Chapter 63.1

Geographically, the farther to the north of the Empire, the colder the weather. In particular, in winter, snow falls before the growth of an adult woman, and since the winter is long, this place is also famous for the fact that the snow in the mountains doesn’t melt until flowers bloom in the capital.

However, only in the Jenus Mountains, which are believed to be guarded by the goddess herself, the weather was strangely mild all year round. Even in winter, the temperature wasn’t so low, snow rarely fell, and in spring the flowers bloom before the capital.

Yurina, who had attended every tournament since she was a child, was amazed at the sight of the flowers in the garden of the villa, unlike in the capital, where the branches were still bare. She didn’t believe it was due to the protection of the goddess, so she thought there might be other, more scientific reasons. But she couldn’t find a single explanation, even after searching the books.

“It looks like this goddess really exists.”

Yurina looked at the flowers blooming around her and thought all sorts of stupid things.

The secular life of the capital’s nobility ends every time at the beginning of winter and begins again in the spring, when the first flowers bloom. Thus, the hunting tournament, held at the turn of winter and spring, became the first social event of the year. For the nobility, this was an important opportunity to exchange gossip and make new connections before the season got underway.

On the one hand, knights with the coats of arms of each family were waiting, and on the other, groups of three or five, divided according to common interests.

Among the many people, Yurina’s attention was drawn to a couple of young lovers who were talking to her right. The girl timidly held out a handkerchief to her lover, and the young man with a sword on his belt smiled broadly. It was a young couple of Yurina or Reynard’s age.

The knight who was handed the handkerchief kissed it with a pleased face, and then tied it around the hilt of the sword. The blonde girl blushed as she looked at it.

“Something fresh.”

Yurina always thought it was a boring novel whenever she remembered such scenes in her head. Sewing handkerchiefs for her brothers, she didn’t attach much importance to this. She simply reasoned that it would be more difficult to propitiate them and keep them from paying too much attention to her if they didn’t enlist the handkerchiefs laid down for them.

However, when she looked at the favors of this young couple clinging to each other like they were anointed with honey, Yurina felt envious.

‘Do I envy them?’

While her thoughts led her into the unknown wilds, she accidentally glanced at her own three handkerchiefs.

Oddly enough, Yurina looked at the three headscarves with the same crest and remembered another one that wasn’t even with her.

There was one particular handkerchief that took much more time and effort into its creation than others. A handkerchief embroidered with yellow flowers, holding memories of the time spent with him.

‘What a pity.’

Yurina wasn’t too sad now knowing that Aiden Tessie would send the handkerchief back. But, on the other hand, the burden of regret still remained. Yurina wanted Reynard to get his handkerchief on the hunt. But where is the handkerchief now?

Eaten by regrets, Yurina unconsciously glanced at those two lovers. Suddenly, the man knelt in front of the woman and kissed her hand.

The meaning of such a kiss is respect and devotion.

“Yurina, I will protect you.”

In the blink of an eye, Yurina saw an illusion of her own face and Reynard’s face on top of the pair opposite. Then she shook her head, surprised at her own thoughts.

“You’re going crazy.”

She patted her cheek with her hand and looked back in surprise at the sound coming from behind her.

“Yurina.”

Riggs, dressed in a hunting suit with the crest of the Carthia family on his chest, walked over and stood in front of her.

“What were you looking at?”

“Oh, I just watch people. I hope everything goes well.”

Yurina looked at that pair of lovers again. Following her gaze, Riggs turned away and laughed at the scene.

“In the end, our main point of hunting is scarves from the lady of the heart.”

He then asked in an inappropriately playful voice.

“Are you jealous that you have to perform with your brother?”

“Ah, it looks a bit like that. But what’s the point of getting a knight’s oath from a brother?”

Yurina handed him a handkerchief with Riggs’s name on it.

“Okay then. Here is the handkerchief.”

“Did you make a handkerchief?”

“Of course.”

“Looks good.”

“I had to suffer with it.”

Yurina just shrugged.

Riggs exclaimed, looking at the meticulously embroidered family crest, and then tied a handkerchief around his wrist. Then, instead of kneeling down to imitate the other knights, he just patted Yurina on the head. When he noticed her displeasure, he quickly removed his hand.

“In exchange for this handkerchief, your brother will make you the First Lady.”

First Lady is a title given to the winner’s companion. Yurina had little interest in such things, but for girls her age, it was the highest honor.

But what is the point of receiving such a gift from your own brother? For a moment, she had some grotesque thought, but Yurina kept that thought in her heart and only laughed.

“Mm. I’m looking forward to it. Get me a lot of things.”

Riggs also won the hunting competition last year. Yurina firmly believed that he would win this year as well.

“But you have to take care of yourself. Much better to return home unharmed.”

“Oh, I want to catch something too. Will I get a handkerchief? With it, I can even catch a deer.”

The voice of the intruder wedged between the two. At that moment, Edwin and Justin looked at the two with their arms crossed over their chests.