Chapter 49
***
I looked up at my dad as I was a little nervous. In his hand, the string of a large bow who couldn’t be compared to mine, was slowly pulled.
Dad’s cool gaze briefly looked around the forest. Soon after, an arrow with mana was fired at a high speed, drawing a line.
The servants were busy following the arrow that disappeared somewhere in the forest.
Sooner or later,
“It’s a hit!”
The cry of the servant, who was looking for the prey, was heard. What did he catch, the murmurs of the nobles spread.
However, even after a long time, perhaps the servant did not intend to return, hence, a few more people were put in.
As soon as I saw the identity of the prey being dragged by a total of 15 servants, the atmosphere froze coldly.
I looked at the huge bear that had my dad’s arrow stuck in it with a stunned look. Bear? That’s a bear?
Even if I closed and opened my eyes to see if I was mistaken, the bear did not disappear and stayed there.
“You’re amazing, dad.”
“I’ll prepare a present for you with this.”
Perhaps because it was an arrow that had mana, it pierced through the thick skin of the bear and it was killed in one shot. At my words, my father looked proud of something.
It was Eryte’s turn after that. Leaving the prepared bow behind, he even ignored the *chaser and pulled out his sword and ran into the forest.
[tn: im not really sure w this but according to naver dict, a chaser is a person who drives animals into a place w no exit in order to hunt them’, so in this case, a type of servant maybe.]
And after a while, what he brought was a deer with large horns. Aiming precisely at the vital point, it was intact to the point that it seemed like it would come alive and move at any moment.
“Rosiane, I’ll give it to you.”
He approached me and said proudly. I took a look at the deer lying on the ground and looked up at Eryte.
“It’s okay.”
“Eh, why!”
For him, who was showing signs of running wild, I drew his attention by tapping my scarf.
“Eryte already gave me this. This is enough.”
“Oh, come to think of it, it’s true, huh?”
He lowered his head and began to inspect my scarf. Don’t tell me, you didn’t know this whole time? What do you mean by good eyes.
Eryte took a step, and the next, Bernique, stepped out. Similar to mine, the crafted navy bow’s string bent flexibly in his hand.
[tn: idk if ‘bent’ is the right term, but its really what’s written in the raws]
I thought Bernique would hit the standard small animals driven by the chaser, but he suddenly turned his direction up in the sky.
The arrow, which was shot rapidly through the wind, accurately hit the hawk that was swimming in the sky. My dad caught the hawk with magic as it fell helplessly and gently lowered it to the ground.
“It was really cool, Bernique.”
I knew he was good at archery, but I didn’t know it was to the degree that he could catch a flying bird. At my compliment, he smiled softly and spoke quietly, as if embarrassed.
“No, it’s not a big deal. Rosiane can do this much too.”
No, I can’t. It’s quite burdensome to see everyone’s expecting gazes being directed at me.
The servant gave me the prepared bow. The body which was cooled by the winter air, seemed to stick to the palm of my hand.
“Rosiane, do whatever you want.”
My dad whispered lowly, perhaps because he knew I was nervous.
I took a short deep breath and then pulled the bowstring. The arrowhead was pointed at the rabbit driven by the chaser.
At the very least, let’s not hit people, while repeating that, I let go of the tightly pulled string.
The arrow flew quickly towards the direction I was aiming for. Yes, it was very quick.
The arrow, which was faster than expected, eventually passed the rabbit and disappeared through the trees.
“……….”
It’s ruined. I handed the bow to the servant and stole a glance at my dad, but the servant who followed the trajectory of the arrow, screamed and ran out of the forest.
A murmur broke out as he tumbled on the ground with a deathly pale face.
“What’s going on?”
At the question of some noble, the servant narrowly opened his mouth.
“….Mo..Mo, it’s a monster!!”
At that moment, Lora’s words came to mind. However, since this place is not far from the mansion, this shouldn’t be a place where monsters usually appear though?
Eryte cut across right away through the nobles who were sneakily preparing to flee. Dad and the knights followed Eryte who ran into the forest without any time to stop him.
What should I do? Should I go? As soon as I was chewing my nails out of nervousness and took a step, Lora, who was waiting nearby as my escort, grabbed me.
“Don’t worry.”
Strangely, when I saw the eyes that didn’t have any worries, my anxiety melted away like snow.
“Yes, Rosiane. It’ll be okay.”
Bernique clenched my hand as if to send warmth.
“That’s right, Sister. They’re not people who will die in a place like this.”
Aren’t they tough human beings like iron tendons, Leav’s words seemed to make me laugh somehow.
“But it’s still a monster.”
“From the monster’s point of view, brother is going to be the monster.”
If Eryte had heard Leav’s witty remarks, he would have definitely *hit the roof.
[tn— *suddenly become angry]
Not long after, my dad came back to me. He was not at all different from when he went, and his outfit did not have any inch of disarray.
Except that he was holding Eryte in one hand.
“Ah, I’m already 14 years old! Please stop lifting me like this!”
When he shouted vigorously, dad put Eryte down as if throwing him. Eryte, who I thought would fall head-first to the floor, unexpectedly fell lightly.
“I see there was a commotion for a while.”
When my dad opened his mouth, the noisy voices died down.
“It’s winter, so it seems like the monster has come down because of the lack of food. It happens from time to time in this place, so don’t be too surprised. Also, we have dispatched a search team, so let’s stop the competition for a while.”
“Pardon me, but what happened to the monster?”
Duke Vanitas carefully asked.
“That’s—.”
As my dad’s gaze turned to the knights who had just appeared between the trees, everyone’s gazes also shifted there.
Sharp screams of the noble women, who definitely have never seen a monster before, burst out here and there.
Those who had an experience from the last time only showed signs of nervousness and did not let a sound out of their mouths.
“As you can see, ‘our’ Rosiane caught it.”
The one that the dozens of knights tied strings on and dragged out was none other than a monster.
People swallowed their breaths at the huge glaring jet-black figure. The back of my arrow was protruding from the part that appeared to be the back of the monster.
“No way, the arrowhead went through that skin. No, it doesn’t make sense for it to die with just one arrow.”
As they murmured lowly at that nonsense, Bernique laughed lowly and said.
“Monsters have their own vital points. Perhaps the part where Rosiane’s arrow hit was precisely the vital point of that monster.”
“Vital point?”
“The vital point of a monster is a place where the skin underdeveloped, so it can be easily pierced. It seems that you’re going to win today’s competition.”
Leav calmly hit the nail.
* * *
The official competition began after Leav’s deer hunt.
All kinds of prizes are given to the person who is 1st place in the hunting competition, but perhaps because I caught a monster this time, the enthusiasm of the venue cooled down and it was held in a calm atmosphere.
“Alright—!!”
Oh, correction. Only Eryte ran into the forest with passion. Leaving him behind, we headed to the barracks together.
“Won’t you go hunting, Bernique?”
I think he liked hunting quite a bit, but when asked if he won’t go, he smiled and said.
“It’s because I think it’s going to be a bit loud. Also, it’ll be open for three days anyway.”
Right. At Eryte’s shouting from the forest, I had no choice but to nod my head.
* * *
I thought that I would be able to rest when I entered the barracks, but that was a mistake. This is because there were a lot of nobles asking for an audience with dad.
Sipping warm cocoa, I looked at the Duke of Vanitas and Young Master Vanitas, who had just entered the barracks.
I heard that his first son entered the academy this time, so maybe that’s why only his second son, Young Master Vanitas, came.
“I see the glory of the empire.”
The apperance of the two greeting with dignity looked exactly alike.
While the duke was diligently flattering my dad, Young Master Vanitas’ eyes turned straight to me.
“Have you read [*Jamiche], Your Highness?”
[tn—*find it in ch46, for those who forgot like me]
He suddenly began to talk.
“Yes.”
Even at my short answer, his eyes sparkled.
“How was it?”
Well. [Jamiche] is a play about the conflict and tragedy caused by the protagonist’s indecisiveness.
Even at the crucial moment, the protagonist who hesitated and waited for later, as a result of that, he eventually gets caught up in an incident and dies, ending the story.
“It was a little……. unpleasant.”
However.
“When I only saw the big framework, such as his agony about the uncertainty of the afterlife and inability to decide between life and death, and deeply repeating things several times to delay the action itself and rationalized his actions, it was really…..”
It was like me. The me in the past. The me before I came back here.
How much I wandered from place to place before taking medicine, and how many times have I held and let go of the railings before jumping off that day.
If I die and go to the afterlife, or if there is nothing after death, I thought of it several times and justified putting off dying.
“—It was really?”
When my answer did not come out, Vanitas quietly urged.
“It’s a human aspect that can be seen anywhere in human society, but I thought that it started from an external conflict that was given to him. As if what was given on the outside cleared up the inside….”
[tn: *I think it means the external conflict given to him or he received, ate up what he was feeling internally.]
But the difference between me and [Jamiche], the main character of [Jamiche], is that he faced an unwanted death due to his choice, and I faced the death I wanted due to my choice.
Somehow, my throat was stuffy, so when I lifted my head after inhaling cocoa, I made eye contact with Young Master Vanitas who had a strange expression.
“Then—.”
“To think that you caught such a great prey, as expected of Her Highness the Princess. This humble me did not realize that Your Highness the Princess had such great hunting skills.”
As soon as Young Master was about to say something, Duke Vanitas suddenly switched his target to me.
To translate those words which was said in a noble way, “You caught a monster?” You? It was probably not your ability but the emperor who adores you, must have used a trick and lied.” It was about that much.
Looking at the Duke who had a kind smile on his mouth, I also smiled the same way, with the corners of my mouth raised.
“I’m flattered that you think so. Still, it was worth it to not neglect practicing archery for today. But Young Master has practiced longer than I have, so I’m sure he can do something greater. I’m really looking forward to what you’re going to catch.”
See that? I’m not lying. “That’s why, take Young Master with you outside and go hunt. I’ll laugh if you can’t catch anything”,
Duke Vanitas smiled awkwardly, perhaps because he immediately noticed the inner meaning (of my words).
After a few more words came and went, the two left the barracks according to my dad’s orders.
It was the Duke of Abdrach and his only child, Young Lady Anisha de Abdrach, who followed.
The fair blonde hair fluttered around the waist, and whenever she blinked, the violet eyes resembling violet petals, repeatedly appeared and disappeared.
While the Duke was talking to my dad, she rolled her eyes around as if looking for someone.
“Oh, I don’t know if you know, but this is my only daughter, Anisha. I heard that Your Highness is more mature than her peers, so I hope you will look at my daughter adoringly.”
What do you mean by adoringly, she’s already fifteen years old, and we have a five year difference in age.
“My name is Anisha de Abdrach, Your Highness.”
She greeted softly. Unlike her voice, her eyes were freezing cold.
There was no reason to build an undesirable friendship with each other, so I only lightly accepted her greetings.
“Sister, why don’t we go outside and take a walk?”
Leav pulled my arm and whispered, perhaps noticing that I was slowly getting bored. It was a good idea, so I gladly got up from my seat.
My dad’s eyes turned to me.
“I’ll go get some fresh air with Leav.”
After talking to my dad, I greeted the Duke of Abdrach with my eyes, but then, with his foxy eyes up, he smiled and said.
“It seems that my daughter also says she wants to get some fresh air at the moment, how about going with her?”