~Chapter 113~
“Yes. Back on Mount Lorem, I was kind of known as a good archer.”
Leah grinned.
She was someone Johann didn’t remember.
“I’m not confident about shooting while riding a horse though.”
“…I didn’t know that.”
“Johann, don’t make such a gloomy face.”
“Am I?”
“Yes, like this.”
Leah pulled her eyebrows down with her finger to show him.
“It’s fine even if you don’t remember. You know it now.”
“But I still want to remember.”
I want to know everything about you—even the things you don’t know about yourself.
“If you join the hunt, the crown princess will probably accompany you.”
“Then I’d better practice hard so I don’t embarrass myself.”
“Don’t push yourself too much.”
“Got it.”
“Even if you’re good at archery, shooting from horseback is another thing—it’s not that easy.”
“Still, I’m glad I already learned how to ride. If I had to learn riding from scratch too, I wouldn’t even dare to join the hunt.”
“They say anything you learn comes in handy one day, and it’s true.”
From that day, with about two weeks left until the hunt, Leah trained with Johann on horseback archery.
“I couldn’t prepare a really good bow since we’re in a rush.”
Johann handed her a bow with a bit of regret in his voice.
“This looks amazing though.”
The bow and arrows he prepared were on a whole different level compared to what she used back on Mount Lorem.
Unlike the rough bows from back then, this one was sturdier, shinier, clearly made from quality wood.
The arrowheads were sharp, the fletching made from large, delicate bird feathers.
“First, get used to the bow itself. Once you’re comfortable, we’ll move on.”
“Okay.”
After she got the hang of it, Johann started teaching her properly: how to let go of the reins, how to keep her balance, and how to aim and shoot while riding.
At first, she fumbled, but she quickly picked it up.
She had above-average athletic ability, though it was often overlooked because Johann and Raphaella were such prodigies.
‘It really is different from shooting on foot.’
But because she was good at it, it felt fun and exciting.
Half of her day went into horseback archery, the other half into dark magic research.
As soon as the lab was ready, Dorothea slipped quietly into the east wing of the estate.
“Leah, isn’t it hard keeping up with training and research?” Dorothe asked with concern.
“It was tough at first, but I’m fine now.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I think riding and archery actually made me stronger.”
They had worried she’d collapse from exhaustion, but that wasn’t the case.
Living so busily, time flew by, and soon the morning of the hunt arrived.
After breakfast, with Pola’s help, Leah changed into a women’s riding outfit.
“Pola, do I look tired?”
She had stayed up late the night before working on her dark magic research.
Johann had told her to rest for the hunt, but she couldn’t—she had finally found a possible weakness in dark magic.
So she stayed up past midnight preparing a test potion.
“…You do look a little tired.”
Pola examined the dark circles under her eyes.
“Then can you cover it up with makeup? I don’t want Johann to worry.”
“Of course.”
Pola worked her magic, and Leah felt relieved as she went downstairs.
“Leah, don’t tell me you stayed up late again last night?”
But Johann noticed right away.
‘No way… I checked in the mirror, it didn’t show at all!’
Even Raphaella and Isabella hadn’t noticed—so how did he?
“I thought it was perfectly hidden….” Leah muttered in disbelief.
“Makeup can’t fool me about your condition.”
“Then how did you notice, if not makeup?”
“I’m not telling. Anyway, was it really that important to stay up late?” Johann asked with a sly smile, changing the subject.
“Yes. I think I found a weakness in dark magic, so I had to make a potion to test it.”
She tiptoed closer and whispered in his ear.
“You found it?”
She nodded.
“I haven’t tested it yet, but I think it works.”
“Then I guess it was worth losing sleep.”
“Sorry for making you worry.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me. I just didn’t want you to be too tired for the hunt.”
His crimson eyes glowed warmly.
“Luckily, there’s only a little darkness under my eyes. My body feels light.”
“That’s good.”
Once they were ready, the family gathered in the hall to see them off.
“I wanted to come too, but I’m not feeling well today,” Isabella said.
She had caught a slight cold, so she would rest at home.
“Please don’t do anything today. Just rest.” Leah squeezed her hand.
“Yes, maybe a good nap will help.”
“Good luck, big sis!” Penelope pumped her little fist.
“Thanks, Penelope.”
Leah joined her with a playful fist pump.
“Rafi, we’ll be back soon.”
“Okay. Mom, Dad, have a safe trip!”
“It’s your first hunt, so be careful.”
“Don’t worry.”
After goodbyes, Leah and Johann rode the carriage to the imperial hunting grounds behind the palace.
***
By the time they arrived, the area was already crowded with nobles and tents.
“This way to the Blumhardt tent.”
An imperial attendant guided them.
Seeing Leah openly attending an imperial event drew curious, sometimes unfriendly, glances.
But Johann’s warm hand in hers gave her strength.
Before entering the tent, Samuel and the Blumhardt knights did a last-minute check.
“I’ll go greet His Majesty. You have to greet the Empress Consort.”
At the hunt, men greeted the Emperor, women greeted the Empress.
Since the empire had no empress, the Emperor’s consort took her place.
“Leah, are you sure you’re okay meeting her?” Johann asked, worried.
“I’ll be fine.”
It would boil her blood to see the woman—but for the future’s sake, she could endure it.
The real challenge was handling the Empress Consort, the most powerful figure in high society.
‘That’s why I need the practice.’
She had no reason to feel inferior.
She would face her confidently.
“See you later.”
Leah waved to Johann, then followed the attendant to the Empress Consort’s tent.
The tent was far more lavish than the others, almost like a small palace.
“Please go inside.”
Inside, the Empress Consort and many noblewomen sat fanning themselves, chatting and laughing.
“Lady Leah von Blumhardt has arrived.”
“…”
The laughter instantly stopped.
The noblewomen glanced at each other, then looked her up and down with thinly veiled disdain.
“Blessings of Hecate. I, Leah of House Blumhardt, greet Your Highness, the radiant moon of the heavens.”
Leah lifted her head proudly and gave a flawless noblewoman’s bow.
The noblewomen’s eyes widened a little—they hadn’t expected her to learn etiquette so quickly.
“May Hecate’s blessings be upon you as well.”
Narcissa replied with a picture-perfect smile.
“Thank you for inviting me to the hunt.”
“Why wouldn’t I invite the fiance of Duke Blumhardt?”
Her tone was soft, like she was addressing someone dear—but her eyes were cold.
“I heard you’re joining the hunt.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Women from the north really are all the same…”
Narcissa let the sentence trail off deliberately.
“…What do you mean by that, Your Highness?” Leah asked calmly.
“Oh, nothing.” Narcissa smirked.
“It must just be in your nature, I suppose.”
“Yes, rather wild, don’t you think?”
The noblewomen quickly picked up on her meaning and chimed in.
The atmosphere in the tent shifted instantly.
All their eyes turned sharp, like predators circling prey.
‘So I was right.’
The Empress Consort wanted to humiliate her in public.
But Leah wasn’t about to just sit back and take it.
“Well, men seem to enjoy that ‘wildness,’ don’t they?”
She took a deep breath and spoke up.
“…Look at her answering back.”
“So arrogant.”
They sneered, ready to press harder.
But then—
“…People who’ve never hunted always seem to talk the loudest about it.”
Crown Princess Josefina entered the tent.
“Don’t you agree, Your Highness?”
