The day of the hunting festival had arrived.

Rihana wore the knight’s uniform—a fitted light cream-colored jacket with a high collar paired with black pants, with a red cloak draped over one shoulder that identified her as a member of the Imperial Knight Order. The golden chain connecting to the cloak glittered in the light.

Her black hair, reaching down to her waist, and dark eyes complemented the uniform perfectly. Unlike usual, she hadn’t tied her hair back neatly in a single ponytail because the hunting festival was meant to be enjoyed as a celebration. 

Though she couldn’t wear dresses like other ladies, the knights also felt the festive spirit by letting their hair down instead of keeping it bound as they normally had to.

For this reason, Rihana, as the captain of the Imperial Knight Order, let her long hair flow freely during the hunting festival. This way, her subordinates could also comfortably let their hair down or adorn it with jewels like other noble ladies.

Of course, this didn’t mean she neglected her duty to protect the Emperor. During the hunting festival, she and Letia always handled the Emperor’s escort, and she paid particularly close attention to guarding the Emperor so that the other knights could focus on the hunting games.

This time was no different. Together with Vice-Captain Letia, who always grumbled but never left her side, she protected the Emperor from behind. Knights and nobles roamed throughout the hunting grounds in pursuit of rare animals with bounties on them. 

Last year, they had chosen an area near the Monster Forest as the hunting ground, but some nobles had ventured into monster territory and lost their lives, so this year they selected a forest by the coast where monsters didn’t appear.

“I think I should head inside now.”

The Emperor, who had seemed uncomfortable since before the hunting festival began, rose from the chair where he was supposed to remain until the festival ended. When the Emperor stood, the Empress also rose, and those escorting them became busy as well. 

The fickle Emperor seemed quite bored waiting in the outdoor forest with sea breezes for the hunting spoils the nobles would bring back. He left word that his health wasn’t good enough to stay until the end of the hunting festival and returned to the palace with the Empress.

Rihana and Letia, who were escorting the Emperor, tried to follow, but the Emperor told them to enjoy this year’s hunting festival as well. 

He told Rihana to try hunting the silver deer that the Crown Prince had missed last year, and Rihana bowed her head in acknowledgment. 

Though the Emperor might have said it in passing, having heard his command, Rihana had to catch the silver deer and present it to the Emperor.

After the Emperor left, Letia grumbled that they were talking about silver deer when this wasn’t even a place where silver deer appeared, but Rihana fell into contemplation about whether she should go separately to last year’s hunting ground to hunt the silver deer.

“There are silver deer in this region too.”

Seemingly noticing her dilemma, Raiden gestured toward the interior of the forest with his chin.

“Really?”

“For real?”

Rihana and Letia asked Raiden simultaneously.

“This place connects to the Daiorn Forest.”

Raiden spoke calmly while gauging which direction to go, then extended his long, straight hand toward the left. Letia and Rihana simultaneously turned their heads toward where he was pointing.

“Good. I’ll look for that d*mn silver deer too, so cheer up, Captain.”

After saying this, Letia called over one of the knights. Rihana nodded once and looked at Raiden.

“Do you want to stay here? Or come with me?”

At her question, Raiden answered matter-of-factly.

“Together.”

While Rihana stood guard as the Emperor’s escort, Raiden, who had followed as her guard, pretended to protect her from behind while actually assessing the number of troops and nobles participating in the hunting festival. 

He added to his count by roughly estimating the numbers of some troops who were out on subjugation campaigns or guarding the palace. 

Though he couldn’t check the Emperor’s close associates since the Emperor returned to the palace before the festival started, he had confirmed most of what he needed to, so he planned to enjoy the Empire’s hunting festival.

If the Emperor hadn’t left Rihana with the command to hunt the silver deer, he could have enjoyed a more leisurely hunt, but thanks to that d*mn old man ordering her to catch a rare species with only a few individuals remaining, they would have to move somewhat urgently. 

So that his master could present the silver deer to the Emperor. Raiden told Rihana that he knew where silver deer might be found and offered to lead the way.

* * *

Raiden and Rihana, who had walked deep into the hunting grounds, encountered Casian and Princess Melissa near a pond.

“I greet Your Highness the Princess.”

Rihana quickly bowed her head. Raiden followed suit, bowing to Melissa, but when he raised his head, he met eyes with Melissa, who was staring at him with eyes so wide they seemed ready to pop out.

Melissa was so shocked by Raiden’s beauty, which she was seeing for the first time, that she forgot to blink. Even with Casian, the Empire’s most handsome man, beside her, his appearance was stunning enough to make her lose her senses. Though beautiful, it was a different kind of beauty from the commonly described delicate prettiness.

His height, slightly taller than the already tall Casian, along with his broad shoulders and thighs that looked thicker than Melissa’s waist, made his boyish appearance even more s*xy. 

The firm muscles clearly visible through his thin clothing aroused a desire to see them directly with her eyes. Melissa unconsciously swallowed her saliva.

Casian watched her with a barely perceptible frown. He was already displeased with Raiden staying by Rihana’s side, and seeing even the Princess lose her composure made his stomach twist. 

His pride was wounded by this lowly blond-haired man, when he had lived his entire life with the title of the Empire’s most handsome man since childhood.

“You dare bring a slave to the hunting festival.”

So he picked a fight unnecessarily.

“He’s not just a slave. He’s assigned to guard me.”

“A guard? Why does a Countess need a guard?”

Weren’t you the Empire’s greatest swordsman? At Melissa’s sarcastic mutter, Rihana pressed her lips together tightly.

“Many knights have simple guards. There’s no need to waste ability on trivial matters.”

“Then do you have one too?”

Melissa raised her head and asked Casian, who stood beside her. Casian looked down at Melissa and answered.

“I don’t feel much need for one, so I don’t have any.”

Despite treating people like objects, his voice was quite gentle. His eyes looking down at Melissa were even more tender. Though Casian had no such intention, to Rihana’s eyes it looked exactly like lovers gazing at each other in conversation. Rihana was quite surprised that watching the two of them didn’t make her feel uncomfortable like before. 

She was newly bewildered by when Casian, whom she had held in her heart for so long, had become so small within her.

“We don’t have time, so let’s go.”

Raiden leaned slightly and spoke quietly near Rihana’s ear. Casian’s brow furrowed automatically at Raiden’s action. When Rihana raised her head to meet eyes with Raiden, he became unbearably displeased. 

On top of that, when Melissa exclaimed in admiration that even his voice was nice, Casian smiled sardonically and asked the Princess.

“Do you like him?”

“Huh? Ah…”

“Rihana. Since Her Highness the Princess seems to like him, how about offering him as a companion for one night’s entertainment.”

His eyes remained directed at Melissa while asking Rihana. Both Rihana and Melissa’s eyes widened in surprise at his sudden suggestion.

“Such blond beauties aren’t common in the Empire. He’ll definitely be delicious, Your Highness.”

At Casian’s words, bewilderment spread across Melissa’s eyes.

“You’d be okay with me sleeping with another man?”

Though it wasn’t really a question to ask another woman’s fiancé, Melissa asked Casian with a very innocent face. Casian took her hand and kissed the back of it while saying.

“You are the Empire’s one and only Princess, so you have the right to have everything you desire. So if you want him…”

“I refuse.”

Rihana, who had been silently listening to their conversation, suddenly interrupted Casian’s words and expressed her refusal. At her rejection, Raiden’s, Casian’s, and Melissa’s gazes all focused on Rihana simultaneously.

“My guard knight is not a bedroom slave.”

At Rihana’s words, Casian immediately objected.

“Even if he’s not a bedroom slave, he can still serve Her Highness. It would be a great honor for that slave.”

“The master of my guard knight is me. I have clearly expressed my refusal here.”

Casian, who felt hurt and angry at Rihana’s stern expression directed at him, hardened his face noticeably and said to her.

“Since he’s my fiancée’s slave, he’s mine too.”

Rihana was shocked at Casian’s words. There was no logic more unreasonable than this. No matter how engaged they were, claiming ownership of a fiancé’s possessions went against common sense. Whether it was a person or an object.

Though heat rose to the top of her head, Rihana struggled to compose herself and looked at Casian.

“How surprising.”

At Rihana’s words, one of Casian’s eyebrows shot up. His face asked what she meant. Rihana looked at such a Casian and showed a sneer at the corner of her mouth.