“Oh? Duke.”

The one holding her wrist was none other than Karsten.

“I am grateful for His Highness the Crown Prince’s sentiment, but I must respectfully decline.”

Hearing Karsten’s voice, Breti finally felt a sense of relief.

“Decline…?”

One corner of Fedriol’s mouth curled upward.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Fedriol stepped closer to Karsten as he spoke.

“All the more reason I look forward to it.”

“……”

“I have very high expectations… for what kind of prey you’ll present.”

Breti felt the faint tremor in Karsten’s hand as it held hers.

She gently slipped her hand free and bowed her head slightly toward the Crown Prince.

“Your Highness, I believe my brother is right.”

“You believe your brother is right?”

“Yes, Your Highness. It is a matter of nobles presenting tributes to the imperial family. How could I dare to accept such a thing? I will gratefully accept only your heart.”

Fedriol let out a soft, mocking laugh, but Breti paid it no mind as she offered a proper bow.

“Then, we shall take our leave, Your Highness.”

Breti took Karsten by the arm and led him toward where Meliover was waiting.

“Karsten…!”

Seeing them return, Meliover’s expression immediately turned worried as she faced her son’s cold, rigid demeanor.

Why was Karsten so angry?

Glancing around, Meliover spotted Fedriol standing not far away.

She quickly turned back to Karsten with a faint smile.

“Karsten, control your emotions.”

Despite her gentle expression, her tone was firm.

“Yes, Mother.”

Thanks to her, Karsten seemed to regain at least a measure of composure.

Breti, unable to grasp the full situation, could only feel a stifling weight in her chest.

“I greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

At that moment, the gathered nobles began bowing to the members of the imperial family.

Breti cast a cautious glance toward the seats where the royals were seated.

As expected, Gabriel was nowhere to be seen.

“I am not the former Empress’s son. My brother and I have different mothers.”

The words he had spoken during their last outing suddenly came back to her. Breti couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for him, unable to take his rightful place at official gatherings.

“Laterna, come here.”

At the sound of Karsten’s voice calling her, Breti pushed her thoughts aside.

The greetings from the nobles had concluded, and now it was the turn of House White.

“We greet His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, and His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Hearing their greeting, Emperor Raician offered a faint smile.

When Breti lifted her head, Raician gestured toward her dress.

“That gown—was it made from the fabric I granted you, Duke?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Raician smiled faintly at his reply.

“As expected, your late father’s taste is still to be admired. That fabric suits the young lady very well. Do you like it, my lady?”

“I am deeply honored, Your Majesty.”

Still smiling, Raician turned his gaze toward Meliover.

“My lady, I have heard much of your declining health. I’ve been greatly concerned.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“It would please me to see you more often at gatherings such as this.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I shall endeavor to do so.”

With House White’s greeting complete, the Emperor rose from his seat.

“Then let the hunt begin.”

His voice, announcing the start of the hunt, rang out powerfully.

Karsten moved with several knights toward their horses.

“Karsten, why don’t you take Laterna with you?”

Meliover held Karsten back as she spoke.

“Laterna, this is your first time at such an event, isn’t it?”

“She could get hurt.”

“If anything, should you be injured, Laterna will be there to care for you.”

At her words, Karsten hesitated for a moment before giving a small nod.

“My dear, be careful out there.”

“Mother, will you be all right on your own?”

Breti asked with concern, and Meliover gave a faint smile in return.

“I’ll be fine. My dear should enjoy a new experience.”

With a gentle touch, Meliover nudged Breti forward. She had done so because she worried that Breti always seemed a little out of place among the noble ladies.

Breti, glancing back repeatedly, finally reached Karsten.

“It could be dangerous, so you must be cautious, Laterna.”

“Yes, brother.”

Karsten took her hand, helping her up onto the horse. Then he mounted right behind her.

“…!”

Their bodies naturally pressed close, and Breti, stiff with tension, clutched the reins tightly.

Throughout the ride, she could feel Karsten’s breath just behind her, and the tension refused to leave her body.

‘It must be… only me feeling this way.’

Yet Karsten seemed utterly unaffected, leaving her with a faint, stinging ache in her heart.

When they reached a stretch of open meadow, Karsten dismounted.

“Your Grace, a bird is flying there!”

A knight riding behind them shouted as he spotted the bird taking flight.

Karsten quickly drew his bow and released an arrow toward the soaring bird.

“As expected—perfect hit!”

The bird struck by the arrow fell to the ground with a dull thud.

“Wow…”

Breti, unable to help herself, let out a small gasp of awe.

Karsten, standing close by, turned toward her with the faintest smile.

Feeling his gaze, Breti lowered her head, fidgeting with her fingers.

“This might be a good chance for you to try it.”

“M-me? Me, Your Grace?”

“Yes.”

Karsten easily lifted Breti down from the horse, his hand brushing her waist in the process, making her flinch.

Whether he noticed her reaction or not, he handed her the bow he had just used.

Caught off guard, Breti took it with a flustered expression.

“B-but I…”

She was about to say she didn’t know how to use a bow when suddenly Karsten placed his hand over hers on the grip.

“Perfect timing. There’s a rabbit in the brush over there.”

Then, guiding her, he helped her aim and pulled back the bowstring.

But Breti couldn’t focus on the rabbit hidden in the thicket. All her attention was stolen by the warmth of Karsten’s hand and the sound of his breath so close beside her.

“When I count to three, release the string.”

“Y-yes!”

“One, two… three!”

At his count, Breti let go of the bowstring.

“My lady! A direct hit!”

The knights nearby cheered loudly, praising her.

It seemed she had succeeded in striking the rabbit.

One of the knights quickly dashed into the brush to retrieve the rabbit’s carcass.

Karsten gave Breti’s shoulder a brief pat before taking the game from the knight and showing it to her.

“This will be your first tribute to the imperial family.”

“N-no…”

But Breti lowered her gaze, as though she couldn’t even bear to look at the carcass.

Seeing her trembling hands, Karsten placed the rabbit’s body into a sack hanging from the saddle. Then, in a detached tone, he spoke to her.

“Do you think it’s an ignorant tradition?”

“…Ah, well…”

“It’s the custom of this empire. There’s no way around it.”

Breti bit her lower lip uneasily.

His skill with the bow was indeed impressive, but taking the life of a small creature was something she couldn’t view with simple admiration.

“But still…”

“…?”

“My thoughts aren’t much different from yours.”

Karsten offered a faint, bitter smile as he placed a light hand atop her head.

“I mean, I don’t see this tradition in a good light either.”

To him, it was a gesture that could have easily passed as brotherly affection, but Breti’s heart began pounding rapidly in her chest.

When Karsten lifted his hand away, a pang of disappointment flickered through her.

And suddenly, his words—that he felt the same way as she did—lingered heavily in her mind.

“Was the reason you never joined the hunting tournaments before… because of what you just said?”

Breti asked cautiously. She hadn’t expected an answer, and indeed, Karsten gave none.

“We should get moving.”

As if to change the subject, Karsten extended his hand toward her.

When Breti took it, that fleeting moment felt as though it would last forever.

After helping her onto the horse, Karsten settled behind her as before and called out to the knights.

“You continue the hunt on your own.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

With a sharp crack of the reins, the horse surged forward at full speed.

Startled by the sudden pace, Breti gripped the reins tightly.

But as she gradually adjusted to the swift gallop, she began to feel the fresh wind on her face.

And somehow, Breti felt a sudden lightness in her heart.