“Young master Yurian. What’s the matter?”

“Heidi. Please save me.”

“Pardon?”

Yurian nodded towards Charlotte, who was staring at him intently from the opposite side.

Charlotte was still looking only at Yurian.

“I find that young lady burdensome. Is she still staring?”

Yurian glanced back and bit his lip tightly. He was desperately trying not to make eye contact with Charlotte, who was watching him from behind.

I smiled kindly towards Yurian.

“But it seems that young lady genuinely likes you, doesn’t she?”

“She’s not my type. I prefer… how should I say…”

Yurian trailed off, blushing as he muttered.

“I like someone more mature. Charlotte Everett is too childish!”

I barely managed to suppress a laugh that almost burst out, quickly turning my head away.

In my view, Yurian still seemed like a child too.

Yurian’s preferences were both amusing and cute.

I wanted to ruffle his angelic blonde hair and dote on him right then, but due to the gazes around us, I had to be content with just looking at him affectionately.

“Charlotte Everett is really persistent. She even enrolled in the academy just to follow me when I was there.”

It was clear that the young lady called Charlotte Everett really liked Yurian.

It’s not easy to follow someone you like all the way to school.

I wanted to applaud the remarkable determination of this young lady called Charlotte.

However, it seemed Yurian felt Charlotte’s affection was excessive.

“Mother tells me to be friendly with young lady Everett, but honestly, it’s boring. Talking about trendy cafes and accessory shops is so dull it makes me want to cry.”

“Isn’t that the usual conversation among noble young ladies?”

“Anyway, I don’t like it!”

Yurian spoke as if he didn’t want to talk about Charlotte anymore.

Just then, the sound of a horn announced the start of the hunting competition.

The loud sound that pierced the ears drew everyone’s attention to where the emperor was.

The emperor, who had been leaning back on his throne, stood up, stroking his golden beard.

After looking around at the audience, he cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Ahem, first, I want to thank all of you who have come to today’s hunting competition. Another year has passed, and we are holding the summer hunting competition again. This time, we have prepared an extraordinary game for hunting, so you can look forward to it. And we have also prepared a great prize for the winner of this competition.”

The nobles murmured at the emperor’s words.

Until now, the hunting competition had only awarded a trophy to the person who brought back the largest game.

Of course, the winner was also given a chance to create a very romantic scene.

They would often confess their love by handing the trophy to someone they liked or were interested in.

Because of this, young ladies would go to great lengths to stand out at the hunting competition.

That alone made the hunting competition a popular festival among young nobles.

But another prize?

The emperor, satisfied with the expectant nobles, continued speaking.

“The winner will be given…”

The emperor, who had been holding back his words for a moment, spoke again.

“The privilege to marry Princess Ariana.”

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.

Everyone was speechless at the shocking announcement. It was then that I noticed a beautiful woman with a gloomy expression sitting next to the emperor.

Blue hair that flowed down past her shoulders like waves, and eyes that seemed to contain the deep sea itself.

She was a beauty with a pure atmosphere like a blue daffodil.

‘That must be Princess Ariana Zeneger.’

Princess Ariana Zeneger was a character briefly introduced in the original work.

It was said that unlike the emperor, she was intelligent and wise, loved by the people of the empire.

To think that a princess who was also deeply loved by the empire’s people would be so dazzlingly beautiful.

Indeed, the world is not fair.

Princess Ariana was such an incredible beauty that I wondered why I hadn’t noticed before.

Her round forehead and neatly groomed eyebrows, along with the soft features below, further accentuated her pure atmosphere.

However, my admiration for her appearance was short-lived.

“I-Impossible. Marriage with Princess Ariana?”

“I don’t know what the emperor is thinking.”

The emperor laughed heartily at the audience’s murmuring at the sudden announcement.

“Hahaha, you all look puzzled. But it’s not completely out of the blue. The princess is already twenty years old, so we need to hurry and find a suitable match. As I was looking for an appropriate match, the hunting competition, which determines the most valiant person, seemed fitting.”

At the right moment, the aide standing next to him held up the trophy.

“Sending her to marry into another empire is already out of the question! Hahaha!”

No one laughed. But the emperor didn’t seem to mind.

“Come now, everyone must be tempted, so let’s get started quickly. The competition will continue until this horn sounds again. You’re free to choose how you catch the game. If you need a horse, you can ride one of the fine steeds prepared by the imperial palace!”

After finishing his words, the emperor nodded to the attendant holding the horn.

The attendant quickly blew the horn.

With the sound of ‘pwooo’, the nobles who had been standing in shock began to move slowly.

“Isn’t it clear that the emperor is trying to bring the Delgado family into the imperial family?”

“That’s right. It’s obvious who will win this hunting competition, yet he’s playing such a trick. He clearly intends to have the Delgado family as a backing. But why does he need to make it so complicated? Couldn’t he just send a marriage proposal to the Delgado Duke’s family?”

“Well, it would be beneath the imperial dignity to directly send a marriage proposal to the Delgado family. Even now, there are rumors that the Delgado family is the real power in the empire.”

Hearing the conversation of the noble young men passing by with their swords, I finally realized the emperor’s intentions.

The emperor wants to bring the Delgado family under his control.

If the princess marries someone from the Delgado family, even the proud Delgado family won’t be able to defy the imperial orders.

That’s how alliances formed through marriage work.

Once they officially become in-laws of the imperial family, they can’t easily oppose the imperial initiatives.

That’s what the emperor is aiming for.

If the emperor wants to marry Princess Ariana to someone from the Delgado family, the match would probably be Dietrich.

After all, there’s quite an age difference between the twenty-year-old princess and the still young Yurian.

I stared intently at Dietrich, who was noticeable even from afar.

However, he seemed to have his usual calm expression.

He didn’t seem particularly interested in the emperor’s shocking announcement. Of course, that was just my guess.

‘Well, Dietrich already has a predetermined partner anyway.’

Suddenly, I frowned at the throbbing feeling in my chest.

The female protagonist who would save Dietrich.

Janice Howard.

Although she appears a bit later, Janice was clearly Dietrich’s destiny.

Captivated by Janice’s gentle and soft comfort, Dietrich learns what love is.

To him, who had been precariously living alone, Janice was like a ray of light.

There was no love for Dietrich until he met Janice.

So even if the emperor wants to marry Princess Ariana to Dietrich, it’s not going to happen!

‘Emperor uncle, Dietrich already has someone he’s meant to meet.’

I looked at the emperor, who was comfortably leaning back on his throne, with a pitying heart.

Perhaps my feelings were conveyed.

The emperor’s golden eyes briefly swept over me.

He probably wasn’t looking at me, but seeing his eyes gave me chills.

Although his eyes looked kind, they were filled with greed that he couldn’t quite hide.

“Heidi. I’ll be going now too. If it gets too hot, go rest in that tent over there.”

“Ahahaha, over there?”

Under the Delgado family’s tent sat Duchess Leriana.

Yurian seemed to realize it would be difficult, so he quickly changed his words.

“Th-then how about under that tree shade? I noticed earlier that there’s a nice breeze! As long as you’re not too noticeable, you don’t have to be in the tent. You can say you just went to the restroom for a moment.”

“How kind of you. Considering whether I might be hot. Don’t worry and go ahead. I’ll wait here and cheer for you.”

“Okay! I’ll come back in first place…”

Yurian, who was about to express his ambition to come in first place, suddenly covered his mouth with both hands.

Remembering the emperor’s words he had just heard, he sheepishly held up two fingers.

“I’ll come back in a moderate second place!”

Yurian smiled brightly, waved his hand, and went to the duchess. He seemed to want to greet her before setting out for the hunt.

The hunting competition hadn’t even started yet, but I was already feeling tired.

‘I wonder what Robert and Marie are doing?’

It’s so hot today, I wonder if Blaine and Sir Calt are resting a bit?

The Hareon Knights train hard every day, so on a hot day like this, they should be able to rest a little.

Thinking these unnecessary thoughts, I moved to the shade and plopped down to rest my swollen legs.

The tree in this secluded spot was a prime location that no one paid attention to.

‘Come to think of it, doesn’t Dietrich usually win first place in the hunting competition every year?’

I wonder if he’ll win first place this time too?

Again, my chest throbbed and ached. I roughly ignored that feeling and moved on.

I didn’t particularly want to know why my chest kept aching.

“No, but if he wins first place, he’ll have to get married. He wouldn’t like that, would he?”

“That’s right. I don’t.”

At the voice firmly stating dislike, I slightly raised my head.

I saw Dietrich’s handsome face looking down at me calmly, with his hands behind his back.

As Yurian had said, a gentle breeze blew, cooling my cheeks that had turned red from the heat.