Chapter 123. Captured by the Wind

It was easy to guess why Angela was having another outburst without tiring.

‘She must have seen Enoch kissing me.’

Angela was excessively obsessed with Enoch, after all.

After confirming that there was no one nearby, Ellen gave her a slight sideways glance. Angela visibly flinched and trembled as if she had been greatly insulted.

As expected… Judging by her reaction, it was clear she wasn’t in control of her emotions.

‘Was it really that shocking to see Enoch showing affection to me so openly…?’

Well, Angela’s state of mind was none of Ellen’s concern. Ellen pondered how to get rid of this annoying woman and then spoke.

“Who I support is not a big deal. I’m supporting you too, Miss Besnard. I hope you don’t fall off that horse…”

“What… what did you say…?”

Angela’s lips quivered with humiliation. Indeed, her riding posture was very unstable. As the daughter of a Margrave¹T/N: IDK if it’s a typo, but in Ch43, the author wrote that Besnard is an old count (​​백작) family, but in this chapter, the author wrote 변경백(margrave), it was unlikely she hadn’t learned to ride, so she must lack talent.

And Ellen was easily convinced that this was one of Angela’s complexes.

“Even though you were childhood friends, it seems Enoch never taught you how to ride? He taught me personally. That’s why I’m so good at it.”

“……”

Angela, who had picked a fight only to come up short, bit her lower lip hard, her face turning pale. Her hands holding the reins were trembling.

Ellen, feeling victorious, passed her by and was about to leave when Angela’s voice suddenly stopped her in her tracks.

“…Is it true?”

“……?”

“Is it true that your maternal family… the Raman family was a noble family with a long history in Katar?”

Why does she care?

Ellen tilted her head, frowning slightly.

“Yes, according to Prince Ikram, it is.”

“…That’s really unexpected.”

What’s so unexpected? That the lineage of Ellenore Lopez, whom she thought was lowly, was actually noble?

‘How typical of Angela to care about such things.’

Angela’s lips quivered, and her eyes, which were filled with a trembling smile, didn’t seem normal.

Not wanting to converse with a madwoman any longer, Ellen signaled to Laila and Jasmine, who were following behind, and sped up her horse.

Finally free from Angela, Ellen felt a sense of relief. That crazy woman, it’s best to avoid her whenever possible. How long does she plan to live like that? Her whole life?

At that moment, Jasmine approached and glanced back at Angela, who was following them, whispering in a low voice.

“People who obsess over what they can never have become pathetic.”

It was a clear jab at Angela. The unattainable thing was Enoch, or his place beside him. Ellen chuckled and nodded.

“When you look closely, Miss Besnard is quite the novice. She keeps doing things that reveal her true intentions. She’s surprisingly not thorough…”

Jasmine eagerly agreed like an enthusiastic student.

“Emotions ruin things. She seemed to speak to Your Highness impulsively earlier. At this rate, Lady Angela’s true nature will soon be fully exposed.”

Indeed. Ellen agreed wholeheartedly with Jasmine. I just need to stay still. Someone like Angela will self-destruct on her own…

“Anyway, enough about Lady Angela. Let’s talk about something fun. The Grand Duke will surely win the hunting competition, right? If we go deeper into the forest, we’ll find habitats of fierce animals like bears or wolves. Of course, it would be dangerous for us to go that far. But the Grand Duke will enter without hesitation, right? What will he catch? A bear? A wolf? A boar?”

Jasmine’s eyes sparkled with admiration… She seemed to respect Enoch despite fearing him. Ellen smiled sincerely and replied, “Probably a boar.” It was traditional to serve a whole roasted boar at the banquet after the competition…

“Right, a whole roasted boar! Stuffed with fruits and herbs and roasted to perfection. It’s really delicious. I wonder if Laila has ever tried it?”

“Ah, no… I’ve never had it… I’m looking forward to it.”

“As expected. It’s really tasty. Quail is good too… but the most common catches are quails, partridges, and rabbits.”

Rabbits…

Ellen imagined a small, cute domestic rabbit and felt a bit sad. Such a lovely creature…

“Ellen! There you are! Want to see the rabbit I just caught?”

Coincidentally, Penelope came running, shaking a limp rabbit by its long ears. But what kind of rabbit… was half the size of Penelope. Why is it so big? And so muscular!

“Ha ha, surprised? It’s a huge rabbit, right? Wild rabbits almost always look like this.”

“…I see.”

At that size, it could be considered a beast. Its hind kick must be quite fierce.

Anyway, the hunting competition was in full swing. Ellen caught a quail, a rabbit, and a fox. She spotted a raccoon but missed it, and Penelope chased and caught it for her. She added that raccoon meat is used in stews.

Raccoons can be eaten too…

Ellen wondered what animals humans couldn’t eat. …Elephants? She had never seen an elephant from the distant continent of Almaira, but she had seen pictures. A large animal with a long trunk. Probably can’t eat elephants…

‘I’ll ask Ikram later if elephants can be eaten…’

Ikram would understand that her question was purely out of curiosity and not cultural prejudice.

“Your Highness, would you like to take a break here? We’ve prepared a picnic.”

As they reached a midpoint in the forest, Jasmine suggested, and Ellen nodded, looking around. There was a clearing filled with wildflowers, making it quite picturesque.

“Laila, help me spread the blanket.”

“Yes, Jasmine.”

Laila and Jasmine grabbed the yellow checkered blanket from both ends and spread it evenly on the ground. They then took sandwiches wrapped in paper, biscuits, and lemonade in glass bottles from the picnic basket and arranged them in the center of the blanket.

After setting up the picnic, they invited Ellen to sit. Ellen smiled faintly and sat at the edge of the blanket. She planned to keep her shoes on, just in case.

There were no dangerous wild animals around, but one could never be too careful.

“Sir Haley! Brother, come sit with us! Sir Richard too!”

Jasmine called out to the escort knights who had been watching from afar. She knew from over ten experiences that Ellen didn’t mind the knights joining them.

Ellen indeed didn’t mind and quietly nibbled on her sandwich. The sandwich, made with salted cucumber between buttered bread, was one of Ellen’s favorite foods.

“Your Highness, have some lemonade too.”

Nodding with a sandwich in her mouth, Ellen looked adorable. Haley and Richard glanced at her fondly, like older brothers, only to be smacked by Jasmine.

It was a peaceful time with only minor incidents. A gentle forest breeze carried a fresh scent, and red and yellow leaves rustled softly.

Listening to the natural symphony, Ellen closed her eyes and quietly rested. In this moment, she tried not to think of anything complex…

The peaceful time was abruptly disrupted.

‘…What’s that?’

Mages are sensitive to magic.

Ellen sensed magic nearby and opened her eyes sharply. Among them, only she and Laila were mages. When Ellen looked at Laila, she too was scanning the surroundings with a bewildered expression.

It wasn’t Laila’s magic.

Then whose?

What?

Swoosh—

At that moment, a strong wind blew. Jasmine picked up a stone to hold down the fluttering blanket. Fallen leaves almost covered the food but were blocked by the knights’ quick intervention.

While the three chatted, only Laila and Ellen exchanged uneasy glances.

“…For now—”

Ellen stood up and was about to speak when it happened.

Swoosh!

Another fierce gust of wind blew. Ellen instinctively closed her eyes and crouched down.

Suddenly, she felt her feet lift off the ground. Someone’s sharp scream pierced the air.

“Your Highness!”

“Laila!”

“Grab her!”

Ellen squinted in the fierce wind. She saw Haley reaching out to grab her, but before he could, her body was lifted into the air.

A clear autumn sky filled Ellen’s shocked vision. That was the last thing she saw.

* * *

“Oh dear, did she lose consciousness? I didn’t mean to bring her so roughly. Your magic is sometimes too harsh, Pyrene.”

“Why should I handle her gently? She’s just the Grand Duchess of Freuden. What’s so special about a woman like her?”

“She’s an important guest. You shouldn’t speak like that.”

A man’s and a woman’s voices were heard.

One voice was familiar, but the other… seemed to belong to a stranger.

As her consciousness gradually returned, Ellen shivered and struggled to open her eyes. Her blurry vision slowly cleared. As expected, she saw a familiar face.

“Ah, you’re finally awake.”

Navaroa Castile, the heir to the throne of Atreos, smiled at Ellen.

“……”