Among the many mansions in the capital, the backyard of the Winters’ Duke’s residence was especially famous for its beauty.

Sitting at the tea table in the garden, the handsome man lifting his teacup was Klaus, the eldest son of the Duke of Winter and the pride of his family.

Klaus sat upright in his impeccable attire, buttoned up to the neck, elegantly savoring his tea even within the privacy of the mansion.

However, despite his perfect appearance as a nobleman’s son, he was internally troubled.

Klaus was thinking about Louibel.

He remembered Louibel, who seemed as if she had stepped out of a painting in her beauty, whom he first met at the Emperor’s birthday celebration.

And then, the back of Louibel, walking away holding the arm of an unpleasant foreign prince they met again later.

‘It’s okay, Sir Klaus! Prince Anselot is a trustworthy person!’

‘He escorted me at the last ball. So, don’t worry and go back.’

Louibel had said that while holding Prince Anselot’s hand affectionately.

Rumors about the unusual closeness of the two had been spreading throughout the capital, starting from the palace.

Though Klaus knew rumors were often unreliable, he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

In truth, Klaus Winter himself was aware he had no particular relationship with Princess Louibel…

‘It’s natural discomfort as a citizen of Ajester.’

Klaus set down his teacup and slowly shook his head.

I am a citizen of Ajester.

It’s only natural to feel uncomfortable about a princess of Ajester getting involved with a disreputable prince from another country.

Recently, a significant incident had shaken the empire.

Prince Orent and Duke Hamilton had endangered the citizens by controlling monsters with a cursed flute, only to play the heroes later.

The Emperor had them captured for investigation.

The empire was already uneasy due to a prophecy received by the saintess of the Taal Kingdom, and now this added to the turmoil.

But upon hearing this news, Klaus’s first thought was ‘Is Princess Louibel safe?’

The prophecy was directed at the direct descendants of the Emperor.

Among them, the most likely candidates were Prince Orent and recently awakened Swordmaster, Princess Louibel.

But since Prince Orent had committed a crime and been disinherited, the prophecy’s subject must surely be her…

“What? Why are you here, brother?”

A voice broke the silence of the garden.

Klaus, pulled from his thoughts, slightly frowned and looked up.

“Didn’t you hear that I was going to use the garden this afternoon?”

Sylvia looked at Klaus with sharp eyes, expressing her displeasure.

Behind her, the maids of the duke’s mansion stood, unsure of what to do.

They were supposed to prepare the garden for the lady’s guest, but Klaus had occupied the outdoor table, lost in thought and unresponsive.

“I invited the princess. She’ll be here shortly. So, leave.”

Sylvia, who acted gracefully in front of others, was quite blunt with her family.

Klaus was taken aback.

Not by her harsh words to leave, but by what preceded them.

“Which princess do you mean?”

“Who else but Princess Louibel? I introduced her to you last time.”

“……”

At the mention of Louibel by Sylvia, Klaus felt his throat dry up.

In fact, on the day he first encountered Louibel, Klaus, with his keen hearing, had overheard her conversation with Sylvia.

‘Um, Sylvia… Is your brother’s name Klaus Winter?’

‘The Klaus Winter who fought a bear with a sword at the age of six…?’

‘The one who went to study in the Holy Kingdom and was offered to lead the Holy Knights by the Pope but refused and returned to his homeland…?’
Klaus was surprised that Louibel knew about the last story, which he hadn’t even told his family.

Could it be that Princess Louibel had investigated him?

We were strangers, so why? Could she possibly be interested in me…?

Klaus approached her, hiding his confused feelings. And the moment their eyes met…

Thump!

His heart skipped a beat.

Louibel looked so pretty up close. Too pretty.

There had been rumors that Princess Louibel of Ajester was so beautiful that one would take a second look, but…

‘Hello, Sir Klaus. It’s nice to meet you.’

Thump! His heart fluttered again, adding to his admiration for her.

Her voice was as lovely as her face.

‘It is an honor to meet you as well.’

When he greeted her, and she responded with a gentle smile, his heart skipped several beats in rapid succession.

His heart was pounding a warning.

Princess Louibel of Ajester is dangerous.

Klaus Winter, known to everyone as the perfect example of a knight, had a sort of phobia towards women.

He instinctively built walls and was wary around all women, but he knew it was ungentlemanly to show this outwardly.

So, he usually hid his discomfort and feigned indifference when encountering women, but Louibel was different.

She kept making his heart thump and skip.

Every time it happened, his instincts screamed that she was dangerous, that he should avoid her.

“Why are you standing there with such a dumb look? Get out of here and don’t be a nuisance!”