Sorry, I got distracted by your looks

On a hill just past the northern border of the Harlan Empire, a carriage from the Pritan Kingdom stood waiting, accompanied by six members of the elite knight order.

By schedule, they should have been speeding toward the Uzcal Marquisate.

However, after receiving a message that Mikrok himself was personally riding ahead with his bride-to-be, they decided to wait instead of crossing the border.

A red-haired knight was surveying the border through a spyglass when another knight—identical in appearance—approached him.

“Ralph, they’re still far off. It’ll be at least an hour before they get here.”

“You clearly don’t know Mikrok and Captain William’s riding skills. They’ll be here in twenty minutes.”

“Idiot, they’re not alone! They’ve got the future queen and a maid with them.”

“Freddy Tholon, is that any way to speak to the vice-captain of the Special Knights?”

“What? You little punk, you dare talk down to your older brother?”

The infamous twin knights of the Pritan Kingdom, Freddy and Ralph Tholon, were among the most elite warriors in the realm.

Their appearances were so identical that even their fellow knights had trouble distinguishing them, but their personalities couldn’t have been more different.

Freddy, the elder, was a man of action—strong in combat but impulsive. Ralph, on the other hand, was calculating and composed.

While Freddy was superior in swordsmanship and horseback riding, Ralph’s tactical skills and leadership had led to his faster rise through the ranks. Not that Freddy minded—except for moments like this, when Ralph used his rank to act superior.

As Ralph continued to watch the border, a small smirk formed on his lips.

“They’re here. Told you so.”

At his signal, the resting knights quickly prepared to receive their king.

Moments later, Mikrok and William arrived on horseback. Each had a woman seated in front of them.

“Glory to His Highness, Mikrok of Pritan!”

All six knights dropped to one knee in unison.

Mikrok and William dismounted effortlessly.

Good work.”

“It’s no trouble, Your Highness. Escorting the future queen is an honor! We even drew straws over who would get to come—”

Freddy’s rambling was cut short as Ralph elbowed him in the ribs. A clear shut up signal.

Freddy shot his brother a glare before sneaking a glance over Mikrok’s shoulder.

In fact, all the knights were stealing covert looks at Leah, who was still seated on Mikrok’s horse.

The curiosity was driving them mad.

Mikrok, fully aware of their thoughts, chuckled to himself.

Helping Leah down from the horse, he introduced his men.

“These are the Pritan Kingdom’s finest warriors. This is Vice-Captain Ralph Tholon, and the one who looks just like him is his twin, Freddy Tholon. They’ll be in charge of your protection during the journey, so be sure to remember their faces.”

Leah smiled warmly. “Thank you for coming all this way for me.”

At her kind words, the twins beamed.

It was already a joy that their king was getting married, but to such a beautiful and gentle queen-to-be? Unbelievable!

The other knights looked just as thrilled. Seeing their expressions, William sighed in exasperation.

“You fools, snap out of it! You’re the feared ‘Butchers of the Battlefield,’ yet you look like lovesick puppies. What if the enemy sees this?”

“The enemy won’t see it,” Freddy declared confidently. “Because I’ll cut them down before they do.”

His dead-serious response made William groan.

Meanwhile, Ralph opened the carriage door for Leah.

“Please, Your Grace. We will escort you safely to Pritan Castle.”

With Mikrok’s assistance, Leah stepped inside. Freddy quickly took Millie’s luggage from her hands.

“Thank you. The knights of Pritan are so kind.”

Unlike someone I know. Millie swallowed the last part of her sentence and flashed a sweet smile.

Freddy, oblivious, grinned back.

William then addressed the group.

“We ride at full speed. Until we reach Pritan Castle, we guard the future queen with our lives. Understood?”

With sharp, disciplined responses, the knights mounted their horses and prepared to move.

“See you at the castle.”

Mikrok turned to Leah, who was peeking out of the carriage window.

Before she could even reply, he disappeared—vanishing at a terrifying speed, William close behind.

Leah blinked. “Wait… They’re not coming with us?”

Mouth agape, she stared after them.

***

Racing after Mikrok, William had a hard time believing this was the same “Bloodthirsty Demon” of the battlefield.

That morning, after Leah had wrapped herself in a blanket by the fire, Mikrok had made an unexpected announcement.

“Once we meet the royal carriage, you and I will ride ahead to Pritan Castle.”

“What?!” William frowned.

For nearly two weeks, he’d been following Mikrok nonstop. He had been looking forward to a slower pace once they reached the carriage—but now, they were speeding up again?!

“Your Majesty, I understand your need to oversee everything personally, but trust your men! The preparations for your campaign will be flawless.”

Mikrok gave him an odd look.

“Of course they will be. I already ensured that before we left.”

“Then why are we rushing back?”

“I need to open Royal Storage Room No. 3.”

William blinked in confusion.

Storage Room No. 3 contained enchanted heating stones, which were highly valued in Pritan’s frigid climate.

“Why…?”

“Leah has only ever lived in the temperate Harlan Empire. How do you think she’ll survive Pritan’s cold? At the very least, I need to line her chambers with extra heating stones.”

William’s jaw dropped.

Mikrok continued as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

“Had I known this would happen, I would’ve looted more heating stones during our last campaign.”

“We raided two entire mines last time.”

“And left one untouched.” Mikrok scowled. “What a mistake.”

William was speechless.

“So… You’re saying this is all because she was cold this morning?”

“She was huddling under a blanket in this mild weather. What do you think will happen when she reaches Pritan? She’ll freeze to death.”

At that moment, William realized something.

Mikrok, the infamous “Demon King,” was absolutely, hopelessly in love.

And worse, he had no idea just how far gone he was.

****

Slightly exaggerating, the royal carriage was probably even more spacious than the room I had stayed in at the marquisate.

Drawn by twelve horses, it moved at an impressive pace, yet the interior was so stable that I occasionally forgot we were traveling at such high speed.

The cabin was spacious enough to accommodate at least ten adults comfortably. Even more astonishingly, the seats could be adjusted—pulling the base forward and reclining the backrest transformed them into makeshift beds.

Leah, marveling at the craftsmanship, couldn’t help but comment, “This carriage is amazing. Twelve horses are pulling it, and yet, there’s almost no shaking at all.”

Millie, however, was preoccupied with something else.

“Forget the carriage, lady Leah. The knights are what’s really amazing.”

“Huh?”

Curious, Millie peeked out the window.

The six knights escorting the carriage were moving in perfect coordination—some riding ahead, others guarding the flanks, and a few alternating between positions.