The steam from the bath still lingered in the air when Max stepped out of the bathroom.

  He dried his hair with a towel as he walked barefoot to the bed, leaving small damp footprints across the stone floor.

  It had been a good decision to bathe. It cleared his head. The duel was still there. The mission too. But at least now his body felt lighter.

  He was adjusting his clean shirt when someone knocked at the door.

  Three soft knocks.

  “Come in.”

  The door opened slightly and Don’s face appeared through the gap.

  “Am I interrupting anything indecent, or may I enter with dignity?”

  Max rolled his eyes.

  “Come in.”

  The faun stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He carried a small box wrapped in brown cloth.

  He set it carefully on the table.

  “Your fairground toy.”

  Max set the towel aside and walked over.

  He opened the box.

  Inside was the illusory echo colr.

  A simple chain of dull metal, with a small translucent crystal at its center. Nothing fshy.

  An object any merchant would sell for a few coins to excited children.

  Max smiled.

  “Perfect. Thank you very much, Don.”

  Don watched him silently for a few seconds.

  “I don’t understand that gleam in your eyes.”

  Max looked up.

  “What gleam?”

  “That one,” the faun replied, crossing his arms. “The same one you had before getting into trouble st time.”

  Max picked up the colr and held it up to the light.

  The crystal reflected faintly.

  “Don’t worry.”

  Don frowned.

  “That’s exactly what people say before something explodes in their face.”

  Max let out a small ugh.

  “Trust me.”

  Don sighed.

  “You also said that before the fire.”

  Max paused.

  “Technical details.”

  The faun shook his head, though a faint curve touched his lips.

  “Just try not to destroy half the castle while you ‘have fun.’”

  Max pced the colr carefully on the bed.

  “Thank you, Don.”

  The faun turned toward the door.

  “I’m a butler. It’s my job.”

  Max gnced at him sideways.

  “And a very good one.”

  Don stopped for a second.

  He didn’t respond immediately.

  “I don’t understand what you’re plotting,” he finally muttered. “But I hope it works.”

  At that moment, the door opened again without warning.

  Abby poked her head in.

  “Dinner is served. Miss Enor is waiting.”

  Max raised a hand.

  “I’m coming. Just finishing getting dressed.”

  Abby nodded and disappeared down the hallway.

  Don opened the door fully.

  “Don’t take too long.”

  The room fell silent.

  Max looked at the colr again.

  The crystal seemed completely harmless.

  He smiled.

  “Let’s see what you’re really worth.”

  ***

  Max finished adjusting his shirt, put on his boots, and left the room.

  The dining hall was quieter than usual. No loud suitors. No advisors. Just a long table… and four people.

  Enor was already seated to the king’s right. Moonlight swung her legs in her chair, too small for the royal table. And at the head, holding a gss in his hand, sat the king.

  Max gave a slight bow as he entered.

  “Your Majesty.”

  The king looked him up and down.

  “Royal pet.”

  Max took a seat without arguing the title and began serving himself naturally.

  Roasted meat. Freshly baked bread. Sautéed vegetables.

  For a moment, it seemed like a normal dinner.

  The king set his gss down on the table.

  “Enor has already expined that you pn to formally present yourself as a suitor.”

  Max looked up abruptly, swallowing his food, nearly choking.

  “It’s a strategic option.”

  The king let out a low chuckle.

  “I find the situation quite amusing.”

  Enor lifted her gss to her lips, trying to hide the faint color on her cheeks.

  “Father…”

  “You’ve already proven you’re more than just a simple pet,” the king continued, ignoring her. “That much I must grant you.”

  Max inclined his head slightly.

  “I appreciate the acknowledgment.”

  The king’s eyes sparkled with a pyful yet firm glint.

  “But I want you to understand something.”

  The atmosphere shifted slightly.

  “If you so much as touch a single hair on my daughter before marriage… I will make you wish someone else had killed you first.”

  Silence.

  Moon stopped swinging her legs.

  Enor turned completely red.

  Max swallowed calmly.

  “You may rest assured, Your Majesty. I have no ill intentions.”

  The king arched a brow.

  “Oh? You don’t?”

  Max set down his fork.

  “For now, I’m focused on surviving in this world.”

  There was a second of silence.

  Then the king burst into ughter.

  “That’s exactly why I like you!”

  Enor let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

  Moon, meanwhile, smmed both hands on the table.

  “But Mommy and Daddy are perfect together! There’s no other option!”

  Absolute silence.

  Enor nearly choked.

  “Moon!”

  Heat rushed to Max’s face.

  “Don’t call me that at the royal table…”

  The king looked at them with an expression of pure delight.

  “Mommy and Daddy?”

  Moon nodded with absolute conviction.

  “Yes! She’s going to choose him, then they’ll get married and we’ll all live together!”

  Enor covered her face with both hands.

  Max cleared his throat.

  “First, we survive the duel.”

  The king ughed again, shaking his head.

  “We still have to reach the point where my daughter chooses among all the suitors.”

  His gaze sharpened slightly.

  “And that includes defeating Taniel.”

  The name hung in the air.

  Max held the king’s gaze without hesitation.

  “I know.”

  The king picked up his gss again.

  Moon resumed swinging her legs as if nothing had happened.

  Enor avoided looking directly at Max.

  And Max returned to his meal with a bit more calm.

  The king slowly rotated the gss between his fingers before speaking again.

  “I must warn you of something else.”

  Max looked up.

  “Taniel is not a child pying at being a knight.”

  Enor’s shoulders tensed slightly.

  “He is very skilled with a sword,” the king continued casually. “And his enhancement magic is no carnival trick. It strengthens his body, his speed, his agility… when he chooses to, he’s a nuisance.”

  Max chewed slowly.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  The king smiled with a faintly mocking edge.

  “Besides… I already suspected he would want to challenge anyone my daughter showed interest in choosing.”

  He leaned forward slightly.

  “He arrived accompanied by two peculiar escorts. He doesn’t bring decoration unless he intends to use it.”

  Max raised an eyebrow.

  “Peculiar how?”

  “Too attentive. Too quiet. And too close to him.” The king took a sip. “When a noble brings swords with eyes of their own, it’s not for a stroll in the garden.”

  Enor lowered her gaze to her pte.

  Moon, meanwhile, kept eating with her hands, completely oblivious to the weight of the conversation.

  Max rested his elbows on the table for a second… then pulled them back, remembering where he was.

  “I have a pn.”

  He said it firmly.

  Though beneath the table, his legs trembled slightly.

  The king noticed. Of course he did. A slow smile spread across his face.

  “Oh?”

  Max held his gaze.

  “Don’t worry.”

  The trembling increased just a bit.

  “I know what I’m doing.”

  The king let out a loud ugh.

  “Boy… if you knew how many times I’ve heard that phrase before someone ended up with their head flying through the air.”

  Enor covered her face with both hands.

  “Father, please…”

  Moon looked up, fingers covered in sauce.

  “Is it going to fly, Daddy?”

  Silence.

  Max closed his eyes for a second.

  The king ughed again.

  “No, little one. Let’s hope not.”

  Max swallowed, regaining composure.

  “Taniel relies on direct strength. On physical enhancement. On winning by crushing.”

  His fingers brushed lightly against the colr of his shirt, where he knew the neckce would soon rest.

  “I don’t.”

  The king’s eyes gleamed with genuine interest.

  “I like that.”

  Enor slowly lowered her hands from her face, still red.

  “Just… don’t do anything stupid.”

  Max looked at her with a small, calm smile.

  “I’ll try to keep the stupidity to a minimum.”

  The king shook his head, amused.

  Moon raised a thumbs-up, still chewing.

  “I knew Daddy was smart!”

  Enor covered her face again.