2. Hunting Ground

Judy, dressed not in a gown but in comfortable riding clothes suited for hunting on horseback, fidgeted with the hem of her outfit because her own appearance felt so awkward. In the end, rather than pity for animals or the revulsion of seeing dreadful carcasses, she chose the time she would spend with her fiancé, Wesley.

Wesley, whom she had met in advance to go to the hunting grounds together, saw Judy narrowing the distance between them and his eyes gleamed.

“My, with you looking like a lady knight, I’m not sure I’ll be able to focus properly on the hunt today.”

He lightly pulled Judy into his arms and kissed her cheek. His kiss was warm enough to melt her tightly frozen tension in an instant. She thought she had made a very good decision in choosing to come to the hunting grounds.

“See? The Earl likes it a lot, doesn’t he?”

Gianna, who was going to the hunting grounds with them today, sidled up and whispered. In a good mood, Judy nodded, unable to hide her smile.

“Now. Let’s depart.”

They hurried off toward where the hunting grounds were. Inside the carriage, Judy chatted with Wesley about this and that, wishing this time would pass slowly, but unfortunately, they arrived at the hunting grounds far too quickly. She wanted to cling to him and whine that they should spend more time alone, but the moment the carriage stopped, Wesley hopped down in sheer excitement, and Judy had to soothe her own regret.

“Earl Wesley!”

Wesley, who had been escorting her, whipped his head around at the bright voice ringing out from behind.

“It looks like Miss Asilly was invited to the hunting grounds too.”

Gianna beside her spoke in a displeased tone. Asilly’s family, House Leroni, a baronial house, had long and faithfully served as a business ally to Wesley’s family, the Earldom of Wilderun. In other words, it meant the two houses shared a close, deep bond, and it was said the two of them had grown up like siblings since childhood.

“You arrived early, Asilly.”

“Yes. I can’t be late when I’m grateful for your invitation. Judy!”

After answering Wesley, Asilly shifted her body slightly aside and waved toward Judy behind him. Asilly’s abundant, glossy pink hair was mysterious and beautiful no matter when one saw it. Asilly’s nickname was ‘witch.’ Because she was so seductive and captivating. Judy could not bring herself to deny it—once seen, Asilly seemed to bewitch others as if she were sucking out their souls.

Judy had known Asilly as a friend she met at the debutante, and it had been about three years.

“I didn’t know you were coming too, Asilly.”

“I was suddenly invited by Earl Wesley as well, so I didn’t have a chance to pass the word.”

“Ah, so it wasn’t an invitation from Theo?”

“Would the Young Duke invite me? Maybe you, but not me. They say you stuck together like glue since you were kids. They even say you played house, like husband and wife.”

As if she had spoken without thinking, Asilly tacked on that last part, then looked slightly startled and checked Wesley’s reaction. Facing her, Judy felt a strange sensation rise.

“It doesn’t matter. There won’t be anyone who doesn’t know Lady Grant and the Young Duke Crawford have been close since childhood.”

Earl Wesley answered with an easy shrug, as if it were nothing. Even with her fiancé’s hand patting her shoulder as if telling her not to mind it, Judy’s mood did not improve.

Asilly’s talk of Theo—a male friend from childhood—in front of Judy’s fiancé was quietly irritating, and yet Judy could not help feeling hurt that her fiancé showed not a trace of jealousy even after hearing it.

If one thought about it, people said those two had been like siblings too……. Then again, playing house as ‘husband and wife’ was probably different from being like siblings.

Because that remark kept snagging at her, Judy sighed again and again.

“Young Duke Crawford!”

Wesley spotted Theo over Judy’s shoulder and called out to him at once.

Theo, sturdily built and dressed in clothes perfectly suited for hunting, was dealing with his knights and the nobles invited to this event. Seeing him after so long, his air felt, somehow, even heavier and more intense.

His black hair and eyes that held an emerald hue like a blue sea swept over Wesley for a moment, then stopped on Judy beside him; his brow furrowed as if he had seen something he did not want to see.

Step. Step.

He closed the distance without hesitation.

“Why are you dressed like that?”

And why did he have to open his mouth like that?

It had been well over a year since she last saw him, before the engagement ceremony; it was a face she had not seen in a long time, yet Theo’s first words came with a scowl and bluntness. Judy felt a brief surge in her chest, but she did not lose her composure.

She did not want Earl Wesley to form the impression that his fiancée had a temper beyond reason.

There was so much she wanted to say to Theo, and so much disappointment she had swallowed. They had been close friends, yet he had not even attended her engagement ceremony, and afterward, no matter how she tried to contact him, he ignored her more often than not. Even so, she had endured it, pressing it down again and again.

She was, after all, meant to look like a naïve, gentle, elegant woman.

“Hello, Young Duke Crawford. It feels like it’s been a long time. I came today to try hunting in person as well. Have you been well?”

“You? What hunting, when you tremble just from seeing a carcass?”

You bastard…….

If she held back like this and kept her manners, did he truly have not even the slightest notion that he should show basic courtesy toward a noble lady?

Even as irritation surged up, Judy clenched her teeth and endured it.

“That was already five years ago, wasn’t it. Back then I was also too young and…… Ack! B-b-b-b-b-bee!”

As she continued speaking, Judy’s eyes caught a single large bee. Startled, she let out a shriek and froze in place with her eyes squeezed shut.

“Open your eyes.”

At Theo’s low voice, Judy dragged in ragged breaths and finally opened her eyes. The large bee had been crushed to a miserable death in Theo’s gloved hand.

When she barely regained her composure, the memory of her shouting like a fool—“b-b-bee, b-b-bee”—came back, and she glanced at Wesley. He wore only a polite, formal smile and was simply looking at Theo.

“A girl who’s afraid of even one bee—what hunting? Luke, prepare a chair Judy can sit on.”

“Yes, Young Duke.”

“That’s not true!”

“…….”

“Y-yes!”

Judy, speaking in a hurry, had used informal speech, then belatedly tacked on a “yes” to stop Theo. Why was he being so tactless? Conscious of Wesley standing beside her, Judy spoke boldly.

“I’m going to hunt too. I’m confident.”

Judy quickly swung up onto her horse’s saddle, reached out to a knight to take a bow, and mimed taking a shot. Recalling the lessons she had taken before, she focused as much as she could and fired toward the tree ahead. The arrow cut through the wind and embedded itself precisely in the trunk.

“See? Even shooting a bow from horseback is no problem…… yes!”

She disliked that she had to get Theo’s permission for all of this, but since Theo was the one hosting the event, his approval mattered most. Even so, she felt proud of the arrow planted cleanly in the tree, and she hoped Wesley would find her impressive.

“Just don’t fall out of formation, keep your wits about you, and follow.”

“Understood, Young Duke.”

Having finally received permission, Judy’s cheeks flushed as she looked toward Wesley, excited to be with him.

“Hello, Young Duke Crawford. I came too.”

Just then, Asilly, who had been quietly watching the situation nearby, greeted him with proper etiquette. Theo’s gaze, which had been on Judy, shifted toward her.

“I know.”

With that single word, Theo turned away, and everyone left there fell silent with embarrassment. Everyone except one person—Judy’s fiancé.

“Don’t take Young Duke Crawford’s bluntness too much to heart, Miss Leroni. He is likely only a little on edge because he is hosting this event.”

“Yes. Thank you for comforting me, Earl Wesley.”

Why did the person comforting Asilly have to be her own fiancé…….

But Judy could not openly grow jealous and press him about it. Judy wanted to appear, to Earl Wesley, as a good woman—broad-minded, elegant, and patient.

In the meantime, everyone mounted their horses. 

“Miss, you must be careful.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, Gianna. I’ll be back.”

She cheerfully called out her farewell to Gianna, who would be waiting at the starting point. Theo, the first to mount up, cast an indifferent look over the others as if checking the group.

“Depart.”

At Theo’s brief command, all of them shook their reins. Theo sat astride a black horse with unusually dense, solid muscle and a sleek sheen, as if it resembled its master. Judy fixed her eyes on Wesley, who rode diligently just behind Theo at the front.

Ah, even that hair—like golden powder blowing in the wind—looked wonderful.

After how long they had ridden, deep into the forest. Theo gestured as if to tell the horses behind to lower their noise. They immediately gripped their reins, halted, and moved inward with utmost secrecy.

Between the nameless grasses thickly grown in the forest, something flashed past quickly.

“That way!”

At Theo’s shout, the group turned their horses and ran. A sudden tension rushed over Judy, who until now had been taking hunting lightly.

“Pull it together! Judy. Show them what a strong woman looks like!”

She swore that today she would make her fiancé fall for her so hard he would be drooling, and just as she turned her reins—

Bzzzz.

“U-uh, b-b-b-b-bee!”

Once again, a bee circled Judy fearfully close. When Judy flailed in shock, her horse panicked too and began spinning in circles.

“B-b-b-bee! Earl……! Earl……! Theo!”

Her mind went whiter and whiter; in the height of terror, she started to call for Earl Wesley, then, without realizing it, sought out Theo—her personal bee-catcher since childhood. But they were already far away, unable to hear Judy’s desperate voice, and as if that were not enough, the worst possible thing happened.

“Hiiiiiih!”

With pointless determination, the bee drove its stinger into the horse’s rump and died for it. Stung, the horse surged into violent excitement and then bolted like it had gone mad.

“S-stop! Calm down—aaah! Someone! I’m going to die!”

At the uncontrollable speed, Judy flattened her body down and clung to the horse’s neck. The horse was so agitated that Judy’s body jolted dangerously, as if she might be thrown off at any moment.

If she fell here, she would die. Her bones would all break, and she would die.

A terror beyond words seized her whole body, and only one instinct remained.

I don’t want to die!

Judy clung to the horse’s neck with all her strength. But her wretched stamina gave out quickly, and she finally lost her grip, tumbling straight down the cliff.

She was 20 years old…….