This was a new feeling for her. Melissa smiled again, gazing at the princess. Her smiling figure was like a sunshine woman.

“Princess, what is that?”

Mila, wide-eyed in disbelief at the princess shaking something, asked.

“Oh! This? It’s a horn from a purple-horned lizard. Isn’t it pretty?”

Of course, Mila knew that it was a horn from a purple-horned lizard. What she was curious about was why Princess Stella had so many of them.

She had heard that sometimes knights helped with hunting, but it was usually only one or two. It was the first time she had seen someone openly being helped like this.

“Did you really catch all of these horns by yourself? Alone?”

“Yeah. I was quite remarkable.”

“How… did you do that?”

“That’s a secret. Now, this one is Mila’s.”
Stella handed one of the horns she was holding to Mila.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“Because I caught it.”

Stella replied as if it were obvious. However, Mila still had a puzzled expression. Including what was in her pocket, all the purple horns that Stella was holding amounted to 11.

“I should give one to Bryn, Darren, and also to Lian.”

Sharing what she had harvested had a different sense of fulfillment. Stella looked at the sparkling purple horn silently and said,

“I should also give one to Royce.”

Now, only the final event remained for the hunting festival.

Stella, who moved her body vigorously for the first time since birth, felt so tired and achy as if she were about to die.

Sitting at the back of the plant zone with an arrogant expression, Esme, who was sitting next to her, waved her hand, pretending to know.

Stella smiled back at her, but she was too exhausted to tell if she was laughing or crying. Even forcing herself to suppress the constant yawns felt like torture.

She couldn’t hear the sounds from the front properly. The applause echoed, and someone in the front went forward to receive something.

Stella sat like a corpse, clapping her hands, eagerly waiting for this tedious event to end quickly.

“Stella!”
Despite her efforts not to doze off, it seemed like Stella had briefly fallen asleep. Stella woke up abruptly at the urgent voice calling her.

Up until that moment, Stella hadn’t realized she was dozing off and, in confusion, straightened her posture, pretending not to be sleepy.

“Stella!”

The voice called again. When she turned her head, Esme was pointing forward, repeatedly calling her name.

“Why?”

Not knowing English, Stella asked with her mouth, then slowly turned her head in confusion. All the princesses around were looking at Stella.

Thinking she had dozed off severely, Stella’s mind blanked out. A man, whose face wasn’t visible from the front, called Stella’s name again.

“Princess Stella Ovelite from the Amalun Kingdom.”

That’s my name.

Stella couldn’t understand why the man was calling her. Whispering as if conspiring, Esme, who was next to her, said,

“Go forward.”

“Oh? Okay.”

Feeling awkward, Stella walked forward slowly. As she moved forward, the gazes of people looking at Stella increased.

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

The sound of applause echoed from all directions. Stella felt like she was going crazy, not knowing the reason, but she elegantly smiled outwardly because she couldn’t say she hadn’t heard anything due to her embarrassment.
“I was really surprised. How can your hunting skills be so excellent, Princess Stella? You have won the Rose Hunting Competition this time.”

“Thank you.”

Only then did Stella realize the reason she had been called out and responded calmly, as if she had known from the beginning.

After a while, a splendidly dressed man extended a large box towards Stella. Mila quickly approached and received the box from the man instead of Stella.

Feeling uncertain about how to act, Stella looked at Mila and felt greatly relieved, as if she had met an ally.

“This is a gift from Her Majesty, the Emperor, to Princess Stella, who won the Rose Hunting Competition.”

Stella, following Mila’s instructions before participating in the hunt, turned towards the direction where the Emperor was seated and greeted according to the protocol.

It was enjoyable enough to participate in the hunt, and receiving a prize like this was truly an unexpected stroke of luck. Stella sincerely thanked the Emperor in this moment.

The Emperor was seated far away, and his face was not clearly visible. All that could be seen from where Stella was standing were his jet-black hair, broad shoulders, and an imposing atmosphere.

Stella couldn’t remember how she returned to her seat. Somehow, the hunting competition had ended, and she unexpectedly gained attention for her remarkable achievements.
Some of the princesses from the Plant Zone, who had never spoken to her before, offered their congratulations.

Stella reluctantly accepted the greetings but couldn’t shake off the uncomfortable feeling. Among them was someone who, along with Princess Annette, used to mock her as they moved around in a group.