Chapter 67:
There was no room to refuse. His deep eyes, as if they would pull me in, stared directly at me.
Ah, that’s right. He had no friends outside the palace except for me.
As I hesitated out of pity, unsure how to respond, he spoke again.
“I’ll give you all the other pretty things too.”
I immediately looked up.
The mention of pretty things reminded me of why I came to this banquet in the first place.
“…Other pretty things.”
I muttered.
Killian closed his mouth again and looked at me. I had found a way to say what I had prepared.
“Killian, you’re going to the Imperial Hunting Festival, right?”
At my words, Killian nodded.
“Catch a pretty bird for me at the hunt.”
I said.
“A bird?”
“I want to see a phoenix.”
Killian’s eyes widened slightly.
“…A phoenix?”
Of course. The bird I mentioned was a legendary creature said to have been raised by the founding emperor, Amalun I.
It was said to grow to the size of a horse when it spread its wings, had golden feathers, and could change color depending on its surroundings to hide its appearance—like a mythical beast.
There were even rumors that once it chose a master, it would stay by their side, chase away monsters, and show illusions—abilities too fantastical to be real.
Amalun I was said to be the only person who had ever controlled the bird.
Of course, I didn’t know if it actually existed. What mattered was sending Killian down the path where the phoenix was rumored to appear.
“They say it lives along the fifth path of the seven routes in the Imperial hunting grounds. On the second day of the hunt, you’re allowed to roam freely…”
I tried my best to sound innocent.
It wasn’t entirely a lie.
The founding emperor had indeed written in his memoirs that he saw the phoenix in the imperial hunting grounds.
Six of the seven paths had been traveled for hundreds of years by countless people, yet the bird had never been found—so the rumor spread that it must live on the steep and rarely used fifth path.
Of course, it was likely just a rumor. In reality, it was probably just a less-traveled route because it was too rugged.
A perfect place for people to lie in ambush.
Killian looked at me with a conflicted expression. He too must have known the bird was probably just a legend.
But he seemed unwilling to say so—perhaps because he didn’t want to disappoint me.
“I want to see the bird…”
As I muttered once more, Killian’s pupils trembled slightly. Then he nodded.
“I’ll catch it.”
“…Really?”
A slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Killian nodded confidently.
“If you want it, I’ll catch it for you.”
So kind. Even if I were his only friend.
Looking at his pure, sincere expression as he accepted my ridiculous request, I felt a small pang of guilt.
Was it right for me to decide this child’s future as I pleased?
I wanted to save Killian. But not just that—I wanted to make him emperor.
Not just for his sake, but for mine, and for Calista’s, and for the empire’s.
But could I really decide that without asking Killian’s opinion?
Even if I made the decision, would Killian follow?
“…Killian, what do you want to be when you grow up?”
Before I could fully gather my thoughts, the question slipped out.
Killian tilted his head, studying my expression.
His answer, when it came, was something I never expected.
“What kind of person do you like?”
I thought it was a joke—but his expression was completely serious.
As if his future truly could change depending on my answer.
The air between us was still. His green eyes didn’t even blink, fixed on me like he wouldn’t miss a single movement.
When I didn’t answer, he asked again.
“A wealthy merchant?”
“…No.”
I answered.
It was a half-honest response. After all, I had money now—plenty of it. And I’d have even more in the future.
But the other half came from a sudden instinct.
That whatever I said now would carry more weight for Killian than a mountain of gold.
“…A duke? What if they had as much land as the Lupernes?”
Killian asked persistently.
It was a ridiculous question. No matter how royal one was, gaining as much land as the Luperne family in a single generation was impossible.
But Killian’s eyes were resolute, as if numbers and logic meant nothing. As if, the moment I nodded, he’d find a way to make it happen.
I shook my head again.
“Then…”
Perhaps I had looked away without realizing, because Killian leaned in slightly to meet my gaze again.
His eyes, like bottomless wells, looked deeper than ever.
“An emperor?”
In the still air, his clear, ringing voice reached my ears.
“…What?”
“If I become emperor, will you like me then?”
I hadn’t misheard.
And Killian clearly understood the meaning of his words.
Had the Empress or Klein overheard, they might’ve had his head that instant. Yet he said it in the same calm tone as when he mentioned the merchant or the duke.
It was the question I had been waiting for. I just hadn’t expected him to ask it so calmly.
“So it’s true.”
I hadn’t said anything—but Killian grinned, revealing bright white teeth.
“You want me to become emperor.”
“…!”
Was it that my true feelings showed on my face for a moment? Or had he simply been more perceptive than I gave him credit for?
Without a hint of hesitation, he gripped my hand tightly.
I stood frozen.
But in the soft voice of that eleven-year-old boy, I could hear an incredible determination.
“I’ll be emperor, Harper. I don’t want anything else.”
His voice, graceful and gentle, didn’t match the ambition in his words. Nor did his innocent smile.
And with that, preparations for the hunt were complete.
Held once every three years in the imperial hunting grounds, the Royal Hunt Festival spanned two days. The first day was restricted to Area 1, which was frequently used. On the second day, hunting was allowed in Area 2, home to rarer and stranger beasts.
The rules were simple. Whoever brought back more—and more impressive—game would win.
Any noble under thirty could participate. Those who performed well earned glory, prizes, and sometimes even land or titles. It was an event watched across the empire.
For unknown border nobles, it was a chance to rise. For famed houses, it was a matter of pride.
For royals, it was a chance to make a strong impression on both nobles and the public.
Talents from across the empire gathered, eyes blazing with ambition. Some prepared for years.
A few came alone, boldly. But most formed teams with allied houses, pooling resources to funnel the best prey to a chosen candidate. Families spared no expense.
But on the first day of the event, most realized all that preparation was meaningless.
Whoosh—
“The first day ends here!”
The judge’s voice rang out, and everyone’s gaze turned to one spot.
“…They caught all that?”
“One person brought all that in? There’s more than seven beasts the size of a house.”
“They say she had no attendants, just one knight!”
“That’s not a bear—that’s a winged monster that just looks like one. She cut its head off, right?”
“And under it—that thing looks like a crocodile… did she pierce its hide with arrows?”
Men and women who had spent days preparing and strategizing could only gape at the pile of game in the clearing, dumbfounded.
“The current first-place holder is… Lady Calista Luperne of House Luperne.”
The emperor, in a white robe seated on a golden throne, made the announcement.
His tone was relaxed, almost amused.
Of course. If first, second, and third place had been neck-and-neck, there would have been tension. But anyone with eyes could see who the winner was, so his words were just formality.
“Wooooooaaaahhhh!”
The one who started clapping wildly was—me.
“That was amazing!!!!!”
I couldn’t help but cheer.
It really was incredible. She had brought back legendary monsters with barely a scratch on their hides.
A few others began clapping too—half in awe, half in resignation.
Calista turned to me. As she wiped the blood from her face, a wide smile lit up her features.
Genius. Absolute genius.
It wasn’t just that she had caught a lot. She had caught exactly the beasts I had mentioned the day before.
“Harper, what kind of beasts do you like?”
She had asked me mid-play.
“Dogs?”
…And when I clarified, she had refined her question:
“Do you mean dogs with valuable fur, meat, and horns?”
In my past life, I never attended the hunting festival. I had just holed up in my room, so I didn’t know what beasts actually existed.
So I had simply listed off names of monsters I remembered from random books—without knowing how large or dangerous they were.
“Have the hides skinned. They’re for Harper. The leather’s too rough for a coat—maybe it’ll make a good rug.”
Calista instructed Aramis, who stood nearby also drenched in blood.
He was her sole helper for the hunt. While other nobles brought ten attendants under the pretext of protection, Calista had only him.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
Still unable to contain my excitement, I clapped beside her.
Clap… clap… clap.
Fainter claps followed—and when I turned, I saw they came from my father.
He sat in a similar seat in the spectators’ area, clapping stiffly like a marionette. He tried to raise the corners of his lips, aware of others watching—but couldn’t quite pull it off.
His expression was more eerie than unnatural.
“…Clean this up quickly.”
He couldn’t even manage praise. He issued dry orders to the attendants.
He didn’t look at Calista. He didn’t even glance at me.
