CHAPTER EIGHT.
You Love Me, Don’t You

For several days after that, the entire empire was in chaos preparing for the hunting festival. Bellota and Seiden were also busy, so there was no need to encounter each other again.

The same was true for Geril. Geril, who was in charge of the hunting festival, was nowhere to be seen. The news that Seiden was participating in the hunting festival had quickly spread throughout the empire, and it clearly had an effect on Geril as well.

Until now, Geril had won all the hunting festivals except for the one 12 years ago when the Emperor himself participated. The citizens of the empire were busy placing bets, trying to gauge whether Geril would claim victory in this hunting festival as well, or if Seiden would become the new winner.

And finally, the hunting festival was just around the corner. The hunting festival was to be held on Mount Tatenia, as per imperial tradition, and those participating or observing had to move to the castle at the foot of Mount Tatenia the day before through the gate set up in the imperial palace. This was to participate in the eve festival.

Since there had been an ominous occurrence of the full moon appearing a month early, just a month before the hunting festival, the imperial family seemed determined to hold a much more splendid and larger festival than usual to allay the anxiety of the citizens. The luxury of the banquet hall was incomparable to previous banquets.

Bellota also arrived at the banquet hall wearing a blue dress much more splendid than the one she had worn at the last banquet. As she was the only one from the Grand Temple to receive a strictly managed invitation to the hunting festival, Felton and other priests were unable to accompany her.

Standing alone without the priests, receiving greetings from the imperial family and nobles without fail, Bellota unknowingly held her breath when she spotted Seiden entering the banquet hall. He was dressed in an elegant and formal attire that he didn’t usually wear, and the sight of him in a suit was surprisingly handsome.

However, it seemed that wasn’t just Bellota’s thought, as the banquet hall fell silent for a moment at Seiden’s appearance, with numerous young ladies glancing at him.

“It’s Sir Seiden.”

“Still handsome, damn it. If he’s not going to reply to letters, he should at least stop being so handsome.”

Bellota clearly heard the whispers of the young ladies around her. It seemed Seiden was still popular among them. Bellota was once again reminded that he was handsome enough to capture the attention of numerous young ladies at once. It was only natural. Everyone’s eyes see the same thing after all…

At that moment, Seiden’s gaze, which seemed as if he was looking for someone, met Bellota’s eyes precisely. As though she was the one he had been looking for, Seiden’s gaze remained fixed on her, not moving.

Bellota, though flustered, didn’t avoid his eyes, and feeling her face somewhat flushing, she clasped her hands tightly. Just as Seiden was about to walk towards Bellota, wondering what he was thinking,

“Sir Seiden.”

Someone greeted him cheerfully, blocking Seiden’s path towards her. Bellota glanced at the woman who had come between her and Seiden.

“It’s been a while.”

The person who was smiling brightly and extending her hand without hesitation was Princess Hestina. Everyone started to murmur quietly, surprised by this unexpected acquaintance.

Bellota also looked at the two of them for a moment, surprised. The beautiful woman with the characteristic wavy blonde hair of the imperial family flowing down to her waist was the youngest princess, doted on by the Emperor.

“…Yes.”

Seiden looked at the hand Hestina had extended for a moment before reluctantly accepting her handshake. Hestina’s cheeks briefly reddened at the firm contact. He tried to let go of her hand quickly, but Hestina held onto it tightly, not letting go. Seiden frowned, but she paid no mind and spoke in a cheerful voice.

“I heard the news about Selento. They say you caught two monsters that attacked? And you did it yourself?”

“I didn’t catch them alone. I’m sorry, but could you let go of my hand?”

At that indifferent modesty, Hestina smiled and released Seiden’s hand. Seiden tried to glance at Bellota, but he couldn’t because Hestina quickly blocked his view, holding his attention.

“I heard you went with Duke Geril. If I had known in advance, I would have gone along too.”

Hestina lightly swung her fist as if truly regretful and looked at Seiden with determined eyes.

“Next time, I’ll go with you.”

Seiden didn’t respond to those words that sounded like a promise. He was already getting a headache just thinking about the thoughtless princess tagging along when Geril alone was already troublesome. Of course, it was unlikely that would actually happen. He had no intention whatsoever of accompanying this princess on a subjugation mission.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you many things if I met you. Tell me more about the story from Selento. I’ve never been to Selento.”

As Hestina asked with sparkling eyes, Seiden took the opportunity to glance at where Bellota was standing. But she was no longer looking his way. Seiden grew impatient.

“Please ask Duke Lylester.”

Even though he tried to brush her off like that,

“I’ve asked the Duke, but he doesn’t tell me properly. Did sea monsters really appear there?”

Such tactics didn’t work on Hestina.

Seiden caught sight of Geril walking towards Bellota from afar. As Seiden’s eyes turned fierce, Hestina was surprised and opened her eyes wide.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Was I being too annoying? I was just curious about the situation in Selento… If I could, I wanted to go and be of some help, but I couldn’t…”

Only after hearing that dejected voice did Seiden’s gaze return to Hestina. Seiden swallowed a sigh and answered quietly.

“It’s too dangerous a place for Your Highness to go.”

At that, Hestina immediately frowned and looked disappointed.

Meanwhile, Geril, dressed as flamboyantly as a peacock, quickly approached Bellota. He smiled brightly at her and said something, and eventually tried to lead Bellota out of the banquet hall. In the blink of an eye, the two disappeared from the banquet hall.

“Even you are like this? You saw it that day too. My hunting skills. Don’t underestimate me. I’m no less than Duke Geril.”

As Hestina raised her voice, the nobles who had been eavesdropping on their conversation with pricked ears stirred again. Saw her hunting skills? Does that mean the two of them went hunting together? My goodness, when did they become that close?

Although Hestina was originally a lively princess, those who knew her well noticed that she was particularly excited in front of Seiden. When a grown woman had such a face in front of a handsome man, there was only one reason. The princess had feelings for the Holy Knight Commander. Besides, aren’t they a perfectly matched pair?

Seiden barely swallowed the words that he had never seen Geril’s hunting skills so he couldn’t compare, and tried to look for Bellota again. But Bellota had already disappeared.

Damn it. As Seiden gritted his teeth, Hestina, noticing this, glanced in the direction Seiden was looking.

“What are you looking at? There’s no one there.”

Hah… Seiden finally let out a heavy sigh.

* * *

Thanks to Hestina holding Seiden back, Geril smoothly led Bellota out to the garden and began to skillfully offer words of praise while walking in step with her.

“I knew it would suit you, Saintess.”

Surprised by those words, Bellota, who had been thinking about Hestina and Seiden’s appearance while walking with Geril, turned to look at him. He was looking at Bellota with a pleased expression, as if appreciating a beautiful work of art.

“The dress you’re wearing, Saintess, I personally chose it.”

“Ah… I see.”

“The one you wore to the last banquet was also chosen by me, did you like it?”

Only then did Bellota recall that both the dress she wore last time and the one she was wearing now were particularly splendid and revealing. It seemed to be Geril’s taste. Geril’s taste was quite different from Bellota’s, but she couldn’t express her dislike in front of someone who had personally chosen and gifted the dress.

“They are such beautiful dresses, but I don’t need such expensive dresses. From now on, I’ll just accept your feelings, Duke.”

As Bellota carefully chose her words to convey her thanks, Geril shook his head as if something terrible had happened.

“That can’t be. We can’t just let the Saintess’s beauty go to waste. That would be no different from filling a warehouse with luscious grapes and leaving them to rot.”

Swallowing the words that she was not luscious grapes, Bellota silently continued walking, having lost the will to converse with him.

Geril tirelessly chattered beside Bellota, laying out self-praise disguised as humility. Meanwhile, Bellota continued to struggle to shake off the image of Hestina and Seiden floating in her mind. But Geril ended up turning all her efforts into bubbles.

“Ah, come to think of it, I saw the Holy Knight Commander and Her Highness the Princess together earlier. Did you see them too, Saintess?”

When Geril suddenly brought up the topic of the two, Bellota’s heart sank for a moment. She nodded, trying to act as if nothing was wrong.

“Yes.”