“Your Highness, Prince Adrian. If by any chance Spencer brings up an issue regarding this incident, the Spencer family will not overlook the matter of Prince Ruans being the first to draw his sword and threaten us,” Teishar said with a sigh.

“It was self-defense anyway, so it can’t be a problem.”

Teishar looked down coldly at Ruans, who was sitting on the floor, vomiting blood and suffering. He had no intention of suppressing his rising anger. Just the fact that Ruans had frightened Lorencia was enough reason for him to be beaten. Teishar even slightly regretted not hitting him more.

“If you want to make this issue public now, you can go ahead and do so, Prince Ruans.”

If there was any problem with him beating Ruans, Teishar planned to greatly exaggerate the matter. However, Ruans would not be able to cause trouble in his current state. If he tried to make it public, Teishar intended to make things very difficult for him.

“Sp… ugh. Duke Spencer…”

“Starting with the potion you made Lorencia drink, I will expose everything, Prince Ruans.”

Teishar bent down and whispered quietly so only Ruans could hear.

“I believe you have learned well through me that you should not draw your sword in a fight you cannot win. And Lady Lorencia…”

Ruans spat blood through his torn lips, fuming with anger. He did not hide his threatening and irrational behavior.

“She is my precious tree. So if a nasty bug like Prince Ruans tries to crawl even a little on my precious tree…”

Teishar met Ruans’ gaze with the face of a generous man. The corners of his mouth slightly turned up, but there was no hint of a smile in his red eyes.

“I will do my best to crush and kill the bug. This is not a warning.”

Ruans glared at Teishar resentfully with bloodshot eyes, spitting out the blood pooled in his mouth through his parted lips.

“I mean it.”

After saying that to Ruans, Teishar approached Lorencia, who was next to Lanslon. He lowered his body and gently lifted Lorencia in his arms. Teishar glanced at Ruans once more and turned his back. Ruans’ scream of anger echoed behind him.

With each step Teishar took, the hem of Lorencia’s dress swayed along with his stride.

“Duke Spencer.”

“Yes, Lady Lorencia.”

Seeing that Teishar had returned to his usual kind face, Lorencia blinked her eyes. She was startled to see the gentle and affectionate Teishar getting angry. For a very brief moment, she saw Teishar grab Ruans by the collar and strike his face with his fist.

Unable to believe what she saw, she sat in the office chair, blankly lost in thought.

She also heard Adrian telling Teishar to take it easy. But instead of the sound of fists striking with a “thud,” the sound of palm strikes with a “slap” was heard several times. Honestly, seeing Ruans getting beaten, she strangely felt like it was well-deserved and felt refreshed.

And she was worried about Teishar, who had beaten up the emperor of another empire like that. But she quickly dismissed such concerns.

Drawing a sword in the office where the crown prince was present was a big issue. Teishar had warned Ruans and even claimed it was self-defense. But Ruans had drawn his sword. No matter how angry he was, it was not rational.

Ruans would not be able to tell anyone about being beaten by Teishar. Not only was it embarrassing, but the fact that he drew his sword in the crown prince’s office itself was an even bigger problem.

Lorencia stared intently at Teishar.

“Duke Spencer, does your hand hurt?”

“I believe I have mentioned this to you before, Lady Lorencia.”

“What is it?”

“Do you remember when I said I know how to hit people well without hurting myself?”

“I remember.”

“I am well aware of how to hit someone painfully without hurting myself.”

“Then do you also remember, Duke Spencer?”

“What is it?”

“You didn’t forget your promise to teach me how to hit people well, right?”

“Of course not. But if you need it, I can hit them for you instead.”

Lorencia chuckled.

“Having you hit them for me was also very good. But wouldn’t it be more satisfying for the angry person to hit them directly?”

Teishar stopped walking and looked at Lorencia. She was trembling at Ruans’ threatening remarks. Seeing that, he felt his anger surging up immensely. If Ruans tried to cause even the slightest trouble, he intended to beat him.

And Ruans had dangerously drawn his sword in front of Lorencia. There was no reason to hold back his anger.

He grabbed Ruans by the collar and slapped his cheeks with an open palm instead of a fist. When a man hits another man with a palm instead of a fist, it means, “You’re weak, so I’ll let you off with this much.” That alone was enough to scratch and wound Ruans’ pride.

Honestly, he thought he had shown Lorencia a slightly too violent scene and regretted, ‘I should have held back a little.’ He was worried that Lorencia might be scared of his violent side.

But Lorencia was happy to see him beating Ruans and was concerned about his hand that had hit him.

“Duke Spencer, thank you for hitting him for me.”

“If I had known you would like it this much, I should have hit him more.”

“There will be another opportunity next time.”

Lorencia meant it sincerely. Although she didn’t show it, she was terrified as soon as she saw Ruans. The memories of being abused by him came to her mind, and her body trembled involuntarily. That’s how severe the trauma she had received from him was.

But as she was held in Teishar’s arms, the trembling stopped. It was thanks to Teishar’s gentle whispers as he carefully patted her back.

From Teishar’s words and Ruans’ screams of anger, she realized one thing. The future she had been worried and fearful of would no longer come.

‘The future has changed.’

The foolish and stupid Lorencia who clung to love no longer existed. So the future she had dreaded would not come. In other words, it also meant that she didn’t need to be afraid of Ruans anymore.

“Honestly, seeing Prince Ruans get beaten was a bit refreshing.”

And she reflected on herself for being so weak and trembling in fear of such a pathetic man. She made a resolution.

To face what had made her fearful. To no longer be afraid.

“I’m glad you found it refreshing. I truly regret not hitting him more.”

“I’ll hit him next time for the amount you regret. So teach me how to hit well.”

“Understood.”

Teishar, who had stopped walking, resumed his steps with a smile. Passersby glanced at Teishar carrying Lorencia in his arms as he walked. But he didn’t care.

Regardless of what people said, his only thought was to move Lorencia to the safest place. And he felt that he absolutely could not let the young tree, Lorencia, walk outside.

Teishar, who immediately entered the room, entrusted Lorencia to Ameline and gestured to Evan to come out. Evan deeply bowed his head and followed him out the door. Lorencia looked at the door through which Evan and Teishar had left.

As Teishar took Lorencia and left, Adrian sighed deeply and took out a few scrolls containing healing spells from his pocket.

“Ruans, what the hell are you doing? I’m well aware of your womanizing ways, but wasn’t Lady Illina enough for you? What were you thinking, claiming Lady Lorencia as yours too?”

With the sound of tearing paper, the light from the scrolls fell onto Ruans’ body. His bright red, swollen cheek slowly subsided.

“You shouldn’t be concerned about Lady Lorencia right now.”

“What are you trying to say to me, Elder Brother Adrian?”

“Since you seem to want me to say something, I’ll tell you.”

Like a cat pondering whether to eat or play with a helpless little mouse in front of it, Adrian began to smile as he tore the last scroll.

“You’re about to have an honor duel with Viscount Lorirolls soon. You need to diligently practice your swordsmanship. With swordsmanship, even a single day of rest can diminish your skills.”

“My honor duel is none of your concern, Elder Brother.”

Adrian tilted his head.

“Viscount Lorirolls might appoint a proxy knight to duel in his place. I’m worried that the proxy might turn out to be a skilled fighter.”

“Who would stand as a proxy for that pervert? Surely their honor would be tarnished.”

“There are people who don’t care about honor and would serve as a proxy knight, Ruans.”

Adrian said, looking down at Ruans. He had known for a long time that Ruans had a brutal temperament.

He lacked the ‘mercy’ that an imperial family member should possess. He was only ‘merciless’. That’s why Adrian always kept his guard up.

“There can’t be such a person.”

“There might be.”

Adrian was well aware that Ruans was gradually expanding his power along with Duke Greikan. He also knew that Ruans was trying to assassinate him or poison him in any way possible to kill him.

From a young age, Adrian had faced the risk of assassination several times. Fearing death, he put effort into training his body.

And after officially becoming the ‘Crown Prince’ from being the First Prince, even more assassins came for him.

At the Empress Mother’s plea for him to live, Adrian took a sword and began roaming outside the imperial palace. He deliberately went to dangerous border areas and continued to train his body and mind while fighting off magical beasts.

People were concerned about the Crown Prince who personally went out to hunt magical beasts. But Adrian smiled and said it was fine. Traveling between the Poloid Empire and the Isuter Empire, he searched for talented individuals who would become his allies. Time passed like that, and the number of people who trusted and followed Adrian grew.

Among them were those whose families were wiped out because of Ruans’ maternal grandfather, Daniel.