And so the next day came.

Sieghart was busy preparing for the hunt from early dawn. Natasha, who woke up a little later than him, hurriedly packed sandwiches.

Sieghart prepared weapons and horses, while Natasha packed sandwiches and water, and they headed outside.

Most of the villagers were out enjoying the bright weather. Those who were admiring the largest mansion in the village, belonging to the Winter couple, soon spotted the couple coming out and warmly greeted them.

“Oh my, such nice weather! Are you going out somewhere?”

“Hello, Mrs. Mary. We’re going hunting with my husband today.”

“Goodness, with that ailing body?”

“Yes, the weather is so nice that I wanted to get some sun. My husband promised to let me ride on the horse.”

Natasha smoothly took Sieghart’s arm and linked hers with his. Soon the villagers’ gazes turned to his sturdy frame and the horse beside him.

Well, reactions burst out that with that build, he should be able to take care of his wife just fine.

“Where are you planning to go?”

“We heard there’s a big forest behind here, so we’re thinking of going there.”

“That place is perfect for hunting. But won’t it be too vast? I’m worried you might get lost since you’re both unfamiliar with it.”

Mrs. Mary muttered with a concerned face.

At that moment, Fenrir, who had been watching from the side, quickly jumped in as if seizing an opportunity.

“Can I come along too? I know the forest paths very well! I can join the hunt too, haha!”

His friends were too busy with farm work to waste a day hunting. He had been dissatisfied with going hunting alone as it was dangerous and not fun, but now someone to go with had appeared.

Natasha, put in an awkward situation, glanced to the side. If they went together, their plans would be ruined, but leaving him behind seemed too cold and might appear suspicious.

Reading the situation, Sieghart eventually put on a gentle smile.

“Of course you can come along if you’d like.”

“Really? Then, I’ll go home right now and grab my gear…”

“However, we only packed food for ourselves, thinking of a cozy date with my wife. Would that be alright with you?”

Of course it’s fine…!

Fenrir was about to answer but hesitated. He felt a coercive feeling from the kind Enoch Winter.

He was smiling brightly, but for some reason it seemed to be saying ‘get lost’. Fenrir got chills, feeling as if some other emotion was hidden behind that smile.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Mary poked Fenrir’s side repeatedly to stop him.

“Don’t think about ruining the cute couple’s date. If you have energy to go hunting, come help with my laundry! I needed an extra hand anyway, this works out perfectly.”

“W-Wait a minute! I just want to rest. What kind of woman makes someone do laundry on their day off!”

As if telling the nuisance to get lost, Mrs. Mary tactfully took Fenrir away.

Natasha waved her hand gently toward the receding figures of the two. When they had finally disappeared completely, Natasha lowered her hand and asked:

“Was that enough?”

“I don’t think we need to see any more people. The whole village will know about our hunting trip soon enough anyway.”

“That’s true.”

News spread very quickly in the small village. As Sieghart said, word of the couple’s hunting date would spread like wildfire throughout the entire village before afternoon.

Where the hunting grounds were, what time they left, what clothes they were wearing – even such details would all become gossip.

The two people who climbed the mountain waited until the sun began to set slightly. It was to guard against the risk of someone being stationed to watch Ron Letius’s house.

After the sun set, the two immediately set out for Ron Letius’s house.

“But will that man open the door for us? I heard he’s hostile towards the villagers…”

Natasha suggested that it might be better to go later at night and pretend to be in distress.

However, Sieghart, who had interacted with Ron Letius before, seemed to think that method wouldn’t work on the man and firmly rejected it.

“As if that man would help us so easily.”

It seemed Ron Letius was no less difficult in personality than Kyle Letius.

Natasha was about to ask if there was another way. Just then, the two arrived in front of Ron Letius’s house.

It was too small and shabby to be a royal’s house. The talk of him living in poverty was no exaggeration. The man was barely scraping by in a dilapidated house that looked hastily put together with wooden planks.

As Natasha stood frozen in shock, Sieghart strode forward.

“We don’t need any special method.”

“…”

“We’ll just barge in.”

“…What are you going to do?”

“I said we’re just going in.”

When Natasha asked again as if she had misheard, Sieghart finally clarified nonchalantly.

Taking another step forward, he kicked the door.

With a bang, the door flew open, revealing the shabby interior of the house.

“What in the world…”

It was quite a shocking method. Natasha was so stunned she could barely speak.

While Natasha stood there blankly, there was a bustling sound from inside. It seemed the owner, Ron Letius, was hurriedly coming down to the entrance.

He came running while squawking “What are you doing?!”, but froze like a stone when he saw the culprit’s face.

As if he immediately recognized that it was Sieghart Asthart.

“I don’t think I need to explain who I am.”

Sieghart finally spoke. He began to coldly snap at the other man, looking down at him with a dry gaze.

“Then I don’t need to explain who my wife beside me is either.”

“…”

“We know what your name is, so we don’t need any explanations.”

“You… you…”

“Good that we can save time on introductions. Now, will you show us in?”

Sieghart went on shamelessly, without a hint of apology for breaking into the house.

He raised an eyebrow at Ron, who let out a hollow laugh. As if asking if he had any complaints.

Whether because Sieghart was still terrifying despite his royal blood, the man quietly led them in.

After pushing an unused cabinet against the wall to lock the broken door that wouldn’t close.

The man seated them at an old table and served lukewarm water.

Sieghart didn’t even glance at the cup and went straight to the point. It was an abrupt start without any common greetings or probing conversation.

“We need the help of a royal.”

Ron, who was setting down another cup for Natasha, made an incredulous expression.

After being lost in thought for a moment, he soon pointed at himself.

“My help?”

His question was tinged with a sneer.

“How desperately do you need help that you’ve come all the way to the biggest loser? You must have been rejected by all my siblings to think of asking me for help.”

He seemed to be misunderstanding that Sieghart had been turned down by all the Letius royals and was now grasping at straws by coming to him.

“You’re misunderstanding something. You’re the first.”

“…What?”

Letius froze. His attitude clearly showed he thought he must have heard wrong.

Seeing that Letius’s heart had been moved, Natasha also chimed in to add:

“Yes, you’re the first, Lord Ron Letius. Actually, from the start we only had you in mind as our helper when we came here.”

“…Well, if that’s the case! I’ll have to praise you for finding the right person.”

Unable to imagine that Sieghart would lie, he accepted it without doubt.

“Anyway, what kind of help do you need! Hurry up and tell me. Don’t keep a busy man waiting for long!”

Ron’s mood quickly improved at being told he was the first choice, and he now showed interest in the matter at hand.

Anticipating a long story to come, Sieghart crossed his legs the other way and adjusted his posture.

“We need the help of a royal. We want recognition that what the Asthart ducal family is instigating against the Letius imperial family is not rebellion, but justified punishment.”

“…What?”

“So we chose you as the royal to support us. Likewise, we chose you as the next emperor.”

Ron, who had been listening seriously, doubted his own ears.

Not rebellion but justified punishment?

“Are you saying you’re going to start a rebellion?”

“I’ve already called it justified punishment, but if you must put it that way, I suppose so.”

“Are you really insane?!”

Ron slammed his fist on the table and stood up. He clutched his head in disbelief, continuing to be shocked by what he had just heard.

“And what, you’re going to use me as a royal who supports you? You, you crazy bastards! How can I trust you? Even if we made a contract on this scrap of paper, how could I trust it!”

The man ranted, veins bulging in his neck.

“And you need to say something that makes sense! Do you think it would work for me, who’s not even recognized as royalty, to punish Kyle Letius by claiming his injustice? No one would believe me! My choice wouldn’t be accepted as a legitimate one!”

Somehow Ron’s anger seemed to be pointing in a different direction. He appeared to be lamenting his own unfortunate circumstances of not being easily accepted even as a prince.

Sieghart let out a short sigh and coolly retorted:

“That’s only a concern if the rebellion fails. If we succeed in punishing Kyle Letius, there won’t be any problem.”

“What?”

Sieghart, who had risen from his seat, then approached the dumbfounded other man.