After finishing her bath, Ariel felt more tired than refreshed. She wanted to lie down a bit longer, but Richard came in through the door.

“His Majesty asked if you would like to have your meal in the room.”

Ariel, not wanting to make a fuss, replied that she would just go down to eat.

“Please do.”

Clunk.

Richard opened the door to the dining room. Ariel, dressed in a relatively simple dress, entered. Leopold was already there, waiting for her.

He reached out his hand towards Richard, who was following Ariel.

“I will escort her.”

He rose from his seat and pulled out the chair opposite him.

As Ariel stood in front of the chair, Leopold pushed it in for her, and she gently sat down.

“Is everything alright?”

“What? The food?”

“No, I mean your condition.”

Ariel’s gaze turned towards the table.

‘To eat all this for breakfast?’

Her emerald eyes fixed on the steak made from veal.

“Ah… I’m a bit tired.”

“I told them to bring it to your room.”

He asked Richard about it, knowing this would happen.

‘Coming down unnecessarily…’

A shadow of worry creased his brow.

“Do we need to go through all that trouble because of me?”

Leopold was not pleased with her response.

The ruler of the Atlan Empire shouldn’t have to worry about such things. No, she must not.

“It’s not a bother, not at all.”

“Okay, go ahead and eat.”

His determined gaze made her uncomfortable, so she subtly changed the subject.

“It looks delicious.”

She was wondering how to eat meat for breakfast, but once she saw the food, her hunger was sated.

While she was pondering what to eat first, Leopold quickly served her some steak and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

“Here, try this.”

“Thank you.”

Ariel naturally took the plate and placed it in front of her. The eyes of the maids standing in line to serve their meal widened.

Indeed, a woman favored by His Majesty the Emperor would receive such treatment.

When they realized that his gaze could not even reach them, made them give up on the small hope of becoming his consort.

“I want to hold a banquet.”

Ariel’s eyes widened as she popped a steak into her mouth.

“What?”

Did I hear that wrong?

How long has it been since the wedding, and he wants to hold another banquet?

At Ariel’s question, Leopold placed the fork and knife he was holding on the table and looked at her with a steady gaze.

“We need to take control of the social circle. You’ve become the female ruler of the Empire.”

Is this something you say to a nominal contract empress?

Ariel raised her eyebrows.

She wanted to retort, but there were many ears listening.

“Okay. Then, how about a hunting festival instead of a banquet? I happened to hear that demonic beasts are causing chaos at the border.”

It’s gotten warmer, which is perfect for hunting demonic beasts.

Ariel’s expression brightened.

“A hunting festival…”

He vaguely knew Ariel was interested in swordsmanship, but he didn’t realize she was also interested in demonic beast hunting.

‘Judging by the atmosphere, she seems to want to hunt herself…’

Can her delicate body handle dangerous demonic beasts?

Leopold’s eyes narrowed.

But it’s true that a large-scale extermination is needed.

Since the demonic beast hunters of Kolnman suddenly disappeared, demonic beast sightings have drastically increased.

This has put the knights guarding the border at a numerical disadvantage.

With Duke Noah Diaz returning to the capital, the situation has likely worsened rather than improved.

‘It might not be bad.’

This could be an opportunity to reform the complacent mentality of the nobles.

Though it’s nominal participation, if Ariel participates in the hunting festival, it might draw more attention from the ladies and noble daughters to this issue.

‘All finished.’

Leopold, observing that Ariel had finished her steak cleanly, picked up his fork and knife again.

“Then let’s proceed with the hunting festival first.”

“Really?”

Ariel was quite surprised since she hadn’t expected Leopold to actually go through with the hunting festival.

The feeling of a sword’s edge and the acrid smell of blood. It was the kind of thing that would quench her faint longing for her days as a demonic beast hunter that often came to her at night.

“Do you like the idea of holding a hunting festival that much?”

Leopold glanced at Ariel’s face as he cut his steak.

Her smiling face was radiant, almost dazzling.

Seeing Ariel so happy made him feel better as well.

“That’s right. I’m even surprised at myself. I’m wondering if it’s something to be this happy about…”

The reason she started swordsmanship was due to her fear that Leopold Diaz might kill her, just like what happened in the original story.

Although she started hunting demonic beasts as a practice for swordsmanship, it soon changed into a cause for the safety of people. Eventually, even that meaning faded, and it became a means to earn money.

The burden of protecting her family in an unpredictable situation drove her into the life of a demonic beast hunter.

It hadn’t been long since she stopped hunting, but her body, accustomed to hunting demonic beasts for over ten years, remembered and longed for it.

To take up a sword again.

‘I should call Noah Diaz.’

Even if her body would move on its own with a sword in hand, warming up through a sparring session with him would be beneficial.

―First of all, you’re curious about the sorcerer who stole your mana

―Ariel Clark, I know your secret.

―That you are not from this place, and even the reason why you came here.

As long as Duke Noah holds the key to her secret, Ariel couldn’t ignore his demands.

Determination hardened in her emerald eyes.

“I have something to tell you.”

It would be better to inform him. That she’s meeting with Duke Noah Diaz.

Ariel felt nervous, unsure of how Leopold would react, and her throat moved up and down.

“Something?”

Leopold’s face was the picture of calm, completely unprepared for what she was about to say.

“I want to learn swordsmanship from Duke Noah Diaz.”

The force behind her words made Leopold’s hands, which were clutching the fork and knife, turn white.

Of all people, Duke Noah Diaz.

Leopold Diaz’s brows furrowed.

“Why does it have to be Noah Diaz?”

“He has a lot of experience hunting demonic beasts. That’s all.”

Ariel spoke casually, but she was starting to worry at his sharp reaction.

“Alright. Do it. It’s part of the agreement.”

Whatever she does, whoever she meets, he decided not to interfere…

He hadn’t expected this outcome.

But since that was what he promised, he had to keep it.

Ariel’s trust in him was at stake.

“That’s true but… Thank you.”

Leopold controlled his emotions and transferred a steak to Ariel’s plate.

Then he smiled at Ariel as if to tell her not to worry.

‘I need to organize a hunting festival next week.’

He had to somehow reduce the time those two spent together.

“I’ll send a message.”

“If it pleases you, Your Majesty.”

Ariel picked up the meat with her fork and put it in her mouth.

‘Luckily. I’m grateful that Leopold kept his promise.’

The soft texture and harmonious taste of the sauce swirled in her mouth.

She felt relieved that things were going as she wished.

***

The next morning.

Sharp sounds echoed from the fencing practice area set up in the garden.

There, Ariel Diaz and Noah Diaz were crossing swords, dressed in training gear.

Chang! Chang, Chang!

Their gazes fiercely intersected, but a relatively relaxed look could be seen in Noah Diaz’s eyes.

‘I don’t want to lose!’

Ariel’s upper teeth bit her lip.

Despite not using mana, the power behind her long sword was quite strong and heavy.

But Noah Diaz was a man, not a Swordmaster but close to that level.

Ariel’s foot was pushed back.

If she could have used mana, it might have been different, but she couldn’t beat him with strength alone.

‘I need to use tactics.’

Chang! Whish, swoosh!

Ariel put all her strength into her arm, and Noah pushed back fiercely against her sword. But when Ariel withdrew her strength, her sword flew out of her hand.

With that recoil, Ariel spun around and thrust her sword at Noah’s neck.

Her neatly tied hair floated in the air before settling down. The emerald eyes that soaked up the morning sun shone beautifully.

Noah Diaz dropped his sword and raised his hands above his head.

“You’re quite skilled, Empress.”

A pleasant smile hung on his face as he teased her.