A handsome man with a cold, solid, and heavy presence reminiscent of a darkened iceberg.

Everyone recognized him and was shocked.

“D-Duke Lynen Ortega?!”

“No way, why is the Duke here…?!”

Lynen silently stood beside Calliphe amid everyone’s surprised stares.

Then he placed his hand on one side of her chair’s backrest. At a glance, it looked like he was embracing her shoulders.

The vassals’ eyes nearly popped out at that demonstrative pose.

Lynen finally spoke.

“I apologize for appearing at House Offensa’s grand meeting without notice. As Calliphe’s promised husband, I could no longer stand by and watch.”

“W-what did you say!?”

“Is it really that surprising?”

Calliphe wrapped one arm around Lynen’s waist.

Lynen froze like a stone. His gaze secretly looking down at Calliphe was subtly murderous.

‘Remove your hand.’

‘Can’t remove it.’

One corner of Calliphe’s eye twitched painfully as she smiled broadly, conscious of others.

Calliphe whispered while pretending to fix Lynen’s collar.

“Relax your expression. You haven’t forgotten the three guidelines for close lovers, right?”

“Smiling, worrying, cheering.”

“Yes, that’s right. This is the real thing now.”

“…But no matter how I think about it… I’m not sure about the appropriate level. How far should we go to look natural as secret lovers.”

Calliphe felt the same way.

“If you’re unsure, just go overboard. Better too much than too little and raise suspicions!”

“…I’ll do my best.”

Lynen, who had been whispering while standing close, looked at the vassals.

“Let me introduce myself again. I am Lynen Ortega, head of House Ortega. I am dating Calliphe with marriage in mind.”

“R-really… lovers? Then you came here to marry the young lady?”

“That’s correct.”

Some of the stunned vassals’ nostrils flared. They were the ones who had been shooting resentful looks at Calliphe.

“S-such an esteemed person with our humble young lady… ahem!”

“Your legs must be tired. Please sit down, Duke. Yes yes, next to the young lady would be good. Yes yes, right there.”

Isn’t that change in attitude too quick?

‘Those sycophants.’

No, loyal vassals?

Anyway, the change in those sycophantic loyal vassals gave strength to Calliphe.

After taking his seat, Lynen spoke naturally like an original meeting participant.

“I’ve heard the news. That House Offensa decided on a political marriage between Calliphe and Baron Rotten.”

“What? That’s a misunderstanding!”

The loyal vassals immediately denied it.

“How can it be decided when we haven’t even stamped the seal yet?”

“Marriage partners are naturally changeable – turned over, wrapped up, pushed away, ever-changing, while waiting for the perfect match like the Duke to appear!”

“Moreover, since the young lady firmly stated she won’t marry Baron Rotten, it’s even more impossible!”

Then other vassals who had been watching this scene with distaste stepped forward.

They were the faction that had already aligned with Caiman.

“Ahem! But isn’t this straaaange? The young lady who used to detest him is suddenly claiming to be lovers?”

“That’s what I’m saying!”

“Let’s be realistic. What does the Duke gain from dating Lady Calliphe?”

“What? You call yourself a vassal of House Offensa?”

Murmur, murmur.

The hall became noisy with arguments between loyal vassals and sycophants.

Even the chairman’s attempts to stop it were useless.

“Now, everyone. Let’s calm down.”

Until Young Marquis Caiman stepped in, that is.

This was because the atmosphere of ‘Caiman is the designated heir’ still remained.

Caiman looked at Calliphe with a troubled smile, like looking at an immature niece.

“Young lady. It’s honestly hard to believe since it’s so sudden.”

“……”

“Did you perhaps make an unreasonable request to the Duke because you dislike Baron Rotten? Did you offer conditions like House Offensa’s wealth or the magic tower’s magic?”

At this, even the loyal vassals flinched and looked at Calliphe with suspicious eyes.

This was because in the past, when Calliphe had desperately wanted to get Lynen, she had actually promised to provide technical support from the magic tower.

Though fortunately that incident was resolved, it left shame on House Offensa.

While the vassals kept quiet, recalling this past.

Viscount Gallard’s sneering voice was heard.

“Hmph, it’s obvious, isn’t it? Who wouldn’t want House Offensa’s support? And if she seduced him with her beauty on top of that…”

“V-Viscount Gallard!”

The loyal vassals were shocked and tried to stop him.

But this was House Offensa’s grand meeting hall. Even if it was Lynen Ortega, here he was just an uninvited guest meddling in family affairs.

With this thought, Viscount Gallard’s sneering grew stronger.

“Am I wrong, honestly? Though she’s just a direct line in name only who can’t be heir, isn’t the young lady’s beauty dazzling anywhere? How could the Duke resist as a healthy man?”

“Y-you…!”

“I’m saying this is all planned by the young lady using her beauty! The Duke is being played as well!”

Finally, Viscount Gallard pointed his finger at Calliphe.

“Maintain your dignity, young lady! Deceiving people is what cunning snakes do!”

Calliphe’s red eyes rose fiercely.

At that anger-filled atmosphere, everyone except Viscount Gallard gulped.

‘That expression, 3 seconds before chaos!’

When Calliphe caused chaos, all that remained was tattered family honor and mockery.

Expecting the same this time, the loyal vassals lowered their gazes, unable to watch.

Indeed, Calliphe’s response was equally sneering.

“Hmph, faces that wouldn’t eat even if force-fed are squawking so much.”

“Ha! Mocking me doesn’t change what you did, young lady!”

“Well said.”

Right after, Calliphe raised her hand high, posed to slap him. Just like she always did before causing chaos.

However.

Bang!

Calliphe’s hand struck not the viscount’s cheek, but the desk he was sitting at.

Her following voice was frighteningly cold and subdued.

“Viscount Gallard. You’ve insulted three parties with one statement.”

“W-what…”

The loyal vassals who sensed the different atmosphere from usual raised their heads.

Calliphe was looking down at Viscount Gallard authoritatively.

“The first party you insulted is House Ortega. You’ve degraded and insulted the head of House Ortega, known as the keeper of the Northern Black Mist Forest and the righteous guardian sword, to a mere man blinded by female charm. Would there be any objection if you received the Duke’s challenge to a duel right here?”

“B-but this is Offensa’s—!”

“Second.”

At those red eyes gleaming dangerously, Viscount Gallard flinched like a mouse before a snake.

“You’ve insulted House Offensa.”

“W-when did I—”

“House Offensa must always maintain neutrality and balance as magical researchers and loyal servants of the empire. But now it’s revealed we have a prejudiced potato like you as a vassal – isn’t that a shame to the family?”

“W-what did you say!”

“You’ve lowered the family’s dignity and embarrassed even the loyal vassals – this is the third party you’ve insulted!”

Slap!

Calliphe’s fan struck Viscount Gallard’s cheek.

But this time, none of the loyal vassals considered it chaos.

This was righteous anger and discipline that should be shown as the family’s direct line.

“M-me, treating me like this when I’ve been loyal to House Offensa…!”

Viscount Gallard’s gaze turned to someone, searching for allies.

It was Young Marquis Caiman.

Noticing this, Calliphe immediately sneered.

“Why are you looking away? Is the king of rats over there?”

“……”

Caiman’s expression hardened dangerously too.

But he didn’t rashly step forward. Because he sensed the change in other vassals’ atmosphere.

‘Amazing. The young lady’s anger was anger that should be shown as a leader.’

‘I thought she’d say she was insulted, but instead she thought of the family and vassals.’

‘Somehow she seems different. Though her fiery temper remains…’

The vassals’ inner thoughts seemed audible.

The vassals who were looking at Calliphe anew gaped the next moment.

Because Calliphe started beating up the still-fuming Viscount Gallard.

“Still got strength in those eyeballs? Won’t listen to words, huh?”

“Eeek! A woman using violence…! Ack, she kicked me?!”

There it is, the temper!

Though it was satisfying to see the crouching viscount getting beaten up, they needed to stop it to continue the grand meeting.

But Young Marquis Caiman ignored Viscount Gallard, and even the chairman just timidly mumbled “Please stop… You shouldn’t… fight…”

‘I don’t want to get hit by stepping in! Someone mediate!’

Just as everyone thought with one mind.

“Calliphe.”

A large hand grabbed Calliphe’s wrist holding the fan.

“Stop.”

It was none other than Lynen.