“Fufufu~ It might be fun to play around a bit but Miria is right. Any man in this mansion would be such a downgrade compared to him,” Selene added with a sly chuckle.

  “Fine.” Kindra smirked after seeing Tina and Grea nod after them too. “You might be taken but we do have a lady not bound by any relationships yet. Blink once and that might not be the case anymore!”

  A tinge of rosiness surfaced on Bryn’s cheeks as she understood well who Kindra was talking about. She took a glance at Asterios and he smiled at her warmly, apologizing through their connection for his mother’s antics. It looked like she had her locked down too.

  “Alright, Mom. I appreciate you giving the girls a hand with their dresses, but I think it’s time you went to greet the king. Almost everyone is already done. You don’t want to be rude and ruin your image, do you?” he asked with a raised brow.

  She squinted at him. “Do not think I can’t see what you are doing…”

  Asterios shrugged and innocently spread his arms. As if on cue, they heard Welrond’s voice closing onto them as he exchanged some pleasantries with the people. Smiling at his mother, Asterios took Grea’s and Tina’s hands and led all the girls away. The king noticed them leaving and Asterios winked at him for good luck.

  The stage had been set. The rest was in the man’s hands.

  They moved to the opposite side of the hall and stopped by a long table with delicious-looking desserts. Noticing how enchanted by their sight Miria was, Asterios picked up a small plate and chose one of the neatly sliced pieces of chocolate cake, bringing it between them. She clapped her hands and purred lovingly, sensing his intentions. Opening her pouty lips, she let him feed her with a tiny fork, humming delightfully after each delectable bite.

  The other girls chuckled at them and decided to join the duo, picking something to taste too. While Selene and Grea enjoyed a wobbly, rainbowy jelly, Tina reached for a pretty cheesecake. Timidly walking up to Asterios and Miria, she glanced at him with expectant eyes and a faint blush.

  Miria giggled at her and moved a little bit to the side, letting Tina feed Asterios while he fed her. They chatted and laughed together while enjoying both the cheesecake and chocolate cake, often mixing their chosen desserts. The crimson flush on Tina’s cheeks deepened whenever she was on the receiving end but she enjoyed being in Ast’s care.

  Grea pushed herself into his back and waved a bottle of wine she had stolen from somewhere. Before Asterios could ask her about it, Selene was already next to them, holding enough glasses for everyone. So, they all shrugged and let the two ladies pour them some golden liquid.

  The alcohol was definitely tasty but somehow lacking, at least in Selene’s eyes. Asterios and Tina exchanged knowing glances, both now aware of their vulpine friend’s drinking prowess. It would definitely be hard to top the Dragon’s Piss or the other liquors Captain Moreso had shared with them in the past. Perhaps they should pay the man a visit and see how he was doing. Who knew? Maybe someone was training to steal Selene’s champion title?

  After about an hour of eating, drinking, and having fun chatting amongst themselves, Tina nudged Asterios lightly with her elbow.

  “I think you should go and check on Silvia, Mr. Princess’ Escort.” She smiled at him gently.

  “Perhaps I should.” He chuckled at her and scanned the hall in search of their royal companion. “I’ll leave Miria, Selene, and Grea in your hands, then. Keep them out of trouble.”

  She laughed quietly and nodded. “You can count on me. Bryn will help too, right?”

  The Valkyrie turned her head after getting mentioned and smiled at them. “Naturally.”

  “Alright. I think I found her. See you, girls, later.” Asterios waved at the duo and headed off.

  As he walked through the spacious chamber, many gazes fell on him. It was nothing surprising. People had been stealing glances at him since his very entrance beside Silvia and her father. Though, while it usually had been men scrutinizing his every move, he began to notice more attention from the women too.

  The few times that Asterios moved his gaze over a young girl or three, they quickly avoided his fierce eyes, sporting faint blushes now and then. Their ages varied greatly as they most likely were daughters of all the family heads gathered for Eugene’s birthday, but it was quite apparent that most were not that far off from Silvia. He could find a few much younger ladies but they often stayed close to either their parents or escorts.

  While he ignored the bashful glances the noblewomen directed at him, it didn’t stop Asterios from at least answering with gentle smiles. He had to keep the appearances. He was the princess’ escort and should hold himself not just confidently but also elegantly. Though, those smiles might have had an undesirable side effect as a few ladies grew even more flustered after he spared them some attention.

  Soon, his eyes spotted the familiar, fiery ponytail, and Asterios squeezed himself between a few groups of people discussing various topics related to nobility, passing Eugene, who was walking away from his current destination with a frown. Asterios fixed his suit a little bit and slowly approached Silvia from the side to not surprise her with his arrival.

  “Princess,” he announced his presence in a soft tone.

  Silvia turned her face to him and showed a tender smile. “Oh, Asterios. I hope you are enjoying the banquet.”

  As he stopped by her side, she linked her elbow with him and he reciprocated her smile. “It’s definitely a magnificent party, but as your personal escort, Princess, I should be asking you that question instead. I’m here for you tonight, in the end.”

  She let out a faint chuckle and nodded. “I truly appreciate it.”

  The mature women Silvia had been talking with before he'd joined them were quite shocked by their casual behavior. They did their best not to show it on their faces but their gazes often wandered to the duo’s linked arms.

  “We’ve been wondering for a while, Princess, but who exactly do we have the pleasure of speaking with? I don’t think we’ve met… Sir Asterios?” one of the ladies asked.

  “Lord,” Silvia corrected them, causing their eyes to widen noticeably. “Asterios is an outstanding person even my father respects greatly. It’s not unusual for you not to recognize him as he is very busy and often travels all around the realm. He recently returned from the Demon Continent after helping the Demon King with some internal affairs and agreed to accompany me for this occasion. He won’t be staying for long, unfortunately, as his journey has to continue. I think he will soon visit the Elf Queen to discuss a certain matter involving our nations.”

  Asterios could only smile as the princess made him look like some kind of a big shot in front of her retainers. Though, as he listened to Silvia’s words, he couldn’t really find any fault in them. She had used somewhat vague descriptions but didn’t exactly lie. It wasn’t impossible for him and the girls to meet the queen. They even hoped to have a chance to talk to Fievedem in the capital city of elves.

  In the end, he understood what she was doing. Silvia knew that these women would most likely talk a lot about what they heard, spreading this information further into the noble circles. If the two of them wanted to one day marry in front of the people, it would be only beneficial for the nobles to think of him as someone worthy of the princess's hand. She was putting the massive rumor machine in motion, which would definitely inspire many families to research him deeply. Some might even recognize him this night with just the amount of information Silvia had intentionally leaked and his general appearance.

  “And, if I may be as bold as to ask, Princess, what is your relationship with Lord Asterios?” a different noble lady asked with a hesitant smile.

  Silvia assumed a thoughtful expression before answering. “Hmmmm… I guess he is currently my partner?”

  “Partner?” The women seemed a bit confused.

  “What it means is that we haven’t yet been officially betrothed but we are close, therefore I can’t exactly call him my fiance,” Silvia explained. “Perhaps... We are courting?”

  Such news almost froze the women. Their eyes couldn’t get any wider and their attempts at hiding their shock were completely pointless.

  “Fiance, Princess? But…” The first lady glanced between them, lowering her head courteously. “Not to sound rude or anything, but Lord Asterios has been… seen… with other women at the banquet…”

  “Yes, of course.” Silvia nodded with a warm smile. “I would be Lord Asterios’ fifth wife after we married.”

  Asterios had thought that the women couldn’t get any more flabbergasted, but he was proven wrong. The ladies stared at him and Silvia with their mouths agape for quite a moment. They quickly started excusing themselves and their small group was soon reduced to just the two of them.

  He smiled at the smart and cunning princess and she reciprocated the gesture, leaning a bit more into his side. It wasn’t anything that special for a noble to have multiple wives or husbands, but by introducing herself as the fifth one, Silvia elevated Ast’s status and importance in the women’s eyes by leaps and bounds. They would now think and most likely gossip about him being such a big figure that the king’s daughter was happy to be one of many. The additional details she had shared about him would certainly be of help too.

  As they wondered together what to do next, the hall quietened a lot and a group of butlers brought in a giant birthday cake. Asterios guided Silvia closer to join everyone and they sang along with the other guests while the birthday boy kept bowing appreciatively to the crowd. Then, they all shared a toast with champagne handed out by maids, and Eugene started suggesting a dance.

  Immediately, Silvia turned her face to Asterios and he chuckled lightly after seeing her somewhat expectant eyes.

  “Would you honor me with this dance, Princess?” he asked after stepping back and gesturing at her gracefully.

  “It will be my pleasure,” she replied with a dazzling smile and took his hand.

  The music started playing about three minutes later, giving everyone enough time to find a pair, and they began moving together. The tune was slow and romantic so they matched their steps to it, staring each other in the eyes the entire time. Now, with a deep connection between them, they could dance literally as one mind and body, knowing each other’s moves perfectly well. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that their refined dancing captivated almost the entire gathering.

  While moving in perfect sync wasn’t an issue, Asterios and Silvia had to focus on taming down their heated auras. With this much casual intimacy, their bodies rubbing together, and them enjoying each other’s close presence, the air around them kept growing warmer. He couldn’t stop it from shimmering a bit and she wasn’t able to completely hide the tiny sparks crackling over her mesmerizing hair. Thankfully, those effects were weak and barely noticeable to anyone farther than right next to them.

  When the music finally stopped, they were both breathing a bit faster from the pleasant exercise. While all the other pairs stepped away from each other to exchange after-dance curtsies, they remained in a close embrace, looking into each other’s eyes as everyone applauded the performers.

  Silvia’s amber eyes skipped to Ast’s lips briefly. He found an adorable blush on her noble cheeks. Before he knew it, he was leaning forward to meet her delicate mouth moving up toward him. They shared a slow, sensual kiss as their surroundings turned silent, the sound of clapping disappearing in the distance, replaced by the loud humming noise that filled their ears.

  Then, something hit Ast’s back and fell to the ground with a soft plop. They broke the gentle kiss and realized that it wasn’t their minds that had tuned out the clapping but the people had actually completely stopped, staring intently at them, and at someone else.

  Taking a peek over his shoulder, Asterios noticed a leather glove on the floor. Raising his eyes, he met the gaze of a quite angry young nobleman, currently being held back by his parents. The man’s identity was as clear as a day.

  “I challenge you to a duel!” Eugene almost seethed at Asterios before his father managed to seal his mouth.

  Asterios chuckled wryly.

  Things just got very complicated.

  Chapter 5

  The Duel

  “How dare he—mhhmmmwwhhhmm!” a woman’s angry voice echoed through the completely silent hall.

  Asterios could easily tell that it belonged to Miria, and he saw the panthergirl getting gently but firmly restrained by her vulpine sister-mate somewhere at the back of the crowd. The people didn’t seem to take note of her comment or just didn’t care about it with the scene taking place in front of them. Selene winked at Asterios as their eyes met through the gap in the encirclement of guests and he returned his focus to the nobleman before him.

  “Eugene, what is the meaning of this?” Silvia stepped forward and glanced at the glove lying on the beautiful marble floor.

  “That’s what I’ve been meaning to ask!” the visibly annoyed man spat back, finally freeing himself from his father’s hold. “How come a complete stranger hiding himself behind a foolish mask acts so flippantly and audaciously towards the princess! This cannot stand!”

  A small frown appeared on Silvia’s noble forehead and Asterios noticed the man’s parents pale in response. They didn’t dare to insert themselves into the argument anymore after they had failed to prevent it, knowing better than to put themselves and their family even more in harm's way.

  “That complete stranger has been chosen as my escort for tonight’s festivities not just by me but also by my father. His willingness to accompany me is the only reason I have accepted your invitation. I fail to see how the way he acts is any of your concern,” she replied slowly and respectfully.

  “What kind of a normal escort gets so familiar with the princess!” Eugene continued, shooting Asterios furious glares.

  “When have I stated that he was a normal escort?” Silvia raised a brow at him. “Lord Asterios is my current partner and companion. It is only natural that, after benevolently letting me stay by his side to study and practice, I would respond in kind by offering him to stay by my side during official gatherings.”

  “Lord?” The young noble seemed surprised but quickly sneered to the side. “There’s not a single person of such standing in the kingdom that I do not know of, and this Lord Asterios certainly doesn’t ring any bells. I’m starting to worry that you have been fooled by some fraudulent pretender, Your Highness.”

  A quiet murmur broke amongst the spectators. Asterios sighed silently too. He knew perfectly well how much attention did Silvia pay to the entire kingdom and its people, and so did her father. The man’s statement could easily be taken as a declaration that they weren’t doing their job properly. And it seemed that his parents might have had similar thoughts.

  Silvia shook her head softly. “The world is a vast, unending space. There are people and places you wouldn’t have dreamed of, Eugene. Besides, once more, when have I stated that he was someone important specifically from our kingdom?”

  “I knew those vicious eyes of his were something else! That’s even worse! No outsider, especially this suspicious, is worthy of standing by your side, Princess! There are much better people amongst your own people who constantly devote their lives to you and our nation!” he continued, sweeping at the crowd with one hand and placing the other one over his heart.

  “Eugene,” Silvia replied with a firmer tone. “From the moment you opened your mouth, you have been nothing but disrespectful towards my personal guest. I’m sure you are aware of the consequences of such conduct. But, having in mind that tonight is a special time for you, I’m willing to ignore your rude remarks and unbecoming behavior as long as you withdraw your untoward request. I shall not pursue any further actions towards you or your family if you do so.”

  She didn’t spare the man a single thought before turning to Asterios and making a small, respectful bow, shocking everyone greatly.

  “I wholeheartedly apologize for the treatment you have been subjected to in the hands of one of my retainers. I sincerely hope that this little mishap won’t tarnish our relationship. There’s no need to address his impolite and baseless request. Please, continue to enjoy the banquet, My Lord, and if you would wish to leave after this incident, I shall take that as a cue for me to depart too.”

  Asterios placed his hand on Silvia’s shoulder and delicately raised her up. Showing a gentle smile, he received one in response, and knelt down next to her, picking up the leather glove. The crowd immediately stopped whispering once more and primed their ears for the continuation.

  “There are two things my dear mother taught me that a man should never break. First, is a girl’s heart. Second, is the noble privilege to issue a challenge for it,” he exclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear. “If I were to ignore or decline such a request, it would mean that I think nothing of you and your honor, Princess, and further on, of your father, the king. I can’t very well put a stain on your names after receiving so much from both of you.”

  Sharing one more look with Silvia, he glanced past her, at the crowd and the hosts, spotting a quite apparent smirk on her father’s face, who stood right behind Eugene’s family. His mother’s expression didn’t fall too far behind as she remained next to Welrond. Asterios held himself back from smiling wryly at them and met the eyes of the rude noble.

  “Does that mean that you accept?” Eugene asked, fixing his suit and standing prouder.

  “What are the conditions?” Asterios inquired.

  “If I win, you will leave the princess alone and never approach her again.”

  Some whispers traveled through the air again and Asterios felt the rising annoyance in his mind, which actually belonged to his mates, especially Miria. Ignoring it, though, he nodded respectfully.

  “I see. It is only natural that if I win, you will be subjected to the same oath, am I right?” He raised a brow at the man.