"What? I thought she was dead," one student muttered.

"Have you heard? The prince ditched her for another woman," another chimed in.

"What a disgrace. Why is she even here?" The whispers and murmurs spread as Maria and Elaina entered the Academy's grounds. Despite the hostile atmosphere, the pair paid no mind to the surrounding gossip.

However, they didn't make it far before several male students blocked their path. Amidst the murmurs of gossip and the hushed whispers of his name, an imposing figure known only as "prince Carlos" made his entrance, exuding a commanding aura of authority and entitlement. His regal attire, marked by a distinctive golden signet ring, hinted at opulence, and his followers, one astute and the other brawny, trailed obediently, mirroring his air of confidence and arrogance.

"Hand it over," he demanded.

Maria raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. "Hand what over?"

Carlos' lips curled into a condescending smile. "The marriage termination contract with your seal, of course. Surely, you know that our relationship is over?"

Elaina stepped up and bowed before the prince. "Sir, I apologize for being rude, but our mistress has just awakened from a coma. Could you settle this matter another day?"

Carlos laughed mockingly. "Are you sure she wasn't faking her illness to escape reality?"

Elaina tried to defend her master, but she was silenced when Maria gripped her arm.

"You mean this?" Maria revealed a scroll, drawing everyone's attention to her slender arm.

Carlos was taken aback, and before he could grab it, Maria moved it out of his reach.

"I would hand it to you, but for our long year of relationship to end this way...No, I can’t accept it” Maria shook her head vigorously then lifted it up as if thinking of something “unless…”

Carlos unknowingly takes up the feeling of suspense “Unless… what?”

"Unless you can prove that your reason… your love for “her” is true… by defeating me in a duel. If you win, I will acknowledge it and give you the signed marriage termination contract.”

"And if I lose?" Carlos inquired.

"Then we will take it as you having “puberty” moment and forget about what you said to me. Additionally, as an apology, you will give me that ring you wear on your finger" Maria said, pointing to the golden ring on the prince's finger.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Carlos was incredulous. "Ridiculous! Do you know the value of this ring compared to that measly piece of paper?"

Maria responded calmly, "Well, it seems that material wealth outweighs your love's worth. Forget what I just said then." Maria turned to leave, but Carlos stopped her.

"WAIT!" Carlos shouted. "Fine, but I'll be deciding the rules of the duel."

Maria cut him off. "I'm sorry, but weren’t you the one who approached me and demanded this ‘measly piece of paper’?"

After a brief moment of awkwardness, the prince finally agreed. "Very well, what kind of duel do you propose?"

Maria silently let out a sigh of relief and said "Since our marriage was arranged based on tradition, let's resolve this through one of the traditional Academy battle rule sets: Turtle and Dragon."

Carlos was taken aback. "You don't mean..."

Maria nodded and gave Carlos a teasing look "Yes, a rule set that we often joke about as “Wife vs Husband” duel. Most fitting isn’t it?"

Carlos hesitated but eventually agreed. "Then, would you mind if I take a look at the contents of the ring with my eyes, Prince Carlos?"

Carlos reluctantly revealed the ring's contents using a holographic display. It showed a room full of gold.

Maria nodded in satisfaction. "We'll give both items to the Spectral Brigade. They'll act as our referees and oversee the match. Is that fair to you?"

The prince agreed. The Spectral Brigade, or SB for short, was the Academy's staff member under the direct command of the pope. With them overseeing the affair, Maria will not be able to go back on her word again if he won. As she left the scene, Carlos shouted, "WAIT! We haven't decided who will be the Turtle and who will be the Dragon yet."

Maria replied casually, "Rather than depending on a coin toss, I will let you have your pick. Well, see you on Battleground No. 7 at noon."

With those words, Maria and Elaina left Carlos and his followers behind.

Looking at Maria’s figure slowly disappear into the distance, Prince Carlos ponders for a while. then together with his followers, he brushed off the sleeves and departed, leaving other students who were watching the exchange in excitement.

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At a remote location near the mountain within the Academy, Elaina couldn't help but feel puzzled by her master's actions. However, she restrained her curiosity and obeyed her master's orders when instructed to dig up the ground.

“BOOM” With an explosion, Elaina easily made a hole in the ground. Elaina turned around to look at her master, waiting to hear if this was enough or if she should make it deeper.

“I told you to dig, not destroy the ground” Maria reprimanded her maid while frantically examining the hole.

With a sigh of relief, Maria retrieved a metal chest with strange symbols engraved all over it. After checking the content, she gave it to Elaina and happily headed back to the Academy.