“Then I’ll follow you suit.”

When Lorette said so, Hazel turned to look at her.

“You too? But you don’t know how to use a gun, do you?”

“But I will be bored if I stay here on my own. I want to go and… watch you hunt too.”

While saying that, Lorette’s eyes turned briefly toward Sisef and then turned back at her again. Hazel, who noticed it, nodded her head.

“Do as you please. But you have to stay close to the knight escorts so nothing dangerous would happen to you, got it?”

“Alright.”

Bang, bang.

Once again, the gunshots echoed in the air. Participants, who were all scattered in their respective tents and vacant lots, rushed to gather in the king’s tent which was located in the center of the hunting ground once they heard the sound of a gunshot.

The hunting competition began in full swing after they vowed to Ileos that they must return safely and would catch a rare prey for him.

Participants intended to go deeper into the forest because of the scoring method which was designed to benefit those who would bring larger and more precious prey than others.

Therefore, it has been decided that the forest was divided into northern and southern parts to prevent them from overlapping the hunting spaces.

Hazel headed for the northern part of the forest along with Achilleon, Miella and Lorette, while Sisef headed for the southern part.

Hazel made eye contact with Sisef as he looked in her direction from afar.

“If you wish, you can go along with Prince Sisef.”

“No, I’’ be with you.”

Lorette replied while shaking her head. Meanwhile, Sisef completely turned away from Hazel.

“You can protect me, can’t you? Afterall, you are famous for your hunting skill.”

“I’m not that good.”

Hazel laughed as Lorette also laughed along with her.

“What do you want to get?”

“Huh?”

“For today’s prey. I heard that the most precious and amazing animal will earn a high score.”

“I’m not sure, what animal should we hunt for today?”

Hazel glanced at Miella, who could be seen over Lorette’s shoulder.

Today’s prey wasn’t a four-legged animal. Hazel’s prey was that aloof and overly confident princess.

***

Entering the northern part of the hunting forest, it quickly darkened all over the place unlike the vacant lot where tents were installed.

“It’s always dark whenever I come here.”

Hazel looked up at the dark sky because of the overlapping branches of tall trees.

“I’m afraid our journey may be delayed. Wouldn’t it be difficult if we can’t find the prey properly because of the Princess?”

Miella said while secretly glancing at Hazel’s ankle.

“Before that, should I hope that your feet won’t get shot, Your Highness?”

Hearing that, Hazel then stared at Miella’s gun with a pitiful look.

Bang, there was the sound of something tumbling down with a thud in the woods after a gunshot echoed into the air. Smoke came out from Achilleon’s gun.

Whilst she calmed her chest down after getting surprised by the sudden shoot, the prey, which had been shot, then displayed to them.

It was a stag with big horns which had fallen dead to the ground. The bullet that pierced its vital point completely took the poor animal’s life at once.

“That’s a wonderful skill.”

Miella widened her eyes as she applauded him. Achilleon seemed to instruct the servants something as he looked at the dead stag while leaning to the side.

“Princess Hazel has caught a deer.”

Hazel’s forehead narrowed when the person who was engraving the letter of the hunter shouted loudly.

“Me…?”

Hazel turned to look at Achilleon with a confused face as the deer, which was claimed to be hers, didn’t even get shot by her own gun in the first place.

“…What are you doing?”

“I don’t think you can hunt.”

Achilleon looked at Hazel’s ankle while saying so.

“I didn’t really wish for this kind of help from anyone, Your Highness.”

“The Princess is currently not able to hunt now, is she?”

“But my hand didn’t even hurt.”

Hazel showed her waving hands which were wrapped in hunting gloves.

“I still have a finger to use my gun.”

“Then should I take it back?”

When she was asked by Achilleon, Hazel stole a glance at Miella. She replied while smiling slightly at the watching eyes behind her as if the girl’s gaze was about to burn her entirely.

“Since you had given it to me, I’ll take it as a token of my gratitude toward you.”

Hazel slightly bowed her head while she was still sitting on the horse to express her gratitude. It was exactly what Miella did to her earlier.

“If I ever win the prize, I will give some of it as your share for this.”

“It’s an honor for me.”

Achilleon turned his head to the front again and went deeper into the forest. The guards followed him, but he shook his hand to stop them from doing so.

“…You must be happy.”

Miella opened her mouth as soon as Achilleon disappeared from their sight.

“Of course, it’s good to get free prey.”

Hazel smiled while turning her body to look at Miella.

“If you’re envious of me, ask the Crown Prince to get one for you too.”

“Who said I’m envious?”

Miella shouted angrily, but Hazel pulled the horse reins harder and increased the speed of her horse, so she could barely hear it.

An unexpected twist just happened because Achilleon decided to give the stag to her, but she had no reason to turn it down either. Afterall, even stones on the side of the road had to be used in order to carry out her purposes.

Miella looked quite angry like what she had expected.

‘The more she does that, the more it will benefit me.’

Even if this was the world ruled by Miella, there were things that still wouldn’t work out in her way. She had already acted overly proud and openly ignorant of others, so she almost got upset all the time throughout the hunt because I would often ignore her.

She had known about Miella’s personality since they were young, where she had to get back at people who had humiliated her accordingly, whether they did it on their own or unintentionally. She was completely different from her father, who was planned and meticulous, he also didn’t show his true intentions to others.

Therefore, she was easy to use.

“You looked quite close to the Crown Prince, but you must have gotten close to him way before, right?”

Before she realized it, Miella had gotten close to her horse and whispered.

“Does it look like that?”

“It won’t do you any good if you get involved with the Imperial Family of other countries before you get married. The Princess’ reputation will be damaged if your name slipped…”

“Before marriage, you say? If someone hears that, they would’ve thought my marriage has been decided.”

“I told you, the position of Patran’s new queen. It’s going to be yours, isn’t it, Your Highness?”

“I’ve never heard that sort of decision has ever been made. And it could be yours, so why don’t you put aside your hasty judgment for now?”

“I think His Majesty the King will be able to make a wise decision as the head of the kingdom. It’s Princess Hazel who suits the position more than anyone else.”

“Why do you consider Patran’s queen position as the worst option, Miella? Patran is the largest ally of our kingdom. We also share an important trading place with them, moreover it’s a rich place, so it will be fine to have as much luxury as you want, right?”

Miella simply smiled at Hazel’s words as if it was ridiculous.

“Moreover, being a queen is an honor. Not all ladies can become one.”

“But there’s the empress position.”

“…….”

“There’s also the empress position which can be occupied by ladies of the royal family too. Although there’s certainly just one position for it in the whole continent.”

Miella’s eyes scanned at the Achilleon’s back, who was running ahead of them.

“When the Princess marries the king of Patran, I will kindly ask my father to provide the best support for the Princess. My father said he would also pick up stars from the sky for me……”

Swish.

“What… are you doing?”

Miella turned pale when she saw Hazel’s gun directed toward her all of a sudden.

Bang.

When Hazel’s bullet cut through the air, it plunged into something which let out a screeching sound soon after. Miella looked at the turtledove that fell to the floor afterwards and glared at Hazel in anger while stroking her chest.

“Hazel!”

Miella screamed out.

“Are you surprised? But I was targeting the bird.”

Hazel said while brushing the muzzle of her gun as if nothing had happened.

“No matter how surprised you are, you should address me with my name, right? I’m not the cat you raised, got it?”

Miella gulped the air as if she was upset when Hazel smiled while warning her.

“Princess, you got one point.”

Hazel nodded when the servant informed her. The prey she had caught then got carried in a cart. Hazel said to Miella after watching them.

“Of course, His Majesty will consider the benefits that Land will gain beforehand. His Majesty would probably send someone to marry for alliances.”

There were currently three candidates.

Hazel, Miella, and young lady of the Count Family, the distant relatives of Concez Family.

Last time, the young lady from the Duke Family became the second wife of King Patran. However, there was no way that they would’ve made a similar decision this time. If Wilves strongly suggested Hazel to be the candidate for it….

“We just have to abide by the decision, Miella.”

Hazel spoke with a smile on her face.

Bang.

Gunshots echoed from afar.

“My father will decide for my future.”

“Uncle Wilves must have promised you the position of Empress.”

“…….”

Miella looked at Hazel as her expression hardened.

“I didn’t know you were dreaming such a big thing.”

“There’s nothing you can’t do about it, right?”

Miella said with a smile as if the position already belonged to her.

“Of course, the bigger the dream, the better it would be.”

Miella married the son of the noble family of Land after Hazel became an Empress.

It was a relatively small family if compared to Concez, but thanks to that, he married into the Duke’s family and became Miella’s husband, moreover he got to inherit the family soon after.

‘After that happened, Miella acted like she was the Queen of Land.’

In the Land Palace where there was neither Hazel nor Lorette, Lady Pais, mother of the Prince, took over the entire power of the palace, however at the same time, the power of the Concez Family, Hazel’s maternal family, was also formidable.

Everything fell in Miella’s favor. Since all the young ladies of her age who she was wary of have been married.

Moreover, since her cousin, Hazel, became the Empress, there was no need for her to be wary anymore. Hazel also tried to maintain a good relationship with her mother’s family.

Wilves planned all of this for his only daughter, whom he had raised so dearly. Therefore, Miella wouldn’t be sacrificed even though one of his plans had gone wrong.

It was indeed such a great fatherly love. But in the end, because that love turned Miella to be arrogant, it might be a blessing in disguise for Hazel instead.

King Ileos would somehow try to marry a lady from Land in order to form a cordial relationship with Patran.

It would be an honor for her family if she got to be the Queen of a country, but it was a terrible thing for her to do.

‘What should you do, Miella?’

It was also the same for her.