It was perfect weather for horseback riding. Today was the hunting festival held at the imperial hunting grounds, and many nobles had gathered. 

Evelyn wore a wide-brimmed hat that covered her face and tied a blue ribbon firmly under her chin.

Normally, men would be fired up with enthusiasm to hunt game and offer it to the women they admired, and women would be busy stealing glances at such knights, but they were heating up with conversations about the disgraceful incident that had occurred at the palace recently.

“Lady Windelson committed a great discourtesy to Duke Berenberg. His Grace graciously overlooked it that day, but… honestly, isn’t it too improper for the Count and his wife to end it with just an apology?”

“I think so too. Lady Windelson suddenly said something strange that day. His Grace didn’t even show any anger.”

Inside the tent where noble ladies and young ladies waited, Evelyn was breaking out in a cold sweat from people’s piercing stares.

‘This is why I didn’t want to come…’

People kept blaming her without even knowing the full situation. From those who had been there to those who hadn’t, everyone was whispering with curious faces.

Just then, she heard murmuring from not far away. At the women’s consecutive exclamations, she turned around to see a man leading a large horse. 

Even beside the large horse reminiscent of a warhorse, the man’s presence was tremendous enough to encompass everyone in the area.

The Duke’s appearance was truly like a sculpture. The riding outfit that clung tightly to his body suited him beyond perfectly, highlighting his muscular physique.

Duke Elkas van Berenberg.

Just one step from him overflowed with intimidation, like a mountain moving. Even amid all that, his clear blue-gray eyes resembling the sky were beautiful enough to feel refreshingly open, like a vast garden.

The perfect knight’s body without any excess was splendid enough to steal one’s gaze, and the appearance visible above it surpassed any man gathered here.

Evelyn, who had secretly swallowed her breath, hastily lowered her gaze, but the image of the man captured in her vision during that brief moment didn’t disappear.

‘He is handsome.’

At the thought that arose naturally, Evelyn was startled and came to her senses. Handsome? Who was it because of whom she’d been put under house arrest and scolded?

Proving it was a scene difficult to look away from, it was natural that all the nobles gathered there focused their attention on him. 

Women with enchanted eyes stared at him intently, seemingly about to be pulled in.

“Duke, it’s been a while since you attended a hunting festival. Please show your face more often from now on.”

The women who had been creating a breeze with their fans and excitedly gossiping just moments ago all flocked to him to talk. Seeing him surrounded by women in glamorous dresses suitable for a banquet, Evelyn turned her head with a snort to look toward the forest.

She thought it must be nice to be so popular.

The person who sent the marriage proposal was right here, yet the Duke didn’t seem uncomfortable with the women’s attention and even appropriately accepted their greetings as he strode forward with large steps.

Just as she was about to turn her head, feeling hurt in her pride for thinking he was impressive, a scene that felt out of place caught her eye. The trouser hem, ironed flat without a single wrinkle, looked a bit strange. 

The trouser leg filled tightly with his sturdy thigh looked tight, seemingly off-balance at a glance. Especially the left thigh width looked unusually narrow, appearing stuffy just to look at.

‘Are his pants a bit small? Did the tailor make a mistake?’

At first she thought the pants were small, but seeing how particularly one side fit tightly, it seemed like the tailor’s mistake. He looked quite neat on the outside, but to not even notice such a small thing.

Thinking he was unexpectedly easygoing about such details, she raised her head, and just then her eyes met directly with the Duke, who had lifted his chin.

An intense gaze continued somehow.

Seeing the blue-gray eyes like an open sky gradually widen, Evelyn turned her head away with a coy expression and a snort. She had thought about apologizing if she saw him today, but for some reason, seeing the man surrounded by women made her not want to care.

As she was unnecessarily adjusting her hat strings, Sheila conversed with the Duke and then the two walked over together.

Why are they coming here?

Flustered, Evelyn looked around frantically for a corner to escape to, but it was already too late.

“Evelyn!”

“Oh. Sister…”

When Evelyn answered awkwardly and slightly lifted her eyelids, the neatly dressed Duke greeted her according to etiquette.

“Lady Evelyn, I unintentionally committed many discourtesies last time.”

To look up at the tall man, Evelyn had to tilt her neck back quite far. She glimpsed the Duke, who had mentioned that day’s events first like a mere happening, fiddling with the sword at his waist.

Ah. So that was a sword back then.

The Duke’s face, speaking to her unexpectedly like that day’s events didn’t need any concern at all, even had a smile seeping through. Had there really been nothing offensive that day?

Still conscious of the nobles’ gazes watching them, Evelyn nodded her head appropriately.

“It’s fine.”

“I heard you can’t ride horses.”

“Ah… Yes…”

It wasn’t a good look for an adult noble woman to be unable to ride even a horse, but Evelyn had always hesitated to learn horseback riding.

Nobles commonly struck horses’ hindquarters with long stick-like things called whips to increase speed. She froze, feeling sorry for horses that had to endure being hit on top of bearing an adult man’s weight, and ended up never learning to ride.

“If it’s alright with you, how about I give you a ride?”

“Oh, I’m… it’s fine…”

“You will? Perfect, Evelyn. I just asked because you don’t know how to ride, and the Duke graciously agreed to give you a ride.”

“What? A horse? Oh…!”

Before she could ask what that meant, large hands firmly grasped Evelyn’s waist and lifted her onto the saddle of the horse the Duke had been riding until just moments ago.

Suddenly mounted on the horse, her view shot up high. Evelyn’s flustered eyes chased after her sister, but Sheila was winking at her, telling her not to worry.

“Since it’s your first hunting festival, go have fun.”

As soon as those words ended, she felt a heavy body behind her back. Evelyn, who had swallowed her breath, hastily straightened her back, but she could tell without needing to turn her eyes that the one who had mounted behind her was the Duke.

Why did this suddenly happen?

Evelyn, who suddenly recalled Sheila’s words about arranging a place to get closer, looked at her sister with a resentful face, but Sheila, who had already put considerable distance between them, was waving her hand cheerfully.

At the two arms extended forward, seemingly embracing her shoulders, Evelyn soon hunched even her shoulders. This was the first time she’d been this close to a man, so her heart raced. 

The solidly prominent masculine thighs and large physique exuded a charm completely opposite to women’s.

A low baritone voice came from behind her hunched back.

“I heard this is your first hunting festival. Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

“Uh… no.”

“Then. How about a place with good scenery behind the hunting grounds…”

“Yes… let’s go there.”

Evelyn, who didn’t really care where they went, answered hastily. Every time the Duke spoke, all her nerves stood on edge at the hot breath touching the nape of her neck.

Soon blue veins rose on the back of the hand gripping the reins. Immediately the horse galloped forward and cold wind poured onto her face.

* * *

As a gentle breeze blew from the verdant forest, Evelyn held tight to her hat, worried it might fly away. Fortunately, as the horse picked up speed and ran, the awkwardness of being with the Duke melted away like snow.

Feeling the pleasant wind, Evelyn soon felt her mood become refreshed. They said the Duke’s riding skills were exceptional, and a sense of security came with his stable posture.

“Whoa.”

After passing through a wide field and entering the forest entrance, the Duke gradually brought the horse to a stop. Only then looking around, Evelyn could tell this was a proper hunting ground.

“Oh! A deer.”

At the deer that appeared before her eyes, Evelyn’s face brightened before she gasped and covered her mouth.

Glancing sideways at the Duke with her turned head, she saw him shouldering a large bow on the horse, his arms raised high as though about to aim the bow at any moment.

She knew. This was a hunting festival, so naturally hunting should be done here.

Even knowing that nobles who didn’t bring back game would lose face terribly, she didn’t want to see that innocent animal get shot and killed by an arrow.

But the Duke, who had seemed about to aim his bowstring at any moment, showed no particular movement.

Why is it so quiet?

When she cautiously opened her closed eyes, the feeling that had been enveloping her back disappeared. The Duke, who had already dismounted from the horse, slowly led the horse toward a lake surrounded by large trees.

As she blinked at the significantly reduced sense of speed, the Duke, who had finally stopped under the shade of a large tree, began to speak.

“Was the ride uncomfortable? I tried to be careful, but I’m not sure if it was alright.”

“Ah… it was fine.”

When Evelyn answered, finding the voice asking quite carefully unexpectedly warm and considerate, the Duke gestured forward.

“This is the most beautiful scenery in the imperial hunting grounds.”

As he said, the lake waves on the opposite side where she turned her gaze sparkled in the sunlight. Evelyn adjusted her fidgeting fingers several times from tension.

‘Did he bring me here on purpose to show me this?’

With that thought, as she was about to stay still, a small canteen was suddenly thr*st before her. He, who had taken out the canteen from a pouch tied to the side of the horse, held it out to Evelyn.

“I thought you might be thirsty, so I brought this… Would you like some?”

Evelyn, who had been staring blankly at the Duke asking with a somehow bashful air, took the canteen. She had indeed been thirsty from being tense. As the refreshing water passed down her throat, her tension eased even more.

Feeling awkward drinking alone, Evelyn held out the bottle her lips had touched.

“Duke, would you like some too?”

“…I’m fine.”

Though it was originally his, the Duke hastily declined modestly, like someone refusing a great gift.

Why is he like that?

Looking closely, the tips of the Duke’s ears were flushed red.

For a grown man’s ears to turn red seemed somehow a bit cute. In fact, looking at him with her guard slightly lowered, he was extremely handsome and also a person with proper manners. 

Perhaps because of his pleasant tone, even the conversation they were having now wasn’t uncomfortable.

His eyes even looked humble enough to sparkle with a burdensome intensity.

Were his eyes always this clear?

Come to think of it, he seemed to resemble the deer she’d seen earlier.

Evelyn found herself staring blankly at the Duke’s face, which she’d examined closely up close.

Blue-gray eyes that seemed to hold the sky beneath thick, bold eyebrows. The lips positioned straight as a line below his sharp nose exuded a coolness at a glance, but his refined features were undoubtedly those of a handsome man.

She could indeed understand why Caroline had praised him until her mouth went dry.

No, honestly speaking, it would be stranger if there were a woman who didn’t fall for such looks.

Seeing that he hadn’t hunted the deer earlier, he didn’t seem to be the type to boast of his status by catching game either. 

Beyond not being as strange a person as she’d thought, he was unexpectedly a kind person who had been considerate enough throughout to worry whether she was uncomfortable. Even the canteen he’d brought for her, saying she might be thirsty, showed that.

<It’s about size.>

At her sister’s words that suddenly came to mind, Evelyn’s gaze dropped downward. Looking again at the trouser hem that had been subtly different earlier, an outline as thick as her wrist and as long as her forearm protruded prominently on only one side.

Could that be the part her sister had mentioned?

As she was quietly mulling it over, the Duke, who had suddenly positioned himself behind Evelyn’s back, grasped the reins. Evelyn, who flinched at the heavy weight braced behind her back in an instant, sent her gaze forward.

“We should head back now.”