Chapter : 64
Caylus
The top hunter chosen at the resumed hunting competition was Count Sigmund.
He sang of his love as he presented the stag he had caught to his wife, Countess Sigmund, who flushed bright red and scolded him for being shameless.
Not only the noble ladies in the tents, but also the other nobles who had brought back game whistled and jeered.
Seeing the lovey-dovey couple, Princess Bellatrice—who had taken the seat of honor in place of the emperor—applauded, praising Count Sigmund as a devoted spouse and naming him the best hunter.
There was a bit of heckling, but no one objected.
And so, after wrapping up the second hunting competition, the evening banquet began.
“His Majesty isn’t coming out.”
“Didn’t he say he would attend tonight’s banquet…?”
The emperor was absent.
The nobles, less drunk than the day before, murmured among themselves as they looked at the empty imperial seat.
“Hmm, today’s dessert is rather light. That’s not bad either. Perhaps it wasn’t today but tomorrow? Does anyone remember?”
“Ah… this is troubling. I drank too much yesterday and can’t recall clearly. Still, I’m fairly sure Her Highness the Princess said there would be a banquet.”
“There’s another banquet tomorrow anyway. Look at Her Highness—despite His Majesty’s absence, she hasn’t changed her expression at all and is greeting everyone.”
“She’s been like that since childhood. When the other princes were unruly, she alone—”
“Shh! Didn’t we agree not to speak of that?”
Ahem, cough, ahem…
Uncomfortable coughs scattered here and there.
“Anyway, look at Count Sigmund. His grin reaches his ears. He’s always whining about his wife pulling his hair, but they must really get along.”
“If that’s the case, those two over there are no less so, right?”
“Exactly. They haven’t separated for a moment.”
At the end of their gazes were Sol Rique and Valerie.
Sol Rique, his arm around Valerie’s waist, had just finished the first dance and was returning to their seats. Yet the two did not part.
Seated on the sofa, Sol Rique placed Valerie on his thigh. When Valerie said something, Sol chuckled—his smiling face so strikingly beautiful it was almost intimidating.
The nobles watching them, men and women alike, blushed.
“…How embarrassing.”
Someone muttered, and the words spread with silent agreement.
“One of my maids is missing.”
The person in question, however, was talking about something entirely different from the curious stares surrounding them.
“Since when?”
“Since yesterday. She didn’t return last night, so I thought she’d be here this morning—but she wasn’t. Amelia was flustered and didn’t know what to do.”
Since they had come to the imperial palace, it was expected that Judith Palmer would try to contact her true master. So they had deliberately mentioned the garden and planned to watch how she moved.
‘But to think she’d disappear without a trace.’
Even after asking the palace attendants, no one knew anything.
Whether they knew and pretended not to, or truly didn’t know, there was no way to tell—but they all gave the same answer.
They hadn’t seen a demure-looking maid with brown hair and green eyes.
“I’ll look into it.”
At Sol’s words, Rosetta nodded.
Until the after-party for the second hunting competition ended that day, the emperor’s seat remained empty.
The next day.
The long-awaited final, third hunting competition.
The Marquess of Bayern, who had skipped the second competition due to a stomach-churning hangover that struck after just two steps, succeeded in hunting a silver fox brought in from the North and earned the honor of becoming the third best hunter.
“Well, well—me becoming a best hunter alongside Valerie! This old man’s skills haven’t dulled yet, to win such glory today! I can die without regrets now!”
“Father… please.”
As the Marquess of Bayern puffed out his chest and threw his head back in laughter, Countess Arena Belf bowed her head in embarrassment.
“Grandpa is the best?”
“That’s right! This grandpa is the best!”
“Wow! The best, the best!”
Angel, only four years old, bounced with delight. The Marquess of Bavaria scooped up his granddaughter.
Rosetta approached the marquess to offer her congratulations.
“Congratulations, Marquess of Bavaria. It’s an indescribable honor for me to stand shoulder to shoulder with you.”
“Oh my! Hearing you say that leaves me at a loss for words.”
Even then, Sol Rique—who had his arm around Rosetta’s waist—called out to the marquess with a look that said he was being ridiculous.
“Marquess. A word.”
“Ah, yes.”
When Sol released Rosetta and led the marquess out of the tent, Countess Sigmund hurried over.
Since the first day of the festival, the Duke of Hoguard and his wife had been glued together for three straight days, leaving Countess Sigmund little chance to speak. Now, like a chattering sparrow, she poured out all the words she’d been holding in.
“Congratulations, Valerie. You’ll become the best of the best! I’m so curious what wish you’ll make—could you give me just the tiniest hint?”
“Hmm. This is my first time participating in a hunting competition, so please forgive me for not immediately understanding what you mean.”
“Oh dear. It seems I spoke too rashly.”
Countess Sigmund fluttered her white lace fan as she spoke.
“Two silver foxes, one stag, and a brown bear. Silver foxes are rare, of course, but the incident where you protected us from a brown bear will be talked about for years. A hunter who secured game that becomes a ‘story’—where could you find a greater hunter than that? Without a doubt, the final winner will be you, Valerie!”
“That’s right!”
Other noble ladies who had been eavesdropping eagerly chimed in.
Remembering Rosetta shooting the brown bear with a long rifle while even the royal guards were being torn apart, their cheeks flushed red. They twittered warmly toward Rosetta.
“You’re sure to be the final winner!”
“When you become the final winner, you can ask His Majesty the Emperor for any wish you desire. Especially since this hunting festival involved loss of life, His Majesty will surely commend you greatly.”
“Soon, a resort is scheduled to be built near the hot spring region in the northwest. How about becoming a shareholder there? Our family has invested quite a bit and knows it well—it’s bound to boom!”
“Oh my, Baroness Hoffenheim! Of all people, Valerie of Iglesia—do you really think something like that would suffice? That would be child’s play to her!”
“And yet, Baroness Peven, you also had your eye on resort management and things didn’t work out in the end—I know that very well.”
As Rosetta let out an awkward smile at the bickering between the two baronesses—
“His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Cesare Icaria Caelus, enters!”
At the cry of the chief steward, Cliff, Princess Bellatrice—who had been seated to the right at the center of the high table—rose from her seat.
At the same time, the emperor appeared beneath the parasol.
The nobles could not hide their surprise at seeing the emperor for the first time in three days.
“My goodness! At last, His Majesty the Emperor…!”
On the first day of the hunting competition, the emperor had collapsed after the brown bear’s attack; even from afar, his face had been deathly pale, cold sweat pouring from his entire body.
But now, Emperor Cesare, appearing at the final competition, stepped out from beneath the parasol and let his lustrous golden hair gleam in the sunlight.
His blond hair, less saturated than Sol Rique’s, looked as though it might crumble like grains of sand under the sun. Yet a faint flush colored his brightened face, making him look full of vitality.
Seeing the emperor looking far healthier than before, the nobles couldn’t help but marvel.
End Of Chapter : 64
