“……What?”

Diego could not easily continue speaking. His father’s command was that shocking.

“Winning or losing this competition is not important. Your task is to make Merche Benum, that woman, yours.”

“…Father. But.”

“Did I allow you to question me?”

“……”

“Diego. Diego Fondo, my successor.”

The grip on his shoulder became even more vicious.

Diego trembled and clenched his teeth at the pain that felt like his bones would shatter.

His father looked at him. The eyes that met were deep blue. Just like the eyes of that woman who wielded that great power….

“You said you wanted to become the protagonist of the prophecy, didn’t you?”

The focus gradually disappeared from the eyes that had been enduring the pain. Diego nodded with a haggard face.

Yes. He wanted to become the protagonist of the prophecy. He wanted to be the king who ruled over everyone.

“Then Merche Benum must become yours. You must achieve that first, without fail.”

“…Yes.”

“You are the next master of Fondo. If you want to make Fondo a truly great family, you must do whatever it takes as the master and that’s your responsibility.”

The one who bears the sins of the family, the one responsible for making the family prosper.

Fondo, Diego Fondo. Diego raised his head as he recited his family name and his own name in succession.

The tension and pressure that had shaken his body had somehow all disappeared by then.

“He’s not dead.”

“…But.”

“How many times do I have to say it, the doctors confirmed it. He’s breathing and passed the critical point. That’s enough to show he has a damn tough life. I know well, those kinds don’t die easily.”

Only at Rude’s assertion did Merche let out a sigh of relief.

Of course, morally she might have felt a little sorry for Alonso, but in truth, she was more worried about Rude getting into trouble because of his death.

Whether he knew her complex feelings or not, Rude had his usual disinterested expression.

“Anyway, even if you leave them alone, useless things come and meddle. Why do you catch the eye of such trash, unnecessarily.”

He poked Merche’s fingers with his large hand, each joint prominently protruding.

The warmth that touched as if enveloping the slender fingers repeated coming closer, then moving away.

After doing such childish hand play for a while, at some point. As if it had all been just a deception until now, he sharply grabbed her hand.

Thick, large fingers dug between the delicate fingers. He finally interlocked them and held her hand tightly, overlapping.

“……Why are you looking at me like that?”

Despite the lark-like question tickling his ears, he just quietly looked up at the woman.

−I think that child is the protagonist of the prophecy.

King. My companion could become a king….

−I think I’m… a monster.

The pale face that had been submerged in water for a long time came to mind. As well as the cloudy eyes that called herself a monster.

Monster? What monster are you. If anything, I’m closer to that.

The more he chewed on those absurd words, the more a chuckle escaped.

Right. King suits you better than monster. That kind of position fits you perfectly.

“Why. Do I need permission even to look? I just looked because I wanted to, because I wanted to. I wanted to see that precious face even though it’s right in front of me.”

While casually replying, he inwardly imagined.

Merche sitting on a magnificent chair, having become king. Him lying down at her feet, resting his head on her knee.

It’s perfect as if painted.

Well, being a king would probably be a bit tiresome with people lining up wanting to become consorts… but if I fervently flatter her so that others don’t appeal to her, wouldn’t that work?

Excellent. It’s truly a killer plan.

“…I’m your first. You know that, right?”

“What are you talking about now?”

“Don’t forget. Even if there are ten or a hundred, even if you bring in concubines, I’m the head among them.”

Wasn’t he the one who first clung to her, knowing she was an extraordinary woman? If he were pushed to second place, there’d be war that very day.

Still not seeming to understand what he was saying, Merche narrowed her eyes.

Her fluttering eyelashes were just like butterflies. He wanted to reach out and catch them.

He couldn’t put that thought into action.

What if that precious thing were to wear out? She’s already thin and getting even thinner these days.

Is there no way to feed her until her stomach bursts? While pondering such a serious concern, he grasped Merche’s hand tightly again.

The lukewarm warmth was so peaceful, it easily brought sleep.

Time passed in the blink of an eye. And so the day of the competition that had been briefly postponed approached suddenly.

“The victory condition for the competition is to steal all of the opponent’s flags.”

Werner Fondo, standing before the audience, skillfully raised his voice. His already large voice spread even more thunderously as it rode the wind.

“It doesn’t matter who. One side steals all the flags of the others. The side that loses them is defeated, the side that takes them is victorious.”

It means the faction that takes all the other side’s flags wins.

The flags engraved with each family’s crest could be carried on one’s person or hidden somewhere.

However, if you hide the flag, you must hide it somewhere you can retrieve it again.

If a flag is permanently damaged or becomes irretrievable, that faction is defeated.

It was a rule that couldn’t be simpler.

For that clear and distinct competition, a test of strength in name, four heirs bearing the names of their families faced each other.

Ardor and Benum, Fondo and Aquila.

The heirs of the two pairs of families that formed factions slowly caught their breath and exchanged glances.

And finally, the competition began.

“It’s started, prince.”

Huff huff. Alonso, whose waist wound had not yet fully healed, breathed roughly.

He opened his eyes wide and turned to look at the man standing behind him.

“You… who, who exactly are you.”

That he was no ordinary servant was evident just from his actions of invading the bedroom last night and abducting him.

Since when? What are you using me for…?

The green eyes that had only seemed kind now looked utterly bleak. As well as the brazen act of still maintaining the pretense of a diligent servant.

However, he dared not get angry.

No matter how short-sighted Alonso was, he wasn’t so thoughtless as to show anger towards the unknown person who had kidnapped him.

“What I want…. Actually, until yesterday I was going to just abandon you.”

But thinking about it, you’re still useful for now. Magnus smiled innocently.

“Prince. Don’t you want to kill Merche Benum?”

“……”

“It’s all because of that woman that you’ve been driven to this state, don’t you want to kill her? If only you had the chance.”

That woman. The pale face that had displayed incomparably superior power and plunged him into despair, yet remained so calm.

Of course it would be a lie to say there was no hatred. However, it was hatred that was certainly no greater than the desire to live and the fear towards Magnus before him.

“Do you want to try killing her?”

He wants him to hate. He wants him to hate that woman and kill her.

Magnus’s sweet urging and the intention hidden within it were vivid.

Wanting to live, wanting to somehow escape this man’s grasp. Alonso nodded while pretending to hate.

“…You have at least a minimum of awareness…”

Magnus smirked at him trembling.

Even so, he’s still stupid.

So stupid that sometimes impulsive murderous intent surges up, disgusted by the fact that he shares even a tiny bit of blood with him.

Magnus, without a shred of consideration, carelessly dragged Alonso, who couldn’t even walk, and threw him onto a high cliff.

“Now then. Dull prince. If you want to live, listen well to what I say.”

“Sob, hiccup…”

“Don’t cry now. You’ll have to cry your throat out later, if you do this your voice will be hoarse early. Then you’ll be of no use and I’ll have to kill you right away.”

Alonso, who had been hiccuping, barely held his breath and stifled his voice. Good boy, Magnus’s hand lightly stroked his head a couple times.

“Wait here, and when I give the signal, that’s when you start crying. Cry so hard that anyone can hear you. Understood, prince?”

Hurriedly shaking his head in case he might not understand.

My, you’ve become quite a funny sight. Mockery tinged with feigned sympathy brushed past his ear.

At the same time, before he could even realize it, Magnus’s form had completely disappeared.

“Where should we hide this?”

Carla furrowed her brow as she looked at the flag in her hand.

“We don’t have any divine beasts following us, right?”

“No. I don’t see any kelpies or eagles.”

“Did they all really stick to Ardor’s side…”

Probably. Answering concisely, Merche turned her gaze to the opposite direction they had come from. Rude, that man is there.

In the competition, Rude participated as part of Fabio’s group. It was the same context as her participating as part of Carla’s group.

The two men were clearly not on good terms to anyone’s eyes, but for the competition they had no choice but to work together aiming for victory.

So the two who had once fought and bickered endlessly became one team and left to steal the other side’s flags.

“I wonder whose flag they hid on that side?”

Two families in the faction, and two flags.

Among the two flags of the same faction, only one could be hidden.

The other one had to be carried on one’s person and protected by oneself – that was the rule of this competition.

And on this faction’s side where Ardor and Benum were combined, they decided to conceal Benum’s flag.

−If you carry the flag, you’ll have to clash with the other side in a physical fight at some point. Considering that, it’s better for Lord Lupinus and me to carry the flags and draw their attention.

Fabio Ardor’s argument was so logical and reasonable that everyone agreed.

To directly confront and test strength against the opposing faction… it was only right that Rude should step up.

Thanks to that, Carla and Merche were given the task of hiding the flag where no one could find it.

The two climbed the dense mountain without rest, catching their breath heavily.

“If Aquila decided to hide their flag, isn’t that too disadvantageous for us?”