Max and the Princess grew incredibly nervous at his chilling tone. Riftan leaned over the table and shot them a menacing look.
“You spouted a lot of words in there, and yet now it seems like your lips are sealed together? I want to know who was the one who came up with that idea.”
Max’s shoulders hunched at his daunting voice, if she was a turtle, she would have already been hiding in her shell. Finally, Princess Agnes confessed with a sigh.
“It was my idea. I thought that the only way to get the duke to abandon a trial was to make him suffer a great loss that he could not bear.”
“So… are you saying you used my wife to achieve that?”
When it was made clear who the target of his attack was, he straightened his posture and approached the princess with nimble speed.
“Who asked you to do that? Did I ask for your help!?”
“If the trial had been held, you would have lost your title and assets. There was no other way.”
“And what does that have to do with you? With what right did you dare to offer that solution to my wife!”
“Ri… Riftan…!”
Max was startled at his blatant rudeness and tugged at the hem of Riftan’s tobe. He turned his head towards her and looked at her with exasperated eyes, his thick neck visibly convulsed as if he was shedding a thousand curses. Then, as if he had regained that self-control, he took a step back, rubbing his face roughly. After a moment, Riſtan asked in a calmer tone.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“… the duke also has contact with several high-ranking wizards who can investigate it in the World Tower. The Duke of Croix will probably try to verify the facts through them. I have spoken to some of the high command mages in the tower, but if they dig a little deeper into the matter, they will quickly discover that Maximilian has not yet been officially appointed. Before that happens…”
The princess hesitated for a moment before continuing, then in a serious tone she began to speak. “Maximilian must go to Nornui. If she becomes a member of the World Tower, the duke will not delve further into the matter. And even if he does discover the truth, Nornui will keep her protected. The tower administrators also promised to alter the day of her registration.”
As soon as the princess finished speaking, Max closed her eyes tightly, but contrary to the expectation that Riftan would impulsively flame in anger, he kept quiet. It was eerily silent.
She felt her heart clench and she squeezed the hem of her dress even tighter, she did not have the courage to look directly into his eyes. As she lowered her head with a troubled heart, a cold voice rang out like a blow of frost.
“If you were a man, right now, I would have challenged you to a duel.”
“I must be thankful for being a woman then.” Princess Agnes murmured sarcastically, letting out a long sigh. She continued, carefully speaking to convince him. “Don’t lash out at me like that, for once, think carefully about it. When she becomes a Nornui wizard, she will be able to defend your title and territory. Also, being a high-ranking wizard would not bring harm to Maximilian. With her skills, she will be able to graduate from Nornui in three years. If you just hold out for those three years, everything will be resolved.”
He seemed to be able to kill the princess with just his gaze. Riftan, watching Agnes dangerously with his dark eyes, slowly turned his head towards Max.
