"Get lost, I need to talk with my fiancée." Bryan said in a condescending tone.
Hearing his words, I wrinkled my brows. Then, I moved my gaze towards Iris and noticed that she was lowering her head with a fearful expression.
At that moment, I finally remembered.
When I first saw Iris in the student council's office, I found her a little familiar, but because it did not seem important I did not pay attention.
But now that Bryan said that she was his fiancée, I remembered who she was.
I met Iris once when she got engaged to Bryan. It was more than five years ago, and the meeting was very brief, so I did not remember it when I saw Iris again after so many years.
Furthermore, Iris had changed noticeably from back then. Her hair was long now, and though she still was a timid girl, she seemed much stronger than when I first met her.
So she was that little girl, huh.
I looked again at my brother and put on an indifferent expression. "I'm sorry, we are currently busy with the student council's work. You will have to find her later if you want to speak to her."
Bryan furrowed his brows. "I remember I told you to get lost, little bastard brother."
"Is it so? It looks like my hearing is failing."
A murderous expression appeared on Bryan's face. He looked at me as though he wanted to swallow me alive. The little mana inside his body started to circulate in an attempt to intimidate me.
However, I just looked at him with a smirk.
Anyone could see that we were about to go to blows. Some students nearby recognized the situation and ran away. Nobody wanted to be involved in a fight between princes.
Of course, the bravest ones hid nearby to observe the fight.
I felt someone pulling my shirt at that moment. I looked back and saw Iris looking at me with a sad and resigned expression. She then opened her mouth to speak.
But before she could say anything, I conjured a little spell and sealed her movements. Iris was surprised and tried to struggle, but my spell was not something that she could dispel so easily.
I knew what she wanted to say, and precisely because of that, I did not allow her to speak. Once she says the words 'It's alright, I'll go with him' I would lose the qualifications to intervene.
[Stay still and don't say something stupid.] I send my voice directly into her mind. [I'll take care of this.]
Iris looked at me with a complicated expression before sighing. A series of different expressions appeared on her face, as such relief, thankfulness, happiness, and sorrow.
But now was not the time to care about that.
Bryan saw Iris pulling the corner of my shirt and turned livid. To him, the scene seemed like Iris was flirting with another man.
"So, it's true." Bryan said with a tone full of hatred. "I heard that you were pretty close with this trash, Iris, but it looks like you two are more than close."
"Watch your words, brother." I said indifferently. "Miss Iris and I have a purely working relationship. The fact that you are unconfident about yourself doesn't give you the right to besmirch miss Iris's reputation. Now, we need to finish our work, so get lost with your petty jealously to another place."
"Hahahahaha. Good, good! So, you are going against me until the end, huh Claus. I'm going to ask you one last time, little trash. Get lost, I have some matters I need to talk with MY fiancée!"
I remained silent, but my attitude was clear. I was not going anywhere.
Bryan gritted his teeth. He knew that he and his friends were not a match for me in a fight, and I would not care about giving a prince a beating.
But when it seemed that Bryan was going to leave disappointed, one of his lackeys took a step forward.
It was the slightly fat young man, Luca.
I frowned, Luca was another famous trash of the capital. His infamy was as much as Bryan, and there are rumors that he had done some outrageous things.
Wearing a fake smile, he waved his hands and opened his mouth.
"Now now, calm down your highnesses. Why don't we resolve this peacefully?"
"... What do you propose?" I fixed my gaze into Luca and spoke a brief silence. I could see Luca's body shivering slightly, a result of the pressure I emitted just now.
However, instead of being intimidated, he continued speaking.
"Your highness Bryan, your highness Claus, I think that the best solution is that both of you take a step back. Prince Bryan will apologize for insulting prince Claus, and prince Claus will stop interfering with prince Bryan and miss Iris's affairs. After all, it would not be good if someone spread rumors that miss Iris has a strange relationship with prince Claus."
... Now I'm sure of it. This guy has evil intentions.
And just as I thought, Bryan exploded.
"Impossible! I'll never apologize to this trash! And you Iris, remember that you are my fiancée! One day, you'll have to open your legs for me, no matter how much you hate it! Claus, I'll remember this!"
With these words, Bryan departed followed by his lackeys.
Luca smiled wryly towards me before leaving, but his smile seemed as though he was mocking a fool.
I furrowed my brows and put on a fragment of my consciousness on him. With my experience, I would be a fool if I don't notice that today's farce was the result of someone's conspiracy.
I'm curious to know, who is so daring to scheme using two princes?
When Bryan was gone, I turned off the spell on Iris. She looked at me with a complicated expression and bowed. "Sorry about that, I have caused you trouble."
I put on a small smile and shook my head. "Don't worry, it's normal to help a friend."
Iris was briefly stunned, but in the next second, her expression turned into a mix of happiness and sorrow.
"... Yeah, you are the same as back then. Unfortunately, I..."
Her last words were so soft that even I was unable to hear them.
But I already knew what she wanted to say.
Looking at the back of Bryan, I already thought of the perfect method of revenge.
Mmm. I guess I'll be starting with him then.
...
Later that same day, in a hidden location.
Luca was bowing respectfully towards a figure hidden in the shadows.
"How was it?" The figure asked in a cheerful and innocent tone.
Luca, however, knew the truth behind her façade. The figure in the shadows was a true monster, one born with ice-cold blood.
"Everything went according to young miss expectations." He said. "I'm sure that today's incident will become the spark that starts the fight between the princes."
"Is it so? Good. This empire has been peaceful for too long."
She then stood up and walked towards a table nearby. She then grabbed a piece of chess, a pawn.
"... Finally, I'll know. Prince Claus, are you a pawn, or a monster like me?"
Her beautiful white hair waved and hid her devilish smile.
...
Support me on P4TRE0N and read until 20 chapters ahead:
https://patreon.com/JannWolf