At that sight, Max felt the inside of her stomach twist. Riftan always appeared terrifyingly calm when his anger reached the tip of his head. While Max felt anxious on whether Riftan would lose his temper and attack the Duke of Croix, Princess Agnes, who had been silent, opened her mouth as if she could not bear it.

  The duke’s face flushed red from the princess’s cold, indifferent cry. He looked at her with bloody eyes and refuted.

  The duke’s fierce gaze flew back to Riftan and he threw out his words with much indignation.

  Riftan, watching the duke’s pathetic face, unfolded his arms and slowly leaned to the table. He appeared exactly like a wild beast on the prowl just before rushing to attack its prey. Feeling threatened, Duke Croix visibly flinched and backed away. Riftan, who glared at him scornfully, muttered in a low, sinister voice.

  He twisted the corner of his mouth and stated coldly.

  A chilling silence instantly fell in the hall. Riftan spoke slowly, like a tiger pushing its prey into a corner, ignoring the alarmed reactions around him.

  As if checking the effect of his words, he looked across the table, towards the duke’s face, and slowly finished his speech.

  The duke jumped from his seat, his face pale and frightened. His long, lean body trembled as if he was struck by lightning. He pointed to Riftan and addressed the king aloud.

  King Ruben’s deep voice echoed through the hall, which was nothing short of chaos. He massaged his temple like his head ached and drew in a deep breath.

  The Duke of Croix reluctantly sat back down after looking at Riftan with a helpless dismay.

  Only then did King Ruben look at the knight sternly.

  Riftan leaned back in the chair and said sarcastically.

  T/N: *In mercenary terms, as soon as you get paid, you do the job. But it applies in all situations, if someone hits you, you hit them back right away.

  The atmosphere that King Ruben had barely calmed down quickly turned into chaos again. The duke asked how dare Riftan intimidate him, and Uslin confronted him and raised his voice to claim that he was the one who insulted him first. Even the modest Elliot flared at the duke. Including the duke’s knights, the situation turned into a complete disaster, just like King Ruben said. Such a violent and fierce discussion was not expected to be intermittent, so Max felt herself shrink in an instant. Irritated, King Ruben jumped from his seat.

  He hit the table roughly to make a loud bang.

  Max looked at him in alarm, worried that the king, tired of the rudeness of his subjects, would renounce the mediation for the reconciliation of the parties. However, the king showed a surprising degree of patience. He walked to the window, looked up at the pale winter sky; then turned around and looked at them with a mollified expression.

  The king declared in a dignified voice and looked at the Duke of Croix with piercing eyes.

  By order of the king, they all stood up, leaving only Riftan. First, the duke led four knights and a priest outside the door, followed by Max and Uslin walking towards the entrance. She couldn’t tear her gaze from behind Riftan, until just before the door closed. The situation was much worse than expected. Her father’s determination to put Riftan on trial was tougher than she’d imagined, and her husband didn’t seem willing to give in at all either. Moreover, the king seemed to have no intention of actively defending him.

  Max bit her lip anxiously. If King Ruben did not intervene, a trial would be held at Drakium Castle in a few months. Max anxiously thought whether Riftan would have the chance to win the trial. She wandered in anguish down the corridor, then impulsively pursued the duke. The bewildered knights hastily stopped her.

  They blocked her way, but she slipped past the knights and ran towards her father. Her strides stopped in front of the duke, who was surrounded by knights. His icy gaze penetrated her: it seemed that even a fluff crawling on the ground would receive a look warmer than her.

  Her father roared violently at her, indifferent and stern.

  Max took a deep breath to shake off her fear. Her father could no longer hurt her now, she was a Calypse, not Croix. She repeated that in her mind and opened her mouth calmly.

  He was so amused that he laughed like he didn’t have the energy to get angry. Max spoke quickly.

  She clearly saw her father’s eyes burning with anger beyond limits. Max held firm her shaking legs. She couldn’t believe she was standing against her father face to face. A cold sweat ran down her back for fear that his cane would fly towards her any moment, but she steeled herself and she looked at him straight into his bloody eyes. Later, as a suffocating silence followed, her father opened his mouth.

  Max’s shoulders shrunk at his unexpectedly calm response. As if the duke was mocking her, his mouth twisted.

  Max looked at the knights surrounding her father with trembling eyes. As she watched their ruthless faces, a feeling of despair seeped into her bones. After all, it was difficult for people who work for her father to side with her. She even wondered if her own nanny would stand witness. Her father clicked his tongue cynically.

  Max was stunned by his cheeky words. She couldn’t believe what she had heard.

  The duke raised his head confidently, as if he did not have a single shame.

  She opened her mouth to refute, but she was so shocked that she couldn’t think of anything to say, she could only push out a grievous laugh. How could he argue that it was all for her own well-being, after distorting her life with so much suffering? The duke, who watched her with contempt while pressing his lips together, spoke as if driving a wedge.

  As she screamed like she couldn’t bear the rising rage, a deep wrinkle appeared on the duke’s forehead. He shook his head like it was absurd.

  Unable to take it anymore, Elliot stepped forward, placing his hand on the handle of his sword. Despite her anger, Max managed to hastily stop him. If any sword was drawn out in violence that day, it would lead to an irreversible situation. She glared at her father, gathering what composure remains in herself.

  Suddenly, a grinding sound was heard. As if the duke wanted to hit her at that precise moment, he took his cane firmly between both hands. Immediately, the knights slipped between them as if to protect Max. Her father, gazing at her as if she were abominable, screamed as if to devour her.

  He turned and walked into the waiting room.

  Max closed her aching eyes. She couldn’t look directly at the faces of the knights. She was ashamed to show her helpless side and her disgusting father. It was very dishonorable to drag Riftan into such a situation. She bowed her head and walked down the hall as if fleeing.

  ***

  The discussions continued late into the night. After the conversation with Riftan ended, there was one between the Duke of Croix and King Ruben, and after that, the dialogue between the three began again.

  Note –

  : I’m so proud of Maxi for standing her ground with that sorry excuse of a father, ugh I wanna punch him in the face