Being stared at by Duke Charles and Leslie, Owen was bewildered. He had almost no interactions with Princess Marry.
If King Aldric hadn't mentioned a marriage alliance, he wouldn't have any connection with Princess Marry at all.
Seeing Owen's confused expression, Duke Charles wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and then prepared to stand up to greet the guest, accompanied by Leslie and Owen.
"Your Grace, I came uninvited, please forgive me," Princess Marry said as she walked in, dressed in a luxurious pure white palace dress, like a proud and graceful swan.
As she entered the dining hall, it seemed to brighten up a bit.
Duke Charles quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Princess Marry, it is an honor for my ducal residence to welcome you!"
Leslie and Owen also bowed. Princess Marry helped the duke up, "Your Grace, you labor tirelessly for the nation and are a vital minister, there's no need for such formality."
Duke Charles exchanged a few polite words with Princess Marry, knowing that she, being a proud person, must have come to the ducal residence for something important.
But since she didn't bring it up, he decided to feign ignorance.
As expected, seeing Duke Charles only engaging in pleasantries, Princess Marry decided to speak up.
She glanced at Owen, standing beside Leslie, and said slowly, "Your Grace, currently all the young talents are staying in the royal palace. I intend to host a Magic Competition to foster friendly exchanges among the younger generation of the continent. I would like to invite Owen and Miss Madelyn to participate, as they are among the most renowned talents in the imperial capital and even the continent."
When she mentioned "most renowned talents," Princess Marry deliberately emphasized her words and glanced at Leslie, who was focused on eating.
Duke Charles had been observing Princess Marry's actions.
Noticing her gaze soften from noble and cold to somewhat gentle when looking at Owen, he realized something was amiss.
Particularly after hearing about the Magic Competition, he was certain that Princess Marry had her eyes on his future son-in-law!
Given Owen's strength, he would undoubtedly shine brightly in this Magic Competition.
Madelyn and Leslie might not perform as well, but if Princess Marry can shine in the Magic Competition and with some people fanning the flames...
Duke Charles felt a bit displeased at this thought. Just as he was considering how to politely decline, Leslie, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked up and said, "Sure, Owen will definitely go!"
Duke Charles twitched, staring at Leslie in astonishment. Despite Leslie being a troublemaker, her behavior today showed that she had a good impression of Owen. Why was she now handing over the man she had her eye on to someone else?
Princess Marry was initially stunned, not expecting things to go so smoothly, especially with Leslie, Owen's fiancée, personally agreeing. She was overjoyed. She believed that with her charm, winning over Owen would be a piece of cake.
Smiling slightly, she looked at the elegantly cold Leslie, "Miss Leslie, you are becoming more and more beautiful. Soon, the title of the most beautiful woman in the capital will be yours."
Leslie smiled faintly, "Your Highness flatters me. Your beauty is unrivaled across the continent, far beyond my reach. I am merely a kind-hearted, naive vase."
Duke Charles: ...
Owen: ...
Madelyn: ...
Princess Marry's mouth twitched as well.
Kind-hearted? Naive? This woman was too shameless!
Princess Marry resolved that such an outstanding talent as Owen must not marry her. Determined to dig out Leslie's foundation, she extended another invitation, "Miss Leslie, since this Magic Competition is about making friends through combat, why don't you join us too?"
Leslie shook her head and refused, "I don't have much combat power, so there's no point in me going. Owen can go in my place."
At the end, Leslie gave Owen a meaningful look.
Owen had been puzzled by Leslie's immediate agreement for him to go, wondering if she was being sarcastic.
Now, seeing her meaningful look, he nodded firmly. "Princess Marry, I will definitely go."
Princess Marry smiled charmingly at Owen, exuding an indescribable allure. "Good, then I look forward to your performance. I'm sure you will bring glory to our Azure Kingdom and make a name for yourself on the continent!"
She praised him and then handed Owen a gold-embossed invitation, preparing to give another one to Madelyn.
Madelyn shook her head and said, "Thank you for the invitation, Your Highness, but I'm currently tied up with Eagle Guard training, so I won't be able to attend."
As Owen reached out to accept the invitation, he suddenly noticed a dark blue ring on Princess Marry's hand. Owen recognized it instantly.
It was a matching pair with the ring of John's mentor, Ymir, from the original story.
This ring was extraordinary!
Owen felt a bit restless. Should he copy this ring?
According to the original story, Princess Marry's current level wasn't particularly high, only Silver-tier level 6.
However, due to the secret methods of Luna Academy, her perception was exceptionally keen.
If he used the copy skill on her, she might notice.
But the opportunity to get so close to Princess Marry was rare!
After a brief hesitation, Owen decided to give it a try.
Absolute Copy!
Owen's eyes emitted faint, barely noticeable glimmers of light, focusing on her ring. In just a moment, the copy failed!
Owen's heart tensed.
Fortunately, Princess Marry didn't react and simply retracted her hand slowly.
Was he going to let such a golden opportunity slip by?
Owen was unwilling, so he gritted his teeth and decided to try copying a second time!
This time, to divert Princess Marry's attention, Owen took a step forward and gently held Princess Marry's hand.
Princess Marry's hand was soft, like white jade, smooth and warm. Just a simple touch sent a tingling sensation through Owen. Princess Marry blushed, surprised by Owen's sudden gesture, and didn't dare look him in the eyes.
Taking advantage of this moment, Owen used the copy skill again. This time, it was successful! Perhaps because Princess Marry's mind was flustered, the skill worked immediately. Owen felt a surge of joy.
Princess Marry feigned anger, retracting her hand, and asked, "What... what are you doing?"
Owen thought for a moment and said, "I just wanted to ask, during my duel with Tony, the explosion was quite loud. Did it affect the citizens?"
Princess Marry recalled for a moment and said, "Thank you for your concern for the people. The explosion happened high in the sky, so it didn't have much impact on the citizens."
After saying this, she gave a slight bow to Duke Charles, then covered her blushing face and hurriedly left.
As Princess Marry departed, a teasing laugh suddenly echoed through the hall.
Owen followed the sound and saw Leslie staring at him, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
She had seen everything Owen had done.
Owen's heart skipped a beat.
Did Leslie see him using the skill on Princess Marry?
Otherwise, why was she looking at him like that? If she had noticed, had she also pretended not to see when he tried to copy her necklace earlier?
While Owen's mind was racing with these thoughts, Leslie lightly patted his shoulder and added, "You truly live up to being the Duke's son-in-law!"
Seeing Leslie's demeanor, Duke Charles thought she was jealous!
After all, her fiancé being so intimate with another woman in front of her was something no one could tolerate!
The key point was that Princess Marry didn't seem to blame Owen; instead, she was blushing shyly.
This was completely unlike the proud Princess Marry's usual reaction.
This only solidified Duke Charles's belief that Princess Marry had fallen for Owen and was planning to poach him from the duke's residence!
So, Duke Charles cleared his throat twice and said, "Owen, you are Leslie's fiancé. How could you agree to such a thing so easily and even surprise her like that?"
He subtly hinted, hoping Owen would recognize his role as Leslie's fiancé.
Owen naturally understood Duke Charles's point and realized he had misunderstood.
However, Owen didn't explain anything; he just nodded, showing he had taken the advice to heart.
Seeing this, Duke Charles was satisfied and said, "Alright, alright. As long as you understand. I need to discuss the Eagle Guard with Madelyn. You two can talk among yourselves."