It was the first time I had seen her up close. The impression was very different from her portrait. In the portrait, she appeared beautiful but had a slightly dark and mature aura, but seeing her in person, despite being two years older than me, perhaps due to her small stature, she actually seemed younger.

“I’m Oscar Serpentine. Having only communicated through letters, meeting like this makes me even more delighted.”

The extended hand looked awkward. Belatedly grasping her small hand and shaking it, she also smiled back at me.

“I never thought I’d see the day when I’d encounter the Serpentine family crest here. How fascinating.”

Glancing through the slightly open door, she didn’t seem to harbor any aversion towards our family. Rather, her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“May I come inside?”

“Inside?”

“Yes.”

She spoke so nonchalantly that I almost instinctively invited her in without a second thought. Was it alright to let her inside? Due to my lack of experience in social circles, I couldn’t be sure if it was acceptable.

There was no one to ask. The two knights behind her showed no reaction, and as for my side…

“Hmm.”

There was no point in asking those who couldn’t even speak.

Nonetheless, she was quite brazen. An ordinary person would find the cloth worn by the servants eerie enough to deter them from approaching.

“I don’t think that would be appropriate.”

I refused with an embarrassed smile. If someone were to witness the young lady of House Raven entering our family’s tent, who knew what rumors might spread? Especially in a situation where I was alone in the tent.

“As a lady, you’re someone who attracts attention, so it would be wise for you to be cautious.”

“Oh my.”

Genevieve curved her eyes.

“Do I attract a lot of attention from others?”

“Pardon? Of course…”

This was a hunting competition held in Raven territory. Wouldn’t it be stranger not to be mindful of her, the eldest daughter of House Raven?

“How kind of you.”

She smiled sweetly. But for some reason, her gaze seemed a bit peculiar. It felt like she was observing me, but it was different from the others I had encountered upon entering.

Genevieve leaned her face closer to mine. As if she intended to peer into my inner organs, her gaze was thoroughly inquisitive. My reflection was captured in her glistening black eyes. They were even more serpentine than the eyes of the Serpentine duke.

Thud. Someone grabbed my shoulder and slightly pulled me back. Thanks to that, the distance between Genevieve Raven and me, who had been standing close, widened a bit.

“…Oh, thank you.”

Glancing up, I noticed it was the blonde-haired servant who had pulled me back.

Looking ahead again, Genevieve, who had returned to her original posture as if she had never leaned in, was staring at me.

The unpleasant gaze that had been observing me was gone, replaced by a normal face, smiling brightly.

‘The impression is completely different from her letters.’

While I was thinking that, she, who had been looking at me with a smile, suddenly stiffened her expression slightly.

“Actually, there’s something I need to tell you. Could we talk privately for a moment, just the two of us?”

The playful atmosphere vanished in an instant. It seemed like something I needed to hear, but to follow Genevieve, who was no different from a stranger, alone was a bit…

“The reason for assigning knights?”

Suddenly, the duke’s words came to mind. The duke stared at me intently and added.

“Accidents happen frequently. So, make sure to always have knights accompany you.”

Weapons were not allowed in the banquet, but the hunting competition was different. Although they were for hunting, everyone carried weapons such as swords or bows, so it wouldn’t be surprising if an accident occurred at any time.

“Let’s talk here.”

“No. We need to be somewhere with just the two of us.”

However, Genevieve was also adamant. She glanced at the knights behind me and said.

“Can’t you leave the knights behind?”

“They are…”

What were her intentions? Was there a reason for her sudden behavior? Although we had exchanged letters, we weren’t close enough to have a private conversation. I was contemplating that it might be a bit excessive. Genevieve’s face, which had been composed, was tinged with an anxious expression.

“I apologize.”

She didn’t seem like someone who would harm me, but there was no harm in being cautious. Upon my refusal, Genevieve slightly furrowed her brows and was about to say something. But just then, the surroundings became noisy.

“It seems they’re about to start. We should get going.”

Originally, I had also planned to change clothes and leave, but I was delayed due to Genevieve’s visit.

Sounds of nobles emerging from other tents and moving about could be heard.

“I’m not sure what you wanted to discuss, but there will be other opportunities for us to talk, my lady.”

“You must keep that promise.”

The banquet after the hunting competition would be safe, so there would be a chance for us to converse. Although we wouldn’t be able to have a lengthy conversation.

As I nodded my head, Genevieve smiled brightly again.

“Pardon my intrusion.”

“Not at all. Please go ahead.”

The speed at which she changes her demeanor is exceptional. The troubled expression from earlier was gone, replaced by a smiling face once more. Genevieve bid me farewell, saying, “Then,” and took the lead in walking away.

“Shall we go too?”

The servants assigned to me were swift. They had already fetched my bow and sword, and they began walking in step with me. However, I kept getting the feeling that they were sticking a bit too… close. Glancing sideways, I noticed the blonde knight was particularly excessive.

Their actions kept reminding me of someone else, but…

‘No, it can’t be.’

The scent, the gait, the posture. There was nothing about them that resembled Zachary.

Servants didn’t act without reason, so this must have been the duke’s order as well. I tried to reassure myself to pay as little attention to it as possible and kept walking.

“Wow…”

We finally arrived. The sight of hundreds of people gathered caused my mouth to gape open involuntarily. Would I ever have the opportunity to see so many nobles in my lifetime? On the spacious platform, all the high-ranking nobles were seated, including Mother and the duke.

Above the platform where the nobles were seated, there was a raised dais. Three people were visible in the highest positions. The one sitting in the center was likely the king, with the queen and the prince on either side.

‘So that’s the king of Solaris.’

It was my first time seeing him in person. The deep brick-colored hair and amber eyes, symbolizing the Solaris royal family, closely resembled Mother’s. After all, they were siblings.

“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend.”

However, he was… less impressive than I had anticipated.

The king, with his thin physique, had a face that appeared irritable. Perhaps I was viewing him through tinted glasses because I didn’t like him.

“We have gathered here today to showcase the strength and courage that each of us possesses. I believe today’s hunting competition will be a proud day for displaying our excellent qualities to the fullest.”

Nevertheless, I suppose one could say that a king is still a king. His speech had the charisma to captivate people’s attention.

“Aren’t all the nobles gathered here representing the glorious history and future of our kingdom? Today, we will reaffirm our solidarity and unity. The sun is one, and under the sun, all are one. We will continue to move forward together for the everlasting prosperity of Solaris.”

As I listened quietly to his speech, I suddenly recalled something Mother had said.

“Why are they holding a hunting competition, you ask? Oh, please- I heard the crown prince is exceptionally skilled at hunting. They’re doing this to enhance his prestige.”

Mother had remarked with a snort. As expected, when the king paused for a moment and gestured, the crown prince stepped to the side and took the king’s hand. For a fourteen-year-old, he was quite large in stature, and compared to the rumors I had heard, his demeanor seemed gentle.

“I hope everyone has an enjoyable time. For the glory of Solaris!”

“For the glory!”

Regardless of the intention, a festival is still a festival. How many days would there be when so many people gather to enjoy an event like this?

“The hunting competition will now begin!”

As the king took his seat, a member of the royal knights who had come to preside over the event spoke from the podium.

The rules were simple. You hunt with two knights. Then, the hunted beasts are marked with different colors according to their size, and points are allocated. Large game is marked in red, while small rabbits and such are marked in green, and points are assigned accordingly.

In any case, I had no intention of hunting at all.

‘I’m attending to put an end to the rumors, but in truth, I have a different objective.’

Mother’s words were not false. Even while standing, I could feel the gazes of the nobles staring intently at me. Seeing their startled expressions as they whispered among themselves, it seemed the rumors about me being gravely ill were indeed true… It left a slightly bitter taste.

‘Oh, Mother noticed me here.’

Glancing around from the dais, Mother spotted me immediately amidst the large crowd. Even from a distance, as soon as she saw me, she smiled with curved eyes, and I reciprocated with a smile. However, the duke sitting next to her was acting strangely. As soon as he laid eyes on me, he widened his eyes in surprise and abruptly stood up from his seat.

‘…Why is the duke behaving like that?’

Mother was also taken aback by the duke’s actions. She, too, looked at the duke with a momentarily startled expression, and the gazes of the surrounding nobles were all focused on the duke.

The duke stared intently in my direction, but when Mother tugged on his sleeve, he had no choice but to sit back down. His face had turned pale. Yes, as if he had seen a ghost.

“I wish you all good fortune!”

However, I couldn’t observe the duke any longer. As everyone started mounting their horses one by one, I couldn’t remain still. As soon as I got on the horse brought by the servants, a bout of coughing erupted from my throat.

Despite my frail body, what could I do? With a bright smile, I gave the command.

“Let’s go.”

My heart raced at the thought of seeing the border.