CH 49

It was the day of the Hunting Festival.

Reihausd wore the choker and saw me off, yet when I told him it was okay to stop, he shook his head and said he wanted to keep wearing it.

He offered to give me a connection artifact with a different function, but I barely refused.

‘I’ve never put a location tracking crystal I received in a drawer without taking it out, but there must have been something like that in the past.’

He looked strangely disappointed, but I pretended not to know.

I was escorted by Dwayne into the carriage, then we left soon after.

It was a clear day, and a few clouds were slowly drifting through the sky.

Today’s Hunting Festival was held on the border of the Kinston Mountains and the capital.

It wasn’t far from the Imperial Palace, but it took quite a while to get from the temple.

‘It’s a little delayed.’

Passing through the square and entering the curved road, there were a lot of carriages in front of mine.

This is because, unlike the Rose Festival that commoners enjoy, it’s a hunting festival attended by a large number of nobles.

We went slowly and stopped, and I looked out the window of the carriage, which was moving slowly, with a monotonous expression.

I saw a shabby girl standing with a basket full of apples and a boy about five years old holding the girl’s other hand.

The expression on the girl’s face, begging for an apology, was innocent, and without realizing it, my expression loosened.

Soon the girl took an apple out of the basket, then the boy bit it, saying he liked the apple.

Crunch, crunch, when I saw the apple went into the boy’s mouth, I was salivating as well.

“…!”

Suddenly, the boy who was eating the apple made eye contact with me.

I saw the boy calling his sister and pointing his finger at my carriage. It’s surprising for them because it’s a white temple carriage.

The moment I waved my hand, the children rejoiced as if they had seen a celebrity.

After a while, I turned my head away from the children. As the carriage began to move slowly.

And at one point, someone poked an apple in front of the carriage window.

I flinched my shoulders in surprise and looked at him.

“…Marquis Lloyd?”

I opened the window with him holding out an apple with his white gloved hand.

I took it in bewilderment while staring at him.

If he usually dresses like a wealthy master, today he even wore a jacket and hat, so he looked like a perfect noble.

Next to him was a fine brown horse with a mane.

“Eat it. Because it’s an expensive apple that I bought for 10 franc from the girl selling apples.”

I asked, amazed.

“10 franc?”

Even if that whole apple basket is bought, it won’t cost you 2 franc.

Standing in front of my eyes, he is a merchant who never makes a loss.

I glanced at the sweet-looking apple, then looked at him again.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“It’s not expensive if I can live with the favor of the Saintess.”

I was a little embarrassed by that lovely smile and turned my gaze to the apple.

“Are you going to the Hunting Festival too, Marquis?”

“That’s right.”

He got on his horse and followed the carriage slowly.

“It must be the Saintess’ first time.”

He seemed to know that Ariel hadn’t attended most of the events so far.

“Yes. It seems like a bigger event than I thought. Seeing the road slide like this.”

After a while I heard his voice.

“This doesn’t happen every year. This year is special.”

He continued, as if he had read my questioning gaze.

“It’s said that since the Empress is pregnant, this year, the attention of the nobles is focused.”

The absolute power of the Empire rested with the Emperor. However, there were two opposing factions under the Emperor: the Imperial faction and the Crown Prince faction.

Although many nobles supported Prince Kyle, the Sword Master and All-Powerful Prince, he didn’t seem very interested in power struggles.

Even if he renounced his position as Crown Prince, maybe it was because he was one of the top people in the continent just by the name of the Sword Master, and yet he had excellent political skills and was a natural born warrior.

On the other hand, the Imperial faction, which was a political faction gathered around Young Count Mikhael, was growing rapidly enough to be compared to the Crown Prince faction.

As the Empress is pregnant this time, there is a great possibility that the minority of the Imperial Family would be on an equal footing with the mainstream, the Crown Prince faction.

If the baby in the Empress’s womb is a boy.

“The High Priest can’t be seen today.”

“Ah, he’s welcoming guests from abroad.”

It was the reason he was so busy these days.

Instead, in the four carriages behind me, there were three high-ranking priests each. They will heal the royals and nobles who are wounded in the Hunting Festival.

“Then can I escort you to the Hunting Festival? I’ll even give you a tour of the hunting grounds.”

At his sudden words, I shook my head and declined. That figure suddenly overlapped with the figure leading me at the night market.

“I’ll be guided by Dwayne. And because I’m not in good shape, I’m not attracted to the hunting grounds.”

“I see. That’s too bad.”

Cass’s low voice whispered softly in my ear.

“I thought it would be better for me to stay with you and protect you.”

I asked him back.

“The Marquis, towards me?”

I asked with a smile.

Then, suddenly, his voice lowered.

“Even if you feel better, don’t enter the hunting grounds. I’m telling you this because I have some ominous information.”

“…Thank you for your concern.”

A faint smile crept across Cass’ lips as he looked at me the moment I stared straight at him.

“After seeing the Saintess’ reaction, you knew it too.”

I didn’t answer him.

The information about the Thief’s Guild obtained through the child was of great help to me, but there was no reason to reveal it.

Soon, the congested road began to be re-opened.

As the carriage’s speed increased, and the horse’s walking speed made it difficult to keep pace with each other, he hurried the horse and ran.

“Anyway, I’ll see you at the Hunting Festival.”

His horse, which ran faster than the carriage, gradually passed in front of me.

The apple he gave was still in my hand. I picked it up and bit it. I could feel the sweet fruit juice and apple scent on my teeth.

***

A magnificent tune played by the Imperial Ensemble spread across the mountains.

As Dwayne guided me, I walked up the carpet to greet the Emperor and Empress, and gave a brief congratulatory speech.

After being greeted by the nobles, I sat down on a large chair a few meters away.

Several large tents were visible, and there were hundreds of horses and as many nobles as there were horses. And there were a lot more people in maid outfits that seemed to help them.

Just like Cass I saw earlier, the nobles were each wearing stylish activewear. Prince Kyle, who always wore a black uniform, was the same.

He had a more aggressive and intense impression than usual, wearing a navy blue combat uniform with a sleek design and a long sword around his waist.

He checked his black horse several times, then pulled out a blue blade and looked at it into the sun. Then, with a squeaky sound, he put it into the sheath.

Perhaps it was because he was a Sword Master, his sense of intimidation was different even among the numerous nobles and knights.

The knights often glanced at Kyle, as if it were felt among them.

Perhaps it was no different for the Empress. Unlike the last time, when attention was mainly focused on me, he’s only getting attention because of his giant presence in front of the wild.

Putting the sword into his scabbard, he turned his head.

Our eyes met head-on. I felt a bit embarrassed and tried to avoid his gaze, yet he strode towards me.

His red eyes in broad daylight were more vivid.

There was a strange sense of tension.

Everyone’s eyes turned to me and Kyle.

“Blessing of the Saintess.”

He put his hand up and grabbed my hand. Then, immediately, the chat window in front of me flashed.

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, blesses you.]

A tiger’s energy sprang up all over my body.

…Ciel? Why are you blessing me all of a sudden, leaving the male lead behind?

Even Ciel was the God who blessed Kyle’s birth month.

Reluctantly, I grabbed his hand and kissed the back of his hand. And then, slowly, he took his hand away.

“May the blessings of the Nine Gods rest upon the Crown Prince.”