Only after breaking up with Killian did Marlene return to normal.
“Why on earth are you doing this? Are you doing this on purpose?”
Emily nudged Marlene's arm and questioned her.
"Your husband suddenly asked me about my clothes. I was so embarrassed."
Marlene said, cooling her flushed face.
"Anyway, we should head to the central tent now. The Empress has gathered the ladies and asked for a quick tea time."
“Ah... I have to go, right?”
“It’s tea time because of you, so wouldn’t it be hard to miss it?”
She thought it was strange that everything was so quiet even after a big scandal, but these people couldn't just let it go.
The central tent was so extravagant and luxuriously constructed that it was hardly worthy of being called a tent.
As she opened the tent door and went inside, warm air, different from the outside, swept over her.
“Oh, you two, come in. We were already talking about Prince Kite.”
Young Lady Stella, the one who had kicked Marlene out of the group, welcomed the two with a completely different attitude than before.
“So everyone was waiting with bated breath for Madame Starr to arrive.”
“Is that so?”
Emily listened to her ramblings with a somewhat haughty air.
“Your place has been prepared close to the Empress, so please go quickly.”
“Where is my seat?”
Marlene asked in a disapproving tone.
“Of course, I prepared a seat next to it.”
Since Emily was currently the highest-ranking stock in the Vancent, her friend Marlene was also being treated.
“Yes? Got it.”
Marlene went inside with Emily with a haughty expression.
Emily asked Marlene in a quiet voice so no one could hear.
“Aren’t things awkward with the Empress after the breakup?”
"Not really. Rather, she felt sorry for her son's unusual behavior."
Well then, that was fortunate.
“Welcome, everyone.”
The Empress, who always appeared last, came early for some reason and was talking with the ladies.
It seems that Emily was quite curious about the background of this scandal.
“I heard that Madame Starr is also joining the hunt this time.”
The Empress deliberately touched on a different topic.
“Yes, I’m worried that I’ll just end up embarrassing myself if I come forward.”
“Don’t worry, everyone’s skills will be similar.”
Duchess Phryne, who was sitting closest to the Empress, smiled brightly and opened her mouth.
“But doesn’t Young Lady Huppert have exceptional hunting skills?”
Marlene pretended to look pleased.
In fact, ever since she became an adult and began participating in hunting competitions, she has always been a winner among the noble ladies.
“I heard the two are close friends, so I wonder who will win this time.”
Emily shook her head hastily at Duchess Phryne's words.
“I’ve never shot a bow in a real match, so I’d be lucky if I didn’t embarrass myself, let alone win.”
“Mrs. Starr is always so humble.”
In the midst of the friendly atmosphere where compliments were exchanged, Young Lady Stella cautiously intervened.
“Is the jacket Madame Starr is wearing a color that matches Prince Kite’s?”
Emily's eyes widened at the unexpected sound.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, I must have been mistaken, Prince Kite is wearing the same green jacket as Madam today.”
She was wearing clothes of a different color from Killian's, but of all things, she was wearing clothes of the same color as Kite, which only fueled the rumors.
“I didn’t know what the Prince was wearing today.”
Despite Emily's rebuttal, the ladies didn't seem to believe her.
“While we’re on the subject, can I ask you something?”
Among them, the Empress spoke as a representative.
“What are you talking about?”
“Is it true that you enjoyed a date with Prince Kite in the capital?”
Whatever the reason, she had no choice but to answer yes, since it was true that she had spent time outside with Kite.
“Wow.”
The young ladies looked at Emily with a mixture of admiration and jealousy, as she had not only the handsome men of the empire but also the handsome men of other countries.
“So, are you really on good terms with Prince Kite?”
Young Lady Stella quickly denied what she said.
“I only met him once because he was a precious guest from a foreign country and I couldn’t ignore him.”
“Oh my! So Prince Kite is the only one who has a crush on Madam?”
Emily couldn't bring herself to say no to this. She had to make people believe that the Prince was courting her.
As Emily nodded, the tent suddenly became noisy.
She had a tiring feeling that this noisy atmosphere would inevitably continue for a while.
The bugle sounded, signaling the start of a full-scale hunting competition.
The Emperor declared the opening ceremony, and those who would attend the hunt gathered at the designated location.
Those who would hunt lower-level monsters at the entrance of the mountain gathered on the left, and those who would hunt mid-level or higher monsters inside the mountain gathered on the right.
Strangely, despite it being the largest hunting tournament ever attended, Lucius's face was nowhere to be seen.
“Why didn’t His Highness the Crown Prince attend?”
"Why are you asking me that? I haven't heard anything about the Crown Prince since the engagement broke off."
Marlene answered Emily's question with a bewildered look.
Emily, who turned her head to find Killian, found Knox next to him and Prince Kite nearby.
After exchanging greetings with them, Emily turned her gaze straight ahead again.
The Duke of Sadie, who always swept the overall championship in hunting competitions, was at the forefront.
In the bloody monster hunting competition, Duke Sadie, wearing a white uniform and white cloak, looked noble and strong.
Perhaps he will return from this hunting tournament without a single drop of blood on his snow-white outfit.
“But why is the Count of Blois here with us?”
Marlene said to Enoch with an uncomfortable expression.
“I’m afraid of higher-level monsters.”
“Don’t lie. You’re here because of me.”
"So being pretty is a sin?" Marlene grumbled.
“That’s true to some extent, but it’s also true that I don’t want to encounter higher-level monsters.”
Marlene scoffed and warned.
“I’m telling you in advance, don’t follow me around and bother me while I’m hunting monsters.”
And he asked Emily, too.
"Don't stick with me either. We're having a fair fight today."
“Oh, me too?”
Emily wasn't really planning on competing with Marlene today, but she guessed she had different ideas.
"Yes."
Emily answered coolly and waved her hand to Marlene before leaving.
She was excited to finally try out her new weapon.
She walked around the area designated by the Knights Templar and tried to find low-level monsters, but contrary to her expectations, they weren't as easily spotted.
“Should we try practicing?”
Emily roughly chose a tree in the distance and took a stance to shoot.
There was a bit of a slope, but she pulled the bow slowly, being careful not to bend her body.
And when she felt that the length of the arrow and the length of her arm were exactly the same, she let go of her hand.
The arrow, which flew through the wind, landed exactly where Emily intended.
“Good!”
As Emily grew more confident, she hummed, "Lulu Lala," as she went to retrieve the arrow.
From a distance, the back of Count Enoch Blois was visible.
It was strange that he, who always chased after Marlene whenever he saw her, gave up on her so easily today and moved on his own.
At first glance, Enoch appears to be looking around to hunt monsters, but a closer look reveals that he has a clear destination in mind.
Emily, struck by his suspicious appearance, kept quiet and followed him cautiously.
At one point, Enoch was seen standing still, waiting for someone.
Not long after, a strange man she had never seen before appeared.
'Who is that man?'
It was difficult to distinguish his face because he was wearing a hat pulled down low and a mask.
Because the surroundings were so quiet, the sound of the two people talking could reach Emily.
“I hope you’ve finished preparing properly.”
Enoch asked the mysterious man.
"Yes, don't worry. With this item, you can pretend to be attacked by a monster and kill it."
At the end of those words, the man pulled out a knife and showed it to him.
It wasn't the shape of a typical sword. The blades extended in all directions, creating a grotesque and terrifying appearance.
'What terrible thing is the Count of Blois planning to do with that man?'
Although she had never felt good about Enoch since the incident where Killian went to prison, she still thought of the Count of Blois as a brainless and bright man.
Perhaps that's why the cold expression and voice coming from him now felt so unfamiliar.
“Is Killian walking around alone now?”
Emily's heart sank at the name that came out of Enoch's mouth.
"He's probably hanging out with that Knox kid. But don't worry. He's so stupid, it'll be easy to knock him off."
“Yes, do it right this time.”
“What if I kill them both at once?”
Enoch let out a creepy laugh at the man's confident words.
Emily sat there dumbfounded after hearing the unbelievable story, then clenched her fists and trembled.
“Who are they trying to make a widow out of...”
Emily quickly got up from her seat and moved into the forest.
She couldn't figure out why Enoch wanted to kill Killian, but saving her husband was her top priority right now.
“Why on earth are you doing this? Are you doing this on purpose?”
Emily nudged Marlene's arm and questioned her.
"Your husband suddenly asked me about my clothes. I was so embarrassed."
Marlene said, cooling her flushed face.
"Anyway, we should head to the central tent now. The Empress has gathered the ladies and asked for a quick tea time."
“Ah... I have to go, right?”
“It’s tea time because of you, so wouldn’t it be hard to miss it?”
She thought it was strange that everything was so quiet even after a big scandal, but these people couldn't just let it go.
The central tent was so extravagant and luxuriously constructed that it was hardly worthy of being called a tent.
As she opened the tent door and went inside, warm air, different from the outside, swept over her.
“Oh, you two, come in. We were already talking about Prince Kite.”
Young Lady Stella, the one who had kicked Marlene out of the group, welcomed the two with a completely different attitude than before.
“So everyone was waiting with bated breath for Madame Starr to arrive.”
“Is that so?”
Emily listened to her ramblings with a somewhat haughty air.
“Your place has been prepared close to the Empress, so please go quickly.”
“Where is my seat?”
Marlene asked in a disapproving tone.
“Of course, I prepared a seat next to it.”
Since Emily was currently the highest-ranking stock in the Vancent, her friend Marlene was also being treated.
“Yes? Got it.”
Marlene went inside with Emily with a haughty expression.
Emily asked Marlene in a quiet voice so no one could hear.
“Aren’t things awkward with the Empress after the breakup?”
"Not really. Rather, she felt sorry for her son's unusual behavior."
Well then, that was fortunate.
“Welcome, everyone.”
The Empress, who always appeared last, came early for some reason and was talking with the ladies.
It seems that Emily was quite curious about the background of this scandal.
“I heard that Madame Starr is also joining the hunt this time.”
The Empress deliberately touched on a different topic.
“Yes, I’m worried that I’ll just end up embarrassing myself if I come forward.”
“Don’t worry, everyone’s skills will be similar.”
Duchess Phryne, who was sitting closest to the Empress, smiled brightly and opened her mouth.
“But doesn’t Young Lady Huppert have exceptional hunting skills?”
Marlene pretended to look pleased.
In fact, ever since she became an adult and began participating in hunting competitions, she has always been a winner among the noble ladies.
“I heard the two are close friends, so I wonder who will win this time.”
Emily shook her head hastily at Duchess Phryne's words.
“I’ve never shot a bow in a real match, so I’d be lucky if I didn’t embarrass myself, let alone win.”
“Mrs. Starr is always so humble.”
In the midst of the friendly atmosphere where compliments were exchanged, Young Lady Stella cautiously intervened.
“Is the jacket Madame Starr is wearing a color that matches Prince Kite’s?”
Emily's eyes widened at the unexpected sound.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, I must have been mistaken, Prince Kite is wearing the same green jacket as Madam today.”
She was wearing clothes of a different color from Killian's, but of all things, she was wearing clothes of the same color as Kite, which only fueled the rumors.
“I didn’t know what the Prince was wearing today.”
Despite Emily's rebuttal, the ladies didn't seem to believe her.
“While we’re on the subject, can I ask you something?”
Among them, the Empress spoke as a representative.
“What are you talking about?”
“Is it true that you enjoyed a date with Prince Kite in the capital?”
Whatever the reason, she had no choice but to answer yes, since it was true that she had spent time outside with Kite.
“Wow.”
The young ladies looked at Emily with a mixture of admiration and jealousy, as she had not only the handsome men of the empire but also the handsome men of other countries.
“So, are you really on good terms with Prince Kite?”
Young Lady Stella quickly denied what she said.
“I only met him once because he was a precious guest from a foreign country and I couldn’t ignore him.”
“Oh my! So Prince Kite is the only one who has a crush on Madam?”
Emily couldn't bring herself to say no to this. She had to make people believe that the Prince was courting her.
As Emily nodded, the tent suddenly became noisy.
She had a tiring feeling that this noisy atmosphere would inevitably continue for a while.
***
The bugle sounded, signaling the start of a full-scale hunting competition.
The Emperor declared the opening ceremony, and those who would attend the hunt gathered at the designated location.
Those who would hunt lower-level monsters at the entrance of the mountain gathered on the left, and those who would hunt mid-level or higher monsters inside the mountain gathered on the right.
Strangely, despite it being the largest hunting tournament ever attended, Lucius's face was nowhere to be seen.
“Why didn’t His Highness the Crown Prince attend?”
"Why are you asking me that? I haven't heard anything about the Crown Prince since the engagement broke off."
Marlene answered Emily's question with a bewildered look.
Emily, who turned her head to find Killian, found Knox next to him and Prince Kite nearby.
After exchanging greetings with them, Emily turned her gaze straight ahead again.
The Duke of Sadie, who always swept the overall championship in hunting competitions, was at the forefront.
In the bloody monster hunting competition, Duke Sadie, wearing a white uniform and white cloak, looked noble and strong.
Perhaps he will return from this hunting tournament without a single drop of blood on his snow-white outfit.
“But why is the Count of Blois here with us?”
Marlene said to Enoch with an uncomfortable expression.
“I’m afraid of higher-level monsters.”
“Don’t lie. You’re here because of me.”
"So being pretty is a sin?" Marlene grumbled.
“That’s true to some extent, but it’s also true that I don’t want to encounter higher-level monsters.”
Marlene scoffed and warned.
“I’m telling you in advance, don’t follow me around and bother me while I’m hunting monsters.”
And he asked Emily, too.
"Don't stick with me either. We're having a fair fight today."
“Oh, me too?”
Emily wasn't really planning on competing with Marlene today, but she guessed she had different ideas.
"Yes."
Emily answered coolly and waved her hand to Marlene before leaving.
She was excited to finally try out her new weapon.
She walked around the area designated by the Knights Templar and tried to find low-level monsters, but contrary to her expectations, they weren't as easily spotted.
“Should we try practicing?”
Emily roughly chose a tree in the distance and took a stance to shoot.
There was a bit of a slope, but she pulled the bow slowly, being careful not to bend her body.
And when she felt that the length of the arrow and the length of her arm were exactly the same, she let go of her hand.
The arrow, which flew through the wind, landed exactly where Emily intended.
“Good!”
As Emily grew more confident, she hummed, "Lulu Lala," as she went to retrieve the arrow.
From a distance, the back of Count Enoch Blois was visible.
It was strange that he, who always chased after Marlene whenever he saw her, gave up on her so easily today and moved on his own.
At first glance, Enoch appears to be looking around to hunt monsters, but a closer look reveals that he has a clear destination in mind.
Emily, struck by his suspicious appearance, kept quiet and followed him cautiously.
At one point, Enoch was seen standing still, waiting for someone.
Not long after, a strange man she had never seen before appeared.
'Who is that man?'
It was difficult to distinguish his face because he was wearing a hat pulled down low and a mask.
Because the surroundings were so quiet, the sound of the two people talking could reach Emily.
“I hope you’ve finished preparing properly.”
Enoch asked the mysterious man.
"Yes, don't worry. With this item, you can pretend to be attacked by a monster and kill it."
At the end of those words, the man pulled out a knife and showed it to him.
It wasn't the shape of a typical sword. The blades extended in all directions, creating a grotesque and terrifying appearance.
'What terrible thing is the Count of Blois planning to do with that man?'
Although she had never felt good about Enoch since the incident where Killian went to prison, she still thought of the Count of Blois as a brainless and bright man.
Perhaps that's why the cold expression and voice coming from him now felt so unfamiliar.
“Is Killian walking around alone now?”
Emily's heart sank at the name that came out of Enoch's mouth.
"He's probably hanging out with that Knox kid. But don't worry. He's so stupid, it'll be easy to knock him off."
“Yes, do it right this time.”
“What if I kill them both at once?”
Enoch let out a creepy laugh at the man's confident words.
Emily sat there dumbfounded after hearing the unbelievable story, then clenched her fists and trembled.
“Who are they trying to make a widow out of...”
Emily quickly got up from her seat and moved into the forest.
She couldn't figure out why Enoch wanted to kill Killian, but saving her husband was her top priority right now.
Comments
Post a Comment