She looked down and saw a familiar being staring up at her.

“King.”

She’d meant to leave him at the mansion, but he’d kept whining and crying, so in the end she’d had no choice /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ but to bring him.

Before anyone else could see, Camilla quickly scooped King into her arms.

“When did you get out?”

Only a moment ago he’d been in the inner pocket of her father’s outer coat.

“Endure it even if it’s stuffy.”

[Gyuu!]

“You mustn’t growl at other people. I’ll scold you.”

[Gyuu.......]

Seeing King droop as if he understood, Camilla let out a small snort and slipped him neatly into the small bag slung across her body. She left the opening slightly ajar.

“Been a while.”

...Damn. I’m screwed.

Camilla swore a blue streak inwardly as she looked at the man who had come up beside her in the meantime.

Of course, none of that showed on her face.

“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Because the one who had come to her side was the First Prince, Edsen.

‘Unlucky bastard, and good-looking to boot.’

With golden hair and golden eyes, he certainly possessed beauty that yanked people’s gazes to him at once.

There was definitely something about the gentle eyes and ever-smiling mouth that made onlookers’ hearts waver.

‘So what. His personality is the exact opposite of his looks.’

He was like mixing Arsian and Petro half-and-half, perhaps? Always smiling on the surface, but his temperament was nasty as hell.

He could never just overlook anyone who offended his eye. He had an exceptional talent for smacking the back of people’s heads while smiling blandly.

“It’s awfully hard to see your face. I don’t think you even showed up at the last Imperial party.”

“I was feeling a bit unwell.......”

“I wondered if you’d caused some entertaining trouble again and been grounded.”

“......”

What trouble! Do you think I’m someone who’s always grabbing people by the hair and brawling?

‘...I did fight a bit.’

Not that I got shut in my room every time, I— ...was I shut in a bit often?

‘Tch.’

Camilla, Camilla! Why have you lived like that!

“Or did you not come because you didn’t want to see me?”

Face control! Face control!

‘If you know, could you just get lost?’

This was the problem.

Camilla hated him and he hated Camilla—both of them knew that far too well.

Only, Camilla couldn’t show it openly, while that man could express it without batting an eye.

‘This is why I avoided running into him.’

What other situation could grind one’s insides like this.

“An amusing rumor about you has been going around lately.”

“A rumor?”

“They say you’ve acquired foresight. That you can see a person’s past by augury.”

“That is.......”

“How about it? Do you see anything in me?”

Edsen looked steadily at Camilla.

“It doesn’t appear every time, Your Highness. Only very occasionally—certain incidents or figures show up without warning.”

“Hm.”

Edsen’s expression cooled. As if to say, Of course that’s how you’d answer.

It really was a talent, how he could make a person’s chest burn with just one expression.

“Still, there is one thing I can tell you.” 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

“One thing?”

“That the winner of this hunting tournament is not Your Highness.”

There is almost no information about the tournament that took place this time. In the original course of events, Camilla had been severely scolded by the Duke of Sorpel for tormenting Laila and had been driven out of the capital.

Since she’d left the capital, there was no one to supply her information, and at the time Camilla had to live in near isolation.

Only one thing—she had vaguely heard that the Crown Prince, who participated in the hunting tournament, suffered a serious injury and collapsed.

She hadn’t been particularly curious about news of him and hadn’t even thought to find out properly.

In fact, the news that the man who scratched at her every time had been hurt had made Camilla inwardly very pleased.

‘I don’t know how you got hurt, but.......’

It was certain he hadn’t taken first place at the tournament. How would an injured man possibly win.

Thinking Let you get riled up for once, Camilla smiled sweetly—then made an oh-no face.

“I spoke idly before it’s even begun....... Please don’t mind it too much, Your Highness.”

She’d expected a sneer to come right back, but for some reason Edsen said nothing.

As the silence dragged on, Camilla quivered slightly inside.

‘Did I go too far?’

Regret welled up that she’d spoken needlessly, but outwardly she stayed at ease. If she yielded here, she wouldn’t get soup or rice.

How much time passed like that?

The Crown Prince Edsen, who had been looking at her with a curious gaze, suddenly opened his mouth.

“Do you know this?”

“Pardon?”

“Before, you see.”

He stepped a pace closer and lowered his voice. As always, an angelic smile rested at the corner of his lips.

“When I watched you trembling for no reason in front of me, I’d get the impulse to draw my sword.”

Hey, you lunatic!

“But isn’t it strange?”

As if he truly couldn’t understand it, Edsen tilted his head slightly.

“Right now I don’t particularly feel like taking up a sword. Why is that? Do you know the reason, perhaps?”

‘How would I know that!’

A madman. A madman!

‘Dorman! Dorman, where did that bastard go!’

I think I’m about to smack the back of this guy’s head! Where’s my shield?

Camilla whipped her gaze around in a hurry. In the distance she spotted Dorman, sneaking away.

Their eyes met exactly.

‘You’re not coming here right now?’

Head shake, head shake!

Reading Camilla’s look, he shook his head violently. That bastard, seriously!

With a time bomb in front of her, she couldn’t move as she pleased and could only grind her teeth.

“Well then, it will be fun to watch whether your prophecy is right or not.”

With that, Edsen turned away.

‘He’s gone.’

The lunatic is gone!

‘Ugh, seriously.......’

I don’t know how you’ll get hurt, but please, let it be badly!

Muttering curses over and over inside, Camilla didn’t so much as turn her head toward where he’d disappeared, lest she run into him again.

And—

“Dorman......!”

“Gasp!”

There was a brief chase.

“Will you be all right alone?”

“Of course. Don’t worry, Father.”

“If you say so I cannot help it... but if possible, I think you should move with either Ludville or Ravi, one of the two.”

“My brothers need to go look for bigger game. They’re not the sort to stay near the entrance like me. And animals dangerous enough to threaten me won’t even show up.”

“Hm.......”

After the opening ceremony, the Duke of Sorpel and the Duke of Jevillan were slated to move to a separately prepared location.

If they were to participate, the winner would be as good as decided already.

“Be careful.”

“Yes.”

The Duke of Sorpel seemed reluctant to take his leave, as if uneasy about leaving Camilla, who was participating in the hunting tournament for the first time, on her own.

“Keep King... with you.”

When she tried to take out the little fellow who was playing in her bag, King dug in his claws and refused to let go of the bag.

At that pitiful sight, the Duke of Sorpel let out a small laugh and entrusted King to Camilla.

He was still growing and couldn’t display his abilities properly, but he was a Guardian nonetheless. Better that even King be at Camilla’s side.

“Ho.”

Seeing her father off and left alone, Camilla briefly surveyed her surroundings.

Then she spotted a few figures surrounded by a multitude of young ladies.

Ludville, Ravi, and Petro were receiving heaps of something from them.

Recognizing what those items were, the corners of Camilla’s mouth kept lifting as if they didn’t know the height of the sky.

‘Very good.’

Mana-stone brooches, newly put on sale of late.

Young ladies were gifting mana-stone brooches engraved with protective magic and various other spells to the ones they admired.

As expected, demand was tremendous. Even though the three were monopolizing those gifts, it didn’t matter.

Whether other young lords envied or not, whether they grew jealous or not—what did she care.

What mattered was the simple fact that someone had bought mana-stone ornaments.

“Um......!”

“Hm?”

Just then, someone approached Camilla as she watched the three with satisfaction.

She turned her head and saw a figure not entirely unfamiliar. Where had she seen him?

‘Ah!’

Camilla immediately realized who he was.

The day Sier had come begging her to stop his brother—the day she’d poured an entire kettle of water over Arsian—

“Ca... Camilla!”

“Yes.”

It was the student who had been getting beaten by wild-eyed Arsian.

‘He said he was a count’s son, didn’t he?’

She’d run into him a few times after that as well. She’d seen him about to come up and speak, then suddenly turn back in a hurry.

“Ca, Camilla, I have something to say to you!”

“......?”

“Back then, thank you so—”

THUD!

‘Thud?’

The man who had started to speak suddenly vanished from before her eyes.

Wondering what on earth had happened, Camilla widened her eyes and lowered her gaze. There lay the fallen man.

And upon his body stood one person, grinding his heel in.

“...What are you doing?”

“Something was in my way.”

Arsian.

“S-sorry! I’m sorry!”

He sprang to his feet and fled as if in a panic.

“......”

Camilla gave Arsian a look that said she was dumbfounded. So his temper hadn’t cooled—still the same.

“This is why you’re not popular.”

“What did I do?”

“Don’t you feel anything, looking at those people?”

Camilla pointed at her two brothers and Petro, still surrounded by a crowd of women.

Then she turned her head and looked at Arsian, dressed in the most plain manner, who hadn’t received so much as a handkerchief, let alone a brooch.

“How can you be this unhelpful.”

“What help?”

“Shouldn’t you at least have the popularity to receive one mana-stone brooch?”

“What would I do with trash like that?”

“What do you mean, what!”

Scolding him, Camilla then turned her head again and pointed at the three.

“That’s all money.”

My money!

“...I should have accepted some.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Watching her beam at the sight of the three receiving brooches from the young ladies, Arsian let out a small laugh.

In particular, seeing Camilla utterly unbothered by Petro being surrounded by women—oddly, it kept making him smile.

“But you—can you even hunt?”

“Of course!”

Camilla lifted her chin proudly.

‘Of course, my foot!’

Camilla kept raising and lowering her bow.

At present, the number of game she’d taken: zero.

‘Are you kidding me? How am I supposed to shoot that?’

Shooting the bow wasn’t the problem.

She still had skill she’d learned before, so aiming at moving targets wasn’t as difficult as she’d thought. If she tried, she could probably hit.

‘Only.......’

Chasing after the rabbit bounding along and raising the bow—that was as far as it went. She simply could not let the bowstring go.