Theo’s eyes flashed as he focused. The last disc that flew into the sky shattered with a thunderous sound. Theo, having hit the target, deliberately turned to look at Edwin behind him.

The childish bravado of the immature man only made today’s hunt a little more enjoyable.

“You said you only did needlework, but your hunting skills are excellent? And this flinger is a high-difficulty practice machine.”

“You flatter me.”

Theo showed modesty with a dry face at Gideon’s praise. Next, as Edwin took his position, a servant loaded discs into the machine. In the blink of an eye, discs left the machine and rose high into the sky, changing direction due to rotational force.

With a bang, fragments of the disc shattered in the air scattered like fireworks. He hit every subsequent disc without missing a single one, and as Edwin was about to step back after finishing practice, Theo abruptly asked.

“Where did you learn to hunt, Duke?”

“Why? Do you think my father didn’t teach me how to hunt?”

It was the first time Theo showed a flustered face as Edwin retorted with a faint smile.

“…That’s not what I meant.”

“Of course, the Duke’s hunting skills are beyond question, given his military background. But seeing it in person is truly astonishing.”

“Military?”

Theo’s eyes turned to Gideon, who added words instead of the distant Edwin.

“Mr. Evans didn’t know? Isn’t that something every citizen of Newway should know?”

James, who was listening, laughed heartily. Theo’s face remained ignorantly blank, thinking it must be a joke, but when there was no significant change even after James’s teasing, he scratched his temple awkwardly.

James, who was next in line for practice, took his position, and Gideon told Theo the unfinished story.

He spoke like a legend about how Edwin Baitness, adopted into the Baitness baronial family, volunteered for the military and single-handedly infiltrated enemy lines during the Battle of Greenford, killing an enemy officer and leading the war to victory.

Theo was well aware of the Battle of Greenford. The battle that took place in Greenford, bordering Erinique. He had heard through word of mouth the story of how Newway, which had been pushed back in the Greenford recapture operation, was able to successfully recapture Greenford thanks to the great achievements of one of the ordinary soldiers.

The recognition that the soldier famous for his delicate appearance was Duke Baitness was hindered.

The image of a duke rolling in the mud wearing a helmet seemed incongruous. He seemed like he would always shine under expensive fabric suits and gold-trimmed ornaments.

“Oh my. I only hit six shots. It was a moment when I truly felt the notoriety of the flinger.”

James, having finished his practice, laughed heartily but couldn’t help feeling disappointed, and Gideon encouraged him.

Theo, whose mind had been elsewhere, merely stared at Edwin as the atmosphere changed.

By the time Gideon took his place for hunting practice last, Theo couldn’t contain his curiosity that had arisen while looking at Edwin.

“Then you must have killed many people, Duke. Since you’ve been through war.”

Edwin was the only one who didn’t look at Theo despite the perplexing question. His embarrassed cousins watched Edwin’s reaction, and James quietly poked Theo in the side.

“If you’ve killed many people, it must be easier for you to kill someone in the future.”

“Mr. Evans. Why are you being like this?”

“There’s one thing I learned from killing those humans.”

There were no cracks in the mask whose sincerity was impossible to gauge. The dry eyes were parched. Perhaps it was a desert dried up with death, madness, and screams.

“When pushed to the brink of death, one reveals their true nature. Whatever it may be. Even themselves.”

Theo’s eyes trembled slightly upon hearing the answer. The flawless voice and smile were chillingly detached from reality.

“Then why did you volunteer for the military?”

“I think we’ve had enough practice. Shall we move on to the actual hunt, Duke?”

Someone had to stop Theo, who showed no intention of stopping his hostile questioning. Gideon, who hadn’t fired a single disc, quickly salvaged the situation.

Fortunately, Edwin showed little reaction to Theo’s attacks. If that wasn’t the case, this forest might have become a battlefield rather than a hunting ground. But it didn’t take long to realize that this was a misconception.

“Then let’s end the practice here and start the actual hunt. I’ll take the west first. Let’s follow the rules for the rest.”

Edwin mounted his horse. Showing a smile imbued with fresh dignity, he abruptly left the place.

As Edwin disappeared, Gideon frowned. He turned to Theo, thinking he should say something to the one who had been unsettling the air throughout, but he too was already on horseback.

James’s jaw dropped as Theo also left his place. The head of his horse was pointed west, where Edwin had disappeared.

Charlotte, wiping away the tears that had flowed from her swollen eyes inside the blanket, tightly gripped the scarf in her hand. Edwin’s expression when handing over Vivian’s scarf fell apart miserably like a puzzle being put together.

Did Edwin really not know that the fact that he casually handed over Vivian’s scarf stabbed Charlotte’s heart more deeply than the fact of forcing marriage?

Late at night, even when she saw Vivian coming out of Edwin’s bedroom, she decided not to think badly of it. She had been taught that such acts were only done between married couples. She had heard from her tutor, until her ears were calloused, that any other acts were only done by impure women.

Now she wanted to point fingers at Vivian Eveline as an impure woman. The fact that Vivian’s scarf was in Edwin’s hand and Edwin’s tie was in Vivian’s hand supported this.

Vivian, who has nowhere to go, seduces an innocent man with her most beautiful weapon to protect her own well-being. Blaming like that made her heart feel at ease.

But if such blame were directed, Edwin would be rolling in the mud together. She didn’t want to create any flaws in Edwin’s flawless life. The sight of him being covered in filth was not something she could bear to see.

What should I do now? I need to stop the marriage and separate the Duke and Vivian.

Being unable to do this or that made her heart gloomy. At the sound of a knock, knock, Charlotte stuffed Vivian’s scarf under her pillow. Not wanting to respond, she burrowed deep into the blanket.

“Miss Windler! Miss Windler! It’s Vivian. Could you please open the door?”

Charlotte threw off the blanket at the unexpected call. She raised her body abruptly and wondered about the noise that couldn’t even wait a moment.

Why is Vivian here?

“Miss Windler! I know you’re in there. Please open the door! Please?”

Vivian Eveline, without even a pretense of manners, was doing something only ruffians would do. Unable to bear the irritating noise any longer, Charlotte rubbed her eyes vigorously and opened the door.

The pale face she encountered made Charlotte rather perplexed. Vivian was terrified as if she had killed someone or someone had died.

“…What’s the matter?”

“I’m sorry. I was in such a hurry. Actually, the Duke…”

Her eyes, filled with terror, reflected Edwin. It was like a bolt from the blue for Charlotte, so her skin turned pale as the blood drained from her face.

“What about the Duke? Did something happen? Did something happen to the Duke?”

“No. It’s not that…”

“If it’s not that, then what? Is the Duke seriously injured?”

Vivian took a half step back at the barrage of questions. Clasping her hands together, Vivian lowered her gaze hesitantly.

“The Duke went hunting with my friend…”

Vivian’s hesitation, which was enough to make one’s insides boil, tested Charlotte’s patience. Suppressing the urge to grab her bony shoulders and shake her vigorously, she anxiously stared at the woman whose eyes were reddening.

“Hunting with your friend…”

“Don’t be so frustrating, just speak. Speak.”

“The Duke took my friend to the hunting ground.”

The one sentence finally uttered was sufficiently different from what Charlotte had worried about.

“…So what? What’s the problem with that?”

“Please stop the hunt.”

“Is that all?”

The tense spine relaxed with a shiver. Edwin had gone hunting with Vivian’s friend, and Vivian was asking to stop the hunt. Although she didn’t know the reason, she knew it was an extremely absurd and ridiculous request.

“I feel like an accident might happen. My friend isn’t good at hunting, but the Duke forcibly took him out. I’m worried something might go wrong in the forest…”

Charlotte’s brow furrowed at the irritating sound of nervously tapping fingernails. With her color returned, Charlotte responded indifferently.

“The Duke is not the kind of person who would forcibly take someone out. Your friend went to the hunting ground of his own accord. Therefore, we can’t stop the hunt that has already begun. You’ve woken someone up for nothing. Please go back now.”

“Mi-Miss Windler!”

She tried to get rid of the annoying Vivian, but the desperate Vivian grabbed Charlotte’s arm and wouldn’t let go.

“I really want to stop the hunt.”

“Then try to do so yourself.”

“But the Duke won’t listen to me.”

“Then should the Duke listen to Miss Eveline?”

“But the Duke would listen if it’s Miss Windler.”

Charlotte’s lips, which were prepared to refute any words, hesitated.

“…Would the Duke listen to me asking to stop the hunt? He even ignores my request to withdraw the marriage.”

Vivian’s ashen eyes, clinging to Charlotte, shimmered with moisture. At least for Charlotte, who had Vivian’s, no, Edwin’s scarf, such tears could rather have a countereffect. What shook Charlotte’s heart was not such ridiculous tears.

“You’re still young, Miss Windler, so you don’t understand. The Duke is trying to marry you off because he cares for you more than anyone else. I heard that the Duke has been quite carefully looking for a marriage partner for you. That’s proof of his feelings for you.”

“…”

“Miss Windler. Please come with me. Please stop the hunt. If it’s your words, he will surely listen. I’m begging you like this.”

Vivian’s grip on Charlotte disappeared, but she couldn’t turn away resolutely. Charlotte’s heart swelled with subtle expectation.

Will he really stop the hunt at my words?

Looking back, Edwin had never refused her requests.

When the Baroness Baitness said she was uncomfortable, he would keep his distance, and when she complained about being tired while walking together, he would offer his arm. Although there weren’t many requests, he had never refused any except for the marriage.

“…Alright. Just this once.”

Charlotte straightened her back and raised her chin. Color returned to Vivian’s face, whose eyes were reddened.

The Duke’s horse went deep into the forest. Focusing on not losing sight of him if he wasn’t careful, he urged his horse on. The distance that hadn’t been closing much finally narrowed because the Duke’s horse gradually slowed down.

Before he knew it, the Duke had stopped in the middle of the forest. Dismounting from his horse, he looked up at the sky covered with green leaves. Even after luring him to such a deep place, he leisurely searched for prey.

“You seemed to have a lot of questions, do you have a lot to say too?”

Wasn’t the prey in the sky?

The blue eyes that had been passing through the silent forest reached Theo. Although summer was approaching, the wind in the deep forest was as cold as ice.

Dismounting from his horse, Theo adjusted his gun that had slipped to the side.

“If you knew I was following you and led the others away to come here, doesn’t that mean you have something to say to me, Duke?”

“Is that so?”

As the neat smile disappeared, the chilled blue eyes resembled the wind of the deep forest. Edwin, who slowly withdrew his gaze, raised his gun. His eyes, passing over Theo, returned to the forest, waiting for prey to fly high into the sky. But.

Bang.

Along with the harsh gunshot that rang through the air, birds sensing danger flew up with a flutter.

Bang.

The fired bullet hit a few birds that had flown up. The bird hit by Edwin’s gun fell to the ground, painfully flapping its wings.

Theo, who was close to where the bird fell, turned his steps in that direction. The poor young bird that had entered eternal sleep was lying dead, bleeding.

Frowning, Theo turned to look at Edwin.

“It’s a young one. The bird you deliberately made fly up and shot dead, Duke.”

Edwin quietly met Theo’s eyes. The dry gaze, showing no sign of regret, touched deep into Theo’s heart.

“You seem used to it. Things like deliberately making birds fly up and killing them. Even if they’re young birds.”

“That’s how it becomes when life is harsh.”

“Not everyone lives like that just because life is harsh.”

“That’s because their lives weren’t harsh enough.”

The smile that seemed to say it was natural was cruel. Indeed, he’s a dangerous person. The judgment that Vivian couldn’t be left by such a person’s side was turning into certainty.

Would it be difficult for the Duke, who finds it easy to kill people, to torment Vivian? Vivian, who had nowhere to go and no one to protect her, was no different from very easy prey for the Duke. So he needed to confirm.

Whether it was okay to meddle further with Vivian who said she was fine, or not.

“In the carriage the other day.”

A chilly wind shook the forest. The quiet, low, deep resonance made the shadows cast over the forest sink even darker. The hair above Theo’s head swayed as the wind passed.

“Have you ever laid hands on the young lady?”