Duke, Is This Your First Time?

For a while, the faces of the nobles were filled with surprise and astonishment.

Elysia was no different. She gazed at the tall man walking leisurely into the conference hall with her eyes wide open.

The jet-black hair that was neatly pulled up, and the golden eyes that were shining brightly beneath them.

There was no one in this conference hall who didn’t know who he was just with these two characteristics.

‘Why is he here..… !”

While Elysia was suspicious of her own eyes, whether she was looking at a false image, Iker turned his gaze to her.

Was it an illusion that his eyes seemed to whisper to her not to worry? While Elysia blinked her eyes blankly, Iker’s gaze left her and turned to the Duke of Russet. The gentleness in the golden eyes disappeared as if washed away, and returned as indifferent as usual.

It was Duke Russet who spoke first.

“I am surprised to see that the emperor’s emir has come to a meeting of the aristocratic faction. Although I should welcome you because you have come all the way here, such a sudden visit is not pleasant at all.”

His voice was as cold as the expression on his face he felt displeasure and disapproval.

If it was an ordinary nobleman, the person would have flinched, but it didn’t seem to have had any effect on Iker.

On the contrary, Iker raised a corner of his mouth slightly, as if he was the one who was uncomfortable.

“I apologize for the surprise of my sudden visit, Duke Russet. I had no intention of coming here either, but I heard an interesting story.”

“An interesting story?”

When Duke Russet asked with a look of nonsense, Iker answered with a cool smile with his lips.

“Some people openly say they don’t believe my official statement made in my name. Today’s meeting was also hosted by him, so I’m here to confirm.”

The moment she heard Iker’s words, Elysia looked at Marquis Berten.

It was because she remembered that he had written in the summons of the meeting that the Duke of Deimos’s statement could not be trusted. When she and the other nobles looked at Marquis Berten, Iker’s face grew even colder.

“But I didn’t expect to hear it in person.”

The face of Marquis Berten, who received Iker’s eyes with a cold sneer, hardened, and pale.

After staring at Marquis Berten for a moment, Iker looked around the conference hall slowly.

As the nobles, overwhelmed by the gaze, shut their mouths and silence fell in an instant, he opened his mouth with a relaxed voice.

“The fact that the meeting was held like this means that there are a lot of people who don’t believe what I say.” 

His penalized golden eyes were precisely aimed not only at Marquis Berten, but also at the nobles who followed the Duke of Russet.

Duke Russet, who was watching Iker’s actions, frowned.

Judging that the atmosphere would be turned upside down if left as it was, he glanced at Marquis Berten and blinked.

Marquis Berten also did not want to suffer, so he corrected his expression and stood up from his seat. There was tension on his face, but his eyes were sharp.

“To be honest, it’s hard to believe that nothing had happened between Marquess Camellia and Your Excellency. Didn’t Your Excellency also drink the exotic alcohol that His Majesty gave you that day? One side had side effects and the other side was drunk, so I think it’s natural to doubt it.”

Iker raised his lip slightly at the polite but sharp attack of Marquis Berten. It was just that, but suddenly a chill came over her, and Elysia swallowed her dry saliva without realizing it.

However, she was not the only one who felt that way. The same sound came from all over the place. Moments later, Iker’s deep, low bass sounded dangerously.

“You must have thought of me as a pathetic person who sees people in crisis and embraces them. I feel very dirty.”

Marquis Berten froze as if he was cut by a sword. His neck was trembling with tension.

If Dustin had not intervened, Marquis Berten might not have been able to withstand Iker’s murderous energy and had collapsed.

“Then prove it, Duke Deimos.”

The second Prince’s voice was twisted with anger and displeased, and even a slight sarcasm was felt. Golden eyes, darkened with anger at Dustin’s provocation, turned towards him. It was the gaze that had been pressing on Marquis Berten a while ago.

“What would you do if I could prove it?”

Dustin, whose eyes met with Iker, suddenly felt pressured by the heavy air around him.

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, but the Prince, who did not want to lose to the man in front of him, clenched his teeth and spoke.

“If you can prove it, we’ll end the meeting today. After all, the focus of this meeting is your relationship.”

“You are saying something interesting. You’ll end the meeting? It’s like you’re hosting a meeting today, not an audience.”

“!”

Iker’s tone was relaxed and calm, but it was enough to humiliate Dustin. He meant if Dustin came as an observer, he should observe quietly.

That wasn’t wrong, so he couldn’t even refute it, and while Dustin’s face was red with anger, Iker’s head turned to Marquis Berten again.

“Answer me, Marquis Berten. If it turns out that nothing had happened between the Marquess and me, what would you do?”

At first glance, his gaze seemed to be directed towards Marquis Berten, but he was actually looking at the Duke of Russet sitting behind him.

Marquis Berten also looked into Duke Russet’s eyes to see if he was aware of that fact.

With his eyes asking what to do, Duke Russet slowly met Iker’s gaze. For a brief moment, there was a sharp air current between the two of them.

After a while, Duke Russet’s dark eyebrows twitched, and he opened his mouth, which had never been opened since the meeting began.

“If the Duke proves that nothing happened between the two of you, then, as His Highness the Crown Prince said, the cause of this meeting will disappear. Isn’t that right, Marquis Berten?”

There was disappointment in the eyes of the Marquis Berten as Duke Russet told him to step back.

It was because he did not know when another opportunity would come if they did not remove the Marquess of Camellia from her position today.

Nevertheless, he withdrew as Duke Russet ordered.

The fact that Duke Deimos came out so confidently meant that he had something to prove, and he knew well that it might be more difficult to handle after being ignorantly brave. 

“Of course. There is no reason to continue the meeting today, if the Duke clears our doubts.”

It was bittersweet to let go of the opportunity that had come so close to his nose, but he was planning to take the next opportunity. However, Iker’s reaction was not what Marquis Berten had expected.

“That’s a given. But don’t you need to do something else?”

At the sight of Iker raising one of his dark eyebrows as if he did not like his answer, Marquis Berten slightly frowned.

He (Berten) seemed to know what the man in front of him wanted, but his pride was hurt and he didn’t want to say it with his mouth. 

In the end, Marquis Berten chose to pretend he didn’t know and ask back.

“What are you talking about?”

“Shouldn’t you apologize to me and Marquess Camellia?”

“…”

Despite the expected answer, Marquis Berten’s mouth was firmly shut. And Elysia seemed to understand why the Marquis couldn’t answer right away.

She didn’t know about Iker, but it was probably not easy to apologize to her. Bowing your head to your rival would hurt his pride terribly.

Still, just imagining Marquis Berten bowing his head and apologizing, she felt refreshed.

‘But how is the Duke going to prove it?’

While Elysia was in doubt, Marquis Berten replied, looking at Iker with a grim look as if he had made up his mind.

“Of course. I will do as you say. Now it’s your turn to prove it. How are you going to prove it?” 

“What if I have a witness?”

“A witness?”

At Iker’s words, the conference hall roared for a moment.

Witness? What witness was there that day?

Elysia was perplexed inside.

As a witness suddenly mentioned, she couldn’t help but be surprised.

‘Did he bribe an employee and present him as a witness? Then he could be counterattacked. There’s no way he couldn’t foresee it. But who is it?’

While Elysia was puzzled, Marquis Berten, who looked as surprised as she was, soon regained his composure and spoke again.

“It will depend on how trustworthy the person is.”

“Then see for yourself and judge.”

Iker smiled coldly at Marquis Berten, raised his hand and drew something in the air.

A golden trajectory was drawn in the air along the elongated, manly fingers. It was a small magic circle.

The nobles who first saw him use magic seemed surprised, but Elysia, who had seen him before, was more curious about his actions.

‘Magic? What is he doing?’

The eyes of Elysia, who was watching, widened.

At the same time as the small magic circle of light drawn in the air disappeared, a huge magic circle was drawn right next to Iker.

A man slowly appeared above it.

Smooth silver hair like the moonlight, and scarlet eyes that resemble the sunset. He was a handsome man with delicate beauty.

He looked about the same age as Iker, but surprisingly, he was wearing the uniform of the magic tower. As the magic circle disappeared with the light, Iker slowly opened his mouth as he looked around at the nobles in the conference hall.

A blunt voice broke the silence and resounded heavily.

“Let me introduce to you all. This is Karzen Lecard. You may be more familiar with the nickname, Wizard of Light, than his name.”

The Wizard of Light, Karzen Lecard.

Not only Elysia, but all the nobles in the conference hall had an expression of disbelief.

How could they not know that name, the Wizard of Light was the youngest person to be appointed as the next tower lord.

It was an instant that the meeting hall was buzzing with the appearance of a famous giant that even the children of a small kingdom knew.

However, the hustle and bustle disappeared in an instant when Iker looked around the nobles.

In the silence, he opened his mouth to Marquis Berten.

“So, how do you feel about my witness, Marquis?”

“!”

Marquis Berten clenched his teeth at Iker’s calm question.

Seeing the Marquis’ hands clenched into fists and trembled, Elysia clicked her tongue inwardly.

If the witness was an employee such as a maid, servant, or assistant of the Duke, they could argue that the Duke could have bribed, but the opponent in front of their eyes was on a different level.

‘But, I didn’t know he would lie too. I didn’t even know he was acquainted with the Wizard of Light.’

While Elysia was thinking and was surprised again and again.

Karzen’s gaze stopped at her as he was slowly looking around the meeting room as if looking for someone.