Chapter 52

The King's Cup Hunting Tournament was an annual event held every fall. Participants would move to the Orte Forest, the royal hunting grounds north of San Carlo, set up tents, and hunt all day long. The high-ranking nobles, noble ladies, and young noblewomen would gather in the tents set up at the entrance of the forest to chat, while the young men, armed with bows and quivers, leading hunting dogs, would venture deep into the forest to hunt game.

The highlight of the day was the award ceremony to determine the winner of the hunting tournament. The schedule would start early in the morning, and after tallying the day's catch in the afternoon, the young man who brought back the best game would be awarded a prize. The prize was a small amount of gold coins from His Majesty the King and a laurel wreath personally placed by Queen Marguerite.

Other notable items were the ribbons and handkerchiefs given by the young noblewomen. Handkerchiefs were seen as a symbol of secret meetings, so unless a young noblewoman was very bold, she would not casually give away her own handkerchief. However, on this day, it was generously allowed to give handkerchiefs as a sign of praise to the winner of the hunting tournament.

"Who do you think will win this time?"

Arabella asked Ariadne with sparkling eyes. Lately, Arabella had been spending all her time in Ariadne's parlor. To the young Arabella, the affairs of high society, the events happening to her older sisters, the letters and notes from men, the bouquets and gifts, all seemed like stories from another world. She never tired of hearing them and always wanted to hear more.

"I don't know."

Ariadne shook her head. The court nobles who had settled in San Carlo were more skilled in chess and literature than in hunting or swordsmanship. Therefore, the winner of the hunting tournament was often someone whose name was not familiar to the nobles of the capital.

"When I grow up and participate in the hunting tournament, I hope a handsome knight wins!"

Arabella wished. Ariadne smiled and replied.

"If you want a handsome knight, you can give your handkerchief even if he doesn't win."

Even if it wasn't given to the winner, it was common for a handkerchief to be shyly offered to someone who narrowly missed winning or to someone who just looked brave in the eyes of the young noblewoman, or for a ribbon to be tied to a saddle and left behind. The hunting tournament was an event where matches were often made between young men and women.

Arabella, who was unaware of these intricacies, her eyes lit up.

"I'm going to marry a handsome groom!"

"Good for you."

Ariadne laughed.

'I'll help you so that you can grow up safely and make your dreams come true. I'll change your fate.'

Arabella smiled as she imagined holding the hand of a handsome knight and visiting her home. Whether Arabella would ever learn of her half-sister's resolve was unknown.

Most of the capital nobles were invited to the hunting tournament, and since it was an outdoor event, there was no limit to the number of people who could attend. Therefore, even those who were not nobles, such as relatives of nobles or officials who had distinguished themselves, were generously invited.

For a man of low status but brave and ambitious, looking for a wife, the hunting tournament was the top event to attend. The reason Lucrezia did not send Janobi back to Taranto after the debutante ball was to have Janobi participate in this event. Lucrezia hoped that Janobi, her nephew, would charm a proper young lady and settle in the capital. However, considering Janobi's appearance, it seemed unlikely. Therefore, she hoped that Janobi would at least make acquaintances with the gentlemen and find a suitable job in the capital.

"You, this time, don't say anything strange and try to meet as many people as possible."

Lucrezia sternly instructed Janobi, who was seated.

"I'll do my best, Aunt Lucrezia!"

* * *

After the rejection of the dress from Collegione, Cesare continued to send gifts. Just before the hunting tournament, he sent a bouquet of the same red roses and an intricately crafted saddle made of deer leather. However, these were met with the young lady's ironclad coldness.

"Put the roses somewhere I can't see them, and return the saddle."

The mailman, who was familiar with Ariadne's instructions, took the large gift box without a word and left. So familiar was he with the routine that he would intercept Cesare's servant, receive the second young lady's instructions, and then have Cesare's servant take the gift back on his way out.

Isabella felt that she would develop a neurosis just by seeing the red roses. However, Ariadne also felt no joy when she saw the red roses. The letters Ariadne mainly received were from Prince Alfonso, written on gold-embossed paper. Prince Alfonso always wrote with a thick quill and blue ink on gold-embossed paper. However, after returning from the debutante ball, except for one letter confirming his successful entry into the palace, no further communication from Alfonso had arrived.

'What could have happened?'

Or, does he just not like me anymore? Ariadne would reminisce about the times she spent with Alfonso whenever she was alone. Was he upset that she didn't tell him in advance that the <Victoria Nike> at the Chibo Marquess's auction was a forgery? Was it too presumptuous of her to ask for a wish? Or was he disappointed by her large and unattractive figure at the debutante ball?

Just thinking about it made her feel unbearably depressed. Ariadne shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"Miss, you have a letter."

The mailman urged the dazed Ariadne. Whenever she received the message, "A letter has arrived," she would look forward to Prince Alfonso's letter, but the mailman would always hand her a large bouquet of red roses and a silver-embossed envelope from the De Como family.

Today was no different. The mailman handed her a silver-embossed envelope sealed with red wax, which contained a short note written in Cesare's beautiful handwriting.

"From your debutante partner,

I plan to win this hunting tournament. If I win by catching the golden deer, will you give me your handkerchief?

- Count Cesare."

Ariadne had been ignoring all of Cesare's notes, never sending a reply. However, this time, she was so annoyed that she almost wrote a reply telling him to go away. Ariadne, who had already placed the parchment and picked up a pen, stopped just before writing the first word, sighed, and put the pen down on the desk.

"What a shameless man."

She then took Cesare's letter, tore it up, and threw it in the trash. Even if she were starving, she wouldn't eat something that wasn't food. This was the moment when the personal letter from Count Cesare, which the capital's young noblewomen dreamed of receiving even in their sleep, became trash and was thrown away.

* * *

The day of the hunting tournament was a clear autumn day. The invited guests, each filled with anticipation, gathered in groups under the large white tents set up at the entrance of the Orte Forest, discussing the day's hunting tournament.

- "Who will be this year's winner?"

- "I heard that the diplomatic envoys from the Gallico Kingdom have arrived. Could it be one of their attendants?"

- "The nobles of San Carlo are a bit weak in martial arts, after all."

- "Still, I hope an Etruscan wins."

- "Yes, indeed."

Prince Alfonso was known for his excellence in swordsmanship, jousting, and hunting. However, until last year, he was still a boy, and Queen Marguerite, who cherished her son like a precious gem, prevented him from participating in any dangerous activities, so he had never participated in the hunting tournament. This year, he was finally going to make his debut, but the arrival of the Gallico Kingdom's diplomatic mission filled his schedule with meetings with foreign envoys, and he could not attend the hunting tournament. Today, Prince Alfonso's place was not in the hunting grounds but in the tent where the VIPs gathered.

"A house without a master is easy to rob."

Count Cesare de Como, a strong contender for the win, was eyeing the vacant seat. He was weak in physical strength, which was required in jousting, but he excelled in archery and horsemanship, where skill was more important than strength. The hunting tournament, where the winner was determined by archery, was the perfect stage for Cesare to shine.

"Is this like 'In the absence of the tiger, the fox reigns'?"

"Shut up, who are you calling a fox?"

Cesare, annoyed by the chattering Octavio, shook the reins and galloped forward alone. Even if Octavio hadn't irritated him, he planned to go alone today. If he went with another noble's child, they would have to share the game when they found it. Cesare, accompanied only by his servants and hunting dogs, intended to go deep into the forest to catch a wild boar, a bear, or even the legendary 'golden deer.'

"Hey, you guys, be careful not to hurt the 'golden deer.'"

"Come on, my lord. There's no way the 'golden deer' really exists. It's more practical to aim for a bear."

Cesare cheerfully shouted at his mocking subordinates.

"I really saw one before! Life is about one big shot. If you find the 'golden deer,' winning is a sure thing. Keep your eyes open and look for it!"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

Ariadne arrived at the Orte Forest, the site of the hunting tournament, with Lucrezia, Isabella, and Janobi. Today, they were riding horses instead of in a carriage. Not only the gentlemen but also the ladies were dressed in elegant riding outfits. Ariadne wore a new hunting cap from the Lazio tailor, a green riding outfit with vertical stripes, designed for easy movement, and rode a chestnut horse into the Orte Forest. Isabella, sitting on a white horse, was dressed in a splendid white riding outfit, seemingly not even considering the possibility of getting dirty. Lucrezia, despite wearing a riding outfit, had a deep neckline like an evening dress. Janobi, determined to catch a noble lady who could support him, was dressed to the best of his ability.

Isabella, who wanted to be with her friends today, seemed frustrated that she had to accompany her mother, who had not yet established herself in high society. However, considering that the number of Isabella's friends had decreased, it might have been better to have the excuse of taking care of her mother.

Ariadne looked around. Julia de Valdesar and her friends were mostly absent today. Young noblewomen who were already engaged did not attend the hunting tournament, and those from families so high in status that they would certainly be matched by their families also did not attend. Some attended to cheer on their brothers who were participating in the tournament, but Julia's brother was studying in Padua, and Cornelia had only a younger sister, while Gabriele's younger brother was too young to participate.

In the distance, Prince Alfonso could be seen. He was standing in the center of the tent, in the highest VIP seat, with Leo III, Queen Marguerite, and the Gallico envoys.

Ariadne looked at Prince Alfonso. The prince also looked in her direction. Their eyes met in the air.

Prince Alfonso, upon meeting Ariadne's gaze, looked embarrassed and bowed his head. He did not formally greet her or acknowledge her in any way.

Ariadne's mood suddenly sank. She understood intellectually. She and Prince Alfonso were just friends, and her excitement about him was something she alone carried. Prince Alfonso was currently performing official duties and had no time to spare for a friend. However, her heart did not follow her intellect.

Feeling a sense of loss, she bowed her head and spurred her horse forward.

* * *

The reason Alfonso did not greet Ariadne separately was not only due to his mother's instructions but also because of his current situation. Alfonso was not in a position to focus on personal romantic pursuits. A national-level matchmaking effort was underway, but it was not proceeding smoothly.

The Gallico envoys consisted of a duke, a count, and several officials, all of whom had served as diplomatic envoys to the Etruscan Kingdom multiple times. Naturally, they all spoke Etruscan fluently. The last time Duke Mirayeu came to Etrusca as a diplomatic envoy, he conversed with Etruscan noblewomen in fluent Etruscan.

However, today, for some reason, they all kept their mouths shut and spoke only in Gallico. The interpreter, who was nominally present, was visibly flustered when he actually had to do his job.

"It's a fine day, isn’t it."

Leo III, of course, could understand this simple Gallico, but it was unprecedented for the king to communicate in a foreign language, and the gathered officials were all flustered. The only one who could respond to the envoys' small talk was Queen Marguerite, who was of Gallico origin and could speak Gallico without it being a disadvantage.

Finally, unable to bear it, Count Marquez spoke to the Gallico envoys through the interpreter.

"Since you are in Etrusca, you should follow Etruscan customs. Let's have a comfortable conversation in a language we both understand."

The Gallico envoy, Duke Mirayeu, smiled sardonically and replied.

"What makes a country great? Its language, I'd say."