INAT - Chapter 19

"... Yes."

Her voice trembled. As Marie squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head, a tear fell from the tip of her chin.

'Who would believe you if you spoke like this...? Even if I ask any more questions here, it doesn't seem like you're in a state to speak right now, so maybe it would be better to reassure you first.'

Even if I went to the maze forest, there was no one who knew the place as well as I did, so it wasn't that threatening.

I touched the corner of my mouth with a troubled expression, then lowered my hand as if to say there was nothing I could do.

"Thanks for letting me know. I was actually wanting to be alone, so it would be nice to go take a look around."

And I smiled smoothly.

The light in Marie's eyes, which had been looking at me, starting with a thank you, suddenly went out.

They say hunting festivals are practically social events, and that was true.

People dressed in hunting attire like me were half and half nobles who had dressed up to the fullest for the purpose of observing.

As I stepped aside from the large crowd, I felt as though I had become some kind of dust floating in space. Ah. No. This is too much to be called dust...

I could feel countless eyes glancing at me, but whenever I looked for them, no one was looking at me anymore, and no one approached me as if a barricade had been erected around me.

Well, I'd actually rather be alone, but it's really uncomfortable being made a spectacle like this.

"Princess, His Majesty is coming soon."

Oscar grinned and whispered, as if finding my appearance amusing.

I glanced at Oscar with a suspicious look, then our eyes met, and I smiled back.

"You didn't look as uncomfortable being with His Majesty as I thought. Wouldn't that be better than getting bitten while running away from those hyenas?"

"I like being alone."

"You can't be alone here, can you? Ah, there comes His Majesty."

Oscar didn't pay any attention to my indirect refusal.

I swallowed a sigh and turned my head in the direction he pointed. As people stepped back like the parting of the Red Sea, a tall, striking man who caught the eye even from a distance appeared, surrounded by a powerful aura.

People's reactions were divided between those who were enraptured by Thierry's handsome looks and those who feared his aura.

In fact, even a quick glance showed that most were closer to the latter. As the years went by, the nobles must have felt threatened by that absolute tyrant who was suppressing their power.

But then, suddenly, I showed up in the midst of it all.

'Look at those eyes... It's enough to make my whole body tingle. I guess it's a relief that they aren't actually talking to me with that intensity.'

It was only natural that the stares directed at me, the only outsider among them, were unkind. However, the saving grace was that while they sent wary glances, no one openly showed malice toward me.

'Whatever the reason, since the Emperor brought me himself, they're probably just keeping an eye on me for now.'

Thinking it was actually strange that I hadn't run into any nobles until now, I followed Thierry with my eyes.

He stopped in front of one of the many tents set up that was clearly the Emperor's seat.

He sat in a large red chair decorated with gold and scanned the audience with an arrogant gaze. For some reason, I felt as though his eyes, which looked particularly blood-red today, lingered on me for a long time.

"I greet His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, the Sun of the Empire."

As soon as the nobles bowed respectfully, they closed their mouths and kept silent so that not even a breath could escape.

"Enjoy the Hunting Festival you have so longed for to your heart's content."

Thierry's monotonous politeness eased the stiff atmosphere somewhat. As Wagen stepped back, saying he would proceed with the hunting ceremony in 30 minutes, several nobles who had been watching the situation were seen approaching Thierry.

What stood out was the sight of a middle-aged man with silver hair bringing along a silver-haired beauty who looked a couple of years older than me. The man was speaking earnestly, presumably to introduce his daughter, but Thierry, with a bored expression, didn't even glance at the woman.

Then Oscar's voice was heard.

"Princess, I will go check on the horses."

"Oh, really? Marie, you should go and rest now, too."

"Ah... I'll come in after I confirm that the Princess has departed."

Marie avoided my gaze with the destroyed daylight and stepped further back.

"Okay. I'll do that."

I clicked my tongue inwardly at Marie's stubbornness, which was stronger than I had expected, and glanced at Oscar's retreating figure. Then I turned my gaze back to Thierry. It looked as though he would be sitting in that chair the whole time until the hunting festival began. With a relieved look on my face, I headed back to the corner seat where I had originally been standing.

Come to think of it, seeing Thierry with a woman reminded me of something I had forgotten.

'By the way, who is the female lead in this novel? Her name is... Aria... what was it? I remember she has reddish-blonde hair, but I don't really know anything else.'

There were some people around me dressed in hunting clothes to participate in the hunting festival, but the majority were young ladies dressed up for a social gathering at the prepared tables.

I hurried my eyes to find a strikingly pretty girl among them with reddish-blonde hair.

"Young Lady Riart, this way!"

"Oh my, thank you for the seat."

Ah. I remembered the name!

Aria Riart, that was the woman right there.

With blonde hair in a soft hue like a sunset, eyes like bright pink roses, and that innocent face, her appearance was radiant enough to be that of a heroine in anyone's eyes.

I roughly hid myself in a spot where they couldn't see me.

"Is Lady Riart also making her debut in high society this year?"

"Yes. Time really flies. To think the debutante is just around the corner, I'm already getting nervous."

"Hoho—you cute person, how can you be so lovely?"

"That’s why Marquis Riart cherishes her. There are widespread rumors about how much the Marquis cares for his younger sibling."

Ah, right. The female lead's older brother, who lost his parents early and inherited the title, was portrayed as a doting older brother to his younger sister.

"But if he is the older brother of the Lady of the Riart family... Right! The sunny guy I met in the library! He said his name was Ethan Riart. Then is he the Marquis? Is he...?'

I tilted my head and took my eyes off Aria. There was no point in staying here any longer for any meaningful conversation, and since I had confirmed who the female lead was, I intended to leave for now.

“Oh, is that how you see it?”

"Wow!"

But as soon as I turned around, I didn't expect Thierry to be standing behind me like a statue. I thought my heart was plummeting to the floor.

"How long have you been here?"

"Since the Princess was gloomily peeking over there."

Ugh. Gloomy...?

As he had his back to the sun, a pure white light scattered behind him like shattering fragments in the backlight. I shielded my eyes with my hand, using the excuse that the light was blinding, and avoided his gaze.

"Haha, no way. I was just passing by. Well then, I'll be going now..."

“Where are you going?”

Just as I turned around to disappear into the crowd, his arm appeared and leaned against the wall as if to block my path.

'This posture is a bit... awkward.'

I stepped back and looked up at him.

"What? I was preparing for the hunt..."

I moved toward the corner, but instead, the distance between us narrowed even further. His hand, which had been resting on the wall, languidly gripped the surface; as if to prevent me from going any further, he folded his arm and pressed it against the wall up to his elbow.

Suddenly, I found myself trapped between the wall and him. I pressed my back against the wall as tightly as possible and lowered my gaze.

"What is there to prepare for a hunt? All you have to do is go and bring it up."

"...That is true, though."

"I'd rather ask you: what do you plan to hunt with?"

"Ah. As for that... I plan to do my best somehow."

"So, by what means? From the looks of it, you don't have a sword, and since I didn't give permission for a bow, you wouldn't have been able to get one either."

When we lived at the cottage, we were always short of food. Although Maud shared some food, we couldn't rely on him every time, so later on, we even set up some traps in the woods. Recalling those memories, I was about to set up a suitable trap for this hunting festival, intending to catch even just a small squirrel.

"Pfft, you really have no idea. Even if Oscar is going to follow you, to think you can go into the hunting grounds empty-handed."

Even without seeing his face, his voice was full of a nuance of contempt.

I secretly pouted and hunched my neck, pretending to be wary of others.

“Take it.”

"Ah. This is..."

"Do you know how to draw a sword?"

A dagger was in his hand, which was not resting against the wall. I instinctively took the dagger, but amidst the repeated disregard, I snapped my head up and shouted.

"I'm not that ignorant!"

I met his eyes as he looked down at me. His shadowed eyes appeared dark red.

A fleeting glint crossed his narrowing eyes.

"Princess."

"Yes."

"You have a bolder side than I thought."

...Ah? What have I done?

My face turned pale in an instant. I was instinctively trying to figure out how to get through this again.

Pooooo—fortunately, the sound of a trumpet saving my life was heard.

"Looks like the hunt is about to begin! I'll be off right away. I'll do my best!"

I smiled desperately and bowed my head slightly. Then, bending my knees to lower myself, I carefully slipped under Thierry's arm.

"Princess."

It was around the time I had successfully escaped and straightened my knees. He called me.

'Ugh... stop calling me Princess. I'm going to get a nervous breakdown from hearing that.'

I turned slowly with a tearful expression. His face was as cool as usual, but strangely, his eyes didn't look fierce.

He stared at me silently for a few seconds.

"If you don't think you can do it, you can just leave."

...Huh?

I stared blankly at his retreating figure as he spat out the words and walked away in an instant. It couldn't be true, but for some reason, I felt a strange sensation as if he were worried about me again.

***

The horse Thierry had arranged for me was white and small enough for me to ride alone. I kept stroking its head while muttering to myself that I hoped it would take good care of me.

"Princess, will you be able to ride by yourself?"

"Yes."

It was when I nodded as if making a decision at Oscar's words and moved toward the saddle.

"Princess! Just a moment!"

Marie, who had been watching me from a distance to see me off, was running towards me breathlessly.

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