The wind came along as if it was being driven to blow harder. The harder she drove the horse, the more the wind seemed to blow. Patrizia liked the feeling of wind hitting her face. The more she moved, the more sweat bubbles collected on her forehead, and the cool air then dried the collected sweat. Patrizia laughed in satisfaction and held onto the reins harder.
“Hya!”
Patricia shook to the point of dangerously falling. Even that shaking felt good to her. An unstable condition, between falling off the horse, and safety. It was both a sense of thrill and one of danger.
“Whoa, whoa.”
Patrizia stopped her horse only after entering the deep forest a bit. She seemed to have ridden too roughly, as a horrible sound of breath burst out of her mouth. After a long time of calming down her breathing, she tidied up her messy hair. After wiping the sweat off with a handkerchief, Patrizia prepared for hunting in earnest. She didn’t really enjoy killing the living, but if she could save her prestige as the Empress, she might have to catch a rabbit.
Patrizia pulled out an arrow from the quiver of arrows and started looking for prey. At that time, the sound of grass shaking, and the sound of something moving could be heard. It was the prey! Excited, Patrizia grabbed hold of her reins again, with a smile on her mouth.
Slowly directing the horse, she saw a deer on the other side. Patrizia quickly bowed the arrow and drew the bowstring. After holding her breath and peeping at the right time, just when it was the right moment, she let go of the bowstring without hesitation.
-THUD
-THUD
A direct hit! However, there were two arrows stuck in it, not one. Patrizia made a surprised expression and directed her horse over to the side of the deer. Someone else’s arrow was stuck in there with her own. Someone had shot an arrow at a prey she had already set her eyes on. Patrizia wondered who the opponent could be, and when she recognized the familiar arrowhead, her expression froze.
“I see you here.”
“Your Majesty.”
Lucio, it was that man. Patrizia sighed inside. Why did she have to meet this man on this extremely vast hunting ground? And to aim at the same prey at that. The bad affinity with this man really seemed to have no end.
She greeted him with the utmost respect while feeling almost resigned.
“I greet the Sun of the Great Empire.”
“You still remain the same even in a place like this.”
“Wherever the place, Your Majesty is Your Majesty, and I am myself.”
Patrizia, who responded carelessly, pulled out her arrow from the deer. Although there was a lot of blood on it, Patrizia didn’t care and removed the blood by wiping the arrowhead on her clothes, and put it back in the quiver. As Lucio watched this, he asked her a question, “That arrow, is it yours?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It seems we both shot together.”
“Then… Who should we determine hunted this deer?”
“Your Majesty can be the one who has hunted it. I will yield.”
“No, I will be the one to yield.”
“…”
This lame argument was childish. She didn’t want to do anything childish. Especially if the opponent was this man. Patrizia hid her tired face and expressed a brief form of gratitude.
“Thank you so much for Your Majesty’s grace.”
“With this much, to say my grace. But you, are you not too far away? Where did the knights that guard you go?”
There were so many questions. Patrizia didn’t feel the need to answer this man’s questions, but she responded with sincerity because it was something she could ignore.
“I told them there was no need to follow me. I also wanted to be alone for a while… Also, they have to enjoy this competition as well.”
Patrizia said this and then glanced around him. He had spoken like that when he also didn’t have any escorts around him. When Patrizia looked at him with an expression that seemed to be asking for an explanation, Lucio’s expression turned to sheepishness and coughed while trying to think up an excuse.
“I escaped them. The reason is… the same as yours.”
“Even so, that is…”
“I also need time to be alone. I think the Empress can understand me. Is that not true?”
“…”
They were in similar positions, so it wasn’t that she couldn’t understand him, and she closed her mouth shut. But it was true that she was worried. Did this man have a brain or not? Of course, he wasn’t in a bad situation, but he was still the only remaining Imperial member of the Empire. But to be so lacking in being alert..!
She opened her mouth to say something to Lucio but soon shut her mouth closed again. Come to think of it, for that reason, she was not in a position to be lecturing him on this either. Patrizia sighed to herself inside and then talked to him.
“It would be better if both of us turned back now. This place is a little far from the headquarters, and we are the only two people around…”
At that moment, Patrizia’s words were cut off. Suddenly Lucio pulled out a knife and shook it at her. Patrizia was shocked, and then shrieked as she moved her body away, and after a few moments, she opened her frightened eyes.
‘What, in the world? Why all of a sudden…’ Her eyes opened with a shocked expression, and she saw a strange arrow that had fallen on the ground. She called out to Lucio with a surprised expression.
“Your Majesty!”