Diana and Ariel, having stepped out, decided to stroll around the area instead of returning to the tent.
As soon as they were outside, Diana huffed and asked, "Ariel, are you okay? Can you believe someone like her exists?"
Lost in thoughts about taking an evening stroll with Duke Matthias later, Ariel tilted her head in confusion. "Hm? What are you talking about?"
"Lady Eunice! She kept saying such strange things!"
"Oh..." Ariel chuckled softly.
She had been so unbothered by Eunice that she was thinking about something else entirely.
"Of course, I’m fine. I have nothing to do with the marquess' family anymore. That includes Lady Eunice."
"But..." Diana trailed off, still visibly upset.
"Cheer up, Diana," Ariel said with a smile, leaning her head against Diana's shoulder.
Diana's expression melted almost immediately. "Ah, really, why are you so cute, my little darling? You won't even let me stay mad!"
In truth, Diana had planned to dismantle Eunice's words one by one with her well-honed social skills, but Ariel's indifference—acting as though Eunice wasn’t worth any attention—had made her drop the matter altogether.
'Just try that again, and see what happens to my Ariel!'
Walking alongside her friend, Ariel found herself lost in thought for a moment.
'Yes, the old me might have been bothered by it.'
Before she regressed, Ariel had been a child desperately yearning for her family's love.
Her father’s and brother’s affection had meant everything to her. She hated her appearance, which set her apart from them, and did everything she could to resemble them.
Even when she was beaten and abused, she believed she must have done something wrong to deserve it.
'Even after being sold, I couldn’t let go of my attachment.'
That day, when the marquess and Jerome handed Ariel over to a group of wizards for a paltry sum, Ariel had begged, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Please don’t send me away. I’ll do anything you ask! Just don’t abandon me..."
But the marquess kicked her away like a stray dog.
"Father! Father! Brother...! Please...!"
In the end, Ariel had been dragged away by ‘his’ subordinates.
That day had taught her one bitter truth: she was never truly family to the marquess or Jerome.
'But... the old me might have been swayed by Lady Eunice’s words.'
The Ariel of those days had been so starved for love that someone appealing to familial bonds, as Eunice had, might have easily convinced her.
'If someone had spoken as though I were at fault, I would’ve believed them.'
And if someone had insisted that forgiveness was necessary, she would have thought she had to comply.
But not anymore.
Having received genuine love from Susan and others in the Lacartel household, Ariel had learned to distinguish true affection from its pretenders.
'Lady Eunice’s concerns might sound righteous on the surface, but...'
They had nothing to do with her.
So, Ariel couldn’t be bothered to care.
"By the way, Diana, why were the other young ladies crowding around Lady Eunice earlier?" Ariel asked.
Diana snapped open her fan and whispered, "When Lady Eunice arrived, she came in a very expensive carriage. Her dress and accessories were all extremely luxurious, too. For a young lady from a lowly provincial family, the marquess' household has been treating her like a princess."
"Really?"
Even at Ariel’s casual response, Diana clenched her fists and grumbled.
"And there’s already plenty of gossip about the marquess and his son doting on their foster daughter."
Diana added sharply, "Bringing her here to debut at a grand event like the Imperial Hunting Tournament? It’s like they’re trying to parade her around! No wonder everyone’s desperate to know who this pampered new star is."
Ariel, her curiosity now satisfied, nodded in understanding.
She tugged at the hem of Diana’s dress. "Let’s head back, Diana. We need to find Cecil."
"Right, Cecil! She didn’t even show up at the tent. She’s probably hiding somewhere again, isn’t she?"
Cecil always found gatherings of young ladies overwhelming, choosing instead to retreat to a quiet corner by herself.
Laughing at Cecil's predictability, the two girls hurried off to find their friend.
* * *
Meanwhile, Heath and Dietrich, who had ventured into the forest, hunted side by side, constantly keeping each other in check.
Heath glared at Dietrich, who rode his white horse with its mane flowing in the wind.
‘I thought he’d be a pampered prince.’
It turned out that Dietrich’s outward demeanor had been mere pretense.
Dietrich’s horsemanship was impressive, and he wielded his bow with ease while riding.
His saddle was already loaded with rabbits he had effortlessly shot down with his arrows.
Not to be outdone, Heath activated a wide-area charm spell.
As the magic circle spread out, the nearby rabbits wobbled and collapsed.
Gathering the charmed rabbits with ease, Heath shot a challenging look at Dietrich.
‘How about that? You think I’d let a scheming snake like you take the victory?’
‘Impressive.’
Dietrich revised his assessment of Heath.
Most mages were physically weak. The phrase "frail as a mage" existed for a reason.
But this young mage, Heathcliff, was not only in good shape but also sharp-witted.
Which only made him more irritating.
To Heath and Dietrich, the other was nothing more than a shameless interloper hovering around Ariel.
After testing each other’s skills, the two reached a fork in the path. Without a word, and with cold glares, they went their separate ways.
“See you later, Crown Prince,” Heath sneered.
“I look forward to seeing how much you manage to catch,” Dietrich retorted coolly.
Both wore expressions that said they would never allow the other to take the victory.
“...Ha.”
Lucian observed the scene from the top of a massive tree at the forest’s center.
“Those insects are scurrying around like they’ve been dosed with stimulants.”
With a flick of his finger, the handkerchiefs Ariel had tied to Heath’s and Dietrich’s lapels turned to ash.
He considered putting more effort into it, reducing the two pests to ash along with the handkerchiefs, but Ariel’s insistence that the hunting tournament end peacefully lingered in his mind, holding him back.
Lucian clicked his tongue with a cold expression.
His little wife was always saying not to kill people, but for him, erasing nuisances was second nature.
“Blowing up the entire forest would be easier.”
His chilling words hung in the air as his gaze shifted elsewhere.
It landed on a large, rotund man clinging desperately to his horse.
“Jerome Lucilion.”
Even speaking that name with his beautiful lips seemed like a privilege for the man below, Lucian’s face radiating sheer arrogance.
Jerome was dragging along a pack of excited hunting dogs, who barked and howled as they chased prey. The sight of the frothing, bloodthirsty animals made Lucian’s eyes gleam coldly.
“Lucilion...”
Whatever crossed his mind made him twist his crimson lips into a chilling smile.
It felt as though an icy wind had just swept through.
* * *
Dum, dum, dum.
The first day of the rabbit hunt had ended.
As the deep sound of a drum resonated, noblemen carrying their hunted rabbits emerged from the forest, their faces flushed with the thrill of the hunt.
Ariel, sitting with her friends, stepped outside.
The moment she appeared, Dietrich and Heath approached her as if they had been waiting all along. Both were covered in dust, likely from their time in the forest after the hunt.
“Ariel, Your Grace. Please accept this,” Dietrich said with a charming smile, presenting her with a large sack.
Not to be outdone, Heath dropped his own sack in front of Ariel with a grumble. “I caught these. It’s nothing special, but still.”
The number of rabbits the two had brought was staggering, even at a glance. It seemed highly likely that one of them would win the competition. After all, the other noblemen had barely managed to catch anything, likely due to Dietrich and Heath sweeping the forest clean.
Ariel felt a twinge of dizziness.
No matter if it was a competition, this was borderline excessive.
“How did you even manage to catch so many?” she asked.
At her question, the two men simultaneously turned to glare at each other.
Dietrich spoke first, his tone casual. “I simply wanted to demonstrate my hunting skills to Heathcliff.”
“I think I’ve done a good job of showcasing my magic skills, though,” Heath retorted boldly.
Annoyed glances flickered between the two.
‘I can’t stand him!’ both thought.
Sensing the tension between them, Ariel was left bewildered.
‘They just met today. How are they already at each other’s throats?’
Was it the competition? Their sense of rivalry? She couldn’t tell, but for now, Ariel decided to summon a maid and had her bring towels for them.
“You should clean yourselves up first, Your Highness. You too, Heathcliff.”
Only then did Dietrich realize how disheveled he looked. Flushing slightly, he quickly handed his game to Ariel and left with his attendant.
As soon as Dietrich was gone, Heath’s expression noticeably softened.
“Heath, you should clean yourself up too,” Ariel said, handing him a towel.
But Heath remained rooted to the spot.
“Heath?” she prompted again.
After hesitating, he turned red all the way to his ears and muttered, “I joined the competition because of you.”
His face grew even redder after his confession, and he looked at Ariel as if seeking approval, almost like a puppy waiting for praise. If he had a tail, it would surely be wagging.
Ariel chuckled softly.
‘He’s older than me, but he acts like a child sometimes.’
“Well done, Heath,” she said with a smile. “Good job.”
“Don’t treat me like a kid,” he grumbled immediately, though the satisfaction in his voice was clear. Finally appeased, Heath headed off to the temporary tents to clean up.
After sending both men on their way, Ariel looked down at the sacks of rabbits they had left behind and shook her head.
No matter how she thought about it, this was just too much.
“Competition, huh? It makes them both act so differently.”
Despite Ariel’s wry expression, the maids around her seemed delighted.
“See? What did I say! This year’s Lady of the Hunt will definitely be our Ariel!” one said, practically glowing with pride.
“Should we make a scarf out of these white rabbits for you? Oh, I’m so excited!” another added.
Ariel, however, had other plans. She was supposed to meet Cecil to view the ceremonial sword held by the knight statue in the garden, so she turned to leave.
At that moment, faint gasps and low exclamations echoed from the forest entrance.
“Oh my!”