Crown Prince Limapheus headed to the Grand Duchy as soon as finished his work. Two weeks had passed since he had to deal with the pile of paperwork and even the nobles who asked for his opinion. 

“It’s all because of you.”

Limapheus glared at his aide, Eric.

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

After finishing everything under Eric’s surveillance, he came to the Grand Duchy. The news that they had gone to the harvest festival welcomed him. It was literally nonsense.

“I can go today. But why do they have to go for today?”

It was the day he had to inspect the capital, and the timing was perfect with the time Ben and Cersinia went to the harvest festival. He got on the horse, nervously messing with his well-groomed blonde hair.

“I’m going to Fabian Street.”

“Weren’t you going straight to the Imperial Palace?”

“How can I not go somewhere when I already come out.”

He wore casual clothes and a hat just in time, so he drove his horse thinking about going on an undercover trip. Eric sighed inwardly and followed him, feeling that he would be involved in something troublesome.

“Hoo. That looks sophisticated.”

Limapheus, who arrived at Fabian Street and looked at woodwork, exclaimed. He was undercover, but it had been long since he became a spectacle.

“It just came up from Mulain Village yesterday,” the owner explained.

Limapheus nodded as he looked at the sculpture in his hand. The sculpture, made by carving wood, was in the shape of a woman praying. The wooden sculpture, which gave off a warmer feeling than the plaster sculpture, was so beautiful that he wanted it.

“Eric, I have to buy it.”

When Limapheus said that, Eric was forced to take money from his inner pocket and pay for it.

“There is no place to put it after you have filled up the decorations.”

Eric nagged Limapheus while they were walking.

“Ah, then order one more cabinet.”

However, three seconds after spitting out the words, he regretted it.  Eric only realized that method didn’t work for Limapheus when he told him.

“It is said that the craftsmanship of a man named Theodore is quite famous these days. Ask him to make it.”

“All right.”

Only one nagging gave Eric two things to do. He followed Limapheus while frowning as if he had a headache.

“Won’t you let go of this?”

“I guess you believe in Cersinia or something like that. I’ve been watching this for a long time, so come to your senses.”

At the moment, in the noisy Fabian Street, the name Cersinia resounded in Limapheus’s ears.

“Didn’t they just say Cersinia?”

Limapheus turned his head and looked around. Clearly, he heard the name Cersinia even in the noisy surroundings. She is the woman who came with Ben to the Grand Duchy.

“I didn’t hear it.”

“They definitely said Cersinia.”

Eric tried to answer that he didn’t hear well, but Limapheus was already making his way through the crowd.

“…Cersinia.”

Again, the name of Cersinia was heard. Limapheus wandered through the crowd, looking for the source of the sound.

“You trust a woman who doesn’t even know where she came from? Wake up, Verne.”

“Don’t insult lady Cersinia.”

‘Found it.’

Limapheus found the source that called Cersinia’s name from the dark alley. Without hesitation, he entered that alley.

“What do you mean by an insult?”

“At that time, I had no choice but to let you go, but I won’t let you go today. For the past few days, I’ve been suffering because of that!”

The man shouted and stroked his bruised nose, giving the impression that he was throbbing.

“Verne, you don’t have strong backing for today.”

“Understand your situation.”

The three men surrounding Verne giggled and laughed at what was so fun.

“Don’t say that about Lady Cersinia! This time should I leave you bruised for the rest of your life?”

Verne glared at the men with her wildcat-like eyes. Limapheus stood tall in the shadow cast in the alley. It was because of the woman who strangely aroused his interest, and it was also to understand the situation. She was pushed back in terms of number, size, and gender, but she didn’t show any inch of soft attitude.

‘It was fresh.’

“This bitch!”

Thud.

A man with a bruise on his nose blushed and raised his hand to Verne. Limapheus was surprised and tried to step forward but stopped his action. Because it wasn’t the woman who got hit, but the man.

“Argh! This bitch really!”

He was hit where his bruise was. The man jumped up and down as if he couldn’t stand it and grabbed Verne’s hair. Without a single scream, Verne pinched and scratched her fingers to the hand holding her hair, trying to get away. One of the men, watching the two of them have a dogfight, flew his hand towards Verne’s cheek.

Slap.

With a strong slap sound, Verne’s head turned. Neither the man holding Verne’s hair nor Verne’s actions stopped. It was Limapheus who broke the silence that came in the alley.

“Stop. Stop there.”

He escaped the shadow and appeared in front of them. He should have stepped up faster, but the woman’s actions were so strange and fun that it was delayed.

“What is it? Just pass the road you were passing by.”

The man who slapped Verne in the face looked at Limapheus’s behavior and responded sarcastically.

“Three men and one woman. Don’t go anywhere and say you’re a man.”

“Look, if you don’t want to get hit, just go on your way.”

Limapheus thought that he was dressed too plainly. They wouldn’t have been so cocky if he had taken off his hat and had a sword.

“Your-”

Eric, who was running into the alley shouting Your Highness, blurred his words in front of them.

“What if I say I can’t just go?”

Limapheus laughed at them and said with a smirk. The three men flinched as they were ridiculed by the uninvited guest. But they still had more heads. He ridiculed them because he thought it was worth a try to have a fight.

“If you want to get hit, then I’m going to hit you.”

“Pfft, hahaha!”

Limapheus burst into laughter because it was the funniest thing he had heard recently. As his laughter grew louder, the three men’s faces turned red and blue.

“You little punk!”

Looking at him laughing while covering his belly button, a man rushed to him. Then he, who had been laughing helplessly just now, lightly knocked the man down and stepped on him.

“Why don’t you just attack all at once? To save time,” he said with serious eyes.

“You crazy punk!”

Two men rushed at him at the same time. Eric took two steps back. Even if he didn’t help, the win was obvious anyways. It was not long after the beating sound occupied the alley.

“As expected, don’t go around saying that you’re a man.”

He smiled and stepped down on the three men who were rolling on the floor with a groaning sound.

“…”

Verne’s face was dumbfounded by what happened in an instant. A strange man appeared and knocked them down in no time. It wasn’t that he swung his fist several times, but he slammed his fist once, and everyone fell out.

“If you don’t disappear from my view in three seconds, I will start all over again.”

He began to count without mercy.

“One.”

The trio rushed out of the alley in surprise as soon as Limapheus counted one. Limapheus shook his tongue towards them, taking off his hat and stroking her hair roughly with his hand.

‘I can’t believe such gangsters are still around.’

He thought he should order to further strengthen the security of Fabian Street.

“Thank you.”

Verne bowed her head at him. As she looked up again, she made eye contact with him, who stared intently at her.

“So, what’s your relationship with Cersinia?”

Limapheus asked Verne, who seemed to have no intention of tidying up her messy hair. He was curious about that. That’s why he came all the way here and helped.

“…Who are you? Are you acquainted with Lady Cersinia?”

Verne, looking at him with a grateful expression, changed her attitude and gave him a wary look. It made Limapheus curious about her, who had just changed her attitude.

“You will find out one day, so let’s move on. What’s your relationship with Cersinia?”

His eyes were impatient to see her reaction.

“Why should I tell you that?” It was said with a sharp tone.

Verne showed displeasure and didn’t set boundaries toward him. Then Limapheus smirked. She acted like a furry cat that would purr and expose its teeth. It was amusing that a woman who was smaller than him would jump to him at any moment with her tangled hair and blood-stained lips.

Verne got goosebumps when she saw him smirking at her silently. She thought that he was not a good person, especially with him asking about Cersinia and his fighting skills. The two stood silently, staring at each other. That’s how the story was flowing.