Ansi scanned the scenery visible through the car window. Last time she came to Sobelbio, she rode in a carriage, but this time it was a car.

“Is it alright if I don’t wear a jacket?”

Suddenly hearing a voice beside her, Ansi turned her head. Damion, sitting next to her, was staring at her.

The sky visible through the opposite window had an emerald hue. Beneath it, his well-groomed platinum blonde hair shone brilliantly. Like a prince from a fairy tale, without a speck of dust.

“It’s summer.”

“But the temperature here is much lower than in the capital. The human body is vulnerable to sudden temperature changes.”

The August in the north was similar to June in the capital. Despite it being summer, the weather was not too hot, so many nobles would visit the north after parliament ended.

Even so, summer was summer.

“If I put anything more on top of this, I might get heatstroke.”

“Then how about this much?”

Damion stretched out the hand that had been resting on his crossed knee. His large hand enveloped Ansi’s.

“…This much is fine.”

Damion let out a chuckle and pulled Ansi’s hand towards him. He observed and caressed each slender finger as if seeing a hand for the first time.

Ansi quietly gazed at the man.

Feeling a sensation like her chest was being poked, words spilled out before she knew it.

“I told you Damion didn’t have to come.”

There were many reasons why Damion shouldn’t come here.

Ansi remembered the day Damion was trapped in past memories by the gunshot Geris fired.

There was no guarantee he wouldn’t react the same way at Orphe’s hunting event. She didn’t want to bring back bad memories for Damion.

‘I’m also worried about the recent dream.’

He was in the hospital with a gunshot wound to his stomach. Though it was unclear whose gun it was from, this hunting event was the most likely candidate.

A time when carrying a gun wouldn’t raise any suspicion. Thus, a time when anyone could shoot another. Knowing Damion was not welcomed within Orphe made her even more anxious.

Lastly…

Ansi didn’t want to betray Damion in front of his eyes.

Regardless of his true feelings, it was difficult to let down a man who looked at her with such happy, shining eyes.

So she hoped he wouldn’t witness the scene of betrayal, at least. Whatever happened here, she hoped to buy him time to escape.

“It’s alright now.”

But Damion didn’t seem to have any such thoughts.

“The day you came to find me, the memory of gunshots was overlaid with a different memory.”

His voice was filled with conviction. His purple eyes, focused on Ansi, shone with firm belief.

Yet seeing Ansi’s still hardened expression, Damion let out a small laugh and met her eyes. Then he shrugged as if to reassure her.

“If I seem scared, you can just cover my ears, can’t you?”

“I’m not participating in the hunt.”

Enjoying summer bird hunting was only allowed for men.

Count Rubellsa was an unusual person and allowed Ansi to hunt. So when he was alive, Ansi used to go bird hunting with Derul.

However, she knew that wasn’t generally done.

“Ansi, if you want to participate, do so. I’ll let you know in advance.”

Perhaps she had unknowingly shown signs of regret, as Damion suggested.

Ansi shook her head.

“Thank you, but I’m fine.”

If she participated in the hunt near the emperor, it would be much easier to shoot him.

But being close to the emperor also meant being watched closely by the guards. Moreover, if she alone joined the hunting men while other women didn’t participate, it would draw unnecessary attention and restrict her activities.

There was a high possibility of being subdued without even getting a chance to fire. If it ended without any results, even if there was evidence she tried to assassinate the emperor, Orphe would have a way out.

Ansi needed a definitive result.

A pain close to death that would make them willingly cut off and trample Orphe. She had to inflict that pain on the emperor.

That’s why she planned to sneak into the forest and shoot the emperor.

It would actually be easier that way.

She had no intention of running away anyway, so she’d be caught soon, and then she could say it was an assassination attempt under Orphe’s plan.

“It’s really fine if I don’t participate in the hunt. Besides, covering your ears won’t stop you from hearing gunshots.”

“Is that so? Shall we check?”

“What…”

Damion pulled Ansi’s hand and placed it over his ear. Their eyes met. As Ansi blinked in surprise, Damion smiled as if amused.

Just then, the car arrived at Sobelbio. Knock knock, the servant tapped on the car door, asking if it was alright to open it. Damion remained motionless, just staring at Ansi.

Finally, Ansi shifted her gaze to the door beyond Damion and withdrew her hand.

“…They knocked from outside. Let’s get out.”

“Did they? I didn’t hear.”

At his nonchalant, brazen words, Ansi’s mouth fell open. Damion’s eyes creased as he escorted her out of the car.

The majestic scenery of Sobelbio came into view. The not-too-hot sunlight settled on the couple’s heads. The breeze carrying the scent of greenery was fresh.

As he set foot in Sobelbio again with Ansi, Damion looked at her.

He felt a similar sentiment to last time.

The thought that he wasn’t alone in this space.

The satisfaction of walking with his wife.

The reason Damion decided to attend this hunting event was his confidence that his heart would remain calm even if he heard gunshots now.

When Ansi saved Damion’s life for the second time. The moment he saw her face, his fear disappeared as if it had been a lie. As long as Ansi existed, it would surely be the same in the future.

“You can look forward to the results of the hunt.”

“Be careful. Everyone will be carrying guns. Take care of yourself.”

“Are you worried about me?”

“…Something like that. So you really need to be careful.”

A smile spread across Damion’s lips.

The thought of having a wife who worried about him made his enthusiasm for the hunt burn even brighter.

He had no concerns. Even if Kardian tried to harm Damion again, it wouldn’t be at this hunting event.

The August hunting event is one where Orphe’s honor is at stake. Kardian, who considers Orphe his own, wouldn’t do anything to him at this hunting event.

Damion smiled.

He held Ansi’s hand firmly.

The path laid out before them was bright and smooth.

He looked forward to the hunting event in a few days, and everything that would unfold after that.

Sobelbio’s garden was famous for its beauty. At the entrance to the space filled with sky-blue flowers, Marianne stood with her back straight, welcoming guests.

“Hello, Lady Marianne. You look truly lovely today. Lady Bekishi and Lady Ansi as well.”

Though it was flattery, the women, more excited than usual, poured out greetings even more enthusiastically. They were intoxicated by the elation felt from the mere fact of being invited here.

Every year, numerous nobles gathered for Sobelbio’s August hunting event. Over twenty ladies attended the garden tea time. All were wives from notable families, but none matched the name of Orphe.

Once all the invited guests arrived, the gathering began.

“I heard that His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress will arrive tomorrow morning, is that correct?”

Lady Lotus asked in an expectant voice. Marianne gracefully nodded.

“How exciting. It’s my first time seeing them.”

Lady Lotus clasped her hands over her mouth. The young woman, still with a youthful air as she hadn’t been married long, had a flushed face as if about to see her favorite actor.

“To think His Majesty is visiting in person, as expected of the Orphe family.”

“Indeed.”

The women let out a series of exclamations. Marianne enjoyed the envious gazes directed at her. After a while of conversation filled with admiration for Orphe, the topic naturally flowed to their husbands.

“I heard the men will be drinking inside now. I’m worried my husband might drink too much.”

“Oh my, me too. I’m so worried he might say he can’t ride a horse tomorrow because he feels nauseous. You have no idea how many times I made him promise to eat moderately in the carriage on the way to Sobelbio.”

“I thought I was the only one, but it seems we all worry about our husbands the same way.”

The women blossomed in conversation, sharing and receiving empathy. Ansi didn’t particularly have such worries, but she pretended to listen attentively.

“Are you worried too, Lady Ansi? I heard Lord Damion is quite good at drinking.”

At that moment, a question was directed at Ansi.

She didn’t know that man was good at drinking. Come to think of it, they had hardly ever drunk together. Thinking that she probably wouldn’t have the chance to do so with him in the future either, a slightly complicated feeling enveloped Ansi.