“Empress, what on earth are you saying…?”

Lynel couldn’t articulate properly and stared at me in disbelief.

The court ladies, too, shared a uniformly surprised expression at my words.

“Empress, do you… happen to be skilled in horseback riding?”

Only Raphael’s eyes sparkled as he asked me.

“Well, I can ride well enough not to fall off.”

As I shrugged my shoulders and nonchalantly replied, this time, Rosie showed curiosity.

“Oh, I heard that Shato’nil Kingdom, the empress’s homeland, is mostly flat terrain and a great place for horseback riding!”

Right, perfect for horseback riding and swordsmanship duels.

“I may not be as skilled as the Empress, but I do know how to ride.”

Rosie, with her cheerful face, timidly raised her hand and said.

Beside her, Melanie, glancing at Rosie, frowned and grumbled with a pout.

“Even if the Empress is good at horseback riding, we are different, aren’t we?”
“Yes, and I can be the subject of laughter in front of women from the southern continent who are skilled in martial arts!”

Even Catherine, who had a sour expression all along, chimed in.

On the other hand, Fesilini, sitting there like a transparent person, quietly observed the situation as he did at the last banquet.

“Empress, don’t push yourself.”

He spoke as if advising me.

“No, Your Majesty. I learned horseback riding since I was young, so I’m better at handling horses than most knights.”

I resisted the urge to smooth out Lionel’s wrinkled forehead with my hand and reassured him, but he still spoke with an unsatisfied tone.

“Being good at riding and hunting on horseback are different matters.”

I responded to his displeased gaze with a relaxed smile.

“Of course, I understand that very well.”

It’s something that brings a lot of excitement and competitiveness!
Riding a horse and shooting arrows towards the target already filled me with excitement.

“Do you participate in the tournament knowing that? It’s not one of those cute rabbit-chasing hunting contests, and you know that well, right?”

“Cute rabbits need to frolic freely.”

“…Empress, are you joking right now?”

Lionel was excessively serious.

Somehow, he seemed slightly annoyed.

“If none of the Empress and the consorts from the Northern Continent participate in the hunting contest, it could become more of a laughing matter.”

I attempted to convince him by boasting about the honor of the Laphion Empire.

“That’s better. Than you getting hurt.”

“Your Majesty, why are you assuming that I will get hurt?”

I asked with a hurt expression.

“It’s uncertain whether you can handle the reins with such small hands.”

Lionel placed my hand on his palm as if handling pudding, then let out a deep sigh.
In that moment, I made eye contact with Catherine sitting diagonally across from me.

Catherine’s expression held a multitude of comments about Lionel’s evaluation of me.

Seemingly wanting to disclose something, her lips kept twitching.

‘Why not give it a try.’

I stared intently at Catherine, teasingly touched my temple, and then tapped my nose with my fingers, chuckling.

Upon that, Catherine was startled for a moment, then bit her lips again and covered her high nose with her hand.

“With my feeble… hands, I may not be able to catch beasts, but I can converse with women from the Northern Continent and understand their situations.”

At my words, Lionel smirked.

“There’s no need for the Empress to understand the situations.”

“My perspective is different. Conversations dressed in gowns at a banquet and conversations shared while engaging in activities in the forest surely have a distinct difference, don’t you think?”

“I have no desire to use the Empress’s body to obtain information about the countries in the Northern Continent.”

Once again, he brushed off my words.
However, I did not give up either.

“No, I must also socialize with women from the Northern Continent. Even if there are no ulterior motives, since the Rafion Empire has become the starting point for this continent-wide hunting competition, we need at least one person on our side to interact with women from the Northern Continent.”

“Why does it have to be you?”

He asked with a hint of irritation.

“Because I… am the Empress of the Rafion Empire and your wife.”

I responded with a raised voice.

This time, he just stared at me without saying a word.

Lionel’s time seemed to freeze within my pupils, a sense of conflict apparent in his eyes.

Feeling that now was the time, I continued to assert my opinion.

“Moreover, among us, only I and Roji know how to handle horses, so there’s no other choice. Don’t worry, Your Majesty. Instead, the consorts will handle the guests more skillfully at the banquet party, won’t they?”
Facing Lionel’s intense gaze, I turned my eyes to the consorts and asked,

“I apologize, Your Majesty the Empress!”

All four consorts simultaneously bowed their heads and gathered their voices.

In the consorts’ voices, there was a mixture of relief at not having to participate in the hunting competition.

“I cannot permit it.”