Chapter 31

Just in time for the stylish entrance? 

The part where I grabbed Lady Lawrence’s hand?

Or perhaps… the part where I ran my hand through my hair?

“The part where you said you’d rip out the tongue.”

When Adelina mimicked Lexion’s tone, he momentarily stopped in his tracks. 

What angel, indeed.

“Hahaha. We are truly a match made in heaven.”

Lexion hugged Adelina even tighter and headed for the carriage. 

Holding her, it felt as though even the sun, despite being displeased, couldn’t help but shine brightly upon them.

+++

Jaeyon and Hailyn approached the carriage upon seeing the female employee also getting in with Marquis Stephan.

Hailyn took a small wooden box out of her bag and handed it to Adelina.

“Miss, here. A small umbrella.”

She had quickly purchased it earlier when she briefly left the spot to visit a doll shop.

“Hahaha. Hailyn, really. What’s this for?”

Adelina slightly opened the box. Inside were ten tiny umbrellas, each the size of a finger.

“Thank you, Hailyn.”

Adelina smiled brightly at Hailyn and gently placed the box in her pocket.

‘Finally. I have an umbrella too! Tonight, I’m going to play with an umbrella in my hair instead of flowers!’

Her nose tingled for no reason, and her insides felt as sweet as if she’d eaten over ten parfaits.

+++

Upon returning to the Marquis’s residence, Adelina and her party immediately treated the female employee’s cheek in Adelina’s bedroom.

The female employee’s name was Ilisha. She said she hadn’t been in the Petrus Empire for even 100 days yet.

Stephan frowned as he closed the medicine box, seeing the bruise forming on Ilisha’s cheek.

“I’ll look into a ship for you. Go back to Ernst. It’s going to be hard for you to live here since you’ve already been marked by the noble ladies and gentlemen.”

“My… brother was taken to the mines in Duke Austin’s territory… No one has ever returned from those mines.”

Ilisha bowed her head deeply, clasping her hands tightly. She knew, too, that staying in Petrus could lead to even harsher experiences. But she couldn’t return to Ernst without knowing her brother’s fate.

As Adelina embraced her shoulders and patted her back, Lexion stood up and headed to the terrace. After opening the window and stepping out onto the terrace, he returned and sat beside Ilisha.

“I know.”

That was all he said. 

There was no promise to save the people or any comforting assurance not to worry. 

Yet, Ilisha nodded firmly at Lexion’s words.

+++

After having dinner together, Ilisha decided to rest in the room next to Adelina’s. 

Since Adelina, Lexion, and Stephan had to participate in a hunting event for the envoy tomorrow, they reserved Ilisha’s ship for the first departure the next day.

Lexion signaled Stephan to get some sleep. Stephan would be staying up all night to protect the two women.

“Ah. I’m feeling sleepy early today.”

“Get some rest. I’ll stay a bit longer before leaving.”

“Yes, Duke. Then, please stay a little longer.”

Stephan closed the door after seeing Lexion move to sit beside Adelina.

“You tend to drop your anklet everywhere.”

“Sorry. It’s a gift from you. I was planning to go back and exchange it for something else.”

When Lexion took out the anklet from his jacket pocket, Adelina apologized while looking sheepish.

“Don’t take it off again. Don’t give what I gave you to anyone else.”

“Okay.”

Lexion lifted Adelina’s feet onto the sofa and wrapped the anklet around her right ankle.

“You can pretend not to know. If you involve yourself in everything, you’ll only get exhausted.”

Adelina felt grateful yet sorry. She was proud but also angry at such reckless behavior.

“I won’t pretend not to know. Because they’re the ones who accepted me. The ones who called me the lady of Ernst.”

Adelina shyly said as she fiddled with the anklet with her hand. Her cheeks turned pink, just like when they kissed.

Watching Adelina intently, Lexion slightly tousled his hair with one hand. He undid two buttons on his shirt and lifted Adelina’s chin with his fingertips.

“Shall we practice some skinship?”

Lexion tilted his head sideways and moved closer to Adelina’s lips. Before their lips even touched, his Adam’s apple bobbed once. Fortunately, she seemed unaware, as she gently closed her eyes.

“Just a kiss.”

When their lips felt each other’s touch, Adelina opened her eyes and placed her hand on Lexion’s chest. As if she wouldn’t even allow a kiss without a clear answer, she pursed her lips inward.

“You don’t even fall for beauty tricks, huh.”

Lexion pulled Adelina’s legs, laying her on the sofa. Her eyes blinked rapidly.

“Lexion?”

“You allowed a kiss.”

He pressed his whole body against Adelina. Holding her head in place so she couldn’t escape, he captured her lips.

Sweetly. Until she longed for his departing lips and wrapped her arms around his neck again. 

Intimately. Until the sticky sound of their lips turned their ears red. 

Persistently. Until she struggled against his breath.

+++

The next morning, Ilisha boarded the carriage early.

“The bookstore owner, Peterson, happened to have business at the port. He will take you there.”

“Thank you, Marquis.”

Stephan had arranged a place for her to wait, so she planned to stay there for about an hour before boarding the ship.

The Austin Duchy, closest to the capital of Petrus, was known as the most prosperous region in the empire, excluding the Imperial lands. The mountain with the sapphire mine was famous for its beautiful scenery, and every spring, it was opened as a hunting ground for the envoys.

In the center of the sunny, spacious clearing, thick tents were set up for the nobles to use. 

The servants and maids who accompanied them set up open tents at the edge of the clearing and prepared food.

“Adelina, make sure to stay with the group at all times. Don’t move to another place by yourself.”

“Understood.”

Lexion adjusted Adelina’s hunting attire once more inside the tent and handed her a dagger. Stephan, seemingly worried, paced around the tent and then took out a small black pouch from his jacket pocket.

“My daughter. This liquid contains a small amount of anesthetic. It should not be used unless it’s an emergency.”

“Father, you should use it. I’ll be with others, so I’ll be fine.”

“That’s why… I’m giving it to you. Sometimes people are more dangerous.”

It wasn’t really their place to say, given they were the ones who put her in danger, but Stephan placed the pouch in Adelina’s jacket pocket.

As Adelina and her party stepped out of the tent, the sound of trumpets announcing the start of the hunting event echoed across the clearing.

+++

Woof woof -. The excited barking of hunting dogs reverberated through the forest.

Duke Austin, seeing that the envoys and nobles had all set off to hunt, slowly headed into the forest on horseback.

“Duke!”

Seeing the mine manager rushing from the opposite direction of the hunting ground, he frowned and halted.

“What is it?”

“Duke, the mine has collapsed. There are people inside.”

The manager, panting for breath, watched Austin’s reaction nervously.

Sitting imposingly on the horse, Austin looked so intimidating that he didn’t seem like the same human being. When receiving Austin’s downward gaze, the manager felt even more diminished, as if they were fundamentally different beings.

Even the dragon embroidered on the Dragon Knight Order uniform seemed to mock him.

As Austin turned his horse’s head sideways, the horse snorted and thrust its face toward the manager.

“Can’t you see that I’m hunting with the envoys right now? Don’t cause a commotion and wait until the hunt is over.”

The manager bowed his head deeply and bit the inside of his lip.

The hunt wouldn’t end until tomorrow evening. It was uncertain whether there would still be air in the mine or if the people inside would survive until then.

“Yes, Duke. I will do as you say.”

Before the manager could even finish his reply, bowing even lower, Austin turned his horse and entered the forest.

+++

The hunt was divided into two main parts. The men mostly went deep into the forest to hunt, while the women stayed near the relatively safe edge of the clearing.

“Miss Adelina.”

Hailyn approached Adelina, who was circling near the tent on horseback.

“Hailyn! Didn’t you go hunting with Sir Jaeyon?”

“Hahaha. I stayed because I thought you might be alone like this.”

Adelina, who seemed quite bored, brightened at the sight of Hailyn, who took the reins and led her toward the forest’s edge.

-“It seems Duke Lexion and Marquis Stephan are planning something. Hailyn, protect Miss Adelina.”-

Even without Jaeyon’s request last night, Hailyn had intended to make the request first.

“Hailyn. Who do you think will become the goddess of the hunting festival today?”

To think Lexion planned an operation leaving such a carefree and bright Adelina alone. He truly is something.

“Do you wish to become the goddess of the hunting festival?”

“No, just… it’s romantic, isn’t it?”

When Adelina placed her fists on her cheeks and shook her shoulders delicately, even the horse she was riding shook its head as if in disbelief.

“Hahaha. Then, I will make you the goddess of the hunting festival, Miss Adelina.”

“How?”

“Let’s go catch something ourselves. It’s worth more for a lady to catch something herself than to receive it from a man. Even the princess and the noblewomen will hunt themselves.”

“Oh! That’s amazing! Let’s go!”

Hailyn, with Adelina extending her arm forward, walked toward where her horse was.

+++

“Ahhh!”

A child screamed in fear and ran.

Even as the boy passed right in front of the tent where the noblewomen were having a small tea party, no one paid him any attention.

“Tsk. Of all things, to be chased by the princess’s hunting dogs.”

One woman clicked her tongue while holding a teacup, marking the end of her interest in the boy.

Isabelle’s hunting dogs were Dobermans personally selected and gifted by Emperor Grain. These large dogs, weighing more than an adult woman, perceived the boy as prey and pursued him.

“Drop the rabbit! They’re following your rabbit!”

Adelina shouted loudly from a distance, but the boy, perhaps not hearing, carried the dead rabbit deeper into the forest.

“Miss Adelina! You can’t!”

“Hailyn. We have to save that child!”

Hailyn tried to stop Adelina, who was speeding up her horse to follow the boy, but Adelina had already entered the forest.

“Miss Adelina!”

Hailyn mounted the nearest horse. 

After a few minutes of riding, they saw the hunting dogs gathered in one place, suggesting the boy had dropped the rabbit. However, the boy and Adelina were still nowhere to be seen. The hunting dog with the leader’s mark on its neck was also not visible.

“It’s dangerous!”

A little deeper into the forest, they saw Adelina dismounting her horse just ahead.

At the same time, a hunting dog lunged toward the boy.