The matter had finally come to a temporary close. Shedding her previous cold, imposing demeanor, Leya now wore an expression of tenderness as she reached out, gently stroking the heads of the two small children.
“No, we’re fine!” the elder child declared first, patting their chest.
“Thank you, Big Sister!” the younger child said, considerably more polite.
The two children seemed quite shaken, though their words betrayed little. However, Leya could discern their fear in their evasive glances.
[Clap—]
[Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—]
Yet, to Leya’s surprise, someone in the crowd had actually begun applauding her.
‘Interesting…’
And the one applauding her was none other than Harvey?
“Magnificent, truly magnificent. Powerful, beautiful, a righteous knight. This reminds me of the rumors I once heard in this city about the [Blonde Sword Princess].
“I daresay, even if you are not her, your beauty certainly wouldn’t be inferior to hers!”
“…………”
“Darling…”
Seeing the man she adored, the object of her deepest affection, praising another woman directly in front of her was more than Debbie could tolerate.
Debbie could hardly stand it, and she immediately retorted:
“She already admitted she threw it! And she even injured two of your guards! Don’t you… don’t you feel even a little bit angry?”
“Angry?”
However, to Debbie’s utter surprise, Harvey swiftly countered:
“Why should I be angry? As this young lady stated, the true offenders who wronged you have been identified.
“Their actions were indeed tantamount to kidnapping. While the punishment this young lady administered was severe, and perhaps a bit too direct, still…”
“There’s nothing wrong with it!”
“What?! You…”
“Oh, alright, alright, I know. I only love you now, how could I possibly have room for anyone else, hehe.”
‘Yes, but only *now*,’ Harvey thought, while placating Debbie.
He was already pondering how to engage in some ‘interesting discussions about life’ and ‘exchanges’ with Leya after he defeated her.
‘Emmmm…’
As for why he *had* to defeat her?
The reason was that Harvey believed only through such a conquest could he truly win the heart of this female knight!
Exactly!
‘Harvey mused, he was in love again…’
Harvey had encountered attractive female knights before, but never one with the commanding aura of the formidable woman standing before him.
He had truly never imagined such a person existing within the eastern territories of the Kingdom. Hehehe!
In fact, had he not been utterly unaware of such a girl existing among the nobility, Harvey might have even considered settling down.
He would have tried to love only her from that moment on!
That was, of course, assuming she was a noble and of an appropriate family background…
‘Emmmm…’
At this thought, Harvey, his ‘wolfish’ nature unleashed, yearned to immediately charge forward, defeat Leya, and bind her to take her home.
As for failure?
No, that was impossible.
After all, who was he?
He was a scion of the Edgar Duke family from the Northern Marches!
Harvey was confident that with his influence, defeating and subjugating this female knight would be a simple feat, wouldn’t it?
With that thought in mind.
Harvey, now in high spirits, promptly asked:
“Very well, since you admit to having thrown that gold coin, then state your name!”
“My name?” Leya asked, her expression unreadable.
She subtly positioned the two children behind the old beggar before turning back to face him.
“Precisely. While this may not be an overly severe case of assault, Debbie claims she was injured.
“Therefore, as a noble, I naturally possess the right to establish a circuit court and immediately adjudicate cases according to the law!
“And for that, naturally, I also have the right to know the culprit’s name.”
Harvey declared, puffing himself up with an air of self-importance, his head held high.
Though everyone knew that even if he possessed the right to establish a circuit court, it would only be within the territories of his father, Duke Edgar…
Not here, in Volantis.