Chapter 65
“Your Majesty, welcome.”
“Was your journey here comfortable? I must say, I’m utterly sore from sitting so long.”
“Your Majesty! I’ve already set up the tent for you to rest first. Please come this way.”
Rose, momentarily flustered by a terrible thought crossing her mind, couldn’t even smile at the nobles who looked at her with disapproval.
“By the way, I didn’t expect you to come with a beastman…”
“I’m not a beastman, I’m Rose. And whether I bring someone along shouldn’t need the permission of Marquis Diwelly.”
“Ah, yes. Of course… I just didn’t expect you’d come together… this way, please.”
The thought that everything could become so much simpler kept lingering stubbornly in her mind.
Tents sprang up around the lake in no time. They weren’t for sleeping but were meant for resting before the daily hunts. The tents also served as equipment storage, so the servants unpacked and stored the gear inside.
Rose, standing at the center with Noah, entered the largest and most ornate tent and immediately checked on the Cheese Cats and Oliver.
“I’ll tell everyone these are my pets, so don’t ever take off the ribbons around your necks, got it?”
This was primarily a bird-hunting ground. Even if it weren’t, cats or field mice wouldn’t be typical prey—but one could never be too careful. There might be humans who, frustrated at missing their actual target, mindlessly harm smaller animals they encounter.
“Yes, Captain!”
“Yes, Lady Rose!”
That said, these spirited creatures weren’t likely to stay quietly inside the tent for the entire hunting period. So Rose tied navy ribbons around their necks as a mark that they had an owner. They were so moved by this small gesture that they reacted as if they had received medals.
“When we get back, I’ll brag that Lady Rose gave these to me!”
“Captain…”
“Lemon, don’t cry. Don’t cry on such a beautiful day… sniff…”
Rose was secretly considering asking them to be her eyes and ears in the area, but it made her feel a little like a delinquent.
‘Am I the only one being a delinquent?!’
She thought perhaps she was excessively goal-oriented, even making Christina cry in the process.
‘Am I really a delinquent…?’
And yet, she even briefly wished the main characters would vanish for a while. There was no excuse for that.
Anyway, given the unexpected changes and accelerated events compared to the original story, the help of these creatures was indispensable. Rose asked the Cheese Cats to watch around Duke Raymond and Count Callipon while ensuring they didn’t get hurt.
“Lady Rose, may I take the remaining ribbons? I want to tie them to the babies when they’re born.”
“Of course!”
Meanwhile, Oliver was told to stay quietly by her side. If the black cat was next to Aria again today, Oliver could be in danger in an instant. She couldn’t let that happen, especially with the kittens about to be born.
“Christina!”
After asking for their help, the creatures ran off.
“Noah…”
Rose called Noah, who was cleaning his bow at the table. She wanted to say something she had postponed for days: to remain polite even if someone provoked them and to be a little kinder to others. She particularly asked for this regarding Christina, prompting Noah to immediately ask:
“Why should I do that?”
“I don’t want to see sad faces from me and Lady Christina, even though we’re like friends.”
By now, Rose had almost given up trying to connect them. Instead, citing personal friendship, Noah gave a slight nod, acknowledging her request. She couldn’t tell which part of his response pleased her, but a faint smile briefly appeared on his lips.
‘For now… let’s meet, at least once.’
But Rose didn’t have time to dwell on Noah’s expression.
‘Anyway, now that things have come to this, I might as well go all out.’
She considered chasing after Aria to ask how she knew her. Surprisingly, Aria might answer honestly. In the original story, Aria was bold enough to appear openly in front of Noah.
‘Would it be faster to meet Count Callipon?’
He seemed easier to deal with, though whether he would meet her was uncertain. After all, he was a noble, and Rose a commoner—awkward to bring up.
“Your Majesty, some of the late-departing people will take time to gather.”
For now, they decided to find where the others’ tents were. Just then, Jonathan relayed the news.
“Your Majesty… would you like to take a stroll around the nearby lake with me in the meantime?”
Rose put her hat back on and, as if waiting for this moment, extended her hand to Noah to step outside with her.
The original plan was to walk around the lake and locate Aria’s tent.
“This lake has existed since the continent itself…?!”
Her eyes kept drifting to the lake rather than the tents.
Whether lake or sea, the left side was forest, the right forest and mountains. Birds flew over the lake, whose vastness seemed endless, and Noah stood by her side.
After the shock of seeing Aria, the peaceful scenery calmed her nerves considerably. She hadn’t fully appreciated it earlier because of Aria, but the lake alone was breathtakingly majestic.
“Yes. It’s a very old story, so we can’t confirm its accuracy now, but it was recorded in historical texts.”
Evelyn and Amelia’s earlier squabble about who would follow made sense—they had a point. This lake was on a different scale than the one she had briefly visited with Noah.
Initially, since the hunting ground was near a lake and she wouldn’t hunt, she worried about being bored for four days—but that was unfounded.
The mist over the swimming birds was spectacular, and the scenery constantly changed with the wind. She could spend four days just watching the lake and not get bored.
Of course, with her current responsibilities, she couldn’t simply admire the lake; she had to stay close to Noah.
Still, she felt grateful that the lake offered some peace of mind.
“Ah! Ah! Lady Rose, why are there so many birds here? Eek!”
That peace didn’t last long. Oliver, perched on her shoulder, would scream at every fluttering sound. Clearly, the birds saw Oliver as tempting prey.
She briefly considered making a layered basket to act as a cage.
“This is an unexpected pleasure, Your Majesty.”
Count Callipon and Aria approached Rose, Noah, and Jonathan.
If the cat forms were present, their tails and fur would have stood on end.
Rose’s wariness toward Aria was overwhelming. Even Noah and Jonathan nearby were slightly taken aback by her icy expression.
‘Ugh, that’s real.’
Aria didn’t seem to notice Rose’s guarded demeanor and smiled like a flower.
‘They say pets resemble their owners…’
Her smile was beautiful, but she seemed unusually composed, reminiscent of a cat’s sly grin.
‘Let’s see how long you can keep smiling like that!’
As Aria smiled and Rose narrowed her eyes, an unspoken standoff ensued.
“I have long awaited the chance to meet Your Majesty. I am Count Peregrine Callipon from the Lide Continent. It was worth requesting several nobles to attend today so I could formally greet you.”
With eyes shining like Aria’s, Count Callipon bowed.
Noah, however, did not acknowledge the greeting. Without a hint of friendliness, he stood upright and silently questioned the count’s intent.
Considering Rose’s reaction and her earlier frozen expression, he seemed cautious.
“I’ve long wished to establish ties with the Kallain Empire. My home region grows abundant oranges, but I heard they are rare here, and that’s why I came.”
Despite Noah and Jonathan’s subtle tension, Count Callipon smiled amiably, his youthful appearance belying his boldness.
“I came to see if I could sell the oranges from my lands. I have no intention of spying on the Empire, so there’s no need for further caution. I am not someone of high rank in the kingdom.”
Additionally, he openly noted Noah’s guard—something a noble of the Empire might ignore. It was strangely natural and not off-putting.
‘I’m not the one buying the oranges anyway.’
Clearly understanding he didn’t need to greet her, the count smiled anyway.
“Isn’t it an honor just to see Your Majesty’s face?”
He reminded Rose oddly of Duke Raymond. She wasn’t the only one—Noah’s face showed clear displeasure.
‘Ha… trying to connect my daughter to someone she despises this much… that’s impossible.’
Seeing that expression made her feel foolish for even trying from the start.
“Let the men talk business; shall we take a short walk?”
As Rose turned her eyes from Noah, Aria immediately approached and linked her arm through Rose’s without giving her a chance to react.
“May I borrow this distinguished person for a moment, Your Majesty?”
Aria pulled Rose along effortlessly. She was tall, but unexpectedly strong.
“Uh… uh…”
Rose blinked her wide eyes repeatedly, pretending to be swept away by Aria.
