Lyssara Veinflare instantly regretted walking over to them.

She had only wanted to see what the Demon King and Jexy were whispering about,  

but the moment she stepped closer, fate decided to turn her curiosity into a disaster.

For half a year, Lyssara had been forced to work beside that infuriating man—  

the most notorious spender, the laziest strategist, the heir who could sleep through a war.  

And yet, somewhere along the way, she realized she *did* like him… a little.  

But she also hated how useless he looked most of the time.  

What she loved was the Jexy on the battlefield—  

commanding, fearless, and magnificent in the flames.  

What she couldn’t stand was the Jexy off the field—  

the one who spent half his day drinking and the other half avoiding work.

So when the Demon King suddenly joked about marriage,  

the words slipped out of her mouth before her brain could stop them.

> “If you want me to marry him, he has to defeat me.”

The entire hall went silent.

And then Dalph Bakian exploded into laughter.

“HAHAHAHA! See, boy? The girl likes you! She’s even given you an *easy* test!”  

Jexy’s jaw dropped. “Easy? EASY?! You want me to *hit* her?!”  

“Bah! A little duel never killed anyone!” Dalph bellowed.  

Before Jexy could argue, the old demon grabbed both of them by the shoulders and *dragged* them toward the training arena.

“Hey—wait—old man! You can’t just—”  

“I can, and I did! Move faster, boy! The wedding depends on this!”  

The training yard was full of Emberlight guild members mid-practice.  

Then the Demon King appeared, pulling their commander and the guild’s heir into the ring.

Every soldier froze.

“Uh… is this real?”  

“I thought we were training, not watching an engagement ritual.”  

“Who’s taking bets?”  

“I’m betting on the boss lady!”  

“I’m betting the young master runs away again!”

Dalph raised one eyebrow, and the crowd instantly dispersed like smoke.  

The entire yard fell silent.

Lyssara’s face burned—not from her flames, but from embarrassment.  

She looked at Jexy, then at the Demon King, and finally said softly:  

“Come on then.”

Jexy stared at her. “…Come on *what*? You’re serious?”  

Before he could finish, her entire body ignited.  

Flames wrapped around her limbs, wings of fire forming behind her back.  

She dashed forward in a streak of red light.  

Jexy jumped aside, heat scraping his cheek.  

“She’s really doing this?!”  

He could easily counter her. One flick of magic, and the duel would end in seconds.  

But this wasn’t an enemy—it was Lyssara.  

If he won, that meant marrying her.  

If he lost, his pride was dead.  

So he did the only thing that made sense:  

he *dodged*.

Up above, Dalph Bakian cackled like a madman.  

“Boy! Just push her down gently! Don’t let my granddaughter-in-law tire herself out!”  

Jexy’s face darkened. “You old demon! You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?!”  

“Of course! I haven’t seen a romantic duel in centuries!”  

Lyssara’s flames surged brighter.  

Each time Jexy evaded her strike, her chest burned hotter—not just from magic, but from anger.

*So he doesn’t even want to fight me?*  

*Is he avoiding this because he doesn’t want to marry me?*  

*Or is he planning to lose on purpose just to escape it?*

Her emotions spun like a storm.  

And when a Veinflare’s emotions rise, so does their power.

That was the curse of her bloodline—  

the stronger their feelings, the more unstable their flames.  

It was why the Veinflaires could never become a great noble house:  

too ruled by heart, too wild to control.

But right now, she didn’t care.  

Her magic flared to its peak, scorching the very air.  

Jexy wiped sweat from his forehead. “Oh, for—she’s actually trying to kill me!”  

“Then fight back!” Dalph shouted gleefully. “Give her a little love tap! Make it romantic!”  

“ROMANTIC?! Grandpa, she’s shooting fireballs at me!”  

Lyssara’s aura exploded, a crimson inferno spiraling upward.  

The air rippled like molten glass.  

Her eyes blazed with golden fury.

“Enough dodging, Jexy Bakian!” she shouted.  

“If you won’t fight me, then I’ll make you take this seriously!”

Jexy sighed, staring into the storm of her fire.  

“Great… she’s mad *and* on fire. My favorite combination.”  

He rolled his shoulders, readying himself at last.  

“Fine, fine. But don’t blame me if I win by accident.”  

The air around him began to hum.  

Magic gathered—quiet, dense, invisible.  

Even the flames seemed to hesitate.

Dalph grinned ear to ear.  

“Oh-ho! Here we go!”

The guild members peeked nervously from behind walls and pillars.  

The Demon King floated higher for a better view.  

And in the center of the burning yard,  

the heir of Bakian and the daughter of flame faced each other—  

half duel, half proposal,  

and entirely chaos.