An Even Firmer Heart Toward Dana (2)
“Hey, Sinclair. I must have misheard, right?” Adelia could not believe her ears. “The one he loved was clearly me, wasn’t it…?”
Her eyes, shifting between Hyun-woo and Dana, were filled with indescribable shock. Sinclair, standing behind her, fixed her blue gaze on Hyun-woo, sparks of cold fury flashing within them.
“Lady Adelia. We should never have trusted a womanizer in the first place.” Her voice carried unmistakable anger.
Olivia, seated nearby, was whispering something to her father, Marquis Espera. The marquis stared at Hyun-woo with sharp eyes, nodding several times in silence. At last, a satisfied smile spread across his face.
A commotion erupted among the nobles attending the banquet. Some hurled curses at Hyun-woo, others shouted for him to leave at once, while a few threw fruit and jeered. Some glanced nervously at the royal family and tried to soothe the prince, and still others frantically called for the guards.
“You there, guards! What are you doing? Throw this insolent wretch out!”
At a nobleman’s furious shout, guards rushed in from outside. Three of them seized Hyun-woo, attempting to drag him away. Struggling against their grip, he cried out in agitation.
“Dana is mine! No one can take her from me! We are in love!”
Dana, wiping away her ceaseless tears with her sleeve, hurried toward him. Just then, someone rose abruptly from their seat and bellowed in a commanding voice.
“What is the meaning of this uproar? Silence, all of you!”
Dana froze and turned toward the voice. There stood Marquis Espera. The hall fell instantly quiet. Even the noble who had been pointing at Hyun-woo sank back into his chair and cleared his throat as if nothing had happened. Marquis Gregory, who had been quietly enjoying his meal without showing interest, set down his fork and fixed the other marquis with a wary gaze.
“Guards, release him at once!”
Startled by Marquis Espera’s firm command, the guards quickly let go of Hyun-woo and withdrew. All eyes turned to the marquis, wondering what he intended.
Marquis Espera stepped forward, bowed respectfully to King Mikelan for permission, then pointed at Hyun-woo and spoke.
“Before you condemn this man, should we not first verify whether his words are true or false? What if he and Princess Dana have truly pledged their future to each other? You would be committing a grave discourtesy to Her Highness! Are you all so reckless?”
As he swept his gaze around the room like a scolding parent, the nobles averted their eyes, looking embarrassed.
“I shall personally confirm the truth of his claim on your behalf. So calm yourselves and let us hear their answers first.”
Hyun-woo shrugged with confidence.
“I am Espera Penclau. First, tell everyone here exactly who you are.”
Though already acquainted, the marquis demanded an introduction. Hyun-woo cleared his throat.
“Your Majesty the King, Your Majesty the Queen, and all the distinguished ladies and gentlemen present. I deeply apologize for disrupting this joyous banquet. I am Kang Hyun-woo, leader of the Kether Mercenary Group operating in the Nobern territory.”
“Kang Hyun-woo? An unusual name. Does your family hold a noble title?” Marquis Espera asked with feigned ignorance.
“No. I am of common birth.”
The hall erupted in murmurs.
“A princess promised marriage to a man of lowly status? Impossible! If that were true, this scoundrel must have seized some weakness or committed some vile deed! A union between royalty and commoners simply cannot happen under normal circumstances!”
“Wait. Let us hear the rest before judging.”
“Silence, everyone!”
Marquis Espera quelled the noise once more and turned back to Hyun-woo.
“You claimed earlier that you share a special bond with Princess Dana. Does that assertion still stand?”
“Yes. Princess Dana and I are in love.”
At Hyun-woo’s firm, unwavering reply, the hall stirred again. Adelia, watching with a grave expression, felt her eyes tremble. To steady her fraying composure, she snatched up a goblet and drained it in desperate gulps. Sinclair did not stop her; she only glared at Hyun-woo, silently cursing him with every fiber of her being.
Suddenly, an unknown noble flared up.
“How dare such a madman exist! How long do you intend to spin these lies, you lunatic! Who let this wretch in here? Throw him out at once!”
“Will you not shut your mouth, Kessler of the Tamunt viscount house?”
Marquis Espera snapped coldly, then signaled the soldiers to drag the noisy noble away. Once one example had been made, the murmuring nobles fell silent as if struck dumb.
The questioning resumed.
“We have heard Kang Hyun-woo’s words. Now it is Princess Dana’s turn.”
Marquis Espera approached Dana, who sat beside Prince Borteng. Every gaze followed him, fixed on her lips.
“I ask you most respectfully, noble and beautiful Princess Dana.”
The marquis dropped to one knee and looked up at her.
“Is what this man claims true?”
Everyone in the banquet hall held their breath, desperate not to miss a single word of the shocking truth.
“……”
Instead of answering, Dana rose from her seat. Clutching her skirts, she ran straight to Hyun-woo and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply.
“Whoa…!”
The entire hall was struck speechless with shock. Some stared in disbelief, others clicked their tongues in disapproval, while a few watched with fascination or gasped in admiration. Olivia smiled contentedly and took a sip of wine. Adelia shed silent tears, her shoulders shaking. Sinclair, her expression complicated, quietly handed her a handkerchief.
When the brief yet passionate kiss ended, Dana turned to Marquis Espera with unwavering eyes.
“Did you all see that clearly? That is my answer.”
Hyun-woo, moved by her bold declaration, kissed the crown of her head and wrapped an arm around her waist. Marquis Espera applauded twice in her direction and smiled.
“You share a magnificent love.”
He turned toward King Mikelan.
“Your Majesty, this proves Kang Hyun-woo’s words are true.”
The king nodded.
“So it seems.”
There was no anger or regret on his face—only a generous expression that respected Dana’s choice. Prince Borteng, however, refused to accept reality. Clenching his fists, he leapt to his feet and roared like thunder.
“Princess Dana was already promised to me in marriage seventeen years ago!”
Hyun-woo turned to stare at him in confusion. Borteng glared back, veins standing out on his neck.
“When I was one year old and Princess Dana was four, our families discussed the match. Had the Ferus Kingdom not fallen to rebels, she would have been bound to me in marriage five years ago! Everyone, I am not making baseless claims! If the Ferus royal family still existed, if the king and queen were still alive, they would naturally have welcomed me as their son-in-law! I am merely reclaiming that lost right!”
In noble marriages, daughters held no voice or choice. It was a society where political marriages were commonplace, and young women were routinely sacrificed to unknown men at their parents’ bidding. In essence, Borteng was asserting that Dana had no right to decide for herself. Since her parents had chosen him as their son-in-law while alive, he argued, their will should be honored.
“Well, the prince is not entirely wrong. Five years ago, when he turned thirteen, we intended to proceed with the marriage. But then the rebellion broke out in Ferus, and the matter was left unresolved.”
King Mikelan stroked his beard with a regretful expression. Other nobles murmured in agreement with the prince.
“If the parents decided while alive, one should follow their wishes. Only then can they rest in peace.”
The atmosphere began to shift toward forcibly separating Hyun-woo and Dana. Dana clung tighter to his waist, her lips trembling with fear. Hyun-woo felt his blood boil. Furious at the nobles’ lack of common sense, his anger poured down on Prince Borteng like a storm.
“Your Highness! Have you no shame? What did you do when Princess Dana’s parents perished in the rebellion? Did you ever lead troops to their aid? And when the princess fled alone to escape disaster, what were you doing holed up in the palace? Did you even search for her out of concern? You met her only once as children, then forgot her completely—only to suddenly remember her today, is that it?!”
Borteng’s face twisted in shock. The words struck true, leaving him momentarily speechless. When Hyun-woo had received mana from Dana, he had seen her entire past; in those memories, Borteng had appeared only once—at the age of one. He had pointed this out on a gamble, and it had hit the mark.
Seeing the prince press his lips shut, Hyun-woo exhaled in relief. One of the prince’s attendants pointed accusingly.
“You wretch! How dare you insult His Highness! Such insolence!”
“Enough, all of you.”
King Mikelan raised a hand, instantly quelling the rising chaos. He beckoned Marquis Espera closer.
“Heh, what a predicament. The man called Hyun-woo is not wrong either. When I think of Dana’s parents, my conscience will not allow me to side with the prince. Yet if the prince continues to press his claim, I cannot simply ignore it. A father’s heart is weak, after all.”
“Your Majesty, that would be an unjust decision.”
“If I support the prince, will you raise an objection?”
“I only wish for justice to prevail in the kingdom.”
King Mikelan clapped the marquis on the shoulder and laughed heartily.
“Then think of a good solution—one that will make both the prince and this Hyun-woo nod in agreement.”
“The best course,” Marquis Espera proposed, “is for the Second Prince and Kang Hyun-woo to duel over Princess Dana. The victor claims her, and the loser swears beforehand to accept the outcome gracefully.”
“Oh ho, a wise suggestion.”
With the king’s ready approval, preparations for the duel between Hyun-woo and Borteng were swiftly underway.