“What are you doing?”

Mia’s gaze turned icy in an instant.

“How dare you impersonate His Excellency the governor? Do you realize what you are doing right now, sir?”

“Well, uh, that’s…”

Gerard was a little taken aback. She looked soft, innocent, docile, and rather klutz. As such, he was surprised to see her confront him with a serious, stern attitude. However, his embarrassment only lasted for a moment, and subtle anger took its place. He was going so far as to express his feelings for her. She could have at least realized the fact and appreciated it, but rather, she was becoming angry.

“This is how far I would go to meet you, princess. How could you deny my feelings like this?”

“I hate liars the most in the world.”

“B, but, that’s…!”

“And I have no intentions of getting to know your feelings. Someone who lies from the very beginning is bound to continue lying.”

“Ugh…”

Gerard tried to make excuses, but Mia cut him off with a cold voice. His expression distorted horribly.

“Please get out of my way.”

“…..”

She spoke with a stern attitude, and he unknowingly faltered.

Tap. Tap.

The sound of her footsteps passed by him.

“Princess Mia.”

When she was about to open to door, Gerard called out in a weak voice.

Mia turned her head. He took a deep breath while looking at her with a sad, pathetic expression.

“Ha… Everything is my fault. I promise you nothing like this will happen ever again. You may tell the governor-general about the matter, and I will gladly accept any punishment. However…”

He continued after raising a glass that rested on the table.

“For the first and the last time… Please share a glass with me. This will be the end, and I will never approach the princess again. I beg of you. Please accept it as my apology.”

Mia felt a bit conflicted. His attitude was completely transformed, and his apology seemed sincere. When he continued staring at her with a pathetic gaze, Mia nodded slightly before approaching him.

“Fine. But don’t ever do anything like this in the future. Not to me, or to any other ladies.”

“I have nothing to say even if I had ten mouths. And thank you. I will repent on my actions.”

He held back the desire to shout triumphantly and politely handed her a glass of wine.

Clang!

The clear sound of clinking glass resonated, and Mia slowly put the glass to her lips.

‘Hehe! That’s right, drink it. Even if you drink the tiniest sip, you will be… Hehehe!’

Gerard slowly raised his own glass and took a sip of wine while staring at her. The red wine doused Mia’s lips, and although it was a very small amount, entered her mouth.

‘This is it! Hehe!’

“Then excuse me.”

Mia attempted to leave after taking a small sip of wine.

“Thank you so much, princess! But p, please! Could you look at me for a second?”

He needed a little time for the medicine to show effect. Gerard attempted to keep her in place somehow. His desperate plan worked, and Mia sighed lightly before turning around.

“I think this is enough. There are many nobles out there waiting for me, including the governor-general. So I must now… Ah…?”

Her body swayed. She was suddenly feeling dizzy.

“Oh, my! Are you all right, princess?”

Gerard pretended to be surprised and hurriedly hopped to Mia’s side.

‘Kuah! I can’t hold on any longer.’

No one had ever touched Mia with the exception of her older brother and a few knights. However, Gerard took the opportunity and took her into his embrace before ogling over her face and body.

“Why am I… Ha!”

Mia muttered as all the strength in her body left her. Soon, an unfamiliar, fiery sensation started coursing through her body.

“Are you all right, princess? Princess Mia?”

Although he expressed concern with words, Gerard’s shaft soared explosively. Her milky skin and blush aroused both pleasure and his desire to conquer her.

‘Hehe! Now you will be mine. I will make sure you can never forget me.’

“I… O, outside… Hmm! The knights… Haa!”

Although she was intoxicated, she struggled to escape Gerard’s embrace while trying to hold on to her mind.

‘Are the effects insufficient? Hehe! Anyways, I can’t just let you go.’

“This won’t do. Come this way for now, princess.”

Gerard pulled her with force. His eyes were dyed red with excitement.

“N, no… I…”

Mia tried to resist, but it was useless. In the end, her frail body was dragged helplessly by the hands of an animal, to a large bed deep inside the room.

*** 

“Everything looks to be in order. Please head inside.”

“Hmm. Keep up the good work.”

“I apologize. You cannot enter without an invitation.”

“What!? Don’t you know who I am…!?”

Even though the banquet was about to begin, the main gate of Edenfield’s government general was bustling. Anyone could boast about attending a banquet and greeting the princess of the Pendragon Kingdom and the Knight King of Valvas. Both of them were highly prestigious figures – one was the only sister of the empress, and the other was one of the strongest, most distinguished figures in the world.

As such, the nobles without invitations tried their best to force their way through. Disturbances and loud shouts could be spotted in various places.

“Please return. It will become quite troublesome if you continue creating a commotion.”

Eventually, some of Edenfield’s knights were forced to step up. The knights were equivalent in status to barons or the lords of small territories, so the uninvited nobles were left with no choice but to turn back.

“Oh, my. You will find people like that wherever you are. If they did not receive an invitation even though 200 people were invited, they should know their place.”

“You are absolutely right.”

A knight shrugged while dusting his hands, and the guards responded accordingly. 

“Now, I think all of the invited guests have arrived. Let’s lock the gate and stand guard… Hmm?”

The knight started passing orders to the guards, then suddenly narrowed his eyes. In the far distance, a few shadows were rapidly coming his way.

“What…? How is…”

“Huh!?”

The knight and the guards were startled. The figures weren’t simply running. They were coming towards them at a ferocious speed beyond human limits. The knight quickly unsheathed his sword.

“Prepare for battle! Alert the knights inside the residence!”

Dozens of guards raised their spears.

Kwakwakwakwa!

“T, this…”

The knight’s face turned pale when he felt the spirit coming from the frontmost figure. He could tell instinctively – the figure rushing towards the government general possessed power that he could not even fathom. 

‘This is bad! Most of the knights and His Majesty Isla are absent right now…’

The knight clenched his teeth and imbued his sword with spirit, renewing his determination to hold on, regardless of what it would cost.

Woooong!

The tip of his trembling sword faced the enemy as he tightened his grip.

Fwooosh!

However, the figure abruptly stopped in front of the gate.

“Ugh!?”

“Who is the person in charge here!?”

The knights and guards became flustered at the man’s shouts.

“W, who might you be? Where do you think you are…?”

The knight unknowingly took on a polite tone. He assumed that a person possessing such an enormous spirit would be extraordinary in origin. The unidentified man approached the iron bars while continuing his words.

“This child is the prince of the Pendragon Kingdom, Raymond Pendragon.”

“What!?”

The knight responded with indescribable shock, and Raymond took out a necklace he always kept hidden inside his clothes. He shouted.

“I, I am Raymond Pendragon, the legitimate successor to the Pendragon Kingdom, the land blessed by the White Dragon! Please open the door!”

“W, what…? Heuk!”

The knight held up a torch and scrutinized the necklace in the boy’s hand. The necklace was crafted with platinum and embedded with diamonds. It was evident at first glance that it was an extraordinary object. And fortunately, the knight had seen an exact replica of the necklace hanging on the neck of Mia Pendragon, whom he saw earlier in the residence.

“I greet Your Highness the Prince!” The knight quickly saluted. 

“There is no time for greetings!”

“B, but…”

“This is a person I trust! Please open the door quickly!”

“Yes!”

A person of such caliber was more than capable of overpowering the guards and breaking in with force. The knight knew this as well, so he obeyed the prince’s words and opened the gates.

“What about these people?”

“They are with me! Is Elkin, no, the Knight King of Valvas inside the residence?”

“He is currently away with other…”

“Hurry up and call him! It’s an emergency!”

“Ye, yes!”

The knight responded to the words of the mysterious man. He felt quite dazed by the suddenness of the situation.

“Let’s go!”

Kwakwakwa!

With that, the man left with Prince Raymond and the rest of his group. They headed towards the official residence like a storm.

“Ah…! What are you all doing? Contact His Majesty Isla! It’s an emergency!”

“Yes!”

The guards became busy, and the knight ran towards the official residence as fast as he could.

*** 

“Governor-general who rules the emperor’s city, Edenfield, on his behalf. His Excellency Iron Elven!”

The murmur stopped at the solemn voice of the chief servant. Soon, magnificent music filled the banquet hall, and the eyes of the countless nobles were drawn to a single place. Count Elven entered the hall with a bright smile, waving his hands at the various nobles.

He walked through the hall before taking his seat at the middle of the longest table in the hall. He laughed while looking around.

“Haha! It is so nice to see you all. I sincerely thank you all for attending the banquet on such short notice. Hmm?”

He started speaking with a smile, then suddenly took on a puzzled expression. He knew Isla was absent, but the other protagonist of the banquet was also missing as well.

“Anyways, it seems we are missing our guest of honor for today’s banquet.”

Count Elven did not panic and spoke with a renewed smile. A knight approached him and whispered, clearly confused and distressed.

“Excuse me, Your Excellency. Her Highness Princess Mia left along with Sir Levido at Your Excellency’s summons…”

“What? What are you talking about? I called the princess?”

“Pardon? But, he d, definitely…”

The knight became even more flustered when Count Elven responded with a flabbergasted expression.

It was then.

Boom!

“Kyaahk!”

“Uagh?”

A sudden roar engulfed the hall, which was followed by screams and shouts.

“What is going on?”

“Who dares!?”

The knights and guards deployed at the entrance and throughout the hall became alert and quickly unsheathed their weapons.

The person responsible for breaking the main gate of the hall shouted.

“Princess of the Pendragon Kingdom! Where is Princess Mia!?”

The man roared while glaring at the hundreds of nobles with blazing eyes. The door to the banquet hall was as thick as a finger, but he had broken through with a single sword strike filled with spirit.