Chapter 69
Maybe it was because of the lingering drowsy air in the room, left by the other cats that were still asleep.
Noah couldn’t quite say for sure.
With that warm, heavy laziness clinging to him, he actually wanted to lie back down beside Rosé—the very person he’d just woken up.
“Ah! Look at the time! Why hasn’t Evelyn come yet? Maybe she overslept because she was tired from the trip yesterday? I’ll get ready right away!”
Completely unaware of Noah’s quiet wish, Rosé jumped up the moment she saw the time.
She climbed out of bed, hurriedly pulled the bell rope, and opened the window first thing.
Cold air rushed in, waking the cats who stretched with long yawns.
“What a nice day! What kind of animals live in this forest? Do you think we’ll see any if we go in?”
Rosé was practically fluttering around in her pajamas, greeting the cats and fluffing up the pillows as she chatted excitedly.
Noah, who usually found even hunting to be a chore, felt an odd ache watching her like that.
In the end, he couldn’t help but pull the overly excited Rosé into his arms.
“Huh? What’s this all of a sudden?”
He couldn’t help it.
Whatever she did, she sparkled—and every time the word happiness crossed his mind, it scared him a little.
“Did you have a bad dream while sleeping alone?”
He was just afraid—afraid of losing this small happiness that meant everything to him.
‘There she goes again, seriously!’
When Rosé, Noah, and Jonathan left the mansion after getting ready, the duke Raymond and Lady Christina—as well as several other nobles—were already waiting for Noah in the garden.
And as soon as Christina noticed him, her eyes softened once more.
Rosé sighed. This can’t go on.
“Jonathan.”
“Yes.”
“Do something, will you? At this rate, not only Duke Raymond but everyone else will start getting the wrong idea.”
Her eyes were full of exasperation. The whole atmosphere was so melancholy that anyone looking would think she’d been tragically abandoned by the great love of her life.
And the problem was—if people started guessing who had supposedly abandoned her, they’d likely assume it was Noah.
Rosé walked forward casually, moving close to Jonathan and murmuring under her breath so only he could hear, “Do something.”
She doubted he could do much, but at least if he hovered around Christina like he did after that day in the forest, things might settle down.
Sharp as ever, Jonathan caught her meaning immediately and naturally moved closer to Christina as they walked.
“Lady Christina, please watch your step. The path is slippery from the melting snow.”
“Oh, um… thank you.”
He even paced himself to match her stride as they walked toward the horses.
It seemed to work—Christina’s expression softened noticeably.
He really was competent; no wonder Noah had chosen him.
[Don’t shove me again, or I’ll bite your tail clean off!]
[This little field mouse is still mouthing off to me?!]
[Bro, ignore him. You keep entertaining him, and he’ll never learn his place.]
[What? My place?!]
[Come on, you two. Fighting’s boring—let’s just watch the show together.]
[My name’s Oliver!!]
Trailing behind, Rosé was feeling proud of herself—until the creatures in the basket started bickering loudly again.
She’d wanted to leave them in the bedroom, but they’d insisted on coming along. And now this chaos.
[Ugh, what a struggle, being squished between all these fat cats.]
[How dare you call a lady fat! Rude!]
Apparently, Oliver the mouse was quite unhappy being pressed between the large cats.
Looking around for a way to separate him, Rosé’s eyes fell on Noah’s coat pocket.
That looks perfect…
Just picturing it made her smile—but still, a mighty emperor walking around with a mouse in his front pocket? Probably not ideal.
If she tried giving Oliver to Jonathan, he’d surely refuse. So she waited, biding her time for the right opportunity.
“Excuse me, what’s in that basket?”
As they neared the front gate where the horses were waiting, a young noble lady approached Rosé.
“Oh, these are my cats.”
“You keep three of them?”
“Ah… there are actually three more at home.”
“That many?”
She looked mature for her age but still had a girlish charm—much like Christina.
Once she started talking, other ladies joined in, curious about the cats.
“What are their names?”
“In order—Nana, Mango, and Lemon. They’re siblings.”
“Nana, like from banana?”
“Yes.”
“How adorable! May I hold one?”
“Of course!”
As expected, cats were always a hit. Not just because they were her… subordinates—no, companions—but because these three looked almost identical, and when they sat together, they were impossibly cute.
Still, the nobles couldn’t quite get past Rosé’s unusual eye color; their wariness lingered.
Still, this is a good start!
Rosé felt satisfied.
They’d said that once the hunt began, they’d be in the forest until late afternoon, eating lunch there as well.
Even if they didn’t want to spend time together, proximity might help bridge a few gaps.
These little ones deserve premium beef for dinner when we get home!
As for Oliver, who was cowering in a corner, a giant bag of peanuts should cheer him up.
“Let’s get going.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Rosé, full of pride over her cats’ success, climbed onto her horse with a bright smile.
“Shall we begin?”
“I can’t wait to see who’ll bag the biggest game today.”
After riding for several minutes from the villa, the hunting party reached the forest’s edge and immediately took up positions.
Rosé had thought hunting was a men-only affair, but there were actually quite a few women among them—bows in hand, mounted on horses.
“Make sure you don’t let go, alright?”
“Don’t worry, this is the gentlest horse in the Empire.”
Of course, Rosé could barely even ride, so she trembled atop her horse while a servant led it by the reins.
“Wow!”
Still, it was thrilling to watch.
Whenever a flock of birds took off somewhere, a few of them would almost instantly fall, struck by arrows. These people were no amateurs.
And, unsurprisingly, Noah’s skill stood out the most.
By a wide stream in the forest, a herd of bison had gathered.
“Whoa! Noah—! I mean, Your Majesty! You got it in one shot!”
While others struggled to bring one down together, Noah pierced a bison cleanly through the head with a single arrow.
The huge creature—bigger than a horse—fell with a thunderous crash.
“How did he… one shot? Incredible…”
Rosé was amazed. It was her first time even seeing a bison, and Noah had felled one so easily.
But not a single person there praised him.
“His Majesty’s marksmanship is truly unmatched. Let’s have that one prepared for tonight’s dinner.”
Only Duke Raymond offered a perfunctory comment—too polished, too formal to mean anything.
Everyone else simply looked on in silence, fear flickering in their eyes.
Ah… this won’t be easy.
They weren’t praising him—they were afraid of him.
Well… I guess it makes sense.
Ordinary people could overlook Noah’s strange eyes because survival mattered more than superstition. But these nobles were different.
And besides, hadn’t his new tax reforms angered them already?
“Do people here ever make… roasted meat or something?”
“…Such primitive cooking methods are only used by savages.”
Rosé forced a cheerful tone, but Raymond’s eyes all but said, How dare you speak to me so casually?
She was trying so hard to lighten the atmosphere…
If only they could see what she saw—Noah was genuinely a good person.
Were these nobles really so blinded by bloodlines that they couldn’t see that?
Didn’t a single one of them feel grateful for how much better life had gotten in their lands because of Noah’s reforms?
In the original story, Sion… had he accepted people like this simply because “claiming his rightful place” was more important?
“But… who are those people following us around in groups?”
Rosé’s train of thought was broken when she noticed several men approaching the fallen bison.
They formed a circle around it, closed their eyes, and began to chant something in unison.
What are they doing?
