“You wasted your energy from all those useless attacks. You’ll get better if you make them short.” Duke Kyar advised bluntly.

Evan put his hands together and bowed his head to the Archduke.

“Thank you for your training with me, Your Highness.”

“Listen to my advice and practice your swordsmanship  before challenging me, Evan.”

After that parting shot, Duke Kyar drew his attention away from Evan and turned his back.

He didn’t want to care about Evan anymore.

“Your Highness.”

—but the Knight decided to call him again.

Duke Kyar looked at him.

“I look forward to your kind cooperation,” Evan said grimly.

The statement was so out of the blue that it took Duke Kyar to catch what he truly meant.

Evan was asking him nicely.

Maybe, he did it for Isabella.

Duke Kyar stared at Evan’s dark blue eyes and replied, “That’s not for you to ask.”

“I know, but I wanted to tell you that, Your Highness,” Evan replied. “Thank you so much for today.”

Maybe that’s why the bastard challenged him.

Duke Kyar boreholes at Evan’s back in disapproval before his eyes lowered to the Knight’s trembling legs.

That handsome fellow seemed two-faced and intrusive from the start.

He didn’t like him at all.

The Archduke’s mood had gotten worse when she remembered that Isabella had chosen Evan for the ‘popularity vote.’

“Who’s next?”

Several knights, who were encouraged by Evan challenging the Archduke, stood before him.

“All right. Let’s go all at once.”

He needed an outlet for this anger and frustration.

Duke Kyar took off his black uniform and picked up a wooden sword.

The five knights attacked him simultaneously, and he was able to block them all in an instant.

Duke Kyar stopped their attacks, and they withdrew all at once.

The knights cowered in fear when it was Duke Kyar’s turn because he showed no mercy as he hit them.

The Archduke’s attacks were fierce in contrast to the coldness of his dark eyes.

No.

Why are they the only ones—?

The Knights couldn’t speak as they defended themselves from the Archduke.

**

Did something terrible happen in the afternoon?

Duke Kyar seemed annoyed throughout their dinner.

“Your Highness, is something wrong?” Isabella asked.

The Archduke shook his head ‘no.’

“Nothing is wrong, Isabella.”

Isabella didn’t believe that as she eyed him, cutting the steak so furiously as if it was his arch-nemesis.

Conscious of her gaze, Duke Kyar sighed before putting his knife and fork down.

“Isabella.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“What’s your relationship with Evan?”

“Knight Evan? There is nothing to say about it.” Isabella answered calmly.

Duke Kyar scowled at her.

“What kind of relationship is that?”

“Nothing. There is no relationship.”

“Nothing, huh? Then, explain why Evan  seemed to care a lot about you.”

Was this because Evan tried to protect her when her rumor with the Archduke broke out?

Isabella had no idea why he would still care about that.

“I look a lot like his younger sister. That’s why he’s concerned about my wellbeing.”

“He told you that he had someone important who looks like you? That’s a lie. Don’t fall for that trick, Isabella.” Duke Kyar muttered with gritted teeth.

Isabella tried to hold back her laughter.

If she told His Highness that he looked cute when he was jealous, he would get mad.

Swallowing those words back  to her heart, Isabella spoke calmly, “There might be someone who looks like me.”

“No. There’s no one else who is as pretty as you.”

Warmth flushed Isabella’s cheeks.

Duke Kyar didn’t even hesitate.

How can he say such a thing without getting embarrassed?

Isabella was trying to tease him, but the Archduke turned the tables.

“Don’t worry, Knight Evan said he didn’t like me in that way.”

Duke Kyar can be cute when he is jealous but she didn’t want him to waste energy on Evan.

“You really don’t know men, Isabella.” He muttered inaudibly.

“What?”

“No, Nothing. If you don’t have any interest in Evan, that’s fine.”

Blushing hard, Isabella answered with clenched fists. “Of course. You’re the only one I like, Your Highness.”

He coughed low and said. “Just eat.”

Isabella smiled at him, picking up the fork and knife with a much more comfortable face than before.

Now, she knew how to handle her man best.

**

Again.

He had that strange dream again.

After waking up, Archduke Kyar nervously swept his black hair to the side.

Isabella’s face, which showed adoration upon seeing a herb inside the cave, vividly came to mind.

Was it really a precognitive dream?

Why did he feel so strange?

It might be because the dream felt like deja vu.

Was there a particular period in his life that he didn’t remember?