Serena did not leave her bedroom all day, making the excuse that she had a cold, perhaps from catching a night breeze. For some reason, upon hearing this news, the Crown Prince also went along with it without making a fuss, saying he was in the same condition.

As if the two had planned it together, they had the same attitude for the same reason. For those who didn’t know about the conversation the two had by the window last night and the reason Serena had kicked off her blanket all night, it was truly a puzzling situation.

“Young lady, how are you feeling? I’ve brought some ginger tea.”

In fact, Serena’s body was fine. She was just lying in bed, making excuses because she didn’t know how to face Lucas.

“I’m alright.”

“Since you’ve decided to rest for once, please rest well.”

Anna said kindly as she set down the tea by the bedside.

“Oh, Peter says another messenger with the papal seal arrived today.”

“The contents… I suppose we can’t know?”

“No.”

The only hope left now was Serena’s scatterbrained father, Roger. Even if they managed to contact him, there was no guarantee his reply would side with the Crown Prince.

“The last letter from Father was… three years ago?”

“Yes. He greatly praised you for leading Astel as the acting duchess.”

Roger was a naturally free-spirited man. He could be a fine nobleman, but as a good ruler for his subjects, it was questionable.

He didn’t extort taxes or impose extreme labor like other vicious lords, but he paid little attention to his domain, so there was always a strong impression that Astel had no one truly governing it.

“Wherever he went, he must have heard tales of your success and been proud.”

“No, Father was happy that thanks to me becoming an excellent acting duchess, he could wander without any blame or responsibility.”

Serena’s analysis was accurate. Anna also secretly thought the same.

“Father is a good person, but he’s not suited for the position of a lord. It means that if I were to disappear right now, he would be the one in the most trouble.”

“So… you mean the Duke will acknowledge this engagement as invalid?”

“I think so.”

Anna nodded. Astel already had too many projects that Serena had started. Unlike before, the reformed and prosperous Astel needed someone to rule it.

But what would happen to Roger’s freedom if that ruler became the Crown Princess and left for the Imperial Palace?

“Nothing will change anyway. We just have to think of the Crown Prince as a passing storm.”

Although it was quite pitiful for Lucas to be treated like a natural disaster by his long-awaited fiancée, Anna was still on Serena’s side.

“Besides, it’s not like this is the first time I’ve received persistent proposals.”

Serena smiled mischievously.

“The two are different, though.”

Anna pointed out the exact issue. At this, Serena’s cheeks, which hadn’t even been feverish, turned slightly pink.

Despite Duke Farel’s persistent courtship over several years, her heart had never wavered. Yet with Lucas, who had only been here for a few days, from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning until she closed them at night, her mind was filled with trivial thoughts about him.

“Now Duke Farel must know that the guest in Astel is the Crown Prince. And that he came to take me as his bride.”

“I’m worried. With the Duke’s fiery temperament, if he commits any rudeness, it could be a big problem.”

Hmm, Serena made a strange sound. Seeing her lips curl up slightly, she still showed the playfulness and innocence of a young girl.

“Surely… young lady, did you do this on purpose?”

“Rumors will spread anyway. And there’s a saying to treat an enemy as an enemy.”

“They’re not enemies, they’re just suitors for you, young lady.”

Serena shrugged her shoulders up and down, putting on an innocent expression. This meant that, on the contrary, she had thought it through carefully and made a decision.

“Young lady.”

Anna sat on the bed and looked at Serena.

“The Crown Prince cares for you, so he certainly won’t harm you, but Duke Farel is different.”

The Duchy of Farel was a principality not belonging to the Empire. In other words, it wasn’t good for the two men to clash, either politically or in terms of status.

“The Crown Prince suddenly appeared, toured my domain, and evaluated me as he pleased. Without any warning to me.”

No matter how good the result of that evaluation was, Serena didn’t like it at all. If Serena had been more corpulent, or if she had been a cruel lord, would his feelings still be the same? Probably not.

“I hate being evaluated by others the most.”

There was a reason she always coldly rejected the Crown Prince’s passionate courtship. If Lucas had sent a proper letter stating his intention to visit and requested a meeting normally, she wouldn’t have felt such antipathy from the start.

“So I’m going to test the Crown Prince. That’s fair, isn’t it?”

Fair. Only Serena could say such a thing to the Crown Prince.

“If he can’t even handle Duke Farel, there won’t be the free married life he promised me.”

“What? The Crown Prince promised you a free married life? When?”

Oops.

As Anna’s eyes lit up and she asked again, Serena’s cheeks flushed once more.

“Just… he spoke in that manner. Anyway!”

Serena hit her knee strongly and put on a determined expression.

“He came here on his own and evaluated me, so I want to confirm his abilities too.”

In fact, it would be ideal if the two men quarreled and grew tired of this situation, both losing interest in Serena. But from Serena’s experience, neither of them was likely to give up so easily.

“Oh my?”

While deep in thought, Anna got up and slightly pulled back the curtain to look outside.

“Oh, dear.”

No wonder it had been a bit noisy outside for a while.

“Young lady, Duke Farel has just arrived at the mansion!”

Serena, having expected this, didn’t even look surprised and just smirked.

“As expected, he’s quick-tempered.”

“What? That too, but… something terrible might happen at the Astel mansion right now!”

Lucas’s stubbornness was beyond words, and Duke Farel was no pushover either. When two such men face each other over one woman, it was bound to be complicated.

“Young lady, even if you’re unwell, please go out and stop them.”

“No.”

Serena buried herself deeper under the covers in defiance.

“I’m sick and sleeping, so I didn’t hear anything. Right?”

“But, young lady…”

“We’ll be fine with the Astel Knights. So just tell me the results when they come in.”

Serena’s eyes sparkled as if she was having the most enjoyable conversation in a long time.

News of the uninvited guest soon reached the annex where the Crown Prince was staying. However, unlike the composed Serena, Lucas’s face hardened as he strapped on his sword.

“Your Highness, you can ignore such a person. Why bother dealing with him?”

“I’m grateful he came today. Otherwise, I was planning to go find him myself and settle this.”

Lucas had been displeased ever since hearing that Duke Farel had proposed to Serena more than ten times over the past six years.

Now that he had come barging into the ducal mansion where the Crown Prince was staying, Lucas was actually quite thankful.

“Let’s go.”

Before Cedric could say anything more, the armed Lucas strode out of the annex with quick steps, heading towards the courtyard where the Duke’s horse was stationed.

“Your Highness, let me announce you first.”

Cedric hurried, seeing Duke Farel still looking down at them from atop his horse, but Lucas shook his head.

“I should at least introduce myself.”

As they say, extremes meet. Lucas calmly walked a few steps and stood right in front of the horse. It was his first encounter with the red-eyed Duke.

“I came out because it was noisy outside.”

Lucas spoke first.

“The Duchess is resting with a cold, so please keep it down.”

Seeing Lucas speak so casually as if they were already married, Hyde unknowingly gritted his teeth.

“Ah, I am Crown Prince Lucas Tern of this Empire.”

Hyde, still clenching his teeth, swiftly dismounted from his horse. There was no choice since Lucas had cowardly mentioned his status first.

“And you are…? I don’t recall seeing you in the Empire.”

Lucas’s provocation, delivered in a low voice with composure, greatly irritated Hyde’s temper.

His nonchalant face emerging from the ducal mansion where he himself hadn’t been able to stay even for a day, and speaking as if Serena was already his wife, angered Hyde more than anything.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness. I am Hyde Farel, Duke of the Farel Duchy.”

As Hyde showed the minimum courtesy, Lucas merely nodded.

“The Duchess has a mild cold, and I, her fiancé, am with her, so you need not worry and can return.”

Lucas said, arrogantly lifting his chin. He was secretly proud of the fact that he was not at all inferior in physique to Hyde, who came from the traditionally strong and martial Farel family.

“Excuse me, but this is also my first time seeing Your Highness here.”

Hyde stared at Lucas with his red eyes.

“Even though I’ve been coming and going as if this were my home for the past six years.”

This time, Hyde’s provocation grated on Lucas’s nerves. The six-year absence was currently the reason why Lucas was being shunned by his fiancée.

And to hear that the Duke had been freely coming and going during that time made him feel as if he had almost lost his fiancée.

“Oh? I heard from the servants that you were banished from Astel.”

“That… that’s just a kind of game I play with the Duchess.”

Huh, Lucas let out a low chuckle. That brief laugh pierced Hyde more effectively than any words could have.

“If you know Astel so well, you must know the hill that overlooks this place.”

“How could I not know that place?”

Indeed, he was a man who knew how to get under one’s skin. Lucas briefly glared at Hyde, then turned his back and ordered Cedric to bring his horse.

Soon, the large black horse that had always accompanied the Crown Prince on his wanderings came out, kicking up dust.

Lucas mounted the enormous horse effortlessly without any assistance and grasped the reins.

“I’ll see you on the hill.”

At those words, Hyde competitively mounted his own horse.

“It’s not exactly a race, so don’t overexert yourself, Duke.”

With that brief remark, Lucas’s horse kicked up a cloud of dust and quickly disappeared. Hyde, swallowing an angry breath, spurred his horse as well.

Now, a race was not the issue. This was all a battle of pride between men.