~Chapter 34~
A few days after the triplets and Aivin disappeared.
“Oh my, what a surprise that such esteemed guests would visit without any notice!”
Unlike poor Dylan, who was dragged away by the scruff of his neck, the four were being treated with the utmost courtesy upon their arrival at Count Rogen’s estate.
“I’ve known the story about the giant great-horned stag near the Valenos Mountains in the Rogen territory since I was very young. Its fame is truly remarkable, isn’t it? It’s to the extent that His Majesty the Emperor himself never fails to visit the Rogen territory every hunting season. I wanted so badly to see the great stag with my own eyes this time that I pestered and begged my father. How childish of me…”
…Was a load of crap.
_’I’m sorry, ma’am, but the truth is, I’m just here to stalk Roshinol!’_
Her second plan was as follows:
**[Project Name: Catch the Stag]**
Pretend to participate in the winter stag hunting event to naturally approach the Emperor, then propose the ‘bet’ he’s so passionate about. And then, win the bet decisively to lure Roshinol to the nursery volunteer site!
—
Despite the chaotic state of national affairs, the young Emperor had arrived at the Rogen territory a day early for the hunting season.
This behavior of his was well-documented in the original story, so Aivin didn’t need to plant any spies to easily grasp his whereabouts and activities.
—Emperor Roshinol was a hunting fanatic who, season after season, would lead his officials out to indulge in drinking, singing, dancing, and shooting arrows for fun. It wasn’t a part of military training but purely recreational hunting.
The prey was determined by the season: wild boar in spring, foxes in summer, stag in autumn, and wolves in winter…
—
Late that afternoon.
Aivin and the triplets, having settled into a guesthouse, went down to the dining hall for a meal.
Just as they were crossing the hall.
**BANG!**
The massive doors of the manor’s Great Hall swung open wide, and a group of burly men poured in.
At the apex of that pyramid was none other than Roshinol.
_’This is totally like the crown prince’s grand entrance scene in a movie…’_
The young Emperor, with local nobles, officials, and Lord Rogen following behind him like servants, strode confidently inside.
In his hand was the head of a massive male stag.
“Truly magnificent, Your Imperial Majesty! To catch a stag on the very first hunt!”
“Who in the heavens could possibly match Your Majesty’s skill, if not the heavenly palace itself?”
As if they had been waiting, praises for the Emperor poured from all sides, but the Emperor showed no reaction.
He merely tossed the stag’s head aside carelessly and immediately went up to take his seat at the head of the banquet hall.
“I’m tired from all that running.”
The young Emperor leaned back in his chair, running a hand stained with stag blood through his hair. As he slightly tilted his head to the side, a waiting attendant quickly placed a cigar between his lips.
*Fizzle.*
Just as the tip of the cigar caught fire.
*Click, click.*
The sound of someone walking across the center of the banquet hall was heard.
The Emperor’s crimson eyes widened slightly when the owner of the footsteps was almost at the dais.
*”Cough…! Ahem! Cough cough!”*
“Your Majesty! Are you alright?!”
When the Emperor suddenly started coughing as if he’d choked, the attendants began to panic as if thunder had struck above their heads.
“I pay my respects to Your Imperial Majesty, the Sun of the Huig Empire.”
Aivin’s voice, as clear and melodious as jade beads rolling on a silver tray, rang sweetly in Roshinol’s ears.
“My goodness, what a rare coincidence! I, too, have just arrived to attend the hunting festival held here, Your Majesty.”
Aivin was wearing a pale cobalt-blue silk evening dress matching her eye color, with pearl buttons from the neck to the waist. The boned bodice and corset emphasized her slender waistline, and the crinoline under the skirt created a voluminous silhouette. The design featured pleated ruffles on the sleeves, a white lace collar, and a brooch for a subtle point of interest.
Her hair, tied up in two braids secured with a net, further enhanced her cute and lovely image.
“Isn’t that young lady… the youngest daughter of the Kinzelo family?”
“As the rumors say, she’s as delicate and pretty as a fairy. Hehe.”
In contrast to the reactions of most people gathered in the banquet hall, Emperor Roshinol’s gaze was cold.
**[Send a letter to the imperial palace – gets ignored – send another – gets ignored again – go directly to where the Emperor is likely to appear – verbally repeat the request from the letters – gets rejected – go to where the Emperor will appear again…]**
_’Persistent brat.’_
The young Emperor thought to himself.
“Drag that person out… immediately.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
*Thump, thump, thump.*
No sooner had the order been given than the Royal Guards approached her.
As Aivin stepped back, she suddenly felt something solid against her back.
The presence of the triplets, who had lined up behind her like a screen.
“If you want to lay a hand on our youngest, you’ll have to get through us first.”
A peculiar tension flowed between the Emperor’s personal guard and the triplets.
_’Sigh, I guess there’s no choice.’_
After briefly watching the standoff from between them, Aivin chose the direction of appeasing his intentions.
There was no need to cause unnecessary physical conflict.
“The reason I came here is actually… because I have a proposal for Your Majesty.”
“I believe I’ve made my position quite clear.”
His words weren’t false.
He had clearly stated his intentions in a letter sent to family head Dylan.
_—…And from now on, please teach your daughter to report in writing in advance before coming to see me. Lately, I’ve been getting startled by the slightest rustle around me because of her. No matter how close the Kinzelo family and the Imperial family are, this is getting a bit much._
“Does your family not know that disobeying an Imperial command carries severe punishment?”
Emperor Roshinol frowned as he asked Aivin.
Facing his gaze, which had grown even colder, Aivin felt a slight sense of intimidation, but she was in too deep now.
Using John, Hon, and Dun as shields, she peeked her head out from between them and continued her prepared speech.
“Please… just have one bet with me!”
Is this person crazy?
Everyone in the banquet hall looked at Aivin with the same expression.
Even though the young Emperor was known to love running around the fields and mountains hunting every day and enjoyed making trivial bets with his subjects, to do so in such a defenseless and clumsy manner…
“A bet?”
He’s reacting…?
“The conditions can be anything, right?”
—
* * *
At a small table arranged in a corner of the banquet hall.
Exquisitely carved chess pieces were placed on a luxurious marble chessboard.
Roshinol and Aivin sat facing each other across the board, where a silent war was currently underway.
*Swish.*
*Tap, click!*
Aivin moved her knight two squares forward from the left, then one square to the right.
It was a position threatening the Emperor’s bishop.
When his turn came, Roshinol immediately moved his bishop to a safe position and let out a short sigh.
“Hoo.”
Pushing back his platinum hair, which had fallen over his forehead, Roshinol looked at his opponent.
Although he was at a slight disadvantage in the game, the expression on his face wasn’t so much annoyance… but rather closer to enjoyment.
“I thought you were a Pawn.”
“…?”
“Turns out, you’re a knight who’s drawn a fearsome sword?”
How cute.
The corner of his mouth curled up again.
He already knew why Aivin was approaching him.
She wanted to bring him and the Saintess closer together.
_’Even though the Saintess is already my fiancée.’_
At first, he wasn’t curious about the reason and just ignored it. Later, he found her dogged pursuit amusing and scared her off to drive her away.
But looking closely, she seemed as soft as whipped cream, yet was never actually weak.
_’Should I call this strange, or cute?’_
What she wanted from this bet was obvious even without hearing it.
She probably planned to summon him to the nursery, as requested in the previous letter.
To the place and time where the Saintess would stay for a long time.
The audacity and disrespect of trying to manipulate him from behind was outrageous, yet strangely, he also found that aspect of her cute.
He didn’t quite know why he felt that way.
It was just…
How should he put it…
He felt like he wanted to pop her in his mouth, roll her around, and taste every nook and cranny.
She’d probably taste fizzy, like soda.
What would her scent be?
Lavender, like her hair color?
Or maybe she’d taste like licking soda ash.
_’She’s definitely… different.’_
The young Emperor suddenly thought he wanted to open her up and see for himself what thoughts lay behind that cuteness.
_’What? Why is he looking at me like that? He’s going to bore a hole through my face…’_
Completely unaware of what the Emperor was thinking while looking at her, Aivin slightly moved her fingertip on the board when her turn came.
Her queen attacked the Emperor’s rook.
The Emperor slowly moved his rook to evade the queen’s pressure.
*Swoosh.*
All the while moving the finely carved piece, his crimson eyes remained fixed on Aivin.
Should he let her win, or should he lose?
Should he win now and have some fun, or play along a bit more to see just how far she’d go with her cute antics? He pondered this enjoyable dilemma.
