Chapter 94
The second day of the Summer Festival.
Morning dawned on the Hunting Festival.
Since the hunt was to take place in the Imperial Forest, small outposts and tents had been set up nearby for people to rest. Knights were also stationed throughout the area to guard against any unforeseen danger.
Lucia, who had just arrived, walked awkwardly around with Bern.
Ever since the two of them had danced with different partners the night before, an unspoken stiffness had settled between them.
Lucia had her own thoughts.
Bern had his.
If Bern finds out that my feelings have changed…
If Lucia realizes how I feel…
Both of them were emotionally shaken by the people they loved. Their hearts were so fragile that even a slight breeze could scatter them completely.
But lacking courage—and weighed down by guilt toward the other—they could not bring themselves to say anything.
As the silence stretched on endlessly, Lucia spoke up awkwardly.
“There are quite a lot of people.”
“Yes. It seems there are even more this year than last.”
Despite her random remark, Bern responded smoothly. Feeling her tension ease a little, Lucia finally began to look around.
Just as Bern had said, the place was packed with people.
“Is there a reason there are so many this year?”
“I’m not sure. The rewards don’t seem much different from last year, so it doesn’t look like people came purely for prizes…”
Compared to last year—and even the year before—nothing much had changed. Yet for some reason, there were noticeably more participants this year.
“Huh? What’s that?”
At that moment, they noticed a crowd gathered thickly in one spot like a dark cloud.
Not knowing what was going on, Bern and Lucia exchanged glances before approaching.
People were surrounding an iron cage. Whatever was inside couldn’t be seen clearly because of the sheer number of onlookers.
“Excuse me, what’s here?”
Bern finally stopped someone to ask.
“There’s a baby orc.”
“An orc? You mean a monster?”
At the word orc, both Bern and Lucia recoiled in shock.
“Why would a monster be here?”
“I heard that Young Master Feneus captured it recently. Monsters like that are said to live only in the north, so isn’t it fascinating that one’s here?”
“Oh my… Ethan was right…”
Lucia suddenly recalled what Ethan had said the previous day.
“A monster… I’d heard rumors that monsters had appeared near the capital, but I didn’t know Young Master Feneus had captured one.”
“Haha, right? Oh—by the way, have you heard this too?”
The man who had been sharing the information leaned in and whispered to Bern.
“They say monsters are included among this year’s hunting targets.”
“…Are you saying monsters are actual prey?”
“Yes. It’s not confirmed, but supposedly monsters are on the list. It’s likely the parents of that baby orc. It may be dangerous, but His Majesty has prepared a grand reward, so many people will probably participate.”
Only then did Bern realize why the number of participants had surged.
“What are people thinking? No matter how tempting the reward is, they’re talking about hunting monsters…”
Listening beside him, Lucia grabbed the hem of Bern’s clothing tightly, her face pale.
“It’s probably not just about the reward. By hunting a monster, they can prove their skills. Many must be participating for the sake of honor.”
“Is honor really more important than one’s life?”
“Some people believe it is.”
Lucia frowned deeply.
Having grown up knowing how much damage monsters had caused—and how fiercely the Herwin and Feneus families had fought them—she couldn’t understand why people took monsters so lightly.
“What if people get hurt…”
“The Imperial Family wouldn’t make such a proposal without any countermeasures. They must have something in place.”
“I hope so…”
“I’ll take care of it.”
A familiar voice sounded nearby. When she turned her head, Herwin was already there.
“Herwin, when did you arrive?”
“Just now. You’re worried about the monsters, aren’t you?”
“…Yeah.”
“Honestly, the Imperial Family is being careless about this. But I’ll deal with them before anyone gets hurt. So don’t worry.”
The fact that Herwin himself would step in was somewhat reassuring. Still, the danger hadn’t vanished completely, and Lucia couldn’t bring herself to relax.
Herwin chuckled softly and reached out to pat Lucia’s head as usual—but stopped when he noticed Bern standing in front of her and lowered his hand.
“You’re not interested in monsters, Marquis?”
“No. I know my limits, so I don’t go looking for dangerous things.”
“There seem to be many people blinded by honor, acting recklessly. It’s fortunate that you’re not one of them.”
For a moment, Bern wondered if Herwin was mocking him, but seeing the seriousness in his red eyes, he realized he meant it sincerely.
“It seems you intend to hunt the monster yourself, Young Master.”
“If not me, then who? I’m the only one here with experience dealing with monsters. I’ve fought them more than once. Before others put themselves in danger, I should handle it first.”
Herwin had no interest in rewards or honor. He was only concerned about preventing casualties.
“Just in case, let me offer some advice. Don’t venture too deep into the forest. There were reports last night that monsters entered the Imperial Forest, but they likely haven’t gone far in yet.”
“Understood. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Just then, trumpets sounded, announcing the arrival of the Imperial Family. People naturally turned toward the sound and bowed their heads.
As he had the previous day, the Emperor began his speech.
“…Lastly, I have prepared something very special this year. Everyone, look over there.”
The Emperor proudly pointed toward the iron cage containing the orc.
“That monster was personally captured by Young Master Feneus a few days ago.”
At the word monster, murmurs rippled through the crowd among those who hadn’t seen it yet.
“However, we have yet to capture the two monsters believed to be the parents of that young one. They are currently believed to be within the Imperial Forest. If anyone manages to hunt a monster during this festival, I shall bestow a special reward. You may look forward to it.”
The Emperor’s confident declaration stirred the crowd even further. As cheers erupted, Herwin clicked his tongue in irritation.
Once the speech concluded, it was finally time for the participants to head out to hunt.
As Bern finished preparing—donning the sword and protective gear he had brought—Lucia quietly approached him.
“Please don’t get hurt.”
She took out a handkerchief she had prepared specifically for today and handed it to him.
Bern smiled as he accepted it, but the moment he noticed the embroidery along its edge, his expression stiffened.
“Lucia, this is…”
“They’re forget-me-nots. You seemed to like them when you saw them before, so I tried embroidering them. Is it okay?”
Though the design was slightly different from the one Céline used, it was unmistakably a forget-me-not.
Finding traces of Céline in something given by an innocent Lucia filled Bern with guilt.
“Lucia, I—!”
The words he had tried to speak caught in his throat. When he met her clear, pale blue eyes, he couldn’t say anything at all. His lips moved soundlessly before he finally turned his head away.
“Did you have something you wanted to say?”
“…Not now. Could we talk after the hunting festival is over?”
Seeing how serious Bern looked, Lucia nodded without much thought.
That only made Bern frown more deeply as he carefully tucked the handkerchief into his chest.
As Bern left to fetch his horse, Lucia, left behind, tilted her head while watching his retreating figure—smaller than usual today.
“What was that about?”
What had Bern wanted to say? As she pondered the reason, something suddenly occurred to her.
“Could it be…?”
“Lucia.”
Before the thought could fully form, a dark shadow fell before her. It was Herwin.
Thinking he would have already left, Lucia was visibly startled. Looking around, she noticed that most of the men had already departed for the hunt.
“Why aren’t you going? Did you forget something?”
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
Herwin quietly shifted his gaze from Lucia’s face down to her small hands. He had clearly seen her give Bern the handkerchief earlier.
Giving a handkerchief during a hunting festival wasn’t unusual between engaged couples—but still…
It irritates me.
Just imagining Bern receiving the handkerchief Lucia had embroidered with such care made his insides twist.
Forcing down his irritation, Herwin smiled.
“What do you think? You promised to give me a handkerchief last time.”
“W–What?!”
Startled, Lucia raised her voice. As she stammered in confusion, unable to respond, Herwin put on an exaggeratedly disappointed expression.
“Don’t tell me you broke your promise? I’ve been waiting for your handkerchief all this time…”
“Well, that’s…”
Seeing his drooping eyes, Lucia’s heart softened for a moment and she hesitated. Truthfully, there was a handkerchief in her pocket—one she had made for Herwin.
Despite boldly declaring in front of Sein that she’d never make one, her resolve had weakened at night, and she’d secretly stitched it little by little.
She’d brought it along just in case…
Fidgeting with the hem of her skirt where her pocket was, Lucia glanced up at Herwin.
He still wore that pitiful expression, sharp eyes lowered.
Since I already made it, maybe I should give it to him…
But Bern, who had been beside her only five minutes ago, weighed on her mind.
No matter what, she couldn’t give a handkerchief to another man while having a fiancé.
Letting go of her skirt, Lucia lifted her head.
“I’m sorry… I thought you were joking.”
At her response, Herwin pouted. He grumbled about how unfair it was, then casually said,
“Well, actually, I was just joking.”
“Oh… really?”
For some reason, his words made her chest ache. If it was a joke, she should laugh it off—but she wasn’t sure she was smiling properly.
“That’s why I prepared one myself.”
At those words, Lucia looked up sharply. Before her, a familiar handkerchief was waved.
“This is…”
“The one you gave me before.”
Lucia stared at it in confusion.
“Then why are you giving it back to me?”
“Because I want to receive a handkerchief from you.”
Herwin extended his arm.
“Tie it around my wrist.”
“What? But—”
“You won’t even do this much? It’s just tying my handkerchief around my wrist.”
As Lucia stepped back, Herwin whined. The man who was usually cold to everyone else softened his expression and acted spoiled, causing nearby women to murmur in surprise.
Speechless, Lucia looked down at the handkerchief.
It is Herwin’s handkerchief, but…
Perhaps because she had made it herself, the situation felt strangely unsettling.
“Hurry up. At this rate, I’ll be the very last one to enter the forest.”
Looking around, Lucia realized there were hardly any participants left. Worried that Herwin might end up catching nothing at all, she hurriedly tied the handkerchief around his wrist.
Seeing it secured firmly, Herwin smiled in satisfaction.
“All set, right? Go on. At this rate, all the prey will be gone.”
Seeing the worry on Lucia’s face, Herwin bent down, gently took her hand, and placed a light kiss on it.
“I’ll bring back plenty of prey, my lady.”
Frozen in shock, Lucia couldn’t move until Herwin had already left.
She wanted to scold him, but by then he was already riding his horse deep into the forest.
“Did you see that?”
“He did the same thing yesterday too. I think Young Master Feneus likes Lady Agnes.”
“But isn’t Lady Agnes engaged to Marquis Casper?”
“What on earth is going on?”
Whispers spread among the onlookers.
Letting out a deep sigh, Lucia covered her reddened face with both hands.
