Marilyn was still half-conscious and didn't even recognize who had saved her.
Dorothea glanced at Marylin being supported and sitting down nearby, then quickly turned her head. The moment Dorothea's pitiful gaze passed over Marylin, her face turned pale.
While Marilyn was curled up as much as possible and was receiving pity from the people, the Emperor, who had been watching the situation being resolved, stood up.
“What bad luck the prey came here. It should have caught the eye of the children searching the forest. Call a therapist so Young Lady can change into new clothes and get some rest.”
The servants nearby quickly dispersed at the sound of his kind voice.
The Emperor, who was staring at the handsome knight, spoke slowly.
“You deserve an award for your contribution in overcoming what could have been a major accident without incident.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Freed quickly knelt down on the spot, bowed his head, and spoke softly.
“I am Freed, who serves Lady Highclere, albeit in a humble manner, Your Majesty. While patrolling the area under her orders, I was fortunate enough to be in a position to deal with the boar.”
The expression of the captain of the royal guard who was guarding the Emperor's side softened slightly.
Especially from the perspective of the captain of the royal guard who was responsible for the safety of the imperial family, the accident that had just happened must have been quite dizzying.
All casualties that occur here are his responsibility as he is in charge of safety and security.
If Freed had flaunted his 'ball' to the fullest, it would have been like slapping the captain of the guard who had put Marilyn Lehr in danger.
The knight was handling the issue gently and with a humble attitude.
“Highclere Young Lady... I see.”
The Emperor slowly turned his head and looked at Dorothea.
The 1st Princess, who was sitting quietly next to him, quickly placed her hand on her father's arm.
The Emperor smiled faintly at the charming behavior of his eldest daughter, who had been away from the palace for a while after her marriage.
The Princess opened her mouth with a smiling face.
“Apart from the prize, that game was caught by the Marquis’s knight. What should we do with it? Who should it belong to?”
The wild boar that Freed caught boasted an unrivaled size and majesty among game animals.
Although the leather was useless, it was still a great display of bravery for its captor.
Unusual parts such as the fangs and shin bones could also be sold for high prices.
So, no matter whose prey it is, it will be a big score for those who attended the competition.
Dorothea responded with a small nod to the Princess, who gave her a friendly smile.
'Thank you for taking care of it.'
Even if she is now a step away from the social world, the fact that the Princess is of royal blood does not disappear.
Her attitude of trying to curry favor in advance with small favors was natural and skillful.
“Then I would like you to add that boar to the girl’s father’s share. As you know, not only my cousin but also my father is participating in the hunt today.”
At her words, the nobles' eyes turned to the pile of hunting items that had been piled up by a man from the lower class who had once upset the Marquis.
'Suddenly...'
Although it may not be a particularly impressive feat, it was a pretty good result.
The condition of the hunted animals, which seemed to have died instantly, was also very clean.
Considering that many nobles participate in hunting competitions and return without much to gain, Ben Everly is doing very well for his first time.
'I heard you came from a merchant background.'
There was an instant change in the gaze of the nobles.
When his skills were revealed to be better than expected, it became embarrassing for those who had predicted and ridiculed his results.
Dorothea felt the looks of contempt and disgust slowly subside.
Some people still looked away as if they were uncomfortable, but at least it was an opportunity to change their perception of Ben Everly.
'That's wise.'
The Emperor smiled as he looked at Dorothea, who had instantly changed her father's evaluation in a positive direction.
It was certainly a clever move, using her own power to elevate her father.
“Your heart is truly wonderful in caring for your father.”
It was the moment when the Emperor raised his hand to grant Dorothea's request.
The 3rd Prince, who had just put down a pile of the game he had hunted, looked at Dorothea and snorted.
“You have to give the game to Luke. That knight who follows the Marquis like a shadow was a gift from Luke.”
“...!”
The nobles who had been looking at their daughter taking care of her father with warm affection were stirred.
That handsome knight, who was thought to be the lady's bodyguard, was given as a gift by the 7th Prince himself?
Dorothea admitted neatly, receiving strange looks from the people she met with.
“Yes, Lord Freed is definitely a highly skilled escort sent by His Highness the 7th Prince out of concern for my safety.”
The 7th Prince personally presented an article to a young lady.
That alone would have been surprising enough, but the inaction the knight displayed was also extraordinary.
The ability to kill a large wild boar with a single stroke of the sword in a situation where even the palace guards could not react.
Does the fact that he directly pointed out such an knight and assigned it to Dorothea mean that there is some kind of relationship between the two?
It seemed as if the sound of people's heads racing could be heard here and there.
Dorothea slowly stood up as she looked at the immature man who did not even bother to hide his murderous attitude towards her.
He's being particularly blunt and foolish today.
Valerie, who was sitting next to her, quickly grabbed the hem of her dress to stop her from leaving, but Dorothea paid no attention.
“If that’s what you think, then this prey should be presented to His Highness the Third Prince.”
The soft and delicate voice of a girl echoed throughout the hunting grounds.
While the people were looking at her, bewildered, the Third Prince continued to grumble.
“To me? Why? The 7th Prince is not enough. Are you trying to put me in line as well?”
She knew he had an unruly and violent temper, but his rudeness went too far.
The Marchioness's face hardened at the sharp voice directed at her granddaughter.
Before the Empress could take action, Dorothea smiled.
The Emperor, seeing her relaxed face, stopped those nearby.
Because he was secretly curious about what kind of words that girl would use to turn his son's clothes upside down.
Dorothea continued speaking clearly in a voice that everyone could hear.
“Because it was the Third Prince who brought this wild boar here and helped my knight hunt it.”
“Are you saying that I deliberately lured that wild boar to harm my father?”
The 3rd Prince, Richard, approached her menacingly at the absurd nonsense.
The girl, who remained calm even after being threatened with death, raised her hand and pointed to the third Prince's pile of game.
“As you all know, the ones closest to Young Lady Marilyn were the prey hunted by the Third Prince.”
“Huh, there’s hunting stuff all around. I heard that the smell of blood scattered here is only mine!”
It was truly an absurd and unreasonable assertion.
Dorothea was satisfied with the 3rd Prince's words but smiled at the nobles who were listening to her.
She didn't necessarily intend to attack him, but she also didn't need to stand by and watch someone attack her first.
“Isn’t it a bit strange that a wild boar attacked this place? The smell of animal blood attracts animals that enjoy meat-eating, not wild boars, which are omnivorous but mainly eat herbivores.”
Although wild boars are fierce, there is no way they would enter human territory and attack people unless they attack first.
At her words, a puzzled look began to appear on the faces of others.
Come to think of it, that's what happened.
By the time they got here, the boar was extremely excited and running wild, making it difficult for the knights to subdue it.
If that's the case, it could mean that someone artificially 'made it exciting'.
'This is a completely different story.'
Wasn’t this the place where the imperial family was staying?
Before the Third Prince could speak again, Dorothea continued speaking as the atmosphere changed.
“I was wondering what could have made that boar so excited. I mean, that boar, I think it was a male.”
The old nobleman, who was well-versed in hunting, nodded.
Judging from its larger tusks and relatively larger size compared to the female, it was clearly a male.
The moment the gender of the wild boar is suddenly mentioned, the 3rd Prince can't hold back and is about to curse at her.
The Emperor, who had been listening to her calmly the entire time, raised his hand to cover his son's mouth.
Then, with an intrigued expression on his face, he urged Dorothea on to say what she wanted to say next.
“So what does it matter?”
“I read in a book that the time when wild boars are most excited and aggressive is right after mating, when the female is pregnant, or when she is still caring for her young.”
“Your Majesty, I am very sorry, but I would like to ask permission to speak for a moment.”
“The captain of the guard? I permit it.”
“Young lady, we found a place away from the territory of other beasts and settled down to avoid any problems. Likewise, this place is far from wild boar territory.”
Dorothea nodded at the words of the guard captain who spoke carefully.
“I didn’t think you would have neglected your duties. Rather, because of that, I assumed that the game the 3rd Prince brought brought with him a wild boar.”
At Dorothea's words, everyone stared silently at the piled-up prey.
“If I am correct, I think there is a pregnant female among those hunted.”
Richard's face was filled with bewilderment as he watched the events unfold.
When he learned that the 7th Prince had sent a private escort, Richard was looking for an opportunity to reveal this useful information in the most effective situation.
He was confident that today, given the right circumstances, he would be able to send away that thorn in his eye, that woman, and his annoying younger brother, all at once.
'Why did things happen like this?'
This place houses not only the Emperor and the Empress but also their married sisters and brothers who did not participate in the hunt.
If it weren't for Freed, someone would have been injured by the wild boar a long time ago.
“Don’t talk nonsense! It’s well past mating season and they’ve already given birth!”
At Richard's shout, the second Prince, William, who had been quietly observing the situation, slowly stood up.
He opened his mouth, looking at Dorothea with the same gentle and affectionate eyes he had had five years ago.
“Your Majesty, I will check. Young lady’s remarks may tarnish my younger brother’s reputation.”
Richard's eyes wavered at William's words.
He couldn't figure out what his brother was thinking because he always maintained an ambiguous attitude.
If by any chance what she said was true, Richard was in serious trouble because of those few words.
Dorothea's sonorous voice struck his ears.
“Please look at the belly of a wild boar, which is relatively small and has less pointed tusks. If it have a large lump on your breast, it may be pregnant.”
William glanced at Richard, who remained silent for a moment, then quickly identified his prey.
He looked into Richard's anxious eyes and then looked at Dorothea with a short sigh.
'If he hadn't started the fight first, that kid wouldn't have done this. Richard is growing his business needlessly.'
As always, his younger brother was ugly and foolish.
Dorothea, of all people, grew up to be so intelligent.
A bitter smile appeared on his lips.
William bent down to inspect the prey and honestly reported what he saw.
“Your Majesty, the Lady was right. The boar that Richard caught was unusually large. Girlbirth is imminent.”
“...”
Dorothea explained in a kind voice, ignoring Richard, who was dumbfounded.
“Seeing that they mated late after the breeding season, I think they may be old or culled individuals that were pushed out of competition with other males. It might feel resentful because the miraculously born babies became someone’s prey before they were even born.”
The room became quiet again as a soft but clear voice spoke softly.
Some people's faces became gloomy as they listened to her explanation and seemed to put themselves in the boar's shoes.
'That's funny.'
What is a hunting festival?
They bow their heads in sorrow at the death of a pregnant female at a place where people gather to compete against the skills of humans and end the lives of animals.
Dorothea looked at Richard, who was standing there dumbfounded, unable to cope with the unexpected situation.
'You should be thankful that you didn't become a ghost of the unborn child (a ghost who died in the womb or was unjustly killed at a young age).'
An animal cannot protest no matter how unfair it is.
Even receiving sympathy is difficult if there is no ‘human’ to represent it.
Even if he had not attacked Dorothea so willfully, it would not have been necessary to reveal it.
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