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Chapter 06
“Still, that’s better.”
Calix thought indifferently. It was far preferable for him to be branded a bastard than for Lisbeth to be cursed.
So he had no intention of responding to the newspapers that were tearing him apart.
In fact, maybe he should even slip them a donation. Encourage them to try harder.
“I knew it the moment you started strutting around with that pretty face of yours!”
“……”
“So what if you can swing a sword? What good is that when all you’ve got is a pale, pretty face—”
“……”
“You’re dragging the name of our Stella Knights through the mud, Calix Payon!”
“I’ll apologize to the commander later.”
Calix murmured calmly and straightened in his seat.
The knight who had been hitting him twitched his eyebrow at Calix’s complete lack of reaction.
He wanted—desperately—to see a crack in that lofty, arrogant face.
And so, he stepped into forbidden territory.
“So? Was it worth seducing the young lady? Did she at least give you something in return?”
“……”
“Heh, guess she’s nothing special either. Just another woman obsessed with looks and a good body, huh?”
“……”
“Let’s see. In that case, maybe I should give her a try myself—oof!”
The knight was cut off as a glove thrown by Calix smacked him hard across the cheek.
“What the hell was that, Calix Payon? You think you’re untouchable now just because you’ve gained the young lady’s favor—”
“With that filthy mouth, you’ve probably recited the code of chivalry. Aren’t you ashamed to insult a lady?”
“W-What did you say?!”
Even with his dull brain, he seemed to understand he had just been insulted. His face turned bright red.
You should’ve stopped while you were ahead.
If he had only kept the insults directed at Calix himself, it would’ve been fine.
But he had dared to put Lisbeth’s name in his mouth.
Calix stared at him coldly, then rose to his feet, hand gripping the sword at his waist.
“Calix Payon challenges you to a duel. Get outside, you bastard.”
Lisbeth was not some masochist who enjoyed being slandered.
Which meant there was another reason she was making such a noisy spectacle out of breaking off the engagement.
That man isn’t the type to give up so easily.
There were many reasons the First Prince had chosen Lisbeth Armierosia.
If Lisbeth had quietly gone to him and requested a private annulment, that greedy bastard would never have let her go.
If she had said, “I already have a lover,” he would have quietly eliminated that “lover” and said, “Well, now you don’t. Let’s proceed with the marriage.”
If she had said, “I’m carrying another man’s child,” he would have replied, “No one has to know. We’ll just say it’s mine.”
Because the marriage had never been about love.
So I have to make it as loud and scandalous as possible. Make him withdraw first.
No matter what schemes the First Prince tried, he was still only a prince.
If the Emperor declared, “We cannot bring a flawed woman into the imperial family,” then he would have no choice but to annul the engagement.
And the imperial family only desired perfection.
“Well, if the young lady already has a lover, then it cannot be helped.”
Just as expected.
“Let us consider the engagement between the First Prince and the young lady null and void, Duke.”
“But, Your Majesty!”
“Frederick. Be silent.”
The Emperor cut him off.
Lisbeth watched the scene with quiet satisfaction.
Frederick William Regenticia.
The First Prince of the Regenticia Empire—and the man who had ruined her life.
His handsome face was twisted as if he had bitten into something foul.
All those grand plans you were so excited about—gone to waste. Bitter, isn’t it?
It was a shame she couldn’t laugh out loud in front of the Emperor and the Duke.
“We will pay compensation to the imperial family.”
“Hm…”
“I regret that matters have come to this, Your Majesty.”
“It is unfortunate. I had hoped to become family with the Duke.”
When Calix was involved, her father had looked ready to kill him. But now, the Duke accepted the annulment with surprising ease.
Lisbeth glanced at her father’s profile and remembered what he had said in the carriage.
“What parent ever truly wins against their child?”
“Father…”
“That rascal annoys me, but if you like him, what can I do? And if my grandchild is already in your womb…”
“……”
The Duke had decided to accept the man his daughter claimed to love—even if he disliked him.
Lisbeth’s eyes softened.
I will protect Armierosia, Father.
Please trust your foolish daughter. Even if I disappoint you now…
She could feel Frederick’s greedy gaze boring into her.
Lisbeth frowned slightly.
He won’t dare spout nonsense in front of the Emperor… but I should prepare for whatever he might try later.
Enduring the madman’s stare, the audience soon concluded.
The Duke looked at her worriedly.
“Lisbeth. You don’t look well.”
The Emperor and Frederick were still present. Lisbeth exaggerated a sigh.
“I’ve been seeing unpleasant things all morning…”
“My apologies. I failed to notice your distress. You should return and rest.”
“Then I shall take my leave, Your Majesty.”
The conversation ended neatly—excluding Frederick entirely.
Lisbeth snorted softly at his displeased expression, though she didn’t forget to lean weakly against her father as if unsteady.
Fortunately, the Emperor did not prolong the meeting and dismissed them.
As they were leaving the audience chamber, Lisbeth encountered a man.
Blond hair, similar to Frederick’s.
But with entirely different teal eyes.
…Noah Regenticia?
He shouldn’t still be here at this hour.
Though startled, Lisbeth received not even a glance from him as he entered the chamber.
“Lisbeth. Are you alright?”
Her father asked, noticing her pause.
She snapped back to her senses and nodded.
“Yes. I must have been nervous before His Majesty. Father, may I stop by the knights’ order for a moment?”
“What? Why? Don’t tell me that bastard—”
“No. I just suddenly wanted to see my sister.”
At her excuse, the Duke’s displeased expression eased slightly.
With his permission, Lisbeth turned toward the knights’ headquarters.
Not to see her sister.
But to see Calix.
Crash!
The sound of something shattering rang loudly outside the First Prince’s office.
The guard stationed outside frowned.
There he goes again.
Not long ago, he had hurled curses at the newspapers.
It’s because of Lady Armierosia, obviously.
Back then, it had been when her scandal covered every paper. Now, it was after seeing her at the imperial audience.
Her scandal was infamous even within the knights’ order.
After all, the vice-commander of the Luna Knights was Marcella Armierosia—her elder sister.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere within the Luna Knights had been colder than ever.
If you get caught gossiping about the young lady’s scandal by the vice-commander, you won’t even have bones left to bury…
But if you went to another order to gossip, the man involved in her scandal would beat you senseless with a glove.
Rumor had it he’d been smacking around anyone who insulted her lately.
He’d never seemed quite sane to begin with… but after getting a lover, he seemed to have lost it entirely.
Poor young lady. Every man she meets…
A trash First Prince. A psychotic war maniac.
Just as the prince’s guard clicked his tongue in sympathy for her taste in men—
The office door flew open.
“You.”
Frederick, the First Prince, leaned against the doorway, brushing back his disheveled blond hair as he summoned the guard.
As the knight hurried forward, he came to a sudden realization about the young lady’s preferences.
That young lady clearly judged men by their faces—
—and not their character.
