Orion observed the burnt sections of the stage and couldn't help but furrow his brows into a frown.
Merida turned and rose to her feet, her eyes filled with unbridled fury. Like Clan Mistress Elara, she too knew that this battle had been eagerly initiated by her sister. So, she forcibly restrained herself from lashing out at him and doing something she might regret, as he stood before her.
Meanwhile, as Orion faced the young woman on the other side of the stage, he let out a sigh, remembering that Princess Crystalia had introduced her as Merida Luminous, the eldest heir among the three Luminaris Clan Heiresses.
Seeing the same vengeful and furious gaze that he had witnessed in the eyes of the Gemheart Clan Mistress, and her right hand tightly clutching the sword strapped at the left side of her waist, he sensed trouble brewing.
As the healers arrived and began attending to Maya, Merida turned her head to the side to watch.
Then, with Maya being taken care of, she turned her attention back to Orion and finally spoke.
"Mr. Foreigner, do you not think you went too far in this battle?" Merida asked, her lips stretched into a forced smile that wavered slightly.
She was doing her utmost to suppress her anger and keep it from showing on her face.
Orion shook his head and replied, "Well, it isn't my fault. I warned her initially that I wasn't currently able to control my strength, and yet, she insisted."
He then shifted his gaze to Merida before looking down below the stage where Maya and Zephyrion were being treated. Afterwards, he refocused on Merida, saying, "And considering that she's soon-to-be mine, I don't think I would have gone that far if I knew it would end like this."
Merida's eyes immediately twitched upon hearing Orion's words. Without him explicitly stating it, she grasped the implications of his statement.
She bit her lip and thought, 'My sister will never marry you.'
Then, locking her gaze intently on Orion, she shook her head and said, "Sorry, but I don't think my sister will be getting married anytime soon."
"Oh," Orion said, raising his eyebrows as he observed the young woman's long silver-coloured crystal hair-like locs, which bore a striking resemblance to Maya's, although longer and fuller, cascading down her back. He also noted her deep green dress, featuring a daring slit at the front, revealing her well-toned thighs and matching deep green panties.
Orion took in her overall appearance before asking, "And why is that? It's quite clear that we both had an agreement, and she even made a vow to Naka himself that she would fulfil it, regardless of the outcome. So, I don't really understand what you're saying."
He paused, then frowned as he guessed what she might be implying. "Or are you suggesting that your sister won't keep her word, even after making a vow to Naka in front of everyone here today? Am I right?" he asked seriously.
Following Orion's words, the seats around them immediately erupted into whispers and murmurs.
"Is the Luminaris clan planning not to keep their word, even after their young second heiress made a vow in the name of Naka and in the presence of everyone here!" a young boy from the crowd murmured
"It certainly seems that way. Didn't you see how she was injured and taken off the stage? Given their power, I doubt anyone else could hold them accountable except for the royal family or one of the other four Major clans!" an older woman responded, a sigh of defeat escaping her lips.
"TCHH!! If the Luminaris clan fails to honour their word, it would seriously tarnish their reputation. This means they might be just as untrustworthy in their private dealings!" someone in the crowd muttered.
Merida felt her teeth grinding against each other the moment she heard more of Orion's words and caught snippets of the whispers and murmurs circulating through the seats around her.
Although her sister had been foolish to make such a promise, breaking it so openly in front of everyone at the banquet would be an even greater folly. It could ruin their reputation and position the Luminaris clan's young heiresses at the bottom of the hierarchy in terms of influence and support, hindering their path to the throne of the Prismerian Kingdom.
After all, no one would want an untrustworthy Empress or King as their ruler!
Understanding the predicament her sister had unknowingly placed them in, Merida calmed herself down and released her hand from the hilt of her sword.
"No, that wasn't what I meant," Merida said, shaking her head at Orion's words and choosing her words carefully. "The Luminaris Clan would never stoop to breaking their word, especially after sealing it with such a vow. So, there's no way I could prevent my sister from becoming the wife of a man like you, even if I wanted to."
Orion remained silent, uncertain if he was being insulted, but he waited to hear more.
"Instead," Merida continued, "what I am trying to say is that, in exchange for annulling the vow my sister has made and the agreement, I would like to propose another offer."
Orion couldn't help but think, 'I knew it,' as he sighed deeply, exhaustion evident on his face.
She continued, "One last fight, between the two of us. If you win, I will grant you five wishes, two more than what my sister offered. And compared to her, I am fully capable of fulfilling all those wishes to the best of my abilities. Of course, if I win, I demand that my sister's proposal be annulled, and in exchange, the number of wishes will be reduced back to three," she said, briefly pursing her lips together before continuing.
"I'm only offering these conditions because of my sister's current condition. I'm not sure how the Luminaris clan itself would react to the news of their second heiress becoming the wife of the man who brutally defeated her..." She took a deep breath and went on, "I'm presenting this offer because I'm confident the news would be received poorly. If you are willing and ready to accept, I can take her place. This would also help avoid thrusting you into a much greater conflict, in case the other Major clans decide to interfere and use it to their advantage."
