“Tell me if you want nothing to do with Prince Embert, Ally. Your father will do anything to protect you.”
“Father…” I mumbled. My chest tightened as he stared at me, his expression stern yet dignified.
Meanwhile, Embert tightened his grip on my hand. “You love me, don’t you?” he asked, gazing down at me. “You can say it plainly. Don’t hold back just because your father is here.”
Don’t look at me with those sparkling eyes.
Both men stared directly at me, their gazes spears through my chest. At the same time, I spotted Ladies Anegio and Palagani bawling their eyes out across from me. Both their fathers held their daughters in a consoling embrace, and… Wait, were they crying too? No one on the platform could suppress their excitement. If this were a movie theater, every single one of them would be munching on popcorn. They were already treating this situation like the most riveting play.
Well, since it’s come to this…
I would have to rely on the most high-ranking person here. With this in mind, I looked at the king, only to find him sipping tea. Um, seriously? Sure, he and the queen weren’t eating popcorn, but they were drinking tea.
“Ally!”
As I spaced out amidst the chaos, Embert and Father both shouted my name.
“Yes?!” I cried, snapping back to reality.
Both men crowded around me, exuding terrifying pressure.
I have to say something, I thought as my heart hammered in my chest. I have to find the right words to convince both of them.
“I-I love you, Embert, but I also love my father!” I exclaimed, confident this would settle the matter.
Huh? I wondered as silence fell over the chamber once more. What’s going on? Did that not work?
Embert chuckled. “Apparently, we have no choice but to settle this matter with a duel.”
“It would seem so,” Father replied. “And I don’t intend to hold back just because you’re a prince.”
Mana gathered in both men’s hands as they stared each other down. Unfortunately, my words hadn’t pacified them. Rather, I’d only fueled their hostility.
“Huh?” I asked. “N-No, hold o—”
Though I tried to stop them, a tremendous cheer drowned out my words.
Is this actually happening? Wasn’t this supposed to be the stopping point? This is the exact opposite of what I wanted, you know?
Numerous small ice crystals floated above Father’s palm. “I never intended to give up Ally as a bride. Much less to a wicked prince like yourself. This must be a nightmare.”
Likewise, numerous sparks of fire floated above Embert’s palm. “A nightmare? That’s a rather cruel way of describing the situation, Father.”
“Haha! I never want to hear you call me ‘Father’ again, Your Highness!”
“Heh. There’s no need to be so bashful.”
Father raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like I’m blushing?”
“Hmph, good question. You’ve never been very expressive.”
“I could say the same of you. The way your smile never reaches your eyes is quite chilling.”
Seriously? What am I supposed to do now?
This time, I looked at Mother with eyes pleading for help. However, she merely winked at me. Beside her, Janus shrugged and smiled at me. Though I didn’t expect anything from him, I looked at the king next. When our eyes met, he beckoned to me. Thus, I let go of Embert’s hand and approached the king, hoping he might have a solution. Embert glanced at me momentarily, but upon seeing my destination, he turned his attention back to Father.
“You may approach the throne,” the king said, inviting me onto the platform.
Despite having his permission, I still hesitated. In response, the king stood up and personally escorted me onto the platform. At some point, a chair had been placed between the king and queen’s thrones.
“Please sit here, Lady Alexandra,” the king said. “Let’s have tea together.”
“Um… what?” I responded.
Tea? Was he really offering me tea in this life-or-death situation?
“Well, um, you see…” I mumbled, flustered and unsure how to respond.
Nevertheless, the king and queen’s warm smiles drew me in, and I wound up sitting between them. Without delay, the prime minister offered me a cup of tea.
The prime minister sure does remind me of Rosario, I absentmindedly thought while accepting the cup. They really are father and son, huh?
When I looked between the king and queen, both of them were wearing friendly smiles.
Alrighty then. Guess I’ll just sit here and drink my tea.
“Wow,” I said with a sigh, unable to stop the words from slipping out. “This tea is fantastic.”
“Right?” the king agreed before returning to his beverage.
At that moment, I felt a surge of mana greater than ever before.
“Oh no!” I cried.
Embert and Father’s hands pulsed with enough mana to burst at any moment. Fortunately, a magic barrier had been erected around everyone in the chamber except the combatants. That had probably been Janus’s doing. Unfortunately, Embert and Father now planned to unleash a storm of mana, as they were both aware of the barrier.
“Are you intending to destroy the castle with all that mana, Father?” Embert asked.
“I could ask the same of you,” Father replied. “Regardless, didn’t I just ask you not to call me ‘Father?’ How regretful that our kingdom’s crown prince is such a vacuous pretty boy.”
Embert chuckled. “Get used to it. I’ll be calling you Father for the rest of our lives, after all.”
“Ha! As I said, I won’t be handing over my daughter to the likes of you!”
A moment later, Father unleashed a volley of ice blades. Likewise, Embert unleashed a barrage of fire blades.
“This can’t be happening!” I cried. “Custode!”
The moment I called his name, the dragon appeared between the combatants in miniature form.
“Huh?” I gaped.