In truth, Alexander had originally belonged to the eldest son in the novel.
“On her beloved son’s birthday, the Duchess personally gifted him a fine horse of a prestigious breed she had chosen herself.”
…That line still stuck with me.
Thinking about it soured my mood.
‘Meldor never once rode Alexander on his own.’
He had always needed his father’s help just to get on the horse.
Meldor was secretly clumsy with his body, and Alexander had a fiery temperament—so naturally, they were a terrible match.
Because of that, Alexander, who should’ve been galloping across fields with his master, had instead been stuck in a stable for years.
That’s why I brought him out this time—because I felt sorry for him.
Meldor had thrown quite the tantrum… but what could he do when Father had already given permission?
Father must have thought it a waste to keep that horse locked up.
I looked at Alexander in the corner, chewing hay while the attendants brushed him down.
‘From what I saw earlier, I could probably tame him. Should I take him back too?’
Why not reclaim both Zeppelin and the horse while I’m at it?
With that thought, I approached the tent and bowed to the emperor at the center.
“Your Majesty. I am Belladi Elton of House Elton. Thanks to your grace, I have returned safely from the hunt.”
“Yes, I saw you earlier. Your marksmanship was most impressive.”
“Thank you.”
The emperor smiled kindly at my reply and turned his attention to the dukes.
He rarely acknowledged anyone below the rank of family head.
‘In fact, that much of a reply was quite generous from him.’
My shooting at the start of the hunt must’ve left a strong impression on him.
I slightly raised the corners of my lips and approached Sion and Mostyn. Sion was the first to speak.
“Belladi. You’re alone? Where are your knights?”
“They’re still in the forest, sorting the game.”
“Still in the forest?”
Mostyn, standing beside him, grinned.
“Ooh~ looks like you caught quite a haul~”
“Probably more than you did.”
“Now that’s just unfair. I’ll have you know I came in second place at last year’s hunting competition!”
“Who was first?”
“…Your dad.”
Just then, as if on cue, my father and his knights emerged from the forest.
Father skillfully handed his horse off to the attendants and approached.
He bowed to the emperor.
“I’ve returned, Your Majesty.”
“Haha! So, Duke Elton—do you feel confident about winning this tournament again?”
“I only ever do my best, Your Majesty.”
Behind him, knights stood holding two large boxes.
Seeing them, the emperor grinned broadly and raised his voice.
“Now that the last participant has returned, let us check the results! Lay the game out on the ground!”
At his command, the waiting attendants opened the boxes and laid them in the designated spots marked with names. My father’s knights handed their boxes over and stepped back.
As the attendants swiftly began unpacking the game, the crowd watching began to murmur.
“Mostyn, you little rascal. Did you out-hunt your old man again?”
“Oh, Father, you know I’m good at this.”
“Sion, you put in a lot of effort.”
“Thank you, Father.”
The two father-son pairs shared warm exchanges as their attention shifted in unison—
Toward my father’s section.
Compared to the others, which were already neatly displayed, his was still being laid out with an overwhelming number of animals.
Gasps followed.
“A red fox…”
“Of course. The Duke must have been the one to catch it.”
The emperor nodded as if it were expected.
“Looks like the first place goes to Duke Elton again.”
“You flatter me, Your Majesty.”
Just then, Sion whispered beside me.
“Belladi, why are your knights so late?”
Mostyn chimed in too.
“Yeah. At this rate, the ceremony might end before they show up.”
“They’ll be here soon.”
I said that as I turned toward the forest. They may not have heard it, but I could already catch the sound of hooves approaching.
Moments later, Zeppelin emerged from the woods with two knights.
He swiftly dismounted and handed a box to the attendants, then knelt before me with the knights.
“Apologies for the delay.”
“We’re sorry, Lady Belladi!”
“It’s fine. Don’t make a fuss in front of His Majesty. Go take your places.”
I calmly turned my head as they quickly retreated.
‘I figured they’d be late.’
They had originally been assisting Meldor with his hunt.
Given how poor his skills were, they probably packed only one box—and ended up struggling for space with everything we caught.
They must’ve had a hard time fitting it all in.
‘Rather…’
The attendants hurriedly opened my box and began laying out the game.
As I watched, I lifted my gaze—not to the emperor, but to my father standing beside him.
Our eyes met, his crimson irises locking with mine. I smiled with perfectly curved lips.
‘Being last meant I drew attention. Not bad at all.’
My smile made my father frown ever so slightly.
Just then, Mostyn lightly punched my arm.
“Hey, Belladi… what are you? You said this was your first hunt.”
He stared slack-jawed at the animals I had brought.
I helpfully lifted his gaping chin and replied.
“You have to do this much to be called a genius.”
My joking-but-not-really words made him pause, then scratch his head awkwardly.
“You could’ve toned it down a bit. I didn’t think you’d be this good at hunting.”
Mostyn had every reason to be shocked. My haul was still being laid out—and had already surpassed Sion’s, Duke Agla’s, Mostyn’s, and Duke Fredo’s.
Almost like my father’s.
Then came the cheers.
“Wow, Belladi!”
Sion clapped enthusiastically.
“You caught a red fox too?”
“What the—! I searched everywhere for one and couldn’t find it! So you’re the one who got it?!”
The other two dukes looked at me in surprise.
“Belladi, your hunting skills are impressive.”
“Why didn’t you ever bring your daughter along, Theodore?”
“…Who knows.”
My game and Father’s were laid side by side.
Four birds, six rabbits, three deer.
Six birds, five rabbits, one deer—and each of us had a red fox.
Our father-daughter duo had vastly outperformed the other families.
The emperor laughed heartily.
“Hahahaha! Like father, like daughter! You’ve inherited not just his looks but also his talents!”
“I still pale in comparison to my father, Your Majesty.”
“No need to be so modest. I’m pleased that all the red foxes I released were caught. What a satisfying competition.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
“At this rate, I’d better be careful joining a hunt with House Elton. Haha!”
The dukes’ lighthearted banter made the emperor laugh even more. He glanced down at the game with a pleased nod.
“Judging by size and number, the duke has won. But in terms of the condition of the red fox pelt, the daughter comes out ahead.”
Most of Father’s kills had bullet marks right in the center of their foreheads.
But mine? Every single one was shot through the right eye.
‘I knew I wouldn’t win on quantity.’
So instead, I aimed for minimal damage—to win points on pelt quality. And to highlight my precision.
Father gave me a side glance, but I just casually looked away.
‘The victory will go to Father.’
Just as I thought that, the emperor spoke.
“Based on my judgment, Duke Elton scores higher overall. Thus, the winner of this tournament is Theodore Elton!”
He gave Father a hearty pat on the shoulder.
“Well done, Duke. As your prize, I shall open my royal treasury. Take whatever you wish.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Applause rang out.
I clapped and smiled brightly too.
‘Now, it’s my turn…’
Just as I hoped, the emperor turned to me.
“To think it was your first tournament and you placed second. I look forward to your future.”
“I am honored, Your Majesty.”
“I’ve prepared a small reward for the runner-up. Bring it forth.”
At his command, two attendants stepped forward carrying a long case. Carefully, they opened it in front of me.
“Whoa—”
“Is that…?”
Mostyn and Sion gasped. Even the dukes widened their eyes at the sight. This time, even Father looked a bit surprised.
“For second place, I bestow the Spirit Sword of the Magala Empire.”
The emperor’s voice boomed with authority.
“You may draw it now, if you wish.”
And of course, I wasn’t the type to politely decline.
I gripped the sword with both hands and lifted it from the case. The weight was substantial in my grasp.
Shing—
I slid the sheath slightly open. The blade inside was a deep black.
Even under sunlight, it didn’t gleam—almost as if it were dull. But I knew just how sharp this sword truly was.
I stroked the black stone embedded in the hilt. A true “spirit stone,” found only in the Magala Empire.
As I caressed the sword, the emperor spoke again.
“It may not suit a young lady who doesn’t use swords.”
“Not at all, Your Majesty. Of everything I’ve ever received, I love this most.”
“Haha! Is that so? Two hundred years ago, the 7th Duke of Elton offered this treasure to the crown. Now, his descendant claims it once more. How delightful.”
“It is an incredible honor.”
My reply must’ve pleased him. The emperor chuckled. I smiled back and tightened my grip on the sword.
‘I absolutely cannot let anyone take this from me.’
As the emperor said, the 7th Duke of Elton had found this spirit sword during the war with the Magala Empire in the north—and had offered it to the crown.
‘But that bit of history doesn’t matter to me.’
The reason I couldn’t let go of this sword—
Just like Alexander, this too originally belonged to the eldest son.
