Episode 34: Hunting Festival (Part 2)
Julius, standing beside the horse in his riding attire, felt different from his usual laid-back self. Perhaps it was due to tension, but his slightly darker eyes gave off a more sophisticated vibe.
As I approached, Julius turned to look at me. His awkward smile oddly suited his uneasy state of mind.
“Sienna.”
“Brother.”
Julius extended his sword and said, “You can tie the ribbon here.”
I glanced around discreetly. Most were tying ribbons for their lovers or fiancés, and occasional scenes of hugging or kissing could be seen.
‘Do people usually tie ribbons on swords? It seems like they tie them around their wrists.’
Despite my thoughts, I took the ribbon from my pocket and started tying it.
I glared at the others for a moment, then turned my head and took a deep breath.
“Why are you blushing?”
“Because it’s embarrassing.”
Julius chuckled at the unexpected embarrassment.
“What is?”
“Well, it must be awkward. We’re not lovers or anything.”
But I was genuinely embarrassed, and there was a reason for it.
“Don’t laugh, or I’ll kill you.”
I awkwardly handed him the ribbon from my pocket. Julius’s face wrinkled in confusion.
“What’s this?”
“I did my best, okay?!”
“You did your best and made a rag?”
Calling it a rag!
But, reluctantly, it did look like a rag.
I sighed with a flushed face.
‘Where do you even make ribbons by hand?’
I had never thought much about the word “ribbon” before.
Just cut some fabric, and it’s done, right? But there was a problem; this world still lacked advanced technology like weaving machines.
User-friendly fabrics like polyester hadn’t been developed yet.
People had to weave fabric by hand, which was quite expensive, and cutting the expensive fabric into ribbons was a waste.
Therefore, ribbons had to be handmade.
‘And my sewing skills were a complete failure.’
Although sewing machines existed, how was I supposed to use one when I bought it in the modern world? This was my first time even seeing a sewing machine. Thus, the result of my struggles was this ribbon.
‘It really looks unattractive even to my eyes.’
Originally, the ribbon for the hunting festival was not supposed to be made with the help of others. Due to my clumsy hands, I ended up making it uneven and awkward. Feeling embarrassed, I presented it, raising my voice.
“It’s a ribbon! A ribbon! Do you know how challenging it is to sew the edges?”
“The edges should be whip-stitched.”
“Oh…”
Julius responded in a matter-of-fact manner, and I felt a twinge of pain from his remarks. I squinted at Julius and asked, “Why do you know this so well?”
“Your lack of common knowledge is quite suspicious.”
“Ugh!”
I was ignored, and although I was angry, I had nothing to say. In this world, it must be common knowledge!
‘Still, I diligently made it by poking my fingers with a needle.’
Even if it looked like a rag, be grateful. I clenched my jaw and said to Julius, “Anyway, extend your hand. I’ll tie the ribbon for you.”
In response to my words, Julius wrinkled his nose and replied, “Tie it to the sword.”
“If I do that, it might get tangled and you won’t be able to swing the sword. I made it too long.”
I untied the ribbon that had been neatly rolled up and demonstrated with both hands. As the ribbon fully revealed its appearance, Julius openly expressed his displeasure.
“I have to tie such an unattractive thing around my wrist.”
“Can’t you be quiet?!”
This guy, I made it to soothe him, and now he’s so discontented. I pursed my lips. Julius, nevertheless, extended his arm, and I held the ribbon in both hands to tie it. It was at that moment.
‘Come to think of it, does Julius not have a fiancée? Why am I tying it for him? He must have a younger sister in the imperial family.’
As I started questioning, one strange thing after another came to mind.
‘Also, isn’t it too empty around us? Even though we are supposed to be the crown prince and princess, shouldn’t there be knights standing nearby?’
Of course, other people also seemed to be visibly distracted. I smirked.
‘I should take advantage of the opportunity to tie the ribbon and prepare for someone to rush in.’
Just then, the words I heard earlier flashed in my mind.
– Better to endure some kind of disgrace…
Those were the words uttered by the Emperor. Unconsciously, I shivered at his words. Julius, who had been quietly extending his arm, furrowed his brows and asked, “Why?”
“No, I heard something uncomfortable.”
I tied the ribbon around Julius’s arm. Ugh, did I make it too big? This looked more like a bandage than a ribbon. While tying and untying the knot, I asked a question.
“If someone gets a scar, does that mean they can’t get married?”
“Well… it’s considered unlucky, so they might not be taken.”
“Wow, what a superstition.”
Thinking that even a scar from falling and scraping your knee could be considered unlucky was such a low-level belief. When I wrinkled my face, Julius asked, “Why is that all of a sudden?”
“She said that before we left earlier. She wished I’d get a scar and ruin the marriage proposal.”
“Who said that?”
“My mother.”
Thinking about it again, it was indeed an unlucky thing to say. There were things you could say to your daughter, and things you couldn’t. I finished tying the ribbon. Although it looked messy when I initially presented it, tying it made it look decent again.
As I placed my hands on my hips and sighed, Julius began to say something.
“You…”
Huh? What was he saying?
Julius’s voice was barely audible. Then, unexpectedly, Julius’s arm wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me tightly into his embrace.
– Heeeelp!
The neigh of the horse was incredibly loud. The horse that had been standing quietly suddenly lifted its legs and began to prance around. With Julius’s arms around me, I closed my eyes tightly.
“Kyaa!”
Not only was the horse bigger than I thought, but it was also terrifying to see it prancing around like this. In Julius’s embrace, I lifted my head. The large hand that had been tightly holding me suddenly loosened.
“Brother?”
Why did he suddenly hug me like that?
I wanted to attach a playful remark while laughing, but it turned out that only Julius’s arm had been released. However, it wasn’t just Julius’s arm that was released. It seemed like Julius’s body swayed, and then he collapsed like a crumbling wall. Reflexively, I grabbed onto him, and I screamed as his collapsing figure revealed a sight I had never seen before.
Behind the collapsing Julius, a groom I had never seen before held a dagger in both hands.
The red bloodstains seemed to swirl around in front of my eyes.
* * *
Meanwhile, inside the carriage of Count Bohan, who was rushing to participate in the hunting festival, there were three people. Daniel, the eldest son, and Lucas, the second son, had already gone to the hunting grounds as hunters, so the rest of the family were a step behind, riding in the carriage.
Seated alone in the carriage, Count Bohan, stroking his mustache, spoke to the beautiful woman sitting across from him with golden hair.
“It feels good to be outside like this. Don’t you think?”
“Yes.”
The person responding with a quiet smile was none other than the tutor of Count Bohan’s family, Beth.
Even in such warm weather, she was dressed meticulously, covering not only her neck but also her wrists. Would she know how charming she looked in such an outfit?
Count Bohan swallowed his dry saliva. It was when he was looking at Beth with smiling eyes that she, tilting her head, asked.
“Will you not be participating in the hunt this year, my lord?”
“Well, there’s no need for me to go hunting when Daniel is there.”
Although Count Bohan was a government official, he was also very skilled in hunting. In fact, he often went hunting in the forest on his estate. This time, the reason for not participating was purely that he wanted to spend time with Beth.
“But if Beth wants, I could catch a small rabbit or something.”
“No, thank you.”
“Don’t be shy.”
Unbeknownst to Count Bohan, Beth clenched her fist tightly, hidden from his view.
“Now, not even in front of my son.”
Beth’s gaze turned to the third son sitting silently beside them.
“Well, there’s no need to hide it now.”
If there was something Beth could avoid or skip to set flags with the third son, she had avoided it and kept her distance. Since he wasn’t interested in the relationship between Count Bohanand Beth, and Count Bohandidn’t care about it either, it was only natural that he didn’t pay attention.
‘It’s a hunting festival. It was the most fun episode when I played. The story has changed a lot, so I don’t know how it will turn out.’
Beth sighed. The biggest problem was this.
‘If I’m not careful, I might end up on the Count route.’
Beth recalled the story of “Victorian Love,” the game she had played. She had tried all the endings, including the endings with the male protagonist, as well as villain routes like betrayal and imprisonment.
Among them, the Count route was the one she disliked the most. Of course, the elegant and gentle atmosphere unique to romance games was nice, and the relaxed romance pace was also good, but it wasn’t her taste. She shook her head vigorously.
‘No way. Absolutely not. It won’t happen like that.’
What Beth wanted most was the Daniel route. However, despite not making any mistakes in her current playthrough, the route didn’t seem to be unfolding smoothly.
‘So, it’s important! This hunting festival event is crucial.’
Beth silently vowed to herself that she would definitely capture Daniel’s heart this time, no matter what.
