CH 3.16

Two white horses and a stunning man were under the blazing sun. His hand, which was brushing his mane, closes up. It looks like a fantasy crossover that should not be broken. However, it only lasted for a brief moment, sigh. Lacius, who had found me, turned his blue-gray eyes to me.

“It suits you well.”

“Does it?”

“You look good in a dress, but even better in a hunting suit. It is not an easy task.”

“Let’s just say, I’m perfect in whatever I wear.”

I replied casually and shook my head to regain my composure. I then walked past Cat, who was intently grooming its tail, and approached Lacius.

It’s a beautiful day.

His blonde hair, which was roughly twisted and tied up, glistened even more today. Lacius, who was dressed more casually than usual, took something from his pocket and held it out to me.

“Please take this with you.”

“What exactly is this? A whistle?”

“Blow it if you’re in danger or get separated from the crowd. I’ll be nearby.”

It’s a lightweight metal whistle.

I took up the whistle, taking care not to brush my hand against Lacius’s. Lacius raised his brows as if he was grasping a melting chocolate.

He probably didn’t notice that I was avoiding touching him. But why didn’t I want to touch him after holding his hand in the courtroom?

Well, I am also confused by my own actions, so I simply looked at the whistle and brought it to my mouth. I bit it between my lips and tried to blow it, but no whistle sound was heard like I was expecting. It created absolutely no sound.

“It’s a silent whistle. It is a tool used for infiltrating enemy camps and conducting operations. Only specially trained knights can hear it.”

“Wait, is this a military item?”

“Sort of.”

…?

Even though you’re a knight commander, aren’t you being a little too casual in lending this to me?

I rolled the whistle in my hand and looked at Lacius with trepidation.

“Can I take these things for myself if I want to?”

Lacius shrugged. Of course, it was a no-way gesture.

“…… Alright then! I’ll hide it well and return it to you later. Thank you for looking after me.”

“Take care of yourself. I can’t always be by your side.”

“I know, don’t worry.”

I’m worried that this hunting will be more than just riding a horse, but I have Cat by my side. I don’t know who would dare to harm me in the presence of the princess, but I wouldn’t let down my guard.

“All right! Cat, let’s go!”

* * *

“Wow.”

We finally arrived at the hunting location after some time. There were already a large number of people gathered at the forest’s entrance.

Male knights stood guard outside, while female knights warmed up inside, and the princess stood in the center.

The chefs, with their simple kitchen set up, were busy on one side, while the servants were diligently carrying arrows in front of the neatly built barracks.

In addition, there were a few women in a corner near the forest who were neither knights nor maids, but they had foreign expressions as if they were unfamiliar with this place.

After seeing all of those sights from the carriage, I decided to get out. Then I motioned to Cat. That meant “follow me” . I have to release the pitiful white horses who had to run while sniffing Cat. Of course, the other horses nearby began to hiss with every step Cat took, but that was unavoidable. After all, the princess told me to ride Cat.

“Lady Oberon, you’ve arrived.”

“Your Majesty! You look fantastic today. I almost fell in love with you.”

I rushed up to her, making a remark that was half sincere, half nonsense.

It was so good that this body was tall and the stride was wide. After a few steps, I reached the front of the princess and bowed my head to greet her gracefully.

“You, too, look radiant. It’s also been a while since I’ve seen this little guy.”

The knights’ eyes widened, as if they were about to pop out, as the princess casually greeted the black panther. I’m joking when I say Cat is a cat, but it’s actually a child large enough to easily break a carriage.

I am its master, so I don’t need a strong heart to communicate with wild beasts.

-A foul odor is emanating from afar.

“You can smell it.You have a decent sense of smell, don’t you?”

-It smells dirty.

The princess smiled as Cat grumbled. The princess didn’t seem surprised at all, despite the fact that she had just witnessed an animal talking. Of course, everyone else’s jaws were drooping and mouths were wide open.

‘Do talking animals already exist here?’

Actually, I was a little embarrassed because I expected the princess to be surprised, but I kept my smile on. Instead, I grabbed the irritated Cat’s nape.

“Thank you, Your Highness, for being so understanding of this guy’s rude words and actions.”

“Aren’t all cats born like that? Cats and dogs are not the same after all.”

“Yes. Thank you for your understanding.”

Cat turned its head and whined as soon as the word “cat” was mentioned. He dislikes cats because they are small.

‘But if you look at his actions, it’s the same…’

He’s a large cat.

I knew nothing about black panthers, so I drew all of his behaviors while imagining a cat. He’s a peculiar case.

I took a glass from the servant and took a closer look around.

Something appeared in the distance like a mirage as I left Cat sulking alone and looked at the spacious and quiet road.

“Hm?”

The wind’s direction changed at that moment. I wrinkled my nose and set the glass down. A massive cage on a cart was approaching.

But even from a distance, I can tell it’s filthy and stinks. I had to cover my nose right away because the smell was so strong.

‘Pigs?’

It smells exactly like this if you go near a pig farm in the countryside, which everyone despises. But I assumed the princess would hunt wild boars; I didn’t expect her to release pigs to shoot arrows with.

“It has arrived. They are today’s pigs.”

It’s not pigs…?

I squinted and peered inside the cage, which was getting closer to us. Are they pigs? No. I don’t think so.

And after a while, I tilted my head.

“Uh, well, I dare not question the Princess’ words, but……”

After some deliberation. In the end, I had no choice but to ask her.

“They appear to be biologically human.”

“It should be because they were conceived in a human womb. However, because they decided to be pigs, they are pigs from now on.”