Chapter 9.1 – Hunting Festival (Part 2)

After examining her thoroughly for a while, the physician gently put down Ria’s wrist he had been holding and carefully chose his words before speaking.

“As you thought, it’s not pregnancy. It’s probably because your body has been in poor condition, and you even lost consciousness recently. Fortunately, you’re recovering quickly, so I think it will start again after the hunting festival passes.”

“You can’t tell the exact timing, right?”

“I think it will be after you’ve fully recovered in a few days. Probably… around a week, give or take.”

Ria listened intently to the physician’s words and engraved the date in her mind. Fortunately, from what she had gathered, this world was well-equipped with items related to menstruation.

“Ah, about what I just said…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll tell the four gentlemen that you received the same examination as always.”

“Thank you.”

The concerning issue would soon be resolved, and the wounds on her hands treated with ointment would heal quickly. So she preferred not to let any information slip and cause their overprotectiveness to worsen.

“Then I’ll take my leave now. The sun isn’t too hot today, but make sure to bring a parasol. It’s not good to be exposed to the sun for too long. I recommend resting indoors or in the shade after getting an appropriate amount of sunlight.”

“Yes.”

“Enjoy your first outdoor event.”

As if in response, a pleasant smile bloomed on her face.

***

Many nobles had already arrived at the Imperial forest where the hunting festival was taking place. As the maid had told Ria, they were dressed so lavishly that they would have been more suited to a banquet hall with brilliant lighting than a forest.

Eden and Cherta, who were giving instructions to the knights and servants in the center of the clearing, were no different.

Cherta wore a spotless white uniform with gold epaulettes on the shoulders and a red cape the same color as his hair, while Eden wore a dark blue uniform with silver epaulettes and a silver cape.

“Every time I think about it, the name ‘hunting festival’ seems wasted.”

Eden’s brow had long been furrowed as he unbuttoned a couple of buttons on his jacket, which had been fastened up to his neck. 

Why call it hunting if it’s going to be like this? It’s no different from an outdoor banquet.

“I agree, but it’s a major event that’s been going on since the founding of the country, so there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Cherta replied in an emotionless tone, bringing his hand above his forehead to create shade as he looked up at the sky. He wasn’t particularly fond of this event where they had to spend all day in such extravagant clothes either.

“I think I could bear it a bit more if we didn’t have to wear these flowing clothes, at least.”

“That’s true. If it were real hunting, we would have gotten rid of all this cumbersome stuff long ago.”

“And we wouldn’t have to see nobles showing up decked out in luxurious items.”

“Next year, we should make sure to wear clothing suitable for a hunting festival…”

“Eden! Cherta!”

As the two were continuing their conversation, expressing quite a lot of dissatisfaction with the hunting festival attire, a familiar voice called out to them. Their furrowed brows naturally smoothed out and smiles played around their lips at the voice clearer than a nightingale’s. They quickly turned their heads.

And the moment they saw her, they froze in place as if struck by lightning.

“…It looks good in the sunlight too.”

“I think it could be even more splendid next year.”

Ria, smiling brightly under the shining sunlight, was too beautiful. It was only natural that their words flipped as easily as turning over a palm.

They quickly came to their senses and approached her with long strides in one breath. Then they began to take care of things they hadn’t been able to, examining her from various angles.

“Are you not tired? I heard you woke up earlier than usual to get ready.”

“Did you eat breakfast properly before coming? I should have been there with you, I’m sorry.”

Ria, now accustomed to this level of fuss, answered that she was fine and slightly tilted her parasol back to observe them with sparkling eyes. She had gotten somewhat used to the everyday clothes they usually wore, but these elaborate uniforms and formal attire were still fascinating.

‘The closest thing might be Italian police uniforms?’

She recalled a few uniforms she had seen by chance on the internet. But it seems the real thing can’t be beaten. They were much more splendid and beautiful than in photos.

However, as she looked up thinking that the real thing is always best, she changed her mind again. The moment she filled her eyes with the four men looking at her, she thought there might be something even more important.

‘…Actually, appearance might take up the largest portion.’

That appearance that doesn’t get overshadowed even by elaborate clothing! Isn’t there a saying that the face completes the fashion? Come to think of it, the reason she always ends up falling head over heels for these men is because she can’t overcome their appearance!

Even earlier, before getting into the carriage, she had been surprised by Rune and Kahin’s striking appearance in black uniforms with blue capes, and now Eden and Cherta were just as striking.

“Handsome.”

Following the flow of her thoughts, an exclamation naturally slipped out between Ria’s lips. Simultaneously, the four men’s eyes widened.

They stared back at her, who was gazing at them blankly, not even realizing she had spoken out loud, and their faces turned bright red. Their hearts started beating wildly as if they had just finished sprinting.

They already knew well that Ria was weak to their faces, but they had rarely heard her say it directly, so they couldn’t easily calm down. They had no immunity. Of course, even if she had said it often, they would have reacted the same way every time they heard it.

As they cleared their throats awkwardly out of embarrassment, their ears and napes turning red, Ria finally realized she had spoken out loud and her face also turned red.

“Ah, well… it’s true that you’re hand… some…”

She tried to salvage the situation by stammering, but her rambling words only increased her embarrassment rather than explaining. As a result, her voice grew progressively quieter.

How on earth had she managed to tell Eden he was handsome before? It was a mystery. But perhaps because there weren’t many people around indoors then.

At that moment, someone appeared to save Ria, who didn’t know what to do in the awkward atmosphere.

“Ria!”

It was Serena and Katrina. At the welcome voice, Ria lifted her lowered head and hurriedly took steps to escape towards the two approaching people.

But no sooner had she taken a step than her body was caught and nestled into a firm embrace in the blink of an eye. Cherta, who had wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, rubbed his cheek against her round head.

“Where do you think you’re going without praising me more?”

At his urging, she buried her even redder face deep in his embrace. Every little action made her so lovable he felt he might go crazy. Unable to contain his rising emotions, Cherta kept pressing his lips to Ria’s head and forehead.

Serena and Katrina, who had stopped right in front of them, narrowed their eyes with a sour expression, as if tired of his behavior that seemed oblivious to the people around. They were too exhausted to be surprised anymore.

On the other hand, whispers spread among the nobles who were colored with surprise and shock at this unfamiliar sight from the Crown Prince.

“Is His Highness the Crown Prince embracing a woman right now?”

“Her hair color is black…”

“Then is that woman the rumored Lady Leviar?”

All sorts of speculations and rumors surfaced. Hearing all this, Exie gripped her fan so tightly that her hand trembled.

‘Just who is that woman!’

Her irritation soared. Even more than what she had felt at Marchioness Rosevita’s tea party! Exie, who had been gnawing her lips instead of her nails, glared at the black-haired woman with fierce eyes before suddenly looking around.

‘Father, where is Father…’

She rolled her eyes wildly, searching for her father. It was an action born from the instinct to survive. Soon, Exie spotted her father, Marquis Melbourne, looking towards the Crown Prince with a deeply furrowed brow and a crooked lift of his lips. She drew in a sharp breath.

Now her hands trembled for a different reason. When her father made that expression, at those times… The image of her father with his arm raised high vividly came to mind. In his hand, large enough to cover her entire face, there was always a whip.

‘Ah, no.’

Exie’s eyes were already unfocused as she tightly gripped her trembling body with crossed arms. Just the thought was enough for fear to consume her entire body in an instant.

Marquis Melbourne wanted to make his daughter the Crown Princess. He thought it was the easiest way to expand the nobility’s position and rise above the two dukes he despised the most.

Because of this, since she was young, Exie had constantly heard from her father, like brainwashing, that she was the only one suitable to be the Crown Princess, and that rising to that position was her reason for existence. It had started even before she could properly judge right from wrong.

Added to that was the conservative nature of the Marquis, forcing her to grow up with the image of a modest woman. That’s why she couldn’t properly rebel against her father who treated her that way. It would be more accurate to say that she couldn’t even think of such a thing.

That’s the kind of place the Melbourne Marquis’s house was. A place where the word of the Marquis Melbourne, a man and the master of the family, was absolutely law.

‘…If only that woman wasn’t here. Then I’d get beaten less. Everything would go back to how it was.’

So it was inevitable for her to direct all the blame towards Ria rather than her father.