“It’s been a while since we saw each other, Miella.”

Miella gave a smile at Hazel’s answer. Miella was the only child of Wilves and in the same age as Hazel. Miella was having Wilves’ love all for herself since the man had no other son or daughter.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Miella asked while looking at Hazel. Hazel has been feeling uncomfortable facing this arrogant and confident lady since she was young.

The strange thing was that Miella’s status in the palace and social circles was more than the young lady of a duke. Because it was certain that his father would be the next head of the Concez family as well as the brother of the Queen.

“Is it because you’re both cousins? I think you resemble each other even more now.”

Ante, a lady of a family close to Miella, spoke in a friendly tone.

“Because our blood is mixed.”

Hazel answered while staring at Miella.

The Concez family’s unique black hair was well groomed and hung down her back, as well as the delicately cut hunting dress that also went well with her sensuous body shape.

“Looking at them like this, I would believe they are sisters, not cousins.”

Another young lady seconded the remark.

Not to mention that Miella’s green eyes and black hair resembled Martina, her aunt, and also looked quite similar to Hazel.

If Hazel had a slightly thinner frame, petite, and a lovely appearance, Miella was impressive with her strong features that resembled her father, Wilves.

“But it can’t be compared to sister’s gracefulness. Sister is a royal princess.”

All the young ladies’ eyes turned to the voice heard alongside them.

“Oh, there was also Princess Lorette.”

The corners of Miella’s mouth went up.

“I didn’t know you were here. It was late for me to greet you.”

When Miella expressed her courtesy gently, Lorette rolled up the dress over her knees and clenched it. If Hazel was just uncomfortable associated with Miella, Lorette was openly hostile against Miella.

“Are you also ill, Princess Lorette?”

“No.”

Lorette said as she glared at Miella.

“Really? Then I was mistaken.”

“…….”

“But if you are sitting on the hunting ground with such a pale face, people would think someone is aiming a gun at the royal princess.”

The sound of muffled laughter unraveled from around them at her words.

“Miella.”

She looked at Hazel who called her name.

“I don’t think it’s something to say to the princess.”

“…….”

Miella looked at Hazel with a slight surprise in her eyes. It looked strange that Hazel suddenly sided with Lorette. Lorette looked at Hazel, who took her side, with tearful eyes.

“Princess Lorette’s skin was so white and beautiful, I was just joking about that. You’re not offended, are you?”

Lorette looked at Miella and nodded reluctantly.

“Thank you for understanding.”

Miella sat down soon after she looked back and forth between both of the princesses and spoke to Hazel again.

“How is Tity doing? It’s a pet especially picked and sent by Father to you.”

“It’s in the age where it loves to cause big troubles. Even though it’s still technically a child in human terms. It even tore out the long curtains and ran off this morning.”

The young ladies burst into laughter at Hazel’s answer.

“By the way, I heard Young Lady Concez’s dog had puppies. It’s the rare breed from Wilves, right?”

When Ante asked that, Miella replied with a smile.

“Yes, my father is about to bring the dog to the royal trader… but it recently gave birth to puppies.”

“Oh, they must be cute. Are you going to raise all of them?”

“No, I’m thinking of killing all of them. But they are too cute.”

“Oh my….”

Everyone was surprised and looked at her because they heard such a creepy word that came from the mouth of the duke’s beautiful daughter.

“Why?”

Miella smiled as she wondered, unable to hold back her curiosity.

“The mother dog had tarnished the lineage. Because it had a liaison with a hybrid dog.”

“Oh my god…”

“So I’m going to kill both the mother dog and its babies. The male dog has a good lineage, so he would need to find a new partner.”

The young ladies glanced at each other and smiled awkwardly at the lack of compassion in her tone.

“Well, you can’t let the dog live when it has tarnished a good lineage.”

Ante seconded as she stood next to Miella as if she was her maid.

“Because blood determines everything.”

Miella’s pride in her family’s ancestry was very deep. Moreover, her status as the eldest daughter of the Concez Family made her proud since she was young. Even in front of Hazel, who was literally the daughter of the king.

“Your Highness can’t do anything without our family. There’s no aunt there anymore. But do not worry. I will tell my father and grandfather to take good care of the Princess.”

Miella was the kind of person who threw such words at Hazel so casually. For her, Lorette was like a rock that could be kicked away someday. She was going to dump the stone after feeling unsatisfied with it because its existence didn’t matter in the first place.

“About the Crown Prince.”

While talking, everyone’s eyes turned at once toward someone who brought up a conversation about him first. Their expressions also simultaneously turned to be raptured all at once with the new topic.

“I don’t think only lineage would represent everything. There’s …an exception for that.”

Everyone nodded in agreement at the person’s remark.

“It’s a shame that he’s not born from the Empress.”

“But he’s still the emperor’s child, though.”

“There was once a saying that the more blood got mixed, the descendants would be stronger and more beautiful. What do you think, Young Lady Miella?”

When someone asked Miella, the young lady stared at Achilleon with an awkward face. However, the spark flickering in her eyes was an obvious crush toward the man.

Hazel looked at her surroundings while smiling softly. His figures looked busy roaming here and there to prepare for the hunting competition.

Although the occasion was designed for the two countries to reconcile with each other, it was still difficult to expect such a friendly atmosphere in a competition that determined the result based on the number and the quality of prey that would be caught.

‘Everyone is bound to turn around when they see blood.’

The tension spread throughout the hunting ground made Hazel worried.

The hunting competition naturally became a struggle of pride between the nobles of Land and delegation of the Demophos Empire. They also were having a psychological war even when they used a gun.

The young ladies were waiting quietly for the beginning of the hunting competition as they cheered for their respective families.

A muscular black horse with bluish luster stood not far off. It had a nice mane as well as a much larger physique than other horses, therefore he stood out almost immediately.

“Whose horse is it? It’s really beautiful.”

Then, the answer to that question came out unexpectedly easy. Achilleon took the hold of the horse’s reins and began to check at the saddle.

The eyes of young noble ladies were scanning over the wide shoulders and firm thighs of Achilleon, who was well-dressed in his hunting clothes without seeing the need to try hiding it.

“Such a horse could resemble its owner.”

Subtle laughter bursted out again at the way they spoke in a manner that implied highly sexual intent about the man. Miella was also in the conversation. Hazel and Lorette were the only people who didn’t laugh at that.

“Oh, my. Crown Prince’s attire….”

Achilleon’s clothes were stained with splattered mud when Hazel tried to run away and struggled in his arms earlier.

Miella, who also realized it, suddenly took out the handkerchief from her arms and got up from her seat.

Surprisingly, Miella headed to the direction where Achilleson stood with a handkerchief in her hand. Miella approached him when the man was standing next to the horse and held out a handkerchief toward him.

Achilleon looked at Miella’s handkerchief and picked it up before starting to shake off the mud from his clothes.

“He is receiving Miella’s handkerchief.”

“I can’t believe that Young Lady Miella handed over her handkerchief to him directly. The dog would meow and cry out soon.”

[T/N: I think the last line implied that it is such a nearly impossible thing to do by Miella.]

The young ladies continued to look at Miella with excited eyes. Miella’s face turned slightly red as she looked at Achilleon.

“That’s weird. Before the delegation arrived, she didn’t care about the man because he wasn’t born from the Empress…”

“Isn’t it worth forgetting from whom he was born if you see his face?”

“I heard the Crown Prince was put up as a puppet instead of the Prince.”

“But his reputation across the whole continent is already so huge…”

What, the Crown Prince who was being put up as a puppet?

Hazel laughed inwardly. He would become an Emperor in the future and take over the hegemony of not only Demophos, but would also dominate the continent.

‘Since all of Demophos’ prestigious families are under the influence of the Empress, it would be difficult for him to succeed the throne smoothly, right?”

“Because the foundation will be strong only if he earns the support from his maternal family.”

They didn’t take off their gazes off Achilleon when they whispered and laid down the information they knew to each other. It wasn’t just those young ladies. Numerous women who gathered in the tent, and even men, didn’t take their eyes off the Achilleon the entire time.

Hazel wasn’t very surprised because she had grown familiar with that kind of situation. It was also the reason for people who disregard him for being born off a concubine at first then become attracted to his appearance and the intimidation he exuded.

Achilleon was the person who climbed up to that position by himself after being recognized by the emperor for his own power, and the power that emanated from such a person was something that people could not dare to withstand.

Hazel felt indescribable when she recalled her past self was feeling actually happy to own such a man.

She wondered who would be his empress in this life. He was currently wary of the Empress of the Empire, but after he succeeded to the throne, many young daughters from various origins would be brought to him for matrimony.

The delegations have less than ten days to stay in the country. Once the representatives of two countries have signed the peace agreement as the last step of the official procedure, then….

I wouldn’t have to see him anymore. That would be the end of Achilleon’s strange curiosity toward me. So until then.

Hazel looked carefully at the sight of them again.

Miella wasn’t just handing over a handkerchief to him, but she was keeping the conversation going for quite a while.

“What am I talking about?”

After their conversation, Achilleon put the handkerchief given by Miella in his pocket and climbed on the horse.

The man turned secretly and happened to exchange a gaze with Hazel just before he turned the horse’s head. It was just a moment, but she could definitely feel it.

Miella was smiling when she returned to the tent with a light step. She held her chin up in the air and enjoyed everyone’s gaze toward her when she got an envious look because Achilleon accepted her handkerchief without any complaints when she handed it over to him.

“Oh my! Young Lady Miella. His Imperial Highness deemed the Young Lady’s handkerchief as a very precious thing.”