"How dare you!!" Princess Claire's shrill cry cut through the din of the banquet hall like a knife. Heads turned, and conversations halted mid-sentence as the guests' attention shifted to the unfolding drama.

  "What's going on?"

  "Why is Princess Claire on the floor?"

  "And look, she's bleeding too."

  "You didn't see it? That Zain Gremory just slapped the Princess."

  "You're not joking, right?"

  "How could he?"

  "It's true, I saw it with my own eyes."

  The murmurs swelled into a cacophony of disbelief and speculation. A crowd quickly gathered around them, their eyes wide with shock and curiosity, as discussions erupted like wildfire among the nobles. The once orderly and refined atmosphere of the banquet now crackled with tension and chaos.

  An individual from the crowd stepped forward and yelled, "Hey Zain, how dare you hit the Princess? Even though you are a Duke's son, do you have no regard for the royal family?" His voice was filled with indignation, echoing the sentiments of those around him.

  It was Georgie, son of Duke Ranold, who was the hidden instigator of this conflict. His eyes gleamed with a mixture of satisfaction and righteous fury as he quickly helped Princess Claire to her feet.

  "Zain, how... How could you do this??" Claire's voice was still trembling from the shock of being slapped. This was the first time, other than in her training, that someone had hit her, much less slapped her in such an embarrassing way. She felt so humiliated that she couldn't even react properly. The pain in her cheek and the taste of blood in her mouth were stark reminders of her disgrace.

  "My father will kill you for this."

  Zain stood there with a calm expression as if this whole incident had nothing to do with him. The chaos around him seemed distant, his mind focused on the moment, detached from the surrounding turmoil.

  "Claire! What happened?" It was Princess Rivera, who pushed through the crowd with two royal servants, her face pale with worry.

  Seeing her sister bleeding, Rivera quickly pulled out a cloth to clean the blood. Claire broke down in her sister's arms and started crying. The sight of Claire's tears and the blood on Rivera's hands added a dramatic intensity to the scene.

  Rivera soon understood how her sister got hit from the crowd's remarks. She glared at Zain, who stood there quietly, his face a mask of stoic defiance.

  "What were you thinking? Slapping my sister—are you out of your mind? Do you know the consequences of your actions?" But before she could get any answer from Zain, a royal servant arrived. He was one of the Emperor's attendants, his presence adding a new layer of gravity to the situation.

  "Zain Gremory, Princess Claire, and Princess Rivera, the Emperor has summoned all three of you." His voice was authoritative, leaving no room for argument.

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  It was evident that the news of this incident had reached the Emperor. Most likely, Izark would also know about it.

  'The old man must be burning with rage right now... Haha.' Zain found this thought hilarious, a brief spark of dark humor in an otherwise tense moment.

  "I mustn't let the Emperor wait; it might upset him." Zain's voice was calm, almost nonchalant, a stark contrast to the outrage simmering in the crowd around him.

  'You think hitting his daughter won't make him upset?' The incredulous thought passed through the minds of many onlookers.

  The crowd was shocked by Zain's shameless remark. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the assembly, disbelief etched on their faces.

  Zain didn't mind the crowd's glares as he quickly made his way towards the main stage. His stride was confident, unbothered by the storm of emotions he had stirred.

  "Princesses." the servant reminded, and Rivera escorted the sobbing Claire to the main stage. Claire's steps were unsteady, her pride shattered, leaning heavily on her sister for support.

  ---

  "Where did you leave him?" Raiser asked, his voice tight with worry and frustration.

  "He was just eating at the back table with Draig and Lilith." Raina replied, equally perplexed.

  "So how did he end up in this situation?" Raiser's eyes were wide with disbelief, his hands clenched at his sides.

  "How should I know? Honestly, I thought that boy was better than a musclehead like you." Raina retorted, her tone sharp with exasperation.

  "Who are you calling a musclehead?" Raiser shot back, his temper flaring.

  "Stop it, both of you. It's not the time for this. Think about how to clear this mess." Morris interjected, his voice a calming anchor amid the rising tensions.

  Raiser and Raina were arguing, while Izark and Morris stood in the corner of the stage, communicating through a group mind channel. The news about the incident with Princess Claire had quickly reached them, and the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on their minds.

  Izark was having a hard time figuring out how to get out of this situation. It seemed as if they had invited the guests only to disrespect them. His mind raced with possibilities and consequences, the weight of the unfolding crisis pressing down on him.

  'And he had to pick the Princess to mess with? Couldn't he have found any brat from noble families other than the royal family?' The more Izark thought about it, the more frustrated he felt. Just as he was immersed in his thoughts, he heard a tough voice in his mind.

  'Izark, you sure got a great kid. Even I have to admire his courage. But unfortunately, he is as hot-headed and foolish as you... Hahaha.'

  It was Duke Martin, taunting Izark. Observing the Dukes present, some were surprised, and some wore expressions of mockery. The main point of attention, however, was the Emperor, who was still eating. As Izark looked at him, subconsciously, all the Dukes present also turned their attention to the Emperor.

  The Emperor put down the huge bone of the beast from which all the meat had been eaten clean and patted his lips with a towel. He then finally spoke, his voice resonant and measured.

  "Izark, your kid sure is amazing at bringing trouble to his father. Hahaha... I even have a few brats like him who only know how to make me worry."

  "But let's see how he defends himself from the trouble he has caused."

  Izark didn't reply and just stared at the figure pushing forward through the guests. His heart was heavy with apprehension, knowing the Emperor's patience was running thin.

  Zain reached the stage, followed by Rivera and Claire. When the Emperor and Dukes saw Claire sobbing, their expressions changed for the worse. The Emperor was clearly in a bad mood. His eyes, usually calm and observant, now flashed with anger.

  When they had heard that Zain had slapped the Princess, they thought it was a light slap resulting from a petty quarrel between kids. But it wasn't that simple. Claire had a bruise on her cheek and her lip was bleeding. The blood of the Royal family had been drawn. This was not a small problem; it was now a serious criminal action in the Empire against the Royal family.

  "What happened?" The Emperor wasn't in a good mood. But even so, he couldn't just directly give a punishment to Zain without asking for an explanation. His voice was stern, a demand for the truth.

  Zain said nothing but looked at Claire, seemingly waiting for her to answer. His silence was heavy, filled with unspoken words and unyielding resolve.

  "Claire! Tell the truth. I am here with you." Rivera gave a pat on Claire's back but still glared at Zain, her protective instincts warring with her sense of justice.

  Claire hesitantly started speaking. "I went to him..." Her voice was shaky, her eyes darting around the room, seeking sympathy and support.

  She soon recounted the truth to everyone present. As for lying to them, she wasn't that dumb. Even if everyone else believed her, she knew for a fact that her father would know if she was lying. Not to mention there were many spectators when she said those things to Zain.

  "Claire, what was the need for this?" Rivera was fuming after seeing her sister hurt, but now that the truth was out, her sympathy for her sister lessened significantly. Her voice was filled with a mix of frustration and disappointment.

  "Even though my sister was the one out of line, words should be countered with words. You have no right to slap my sister." Rivera insisted, still not ready to let go. Her eyes were blazing, a storm of emotions swirling within them.

  Zain completely ignored Rivera as he faced the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, if you may, let me ask Princess Claire a question before I explain myself." His voice was calm, almost serene, a stark contrast to the chaos around him.

  Everyone was surprised by Zain's odd request. The Emperor, curious about where the conversation was going, allowed Zain to ask a single question. His eyes narrowed slightly, watching Zain intently.

  "Princess Claire, did I hear you correctly when you said that bastards of impure origin should have died at birth?" Zain's voice was steady, his gaze unwavering as he looked at Claire.

  Claire looked at the people surrounding her and found some support as she spoke. "Yes, I did say that." Her voice was defiant, her pride refusing to let her back down even in the face of overwhelming scrutiny.