Chapter 65. Philip

“Yes……. Thank you for recognizing it.”

“Yes, Miss. If you need my help, please command at any time.”

“I will.”

Hubert smiled widely and slowly withdrew as I nodded slightly with a faint smile.

After he left the room, I approached the window and looked outside.

The clear blue sky came into view. It was a bright day without a single cloud.

I lightly leaned my forehead against the window. The cold temperature of the glass seeped into my skin.

While absentmindedly staring at the green garden scenery, I carefully organized the story I had just heard.

First of all, three members of the Lopez family have moved to a shabby rented room…….

The other two, Helene and Melissa, seemed to be staying at a relative’s house.

‘And Father’s position in the court’s foreign affairs department has been demoted.’

It was already a position that involves little or no work, but now he’s been pushed to an even more insignificant position.

‘He also lost his title.’

The estate had already been lost long ago, and now without a title, the Lopez family could hardly be called nobility.

For Father, who valued the Lopez family more than his own life, it was a tragedy.

The funny thing is, the cause of that tragedy, Anthony, is still attending middle school.

With Father’s meager salary, it would be difficult to afford the middle school tuition, so it seems Margot has started working as a maid…….

‘It would be better to send Anthony to a military academy instead. How foolish.’

Even after all that, Father and Margot couldn’t give up on Anthony, which was utterly ridiculous.

To be honest, I don’t think Anthony will come to his senses and study properly. He was smart but far from being diligent.

‘I’d be relieved if he doesn’t start gambling again. He already seemed seriously addicted…….’

If Anthony inevitably incurs gambling debts again, what will Father and Margot do? Will they still protect him as their only son?

I chuckled and shook my head. Well, whatever happens, it’s not my concern. We’re practically strangers now.

I don’t want to get involved if I can help it. Never again.

As I was about to leave the window and put my thoughts aside, I saw Enoch crossing the garden. He was dressed in black hunting attire and had a rifle slung over his shoulder.

Was he on his way to hunt? Or was he returning from a hunt? As I watched him curiously, he seemed to sense my gaze and turned to look at me.

When our eyes met, he smiled broadly and waved at me. The golden sunlight hit his hair, breaking into tiny particles of light, and his golden eyes looked brighter than usual, like melted butter under the sun.

A strange fluttering sensation spread through my heart. I quietly raised my hand to wave back at him. Unexpectedly, Enoch gestured for me to come down.

“Hmm……?”

I nodded slightly with a soft hum and turned around. Since I was wearing slippers, I needed to change my shoes to go outside.

I draped a lace shawl over my thin muslin dress. Finally, I considered taking a parasol but decided against it. Today, it seemed like a good day to soak up the sunlight.

When I came out to the garden after preparing, Enoch was waiting patiently at the spot where I had seen him earlier. Feeling an inexplicable sense of guilt for making him wait, I hurried my steps.

“You’re here?”

He greeted me with a faint smile as he noticed me. Perhaps because of the warm sunlight, my face felt slightly flushed. I found myself pursing my lips and nodding gently.

“Why did you call me?”

“I was thinking of taking you hunting.”

“……What?”

For a moment, I thought I had misheard. But no matter how I replayed it in my mind, he definitely said ‘hunting’…….

Fear slowly crept in. I took a step back, trying to avoid him, and stammered.

“I-I don’t know how to hunt. As you know, I haven’t even learned how to shoot…….”

“You just watch. I’ll do the hunting.”

……But I don’t even want to watch.

“What are you going to hunt?”

My voice trembled. My face must have been pale.

“Well……. We’ll have to see when we get to the forest.”

“What do you usually hunt?”

I was almost gasping. Enoch picked me up without warning and started walking somewhere.

“Birds, or deer. Sometimes both. And other things. Oh, and sometimes snakes.”

“…….”

I bit my lip. Imagining the poor forest animals bleeding and sprawled after being shot by his rifle made my heart ache. Enoch seemed amused by my expression and mocked me with a short laugh.

“You’re scared of hunting after stabbing Anderson’s shoulder with a shard of glass?”

“That was Anderson…….”

“So it’s okay if Anderson is the prey?”

……Is it? After thinking about it for a moment, I realized I didn’t feel much guilt. As I unconsciously nodded, Enoch’s laughter grew louder.

“What about birds?”

“……Poor things.”

“Deer?”

“Still poor things.”

“Snakes?”

“If they’re not venomous…….”

“Foxes?”

“I’ve never seen a fox in real life.”

Surprised by the sudden realization, I told him, and Enoch responded with a crooked smile, “Really?” His voice was full of mischief.

“Then I’ll catch a fox for you today.”

“What? No……!”

“Why, do you feel sorry for foxes too? You said you’ve never seen one.”

“But…….”

He seemed to enjoy watching my confusion. He was definitely a sadist. He continued to mention animals like raccoons and weasels, asking what I thought of them, and I answered that they were all pitiable. It was unfortunate that those cute animals were merely prey to Enoch Bayern.

“Cats catch mice too. You call me a cat. It’s only natural for me to hunt.”

It was sophistry. I glared at him and pretended not to hear.

“Do you like furry animals that much? Then you shouldn’t eat chickens, cows, or pigs.”

“…….”

It was ironic when I thought about it. ……This is a problem without a conclusion.

“Well……. I wasn’t planning on hunting the furry animals you love today. I need to catch wolves.”

“……Wolves?”

“Their population has increased recently. It needs to be controlled. Oh, and bears too.”

“Bears……?!”

Bears! And wolves?

This man wants to take me along to hunt such fierce beasts?

Is he out of his mind?

“I…… might faint.”

No, can I even come back alive?

Enoch spoke calmly, indifferent to my fear.

“You might collapse, but you won’t faint.”

“You have a high opinion of me…….”

“Think of it as practice. There will be a hunting competition in my territory around September, and you’ll need to show a dignified appearance as the Grand Duchess, right?”

Ah, come to think of it.

A belated realization hit me. If I marry him and become the Grand Duchess, I’ll get to visit his territory and castle.

The Rheinfelden in Bayern Grand Duchy…… What kind of place would it be? I knew from looking at maps that it occupied a large area in the northwest of Freuden.

And the Evitern castle there. I had seen it in a poor-quality black-and-white photograph. It was in the Royal Library, of all places.

Photography was still limited, and portraits and illustrations were more common. Rarely taken photographs often became part of the Royal Library’s collection.

……Will our wedding photo be taken too? It feels strange to think that a relationship that will end in a year will be immortalized in a photo.

“We’re here. Do you know how to ride a horse?”

Enoch stopped and set me down on the ground. As expected, it was the stable. I stood blankly and shook my head.

“Not at all.”

“……What did your father teach you?”

“Well, how to wax a wooden floor well? Or how to clean windows until they squeak?”

“…….”

Enoch clicked his tongue in disbelief. He went inside the stable and brought out a horse. It was a black horse with sleek, shiny fur.

“This is Philip. Say hello.”

“Phil…….”

It has a name. Well, of course, it does.

Come to think of it, there was a servant named Philip at the Lopez mansion…… He must be unemployed now.

“Hello, Philip.”

As I greeted and made eye contact, the horse snorted. Every time the massive, muscular black horse moved vibrantly, I flinched. Hopefully, it wasn’t a fierce one. I preferred it to be gentle.

“This guy has a bad temper and only listens to me. But he seems to like you quite a bit, so try touching him.”

“……Touch him?”

Enoch nodded as if it was no big deal. Despite saying it had a bad temper…… I glanced at the black horse nervously. Is it really okay to touch it? What if it kicks me?

Hesitantly, I reached out, thinking, ‘Enoch will handle it somehow.’

A soft and warm sensation wrapped around my palm. Despite being described as bad-tempered, Philip was surprisingly gentle and calm, blinking slowly.

“See? He likes you.”

Enoch’s voice was filled with satisfaction.