The Blue Prince's Hunting Competition (4)
“As expected, there’s no other way.”
The emperor muttered quietly to himself at Jerome’s words.
He seemed to ponder for a moment before taking a step forward.
“I wonder if everyone enjoyed the hunt to their heart’s content. I extend my deepest gratitude to all the participants who have graced this occasion with their presence.”
At the emperor’s voice, every eye in the area turned toward him.
“Though this gathering was arranged for enjoyment, it is still an official competition. We must determine a winner.”
He slowly scanned the people gathered before him.
Right in front were First Prince Adrian and Second Prince Lloyd with their respective groups.
Adrian stood with his usual indifferent expression, while Lloyd gazed up at his father with a face full of expectation.
The winner is me.
No one here had hunted more beasts than the Second Prince.
To anyone’s eyes, the victory clearly belonged to Lloyd.
At least, until just a few moments ago.
“Captain! His Highness the Third Prince has returned!”
Philip, who had briefly left his post, came running urgently and announced the Third Prince’s return.
It happened just as the emperor had paused in his speech, so the words rang clearly in everyone’s ears.
“…Edwin?”
At the news that Edwin had returned, one person’s eyes shook violently.
It was Second Prince Lloyd. He frowned deeply and bit his thumbnail.
“M-my apologies for being late, Your Majesty.”
Edwin, who finally appeared, was breathing heavily.
Had something serious happened? The Third Prince looked absolutely terrible.
His golden hair was covered in dust, turned a dull gray, and his entire body was smeared with mud and grass as if he had rolled around in a muddy field.
“I-I came as quickly as I could the moment I heard the horn…”
Edwin trailed off, mumbling awkwardly.
“…Since the winner has not yet been announced, you are not late.”
The emperor lightly looked his youngest son up and down before continuing.
“However, I do not see your cart. Where are the beasts you hunted?”
“Ah, th-that… they are being brought over right now.”
The emperor frowned, clearly displeased by Edwin’s hesitant attitude.
“Very well.”
He turned his head again and raised his hand.
“Then it is time to decide the winner. Officials, confirm the number of beasts each participant has hunted.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At the emperor’s command, the waiting officials began counting the game loaded on the carts.
Beside the carts that had been verified, some people looked disappointed while others wore satisfied expressions. Once the final confirmation was complete, the officials hurried back to the emperor.
“So, who has obtained the most game?”
At the emperor’s question, the oldest official stepped forward and bowed.
“Yes, Your Majesty. The one who has hunted the most beasts is His Highness the Second Prince, Lloyd, with a total of thirty-five—”
It was the moment the winner was about to be decided.
“Please wait a moment.”
A clear, polite voice came from behind.
The one who interrupted the announcement of the hunting competition’s winner was none other than the Third Prince’s nanny, Rachel.
She appeared a step behind her master, pulling a cart behind her.
“His Highness the Third Prince’s game has not yet been counted.”
At her words, angry shouts erupted from the group of nobles following the Second Prince.
“How dare a mere attendant interrupt like this!”
“The result is obvious anyway. What a pointless interference.”
“She must be trying to save her master’s pride, at least.”
But Rachel paid no attention to the criticism coming from behind and continued speaking.
“I apologize for interrupting so suddenly. However, if this is a competition, shouldn’t it be conducted fairly?”
At her words, one of the emperor’s eyebrows rose slightly, but no one noticed.
The emperor looked down at Rachel quietly, then gave a small nod.
“Count the Third Prince’s game as well.”
“Ah, yes, Your Majesty.”
The officials moved quickly despite their puzzled expressions.
They approached the cart Rachel had brought.
“N-no!”
“What is this!”
“Oh my god!”
They all cried out at once—whether in gasps of shock or awe, it was impossible to tell.
As if they had seen something they should not have.
“Why are they reacting like that?”
“Is there some kind of problem?”
“Maybe the Third Prince’s game is just that pathetic.”
Curious gazes turned toward the Third Prince’s cart.
The people gathered there kept tilting their heads, wondering why the officials were making such a fuss.
“What is going on?”
The emperor was equally confused.
When he made a displeased face, the officials hesitated, reading the room.
“Y-Your Majesty, that is…”
“I asked what is going on.”
“Th-that is! His Highness the Third Prince has captured a Silverhorn Deer!”
In an instant, the entire crowd stirred.
The Silverhorn Deer was a sacred animal famous for the beautiful silver antlers on its head. It was even depicted on the empire’s national flag.
“A Silverhorn Deer, you say…”
“Good heavens!”
They were extremely rare and precious creatures, and because they were highly wary of humans, they were rarely seen.
There was even a superstition that if one encountered a living Silverhorn Deer in a year, they would suffer no illness and only good things would happen.
“Prince Edwin, how could you do such a thing!”
Before the emperor could show any reaction, Second Prince Consort Helena shot up from her seat.
Her red eyes were filled with clear displeasure, yet her voice remained utterly elegant.
“To hunt such a precious creature as the Silverhorn Deer without restraint! How utterly shameless!”
Helena covered her mouth with her fan and poured out words like a rapid-fire cannon.
“Your Majesty, is not the Silverhorn Deer a symbol of the empire? It is a sacred animal that no one may hunt without Your Majesty’s permission! Even for a prince, this is unacceptable!”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
Not missing the opportunity, the nobles supporting the Second Prince chimed in together.
“No matter that it is a hunting competition, the sin of harming a sacred animal without permission…”
“There is no way His Highness the Prince was unaware of this. We must punish him severely to restore discipline…”
It was right when public opinion was flowing in an unfavorable direction.
The Third Prince’s nanny, Rachel, who had brought the cart, moved to stand beside him.
She whispered something into the flustered prince’s ear.
Edwin took a deep breath as if steeling himself and stepped forward.
“Father.”
“Yes, Edwin.”
The emperor looked down at his son with emotionless eyes.
He asked to confirm the facts.
“Did you truly hunt a Silverhorn Deer?”
“I did hunt it, but I did not kill it.”
“…What?”
With a solemn expression, Edwin approached the cart and carefully pulled on the rope.
Something inside the cart staggered to its feet.
The beast with large, round eyes looking around in every direction was unmistakably a living Silverhorn Deer.
“Good heavens.”
“A living Silverhorn Deer! I never thought I would see one with my own eyes!”
“I heard it was impossible to capture one without killing it because they are so sensitive…”
Even with a rope around its neck, the Silverhorn Deer showed no sign of discomfort and obediently followed Edwin down from the cart.
It was truly a remarkable sight.
“Father.”
Edwin carefully led the deer and approached the emperor.
The young prince bowed politely toward his father standing on the platform.
“Third Prince Edwin wishes to present this Silverhorn Deer to Father.”
At Edwin’s words, the emperor’s eyes grew mysterious.
He looked back and forth between Edwin and the Silverhorn Deer before finally smiling.
It was a satisfied smile.
“…Well done.”
At the emperor’s single remark, Second Prince Consort Helena’s face twisted horribly.
It went without saying that Lloyd’s face crumpled as well. The expressions of the nobles following him were equally unpleasant.
“Hmm, not bad at all.”
On the other hand, the expressions of the empress and those supporting the First Prince barely changed.
Rather, Duke Crowner seemed very intrigued by the fact that not only had Edwin returned safely, but he had also captured a rare living Silverhorn Deer.
His daughter, Bridget, was staring at Edwin with a look of wonder.
“Even the most skilled hunters say it is difficult to capture a Silverhorn Deer alive. Yet you managed it, Edwin.”
Instead of answering, Edwin slightly lowered his head.
Although he had been the first to discover the Silverhorn Deer, it was Rachel who had captured it.
He recalled the sight of his nanny moving faster than a monster through the forest, grabbing the deer by the neck and holding on.
I was worried something serious had happened to him.
Rachel, who had come galloping with her hair half undone, had not scolded the prince.
She had simply checked if he was injured and lightly brushed the dirt from his hair.
Since Your Highness got lost and discovered the deer, one could say heaven itself lent a hand.
Rachel had knocked the Silverhorn Deer unconscious and loaded it onto the cart.
Then she left one final remark to Edwin, who kept trying to hide his face.
I will hear about that wound after the competition ends.
Her tone was so commanding that anyone listening might have mistaken her for the prince’s superior rather than his nanny.
Of course, the person in question didn’t mind at all.
Well, there was no way Rachel would let it slide.
As Edwin secretly let out a worried sigh, the emperor opened his mouth with a very pleased expression.
His voice was loud enough for everyone gathered at the competition grounds to hear.
“If the one who captured the most difficult beast to catch is not declared the winner of this hunting competition, then who could possibly be the winner? Don’t you agree?”
Though phrased as a question seeking agreement, it was practically a declaration.
It was a verdict that the victor of this hunting competition was Third Prince Edwin.