“The traditional annual Continental Hunting Contest was suspended due to the war sparked by the wyvern issue. However, there was a proposal from the southern continent to resume the contest this year, leaving only the decision of our Lapeyon Empire.”

“Why can’t we just continue to suspend the hunting contest? It’s too cruel to kill animals.”

Melanie interrupted Raphael’s words and intruded without any consideration.

She was shivering, her arms wrapped around her body.

“Where do you think all the fur you wear in winter, the fox fur around your neck, and the skins and furs of the beasts you step on the floor, all come from?”

Rinel elegantly crossed his legs and asked Melanie.

“Well, that is……”

“Would the beasts give their fur and skin to the palace before they die?”

“Well, there wouldn’t be such kind beasts……”

She muttered with a embarrassed expression, rolling her eyes around.

“Ignore her and continue speaking.”

Catherine glared at Melanie with an annoyed look and spoke to Raphael.

Melanie glared at Catherine as if she wanted to kill her, but Catherine completely ignored her, turning her gaze away.

“Yes, we made the final decision this morning and have sent Your Majesty’s personal letter to each country. The starting point will be the Lapeyon Empire and, as you all know, hunting takes place during the set hours of each day during the journey from the starting point to the destination country.”

Wow, it’s really going to be fun!

I almost clapped my hands without realizing it while listening to Raphael’s explanation.

I want to participate in the hunting contest…

I’ve heard that women often participated in the past, but now it’s almost a men’s contest.

“Which country in the southern continent will be the destination of the hunting contest?”

Rosie, who had been quiet, suddenly raised her hand and asked with curious eyes.

That was unexpected.

“The starting point of this hunting contest is our Lapeyon Empire, and the destination is the Partsha Empire in the southern continent.”

Raphael kindly answered Rosie.

“Gosh, the Partsha Empire!”

Rosie clasped her hands together and cried out in joy.

When everyone’s eyes were on her, she put her hands back on her knees and shut her mouth again.

Why is Rosie behaving like this?

Does she know someone in the Partsha Empire?

Come to think of it, Duke Martins also mentioned the Partsha Empire to me last time with a happy expression, didn’t he?

I stared at Rosie and then moved my gaze back to Raphael.

“As a matter of fact, for this contest, not only all the emperors of every country but also the empresses have expressed their intention to visit our empire.”

“I remember that the empresses of each country did not usually attend other countries’ hunting contests?”

I asked Raphael and looked at Rinel next to me.

“Normally, that was the case. But this time, for some reason, everyone is attending. Perhaps they’re curious about our empress?”

He looked at my face and said.

His words were deliberately blunt towards me, but there was tenderness in his eyes.

I tried hard not to show him a smile.

Fortunately, he turned his gaze away from me first and instructed Raphael to continue explaining.

“Now, I’ll tell you why we invited Her Majesty the Empress and the Mamas of the harem here.”

Raphael’s expression changed seriously.

“Ohoho, surely you’re not asking us to participate in the hunting contest?”

Melanie burst out laughing and looked around me and the harem women.

Raphael looked surprised and pointed at Melanie with one finger.

“Madame Melanie, correct! How did you know?”

“What, what?”

The face of Melanie, who had been laughing heartily, suddenly stiffened.

“Secretary! Surely, you’re not telling me that Melanie’s outrageous words are true?”

Catherine, who had been leaning back loosely in her chair, asked Raphael in a challenging tone, her eyes wide.

I looked at Rinel sitting next to me.

“The empresses and harem of the southern continent have also announced that they will participate in the hunt.”

He spoke calmly.

A moment of silence passed.

“This is absurd! Isn’t this an invitation for us to participate from the Southern Continent?”

Catherine was the first to bounce up.

“That’s right, their women might have grown up wielding swords and bows, but we Northern Continent women have grown like flowers, do you think we could compete?”

Melanie took over Catherine’s dissatisfaction and raised her voice.

I inwardly laughed, imagining her pulling a bowstring with that hand that had only ever lifted a teacup in her life.

Just as Catherine and Melanie said, it was well known that most of the women of the Southern Continent countries were skilled in swordsmanship.

Of course, there would be individual differences, but they were distinctly different from the women of the Northern Continent, who exhausted all their energy on dressing and makeup.

Not only that, but the two continents also had a significant difference in dress styles.

While weather would certainly have an impact, the dresses worn by the women of the Southern Continent were famous for being very simple and revealing in design.

Anyway, traditionally, only men had participated in the Continental Hunting Competition…

‘But this time it’s different, isn’t it?’

I was looking forward to the hunting competition.

But looking at the expressions of the harem, it seemed like I was the only one excited.

“It’s clear that they know Northern Continent women are weak in swordsmanship. To have us participate in the hunting competition is to make us the laughingstock, isn’t it?”

Melanie fumed, wriggling her hips.

“Calm down, Madame Melanie. While it is unilateral notice from the Southern Continent countries, it is not forcing us to participate.”

Raphael replied calmly.

“So… they’re really trying to kill the spirit of the Northern Continent women, huh?”

Rosie, who had seemed cheerful until just moments ago, frowned and cautiously spoke.

“That’s what I think too.”

Felicity, who had been silent the whole time, agreed with her.

“Hah, I can’t even ride a horse on my own, let alone participate in a hunting competition.”

Catherine snorted.

“Your Majesty, is it true that even the concubines of the Southern Continent will participate in the hunting trail that starts here and leads to the Parsha Empire?”

At my question, all the concubines simultaneously turned to look at Rinel.

“Not all will participate, but most are said to do so.”

His response quickly darkened the expressions of the concubines.

I organized the situation in my head.

This was not a simple hunting competition for intercontinental peace.

Betrayals and alliances would coexist throughout the competition, and it would also be a good opportunity to spy on each other.

Moreover, compared to the queens of the Southern Continent countries who had expressed their intention to attend this hunt, what about the queens of the Northern Continent?

The queen of the Shato’neil kingdom was already old, and the queen of the Ekiya empire would certainly be a greenhouse flower, and I, the queen of the Rapion empire…

“I will participate.”

“The queen?”

Rinel looked at me in surprise,

“Doing what? Are you talking about a tea party?”

He asked me jokingly with a slight smile.

I also followed him with a friendly reply.

“Yes! Both the tea party, and the hunting competition.”