Damian, who had returned to the place where the departure ceremony was held, immediately started looking for Count Shannon.

Following the words of the nobles, as soon as Damian spotted Count Shannon, he swung his fist straight at his face.

Bam−!

With a single punch from Damian, Gerald was sent flying and crashed to the floor.

Shock rose on the faces of the nobles. Damian didn’t care whether it was a departure ceremony or not.

Clutching his cheek on the floor, Gerald groaned and frowned.

Damian walked over and pulled up Gerald, who was sprawled on the floor, by the collar.

Screams from the nobles could be heard, and whispers began circulating around asking if someone should stop them, but none of it reached Damian’s ears.

Gerald and Damian’s gazes clashed in midair. Gerald didn’t say a word even as he looked at Damian.

He didn’t ask the reason for Damian’s violence, which seemed as if he was willing to pay for his mistake with Damian’s violence.

Damian gladly hit Gerald’s face.

Once more, Damian’s fist struck Gerald’s face.

Gerald, who fell to the floor, had a split lip and blood flowed from his nose.

Damian, unconcerned about Gerald’s now ghastly appearance, tried to grab his collar and lift him up from the floor again.

This time, the surrounding nobles called out to Damian and stopped him.

“Du- Duke! I think that’s enough.”

Despite the dissuasion from those around him, Damian reached for Gerald’s neck, but Marquis Farnese grabbed Damian’s arm in the middle.

“Let’s stop here.”

Damian, whose arm was caught by the marquis, raised his head. Exhaling briefly, Damian withdrew the hand he had reached out to Gerald.

Tap− Tap− Damian dusted off his palms as if brushing off dirt, straightened his waist, and looked at the marquis.

“If you’re going to keep a stupid person as your subordinate, you should have guided him properly. If you let him do stupid things when you clearly knew…… this is what happens, isn’t it?”

Damian’s sharp voice was directed at Marquis Farnese.

Damian was convinced that Marquis Farnese had turned a blind eye to Gerald’s actions to some extent.

After the crown prince’s birth banquet, given Marquis Farnese’s disposition, he would have definitely warned Count Shannon.

Nevertheless, the fact that Count Shannon acted so foolishly was clearly because Marquis Farnese also saw some political hope in Count Shannon’s actions.

“Marquis Farnese, you’ve become quite petty while I wasn’t looking.”

Charles, who was beside him, handed a handkerchief to Damian.

Blood was flowing from Damian’s hand as well.

It seemed that in the process of hitting Gerald, he had hit him with all his might without mercy, causing wounds on each of his knuckles.

Damian roughly wiped the blood with the handkerchief and looked at the marquis.

“Your Grace. I will overlook the remark just now, considering it as the price for saving my son’s life.”

“……Overlook? What are you overlooking? It is not you who should overlook, but me. It seems that you are not petty, but senile. I think we should call a doctor for you.”

At Damian’s cold response, veins bulged on the marquis’ neck.

“Duke Zenova!”

“The reward for saving your son’s life is just this pathetic display. It’s not even funny. Don’t you agree?”

There was no longer any respect for the marquis.

Damian, who had taken a step closer to Marquis Farnese, personally bowed his waist to match the marquis’ lower eye level.

Their gazes met at the same height, and Damian looked straight into the aged marquis’ eyes and spoke.

“In the face of your son’s life, there was no politics or anything, but what? After saving his life once, do political ambitions arise?”

The marquis’ face reddened with humiliation, but in the end, he could not say anything else to Damian.

Damian’s waist slowly straightened.

Looking down at the nobles, Damian clearly showed what would happen if someone messed with his wife incorrectly.

*

From the departure ceremony onward, the power struggle between the noble faction and the emperor faction became rampant.

There was an atmosphere of understanding to some extent regarding Damian’s fist directed at Count Shannon, but the remarks made to Marquis Farnese were considered rash on Damian’s part, and this story spread within the noble faction.

That was because, although there were nobles who directly received help from Damian, those who indirectly received Damian’s help, like Marquis Farnese, seemed to want to stop feeling indebted to Damian.

They acted as if Damian’s actions were terribly wrong this time.

In any case, despite clearly receiving help from Damian, they tried to give legitimacy to their criticism of Damian, saying it was a matter of moral principle.

There was also some disturbance within the emperor faction.

While there were people who agreed that Damian’s actions were right, there were also those who pointed out that it was excessive.

Count Scala sat in his study and simply observed the unfolding situation from a distance.

“Although it wasn’t the desired direction, isn’t this still a good outcome?”

“Hmm…….”

Count Scala continued his thoughts without answering his adviser’s question.

The original goal was to use Count Shannon to undermine the honor of the duchess of Zenova, even if just a little, and to lower the trust between the duke and duchess.

While subtly eroding Zenova’s image, he had also thought of completely turning the ducal family into a ruined household using Count Shannon.

Count Scala tapped the table with his finger. Tap− Tap−

It seemed that the main reason was that he couldn’t fully manipulate Count Shannon as he wished.

As he kept trying to guide and make him do something, the direction didn’t align well.

“I guess this won’t work.”

Count Scala rose from his seat.

“Pardon?”

When the adviser questioned Count Scala’s words as he abruptly stood up, Count Scala nodded his head while putting on his outer garment.

“Let’s first inflict more physical damage before tarnishing their honor. To the point where he can’t even attend the imperial palace meetings for the time being. As long as he’s still breathing, it’s fine.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Do you still have the drugs we received from the mercenary group just in case?”

“Yes, I have them.”

Count Scala nodded.

*

Eriel opened her eyes at the rustling sound. Even though she lifted her heavy eyelids, the surroundings were dark, indicating that it was already night.

The place was quiet, but along with the sound of fabric brushing, Damian’s scent faintly wafted. At that scent, Eriel raised her upper body.

“Damian?”

“……Eriel? Go back to sleep. It’s still night.”

As Eriel blinked slowly, Damian’s rough palm covered her eyes.

Warmth was conveyed, and Eriel grasped his wrist.

“Damian.”

“Yes?”

“……What happened?”

Eriel brought up the departure ceremony and lowered Damian’s wrist.

Eriel’s eyes, quickly adapting to the darkness, looked at Damian.

“It’s alright. There won’t be anything for you to worry about.”

Damian stopped undressing and sat on the edge of the bed.

Turning his upper body towards Eriel, he put his fingers in her hair and slowly combed through it.

“I’m sorry, Damian. Because of me, the departure ceremony ended badly. You prepared for it for a long time.”

“It’s okay.”

Damian said everything was okay to Eriel’s words.

“Ah. I just burned the gloves.”

Eriel quietly nodded and leaned her head against his hand.

“Damian…… Thank you. My explanation probably didn’t sound good.”

“I know best that you couldn’t have done that. Just as you always believe me, I did the same.”

Eriel slowly nodded.

Although she had experienced something unpleasant, a smile rose on Eriel’s lips.

Damian was believing in her and supporting her right now.

Eriel closed her eyes at his touch, which slowly moved from her hair to her cheek.

Damian gently pressed Eriel’s lower lip and parted her lips.

Damian slowly leaned his upper body.

The kiss began. As Damian kissed Eriel, he pulled her hand towards the buttons of his shirt.

Eriel breathed in his breath and unbuttoned his shirt one by one as his hand guided her.

Damian’s hand was moving on Eriel’s cheek.

His touch moved very gently on Eriel’s cheek, as if touching something very precious.

After unbuttoning all of Damian’s shirt, Eriel overlapped her hand on the back of his.

As she moved along his warm hand to his fingers, Eriel felt the wounds on each of his knuckles and hastily ended the kiss.

Eriel grabbed Damian’s hand and looked down at it.

“Damian. This…… Why is it like this?”

At Eriel’s question, Damian gulped.

“I fought with Count Shannon.”

“Fought…… with him?”

“Yes.”

“You got hurt on your hand during the fight?”

When Eriel asked, Damian quickly nodded.

Eriel didn’t seem to think that the person hitting would get hurt.

“Getting hurt again…… It’s a big deal that you keep getting injured lately.”

As Eriel carefully let go of his hand, Damian took off the shirt he was wearing.

“Yes. So I think I need your comfort.”