Chapter 54
That “someone” was the grandson of Lord Hamel.
His name was…
“Robert Hamel.”
He was seventeen now.
“He’s the boy Irael Hamel raised like a treasure after losing all three of his sons in the war.”
Lord Irael Hamel, in his haste, struck Robert’s foot with his cane. But the clueless grandson just grabbed his aching foot and cried out,
“It hurts, Grandfather! Either way, it’s ridiculous. The noble ladies probably just sat on horses, but the knights had to go out and hunt wolves! I feel bad for them!”
“…You brat.”
Irael cursed under his breath, but I didn’t pay him much attention.
Surprisingly, the voice that followed didn’t come from him.
“Your Highness, if it’s not too rude, I’d like to gift you my hunting gloves. They’re from the most famous leather workshop in Kenia. I think you’ll like them.”
“…?”
Out of nowhere?
I turned to see the Countess of Bickert offering me what appeared to be very expensive hunting gloves.
With all eyes already on me thanks to Robert, I politely declined her offer.
“There are still two days left in the hunting festival. You’ll likely need them.”
“It’s fine. I have spares. And since you lost yours because of me, it’s only right I repay you. Didn’t you save me from the wolf?”
“…”
I could feel the murmur ripple through the crowd at her words.
Is this her way of helping me?
Her sudden shift in attitude made me feel strangely unsettled.
Pointing at the blood on my pants and jacket, she added,
“I also have extra hunting clothes, if you’d like.”
Unlike the nobles who had merely drunk and reveled, my clothes were soaked with dirt and blood.
And for good reason.
I had spent time chasing down the wolf that had attacked a servant.
Some nobles looked like they genuinely believed I might have actually hunted the wolf myself, while others still remained skeptical.
‘Well, even if I didn’t kill it directly, it’s not a problem.’
As long as a participant dealt the final blow, the catch would be counted.
So I hadn’t been too concerned about public opinion. But the Countess of Bickert clearly had a different take.
“You saved my life. What are gloves compared to that?”
With those words, all attention turned fully to me. I could feel the weight of their stares as I accepted the gloves from her.
“If you insist.”
Whispers and gossip from the noble ladies soon reached my ears.
In any case, the first day of the hunting festival ended with me in third place.
Many nobles didn’t participate much on the first day, still hungover from the pre-festival feast. Wolves also tended to appear more on the second and third days, drawn by blood and noise.
So ranking on the first day wasn’t that important.
Still, being the first noblewoman in ten years to hunt a wolf naturally drew attention.
“A woman as beautiful as a doll hunted a wolf? Amazing!”
“Did you really hunt it? Weren’t you scared?”
People flocked to me right after the rankings were announced. But I was too tired to entertain them fully and quietly slipped away.
That’s when I spotted the Count and Countess of Bickert enjoying a light breakfast before returning to the castle.
They had stepped out for a stroll while their servants were packing up the tents.
Walking arm in arm, they looked serene as they quietly shared some words.
Unconsciously, I stopped in my tracks.
At that moment, the Countess met my gaze.
For some reason, I instinctively thought, “I’ve been caught!”
She said something to her husband.
Then Count Bickert gently stroked her hand and let her go.
‘Damn it.’
Noticing her approaching, I clicked my tongue in frustration.
She greeted me politely.
I returned the gesture and said,
“…You must be tired. Did you hurt your leg when you fell?”
The Countess gave a faint chuckle at my question.
“You’re worried about my leg? From the woman who hunted a wolf?”
“…”
What?
Can’t I worry about someone?
Ever since the days when I was the blacksmith Diana, interacting with girls had always been the hardest thing for me.
The blacksmiths used to say, “You never play with the other girls. Maybe they don’t like you.”
But that wasn’t true.
It wasn’t that the girls didn’t like me—they were uncomfortable around me.
A young girl who always smelled of iron and ash.
They simply didn’t know how to interact with someone so different.
And I didn’t know how to deal with them either.
Soft and pale—like they’d bruise if I so much as held them too tightly.
I glanced at the Countess’s delicate profile.
She was far more beautiful than any village girl I had ever seen.
Jet black hair, violet eyes.
Sharp nose, long lips.
If Diana Isla was like a doll, this woman was a graceful deer gliding across a snowy field.
And she could have become Amin Wilhelm’s wife.
That thought made everything feel strange.
I had once changed a future Diana Isla had written.
If the past, present, and future could be altered that way… then perhaps in another timeline, this woman really had become Amin’s wife.
The daughter of Lapas becomes the Grand Duchess of Wilhelm, protecting the fortress with her family’s military strength. Perhaps even having a better marriage than mine.
The thought spiraled into another.
‘Maybe I was never the best choice for Amin Wilhelm.’
I had always believed that if marrying Diana Isla was the worst choice for Amin, then I was at least the second-best.
But now that I was staring at what looked like the best option… it felt strange.
Could she and Amin have had the kind of relationship she shared with her husband just now?
Unlike us, who were always thinking about crushing our enemies—could they have enjoyed scenery and chatted idly?
I felt disgusted with myself for even thinking like this.
[“Diana. When you’re afraid of losing something, ask yourself—are you just being too greedy for it?”]
My father’s words came to me unexpectedly, and I furrowed my brow.
Was I really afraid of losing something?
What was I even afraid of losing…?
“…Well then, I’ll take my leave…”
As I awkwardly tried to retreat, the Countess spoke.
“I meant what I said earlier—thank you for saving my life. And… I’d like to apologize for my inappropriate behavior during the pre-festival banquet.”
“Well… hunting wolves is different from catching larks.”
To be honest, I’ve never caught a lark either.
At my simple reply, the Countess let out a soft laugh.
She had the same look village girls used to give me when I showed up with a real sword after they asked me to play house.
A look of disbelief.
But unlike a child, she quickly controlled her expression and said,
“Let me be honest. My father believed I was more suitable as the Grand Duke’s partner. He even tried to arrange our marriage when I was young.”
She hesitated before continuing,
“When he heard the Grand Duke would marry the daughter of Marquess Isla, he said it would bring trouble to Wilhelm.”
“So that’s why he didn’t attend the hunting festival.”
The Lord of Lapas hadn’t come. We could only guess at the reason, but most believed it had to do with the Emperor’s attendance and my presence.
But now, the Countess had confirmed it.
“When I return after the festival, I’ll convince my father. I’ll tell him the Grand Duchess is trustworthy and that we should reestablish our ties with Wilhelm. My father is very interested in wolf hunting. If my husband trusted me, I think my father will too.”
“…What do you mean…”
“I heard you plan to build a paper mill—using wood to make paper instead of fabric. Yon Rauta tipped me off about investing. He said the Grand Duchess has remarkable insight and boldness, and that this gamble would succeed. I didn’t believe it at first. Someone who doesn’t even know what kind of trees grow in the north making paper?”
She gave a faint smile.
“I thought it was ridiculous. But after coming here, I understood. You walk through the Iron Forest as if it were a sunlit boulevard. I couldn’t help but believe Yon’s words—you’ve clearly studied the north well, Your Highness.”
It was thanks to Balmung, but I stayed silent.
She was just now getting to the important part.
“The Bickert family will invest ten million Durans. We’re planning to set up a printing house in Kenia. The iron and wood will be sourced from Wilhelm. Southern territories are currently swept up in a printing press craze. Most will lose money by jumping in late, but we’ll be riding the wave right on time.”
At her words, I bit my lip.
Ten million Durans.
That’s more than five years’ worth of budget for most territories.
The Bickert family really is something else.
[“The fact that we appear close isn’t just to provoke the Emperor. The nobles attending the festival could become our allies.”]
That’s what I had said to Amin.
I hadn’t expected anything this significant from the festival.
But it looked like I’d gained more than I bargained for.
