"It was truly surprising, considering everything had been set up by the princess, but for now, I feel okay." Upon hearing the princess speak of poison as her first remark upon his arrival, Avendial recognized her wordplay, knowing she wanted to convey that she was aware he wasn't truly poisoned.
Yet, instead of admitting his loss, he charged her with neglecting to secure his safety from being poisoned.
After all, if others want to embarrass you, then you just need to become shameless.
'...this', The princess's fingers quivered slightly as they halted their movement along the cup, her gaze fixed on Avendial, who stared back at her while reciprocating her impassive look. His eyes conveyed a clear message: he was not ready to concede defeat. This realization made her reluctant to engage in this endless cycle, prompting her to add further, "Please have a seat, Marquess."
"Thank you, Princess." Avendial walked up to the table and settled into the chair, with Rivia following closely behind. She held the sword in one hand, its sheath at her side, and her gaze remained directed ahead. Without offering a greeting, she positioned herself behind Avendial, standing quietly.
"...Apologies for her behavior, Princess." As the princess cast a glance toward Rivia, Avendial recognized her likely intention to ask about her absence the night before. To divert the discussion, he brought up how Rivia hadn't acknowledged the princess and how displeased she seemed about it.
"No, it's fine. It's not Miss Rivia's first time." With an elegant posture, Princess Katheria gracefully raised the teacup to her lips, taking a sip with her eyes closed, exuding a calm and serene presence.
'She is just jealous of you, Princess', Avendial shook his head and reached for a cup, recalling how Rivia used to never greet princess during their encounters.
In the past, he wasn't sure why she had acted that way, but knowing now about her obsession with him, it was clear that Rivia was probably envious of the princess who was betrothed to him.
Considering her royal status, Rivia never ventured beyond the boundaries to cause her any harm. Moreover, even if she made an effort, it was unlikely that she could actually harm Princess Katheria Arinphiam.
After all, Princess Katheria was an Empyreal.
'How amusing', Avendial mused as he sat opposite the woman who exuded both elegance and composure. He couldn't shake the image of her as a princess once deemed the most delicate. Yet, with the rise of the tower, she evolved into a figure recognized as the strongest Royal, undeniably revealing that she was, indeed, an Empyreal.
Given that Princess Katheria held the weakest position among the princesses, her situation lacked balance but was maintained largely due to her personal abilities and her identity as an Empyreal.
In fact, both of Princess Katheria's Empyreals were of the attack type, whereas she herself was geared towards defense.
She had the ability to cast protective shields on others too, as demonstrated during last night's test when Alfred launched an assault on one of her Empyreals. Whose body was enveloped in a protective aura, leading Alfred to mistakenly believe that the Empyreal possessed defensive capabilities when it was the princess who had cast that defense on him.
"And what might that be?" Placing her teacup, she glanced towards Avendial, slightly curious to know the deal which the Marquess himself found significant.
Avendial offered a faint smile, closing his eyes as he expressed, "It's simple: I wish the Princess could overlook my actions for a year." That was the key to what he truly desired—freedom.
"...and what might those actions be?" Princess Katheria felt a hint of confusion upon hearing Avendial's words. She hadn't placed any restrictions on him, after all.
They weren't married for her to restrict him from doing particular things, and she couldn't see how her overlooking his actions was significant. It left her unable to fathom his perspective.
After all, she wasn't keeping an eye on him, so it was clear that he could do whatever he wanted, whether in secret or openly.
"Let's see," Avendial said, slightly nodding as he exhaled before continuing, "actions like sleeping around?"
"...Apologies, but what do you mean by 'sleeping around'?" Though Katheria understood the literal meaning of this, she doubted that someone like Avendial would request such a thing. So, she tried to reconfirm exactly what he wanted and clarify things without creating any misunderstandings.
'They willl not kill me, right?' Feeling the intensity of two pairs of eyes—one yellow pair positioned before him and another amethyst pair from behind—Avendial kept his expression stoic as he articulated the key deal he sought to establish with the princess.
"What I mean to say is that I would appreciate it if the princess could overlook my one-night stands and casual relationships with various women and not view them as treason for this year."