* * *

Time to head back.

Kaindel glanced at his pocket watch and turned toward the banquet hall.

What was supposed to be a brief escape for some fresh air had ended up being a longer absence than intended.

He needed to return to his partner, who was undoubtedly waiting for him inside.

Though they had only exchanged introductions a few hours ago, their family’s decision to invest in his father’s business venture meant he was obligated to provide proper courtesy.

As he walked back along the all-too-familiar corridors of the royal palace, a sudden, unfamiliar voice brought him to a halt.

“Hey, you.”

The tone was light and monotonous, brimming with the kind of arrogance typical of someone accustomed to looking down on others.

Clearly, the speaker was either a noble or, worse, royalty.

Are they talking to me?

Kaindel scanned his surroundings, which were entirely empty.

A sigh rose to his throat but never escaped his tightly shut lips.

He had a distinct sense of foreboding, the kind that usually led to troublesome situations.

And his instincts were rarely wrong.

In high society, even among nobles, the treatment one received varied drastically based on wealth and power.

Here, even the title of “hero” held no weight.

If his own father saw him as nothing more than a means to make money, there was no reason to expect other nobles to treat him any better.

To them, the Calamity was little more than an abstract nuisance or a distant legend.

Living their lives within their comfortable fortresses, most nobles likely never even laid eyes on a monster.

Only those who had firsthand experience of the Calamity’s devastation regarded Kaindel differently.

The rest focused solely on his background: a hero blessed by the divine yet hailing from a family teetering on bankruptcy.

In this world, fame outweighed the Calamity, and money trumped prophecy.

As such, it wasn’t uncommon for people to approach him with all sorts of audacious reasons—like right now.

Annoyance bubbled alongside his already throbbing headache, twisting his lips into a crooked smile.

But the wry curve quickly gave way to a calm, practiced grin.

By now, he had become quite adept at suppressing his emotions and masking his expressions.

Turning around, Kaindel found himself looking at a red-haired woman.

“You called for me?”

“Yes.”

The woman had been leaning casually against the wall, but as soon as their eyes met, she began to approach him.

The sharp click of her heels echoed loudly in the corridor.

Kaindel’s gaze swept over her elaborate ruby necklace and vibrant red dress.

He barely managed to suppress a derisive chuckle.

Some people seemed to think that dressing like a peacock automatically made them beautiful.

They failed to realize that the more excessive the display, the less refined and more vulgar it appeared.

Concealing his disdain, Kaindel looked down at the woman, who now stood before him, and curved his eyes into a polite smile.

Whatever her business was, he wanted to get it over with quickly and return to the hall.

“Is there something you wish to discuss with me?”

“Do you know who I am?”

“…Yes.”

Blatant informal speech.

Her words, laced with a sense of superiority, grated on his nerves.

Kaindel’s brows twitched as his expression stiffened, but he nodded out of necessity.

Her question didn’t require much thought.

Red hair and blue eyes were a rare combination in the kingdom, and her natural assumption of superiority spoke volumes.

It didn’t take much to deduce her identity.

The one and only princess of the Hadelber Kingdom: Kerelona de Hadelber.

Noticing his recognition, Kerelona slowly blinked, as if satisfied.

“Good. That’ll make things easier.”

With that, she suddenly extended a hand behind her.

Behind?

Confused, Kaindel followed her gesture.

Kerelona’s hand made a slight beckoning motion, and from a shadowed corner of the hallway emerged a figure.

It was none other than Heron, the commander of the First Knight Order.

It wasn’t unusual for a princess to have her knights in attendance, but Kaindel chastised himself for failing to notice Heron’s presence until now.

While Kaindel silently clicked his tongue, Heron stepped forward and handed a wine glass to Kerelona.

With a subtle jerk of her chin, she dismissed him, and he retreated back to his original position.

To see someone of Heron’s stature reduced to delivering wine…

What a ridiculous sight.

Had he truly resigned himself to being the royal family’s lapdog?

Or perhaps the rumors of him being Kerelona’s secret lover were true?

Kaindel idly rubbed his chin, his thoughts briefly lingering on Heron before dismissing him altogether.

He had no interest in involving himself with matters that didn’t concern him.

While Kaindel lowered his hand, Kerelona took a sip of the wine Heron had brought her and resumed speaking.

“Once you return after slaying the Calamity, there’s talk that we’ll get married.”

“Marriage?”

“Yes.”

“That’s merely speculation. Please, pay it no mind.”

“Pay it no mind? How amusing. This concerns you now, too, doesn’t it?”

Kerelona chuckled softly, as if she had heard an amusing joke, and stepped closer to Kaindel.

The closer she came, the stronger the overwhelming scent of roses became.

To avoid breathing it in, Kaindel resorted to inhaling through his mouth.

If he accidentally reacted poorly to the scent in front of her, it would spell disaster.

Ignoring Kaindel’s silent struggle, Kerelona tapped his chest lightly with her finger.

“Do you know what people call you?”

“I’m afraid not. Would you care to enlighten me?”

“Studhorse.”

“…”

“They call you the studhorse of the Schudelgarten family.”

Studhorse.

The word rolled off Kerelona’s tongue as Kaindel repeated it under his breath, unable to suppress a wry smile.

Given the gravity with which she had broached the topic, he had anticipated some grand revelation.

But asking if he knew that people called him a studhorse?

Please. How many among the party’s attendees didn’t view him that way?

Likely only a handful.

As he debated whether to humor the naive princess by feigning shock, Kerelona tilted her head with a peculiar glint in her eyes, misinterpreting his silence.

“Oh my, does it offend you?”

“It’s fine,” Kaindel replied, his tone even.

It was a blatantly loaded question, its intent as clear as day.

She wanted to insult him, then steer the situation to her liking.

Not a bad strategy, really—people often make rash decisions when emotionally unsteady.

Foolish, though.

Kaindel, still smiling, brushed off Kerelona’s hand and shifted the topic.

“More importantly, I’m curious as to why you’re bringing this up. Is there something you want from me…?”

“Help me.”

Kerelona cut off Kaindel before he could finish.

She seemed too impatient to wait for his sentence to conclude.

“Helping the princess… Does that mean you have something in mind?”

“Yes, it’s only a plan for now.”

“And why, exactly, do you need me for this plan?”

“Because you’re a hero.”

Kaindel didn’t even need to ask what kind of “plan” she meant.

If she was talking with such an air of gravity, it could only be one thing.

What puzzled him was why the princess, the sole heir to the throne, was so consumed by such lofty dreams.

His gaze, wandering idly along the corridor, suddenly fixed on the spot where Heron stood.

…Ah. So that’s it.

A bolt of realization struck him, and his smile widened, almost of its own accord.

The corners of his lips curled upward, dragging his eyes down.

Love. What a ridiculous thing.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Lord of Shuddelgatten.”

“Find someone else.”

“Stop right there.”

Kaindel had no intention of indulging in the princess’s love games.

Without a shred of hesitation, he turned to leave after his flat refusal.

Kerelona, mumbling something under her breath, raised her voice again as he walked away.

“Are you ignoring me right now?”

“…”

“Oh, right. I suppose as a stud horse, you wouldn’t understand human words.”

“…Indeed.”

A stud horse, was it? Kaindel flashed a sweet smile at Kerelona, who so effortlessly let such vulgar words leave her lips.

“That must be it.”

Yes, being a stud horse, I must not understand human speech.

He made sure to emphasize his point before hastily striding away, brushing off the places she had touched him.

“Haah.”

The further he walked from Kerelona, the more the overpowering scent of roses faded.

Along with it, the faint smile that lingered on Kaindel’s face slowly disappeared.

“Annoying.”

As though he had never smiled at all.

* * *