Chapter 34

"That's... not because I'm scared... I mean..."

As I nervously sweated, Prince Orca, who had been glaring sharply, smiled and burst into laughter.

"I was just joking. You seemed so tense, so I decided to play a little prank."

"Joking?"

"I know that many people feel uncomfortable because I am a prince. But I detest authority... so please, treat me casually."

'Treat, treat me casually...?'

Can I ever think of Orca casually...? As I awkwardly smiled, the atmosphere around me quickly became noisy.

"There he is!"

The urgent voice of the usually composed Countess Gilan was the first to be heard, followed by the hurried footsteps of people.

"Are you alright, Madame? I've brought some people..."

The Countess, who had led the armed knights, quickly came over to check on my condition. Seeing the bear that had completely lost consciousness, she trailed off. Clearly, she was puzzled as to how the bear ended up like that, given that I couldn't even shoot an arrow properly. I reassured the shocked Countess with a slight smile.

"I'm fine. His Highness happened to pass by and helped me."

"Oh my. His Highness?"

The Countess, with wide eyes, looked at Prince Orca, who nodded with a smile. She seemed very flustered that the prince had witnessed the incident and hurriedly bowed to me.

"It's my fault, Madame. I didn't properly inspect the bows for the guests... I never imagined there would be such a defective one."

The Countess sighed as she looked at my bow, which was rolling on the ground. All the tools for the hunt were provided by the organizers, but the Countess seemed to think that my poor performance was due to the defective bow, not my lack of skill.

'She doesn't seem to think that someone could be so bad at archery...'

I had heard that the eastern region, bordering other countries and frequented by various monsters, was mostly inhabited by excellent warriors. But the fact that even the noble ladies took this for granted was surprising! I felt embarrassed by my own lack of skill and uncomfortable with the Countess's apology, causing me to break out in a cold sweat.

"First, you should change your clothes since they're dirty."

The Countess, looking at my dirty clothes from sitting on the ground, suggested sympathetically. Indeed, my appearance was a mess, so I readily agreed.

"There's a spare set of clothes in the carriage."

"Thank goodness. We've set up a small tent, so you can change there... The maids are waiting near the canopy, so I'll ask one of the maids from your household to bring you a change of clothes."

"Thank you for your consideration, Madame."

"Not at all. I'm sorry for the lack of preparation. You must have been quite startled, so please rest in the tent. The tent isn't far from here, so I'll guide you..."

Just as the Countess was about to accompany me, an elderly maid standing beside her interjected carefully.

"Madam, it wouldn't be good for the host to be away for too long. I'll guide the Madame to the tent."

Given that the maid could confidently advise the noble lady, she must have been a loyal servant who had been with the Countess for a long time. Since her suggestion was reasonable, the Countess looked at me apologetically.

"Oh... Madame..."

"It's fine. As the host, you need to look after the other guests."

I quickly nodded to the maid to ease the Countess's heavy heart. She quickly approached me and bowed. Before following the maid's guidance, I bowed to Orca again.

"And to His Highness. Thank you for your help."

"It's nothing. Anyone would have done the same."

Orca's face, now smiling warmly, showed no trace of the sharp glare from earlier. His current expression was so gentle and kind that I wondered if what I had seen before was just a misunderstanding.

'People with unreadable intentions are scary.'

I preferred Altear, who at least had a straightforward scary face.

"Then, Madame, I'll guide you."

I tried to shake off the unsettling gaze of Orca and followed the maid. As I moved forward, the sounds of the people who had gathered for the small commotion gradually faded away. The scent of the forest was thick, and the surroundings were quiet, gradually calming my heart, which had been racing from the encounter with the bear. However, the tent, which was supposed to be nearby, did not appear even as my heart returned to its usual pace.

'The surroundings seem so secluded...'

I felt a chill run down my spine.

"Um..."

Just as I was about to ask if we had taken a wrong turn, the maid stopped.

"This way, Madame."

Sure enough, a small tent appeared before us. Seeing it, my anxious heart settled.

"Go inside and rest. A maid from your household will bring you a change of clothes."

'Sigh. To doubt a veteran maid!'

I silently apologized for doubting her and nodded slightly. Entering the tent, a cozy atmosphere greeted me. The forest was cool, but the inside was warm, and the tension in my shoulders gradually eased. I sat on a chair prepared in the tent and waited for Marie. The wait was tedious, but fortunately, I felt movement at the tent entrance before too long.

'Huh?'

Thinking the visitor would be Marie, I stood up from the chair and saw someone unexpected at the entrance.

"... Lord Balhail?"

It was Balhail, Altear's relative. When I called his name, he smiled and entered the tent playfully.

"You remembered my name."

"Since you're the lord's relative, you're also part of my family. I should remember you."

"Indeed, you are sensible. You don't fit with the incorrigible Altear."

Balhail approached me with a sly smile. I took a few steps back and clenched my fists.

"You seem to have a misunderstanding. The lord... Altear... is not an incorrigible person."

"Rather, you seem to not understand Altear. Everyone knows how incorrigible he is. It's pitiful that you don't know."

Balhail clicked his tongue and stopped. I had been backing away until I was pushed against the wall. Feeling an ominous premonition, I looked around for a way to escape. Suddenly, Balhail reached out and stroked my cheek. I was startled and reflexively pushed his hand away. His eyes instantly flared with anger.

"To hit someone. You must have learned such rudeness from Altear."

His threatening gaze made me shiver with fear, but I felt I had to say this.

"R-rude and incorrigible... are all... you."

"What?"

"Altear told me not to deal with you for a reason. If you're Altear's relative and truly part of the family, you wouldn't do such things... Ah!"

I bowed my head and mustered the courage to shout, but Balhail grabbed my shoulder forcefully.

"Tsk. I thought you were just pretty, but you can also be so annoying?"

"Let go of me!"

I tried to break free from Balhail's grip, but it was impossible to overcome the strength of a man. The more I struggled, the more Balhail seemed to enjoy it.

"Yeah, yeah. Taming a docile one is less fun than this."

"Ugh!"

Balhail pulled me forcefully, making my body follow his.

"Everything Altear has is mine. His title, his land, and..."

The way Balhail leered at me and scanned my body sent shivers down my spine.

"You're quite appealing, aren't you?"

"Stop... stop talking nonsense!"

"Nonsense? You should learn to play your part well. When he dies, I'll be the heir to Eilsford. Got it?"

I knew that Altear wanted a child for the succession issue. I never imagined that the person he needed to protect his title so urgently was such a rogue. This wasn't just Altear's personal problem. If such a strange person inherited the title, Eilsford's future would quickly fall into ruin.

'And if Altear dies...'

I couldn't bear to listen to Balhail's dirty mouth spewing ominous words any longer. I bit my lip and glared at him.

"About something that hasn't even happened..."

"Hmph. Who said it hasn't happened?"

Before I could finish, Balhail sneered and mocked me.

"By now, Altear's body must be cold."

"W-what... what do you mean...?"

"Being injured by a beast during a hunt is common. Even if the wound is severe, it's just bad luck, right?"

His words sounded like a plan to kill Altear and make it look like an accident. Indeed, that's exactly what it was.

"Forgot? Who brought you here? The Countess's maid, right?"

"..."

"People are easy to manipulate. Give them money, and they'll do anything. It cost a bit, but once Eilsford is mine... it's a small price to pay."

I couldn't respond and just trembled. Balhail laughed loudly, clearly enjoying the moment.

"Be grateful. I was going to get rid of you, but your beauty changed my mind. From now on, just be affectionate and serve me well. Though, thinking about how you've been with Altear... it's a bit of a turn-off."

Balhail licked his lips and tapped my cheek lightly with his finger.

"But, it has its own charm, I guess."

Suddenly, Balhail's demeanor changed. He glared fiercely and threw me onto the field bed. I couldn't resist and was pushed onto the bed. I thought about escaping, but Balhail was already on top of me, grabbing my neck with his hand.

"Ugh!"

"Resisting will only make it harder for you, got it?"

The hand around my neck tightened, making it hard to breathe. I tried to push his hand away, but then...

"Hey, this isn't your private room. Be a bit quieter!"

A voice rang out from under the bed. Both Balhail and I were startled by the unexpected voice. Recognizing the voice, my heart melted.

'Cain!'