It wasn’t love at first sight. It was the same instinct that made you stare endlessly when you spotted a strange creature or a rare gem.

‘Can something like that really be called a man?’

In Vaigon, an incapable man was a disgrace. If a man couldn’t support his household, divorce was possible.

But it felt wrong to apply that standard to Prince Aslan. Better to have a strong shieldmaiden take charge of the household finances.

Was it because he turned out so different from what she expected?

The urge to knock the arrogant hostage down a peg quietly fizzled out.

Tease a man like that and she might feel guilty about it for a long time.

‘Picking on someone weak isn’t really my style….’

Now the maidservants who sneaked into his bedroom hoping to taste a delicate man just seemed shameless.

And so, even after the duel began, she sat there contentedly admiring the fine and pretty man.

“Waaah!”

The crowd suddenly erupted in cheers.

Startled, Freya turned her gaze toward the dueling ground. Something unexpected was unfolding on it.

‘Wasn’t this supposed to be a duel between two men fighting over Lindra?’

A duel between Sven, a bright and easygoing young man, and Harmund, a solid and dependable warrior.

Some rooted for Sven, but many predicted that Harmund, the more seasoned and physically imposing of the two, would end up with Lindra.

Just as people expected, Sven was busy stumbling backward against Harmund.

It was no easy thing for a boy who just came of age to beat a battle-hardened warrior who weathered every storm.

And when Sven finally crashed into the fence of the dueling ground and fell on his backside.

Lindra stormed onto the dueling ground and snatched up the sword that fell to the ground.

“I’ll choose my own husband.”

Lindra leveled the sword at Harmund and declared it.

Harmund couldn’t bring himself to attack her and stood there flustered, then turned to look at Haakon. Haakon just shrugged with amusement.

The Holmgang duel had a proxy system. It was technically possible for Lindra to step in as Sven’s proxy.

In the end, Harmund parried her sword a few times before conceding defeat. He couldn’t bring himself to attack the woman he cared for.

Haakon proclaimed Lindra’s victory, and the crowd whistled and cheered for the two of them.

But Freya pursed her lips, looking displeased.

“Hmm.”

Why did Lindra help a man who lost his duel?

She was dissatisfied that Lindra, a shieldmaiden who made a name for herself as brave and fierce, chose a loser.

What bothered her even more was the sight of Sven clinging to Lindra and sniffling, having won through such an underhanded victory.

“Boring.”

Freya snorted and got up from her seat.

Her urge to knock Prince Aslan’s arrogance down had disappeared too. She decided to just greet Haakon and leave, and that was when it happened.

‘What is that rock doing over here?’

A rough, dark-faced stone caught her eye.

Maybe it was because she spent so long admiring a man who looked like a flower. Ulfgar, all hulking and coarse, looked particularly ugly by comparison.

Why was the man who sat smirking at Haakon’s side suddenly hovering right in front of her?

The way he flared his nostrils and twitched his lips at the sight of her was unsettling.

Had that rock eaten something bad? She was still puzzling over it when an ominous thought crossed her mind.

‘He doesn’t actually think I’ve been pining for him, does he?’

Freya’s expression hardened in an instant.

If that was true, her pride would curdle with humiliation.

The slow creep of Ulfgar’s smirk turned her suspicion into certainty.

Look at that smug expression. The lifted chin, the condescending gaze. How could anyone not feel their blood boil?

She swore to the heavens she never felt a shred of attraction toward Ulfgar. When she heard her father rejected his proposal, didn’t she clap until her palms stung?

‘That bastard.’

She couldn’t let Ulfgar keep strutting around like that.

Freya pushed past the still-buzzing crowd and approached Haakon.

“It has been a while, my king.”

“Freya, it’s been a while since I’ve seen your face.”

Haakon turned and welcomed her warmly.

She attended banquets with her father from a young age, and Haakon had always doted on her like a youngest daughter.

“You haven’t been showing your face at banquets lately. What have you been up to? Did you hit a late rebellious phase?”

“I suppose it was time for me to settle down a little.”

“After getting on a ship to become a shieldmaiden, and now this? It’s a bit late to start playing the demure type!”

Haakon’s joke drew a burst of laughter from those around him.

She wasn’t the type to blush at a little teasing, so Freya gave a light shrug. Haakon tilted his chin toward her in a reassuring way.

“You’ll find a good match soon enough, so don’t fret too much. Is there really not a single man in all of Vaigon who’d want you?”

Freya’s brow furrowed.

That husband talk again. Did he think she was envying the two people clinging to each other on the dueling ground like monkeys?

People really couldn’t seem to talk to an unmarried woman without steering the conversation toward men.

“There are plenty of men who want me. There just aren’t any worth my time.”

“Of course, of course. You are a shieldmaiden of Vaigon who can’t even swim! Ha ha ha.”

Laughter erupted all around again. This time, Freya’s face flushed red.

Just how long were they going to keep teasing her? She gave a stiff little bow, looking sulky, and excused herself.

Freya went straight to her father, who stood guard at Haakon’s right side.

Bjorn caught the stiff look on her face and raised an eyebrow.

“What is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you sulking?”

“Why would I be sulking?”

“Because I turned down Ulfgar’s proposal…?”

Freya’s eyebrows shot up like a mountain peak.

Had her father lost his mind already? Even he thought she was desperate for a man.

He must think she watched this duel with envy, and that Ulfgar’s upcoming wedding was eating her up inside.

Her expression made it plain enough, but Bjorn lowered his voice and started making excuses anyway.

“I just thought he wasn’t the right match for you. A free spirit like you needs a warrior who’s bold and generous.”

“I’ve never once regretted it. I think you did the right thing, Father.”

“Still, weren’t you two on good terms?”

He must have misread the bickering between her and Ulfgar back when they sailed together.

To think she seemed close to that obnoxious, thick-headed Ulfgar. It made her skin crawl.

“Not at all. I can’t stand him. He gives me the creeps.”

“……Well, that’s a relief then.”

Bjorn turned away with an uncertain look on his face.

If her own father was like this, she didn’t need to ask what everyone else was thinking.

‘They all think I’m heartbroken over Ulfgar’s engagement! That I’ve been skipping banquets because of it!’

Her pride stinging, Freya bit the inside of her cheek.

She looked up to find Ulfgar still tilting his chin with that insufferable expression, his thoughts written all over his face.

He was about to marry Haakon’s fourth daughter, while she was still alone. He was crowing about winning.

She couldn’t stand it. Freya strode purposefully toward the far end of the hall.

Puzzled stares followed in her wake.

Freya walked straight past Ulfgar without a glance, and her footsteps came to a stop in front of.

“Did you enjoy the duel?”

The hostage of Ingrone, Prince Aslan, who sat through the entire Holmgang duel as still as a corpse.

The moment she spoke to Aslan, every eye in the room bore into the back of her head.

‘I didn’t actually plan to talk to him.’

Aslan’s strange air had cooled her mischievous intentions, but Ulfgar’s misreading of the situation stirred a defiant streak in her. That was all.

She wanted to show Ulfgar she felt not a shred of longing for him. In the end, she was using Prince Aslan.

“Yes…..”

Aslan gave a small nod without even looking at Freya.

The attention made him uncomfortable. He acted like a frightened deer.