Episode 74. The Princess's Arena
"Where are you going?"
"To order hunting clothes. I need to make Her Highness look like the goddess of hunting that day."
"Oh my? Have you matured?"
For the first time, Her Highness Milliora smiled brightly and waved for me to go away.
And I didn't even want to hear the word 'iron'.
***
On the day of the third competition, I also put on my newly made hunting clothes and rode my horse.
My hunting clothes were a gift from Her Highness Milliora, but when I found out the price, I didn't want to wear them. However, when I thought about the enormous price of the size of her guilt, I could bear it a little.
Sir Rond followed us today in his light armor, and he looked incredibly sturdy on horseback.
I wondered how much mental distress he must have had, since he had been running around the battlefield with such momentum and had difficulty moving.
I wasn't the only one who felt that way, as I saw Her Highness glancing at him as if she were admiring him.
But she stared straight ahead when Lord Rond approached her.
“I’ll be right by your side, so don’t worry and run, Your Highness.”
“Yes. Do it. Definitely.”
I heard the voice of the Princess tremble slightly as she spoke. She was afraid and was relying on him.
I looked at the two of them, who made me feel sorry for them for no reason, and thought about what I could do today.
I used to hunt small animals in Tunbar Mountain and was confident in horseback riding. However, such experience was far removed from royal hunting. There was no need to use my head here today.
So today we had no choice but to rely on Lord Rond. However, I desperately hoped that would not happen.
When we arrived at the palace hunting grounds, the morale I had worked so hard to raise disappeared. We kept our mouths shut without saying a word.
There was only a group of Princes there. His Majesty the Emperor was not there, and only one imperial attendant who was to announce the start of the competition stood alone.
“It’s just us, Lorisha. It’s just us and our brothers here!”
The fear in Her Highness Milliora’s voice was contagious to me.
‘It’s just us.’ That meant that no one would stop Our Highnesses, the Princes, from wielding their sword here today. No matter what happened, that attendant would say that he didn’t see anything.
I felt my fingertips grow cold as I recalled the history of the brothers of the past.
‘What on earth is His Majesty the Emperor’s intention?’
I realized that Lord Rond was thinking the same thing as I watched him fumble with his sword.
The expressions of Prince Kydel and His Highness Grayon in the distance were no different from ours.
They were the strongest in terms of military power, but they seemed equally anxious because they couldn’t figure out His Majesty’s intentions.
My gaze naturally fell on the person who seemed to be the only one who had escaped from this atmosphere.
Among the men who were carrying the Orl, he was wearing the most splendid hunting attire and was sitting elegantly on his horse. His expression was relaxed.
He also looked at the Second Prince and our group in turn, and his gaze seemed to be focused on an object, which made me feel uncomfortable.
I remembered how Prince Orl provoked Prince Miliora last time, and I became very nervous.
In the meantime, Lord Rond moved his horse and stood blocking Prince Miliora from Prince Orl’s gaze. I broke out in a sweat when I saw him staring at Prince Orl.
However, Lord Rond kept his position with a blank expression. He didn’t seem to be afraid of Prince Orl at all.
‘I saw you again, Lord Rond!’
I looked at him with admiration, then felt his gaze reach me, and turned around.
Prince Kydel was glaring at me.
‘What’s up today?’
I turned my head as if I were angry, and only then did I realize that his gaze was filled with worry.
Even that confident man was nervous now, I couldn’t help but be scared. Damn it.
Prince Miliora said.
“His Majesty is not here. What do we want to do with each other? Maid, you speak.”
“Your Highness, calm down.”
“Are you calm now? His Majesty just now....”
He might have forced us into the circular arena. I heard what she couldn’t bring herself to say. Was it a beast hunt or a brother hunt?
At that moment, Prince Orl’s group came between Prince Grayon and us. Prince Orl said in a rather powerful voice.
“It seems that His Majesty only wants to see the result today, not the process. Isn’t that right, Grayon?”
“You are right, brother. Since His Majesty told us to participate in the hunt, I think it would be right to go hunting.”
“You are right, brother.”
Her Highness Milliora tried not to look intimidated among the Princes.
His Highness Grayon asked,
“Then what do you propose we hunt today?”
Then His Highness Orl looked at Her Highness the Princess.
“You decide, Milliora. You are the one at the most disadvantage today.”
“But I have Lord Rond?”
Her Highness the Princess answered confidently, and His Highness Orl did not ask a second time.
“Really? Then I will decide. Let’s go with foxes. Isn’t that a familiar hunt for us? How about it, Grayon?”
“Yes. Then I will set off from there.”
His Highness Grayon immediately turned his horse and set off for the forest to the east. Prince Kydel followed him and looked back at me. It was a short look that contained a word.
“Be careful.”
But I had no time to be afraid.
Lord Rond took the lead.
“I will lead the way. Follow me!”
Her Highness the Princess and I also set off south after him. We stopped only when we were out of His Highness Orl's sight.
The Princess looked around the clearing at the edge of the forest and said,
“Is there a fox here?”
“No.”
“...”
As Her Highness Miliora looked at him with her lips slightly pursed, Lord Rond said,
“I brought you to a safe place. Do you intend to catch a fox?”
She stared at him intently and shook her head briefly.
“No.”
“When we disperse like this and start hunting, the beasts hide. Since there are no hunters today, His Highness the Prince will have to search the forest yourself. We can spend our time here in the meantime.”
She looked at the forest as if her pride was hurt, and then quickly replied,
“Yes. That would be good.”
We rode our horses under the arborvitae.
In the awkward silence, the wind passing through the forest and the chirping of birds began to be heard clearly. We were overly nervous.
Lord Rond hesitated for a moment, then bent his large body to the ground and grazed the grass. I watched his large fingertips wiggle for a moment, curiously.
When he held out something, Her Highness Miliora’s eyes widened.
“What is this? A knot?”
Lord Rond did not answer, and Her Highness the Princess whispered, “Oh my, oh my,” and examined it carefully.
I watched her curiously. The grass knot that commoners could easily make seemed very new to her.
Lord Rond furrowed his brow slightly, then picked some flowers and fiddled with them. He soon made a pretty flower bracelet and handed it to Her Highness, the Princess.
“Oh my...”
The Princess received it and furrowed her brow subtly.
From what I could see, she seemed to be doing it because she didn’t know what to do with it. She didn’t know what a flower bracelet was.
“Oh my, that’s a really pretty flower bracelet! I’ll tie it for you.”
When I tied it around her wrist, Her Highness the Princess smiled brightly and looked at it for a long time, turning her head from side to side as if she was curious.
Lord Rond stood with his back to us as if he were standing guard, so I couldn’t see his expression.
When I think about it, when Princess Milliora is with Lord Rond, there are many times when she seems like an ordinary person. It was strange.
I left them alone for a while and walked nearby. I looked at the wild grass and searched for herbs for the first time in a long time. In the distance, the sound of the two Princes’ horses galloping and shouting came and went.
I became anxious at the sound and looked back at Lord Rond, but at that time, he was approaching the Princess.
The Princess asked him coldly as he approached.
“Why?”
“...Why did you do that?”
“What? Tell me straight.”
But Lord Rond didn’t answer. I guess it was because he was like that, but honestly, I didn’t think there would be any man who wouldn’t be hurt by such speech.
“At the competition.”
“...”
This time, Princess Milliora closed her mouth. In fact, I was curious too, so my ears perked up.
“Orl’s brother...”
Lord Rond and I both waited patiently.
She opened her mouth with great difficulty.
"If you go to the Emperor, I'll first send you to the slaughterer. You have never been Tagar."
“This bitch baby...”
I was surprised and squatted quickly and pretended to look at the grass. The swear words from Sir Rond's bold body had a great feeling of hitting.
And it was amazing on the one hand. Sir Rond swears at the royal family in front of the Princess. But she is not angry.
“I didn’t see anything else but the thought of humiliating my brother... I didn’t think about Lorisha at all. Am I bad?”
“That’s right.”
I couldn’t quite tell what Lord Rond was agreeing with. Whether it was that he understood that she had lost her mind, or that she was bad.
However, there was no criticism or condemnation in the emotion contained in his words. Only then did I think I understood why Her Highness liked Lord Rond.
Her Highness asked in a very timid voice. It was as if she were a child demanding recognition.
“Sir... don’t you want me to become a better Princess?”
“Why do you want to do that?”
Lord Rond, if you answer so bluntly...!
Her Highness Milliora tried not to look intimidated among the Princes.
His Highness Grayon asked,
“Then what do you propose we hunt today?”
Then His Highness Orl looked at Her Highness the Princess.
“You decide, Milliora. You are the one at the most disadvantage today.”
“But I have Lord Rond?”
Her Highness the Princess answered confidently, and His Highness Orl did not ask a second time.
“Really? Then I will decide. Let’s go with foxes. Isn’t that a familiar hunt for us? How about it, Grayon?”
“Yes. Then I will set off from there.”
His Highness Grayon immediately turned his horse and set off for the forest to the east. Prince Kydel followed him and looked back at me. It was a short look that contained a word.
“Be careful.”
But I had no time to be afraid.
Lord Rond took the lead.
“I will lead the way. Follow me!”
Her Highness the Princess and I also set off south after him. We stopped only when we were out of His Highness Orl's sight.
The Princess looked around the clearing at the edge of the forest and said,
“Is there a fox here?”
“No.”
“...”
As Her Highness Miliora looked at him with her lips slightly pursed, Lord Rond said,
“I brought you to a safe place. Do you intend to catch a fox?”
She stared at him intently and shook her head briefly.
“No.”
“When we disperse like this and start hunting, the beasts hide. Since there are no hunters today, His Highness the Prince will have to search the forest yourself. We can spend our time here in the meantime.”
She looked at the forest as if her pride was hurt, and then quickly replied,
“Yes. That would be good.”
We rode our horses under the arborvitae.
In the awkward silence, the wind passing through the forest and the chirping of birds began to be heard clearly. We were overly nervous.
Lord Rond hesitated for a moment, then bent his large body to the ground and grazed the grass. I watched his large fingertips wiggle for a moment, curiously.
When he held out something, Her Highness Miliora’s eyes widened.
“What is this? A knot?”
Lord Rond did not answer, and Her Highness the Princess whispered, “Oh my, oh my,” and examined it carefully.
I watched her curiously. The grass knot that commoners could easily make seemed very new to her.
Lord Rond furrowed his brow slightly, then picked some flowers and fiddled with them. He soon made a pretty flower bracelet and handed it to Her Highness, the Princess.
“Oh my...”
The Princess received it and furrowed her brow subtly.
From what I could see, she seemed to be doing it because she didn’t know what to do with it. She didn’t know what a flower bracelet was.
“Oh my, that’s a really pretty flower bracelet! I’ll tie it for you.”
When I tied it around her wrist, Her Highness the Princess smiled brightly and looked at it for a long time, turning her head from side to side as if she was curious.
Lord Rond stood with his back to us as if he were standing guard, so I couldn’t see his expression.
When I think about it, when Princess Milliora is with Lord Rond, there are many times when she seems like an ordinary person. It was strange.
I left them alone for a while and walked nearby. I looked at the wild grass and searched for herbs for the first time in a long time. In the distance, the sound of the two Princes’ horses galloping and shouting came and went.
I became anxious at the sound and looked back at Lord Rond, but at that time, he was approaching the Princess.
The Princess asked him coldly as he approached.
“Why?”
“...Why did you do that?”
“What? Tell me straight.”
But Lord Rond didn’t answer. I guess it was because he was like that, but honestly, I didn’t think there would be any man who wouldn’t be hurt by such speech.
“At the competition.”
“...”
This time, Princess Milliora closed her mouth. In fact, I was curious too, so my ears perked up.
“Orl’s brother...”
Lord Rond and I both waited patiently.
She opened her mouth with great difficulty.
"If you go to the Emperor, I'll first send you to the slaughterer. You have never been Tagar."
“This bitch baby...”
I was surprised and squatted quickly and pretended to look at the grass. The swear words from Sir Rond's bold body had a great feeling of hitting.
And it was amazing on the one hand. Sir Rond swears at the royal family in front of the Princess. But she is not angry.
“I didn’t see anything else but the thought of humiliating my brother... I didn’t think about Lorisha at all. Am I bad?”
“That’s right.”
I couldn’t quite tell what Lord Rond was agreeing with. Whether it was that he understood that she had lost her mind, or that she was bad.
However, there was no criticism or condemnation in the emotion contained in his words. Only then did I think I understood why Her Highness liked Lord Rond.
Her Highness asked in a very timid voice. It was as if she were a child demanding recognition.
“Sir... don’t you want me to become a better Princess?”
“Why do you want to do that?”
Lord Rond, if you answer so bluntly...!
“It’s already enough.”
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