“What conditions?”

Princess Resilia asked with a bright smile.

“Absolutely do not cause any trouble. And don’t try to deliberately impress Emperor Rinel.”

“What nonsense is that? I’m going there specifically to make a good impression!”

She shouted, putting her hands on her hips as if to show off her beauty.

“Just keep your mouth shut and stay quiet.”

Prince Tessler said seriously.

“Why? Wouldn’t it be better to talk to him and get close to the Emperor if I have the chance?”

“No, you just walk around with your face.”

“What?”

“That alone will be half the success. If you’re not confident about that, stay in the royal palace.”

Prince Tessler put down the teacup he was holding and stood up from his chair.

“What will you do?”

She couldn’t understand her elder brother’s words, but for now, she had to follow his opinion to go to the Raphion Empire.

“I’ll keep my mouth shut. Anyway, everything works for me because of my face.”

Princess Resilia was pleased imagining the Raphion Empire’s royal family admiring her beauty.

“Even if I just smile a little, people will be panting to get close to me, right? Let’s go.”

She smiled confidently as she linked arms with Prince Tessler.

“Just make sure you catch Emperor Rinel’s eye properly. Observe how Zelda treats the Emperor.”

“Oh my? Are you telling me to copy Zelda? That girl with no aegyo, like a wooden block?”

“How do you know if Zelda is like a wooden block or not?”

“How long have I known her? I can tell at a glance. She’s not the type men like. If a man likes Zelda’s style, he must be crazy.”

Princess Resilia declared confidently.

“…You need to catch that crazy man’s eye.”

Prince Tessler snorted and muttered quietly at her words.

“Huh? What did you say? I didn’t hear.”

“Nothing. Anyway, Resil, watch your mouth as soon as you set foot in the Raphion Imperial Palace. Understand?”

“Oh really, how many times do I have to say it! But, elder brother. I don’t have to be careful around Zelda, right?”

“Haa, I don’t know. Do whatever you want. When have you ever been careful around her?”

The two of them walked out of the office side by side.

“We can leave right away. I already had my luggage loaded onto the carriage earlier!”

Princess Resilia said as she descended the stairs.

“You’re really quick with things like that. Resil, you go down first.”

Prince Tessler removed her hand that was linked with his arm.

“Why?”

“I have somewhere to stop by.”

“Alright. Then I’ll wait in the carriage first, so come quickly.”

“Okay.”

Princess Resilia chattered excitedly with her maid as she went down the stairs.

He watched his younger sister’s retreating figure, then turned to his guard knight, Sir Ken, and said with a smirk,

“I should let Bonisu know I’m going to meet Zelda, right?”

I arrived at the main palace office with my attendants.

This morning, I received a message from the head attendant that Rinel wanted me to come to the main palace by 3 o’clock.

From what I briefly heard from the head attendant who came to deliver the news to the Empress’s Palace, there was something to discuss with me and the concubines regarding the ‘Continental Hunting Competition’.

It seemed I would have to hear the details directly from Rinel.

“Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!”

Head attendant Stian personally opened the office door and announced my arrival.

Inside the office, four concubines were already present.

And I saw him sitting among them.

Rinel raised the corners of his mouth when he saw me, then said “Ah” with his mouth, before quickly changing to an expressionless face.

He was putting my request from last night into practice right away.

When he actually greeted me with an icy expression, I strangely felt a pang in my heart.

Even though I knew it was just an act, I didn’t feel particularly good about it.

I looked at each of the concubines’ faces as they greeted me.

I felt tense at the thought that one of them could be Prince Tessler’s spy.

“Everyone’s here early, I’m not late, am I?”

I said as I walked towards him.

“They all came early because they missed me. The Empress doesn’t have much of that, so she came right on time.”

He retorted with a very dry expression.

“!”

What’s with this man?

I told him not to show excessive affection in front of others, but when did I tell him to be gruff?

While I was slightly taken aback, he twitched the corners of his mouth and gave me a look that said, ‘I’m acting well, right?’

I think your acting is a bit excessive, you know?

I twitched my eyebrows and sat down next to him.

In the office, only the concubines and Rinel’s close aide, Secretary Raphael, were present.

I thought a few of the main ministers might be joining us, but it seemed that wasn’t necessary.

“Has it been decided to participate in the Continental Hunting Competition?”

I asked Rinel, and he nodded lightly.

“Let’s all listen to the explanation first and then discuss. Raphael.”

Rinel gestured to the secretary who was standing holding documents.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will briefly explain about hosting the Continental Hunting Competition.”

Raphael cleared his throat and continued speaking.

“The Continental Hunting Competition, which was traditionally held every year, was suspended due to the war that broke out over the wyvern issue. However, there was a proposal from the Southern Continent to hold the competition again from this year, and it was only waiting for our Raphion Empire’s decision.”

“But, can’t we just keep the hunting competition suspended? Ugh, killing animals is too cruel, isn’t it?”

Melanie rudely interrupted Raphael’s words.

She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself.

“The fur you wear in winter, the fox fur you wrap around your neck, the animal skins and furs you trample on the floor, where do you think they all come from?”

Rinel asked Melanie, elegantly crossing his legs.

“That, that’s…”

“It’s not like the beasts offer their fur and skin to the royal family before they die, is it?”

“Well, there’s no such kind beast…”

She rolled her eyes and muttered with an embarrassed expression.

“Ignore her and continue.”

Catherine glared at Melanie with an irritated expression and spoke to Raphael.

Melanie glared at Catherine as if she could kill her, but Catherine turned her gaze away, treating her like she was completely invisible.

“Yes, this morning we made the final decision on our side and sent Your Majesty’s personal letters to each country. The starting point will be the Raphion Empire, and as you all already know, hunting takes place for a set time each day throughout the period from the starting point to the destination country.”

Wow, it’s going to be really fun!

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

I want to participate in the hunting competition too…

I heard that women used to participate in the competition quite often in the past, but now it has become almost entirely a men’s competition.

“Which country in the Southern Continent will be the destination for the hunting competition?”

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

It was unexpected.

“The starting point for this hunting competition will be our Raphion Empire, and the destination will be the Parthia Empire in the Southern Continent.”

Raphael kindly answered Rosie.

“Gasp, the Parthia Empire!”

Rosie exclaimed, clasping her hands together as if delighted.

When everyone’s attention turned to her, she put her hands back on her knees and closed her mouth again.

Why is Rosie acting like that?

Does she perhaps know someone in the Parthia Empire?

Come to think of it, I think Grand Duke Martins also mentioned the Parthia Empire to me last time with a somewhat pleased expression?

I stared at Rosie for a moment before turning my gaze back to Raphael.

“For your reference, this competition is exceptional in that not only the emperors of all countries, but also the empresses have expressed their intention to visit our empire.”

“I remember that the empresses of each country usually didn’t attend hunting competitions in other countries?”

I asked Raphael while looking at Rinel beside me.

“That’s how it usually was in the past. But this time, for some reason, they all say they’re attending. Maybe they’re curious about our Empress?”

He said, gazing intently at my face.

He deliberately spoke gruffly to me, but there was kindness in his eyes.

I tried not to smile at him.

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

“Now, I will explain the reason why we have gathered Her Majesty the Empress and the concubines here.”

Raphael’s expression turned solemn.

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

Melanie burst out laughing and looked around at me and the concubines as she spoke.

Raphael looked surprised and then pointed one finger at Melanie.

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

“Wh-what?”

Her smiling face suddenly froze.

“Secretary! Surely, Melanie’s absurd words just now aren’t true?”

Catherine’s eyes widened as she leaned back loosely in her chair and questioned Raphael as if demanding an answer.

I looked at Rinel sitting next to me.

“The empresses and concubines of the Southern Continent have also notified us that they will participate in the hunt.”

He said calmly.

There was a moment of silence.

“No way! This is the Southern Continent’s way of making us participate too, isn’t it?”

Catherine was the first to jump up.

“That’s right, they might have grown up rough and swinging swords and bows since childhood, but we Northern Continent women have grown up like flowers, how can we compete?”

Melanie took over Catherine’s complaints and raised her voice even higher.

I laughed inwardly, imagining her pulling a bowstring with those hands that had only ever lifted teacups in her life.

As Catherine and Melanie said, most women in the Southern Continent countries are known to be skilled in swordsmanship.

Of course, there would be individual differences, but they were certainly different from the Northern Continent women who spent all their energy on dressing up and wearing gowns.

Not only this, but there were also big differences in dress styles between the two continents.

Partly due to the weather influence, but basically, the dresses worn by Southern Continent women were famous for their very simple yet revealing designs.

Anyway, traditionally, the Continental Hunting Competition has usually been participated in only by men…

‘This time it’s different, huh?’

I was secretly looking forward to the hunting competition.

But looking at the expressions of the concubines, it seemed like I was the only one celebrating.

“Knowing full well that Northern Continent women are weak in swordsmanship, asking us to participate in the hunting competition is like blatantly trying to make us a laughing stock, isn’t it?”

Melanie huffed, wiggling her bottom.

“Please calm down, Madam Melanie. While it’s true that the Southern Continent countries unilaterally notified us, it’s not a forced participation.”

Raphael replied calmly.

“Then… they’re really trying to intimidate the Northern Continent women, aren’t they?”

Rosie, who had seemed happy until just a moment ago, frowned and spoke cautiously.

“I think so too.”

Pecilini, who had been silent all along, agreed with her words.

“Ha, can’t even ride a horse alone, and now a hunting competition?”

Catherine snorted and muttered.

“Your Majesty, do the concubines from the Southern Continent really participate in the hunting journey from here to the Parthia Empire?”

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

“Not all of them will participate, but most of them say they will.”

At his answer, the concubines’ expressions darkened rapidly.

I organized the situation in my head.

This is not just a simple hunting competition for peace between continents.

Throughout the competition, alliances and betrayals will coexist, and there will be good opportunities to spy on each other.

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

The queen of the Chatonille Kingdom is already senile, and the empress of the Ekiya Empire is bound to be a greenhouse flower, and I, the empress of the Raphion Empire…

“I will participate.”

“The Empress?”

Rinel stared at me with a surprised expression, then,

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

He asked me jokingly with a slight smile.

I smiled back at him and replied sweetly.

“Yes! Hosting a tea party, and the hunting competition too.”