Chapter 75
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Chapter 75
Watching Allen's retreating figure, I let out a scoff, but I felt the Duke's worried gaze from beside me.
"I shouldn't have brought you here. My judgment was lacking."
In the Duke's eyes as he looked at me, unmistakable remorse was evident.
It seemed he believed the earlier incident was his fault.
'It's not the Duke's fault.'
I deliberately feigned indifference and changed the subject.
"The invitation was sent by the Imperial Princess in the first place, wasn't it? So it's not because of you, Duke—it's the Imperial Princess's doing."
"...."
"And you protected me like that, didn't you? Like a splendid knight."
At my words, the Duke, who had been watching me, seemed to concede and burst into a quiet laugh.
Then, as always, he responded gruffly.
"Flattering an old man comes naturally to you, doesn't it? Your mouth never stops wagging."
A whistle sounded once more, urging everyone to gather.
The Duke slung the bow he'd brought across his shoulder.
"I'll have to show my true skills at this hunting festival so that bastard doesn't dare show his face."
"Please don't overexert yourself. I'm fine."
"Are you looking down on an old man? Even now, I was once called a master marksman. Though not quite as skilled as your father...."
At a word that carelessly slipped from the Duke's lips, I widened my eyes in bewilderment.
"My father?"
The Duke then froze as if caught off guard.
"Ahem! I misspoke. Anyway, I'll be going."
Before I could ask anything more, the Duke hurried toward the assembly point.
As if fleeing in fear that I might press him further.
* * *
After preparations were complete, a whistle sounded urging everyone to assemble.
Orpen rose from his seat and glanced sideways at the Aide waiting behind him.
Recognizing the signal, the Aide stepped forward beside him and reported.
"All preparations you commanded have been completed. Precisely thirty minutes from now, the demons will strike this location."
One corner of Orpen's mouth lifted with satisfaction.
"Well done. You may go now."
But the Aide did not withdraw readily and hesitated, as if he had something to say.
Orpen simply looked at him instead of asking.
After his lips moved silently for a moment, the Aide spoke.
"But is this really alright as planned?"
"What do you mean?"
"The garrison forces are insufficient compared to the number of demons prepared. As it stands, there will certainly be casualties."
Orpen's plan was for demons to strike this location where the Noblewomen and noble ladies had gathered while he and the noble men were away.
Thus revealing that the barrier of the Demon Realm had weakened, and to ignite the spark of war.
But as it stood, it would not merely amount to frightening them—there would be deaths.
The Aide worried that if deaths occurred and the matter escalated, the mastermind behind this incident would be exposed.
But Orpen's thinking was different.
"These useless women—what does it matter if a few of them die?"
After all, it would be men who went to war and fought.
Rather, if their deaths could reliably ignite the flames of war, then their lives would be put to meaningful use.
"If a few of them were to die, it would actually help create a more dramatic spectacle."
Orpen dismissed the Aide's concerns and headed toward where the nobles had gathered.
Soon, the curtain rose on the play he had orchestrated.
* * *
The Hunting Festival officially began.
The Emperor and Crown Prince, along with the noble men and the Marquis, departed, leaving only the Noblewomen and Ladies at the hunting grounds.
Once the Duke and Marquis had left, the gazes directed at me—standing beside the Imperial Princess—became utterly brazen.
I feigned composure and innocence in that moment, quietly observing their reactions....
"Then let us begin the game."
The moment the Imperial Princess's game for the noble ladies began, I seized the opportunity and slipped away.
The game the Imperial Princess had prepared was a "treasure hunt"—finding the most notes hidden throughout the Forest by attendants would determine the winner.
The grand prize was a Crystal Rose, the same as the Hunting Festival champion....
'Uninterested, and I'm staying out of it!'
So I took advantage of the moment when everyone scattered to search for treasures and ventured into a secluded Forest path.
'I'll pretend to be lost and hide until the men return.'
But my plan quickly fell apart.
Because of one person who had been following me from behind.
A noble lady who had been glaring at me with displeasure since we all gathered earlier.
'Her family name was... Lady of Count Parma, wasn't it?'
At this rate, she would keep following, so I finally swallowed my sigh and turned around first.
"Is there something you wished to say?"
The Count's daughter who had been following me startled at that, then shot me a look as if nothing had happened.
'She followed me here and now she's glaring at me?'
I thought that to myself while maintaining a smiling expression on my face.
'Either way, this world is a filthy class society, and I'm a commoner.'
A moment of tense silence passed between us as we sized each other up, and the Count's daughter finally spoke.
"About what happened earlier—I thought I should tell you since you seem to be misunderstanding something."
"What happened earlier?"
"When His Highness the Crown Prince said he would make you a Lady of the Hunting Festival."
"Ah."
"His Highness was simply being gracious to a commoner like you, creating a pleasant memory—he doesn't harbor any other feelings toward you."
So this was why she had followed me.
She must have been one of Allen's admirers.
I, who had expected some grand mischief, replied flatly.
"I see, yes."
"So don't get the wrong idea."
"Don't worry. I haven't thought anything like that at all, and I have no feelings whatsoever for the Crown Prince."
"...No feelings for His Highness?"
I'd only said it to quickly rid myself of this troublesome nuisance, but suddenly the woman's eyes blazed with fury.
"How dare you reject His Highness? A lowborn wretch like you?"
I stared at the Lady of Count Parma in bewilderment as she suddenly erupted into a tantrum.
'Wait, I thought she liked the Crown Prince, so I removed one rival for her—why is she acting like this?!'
I had no idea which way to turn anymore!
"W-well, anyway, I'll cheer for both of you. Fighting?"
I clenched my fist in a gesture of support, then hurried away before the Lady of Count Parma could grab me.
But before I could take more than a few steps, a scream pierced the air behind me.
"Kyaaah!"
I spun around reflexively, and a demon creature that had suddenly appeared was attacking the Lady of Count Parma.
'What's a demon doing in the Imperial Hunting Grounds?'
I immediately summoned Blackie to deal with the creature, then approached the Lady of Count Parma.
"Are you all right?"
But when the Lady of Count Parma saw Blackie snap the demon's bones and spit them out, she recoiled in shock as if about to faint.
"W-what is that?"
"It's a Dark Spirit."
I extended my hand toward Blackie, and the shrunken Dark Spirit leaped onto my head.
"Meow!"
"I'm a summoner, so you can rest assured―"
"You're... a demon?"
A familiar emotion flickered in the eyes of the Lady of Count Parma as she stumbled backward.
Disgust and fear.
But I had no time to be disheartened by such hostility.
'...There's more than one.'
In the quiet forest, I sensed presences drawing closer.
Two, three, four... no, more than that.
I had no idea what was happening or why, but....
'I need to escape right now.'
There was no way I could face this many creatures alone.
After quickly assessing the situation, I approached the Lady of Count Parma.
"This place is dangerous. I'll protect you, so let's return to the Assembly Point together―"
But before I could finish speaking, the Lady of Count Parma slapped my hand away.
"How dare a filthy demon touch me? You're no different from that monster!"
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