Chapter 5
Hadelriden raised the bow he had been holding.
Without the slightest hesitation, the drawn bowstring drove forward toward the two nobles, stirring a chilling, razor-sharp gust of wind.
Piiing!
Startled by the blatant killing intent, the two instinctively shrank back and stared toward the direction the arrow had flown.
“Y-Your Majesty, the Imperial Consort?”
Hadelriden, standing there openly with his bow in hand, tilted his head slightly at the two men.
Their faces, which had gone pale from the sudden fear, twisted in disbelief.
“W-Why would the Imperial Consort…?”
“W-What on earth are you doing…?!”
However, Hadelriden’s expression as he looked at them remained utterly calm.
In fact—
“What do you mean?”
He even appeared innocent, as if he truly did not understand.
His deep golden hair, shining even more brilliantly under the midday sun, and his blue eyes reminiscent of a clear lake—
Combined with his still-delicate features and the innate nobility he carried from birth, he looked all the more so.
“Y-You fired an arrow at people! What if it had struck us by mistake? No matter that you are the Imperial Consort, you cannot recklessly harm nobles!”
“It didn’t hit you, did it?”
“E-Excuse me? What kind of—!”
“If I hadn’t raised my bow, both of you would have lost your heads. You should be thanking me instead.”
“What nonsense is that—!”
Just as Sir Yanto and Count Joshua, their pale faces now flushed red, were about to retort—
“What do you mean by that?”
Marquis Rener, sensing the unusual tension, stepped in.
“Exactly what I said.”
Hadelriden spoke coldly, his gaze frozen as he looked at the two nobles.
“Do you truly think you could speak ill of the most exalted person in the Empire and not have your heads taken for treason?”
Only then did the two nobles recall their earlier conversation and fall silent.
Marquis Rener sighed, now grasping the situation.
How careless.
They were men closely tied to the Riatri family, leaders of the noble faction.
Already harboring resentment toward the Emperor, it was only natural they would be angered after witnessing the son of their faction’s leader being openly slighted.
She herself, also part of the noble faction and Hadelriden’s aunt, did not hold a favorable view of the Emperor either.
However—
“This is an official imperial event held under the name of the Imperial Consort. No matter that we belong to the same faction, one must not speak carelessly in a public setting.”
“But, Marquis Rener, the Imperial Consort fired an arrow at us—!”
“That is enough. Be grateful you were not punished on the spot.”
At her firm words, the two nobles fell silent.
Yet their faces were still filled with discontent, as if they might cause trouble again at any moment.
What should be done about this…
Of course, the fault lay with them.
They had narrowly escaped a situation that could have ended in execution, thanks to a single arrow—if anything, they should be grateful.
But…
A noble’s pride will not allow it.
A noble’s dignity stems from pride.
Rather than endure humiliation, a noble would choose death—that was their very nature.
If word ever got out that they had nearly been struck by an arrow from the Imperial Consort, they would never be able to show their faces in high society again.
To act so rashly, unlike his usual self…
“As for this matter—”
“I fail to see what the issue is.”
Marquis Rener was taken aback by Hadelriden’s utterly unconcerned remark.
“Your Majesty, the situation is—”
“I merely hunted.”
With an exaggerated sigh, Hadelriden raised his hand and pointed in the direction the arrow had flown.
Only then did Marquis Rener, along with Count Joshua and Sir Yanto, notice it.
The arrow that had passed cleanly between the two nobles was firmly embedded in a large tree.
And between them—
“…A pheasant?”
The arrow had pierced straight through the pheasant’s chest.
As though it had been his intended target all along—not the men.
“I simply hunted, in keeping with the purpose of this hunting event. I fail to see why everyone is making such a fuss.”
Of course.
With a faint chuckle, Marquis Rener nodded.
“Indeed. His Majesty the Imperial Consort merely caught a pheasant. Count Joshua and Sir Yanto just happened to be passing nearby. Is that not so?”
Having finally grasped the situation, Count Joshua and Sir Yanto nodded a beat late.
Even they knew there was nothing to gain from opposing the son of the noble faction’s leader—and the Empire’s Imperial Consort.
If anything, they wanted this matter to end smoothly, so long as their authority as nobles remained intact.
Pride was important, yes—but that did not mean they wished to be executed for insulting the Emperor.
“W-We nearly interfered with His Majesty’s hunt.”
“Our narrow vision led to this misunderstanding; it is entirely our fault.”
“I am glad you see it that way.”
Marquis Rener quickly settled the matter and sent the two nobles away.
Hadelriden continued to watch them as they departed, his expression unchanged.
“You went too far this time.”
“It was not I who went too far, Aunt—it was them.”
“…How is it that you have not changed since you were eight years old?”
Marquis Rener let out a weary sigh.
“Well, it ended without issue, so that is enough. Are you ready to return?”
“Once I gather this. Ah, and that as well.”
Marquis Rener nodded after glancing at the bow and arrows in Hadelriden’s hands, along with the pheasant he had just caught.
“I will call the attendants.”
“Please do.”
At her nephew’s polite tone, a faint smile returned to Marquis Rener’s lips.
He resembled her elder brother so closely that even she—known for her stern demeanor—could not help but soften.
As she turned to look away from him—
Killing intent?
A sharp, piercing presence suddenly rushed toward them.
“Who goes there?!”
Hadelriden turned as well, following Marquis Rener—but there was nothing in sight.
“…Shall we send pursuers?”
“No.”
The presence had already vanished.
Were they targeting the Imperial Consort? Or…
“Let us leave this place as quickly as possible.”
A sense of foreboding crept in.
They say life is a comedy from afar and a tragedy up close.
Whoever said that was wrong.
Something that looks like a comedy from afar can still be a comedy even when seen up close.
What do I mean?
“Please, spare me!”
Leaving Kedilon Magnar and Rina behind, Elisa followed the traces of someone passing through and headed deeper into the forest.
This time, it wasn’t a secluded place fit for secret rendezvous, but a proper hunting ground.
The problem, however, was that this forest contained more than just game.
“At this rate, we’ll be eaten by monsters!”
Monsters.
To Elisa, who retained not only memories of her recent past life but also the full twenty-seven years of her reincarnated life in this world, such things were nothing unusual.
So even if a monster suddenly appeared before her, there was no reason to be surprised.
Especially not when it was a low-level creature commonly seen even behind village hills.
The problem is this.
Elisa stared at the scene before her, unable to hide her astonishment.
Several well-built men and women were caught and dangling from vine-like monsters.
The sight resembled a Christmas tree she had once seen in her past life, and she almost found herself admiring it.
“S-Save—huh? Your Majesty?”
At that moment, one man spotted Elisa and shouted.
He bore an uncanny resemblance to one of the candidates from the portraits.
“Don’t tell me one of the candidates is that idiot hanging there?”
Hoping otherwise, Elisa looked at Sir Sheraz.
The answer she received—
“That is Ruze Shonus.”
It was despair-inducing.
“Y-Your Majesty? Did he say Your Majesty?”
“It’s Her Majesty! Her Majesty has come!”
“We’re saved!”
The group, including Ruze Shonus, erupted in cheers at the sight of Elisa.
Some even wept in relief.
Of course, she had never said she would save them.
“Now that I’ve confirmed it’s not him, shall we leave?”
“And how do you know it isn’t him?”
“There’s no way I would have slept with an idiot like that.”
At her confident declaration, Sir Sheraz shook his head.
But seeing him follow without protest, it seemed he had no intention of arguing.
“Y-Your Majesty! Where are you going?!”
“Please save us! Waaah!”
Their cries rang out like desperate wails.
Looking up at the sky, Elisa saw that the sun was already high overhead.
It seemed it was nearing noon.
“Your Majesty!”
“…Shall I handle it?”
Unable to watch any longer, Sir Sheraz gestured to the sword at his waist.
“Your Majesty!”
“So noisy, I could die!”
Clicking her tongue, Elisa raised her hand into the air.
The empty sky began to tremble faintly—
And in an instant, a brilliant light poured down.
