Although it was a place to watch the hunt, strangely, my attention was completely focused on the Duchess and Lady Marjorie.

And the more I eavesdropped, the more my stomach churned as if I had eaten something wrong.

No matter how I sipped on the warm tea, the feeling didn’t go away.

“Ugh. I should just go down there and end it. If I miss this chance, what will happen, Miss?”

While Eliza continued to vividly broadcast the situation of the hunt, I still couldn’t concentrate.

“Ugh. If I just go down there, it will be over.”

Eliza clenched her fist.

“Eliza, don’t say that. Why don’t you join the hunt too?”
When I cautiously suggested, Eliza immediately raised her hand.

“Hey, I should be by your side.”

“No, you should participate in the hunt too. I’ll be here cheering for you.”

Tears welled up in Eliza’s eyes.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you, Miss! I’ll definitely win first place for you!”

I gave a faint smile.

Eliza looked deeply moved, but in reality, I hadn’t persuaded her for her sake. I just wanted to leave this place for a moment.

I didn’t want to see the Duke’s wife and the Viscount engrossed in their conversation, avoiding intermittent words like engagement, marriage, and perfect match.

With Eliza around, I couldn’t leave my seat freely, so I sent her away.

“Take care.”

As Eliza jumped down the cliff like an angry elephant, I quietly stood up from my seat.

Just in case, I unfolded the magic book and cast a protective shield spell before walking to the opposite side of the cliff. Sitting on the edge, the scenery of the Denev Mountains unfolded beneath my feet.

I didn’t have any particular intention.

I just wanted to rest for a bit. Away from the noblewomen discussing engagements, the young ladies cheering for Kirian, and Kirian leisurely departing from the bloody hunting ground alone, I wanted to relieve my stifling feelings even a little.

But as time passed, my feelings became more tangled, and the thoughts floating in my head became louder.

So I realized too late.

The sudden powerful flapping of wings approaching.

A sharp scream echoing from behind.

“Gah! Why are there monsters here!”

A thunderous cry from the Duchess.

“Don’t worry! I’ll protect you!”

I wasn’t even slightly surprised. If there were monsters, the Duchess would surely deal with them before they came close. In fact, I was more curious about how the Duchess would handle the monsters than anything else. Just as I was about to turn my head, someone forcefully pushed me from behind, and I plummeted down the cliff.

The fan thrown by the Duchess struck precisely into the chest of the Roc.

As the Roc’s massive wings sagged, relieved sighs erupted from all around.

“See? Nothing to worry about.”

The Duchess triumphantly pumped her fist, but soon had to loosen it again.

“Ah….”

And let out a forced laughter.

The Roc, pierced through the heart, continued to charge forward with rigid wings, as if resurrected like a zombie.

“Oh no.”

The Duchess, with her sleeves rolled up, began to wrestle with the Roc in earnest.

Taking advantage of the commotion, Esmeralda quietly stood up from her seat. After giving Lady Marjorie a brief glance, Esmeralda hurriedly moved toward the opposite side of the cliff.

But when she arrived and found no one there, Esmeralda’s face turned pale.

I fell for a long time.

At first, I was so startled that my heart almost stopped, but as I continued to tumble without feeling anything, I was relieved.
Thanks to the protective shield spell, there was no place where I was injured. However, when I fell to the forest floor in an instant, I could do nothing but lie there dazed for a while.

Certainly, someone pushed me.

But no matter how much I thought about it, the answer just wouldn’t come.

Who? Why? And why me of all people?

There were many commoners who disliked me, but I never thought there would be someone who hated me enough to kill me.

Moreover, there was nothing to gain by killing me. Kidnapping for ransom, maybe.

As I lay there, staring blankly at the sky for a while, a small black dot appeared in the blue sky.

At first, I thought it might be a monster, but as it grew larger, it revealed an unexpected figure.

“Esmeralda?”

As I got up, the struggling Esmeralda, who had been flying precariously, fell in front of me.

“La-Lady Reyna.”

Esmeralda, looking surprised, took a deep breath.

“H-How…”

“Are you alive?”

At my words, Esmeralda was greatly taken aback and couldn’t give a proper answer. So, I was convinced. Somehow, Esmeralda was related to this incident.

“Are you Esmeralda? The one who pushed me off the cliff.”

“No!”

Esmeralda immediately answered. There was no falsehood in her wide-open eyes.

“Then who is it?”

As I pressed, Esmeralda averted her gaze, tearing her hands apart in frustration.

As the answer was getting longer, I brushed off the leaves stuck to my dress.

“Alright, forget it. If we go back up, we’ll figure it out soon.”

“My lady!”

At my words, Esmeralda urgently grabbed my arm. The eyes looking up at me were shaking uncontrollably, as if desperately, like someone who had barely escaped the brink of death.

But as someone who had gone to the brink of death and barely escaped, I had no mercy to spare for her. My face involuntarily grew cold.

“Either explain it properly so I can understand, or let go of this. Choose one.”

When I pushed Esmeralda away, she surprisingly let go easily.

“Choose one.”

With a despairing look, Esmeralda called out to me again, this time in an almost inaudible voice.

“My lady…”

And thud.

Esmeralda was kneeling in front of me.

“I beg you. Please leave.”