Chapter 6 – Chester (Part 8)

The Duke’s breakfast invitation came after two days. When Mrs. Nelson came to wake her in the morning and conveyed the invitation, Evelyn remarked that the host must not be busy today. 

‘I am not aware of the Duke’s schedule.’

Mrs. Nelson’s response was so polite that she could only smile awkwardly.

So today, she chose a slightly formal outfit. It was a dress with a wide neckline that exposed her collarbone. She also styled her hair neatly. In many ways, she was more put together than the previous day.

When she arrived at the breakfast room, the two men were already seated. As the lady entered, Bryant naturally stood up to greet her, while Jared remained seated at the head of the table. Evelyn greeted the Duke first, as etiquette demanded. She slightly bent her knees and added a thank you for the invitation. Jared responded with the bare minimum courtesy to avoid rudeness. His face, seen after two days, was somehow cold.

The topic of conversation at the table was, as always, the Artist Village. As usual, the conversation was primarily between the men. Jared only asked once about Evelyn’s impression of her visit, and he didn’t seem particularly interested in her opinion. His attention seemed solely focused on Bryant, which added to Evelyn’s unease.

“What kind of sports do you engage in, Mr. Clifton?”

Jared changed the subject. Bryant welcomed it with a willing face.

“I enjoy playing polo. I also play tennis occasionally.”

“I thought so. Polo is a sport of the Kingdom of Ritten.”

“Then you must engage in fox hunting, Your Grace.”

Bryant replied, placing the fork in his right hand down. As he reached for his water glass,

“Fox hunting in the Trissen Empire is famous. I’ve had the chance to watch it a few times.”

“You participated in His Majesty the Emperor’s hunt.”

“I was honored to have that opportunity.”

After answering, he brought the glass to his lips and took a sip of water. Jared watched him and continued speaking.

“In the north, we hunt bears and reindeer. They’re more thrilling game than foxes.”

“Is that so? Which do you prefer to hunt, bears or reindeer?”

“These days, I mostly hunt birds.”

“Birds, you say.”

“Things like pheasants or pigeons that have been raised.”

“I’m sorry, but is hunting poultry a Trissen-style joke?”

Bryant asked with a laugh. Listening to them, Evelyn felt tense. Whenever the men smiled at each other, she felt more uncomfortable. Whether it was a smile of goodwill or a subtle sneer, it was equally unsettling for Evelyn.

Jared himself seemed entirely unconcerned, though.

“I don’t go hunting. I have to avoid dangerous leisure activities.”

He said in a calm tone, stabbing the egg dish on his plate with a fork.

“It would be troublesome to die without an heir.”

Silence briefly fell over the table.

Upon hearing that, Evelyn immediately thought. 

Not having an heir means he doesn’t have a child. It also likely means he doesn’t have a wife. Or, perhaps, he hasn’t had a child yet. Maybe he doesn’t have a son, but he could have a daughter. 

After those pathetic thoughts passed, she could see another aspect.

Even leisure activities are restricted for him.

As she remembered, Jared loved hunting. His second brother was an excellent hunter, and he had once told her a story about capturing a fierce bear with him. He said the main reason he looked forward to vacations during boarding school was the hunting grounds in Maxville. He had once vividly described the thrill of chasing a herd of reindeer on horseback.

And now, he’s confined to shooting pheasants and pigeons at the mansion.

“Shooting such birds isn’t easy either. It requires reflexes and skillful marksmanship.”

“Indeed. Hitting a flying target is more challenging.”

“Would you like to try it today, Mr. Clifton?”

“Hunting poultry, you mean.”

“It may sound absurd, but it’s a very practical hunt. You can’t eat foxes or bears, but pheasants make a fine dinner. Thinking of it as making food rather than killing poor animals to show off shooting and riding skills alleviates some guilt.”

“You are a compassionate person, Your Grace.”

“I try to be.”

Jared continued speaking in a gentle tone.

“How about we serve the game caught by the winner as the lady’s dinner tonight?” 

He then turned his gaze to the woman. When their eyes met, he looked at her intently. Then he turned his gaze back to the man.

“Of course, only one person might succeed in the hunt.”

In the Kingdom of Ritten, shooting is a gentleman’s refinement. Moreover, for noblemen, visiting hunting grounds each season is routine. Thus, Jared’s words were a clear provocation, a stimulus to draw the opponent into a ridiculous bet.

As expected, Bryant did not avoid the Duke’s challenge.

“It sounds interesting.”

Evelyn suppressed a sigh.

“You’re going to like it, Mr. Clifton.”

Jared smiled kindly and gestured for the butler to clear the plate in front of him. Until the tea was served and breakfast was completely over, he did not look in the woman’s direction.

*

At the back of the mansion, there was a very wide meadow. Beyond it, a hill blocked the view, naturally isolating it from the outside. It was a well-maintained lawn, with dense trees growing around it, acting as a living fence. If birds flew there, it would be difficult to retrieve them unless they went on a real hunt.

Evelyn looked at the wooden boxes piled up in the distance. She was told that each box contained a pheasant raised at the mansion. The gamekeeper would open the box to let the pheasant fly, and then they would shoot it from this side. The distance from here to there seemed to be at least 35 yards. Evelyn stood by the table under the parasol. There was a chair for the lady, but she thought it better to stand.

The time was close to noon. The weather was sunny. The sky was blue and clear with almost no clouds, and the bright green meadow and the dark green forest basked in the sunlight. It was an incredibly peaceful scene.

The men standing in that landscape were dressed in hunting attire. They wore leather boots that reached below their knees and gloves. When the two shotguns arrived, Jared let the guest choose first. Both were the same model.

“A Lennox shotgun.”

“You recognize it.”

“It’s a good gun. I think this model is better than the one released last year. The new one is too sensitive, which makes it uncomfortable.”

“I agree. That’s why I prefer the older model.”

Bryant handled the gun very naturally. His actions of breaking the barrel and loading the shells seemed skillful. He even raised the loaded gun to aim at the target. Evelyn watched him with a somewhat uneasy feeling.

“Let’s take turns shooting. Single shots are fine, and if you miss, you can shoot rapidly. I think six shots each should be enough. What do you think?”

“Sounds good. We probably don’t need that many pheasants for dinner.”

Bryant replied with a smile. He looked relaxed. He was clearly confident that he would hit at least three or four.

“Since you’re a beginner, Mr. Clifton, I’ll give you two extra shots.”

“You’re generous. I won’t refuse.”

It was also clear that he was confident he would win.

Evelyn quietly watched the backs of the two men. The outcome didn’t matter to her since it would bring discomfort regardless of who won. She just hoped the difference wouldn’t be too great.

Jared went first. He picked up the gun and took a shooting stance facing the target. At the assistant’s signal, the gamekeeper released the first pheasant. Bang! The bird that flew into the sky fell helplessly. It was a well-aimed shot.

“Impressive.”

Bryant praised in a cheerful tone. Jared turned his body towards him and responded with a slight smile. The attendants, butler, and servants standing behind them made no sound. It was not proper etiquette at the shooting range for spectators to clap or make noise. This was even more so in a competition.

So Evelyn just watched quietly. Even when Jared handed the gun to the servant and glanced her way, she didn’t show much expression. He still had a cold face, and he only glanced at her briefly before turning back towards the target.

At that moment, a dog ran towards them. It was a hunting dog with the pheasant it had just caught in its mouth.

For some reason, the excited dog was dashing towards them. Evelyn was so startled that she froze in place. She was usually afraid of dogs and panicked when they got close. Let alone a large hunting dog with a bloody bird in its long snout.

Bryant turned his head to look at her at that moment.

“Larry.”

At the owner’s call, the dog stopped abruptly. It was only about two steps away from the woman.

“Come here.”

Jared gave a short command. The dog quickly turned and trotted over to him, laying the pheasant at his feet. Haa. Evelyn exhaled a shaky breath as she looked over there. It felt like cold sweat was running down her tense back.

The man knelt on one knee, petting the dog’s head. After sufficiently praising the hunting dog, Jared looked up at her. His eyes, which met hers again, were not as cold as before. They were eyes that checked the woman’s complexion. Eyes with a hint of concern. Evelyn pretended to sit in the chair, avoiding those eyes first.