Chapter 27
I looked around at the people and calmly spoke again.
“If someone truly wanted to harm the young lady, they would not use this arrow. It would only be handing over evidence.”
Only then did people slowly nod, as if they finally felt something was strange.
Yelena’s face was pale and stiff. It almost seemed amazing that she was still standing.
I handed my arrows and the arrow that struck Yelena to the Empress, as if asking her to compare them directly.
The Empress examined my arrow carefully. She narrowed her eyes and looked closely at something.
Then—
“Hmm.”
A faint smile appeared on her lips. I lowered my head slightly in embarrassment.
“Your Majesty, after checking, this arrow is different from the Duchess’s. It seems to be a simple accident. Since the young lady is injured, it would be best to stop the competition and return to the castle.”
Her words ended the commotion at once. The Emperor nodded lazily.
“That would be best. Take the young lady to the doctor at once. We will decide the winner another time. Let us return and enjoy the party.”
As the Emperor turned, attendants followed him. The nobles began to leave.
Yelena was helped into her carriage. As she passed by me, her eyes were filled with cold hatred.
The Empress, who had been following the Emperor, suddenly turned back and gave me a small smile. I politely bowed my head.
Behind me, Ricardo strode forward and took the arrow from my hand. When he saw the small engraving on the arrowhead, he stared at it for a long moment.
“What is this…?”
I had not planned to show him, but since he had seen it, I had no choice but to act bold.
I avoided his gaze. He then turned to Ernhardt as if questioning him. Ernhardt looked at me helplessly.
“We will speak later.”
Ricardo returned to his horse.
“Madam, we should return as well. The carriage is ready,” Ernhardt said.
Because of my request, he would likely have to explain many things later, yet his respectful attitude did not change.
‘Thank you, Sir Ernhardt.’
I promised myself I would repay him someday and boarded the carriage.
Yelena’s carriage was already far ahead. After being defeated by someone she had looked down on, she must be furious.
Today’s incident had already changed the original story.
If I wanted to live, I would have to stay alert from now on.
The highlight of the imperial event was the masquerade ball held that evening.
Since it followed the hunting competition, the theme of the masks was animals.
The imperial family prepared the masks and gave them randomly to the nobles at the entrance. No one could reveal their identity.
The party was even more special this year because it was held at the imperial resort, decorated like a giant forest both indoors and outdoors.
It seemed that the nobles had already forgotten the accident earlier that day.
Ladies and young women wore brilliant masks and changed dance partners frequently. Men also laughed loudly and abandoned their usual formal behavior.
Behind the masks, people became bolder.
It was the only time when nobles of different ranks could talk freely.
Every year, at least one or two couples would fall into impossible love after this night.
On a terrace, a woman wearing a white fox mask stood beside a man wearing a black dog mask, looking down at the garden.
“How pitiful. Her partner is right there, yet she stands alone.”
At her words, the man looked below.
A woman wearing a red bird mask sat alone on a bench under a tree.
It was Stella.
Not far away stood a man wearing a crocodile mask.
Even with the mask, it was easy to recognize Ricardo among the other nobles.
He was speaking quietly with someone. The other person appeared to be an older noble with white hair.
“What do you think about what happened earlier? Do you believe it was really an accident?” the man asked.
The woman in the fox mask smiled slightly.
“It was clearly the marquis’ clever daughter’s doing. She pretends to be a saint, but she is even worse than her father.”
The man nodded.
“But what was engraved on the Duchess’s arrow?”
“Hmm.”
She did not answer directly.
“I quite like that girl.”
She remembered earlier that day.
Stella had returned immediately after the hunt began.
‘Why did you come back?’
‘Your Majesty, my injured arm is not well enough for hunting.’
‘Your arm?’
Stella showed her bandaged wrist and lowered her head.
‘If your arm is injured, you did not have to attend. Why insist on joining the hunt?’
“It is my first imperial event after marrying the Duke. I wanted to attend with him. If I stayed behind because of my injury, I thought it might reflect badly on Your Majesty, who invited me to the capital.”
The excuse made the Empress almost laugh, but she did not dislike the clever answer.
‘Even though you are hurt, your heart for me is admirable. Then stay with me and talk.’
‘Thank you, Your Majesty.’
The Empress remembered the engraving she had seen on the arrow.
[Stella ♡ Ricardo]
She had worried that Stella might run away from her cold husband.
But seeing that secret mark on the arrow made her smile.
Even in a situation where she was accused, Stella calmly proved her innocence.
Behind her angelic face, she dealt quietly with the fox-like Yelena.
The Empress had only meant to place a simple countryside girl beside Ricardo to keep other women away.
But Stella was unexpectedly bold.
If Stella could truly win Ricardo’s heart, that would be ideal.
However, she had received a secret report that Ricardo did not even enter the room prepared for them.
So today, she prepared another plan.
A message would soon be delivered: the Emperor had granted the couple a special gift to celebrate their marriage.
Tonight, they would have no choice but to stay together.
“Ricardo may be stubborn, but he is still a man. Let us see how long his patience lasts.”
She took a sip of red wine.
Confident that what she had prepared tonight would help that unfortunate newlywed couple finally become a real husband and wife.
