman was.

Scratching where it itched, Lutz added an explanation without hesitation.

“I had a fight with Count Phil over a possession.”

“Count Phil.”

At the king’s call, Chetter quickly stepped forward. He looked distressed, perhaps not expecting Lutz to report directly to the king.

Given Lutz’s momentum, there was a good chance he would tell the king to reconsider the peace agreement.

It was as if Chetter had burst the dam that had barely been held back.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Why did you clash with the prince?”

“…”

“Count.”

“Well… There was a conflict during the greeting process, and I seem to have handled it poorly due to being on edge.”

“It is natural for males to be on edge when seeking a mate.”

The last words were uttered by Lutz.

A quarrel over possession, males, mating.