Garius rubbed his temple, a gesture of mounting frustration. His sharp gaze turned to Javier, sharpening the air between them.
"And Javier..."
Javier straightened, fidgeting slightly.
"Y-Yes, esteed father?"
Garius exhaled deeply, a small smirk erging.
"Good job."
Javier blinked in surprise. Liana and Gloria widened their eyes slightly, while Alf and Erinnette raised their brows.
But then Garius's voice turned firm.
"Good job… for not killing a royal princess without knowing."
Javier froze.
(Wait. What?)
Garius leaned back against the golden throne, resting his cheek on his knuckles. His voice was calm but heavy with aning.
"Had you killed her without knowing, it would have escalated things far worse than they already are."
A cold chill ran down Javier's spine.
(Oh, crap.)
Then Garius narrowed his eyes slightly.
"But tell , Javier…"
Javier gulped. "Why did you bring her here?"
A sudden, dangerous shift in the air made Javier tilt his head, confusion painting his features.
"Eh? I just wanted to show off—err, I an, I wanted to hand her over to you directly, esteed father!"
Garius's smirk deepened as he rested his hand on the armrest.
"You are aware of Amazarak traditions, aren't you?"
"In Amazarak culture, bringing a girl like her to et your family is the sa as saying you want to marry her."
Javier choked on air.
"EHHH?!?!"
His eyes darted to Liana and Gloria, who both sighed heavily. Gloria pushed up her glasses, pinching the bridge of her nose, while Liana folded her arms and shook her head.
"Young Master, this is why we told you to leave her with Hesbeirn."
"You never listen," Gloria added.
"Why didn't you tell ?!"
The two sighed again, Liana rubbing her forehead.
"We did, Young Master. We questioned why you insisted on bringing her here."
Gloria adjusted her glasses. "You ignored us."
Javier felt his soul leaving his body as realization dawned.
Liana's eyes glead dangerously as she took a slow, asured breath.
"Didn't I tell you earlier, Young Master?"
Javier stiffened.
"Didn't I question why you insisted on bringing her here?" Her voice was calm—too calm, which indicated he was in trouble.
Gloria stood beside Liana, letting out a long sigh as she pushed up her glasses once more.
"We suggested two very simple options, Young Master. One—finish her off."
"Two—hand her over to General Hesbeirn."
A cold sweat ford on Javier's brow.
"Yet…" Liana continued, her tone shifting to a dangerously low whisper.
"You insisted on bringing her here. To the estate. To our lord."
Javier raised his hands defensively.
"H-Hold on! You two never ntioned their traditions!"
His panicked eyes flicked between Liana and Gloria, who sighed in exasperation.
"We assud you knew, Young Master. You have studied Amazarak customs, haven't you?"
Javier's face stiffened.
(…Did I? Did I skip that part?)
Garius suddenly smirked, leaning slightly on his throne and watching the scene unfold with amusent.
"Liana. Gloria."
Both turned their heads, bowing slightly.
"Yes, my Lord?"
Garius's eyes glead with mischief.
"You didn't inform him about this?"
Liana and Gloria exchanged glances, silently debating how to respond. Finally, Liana spoke up.
"We both, at first, thought Young Master was bringing her here to hand her over to Mr. Alf or Mrs. Erinnette."
Gloria nodded in agreent.
"Not to present her in the middle of the hall like this, my Lord."
Garius chuckled, the smirk on his face deepening as he rested his cheek against his knuckles.
"But… Javier."
Javier jerked to attention.
"Y-Yes, esteed father?!"
With a calm yet authoritative tone, Garius continued,
"As a human from Armand, we don't need to follow their traditions."
Javier's shoulders sagged in relief.
"However…"
His relief froze as Garius's smirk deepened.
"We don't know about her."
A heavy pause followed, and then Garius's eyes locked onto Zania.
"She, on the other hand, must adhere to Amazarak traditions."
Javier felt a chill run down his spine as his father's words sank in like a dagger.
(Wait. WAIT. NO. Does that an—?!)
Javier snapped his head toward Zania, who was staring at the floor with an unreadable expression.
Then—Garius's voice turned serious.
"She was an enemy… for now."
Javier gulped.
"But tell , Javier."
His father's next words pinned him in place. "What should we do about her?"
Javier opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, searching for a response.
"Err…"
Garius tapped his fingers against the throne, a steady rhythm that matched Javier's racing heart.
"Had you handed her over to General Hesbeirn before bringing her here…"
A heavy pause lingered in the air.
"She could have been processed as a prisoner of war."
Javier winced, and Liana and Gloria sighed in unison, disappointnt evident in their expressions.
"Exactly, Young Master," Gloria muttered. Liana crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed.
"Now that you've brought her here first, without following the proper process…"
Garius's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze penetrating.
"You have complicated things."
His eyes bore into Zania, calm and unshaken, as he continued.
"Tell , enemy princess."
Zania remained silent, her fingers tensing as she refused to show weakness. But then Garius's voice turned sharper.
"I said… tell ."
A heavy pressure filled the hall, and Zania flinched. She swallowed hard, fear creeping into her voice.
"Y-Yes…"
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
But Garius wasn't done. His next words struck her like a hamr.
"You and your people ca here without any investigation. Without any diplomacy. Without any effort to confirm the truth."
Each word carved into her conscience like a wound.
"And instead, you created chaos in my lands."
Zania gritted her teeth, knowing he was right. But Garius's voice dropped lower, colder.
"If we follow Armand law…"
He leaned forward slightly, voice calm yet rciless.
"You would be executed."
The weight of his words slamd into her chest like a death sentence.
"As per our laws, as soone who illegally intruded into my region and waged unprovoked aggression, the death penalty would be your rightful sentence."
Silence enveloped the room, and the air felt thick and suffocating. Zania's heart pounded violently in her chest.
With a slight smirk, Garius spoke.
"Now, enemy princess."
Zania tensed, feeling the authority in his words weigh heavily on her.
"Explain to my genius but idiot son about your tradition regarding this."
Javier twitched, thinking, (Oi, why am I being insulted here?!)
Zania swallowed hard, unable to et Garius's gaze. All she saw was an overwhelming aura—a ruler, a man whose re presence seed to crush her resistance.
She clenched her fists, taking a deep breath before she finally began to speak.
"It is Amazarak tradition that if a man brings a woman to et his family… in any way,"
She paused, her voice dropping as the implications sank in.
"It is considered an informal engagent. A sign that the man intends to marry her."
Javier froze, eyes widening in disbelief.
"EH?!"
Zania flinched. But before she could continue, he interjected firmly, desperation creeping into his voice.
"I refuse. I didn't know about this tradition. I refuse!"
Garius chuckled softly, amusent dancing in his eyes.
"Oh? Then tell , enemy princess."
"If a woman in Amazarak refuses marriage… or is forced into one, what does she do?"
Zania bit her lip, hesitating only for a mont before responding with a hesitant voice.
"She challenges the man."
Javier blinked, trying to process the aning behind her words. "Challenges?"
Zania nodded slowly.
"Most won in Amazarak are stronger than n."
Javier's brows twitched, confusion unfolding in his mind.
(Wait. What?!)
"Unlike human won, we do not grow visible muscles," Zania continued, her eyes flickering with pride.
"That is why…"
She hesitated before continuing, the weight of her words sinking in.
"Only if the man wins the duel can he marry that woman."
Javier felt his soul return to his body as clarity dawned on him.
(OHHHHH! SO THERE IS A WAY OUT!)
But Garius smirked—a dangerous, knowing smirk that sent another chill down Javier's spine.
"I know that. That's why Amazarak has always been ruled by a queen, right?"
Zania stiffened and nodded slowly, a flicker of pride crossing her features.
"Yes… because amazarak n cannot defeat amazarak won in our kingdom."
( End Of Chapter )
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