The hunting competition is held over a total of three days during the spring banquet period.

During this time, the imperial hunting grounds, which normally do not allow visitors, open their doors and nobles set up tents in the designated safe zone inside where they will stay for 2 nights and 3 days.

In the tents they set up, the nobles eat, sleep, and rest while striving to prove themselves as excellent hunters throughout the competition period.

In fact, they were tents in name only – the gathering of large and luxurious tents as big as a decent-sized mansion formed a village-like appearance, which was a rare sight in itself.

The rules for the hunting competition, in which the gathered nobles participated for their family’s honor, were simpler than expected.

They determined the winner on the last day based on the size, weight, and number of prey caught over three days, and the emperor or crown prince personally presented the winning flag to them.

The winning flag received at this time was not only proof of being the best hunter of the year, but was also treated as a very beautiful work of art in itself, so there were quite a number of nobles aiming for victory.

“The prize money was quite substantial too.”

Not gold coins, but gold bars.

They gave out three of them, so it would be strange not to be tempted.

Of course, the high-ranking nobles pursued honor more than prize money.

Alicia, who had finished reading the book she had put down last night while sitting comfortably on the sofa with her feet up, stretched widely.

Today was the third day of the competition.

The winner of this year would be decided soon.

“I wonder if one of the three dukes will win again this year?”

More precisely, Killian.

Killian, who had never missed winning the hunting competition since becoming a duke.

In the past, he had to stop adding to his winning streak due to the rule that royalty and their families could not participate in the hunting competition, but now that he was free from that rule, he might set a new record.

“What was the record for most wins in the hunting competition?”

“9 times by Count Gordon 30 years ago, Your Highness.”

Marisa, who was standing by Alicia’s side attending to her, answered in a small voice.

She was such a capable person that it seemed strange that Alicia had not noticed her presence until now.

Marisa, who had received high marks from Amy, was staying by Alicia’s side for the fourth day now, not just one.

Of course, not enough to take Mina’s place, but at this rate she could be taken anywhere to attend to Alicia.

‘There are so many talented people in the Princess Palace.’

Amy, who had been looking fondly at Marisa as she moved quietly and skillfully, erasing her presence so as not to make Alicia uncomfortable, turned her gaze to her mistress.

“Will you stay in your room even after the hunting competition is over?”

“I’m not sure?”

After the hunting competition ends today, there are two days left of the banquet.

The last day of that, she would have to show her face to the people for a while, so it was inevitable, but other than that, she had no intention of leaving her room if she could help it.

“You can’t stay in your room forever. You know that, right?”

“I know.”

As much as she wanted to stay in her room until she found a suitable marriage partner, it was impossible.

It was because there was no empress in Eregron.

It was Alicia who took over the empress’s duties until Adrian married Siena.

It was unavoidable because there was no imperial woman who could handle internal affairs.

It was very difficult for young Alicia to take over the empress’s duties.

The ones who helped her were the emperor and Amy.

Alicia, who had grown up receiving help from the two of them and had excellently substituted for the empress’s duties until now, had been gradually handing over those duties to Siena recently.

Fortunately, thanks to the quick-learning Siena, she thought she would be able to completely let go of the empress’s duties after about a year of hard work… but she still had no choice but to do the job together for now.

“Can’t we just dump it all on Siena?”

“The Crown Princess might come to us with a crying face.”

“But Siena is strong, so she’ll be fine, right?”

“I’m telling you she’ll cry?”

“But still…”

“Why has our princess become a child again?”

Amy, who burst into laughter at the sight of Alicia pouting with a sulky face, threw open the terrace window wide.

The warm spring breeze of midday blew in through the open window, ruffling Alicia’s curly golden hair as it passed.

“It’s a nice day.”

“It is.”

“You should go for a walk.”

“I don’t feel like it.”

“Your Highness.”

“Just for today, no, until tomorrow. Okay?”

Amy sighed helplessly at the sight of Alicia begging in a cute voice and nodded.

Amy felt somewhat relieved to see her young mistress, who had not laughed heartily for some time, seemingly regaining her former vitality.

Alicia, who saw Amy visibly relieved, swallowed her bitterness inside and turned her gaze out the window.

Alicia knew well that she could not laugh like before.

That laughter was created by the brightness of an ignorant person.

It’s not to say that she had become a smart and cunning person.

‘I’ve just become a fool who knows reality.’

Alicia, who had pulled her knees up and put both feet on the chair, wrapped her arms around her knees and tilted her head.

It was a posture that somehow made her feel comfortable.

Pleased with that, she had been sitting like that for a while and was about to get up from the chair to look outside the terrace when it happened.

Mina, who came running in making a loud noise and opened the door, shouted loudly.

“Your Highness! Something terrible has happened!”

Mina, who should have been spending time with her fiancé from the second day of the banquet after receiving a vacation from Alicia, had a pale white face.

“Mina? What’s wrong? What do you mean something terrible?”

Amy, who would normally have scolded the noisy Mina, asked with a hardened face.

Mina’s expression was too serious to simply blame it on her clumsy personality.

“Crown Prince Adrian!”

“Did something happen to my brother?”

“They say he’s injured!”

“What?”

“Suddenly during the competition! I, I don’t know exactly, but they say he lost a lot of blood…”

For a moment, Alicia couldn’t understand what Mina was saying.

Adrian was wounded? He lost blood?

The terrible incident that happened before the regression flashed through Alicia’s mind.

There was still time left before that incident was supposed to happen, so why now?

Could it be that my traveling back in time had some effect?

Alicia, who sat down in the chair as if collapsing with a pale face, trembled.

The overflowing memories of the past seemed to move like living chains, wrapping around her whole body and choking her.

“Your Highness! Princess Alicia! Get a hold of yourself! It’s not confirmed news yet!”

“Th-that’s right, Your Highness! I, I also just heard about it, heard about it! But that’s true…”

Amy and Mina belatedly tried to calm Alicia down, but she just shivered like a child abandoned naked in a frigid land.

“It’s not confirmed news yet, Your Highness. Mina also said she just heard about it, not that she saw it with her own eyes. It’s not too late to worry after we find out the exact situation.”

Marisa, who was the only one maintaining her composure, knelt in front of Alicia as if trying to organize the situation and opened her mouth.

Seeing her lime-green eyes filled with firm determination, Alicia managed to calm her trembling body and stood up.

“I need to… I need to go see my brother.”

“Your Highness, it might be better to wait for news here…”

“I won’t be able to rest easy unless I confirm with my own eyes that my brother is safe.”

“Your Highness…”

“Mina, prepare my clothes. Marisa, go out and call for a carriage.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I receive your command.”

The trembling of her body had stopped, but her weakened legs wouldn’t move as she wanted.

Amy slapped her own cheeks to come to her senses at the sight of Alicia moving, determined to confirm Adrian’s safety with her own eyes even if it meant showing her pathetic self unable to properly gather herself.

“I will help you.”

“…Thank you.”

With the help of Amy and Mina, Alicia quickly finished her preparations and boarded the carriage Marisa had prepared.

By the time they arrived at the hunting grounds, urging the coachman to drive the horses quickly, the sun was already tilting to the west.

“We greet Princess Alicia.”

Alicia, who barely acknowledged the greeting of the knight guarding the entrance to the hunting grounds, jumped down from the carriage as if leaping and staggered, when someone unknown caught her body.

“It’s dangerous to move so hastily.”

“Who…? Killian?”

When Alicia, who had regained her balance leaning against someone’s chest, turned her head to express her gratitude, what she discovered was Killian’s face looking down at her.

He, who had wrapped his arm around Alicia’s waist making her back lean against his chest, opened his mouth with a face no different from usual.

“It seems you’ve heard the news about His Highness the Crown Prince.”

It was then that Alicia, who had been frozen in surprise at the sudden encounter with Killian, forgetting even to breathe, came to her senses.

No, to say she came to her senses would be an exaggeration, as she hadn’t noticed that she was now leaning against Killian’s embrace…

“My brother? Is my brother badly hurt?”

“No, he’s not.”

“But, but they said he lost a lot of blood…!”

“Rumors tend to grow as they spread, you know.”

Could it be a lie to reassure her?

Killian, who had been staring at Alicia’s sky-blue eyes that couldn’t shake off her suspicion, let out a small sigh.

“I don’t lie.”

“But!”

“Let’s go see for yourself.”

Alicia nodded at Killian’s words and was about to take quick steps towards the Crown Prince’s tent when it happened.

“I’ll guide you.”

Killian, who had strongly grabbed Alicia’s waist to support her as she staggered and was about to fall again, sighed and said.

Normally, Alicia would have been startled by his touch and looked around for a place to escape like a frightened rabbit with her eyes wide open.

He was very pleased that she was now fully relying on him, but it was not what he wanted to see her complexion darkened with worry that something serious might have happened to her blood relative.

‘I’ll have to find out who spread the rumor.’

If his frivolous knight commander had heard this, he would have laughed and asked what terrifying thing he was planning to do with that information.

‘I’ll do whatever it takes.’

Thinking so, his deep green eyes, careful not to let intense killing intent leak out, were fixed on Alicia’s frightened face.