The King’s Hound Hunting Tournament was a regular event held every fall. Participants of the hunting tournament would move to Orte Forest, the royal hunting ground north of San Carlo, set up tents, and hunt all day.

Noble ladies and their offspring mingled in the tent set up at the entrance of the forest, while young people set out into the depths of the forest to hunt with their bows, quivers, and hunting dogs.

The highlight of the day was the award ceremony to determine the winner of the hunting tournament. They started early in the morning and in the late afternoon they tallied the day’s prey for each individual. A reward was given to the young man who brought back the most highquality game.

The reward was a small amount of gold coins bestowed by His Majesty the King and a laurel crown personally presented by Queen Marguerite.

Other sights worth seeing were the ribbons and handkerchiefs handed out by the young ladies.

Giving a handkerchief was considered a token of a secret rendezvous, so unless the young lady was very bold, she would not casually hand out her own handkerchief. However, on this day it was generously accepted to give a handkerchief as a tribute to the winner of the hunting tournament.

“Who do you think will win this time?”

Arabella asked Ariadne, her eyes sparkling. Arabella had been playing in Ariadne’s reception room these days.

To the young Arabella, the social affairs, all the events happening to her sisters, the letters, notes, bouquets, and gifts from the men seemed like a different world. She never tired of hearing about them, always wanting to hear more.

“I wonder?”

Ariadne shrugged. The court nobles based in San Carlo were more proficient in chess and literature than hunting or swordsmanship.

Therefore, the winners of the hunting tournament were often firsttimers rather than familiar names to the capital nobility.

“When I grow up and participate in the hunting tournament, I hope a handsome knight will win!”

Arabella exclaimed. Ariadne replied with a smile,

“If you want a handsome knight, you can give him a handkerchief even if he doesn’t win, right?”

There were often cases where not just the winners, but those who narrowly missed winning, or just seemed brave in the eyes of a lady, were shyly handed a handkerchief, or found a ribbon tied to their saddle before the lady disappeared.

The hunting tournament was an event where love often blossomed between handsome men and beautiful women.

Arabella, unaware of such underlying dynamics, lit up her eyes.

“I’m going to marry a handsome groom!”

“Indeed.”

Ariadne laughed.

‘I will help you so that you can grow up safely and live until then. I will change your fate.’

The smile naturally formed at the corners of her mouth as Arabella imagined holding the hand of a handsome knight coming to visit her home.

It was unknown when Arabella would learn of her halfsister’s determination.

Most of the capital nobles were invited to the hunting tournament, and since it was an outdoor event, there was no limit to the number of people who could enter. Invitations were generously given to people worthy of attending, such as relatives of the nobility or those who had made merit as officials, even if they were not nobility themselves.

It was the number one event for ambitious and brave men of lower status who wished to find a wife to attend.

The reason Lucrezia did not send Janovi back to Taranto after the debutante ball, where she was a maid, was to have Janovi participate here.

Lucrezia hoped that her nephew Janovi would attract a decent lady here and settle down in the capital. In fact, considering Janovi’s face, that didn’t seem easy, so she hoped Janovi could build connections with the gentlemen to secure a decent job in the capital.

“You need to meet a lot of people here and not talk nonsense this time.”

Lucrezia sat down Janovi and gave her sincere advice.

“I know, Aunt Lucrezia! I’ll do my best!”

After his dress gift from Collezione was rejected, Cesare continued to send gifts. What arrived in view of the upcoming hunting tournament was a bunch of red roses as always, and a delicate saddle specially crafted from deer leather.

But those were blocked by the lady’s ironclad coolheadedness.

“Put the roses away where they’re not in my sight, and return the saddle.”

Following Ariadne’s instruction, the servant who was in charge of the mail dutifully picked up the large gift box and went out without a word.

He had become so accustomed to her directions that even when Cesare’s servant was held back, he would wait for the second lady’s orders and then carry them back on his return journey.

Just the sight of red roses made Isabella feel nauseated now. But Ariadne was not pleased when she saw red roses either.

The mail that Ariadne had been mainly receiving was letters from Prince Alfonso, adorned in gold leaf. Prince Alfonso always wrote in thick strokes and blue ink on goldadorned stationery.