Batholem cast a wry grin at Aurianna's impressive pile of game. "Looks like you're the victor in this hunting contest, Aurianna," he remarked, eyeing her spoils and the meager catches in others' hands.

Aurianna, feigning innocence, replied with a smug expression, "Oh, did I?"

Batholem acknowledged her success, despite her less-than-humble demeanor. "Well, you did manage to outshine everyone in the prey-catching department," he admitted.

Giggling, Aurianna chimed in, "Of course, chi, chi!"

Peter couldn't help but interject, "Well, I'd be happy too if I were the winner."

But Peter wasn't quite pleased with the outcome. He protested, pointing at Aurianna, "But it's not fair! She's stronger than all of us, and she still participated. Unfair treatment!"

Aurianna, unapologetic, retorted, "Then get stronger yourself!"

Frustrated, Peter lamented, "You don't understand, you're a genius!"

‘I wish I was. I spent years training in the training grounds. But Carol and Eva’s training has brought me far. I really hated the dying part though,’ Aurianna nervously thought with a crooked smile.

Offering some encouraging words, Aurianna approached Peter and patted him on the back, saying, "Well, hard work can take you far."

With a slightly dumbfounded expression, Peter replied, "If you say so."

Aurianna, raising her voice, yelled, "I'm trying to be nice here!"

"Since when did you two get close, if I may ask?" King Girsal politely inquired of Batholem, glancing at Aurianna.

Batholem explained, "We met today, and we just clicked and became friends."

Aurianna proudly declared, "But I'm obviously the leader!"

The boys questioned, "Since when?"

With a mischievous laugh, Aurianna claimed, "I'm the cutest and strongest, so I deserve to be the leader! Chi, chi, chi, la, la, la!"

Batholem playfully pointed out, "You couldn't even figure out how the phone worked, and I had to explain it to you."

“Youu….” Aurianna seethed, glaring at Batholem with a a slightly embarrassed expression.

Peter chimed in, "The princess is right. We became friends, but she's not the leader. Since when did friend groups have leaders?" He asked with a slightly confused expression.

"Well, I'm glad you all came here today to celebrate my daughter Aurianna's birthday. Please eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves!" King Girsal announced, attempting to diffuse the uncomfortable atmosphere.

The crowd cheered, and the servants skillfully prepared and served the prey. Aurianna, Zagan, and Peter watched the chef who cooked their prey with anticipation, their plates ready. With skilled precision, the chef skinned and seasoned their meat. The chef's culinary skills left them drooling at the smell of the food. After a few minutes of using a magic fire to grill the meat, it was ready. The chef presented the pile of cooked meat and continued to cook the rest.

Aurianna and Peter wasted no time using their forks to pick up substantial portions of hot meat and gulped it down. Aurianna eyed Peter as she served Zagan a large portion of food on his plate next to her. Peter's cheeks stuffed with meat, and seeing most of the meat disappear so quickly Aurianna continued eating and increased her speed.

'Why are they eating like it's a competition?’ Batholem wondered as he neatly consumed small portions and wiped his mouth with a cloth. ‘Such gluttons!’ he snorted, taking a sip of his drink. Behind him stood eight knights in white armor, bearing an insignia of two humans holding up a pillar, the same one on Batholem's clothes.

A man in luxurious attire approached Aurianna with a polite smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, princess. Are you looking for suitors? I'd love to introduce you to my son." Upon noticing sauce on her cheeks his expression changed to a slight frown.

‘Aurianna, don't say anything stupid,’ King Girsal thought, giving her an intense stare from his seat, and the royalty beside him couldn't help but notice those eyes.

Aurianna, cheekily wiping sauce from her face with a cloth and retorted, "No way. I rejected Batholem and Peter; what more of your son?" She sneered before returning to her meal.

Lauren, frustrated and tired of Aurianna's disrespectful behavior, banged her hand on the table “Aurianna, how dare you? I've had enough of your behavior!” Her voice boomed as she glared at Aurianna.

Unfazed, Aurianna wiped her mouth again and defiantly declared, "Enough of telling me who I should choose. I don't care about these little brats! All of you should go home because I have no interest in getting engaged!”

“Aurianna!!” King Girsal rose from his seat and Aurianna felt a sudden pressure upon her.

In an attempt to diffuse the tension, King Girsal, his face adorned with a smile, addressed the gathered royalty — Kings, Queen, princes, and Dukes — both at the lengthy central table and those seated elsewhere. “Forgive my daughter's behavior, she's quite a rebellious and naive girl.”

The perturbed King, who was still recovering from his interaction with Aurianna, directed his fury at King Girsal and demanded. “Your Majesty, how can your daughter be so rude?!”

“She's just a complicated child,” King Girsal replied.

Aurianna, arms crossed and sporting a serious expression, interjected, "What's complicated about expressing my views and preferences on this? I have no intention of becoming engaged to any of these little boys. If any can best me in a fight, I might consider these worthless little imps. Forget that proposal even—I don't fancy kids; I prefer older men!”

Inwardly, Aurianna huffed, noting the reactions around the camp and noticed the uncomfortable looks and their faces and she was satisfied. ‘Look at them all looking down; serves them right!’

A furious Duke slammed her hand on the table, glaring at King Girsal. "Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?"

Aurianna intervened, asserting, "Don't look at my father; look at me! It's my life, so I make my decisions!"

Momo, with a dumbfounded expression, pointed out, "But you're just 10."

"So?" Aurianna raised an eyebrow. "Let me make this clear—your kids are all ugly. None can even rival Batholem and Peter in looks, power and strength, yet you dare propose to me. Scram!" Her words further fueled the ire of the adults.

King Girsal shouted, causing the ground to tremble a bit, "Aurianna!"

"I, Aurianna Vanluad, deserve only the best of the best. You're all nothing but brats who rely on your parents!" Aurianna continued, ignoring King Girsal's warnings.

A prince with a raised eyebrow asked, "Aren't you the same?"

"Just so you know, I'm different because I made my own money in the war!" Aurianna proudly declared.

"How much?" Iona asked with interest.

"Not gonna say, but it proves that I won't be engaged to someone so mediocre, who isn't even stronger than me or older than 20!" Aurianna declared, making everyone uncomfortable, while Peter and Zorian tried their best to hold back their laughter.

With a thoughtful nod, Aurianna mused, 'Hehehe, this excuse is sure to drive all these 50 princes off and hurt their prides.'

"You're right; I may be mediocre, but I'll come back one day and show you my new self and prove myself to you!" one prince declared furiously, surprising Aurianna.

Another prince chimed in, admitting, "I may be a prince, but I can't even hunt properly! If I can't hunt at my age, how can I protect my kingdom? How could I think I had a chance with a princess who fought an Arc Human and survived?”

Batholem, observing Aurianna's slight frustration, remarked with a cold smile, "I guess she didn't expect their reactions.”

Attempting to defend their honor, another prince stepped forward, saying, "Princess, I think you're too quick to judge us princes. We have years ahead of us to improve!"

"I'm still not interested in little kids. I like older muscle men!" Aurianna declared with fervor making the princes feel like they were turned into stone, hearing her words.

"Huh?" Most of them blurted out in confusion.

Queen Amber asked with teary eyes, "Why is she saying such things? Who did she learn that from?!" She cried even more.

"Aurianna, be quiet at once!" King Girsal demanded with a cold tone, but Aurianna stood her ground.

"No, I won't! This is my damn engagement. I'm not getting engaged to some scrawny kid! I'm not even interested in marriage. I'm only ten! Let me live my childhood," Aurianna yelled furiously at King Girsal, who stood before her with green eyes, coldly stating, "Aurianna, you're clearly a child; you don't understand what you're saying.”

“I fully understand what I mean. I don't want to get married and be someone's wife. This was supposed to be my birthday, but I don't know which one of you wished me a happy birthday, despite hearing it was my damn birthday. This was just a plot to get me engaged. Why the fuck would want to be engaged when I want to be someone in high power?! How would I achieve that if I'm engaged and going to get married?” Aurianna asked with a crazed expression.

“And I heard I have the qualifications to be crown princess, chi, chi, chi,” Aurianna laughed mischievously and all the concubines looked nervous.

“So why would I give that up?” Aurianna asked coldly.

“You…” King Girsal seethed and Aurianna grinned.

‘Greedy old man, you don't want to give your throne to any of your children,’ Aurianna thought as he looked at King Girsal.

“Maybe the princess is mental,” a prince concluded.

“She has a thing for older men? Isn't that, like, against the law or something?" another prince questioned, looking perplexed.

"Should I call my big brother?" pondered another.

“Call what big brothers?” Aurianna shouted as she could hear their conversations.

‘Go away. I was rude just now, stop giving me hopeful eyes,’ Aurianna thought as her brows creased and her eyes met the hopeful gazes of the princes and their guardians.

"Aurianna Vanluad! I, Robert Neffert of the Saiban Kingdom, will return in six years and challenge you to a duel. If you think you can trample on my princely pride, you've got another thing coming! I won't sit idly and let myself be insulted. Sure, I may be average now, but like the others said, there's still time to grow!" declared a fiery young fair teenage boy, his peach-colored eyes ablaze. He sported baggy shorts, a snug black top, and a scarf wrapped around his head.

“Well good luck because you don't even pass in terms of muscle structure,” Aurianna scoffed as she eyed him causing his face to turn red embarrassment and rage.

“Also, I'm starving!" Aurianna whined, patting her stomach.

"How does she eat so much and still be hungry?!" Batholem cried inwardly.

"The princess isn't interested on getting engaged?" murmurs spread through the crowd, disappointment and frowns etched on most faces.

"But she's got a point. We don't own anything, and yet we're trying to propose to a girl. I honestly feel pretty useless," a prince nervously admitted, scratching his head.