63.

In the carriage heading towards Denver Street, Norma listened to Ektra recounting the scandal involving Aisa McFoy and felt an unbearable rage. At the same time, he felt ashamed of himself and bowed his head.

‘It seems she always sees me at my worst.’

While he was immersed in the emotions of his first love, she was enduring such humiliation. The days he woke up with a joyful heart and a fluttering chest now felt shameful.

When he heard that the fortunate man occupying the position of the McFoy family’s consort had a mistress and that they were using rumors as an excuse to demand a breakup, his vision went white.

Norma Diazi had no idea. He had been isolated from the outside world due to Milan and Nicholas shielding him after his return from near death. The family’s tradition of not mentioning vulgar and sensational rumors had also played a significant role.

Even so, it was unbelievable that he had been unaware until now.

Ektra’s calm voice made it seem as if such events were common for her, which made him feel even worse. When he visited McFoy with an excited heart, Aisa had shown no sign of distress.

He recalled the day he lost control and caused a commotion in the inn’s dining room, and how she had shouted at him in the dark forest that such rumors and mockery were nothing to her.

Norma, born with divine power and sword energy, had always lived cautiously, wary of his own strength. He had mastered restraint, but the rising anger was now difficult to contain.

“My Lord intends to see this through to the end tonight.”

Of course, Ektra didn’t divulge the specifics of McFoy’s purpose, the content of the vow made with the fiancé, or details about the mistress. Although she was pushing Norma towards the lord, he was still an outsider.

Ektra merely mentioned that Lord McFoy would attend Lady Tibey’s masquerade ball tonight, and that Philip Morfolk and his mistress would be there.

Even after twelve years of sleep, Norma knew that a masquerade ball in the central region was a decadent pastime.

Why would Lady Aisa go to such a place personally? With his noble mind, it was difficult for him to grasp her intentions.

“Lady Tibey’s masquerade ball is one of the most sensuous parties among masquerades. In fact, to put it nicely, it’s sensuous; in reality, it’s a gathering of perverts.”

Perverts. Norma’s face darkened rapidly.

“Of course, Sir Diazi wouldn’t have any connection to such places.”

Ektra looked at Norma with a meaningful glint in her eyes.

“If someone like you could escort our Lord, it would ease this old woman’s mind. Many lowlifes tend to get tangled up with our Lord.”

Thinking to herself, she added silently, especially scum like Nyx.

Norma had just quit being a knight. However, the High Priest was currently at the Holy Land dealing with the sealing of Nyx, so his retirement hadn’t been processed yet.

‘So, I’m still a knight.’

Having thought that far, Norma responded immediately.

“If I can be of help to Lord McFoy, I would be honored.”

With Ektra’s assistance, Norma entered Lady Tibey’s mansion at the peak of the masquerade ball’s festivities.

The hall, darkened for the start of the play, had all eyes on the makeshift stage, with guests in colorful masks. This allowed Norma, despite his conspicuous appearance, to avoid attracting much attention.

“Sir Diazi, your appearance is not something that can be easily hidden with a mask, but entering after the play has begun should keep the attention away from you.”

Just as Ektra had said, and indeed, the masquerade ball was as chaotic as she had described.

Masked men and women were mingling, kissing, and groping each other indiscriminately. The heavy scent of intoxicating perfume and the slow, seductive music seemed to make everyone loosen their muscles.

Navigating through the sticky, dim hall, Norma easily found Aisa.

Finding her was easier for Norma than breathing. Despite her petite stature, she always stood out to him. Perhaps it was because of his keen senses as a swordsman, but Norma firmly believed it was the power of love.

He wanted to rush to her side as if they had been separated for a thousand years, but Norma kept his composure. He was here to discreetly guard her from perverts, not to appear as one himself.

When he settled in a spot with a clear view of Aisa, the play was in full swing. The actor playing the fiancé was confessing to his affair with the actress playing the mistress.

Under his mask, Norma’s face hardened with anger. He had wondered how the McFoy intended to expose Philip Morfolk and his mistress at this masquerade, but now he understood the plan.

Simultaneously, his usually calm demeanor turned ferocious. Though he knew the people on the stage were actors, he couldn’t help but feel murderous towards them.

The bodyguards of various nobles, stationed throughout the hall, were startled by the sudden surge of killing intent. They wondered if an assassin was present but couldn’t move hastily due to the crowd.

“Our Lord dislikes relying on external help. She prefers to handle everything with the strength of the McFoy family.”

Norma remembered the advice of Lady Stang, who had seen him off at the back door of Lady Tibey’s mansion.

“When the McFoy family was in decline, everyone turned a blind eye. That’s why she particularly dislikes outsiders interfering with the removal of McFoy’s enemies.”

Ektra had emphasized this once more.

“So, whatever you see, you must endure it. Everything happening here tonight is by the Lord’s design.”

Recalling Ektra’s words, Norma looked down at the man trembling beside her and forced himself to calm down.

‘This is not my time to intervene. I cannot ruin her plans.’

Before his long sleep, Norma had been the epitome of patience, restraint, and asceticism in the empire. True to his title, he endured well until the end of the play.

But when Philip Morfolk started talking about her purity with that small mouth of his after the first act, Norma’s thick nerves snapped in an instant.

‘The symbol of patience, restraint, and asceticism, Sir Norma Diazi’ was now a thing of the past. Blinded with rage, he moved on instinct.

Norma wasn’t one of the pre-approved bodyguards, so he didn’t have a sword. He grabbed a sword from a bodyguard’s waist nearby. The guard didn’t even have time to blink.

Clang—

The chilling sound of metal against metal pierced the air, and the guests screamed, backing away from the man who had drawn the sword.

In an instant, Norma Diazi had the blade against Philip Morfolk’s neck. He then threw off his mask, revealing his face while keeping the sword steady on Philip.

Crash—

The sound of the expensive mask shattering echoed, revealing his stunning face. Everyone gasped at his celestial beauty, and admiring exclamations filled the room.

From my vantage point, I couldn’t close my gaping mouth. The man before me was unmistakably Norma Diazi. There was no other face like his with that silver hair in the empire.

My brows furrowed automatically. The fresh-faced, handsome Norma Diazi was entirely out of place at this sordid masquerade.

And there he was, looking like he was ready to kill someone. He truly resembled Nicholas Diazi in moments like these.

People, realizing he wasn’t an immediate threat, stopped retreating. They began craning their necks to get a better look at his face.

It wasn’t often one could see the face of a Diazi, but even so, staring so blatantly felt wrong.

My left eyebrow rose sharply. I was annoyed at people gawking at Norma when I was already frustrated by his unexpected interference.

…Yes, that must be it.

Norma seemed furious yet composed, not as unhinged as I feared he might be after the incident at the inn.

Seeing his rage and hurt, my brow furrowed deeper. Anyone would think he was the one who had been gravely insulted.

Maybe it was because he always greeted people with a gentle smile, but seeing his anger was unexpected.

A beautiful man making such a wounded face while requesting a duel to the death made the accused look like a heinous villain, a criminal, a great traitor.

A wounded beauty’s face had that kind of effect. Even if Philip were innocent, he was now guilty. Making a beauty’s face cloud over was crime enough.

The crowd froze at his beauty, and their hearts burned with his sadness and rage.

I, too, found myself disoriented by the unexpected turn of events and the sheer allure of Norma Diazi’s appearance. I clenched my fist at his wounded face. Dark colors suited his bright, fair skin remarkably well.

“Duke McFoy saved me from Tartaros. She gave me a second life, so my remaining life belongs to her.”

Ladies, witnessing a scene straight out of romantic literature, exclaimed in excitement.

“To tarnish her honor is to tarnish mine.”

Philip, whether he soiled himself or not, whether the ladies cheered or not, Norma continued resolutely.

“If you have any honor, rise and face me.”

A duel.

In this grand empire, a ‘duel to the death’ referred to a jousting duel. Nobles would ride at full speed, aiming to end it with a single, decisive blow. It was a reflection of the culture of nobility, where honor and reputation meant life and death.

Given the high risk of severe injury or death, actual jousting duels had become rare over the long history of the empire.

Naturally, duels to the death mostly appeared in literature enjoyed by noblewomen. The ladies were thrilled by this real-life version of what they had only read about in books or seen in plays.

“Oh my, a duel! A duel for a noble lady!”

One woman, quite drunk, shouted excitedly, only to be rebuked by another.

“Duke McFoy isn’t a ‘noble lady,’ is she? She’s noble, but she’s not virgin.”

“Still! Isn’t it romantic?”

“A handsome knight standing up for a lady’s honor, no novel could top this.”

“Never thought I’d witness such a scene in my lifetime.”

While the ladies chattered about the romance, Philip was in a complete panic.