A Heart Grown Stronger for Dana (3)
The Marquis of Espera proposed a duel to Hyun-woo and Borteng. Both men nodded without hesitation, agreeing to the terms. The marquis even made them sign a written pledge acknowledging the outcome and promising not to contest it afterward.
Borteng stepped onto the central stage of the banquet hall, where five squires immediately attended him. He merely extended his arm, and they fitted his gauntlets, buckled his armor, slipped on his boots, placed his helmet on his head, and finally pressed a sword and shield into his hands. He stood perfectly still while the squires handled everything with practiced efficiency.
In contrast to Borteng, who was now fully armed from head to toe in heavy plate armor, Hyun-woo simply borrowed a one-handed sword from one of the guards. He wore no protective gear whatsoever. All he had was the blade in his grip. No one offered him any courtesy or assistance.
The nobles, secretly praying for Borteng’s victory, dismissed Hyun-woo’s request for even basic protective equipment with the excuse that there was no time to retrieve anything from the armory. Their indifference was obvious.
“I shall soon take you as my wife! Please wait for me!”
Before the duel began, Borteng raised his sword toward Dana with a triumphant expression. But Dana turned her gaze away from him, leaned up to kiss Hyun-woo on the lips, and looked at him with tender, longing eyes full of hope for his victory. The sight infuriated Borteng.
The moment Marquis Espera gave the signal, Borteng charged at Hyun-woo with murderous intent. Each clash of their blades forced Hyun-woo to take a step back. Clad in full plate armor, Borteng pressed forward with absolute confidence, driving his opponent into a corner.
Yet the duel ended almost as soon as it began.
Borteng, only eighteen this year, lacked real combat experience. His every intention was laid bare, and he ultimately tasted bitter defeat against Hyun-woo’s unpredictable tactics honed through countless battles. Hyun-woo’s sword strikes turned Borteng’s armor into something resembling a honeycomb. It was a miracle the man was still alive.
The duel concluded just like that.
The nobles were struck speechless, not so much by Borteng’s loss as by the overwhelming display of Hyun-woo’s skill. They simply could not close their mouths. What shocked them even more, however, was the presence of mana within him.
“A commoner possesses mana?!”
“D-don’t tell me Her Highness gave it to him!”
“If she has shared even her mana with him, then the matter is settled! The only man who can stand beside Princess Dana for the rest of her life is that fellow right there!”
Hyun-woo and Dana embraced each other, thinking they could finally return home and spend time alone together. But the nobles had far too much to discuss and refused to let the pair slip away so easily.
King Mikelan, in particular, regarded Dana almost like his own daughter and seemed determined to decide every detail of their future himself.
In the midst of it all, Marquis Espera was earnestly presenting his thoughts to King Mikelan.
“If word spreads to other nations that a commoner with neither title nor territory has married Princess Dana, our kingdom will never escape international condemnation. We will be accused of treating a noble royal bloodline with contempt, and the stigma will cling to us.”
He stroked his chin with a grave, serious expression.
“Even within our own kingdom, marriage between a commoner and royalty violates every precedent and custom.”
“I am well aware,” King Mikelan sighed, rubbing his temples. “But what am I to do when Dana’s heart is set on this? There are nobles everywhere. Why did she have to fall in love with a commoner of all people? From her position, she could have chosen any noble as easily as picking bread from a basket.”
Marquis Espera offered a gentle smile.
“That is precisely why I make this humble request, Your Majesty. I, Espera of the Penclau family, wish to adopt Kang Hyun-woo as my son.”
Everyone in the hall was stunned. Hyun-woo and Dana, King Mikelan, Marquis Gregory, and even Adelia all doubted their own ears.
Marquis Espera continued without concern.
“I have only a daughter and no one I can confidently call my heir. If I take Hyeonu as my adopted son, the Penclau bloodline will continue. At the same time, Your Majesty will have married Princess Dana, bearer of noble royal blood, to a member of a marquis family. This way, we can avoid international criticism. What do you think?”
Marquis Gregory, who had been quietly sipping his wine and watching the proceedings, slowly set down his cup.
So that’s what he was after. I wondered why he was being so aggressive today. Espera, you cunning fox.
Gregory let out a small chuckle.
If Espera claimed Hyun-woo, he would naturally gain Dana and her royal bloodline as well. The benefits were countless. The most tempting of all was this: if the rebellion in the Ferus Kingdom were suppressed and the Piria royal family restored, Espera would become a marquis here and naturally rise to the rank of duke on the other side. Meanwhile, the Penclau family, now with Hyun-woo as their son, would transcend mere nobility and become a royal house. Espera would then be able to wield immense power with a king for a son.
Perhaps for that very reason, Espera would not hesitate to wage war against the current Ferus Kingdom. King Mikelan surely understood the marquis’s true intentions. As a king, he might find it distasteful, but if Espera offered to make him emperor, the story would change entirely. Espera would become a duke, and Mikelan would rule two kingdoms as emperor.
And if Espera moved the nobles bound to him and launched a solo invasion of the Ferus Kingdom only to fail, his power would be significantly weakened. From the king’s perspective, there could be no more favorable outcome.
Marquis Gregory shot to his feet. His mind was filled with a single thought: he had to stop Espera’s ambition. At the same time, he resolved that the sweet fruit should be his to claim.
With that determination burning in his chest, he shouted loudly toward King Mikelan and Marquis Espera.
“Your Majesty! Our Hildegart family also wishes to adopt Kang Hyun-woo as our son!”
He had always worried about the lack of a male heir since he only had Adelia. This seemed like perfect timing. He raised his voice even louder.
“Please decide which family—Hildegart or Penclau—shall receive Hyeonu!”
Marquis Espera frowned, openly displeased.
“Marquis Gregory, I proposed adopting Kang Hyun-woo first! If the Hildegart family possesses even a shred of decency, you should not be raising your voice here!”
Marquis Gregory laughed.
“Kang Hyun-woo does not yet belong to you. That means our Hildegart family also has the right to welcome him as a son. Once we adopt Hyeonu, our entire house will devote itself to ensuring Princess Dana lives in comfort and safety.”
Marquis Espera stared at him in disbelief.
“You are nothing but a greedy old man!”
“Oh, greedy, am I? I was about to say the same to you!”
King Mikelan shifted heavily in his seat and grumbled.
“I came here to enjoy a banquet, yet it feels as though I’ve opened a session of parliament instead.”
He recalled the ministers pointing fingers and raising their voices in heated arguments.
“Come now, both of you. Calm yourselves.”
“Your Majesty! I was the first to propose adopting Hyeonu as my son!”
“Your Majesty! This is a matter with room for choice! Our Hildegart family’s knight order can guarantee Princess Dana’s safety! What will you do if the Ferus Kingdom sends assassins after her?”
Marquis Espera spat with clear disgust.
“We will soon possess that damned knight order as well.”
Unable to endure any longer, King Mikelan roared.
“Enough! Damn it all! I came to drink in peace and now my blood pressure is through the roof!”
His thunderous voice instantly silenced the commotion. Both marquises knew there was nothing to gain by further angering the king, so they closed their mouths for the time being. They would watch the king’s decision quietly and argue only if it displeased them.
But before they could hear the king’s answer, an unexpected bombshell exploded from an entirely different direction.
The person who plunged everyone into shock and disbelief was none other than Adelia.
She sprang up from her seat and shouted.
“Our Hildegart family cannot adopt Kang Hyun-woo as a son!”
Marquis Gregory rebuked her sternly.
“Be quiet. This is not a place for you to speak.”
“No, Father. This is exactly where I must speak! There is something everyone here absolutely must know!”
“Enough.”
Her father’s voice was firm.
“You have no right to speak before His Majesty. What do you think you are doing?”
“I must do this!”
Adelia’s temper flared. She was so furious that she had completely forgotten about etiquette and decorum.
“Because I am carrying Kang Hyun-woo’s child!”
Believing Hyun-woo had betrayed her, Adelia wanted to shatter his happiness out of spite. In a fit of rage, she hurled the lie.
Having impregnated the daughter of a marquis, he still dared to marry a princess? Was that even possible? The king and his ministers would never allow it. They would surely separate him from Dana by force and make him marry her instead. At least, that was what she believed.
Adelia burned with fiery determination, aiming precisely for that outcome. Still slightly flushed from the wine she had gulped down earlier in frustration, she placed a hand on her slightly swollen belly and shouted again.
“I carry his child in my womb!”
The thunderbolt of her declaration nearly caused Marquis Gregory’s legs to give out beneath him. Marquis Espera’s lips curled into a satisfied smile, while Olivia covered her mouth and giggled as if the situation had suddenly become far more entertaining.