The body that revealed the sharp rib cage, the sharp jawline, and the perfect smile drawn by the beautiful lips were attractive enough to make people stop for a moment.
The people at the banquet once again thought that if it weren't for the burns, that man would have become famous all over the continent.
Of course, even now, it is already famous in other ways.
'Did you say Acares?'
Jared immediately recognized the white mask.
It was the mercenary of the Facade who had made him uncomfortable earlier by talking about how the Princess's maid was strong.
'Huh, what's wrong with me? You don't even look that strong, so why are you making such a fuss?"
He fell out of favor with the Emperor due to the First Prince's schemes and was not permitted to participate in the Continental War.
However, when he heard that the mercenary was active, a feeling of victory arose for no reason.
Jared stared at the white-masked mercenary with flashing black eyes.
The 4th Princess was also embarrassed.
Why is Facade suddenly interfering with the confrontation between Katzen and Valdina?
"Now, you threw it wrong, right? Facade, you guys have nothing to do with this."
The Princess did not want Facade to intervene.
She looked at Gallo as if seeking an answer, but he had nothing to say either.
Gallo was also boiling inside.
'Do you guys know? The Katzen people are crowding around like that, and you, the 4th Princess, do you know that it is a damn thing to serve the lord who is wearing a half-mask and running forward with a curse on him!'
But since he couldn't say it out loud, Gallo just nodded and shrugged his shoulders.
"I mean, you're a mercenary who won't listen to what you say, so if you want to do it, there's nothing I can do about it."
"Nonsense!"
The 4th Princess shouted sharply. She must win this match.
"This is Valdina and Katzen's business. How dare a foreigner try to intervene!"
Didn't the maid say that the mercenary was terrifyingly strong? Jared couldn't afford to lose.
"Ahaha, Your Highness. Foreigners? We are just stateless arms dealers."
When Gallo added that he would reverse the Princess's speed, Cesare chuckled.
The direction was not towards the 4th Princess, but towards Jared.
"I wonder if Princess Katzen is afraid that her hand-picked representative will lose to me?"
"You!"
Jared's face suddenly distorted at the reaction of the 4th Princess who could not bear to deny it. Does the Princess really think that he can't defeat a lowly mercenary?
"A dead man is talking like his mouth is bursting."
"You should usually say that over a corpse."
Jared could even feel the rhythm in the rich voice flowing from under the white mask.
"Oh, you don't know because you haven't been to the battlefield?"
Jared's face became as scary as a demon.
"If you step up for the Princess, no one will be able to compensate for your dog's death. Still, will you fight me?"
Pick.
The mercenary raised the corners of his mouth again.
"Your tongue is long."
This guy-!
There was nothing more to say. Jared rushed over.
"Come forward, dog of the Facade."
Jared, who fell for Cesare's provocation, waved his hand.
"Jared!"
The 4th Princess approached to stop him but was frightened by Jared's evil eyes.
"Fourth Princess, this is the one who fights on behalf of Your Highness, so you should let me decide the opponent."
There was a threat that if she didn't, she would be left out.
There is no one stronger than Jared in this delegation.
When Jared refused to give in to his stubbornness, the 4th Princess glared at him angrily.
"You chose it, so you must win."
"I will blow off even an arm, so trust this guy."
Ever since he heard that a mercenary was active in the continental war by helping the first Prince, whom he hated, Jared had hated seeing him.
Jared figured he'd take this opportunity to slaughter him and show the snobby Facade an example.
When he became confident, the 4th Princess finally felt relieved.
Anyway, isn't Jared one of the best 10-star knights on the continent? His skills is not a lie.
The 4th Princess with a faint smile muttered lowly.
"Don't just kill him with one arm. I don't care if you use your secret weapon."
Jared paused, then grinned.
"Then I guess I'll have to change my weapon. But, the opponent is Facade. Can you handle it?"
"That girl will have to deal with it too."
If the mercenary who came out for the Princess dies, the relationship between Valdina and Facade will also become difficult.
"Jason wants you. If you win today, I will take you under my wing."
The Princess laughed cruelly.
"Wouldn't I be better than an old, worn-out rope? I should show you again, forgotten by the Emperor."
Jared giggled.
He was very satisfied with the situation in which both the Princess and the Grand Duke wanted him.
Hey, all he has to do is take off that white mask.
Jared's eyes were filled with cruel anticipation.
***
Before long, preparations were made for a rematch between the two fighters.
One was a 10-star general from Katzen, and the other was a mercenary leader from Facade.
Since both were notorious and highly useless, people could not easily predict who would win or lose, Cesare, wearing his armor, met the gaze of the Princess who was looking at him.
Her green eyes remained calm, as If unfazed by his sudden intervention. It was clear that he had disrupted the plans she had prepared.
He couldn't read what she was thinking at all. It was like a calm surface that swallowed even the waves.
'Are you saying that it's impossible to deal with a mediocre 10-star opponent?'
One day, he had unconsciously thought about wanting to see those surprised eyes looking up at him again when he put the Hydra to sleep.
The Princess walked towards him. The footsteps stopped in front of Cesare.
"Acares."
The name of the white half-mask is called between pale lips.
"You stand here in my stead, so for now, I can think of you as ny knight."
A bright voice rang out.
The Princess herself tied a lime-colored handkerchief around Cesare's right arm.
The Facade's sign was obscured, revealing the Valdina coat of arms embroidered on a handkerchief.
Tak. Tak. Tak. Tak.
The princess, with her hair tied tightly, tapped his arm four times without anyone noticing.
When Cesare looked down at her as if asking what she meant, she pressed the sentence embroidered on the handkerchief with her ring finger once more.
"..."
"Please take care of yourself."
When the Princess took a step back, as if her work had been completed, Cesare bowed down.
"I will bring victory to the Princess."
He kissed the knot of the handkerchief tied around her arm.
It was an incredibly reverent kiss from a mercenary rolling around on the battlefield.
An exclamation burst out at the sight of the two people, who were reminiscent of a brave knight and a chaste lady wishing him luck.
"Ha. You're being generous to a wild dog."
Jared stared at the handkerchief tied around Cesare's arm as if swallowing it.
When he saw the Princess he had his eye on being affectionate towards some random guy with an insignificant Facade, and his heart started to boil Inside.
Jared swept his sword.
The blade, which had been changed just before the duel as per the Princess's orders, was contaminated with deadly poison. This colorless and odorless elixir eliminated his competitors and made Jared what he is today.
"You will regret ever touching this body."
He threw a dark provocation, but all got in return was the corners of his mouth going up in mockery. The rematch has begun.
***
Jared's skills were not a lie.
As if to show off the power of a 10-star knight, a threatening strike took place. A grey-brown aura was overflowing.
But Cesare narrowly missed the sword.
"Dog of the Facade, if you don't want to get your head cut off, get out your aurors."
"Not really."
Cesare shrugged, not hiding his intention that he would have no problem dealing with Jared without Auror.
Jared, who was treated like an underdog, gritted his teeth in humiliation.
"Okay, then I'll match this one too. Don't make any excuses later."
Even though he had collected the gray aura, Jared's killing intent only became more ferocious.
Scattered black auras pressed down on Cesare from all sides as if squeezing him.
The golden eyes under the mask circled around as if they were having fun, glancing at Jared. Just like Medea had done earlier.
'Why number 4?'
He was looking for the meaning of the signal the Princess left earlier.
He doesn't think she's just aiming for his skills, or simply defeating Jared.
"What are you doing, Jared? Why don't you hurry up and finish this?"
The 4th Princess became anxious and shouted.
A sum that seems unbroken. The narrow sword line looked as if Jared had left a move on purpose.
'You think I don't want to do that?'
Jared gasped with bloodshot eyes.
Although he was confident that he would slaughter the white mask in twenty sums Jared was not able to cut off even a single piece of his opponent's clothing until it was twice that number, let alone twenty sums.
At that moment, the mercenary's sword blade exploded towards Jared.
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