“Surely that’s all you caught?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Edward replied calmly.

The Emperor furrowed his brow deeply.

Edward, who had turned the tide of the Central War so decisively, had failed so spectacularly at hunting. It was completely unexpected.

The Emperor had meticulously devised a plan that required Edward to:

1. Sweep through the hunting grounds, collecting game with ease.
2. Subtly be praised by the Emperor for his valor, impressing the nobles.
3. Though the Emperor or Duke Quito might ultimately claim the prize, the young nobles would take notice of Edward’s prowess.

The Emperor had intended for this event to establish Edward as a prominent figure in the noble society. To that end, he had lured the younger nobles with the tantalizing prospect of winning Zeus’s Hand as a reward for victory.

Now, the Emperor was visibly frustrated, muttering under his breath.

“You’re proving to be less competent than expected. Your bravery and skills seem to only manifest at sea, don’t they?”

Laughter erupted around the table.

The younger nobles, who had been tense at Edward Adrian’s reputation as the Emperor’s strongest contender, now found themselves laughing at how misplaced their fears had been. A mere rabbit—what a farce.

“Your Majesty, rabbits are more fearsome creatures than you might think,” said Duke Quito, breaking the amused silence.

The Emperor raised an incredulous eyebrow. “Do you truly believe that, or are you merely mocking me?”

“I mean no such thing, Your Majesty. After all, there are many here today who failed to even catch a rabbit.”

The Duke’s remark caused some nobles to shift uncomfortably, their gazes darting away as they busied themselves with their meals. They were the ones who had returned empty-handed.

Duke Quito, unfazed by the tension, continued boldly. “A vice admiral who excels at sea has no need to master land hunting as well. If he did, where would that leave men like me to shine?”

The Emperor retorted with a chuckle. “You don’t need to hunt to make a name for yourself. Don’t the northern barbarians tremble at the very mention of your name?”

Quito grinned. “Still, I’m not yet ready to fall behind some fresh-faced youth, Your Majesty.”

“You’ll continue making your mark until your final breath,” the Emperor said with a hint of exasperation.

“And I’m grateful for such high praise,” Quito replied, his tone light.

The Emperor sighed, raising his goblet to his lips, clearly uninterested in prolonging the exchange.

Turning to Edward, Quito said, “I’ve heard much of your prowess, Baron Adrian. Surely, such a trivial hunting competition doesn’t even begin to challenge you, does it?”

“It’s not quite like that, Duke Quito. I gave it my all, but the results speak for themselves,” Edward replied, his tone steady.

Quito studied Edward intently, an intrigued expression flickering across his face.

“Not at all what I expected. I imagined you’d have a much rougher appearance.”

“…Is that so,” Edward replied, slightly taken aback. Compliments on his appearance from the grand duke of the North were the last thing he expected.

“Not that I find your current look unappealing, of course. I’d wager the ladies of Freia’s salons are losing sleep over you,” Quito teased with a hearty laugh.

Turning to the Emperor, Quito added, “Your Majesty has impeccable taste. To have chosen such a fine match for your niece is truly remarkable.”

“Even so, a single rabbit is just too much,” the Emperor grumbled.

Sensing the Emperor’s displeasure, other nobles seized the moment to curry favor.

“His exploits in the war were unparalleled, but even the greatest cannot excel at everything.”

“At least he’s far more handsome than I anticipated.”

“Indeed! Among the youth today, a man of Baron Adrian’s looks won’t need to worry about his worth being questioned,” an older noble quipped, stroking his beard.

The veiled jests and laughter carried on, but Edward seemed entirely unbothered, calmly continuing his meal. His lack of familiarity with noble humor left him oblivious to the mockery in their words.

Hester, however, watched in silence, his anger simmering. Their thinly veiled disdain for Edward was blatant to him.

Even the Emperor, who had personally arranged Edward’s betrothal to Yelodia, seemed to partake in this mockery, leaving Hester boiling with frustration.

Unable to bear it any longer, he resolved, ‘I’ll help the Baron myself tomorrow.’

While he couldn’t directly assist in hunting, he could discreetly assign his knights to support Edward. After all, forming unofficial hunting parties was not unheard of.

Just then, a faint shadow flitted across his vision.

“Ah! Who’s there?”

“It’s… it’s me, Theodore Kesley! I thought I made my presence known several times, but did I startle you?”

Hester frowned, pressing a hand against his pounding chest.

Lost in his own thoughts, he hadn’t noticed anyone approaching.

“Theodore, what are you doing here again?”

“I was waiting for you, Lord Hester. I wanted to apologize for what happened earlier today.”

“…”

“Once again, I sincerely apologize, Lord Hester. Blinded by the allure of the prize the Emperor promised, I acted rashly without properly assessing the situation.”

Theodore bowed deeply, his remorse evident. Hester furrowed his brow, though more out of irritation than anger.

“Didn’t you already apologize earlier? That should be enough reflection for now.”

Hester waved his hand dismissively with a sigh. No one had suffered direct harm from the incident, and as long as Theodore genuinely regretted his actions, that was sufficient for Hester.

“I accept your apology. Now, you may leave.”

“…”

Despite Hester’s clear dismissal, Theodore hesitated, glancing around nervously.

Hester squinted slightly, sensing there was more to this.

“Do you have another reason for being here?”

“I… I do. I’ve been agonizing over how to bring this up.”

“…”

After a moment of hesitation, Theodor finally spoke.

“Lord Hester, you shouldn’t trust Baron Adrian too much.”

“What are you implying?”

Startled, Hester demanded an explanation. Theodore met Hester’s gaze with a resolute expression, as though bracing himself for the consequences.

“I saw him with a woman on Lonel Street.”

“…A woman?”

Hester gaped in disbelief. A woman? Edward, with a woman?

“Surely… You’re not serious!”

Theodore Kesley was accusing Edward of infidelity despite being engaged.

Hester’s brow furrowed deeply as he scrutinized Theodore from head to toe.

“If what you’re saying is untrue, you realize you could be ostracized from society, don’t you?”

“I swear I saw it with my own eyes. It was a woman,” Theodore declared, his voice firm with conviction.

Even so, Hester stared at Theodore with a cold, unyielding gaze.

He didn’t believe Theodore’s words entirely.

Theodore felt a flicker of unease. He hadn’t expected Hester—renowned for his genial and agreeable demeanor—to be so sharp and unrelenting in his questioning.

“Did you see any distinguishing features of this woman?”

“I didn’t get a clear look at her, but I saw her from behind. She had the audacity to disguise herself as a servant.”

“…A servant?”

A servant? A woman dressed as a servant?

Suddenly, a realization struck Hester like a bolt of lightning. He stiffened, his body going rigid.

This… this…

After a long pause, Hester finally spoke, his tone clipped.

“Very well. Understood. You may leave now.”

“…Pardon?”

Theodore looked dumbfounded. Hester raised his voice, cutting him off.

“I said I understand! Leave now. I still have some walking to do.”

“Ah, yes. Well then, good evening.”

Theodore gave a bewildered bow before disappearing into the darkness.

Hester let out a deep sigh, feeling utterly drained.

“Ha, that little troublemaker.”