The Cursed Prince

Gewen finally heard about King of Summeria's arrival and how he and Mars were now fighting in the courtyard.

After feeling conflicted for a  short while, he decided to take Harlow out of the cottage which they took shelter in and went to the courtyard to see the duel between Mars and Maxim.

Harlow was already bored, being stuck in the cottage for almost one hour. So, she started making a fuss and complained incessantly. This gave Gewen a justification to go out and check the duel.

Actually, he was curious to see what King Loriel looked like because Kira once mentioned that the man was so handsome, he was actually better looking than Gewen.

As the man who was famous throughout Draec being called the most beautiful man in their kingdom, Gewen felt annoyed when the girl he took a liking to said another man was better looking than him.

That's why, when he heard about King Loriel's appearance, his interest piqued and finally he couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer. Gewen arrived right after Edgar scolded King Stevan for trying to play dirty.

"Is it true that they have been fighting for one hour?" Gewen approached Edgar and asked his friend what happened.

Edgar turned to see him and instantly furrowed his brows when he realized Gewen carried Harlow in his arms.

"What are you doing here? This is not a place for a baby," Edgar scolded Gewen. "Quick, bring her inside."

Gewen was tilting his head through Edgar's shoulder to get a glimpse of Maxim. He was not listening to Edgar, despite just asking his friend a question. This made Edgar feel irritated. 

He pinched Gewen's arm and repeated his words, "Bring Harlow inside. This is not a place for babies."

Unfortunately, it was too late. Harlow already saw her father in the middle of the courtyard, charging toward a man she had never seen before. 

"Daddyyyy...!!" she cried in a panic.

Mars's ears and eyes were much sharper than regular people's. Even though Harlow's voice was small and there were many people around her making noises as well, he could hear her very well, and this made him distracted.

Maxim dodged Mars' attack to his shoulder by moving to the left. When he saw an opening, he swung his sword forward to stab his opponent in the stomach.

He thought Mars would hold it with his sword or dodge his attack. However, Mars was distracted by Harlow's voice and he turned to look at his daughter worriedly. 

The truth was, Maxim didn't intend to injure Mars badly or kill him because he didn't want Emmelyn to hate him for life. So, when he realized that Mars couldn't dodge his attack this time, Maxim immediately halted his movement.

SWOOSH!

Fortunately, it was not too late. The tip of his sword stopped one inch away from Mars's shirt.

The crowd gasped.  They thought King Loriel won the fight.

CLANG!

The crowd in the courtyard was shocked when Maxim suddenly dropped his sword to the ground. The man crossed his arms on his chest and spoke nonchalantly. "I am done playing. Let's go."

"Huh?" Mars was still in shock after what happened. He was worried about Harlow that, just a few seconds ago, he was almost stabbed by Maxim's sword. Everything happened so fast and he was still in the processing mode.

Where was Harlow? Did stupid Gewen bring his daughter here? Didn't Gewen know this was no place for a baby????

Gosh! 

Mars felt irritated and immediately dropped his sword too. However, he didn't pay Maxim any heed. Instead, he quickly walked toward Harlow's voice.

"Hey... what are you doing here?" When he found Harlow and Gewen behind Edgar, Mars massaged his temple. He didn't feel tired when he was fighting Maxim in close combat for almost one hour, but suddenly, seeing Harlow here, he felt weak and exhausted. He gave Gewen a side-eye. "Why did you bring Harlow here? This is not a place for a baby."

"I told him that too," Edgar muttered.

Gewen rolled his eyes. "We'd been cooped up inside the cottage with cheese and vegetable for an hour. It stinks! It's really long, okay? Your daughter here felt bored and she started biting me and asked me to take her out. I had no choice but to do what she wanted. If you don't believe me, see for yourself!"

Gewen raised his left arm and rolled his sleeve to show bite marks that looked terrifying on his smooth skin.

When he saw the evidence of his daughter's crime, Mars furrowed his brows and looked at Harlow with a disappointed expression. "Why did you do that to Uncle Gewen? So naughty."

Harlow pouted. She was worried about her father, but Mars was worried about Gewen??

She didn't like this.

Mars let out a long sigh. Indeed, he was fierce and aloof on the outside, but deep inside, he was so weak toward Harlow. Even though he scolded her for torturing Gewen, Mars couldn't really be mad at his daughter. 

"This is not a place for a baby," Mars muttered helplessly, reaching out his hands to take Harlow from Gewen's arms. He nodded at his friend apologetically. "Sorry about that."

Gewen nodded in understanding. "It's fine. She was just anxious. Can't blame her."

"Thank you." Mars carried Harlow and turned around to see Maxim who still stood firmly on his spot and watched the scene with furrowed brows.

So, it's true. Mars Strongmoor did bring his daughter all the way here, Maxim thought to himself.

"Can we settle this some other time?" Mars asked Maxim. "My daughter needs me. Let's meet in the next battle and continue this duel. We have seized Redwood. You are welcome to try to get it back."

Maxim didn't immediately reply to Mars's suggestion. His gaze was fixed on the beautiful female baby in his opponent's arms.

She was the most beautiful baby he had ever seen.

Harlow was staring at him with a hostile expression. Her physical appearance took after Mars Strongmoor, but the way she looked at him now reminded him of Emmelyn.

There was no mistaking it... This must be Harlow, and she was Emmelyn's beloved daughter.

Maxim looked away and sighed. His mind was in a mess.

So, this was it.

Emmelyn's husband and child were here for her. It was time for Maxim to do the right thing.

"No need for a rematch," Maxim said nonchalantly, to hide his mounting heartbreak. "I came here to invite you to come to my palace. Please bring your daughter with you."

Mars was astonished when he heard Maxim's words. 

Wait... Maxim wanted to invite him to Castilse? And he wanted Mars to bring Harlow with him?

Somehow, Mars didn't think Maxim did this out of the kindness of his heart. Did he have any other plans? Was this a trap?

"If you take the carriage or horse, you will take forever to reach Castilse," Maxim explained coldly. "I am offering you to come with me on one of those dragons' back. So, Harlow can see her mother as soon as possible."

Mars couldn't believe his hearing. This sounded too good to be true.

Was this a trap?

"This is not a trap," Maxim said in annoyance. He seemed to know what the people there thought about his offer. "Emmelyn is my friend.. I will not harm her husband and child."