Chapter 60
“Is there some law saying I can’t attend?”
“No. It’s too dangerous.”
As expected, the Grand Duke rejected her without hesitation.
Overprotection is a disease. What am I going to do with him?
“Dangerous? It seems you still don’t realize I’m the strongest person in this world. And you said the biggest animal in the hunting grounds is a deer, right?”
“That’s only because my little pearl has never been kicked by a deer’s hind legs.”
“I would never get kicked. Worst case—want to see?”
She stretched her hand forward, and instantly a large sphere enveloped her entire body.
It was a defensive shield created by manipulating magical energy lines.
“How’s that? Not even a tiger could break through this.”
“I don’t want even a rabbit to come near you.”
“Grand Duke, that’s overprotection. To the point it’s interfering with daily life. It’s severe.”
“I know. To be honest, at this point I just want to kidnap—no, bring you straight to the grand duchy already.”
The Grand Duke held his head, looking utterly distressed.
After much thought, the Grand Duke decided to assign the Three Idiot Brothers as her escorts.
Escorts, by rule, were only to escort—not participate in the hunt themselves.
Their skills were reliable enough… but the problem was they were too noisy!
Even now, being ordered to escort her to the hunting festival, the three of them were babbling nonstop, making it hard to think.
“We’re escorting Lady Gianna?”
“No, you idiot. Lady Gianna is escorting us to the hunting festival.”
“Right, that fits our skill level. Whew, scared me.”
The Grand Duke, watching them chatter, flicked Isaac—one of the brothers—on the forehead.
“Ow!”
“Are your ears blocked? You three. Are. To escort. Gianna! You idiots!”
“Your Grace, that’s impossible.”
“We can’t keep up with Lady Gianna.”
“It’s like asking a toddler to guard a Sword Master.”
“Wow, Olson. You sounded smart just now.”
“Where’d you even learn that metaphor?”
“You fools, anyone gets smart just being around Lady Gianna.”
She quietly slipped away from the brothers as they continued to speak nonsense.
Then she beckoned the Grand Duke over.
“Do we have to take them? My ears are going to burst.”
“Should I escort you myself instead? I could.”
“That’s absolutely impossible!”
How could she waste the Grand Duke by using him as a lowly escort who couldn’t even participate in the hunt? That would disgrace the name of a hero!
She waved her hands frantically, and the Grand Duke chuckled softly.
“I meant, use me if something goes wrong. There’s always an ‘if’ in life.”
“You worry too much. Fine, okay.”
She grumbled, but accepted his decision. Just being able to attend the hunting festival was good enough.
They quickly submitted the application.
As was tradition, the festival’s winner would receive a special prize.
The winner would then present the prize to the lady he admired as a confession of affection.
She suddenly thought of Princess Arines from the original story.
‘Princess Arines desperately wanted to receive the hunting festival prize.’
When the festival happened in the original, Arines and the Grand Duke had just married.
She wanted the world to know how much he loved her. So she asked him, but he rejected her immediately.
He said he’d rather spend that time researching how to kill the dragon hatchling.
‘They were newlyweds though… he really was a bit harsh.’
As the author, she felt guilty toward Arines.
When writing the scene where he refused her so coldly, she had nearly cried herself. But for the story, she couldn’t help it.
<The Song of the Sorrowful Sea> wasn’t a happy-ending romance—it was a tragedy through and through!
‘Their contract marriage alone already reeked of despair.’
Arines and the Grand Duke did not marry for love.
It was a one-sided love from Arines. Even if you don’t love me, just marry me, she had begged, and forced the marriage to happen.
‘How must she have felt, loving a man who would never love her back?’
Even as the author, she could hardly imagine her pain.
Loveless marriages were common, but contract marriages were far worse—and Arines didn’t know that.
Worse, the Grand Duke used her feelings for his revenge.
‘Fine. I will marry you. But on one condition.’
He demanded a five-year contract marriage.
If he couldn’t find a way to kill the dragon within five years, the marriage would be dissolved.
But blinded by love, Arines agreed and signed.
She foolishly thought five years was long enough to find a way.
‘Arines, you idiot! Why dig your own grave?!’
Hold on, let me wipe my tears again.
The original was filled with sorrow and led only to a tragic, irreversible ending.
But now that she had transmigrated here, there would be no tragedy. Only a happy ending!
Arines would be happy, unlike the original.
And she, Gianna Hertin—who never existed in the original—would also be happy in the end.
‘Suddenly she wants to join the hunting festival? What is she thinking?’
Gianna had been pestering him every day to leave for the grand duchy immediately.
Then suddenly she wanted to join the festival first?
Of course, it was good news for him. He was desperate to extend their contract even a single day.
‘But she must have a motive.’
Gianna wasn’t an ordinary woman.
She must want to accomplish something so badly she was willing to delay the contract’s end.
She had no idea how worried he was for her.
His worries grew, but there was no time to dwell on it.
They were already standing at the entrance of the forest where the festival would begin.
Dark clouds gathered overhead, threatening rain.
Gianna was standing at the starting line with the Three Idiot Brothers, stretching and ready to sprint into the woods the moment the signal sounded.
“What is she up to?”
Unable to resist his curiosity, the Grand Duke approached her.
“What do you mean, ‘up to’? What are you talking about?”
She looked at him innocently, feigning ignorance.
‘Does she really think I won’t notice?’
Even that deception was adorable.
He almost melted, but steadied himself and pressed on.
“You always talked about ‘ending the contract.’ Yet now suddenly you want to attend the festival. I can’t make sense of it.”
“Oh come on. The festival only happens once a year. We’re already in the capital, so we might as well enjoy it. A few days delay won’t kill me.”
Funny. She had been chanting Capital! Grand duchy! Go! every single day.
He still remembered it vividly.
“No, you definitely have an ulterior motive. Hmm…”
A thought struck him.
“Do you want to receive the winner’s prize from me? So everyone knows how much I adore you?”
“Wrong! Try again!”
She dismissed him quickly and kept glancing toward the starting line.
The organizers were preparing to blow the whistle.
“Then… don’t tell me.”
The Grand Duke swallowed hard.
“Am I getting confessed to today? By the victorious hero Gianna?”
“Your Grace, we agreed to call that ‘delusion.’”
She shook her head as if it was absurd.
“You’re free to imagine things, but please don’t embarrass me too.”
“Oh no. I don’t think I’ll be able to focus now.”
“Then just sit in the shade and wait for it to finish. Ah! It started!”
The whistle blew, and Gianna dashed into the forest.
