Chapter 6 (Part 1)

Originally, Rybid had no intention of participating in the hunting competition, but after overhearing the conversations of the palace maids passing by, he changed his mind.

<Duke Rockbellion will probably win first place in the hunting competition again this year, right?>

<He’ll probably win for Lady Yuliana Loengrin, who loves the pearl prize of the hunting competition.>

<Since Lady Yuliana Loengrin loves pearls, Duke Rockbellion bought up all the pearls in the capital and gave them to her as a gift while confessing his feelings.>

<That’s so romantic.>

The prize for the winner of the hunting competition is a large pearl the size of a fist. The larger the pearl, the more valuable it is. Moreover, the first-place winner can present the animal they hunted to the person they have feelings for, so Rybid couldn’t just sit still.

He hunted harder than anyone else to show a cool image to Yuliana at the hunting competition.

“I must get first place and make Duke Rockbellion’s face twist. How much could Duke Rockbellion have hunted?”

Rybid, who returned to the starting point with three carts full of animals, looked around and saw that no one had hunted more than he did, so he puffed out his chest with pride.

“No matter how I look at it, I’m the first place.”

“Your Holiness, don’t be too sure. I’ve heard that Duke Rockbellion always takes first place.”

Aens, who had helped Rybid with the hunting, said.

“Then, Aens, should we hunt more?”

“The hunting competition is about to end.”

Rybid looked regretfully at the tent where the noble ladies were gathered.

“If it weren’t for Duke Rockbellion, Lia would have fallen for me…”

Anes felt suffocated by Rybid’s every word.

Of course, anyone could see that Rybid was handsome, wealthy, and of high status. Naturally, many women approached him, and he did not stop those who left. As a result, Rybid’s arrogance only grew.

“It can’t be helped.”

Rybid looked at the hunted animals and imagined Yuliana looking at him admiringly, lifting the corners of his mouth.

The male nobles who had gone hunting in the forest began to gather at the starting point again.

Among those who arrived, Rybid had caught the most.

“As expected, it’s me!”

Rybid laughed at the shabby carts of the men who had brought their hunt. Then Monica came out of the tent, followed by the princesses and noble ladies, who inspected the animals the men had hunted.

“Lia.”

Rybid waved his hand brightly and approached Yuliana, who was coming out of the tent. Yuliana’s expression darkened when she saw Rybid calling her by her nickname without permission.

“I never allowed you to call me by my nickname. Please don’t call me by my nickname, Your Holiness!”

“I know I’ll be rejected a few times. But I won’t give up on you.”

It was then.

“I would appreciate it if you stopped approaching. I’m sure I told you, Your Holiness. Yuliana is my lover.”

Anthus, who had approached Yuliana without anyone noticing, stared at Rybid menacingly.

Naturally, many people around looked at Yuliana, Rybid, and Anthus’s love triangle with curiosity. It was an interesting situation for anyone to see.

Rybid saw Anthus’s empty cart and proudly straightened his shoulders, lifting his chin arrogantly.

“Did the Duke catch nothing at all?”

“I do not like meaningless hunting.”

“Duke Rockbellion doesn’t like hunting? From what I’ve heard, you always take first place in the hunting competition. You don’t like hunting? Duke Rockbellion, who enjoys cutting people down and killing them on the battlefield, doesn’t like hunting? Even a passing dog would laugh.”

Rybid spoke while looking at Yuliana. It was clear to anyone that he intended to cause discord.

But Yuliana couldn’t pay attention to Rybid’s gaze and words. All her attention was on the animals piled on the cart.

“Could it be, Your Holiness… did you hunt all those animals on that cart?”

Yuliana asked Rybid in a trembling voice.

“Of course, Lia. The animals didn’t die easily, so I had to shoot arrows and stab them with swords multiple times. It was really hard to hunt, but I did my best to get first place.”

Unaware of Yuliana’s feelings, Rybid boasted about himself.

Looking at the hunted animals on the cart, Yuliana bit her lip. As Rybid said, they were slashed with swords and had multiple arrows stuck in them. It was horrific.

“How…”

Yuliana staggered at the horrific scene, and Anthus supported her waist.

“Are you alright, Lia?”

Yuliana grabbed Anthus’s firm arm.

“It’s too… cruel, Yan.”

Anthus, who was gently stroking Yuliana’s back while hugging her tightly, lifted the corners of his mouth.

Then he looked at Rybid with a bright smile, as if he had found a very interesting toy.

Rybid met Anthus’s eyes and felt strangely stiff.

The situation felt familiar. It was as if he remembered Anthus’ despicable behavior in the mansion, crying in Yuliana’s arms, laughing at Aens and himself.

“Could it be…”

Anthus pointed at the cart full of animals Rybid had hunted and spoke to Yuliana in a trembling voice.

“…that deer.”

Anthus covered his mouth with one hand, his eyes trembling. He looked pained, no matter who saw him. Seeing Anthus’s painful expression, Yuliana looked at Rybid’s cart, which he was pointing at.

“That deer… it can’t be…”

“What’s wrong? What about that deer?”

“The deer on the cart was under the tree where I found the squirrel. I remember the pattern on its back because it’s rare. It was with a fawn… Why…”

Anthus continued speaking in a very sad voice. Yuliana remembered the squirrel Anthus had carefully brought.

“Why is the deer that was with the fawn on Your Holiness’s cart… in such a horrific state…”

Anthus’s eyes were now moist.

“Should we be relieved that the fawn is not in sight?”

Yuliana looked at Anthus with a pained expression. The deer that had been with the squirrel he had saved had fallen victim to Rybid. She couldn’t imagine how much his heart was hurting.

“I’m worried about whether the fawn can survive in this harsh forest… Lia.”

Yuliana covered her mouth, sadly imagining the last moments of the mother and her fawn.

“Lia! There was no fawn when I caught those deer! Don’t be fooled by the Duke’s lies!”

Watching Anthus’s act, Aens punched his left chest. The frustration felt like indigestion. Rybid felt the same.

“Don’t call me by my nickname! How could a Pope… be so… cruel!”

“There was no fawn!”

Rybid shouted urgently. But his urgent feelings didn’t reach Yuliana at all.

Yuliana looked at the cart full of animals hunted by Rybid and leaned against Anthus with a pale face.

“Yan, it’s too horrific here. I don’t want to be here.”

“I feel the same way, Lia. It’s too cruel to stay here.”

Aens had a premonition. Because of this incident, Rybid would be completely hated by Yuliana.

“Your Holiness, it will be difficult to beat Duke Rockbellion.”

“Duke Rockbellion, how dare you try to cause discord between Lia and me again?”

Rybid ground his teeth, remembering Anthus who had cried and caused discord at the Earl’s residence.

“Anyway, I’m going to take first place! Then I’ll proudly give the hunted animals to Lia and confess my feelings.”

Rybid’s shout pierced Yuliana’s ears.

“Yan… What if His Holiness wins first place and gives me the gift?”

With a worried face, Yuliana shook her head and trembled. Anthus turned his back on Rybid, wrapped his arms around Yuliana’s shoulders, and whispered.

“It’s alright, Lia. The Pope won’t take first place anyway.”

“What?”

“Look over there.”

Yuliana looked where Anthus was looking. Louis’s cart full of animals was coming in.

“Brother Louis?”

“Today’s winner will be Young Lord Louis.”

“I’ve never seen Brother catch so many animals…”

Anthus had predicted that Rybid would stop at nothing to take first place.

But as he told Cloud yesterday, Anthus had already decided the first place in the hunting competition. While looking for the squirrel, he had beaten all the animals he encountered on the way. And the knights of the Rockbellion family, who followed him, secretly transferred the animals hunted by Anthus to Louis’s cart.

<That’s strange. Why do the animals keep increasing? Huh… Did I catch a bear?>

Louis found it strange that every time he looked away, more and more animals piled up on his cart.

<I only caught about three rabbits…>

Tigers, wild bears, wild boars… all difficult creatures for Louis to catch were piling up.

<Is someone pushing me to take first place?>

Louis tilted his head while looking at the cart. He couldn’t just leave the animals that kept piling up, so he ended up returning to the starting point with the animals he hadn’t even caught.