They made lewd jokes in front of Queen Marguerite and went on and on about the sexual customs of the elderly nobles, even though they were representing the future bride.

Alfonso, who was completely bored, kept scanning the outside of the tent aimlessly.

Being at the high guest seat in the center of the tent, he saw most of the people entering the tent, but Ariadne had not been in sight except for passing by at a distance in the morning.

‘Did she go hunting herself? She didn’t seem to be that fond of exercise.’

Most of the ladies sipped tea and chatted inside the tent. Only a few peculiar ones went out hunting themselves.

‘Did she go out for a walk with another man?’

The hunting festival was an event where handsome men and beautiful women often found each other attractive. Every year, couples who went into the woods together “to hunt” and returned emptyhanded after spending a few hours “searching for game” were quite common.

The fist of Alfonso’s clenched hand was unconsciously exerting force, but he quickly shook his head to dismiss the unpleasant thoughts. Ariadne didn’t have any particularly close male friends.

‘There’s no way. She’s such a picky child.’

Only he knew about her laughter, her jokes, her inflated pretenses, and her vulnerability that seemed like a piece of glass art.

But as the evening deepened, the hunters started to return in groups. By five o’clock, the awarding of the game had even begun.

A knight from somewhere who had brought the largest wild boar received the praise of King Leo III, showed the bravery of an Etruscan in front of Duke Mireyu, and received a laurel wreath bestowed by Queen Marguerite.

But throughout all these processes, the blackhaired girl was nowhere to be seen.

‘Did she go home early?’

Although he had a hunch that this was not the case, he tried to convince himself.

Ariadne’s wicked stepmother and murderous halfsister were still in the tent, but Ariadne wasn’t particularly close with them, so it was entirely possible that she had returned home early.

“Your Majesty, Count Cesare has not returned yet.”

Avoiding the eyes of Queen Marguerite and the Gallico delegation, King Leo III’s secretary whispered into King Leo III’s ear. However, King Leo III dismissed the secretary’s effort and rose from his jade throne, shouting out loud.

“Cesare?”

At his familiar address, the faces of Queen Marguerite and the Gallico delegation hardened at the same time.

Queen Marguerite was embarrassed at being caught receiving poor treatment from her husband in front of her own people, while the Gallico delegation was suspicious because they had come to negotiate the sending of a future queen and were worried about the future of the queen to be sent to Etruscan, which could be like Queen Marguerite.

It was her problem if a woman from the family she married into was not treated well. But it was a matter of profit and loss if the successor was not her child but replaced with contaminated blood.

However, in front of his wife and the delegation of his inlaws and neighboring country, King Leo III acted more loudly than he usually did in taking care of Cesare, as if he could not maintain his dignity without showing this level of authority.

Leo III’s secretary touched his forehead. It seemed as if a fever was rising.

“Send someone to the forest! Hurry up and find them! Isn’t the sun almost down!”

“Ah, Your Majesty! There’s someone coming out of the forest!”

At someone’s voice, everyone turned to look in the direction pointed out.

Cesare emerged, swinging his hunting knife as the undergrowth rustled, followed by Ariadne holding the reins of a horse. Both were disheveled, covered in minor scratches from branches and aftermath of a fall from a horse.

“Count de Como!”

Leo III called out loudly upon spotting Cesare.

Fortunately, he hadn’t made the mistake of calling Cesare by his name affectionately amidst the Galician delegation squinting at him. Leo III’s secretary let out a sigh of relief.

And this was a line that Leo III had drawn himself. He adored Cesare, who looked just like himself and the Countess Rubina, but had no intention of giving him the right to the throne.

In formal places, Cesare’s title was still ‘Count’, merely a court noble without even a proper hereditary territory.

Upon hearing Leo III’s call, Cesare limped to Leo III, genuflected on one knee, and showed his respect for the royal family.

“I greet Your Majesty, the sun of the kingdom, Leo III.”

The faithful subject’s flawless greeting didn’t last long. Cesare smiled bitterly and raised his left arm.

“I broke my arm falling off the horse, so please excuse me for not placing my arm on my knee during my salute.”

Leo III asked in surprise.

“Count de Como, what happened? You fell off the horse?”

“Well, I was rescuing a lady in distress.”

As a grown man, I couldn’t just pass by, um, he added softly.

“In distress? Who?”

Leo III’s gaze instantly turned to Ariadne, who had come out with him.

“Some brute attacked Miss de Mare with a hunting crossbow. If I hadn’t gotten there in time, a terrible accident could have happened.”

Cesare was deliberately making a fuss in front of the king.

“What? Who would dare to do such a thing during the sacred hunt?”

“I heard he is the nephew of Cardinal de Mare’s wife Lucrezia. He’s a knight’s son. He’s supposed to be refining himself to receive knighthood, but doesn’t he seem to lack even the basics of chivalry?”

The crowd started to murmur. Lucrezia’s nephew, that was a very unfamiliar name in social circles. However, there were some who remembered the disgraceful behavior of the servant in the past.

“Ah, isn’t that the one who whistled at the debutante ball of the de Mare family?”

“That ruffian from then?”

“He’s a bumpkin, calling him a ruffian is too generous.”

Lucrezia, who had come out to see what was going on amid the murmuring crowd, turned pale as she heard the circulating story. She looked around.

“Where is that bastard Janobi?”

Almost simultaneously, Lucrezia in a panic spotted Janobi, and Leo III roared.

“Bring that despicable man before me immediately!”