You will be punished

"I knelt before Selah Dulcia to ask her as my wife. Are you willing?"

Upon further inspection, the peridot in the ring matched the color of Selah's eyes; olives greenish yellow with a deep tint. Peridot usually wouldn't be that deep in color, but the ring on Aeneas' hand right now was the color of her eyes.

But that's not the case now.

With all eyes on her, Selah could not have refused Aeneas. Well, they do get married. Aeneas had also proposed to her with the ring when he stopped by Selah's room at night. So why did he do it again in front of so many people?

She had never been treated like this before!

You don't have to kneel down like that, damn Prince Aeneas, Selah thought in annoyance and embarrassment. She gave a sharp look at Aeneas, who was still smiling at her.

Inwardly, Selah promises to teach Aeneas a lesson.

"I…"

Blair's image passed by the corner of Selah's eye. Her ex-fiancé looked at them with an overly calm look, which only frightened Selah. It feels like Blair is up to something.

"I am willing… to accept a proposal from you, Prince Aeneas," Selah answered afterward.

Aeneas smiled contentedly. He put a peridot stone ring on her finger. Unexpectedly, the ring fits perfectly.

The people around them clapped awkwardly. Before long, someone interrupted them.

"Father…" Selah muttered.

Selah took the time to glance at Blair before facing his father. Blair's expression was still as calm, leaving Selah unsure of Duke Dulcia's sudden appearance. It can't be, right, his father's appearance is part of another Aeneas game?

With one look, everyone could tell that Duke Dulcia was furious. His eyes were bloodshot with rage, and his hands were tightly clenched into fists. His overall appearance was messy. Never had Selah never imagined that Duke Dulcia would dare to show up looking like that. Duke Dulcia was the type to really hold on to his reputation.

"How did you get in?!" Baron Tullia stepped forward, preventing Duke Dulcia from approaching Selah. "Guards!"

"You're asking how I got in?" asked Duke Dulcia sharply. "I will do whatever it takes to drag my daughter home."

Selah snorted, amused. Only at this time did Duke Dulcia address her as his daughter. "Father, can't you see that everyone is looking at your pitiful appearance?"

"You…" With one move, Duke Dulcia managed to get rid of Baron Tullia. People screamed in panic. Indeed, despite his old age, no one could look down on him. "I raised you with great difficulty and gave you my best so that you become a woman with the highest position in this kingdom! But this is exactly what you did to me?!"

Was he under the influence of alcohol or drugs? inner Selah's disbelief. How could her father talk about it in front of many people?

"Calm down, Father. You're in a bad state," Selah said, trying to persuade him. She approached her father with caution. "Father?"

"I… I didn't raise you for this!"

Selah was already preparing to receive an attack from Duke Dulcia. In this world, only her could take the attack from his all-powerful father. If not her, then who?

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Aeneas suddenly steps up to become a shield for Selah. Duke Dulcia's hand, which was already in the air, hit Aeneas instead of Selah. In the next instant, Aeneas was already knocked to the ground.

"Your Highness!" exclaimed Selah. She rushes over to Aeneas. She knew how painful Duke Dulcia's hand was. She had also seen how her family's servants and knights received attacks from Duke Dulcia. So if Aeneas' small body received Duke Dulcia's attack…

"I-I didn't…"

"Guards!"

The voice reverberated deep and sharp in the banquet hall. The Imperial Knights that Blair brought with him suddenly caught Duke Dulcia.

"Your Highness, forgive me!" said Duke Dulcia hurriedly. "You know I didn't mean–"

"Duke Dulcia," Blair said coldly. "You will be punished for wounding and attempted murder of a royal family member."

***

"Are you going to keep quiet, Lady Selah?"

Selah saw the departure of the Palace carriage carrying a prisoner. The prisoner is his father.

"What can I do, Your Highness? Duke Dulcia did injure a member of the Imperial family, which could lead to death. There are many witnesses, including you," Selah confirmed. She was facing Blair now. "That's not what's important now, anyway."

"Of course." Blair took a step closer. "Aeneas's situation is more important now."

"Yes. You know exactly how strong Duke Dulcia's arms are."

Blair says nothing, then heads inside to meet Aeneas. Selah followed behind him.

Baron Tullia is with Aeneas when the healer examines his wound. Aeneas clearly looks in pain. His beautiful face was now adorned with bruises that were foreign to Selah's eyes.

"How is Aeneas?" Blair asked, getting ahead of Selah.

The healer saluted. "I found no sign of a broken jaw, Your Highness. But in the meantime, perhaps Prince Aeneas will feel dizzy. There is a wound in the mouth, so there will be a possibility that Prince Aeneas will have trouble eating," he explained.

"Please write down whatever Prince Aeneas needs," said Blair. "Baron Tullia, my apologies. But if possible, I want to talk alone with my brother."

Baron Tullia glanced briefly at Aeneas. "Of course, Your Highness."

Before Selah leaves, Aeneas holds her hand briefly. He seemed to be trying to say that everything was going to be okay.

Selah and Baron Tullia decided to talk privately in another room. They needed to think the current situation.

"Sorry for messing up at the party you threw, My Lord," Selah apologized formally in earnest. "I didn't expect that Father would-"

"Selah, you know this is not your fault. We didn't expect that he would come and be reckless… to do something like that," interrupted Baron Tullia.

"Yes, but still." Selah massaged her temples. "I didn't hear any news about your father's return. Jeremiah will also definitely prevent Father from coming here."

"Prince Aeneas and I are also wondering how Duke Dulcia got into the hall," said Baron Tullia. "Sir Azel didn't see him coming at the front."

"What? Then how…" Selah stopped her sentence. A conjecture arose in his mind. "Could it be… this is Crown Prince Blair's doing?"