‘He’s definitely not in his right mind…’

As I shook my head, I made eye contact with the Crown Prince. His smile deepened.

The moment he gripped the hilt of his sword, the atmosphere heated up.

It seemed a bet had been placed, as people everywhere started pulling out gold coins and jewels.

“Would the lady like to participate in the bet as well?”

High Priest Emmanuel subtly suggested.

“Then, shall I…”

I slyly took off the ring I was wearing. Knowing the outcome of the bet, I couldn’t resist joining.

“Sister, who do you think will win?”

“The Crown Prince.”

“But the opponent is one of the top three in Pontos.”

“Still, the Crown Prince.”

“Wow, is that guy really that strong?”

“I could bet my entire fortune on his victory. If you want to make money, you should bet too.”

“Tsk, no need.”

Regardless of his rotten personality, the Crown Prince’s skills were unmatched within the Empire.

Iscallion, seemingly displeased with my support for the Crown Prince, wore a sulky expression.

“By the way, what exactly is the relationship between this handsome young man and the lady…?”

The High Priest slyly asked.

“Well, that is…”

Now that I thought about it, there wasn’t a clear word to define our relationship.

I had no choice but to use a cliché expression.

“We have a good sister-brother relationship.”

“We’re going to get married.”

Coincidentally, Iscallion answered almost simultaneously.

Hearing our conflicting answers, Emmanuel’s eyes gleamed greedily.

“Oh?”

“Don’t mind him. My brother is j-joking.”

“What?”

Iscallion’s voice turned sharp at my hasty excuse.

Just then, the duel began.

I awkwardly smiled and turned my attention to the duel.

Pinion’s opponent was a huge man, resembling a bear. In contrast, the slender Pinion didn’t seem like a match at all.

“You must be weary from your travels, so I’ll let you have the first move.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Pinion’s indifferent attitude made the man’s eyebrows twitch.

“Then I’ll go first.”

The man quickly drew his sword and charged at Pinion. Though his attack was simple and crude, it carried enough force to shatter bones if it landed.

Pinion easily dodged the attack.

The man swung his sword again without hesitation. This time, instead of dodging, Pinion raised his sword to block the attack. Sparks flew as the swords clashed.

“You’re strong.”

Pinion’s words, whether a compliment or a taunt, were followed by him pushing the man back. The man’s massive body was easily pushed back.

Pinion didn’t miss the opportunity and struck the man’s arm. The man groaned in pain and dropped his sword. Stunned by the swift defeat, the man stood dazed for a moment before his face twisted in disbelief.

The spectators, witnessing the overwhelming difference in skill, started murmuring.

“I think I’ve proven my manliness enough.”

In contrast, the Crown Prince remained composed, not even out of breath.

With annoyingly graceful steps, he approached the man and extended his hand.

“Still, not bad.”

The man, with a stiff expression, took his hand.

“I’ve learned a lesson.”

His voice was somber, a stark contrast to his earlier bravado.

Seeing this, Iscallion’s eyes sparkled with competitive spirit.

A bad feeling washed over me.

I instinctively grabbed his arm. But he was already standing.

“Why don’t you have a match with me?”

“Leon…!”

I hastily grabbed his hand in panic.

“Why? Do you think I’ll lose to that guy?”

“It’s not that, but…”

I thought he had matured a bit, but now I saw that wasn’t the case at all.

“I’ve been wanting to spar with the Count anyway, so this is perfect.”

As Iscallion stepped forward, the eyes of the Pontos people gleamed. Although they couldn’t openly reveal it due to his concealed identity, their eyes were filled with anticipation, believing their lord would avenge the earlier humiliation.

The previously subdued atmosphere heated up once more.

“Bet all your money on me, Sister.”

Iscallion, smiling confidently, approached the Crown Prince without hesitation.

The Crown Prince’s gaze sharpened. It was a completely different aura from when he faced the previous man.

Unable to watch their duel, I tightly closed my eyes.

In a very short time, the sound of swords clashing was heard several times.

People let out exclamations that sounded like screams.

“Interesting.”

Iscallion’s voice, mixed with laughter, was heard.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I slightly opened my eyes. The two men were in a tense standoff.

The Crown Prince shrugged his shoulders.

“Not bad.”

Iscallion laughed fiercely and carelessly threw aside his sword.

“Since it’s just for fun, we don’t need such grand items, do we?”

“I agree.”

The Crown Prince called a servant to return his sword.

As soon as the Crown Prince was unarmed, Iscallion charged at him. A sudden fistfight broke out.

Even High Priest Emmanuel, who had boasted that it was just a procedure to build camaraderie, looked visibly flustered by this situation.

First, Iscallion, with his overwhelming physique, knocked the Crown Prince down and pressed his sternum.

Pinion did not back down. The Crown Prince quickly pushed Iscallion away and punched him in the face.

Skin split, and blood splattered. The banquet hall buzzed for a moment.

Iscallion, seemingly enjoying himself, grinned with his bloody lips. His blood-stained teeth were chilling.

“Enough, I’ve seen enough of your skills. Let’s stop here.”

The fake Grand Duke of Pontos, unable to bear it, intervened to stop the two. However, the two male leads, locked together like one body, seemed not to hear him. No one dared to step between their violent clash.

In the end, Gined stepped in.

He pushed Iscallion far away and blocked the Crown Prince’s next attack.

Only then did the Crown Prince and Iscallion stop their punches.

“What the! Don’t interfere!”

“Please stop. Both of you are overly excited.”

The first to calm down was the Crown Prince.

Surprisingly, Iscallion also regained his composure quickly, though his breathing was still rough.

“Thanks. It was fun, Count Philip.”

The Crown Prince quickly tidied up his disheveled appearance and extended his hand for a handshake.

Iscallion quickly grabbed and released his hand.

Only then did I let out a sigh of relief.

Others also relaxed and began to laugh.

Although there was no clear winner, no one complained, sensing that if the duel had continued, neither the two men nor the banquet hall would have remained intact. Since it was a duel for entertainment, there was no need to see it to the end.

I hurriedly approached Iscallion to check his injuries.

“Are you okay, Leon? Your face is a mess.”

He nonchalantly brushed back his disheveled hair.

“It’s a shame. I could have knocked him down.”

“But Count.”

The Crown Prince, who I thought would quickly return to his seat, called out to Iscallion.

“Your swordsmanship, it seemed familiar. It resembled that of the knights of Pontos.”

The moment I heard that question, a cold sweat ran down my back.

Iscallion answered nonchalantly as if it was no big deal.

“I tend to quickly learn good things.”

Fortunately, the Crown Prince did not ask further and turned to Gined.

“Sir Roengreen, how about you? Would you like to spar with me?”

“As one who serves God, I cannot draw my sword for entertainment. Please find another opponent.”

Gined answered with surprising coldness.

“How boring.”

Excited by the rare appearance of a strong opponent, volunteers eagerly challenged the Crown Prince to a duel. However, perhaps having lost interest, he declined all requests.

And another duel came to an end.

Though it was unfortunate for Iscallion, I had actually bet on a draw for the second duel.

Thanks to being the only one to accurately predict the outcome, an overwhelming amount of gold coins and jewels poured in front of me.

Iscallion looked at me with a face full of betrayal.

“Isn’t that too much?”

“The world of competition is cold. You’re almost an adult, so you should learn this well.”

Having imparted a great life lesson, I quickly pocketed the gold coins.

The eventful day was coming to an end.

* * *

“Shahar, are you really going to stay in the room?”

I propped my chin in front of Shahar and gently coaxed him.

Despite the hard journey to Pontos, he showed no intention of going outside.

Could it be that Pontos had changed so much from his memories that he was disappointed?

Worried, I spoke to him cheerfully on purpose.

“Then shall we rest together today?”

“You go enjoy the banquet.”

“Oh, Shahar is more important than the banquet. What shall we do today? Shall I read you a book?”

“I want to be alone today.”

His firm refusal shocked me again.

Of course, I understood that although he only looked like coal, his essence was a being of intellect far surpassing humans, so he might need time alone.

However, knowing something with my head and accepting it with my heart were different matters.

I never thought it would feel this sad to realize there were moments when he didn’t need me.

Unsure of what to do, I looked down at him quietly before finally managing a smile.

“Alright… I’ll go out then, so rest well.”

Though I spoke calmly, I couldn’t help but feel dejected.