Seraphine's/Selene's POV

Makkun and I stopped at a wide grassless ground occupied with dozens of knights. They were wearing matching red and black uniforms and were busy with either sparring with each other or stretching exercises. They froze when they saw us.

"Etto..." I muttered that I saw imaginary hearts in their eyes. They were in an uproar but soon scolded by an imposing mauve-haired, emerald-eyed person wearing a different uniform.

He approached us and bowed.

"Greetings to Your Highness the Princess! This servant is called Kosuke Plateosa, Captain of the Royal Knights. It is such a great honor to meet you, Seraphine-hime!"

"Glory to Your Highness!!" His subordinates followed suit.

"Hn." I gazed at Makkun.

"Greetings Captain Kosuke Plateosa, I am the delegate from Coelacanth. It is a pleasure to meet you." Makkun placed his hand on his chest.

"I see, so you're the one Caedmon-sama was talking about. The person who seduced our princess..." I balked at his inappropriate words.

Excuse me, seduced?! You really said that, and even in front of me? H-How dare you! We're still children!!

"Yes, that's right. Now, why don't you tell me the reason why you and the rest of them explicitly show your hostility? I haven't done anything indecent, right?"

Makkun!!

*tch

"Young human who haven't reached the legal age, I didn't know you could be so impertinent that you thought your bloodlust could scare me." Captain Plateosa said after clicking his tongue.

What does he mean by bloodlust? Makkun is the most innocent kid in the world, bloodlust is his antithesis.

"Coming from you who is too busy bickering with a young child."

"That's it!" Captain Plateosa removed his right glove and threw it at Makkun's chest. "I request for a duel!!" The other knights shouted in delight.

"Whoo, a duel!!"

"Captain is gonna duel with a child!!"

"Way to go Captain, beat that brat who wants to molest our beloved princess!!"

Wait what? What did he just say? 'Molest'? Hello, we're just kids!! And Makkun is super kind, he didn't even snap at all of you who were directly insulting him!

"... no..." I grabbed the hem of Makkun's coat. "Makkun, no." He patted my head and smiled to reassure me.

"No Sese-chan, let me deal with him. You won't see me again if we let him have his way. You still want to be with me, right?" I felt something wrong with his words but due to his gaze, I just nodded.

He's comforting me so I'll just let him be. I'm also curious of his fighting skills...

***

Third Person POV

Captain Kosuke and Max changed into their training attires and each held wooden swords in their right hands pointed at each other. Tension filled the air as they stared down at each other like savage predators.

Many maidservants and butlers arrived as spectators and joined the royal knights in applauding and shouting loud cheers.

'I need to fend this brat off from Her Highness as soon as possible!'

'This guy is a hindrance! First is the draconic king himself, second is the Prime Minister's son, and now this guy. Hah, but I'm glad Sese-chan doesn't believe them when they try to reveal what I'm really like.'

"Go Captain!!" shouted the knights.

Everyone froze when the silver-haired, golden-eyed princess walked towards the halfhuman prince and tied a yellow silk ribbon around his wrist. Some voiced out their thoughts disapprovingly while a handful of maids squealed in delight.

"Makkun. G'luck." The girl uttered with a smile that erased all the grimaces from the bystanders' faces.

'So cute!!' They all said in their minds.

'Will Makkun be okay? He's fighting with an experienced knight, worse a Captain, who has decades of experience while he's just a young boy. Isn't it disadvantageous?

I didn't think the royal knights could openly show their hostility at a delegate from a neighboring kingdom. Yes, humans might be the weakest race so they'd underestimate them. But how could their prejudice be directed at him, a young human boy?'

"Ready?" The two nodded. "Go!!"

The draconic Captain disappeared from sight leaving some dusts and slashed his weapon but the human prince blocked it. Clashes and clanking of the swords resonated the surroundings that Seraphine just stood, shocked at the mock battle that looked like a real one.

'Isn't Makkun just a boy? Why is he in the same ground as Captain Plateosa?! Isn't this fraud?!!'

'Hah, I shouldn't have underestimated this little brat! This is not a human, but a f*cking monster!!' thought the draconic Captain.

"I must've overestimated you Captain Plateosa, I thought you could beat me in seconds. Are you really the Captain of the Royal Guard?"

*tch

"Coming from a two-faced brat who keeps deceiving our princess. I wonder what'll happen if she finds out about your dark personality?" Max grimaced at his opponent's words. "It seems I hit the nail in the coffin. Maybe she'll be disillusioned and distance herself from you?"

"Watch your words Captain Plateosa, don't run your mouth if you know what comes next." Max let out his bloodlust. "I am not in the mood for your jokes and if you ever tell her about what you just told me, I'll make sure you won't be able to ever again." He then suppresses it.

"M-M-Monster..!!" The mauve-haired Captain exlaimed in fright after stumbling back. His whole being trembled earning a satisfied grin from the other.

'Good thing I've imprinted in his mind that I am not to be messed with so I could monopolize Sese-chan's time and attention.'

'Makkun is amazing!! I never thought he could be so good in swordsmanship!! Also, I sensed a faint amount of mana in the sword.'

'This brat is a f*cking monster!! He's too dangerous to be near the princess, I must separate him from her!! But before that, I must report to His Majesty.'

Max pointed his wooden sword at the neck of the knight. The dumfounded spectators then applauded and shouted their joyous cheers for the victor.

Max approached his beloved and tucked a heap of her silver hair behind her ear that she faintly blushed.

"I won." He declared in confidence.