As I got into bed and tried to sleep, I felt strange. The thought that Ares was sleeping somewhere under the same roof made my heart tingle.
To be honest, I was hoping that maybe, in my dreams, I could kiss Ares and… possibly do more? I mean, hadn’t something like that happened before? That time when I accidentally read an adult-rated romance novel and had an incredibly vivid dream!
But, fueled by the effects of alcohol, I ended up sleeping soundly that night without dreaming at all.
＊ ＊ ＊
It was the first time I ever woke up feeling refreshed and clear-headed, yet also somewhat regretful, as I listened to the birds chirping sweetly outside.
I followed the maid to the dining room for breakfast. Ares had already arrived.
“Good morning, Bianca.”
Hearing Ares greet me with a morning salutation made a smile naturally appear on my lips.
Soon after, Ares’ parents entered the dining room. His family shared light conversation and discussed their plans for the day. Despite being a great noble family, their morning routine wasn’t much different from that of any other noble household.
Unfortunately, neither Ares nor I had the time to devote ourselves entirely to each other that day. Ares had to go to the bustling city center to handle business related to his family’s trading company, and I also had several scheduled etiquette lessons to attend.
Ares spoke with genuine regret.
“I wanted to show you around the mansion…”
“Haha, Ares, your sentiment is more than enough for me. But we both have a lot on our plates today.”
Of course, I felt the same way as Ares.
However, I found it even more admirable that he could clearly distinguish between public and private matters like this. Just as I had my own life, Ares had his own as well. Just because we were lovers didn’t mean I wanted to recklessly blur that boundary. This was how I showed respect for Ares.
When I returned home in the Stanley family carriage, my mother greeted me. Even though I had only spent one night away, it felt like I had been gone for a long time.
“It seems you had a good time.”
“Of course, Mother. Thank you for allowing me to stay the night.”
“Yes, get ready quickly. The tutor will be arriving soon.”
Once again, my daily routine was about to begin.
Still, it seemed like I could go through this day with a lighter heart than usual. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have one day in my weary and heavy life where I felt like I was floating on air.
Episode 57.5 Chapter 13. The Fourth ‘Pillar’ (1)
Time passed quickly. After my visit to the Stanley ducal family, the capital’s social circles buzzed endlessly with talk about the upcoming hunting tournament.
The hunting tournament was scheduled to take place in a royal hunting ground on the outskirts of the capital, a vast forest filled with dense woodlands, a gently flowing stream, and even low-lying mountains. It was the perfect setting for a hunting event.
I sat in Metis’s salon, maintaining a seemingly relaxed demeanor as I sipped tea and conversed with the others. But in truth, my inner thoughts were far from the calm and noble exterior I presented.
It was fortunate that I had subtly mentioned the matter of the princess to Ares and the Duchess of Stanley beforehand. From what I’d overheard, the duchess had gently pointed out in a letter to Her Majesty the Empress that it would be wise for Princess Ariel not to be overly ambitious about participating in the hunting tournament.
What happened after that—whether Her Majesty had conveyed the duchess’s concerns to Princess Ariel—I couldn’t say. But we would soon find out on the day of the tournament, depending on how the princess decided to show up.
To be honest, I doubted the princess would take the advice to heart and restrain herself.
With that personality of hers? Hmph, no way.
As I quietly chuckled to myself over my tea, Metis suddenly came over and sat beside me, asking,
“What were you thinking about that made you laugh like that?”
“Oh, I was just thinking about the hunting tournament.”
“Lately, it seems like that’s all anyone talks about, no matter where you go.”
“You’re quite interested in it too, aren’t you?”
“Well, I’m only curious about how dashing Oberon will look.”
“Oh?”
I gave Metis a sidelong glance. She might be the typical noble lady—aloof and proud—but in moments like this, she was undeniably a romantic.
Well, the hunting tournament is certainly an event where noble young men can strongly showcase their masculinity. While noblewomen sometimes participated, the vast majority of participants were men.
The hunting tournament, hosted by the royal family, was open only to adults of debutante age. Metis’s beau, Oberon, the young Earl of Hermes, had just turned 18 and successfully captured Metis’s heart during his very first hunting tournament.
With a light sigh, I said, “I don’t care about anything else; I just hope Ares gets through the tournament safely without getting hurt.”
“I feel the same way. But you really shouldn’t say that to Ares.”
“Hmm? Why not?”
“Well, I don’t fully understand it either, but men have this thing. They want to prove their abilities, even if it means taking on some risk.”
“But I don’t really need that kind of proof.”
“That’s just your perspective. Men, on the other hand, are different. So instead of telling him not to get hurt, say you’re looking forward to seeing how impressive he’ll be.”
“…I see.”
I thought I might have a vague understanding of what Metis was trying to convey.
Ares had once told me that he wondered if he was not dependable enough.
When he said it, his expression wasn’t one of disappointment or anger at me, but more like self-reproach. He seemed to think that because of his lack of ability, I didn’t rely on him as much.
Of course, that wasn’t how I truly felt, but I learned something important that day. No matter how close Ares and I were as lovers, the idea that we could understand each other completely without communication, just through our gaze, was something that only happened in fantasies.
That’s why we constantly shared our thoughts and feelings with each other through conversation, even though it was sometimes uncomfortable and required careful consideration.
If we had spent a long time together and shared countless moments, we might have been able to understand each other with just a glance. But we had only started having serious conversations and building our relationship a few months ago. …And on top of that, I wasn’t even Ares’s destined partner.
That kind of magical understanding at a glance wasn’t something that would happen to me. So, I have no choice but to make an even greater effort to communicate transparently with Ares.
No matter how Ares and I eventually part ways, I hope that the beginning of our separation isn’t due to misunderstandings that build up over time.
So, as Metis suggested, I decided to encourage Ares instead of showing concern. What Ares wants from me right now is probably trust in him.
“Hmm. Should I give Ares an embroidered handkerchief as a gift?”
At my murmured thought, Metis looked at me with wide eyes.
“You’re quite traditional, aren’t you?”
“Not really, it’s just the only thing that came to mind…”
My voice trailed off, losing its energy.
Ah, where can I find more inspiration? Every romance novel I’ve been reading lately only mentions giving handkerchiefs as gifts.
As I sighed deeply, Metis patted my hand and said, “Your effort will make it meaningful enough. I think it’s a pretty decent gift.”
“What are you going to give Oberon?”
“Oh, Bianca, there’s no need for gifts between Oberon and me.”
“…”
Ah, I see. For some reason, her words got under my skin, so I just closed my mouth.
She probably couldn’t think of anything else to give him either. I can tell by the way she’s avoiding my gaze.
Anyway, from that day on, I began diligently working on the handkerchief I would give Ares for the hunting tournament. I decided to embroider his name with fine gold thread on a white fabric and threw myself into the task with fervor.
＊ ＊ ＊
The day of the hunting tournament arrived, and it was unseasonably hot for early summer. Perhaps it was because of the rain the previous day, but the air was thick with humidity, making it feel far from refreshing.
“Tsk, I don’t like it.”
“Pardon? But just a moment ago, you asked me to braid it up.”
It seemed my thoughts had slipped out unintentionally. Miranda, my personal maid, paused in her work and looked at me through the mirror, a bit taken aback.
“Oh, I wasn’t talking about my hair. It’s the weather—it’s so humid.”
“Ah, I see,” she replied, her tone as indifferent as ever.
As always, Miranda’s response was nonchalant.
Since morning, I had been struggling to maintain a composed expression. I had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep until the early hours, wondering what major event might unfold today.
I placed a hand gently over my pounding heart. The anxiety was so intense that I almost wished I knew nothing at all.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to regain my composure.
The issue I needed to focus on wasn’t whether the novel’s ‘pillar’ would make an appearance today. No matter how hard I tried, the ‘pillar’ would inevitably appear according to the flow of the story as Leia experienced it.
However, my primary concern was to ensure that no one, including Princess Ariel, would fall victim to the plot of the ‘author’ during the hunting tournament today.
Yet, there wasn’t much I could actually do.
I couldn’t very well grab a hunting rifle and dash around the hunting grounds. Doing so would only drag others into danger as they tried to protect me. Now that I had become the novel’s ‘villainess,’ the last thing I wanted was for an innocent person to get caught up in whatever eventual fate awaited me.
I had even considered the possibility of just ignoring everything.
But I couldn’t bring myself to do that when I knew the ‘pillar’ appearing at this hunting tournament could result in Princess Ariel being injured—or worse, losing her life. The princess, like me, was just another side character. I desperately wanted her to survive and make it to the end of this story.
Yes, let’s be honest. I’m projecting my situation onto Princess Ariel. That’s why I’m so determined that she doesn’t meet the same fate as I—being written out of this world through death.
If only I knew how many of those ‘pillars’ there were, it might make things a bit easier.
And where on earth has that ‘author’ been lately? Not even a glimpse of them.
“Miss, how do you like it?”
At some point, Miranda had finished styling my hair. She had braided half of my long hair, coiled it up neatly, and left the rest to flow naturally in a slightly modified ponytail. Her skill with hairdressing had improved so much over time, and I was genuinely pleased with the result.
“I love it. Your skills have really improved.”
“Well, it’s because your standards are no ordinary thing. Hmm.”
Though Miranda grumbled, she continued to move her hands deftly, finishing the look by adding several small hairpins. When she handed me my parasol, I was fully ready to go out.
As I walked out to the front entrance to board the carriage, I saw that my father and mother were already waiting for me.
“Oh, it seems I’m a bit late.”
“We just came down a moment ago. Let’s go, Bianca,” my father said with a generous smile.
It was a rare outing with the entire family. It could even be the last one, considering that three of the novel’s ‘pillars’ had already appeared.
The luxurious carriage of the House of Uranos rolled smoothly along the well-paved road, making a pleasant sound as it moved. After about an hour, we finally arrived at the royal hunting grounds on the outskirts of the capital.
The hunting grounds were bustling with activity. Not only were the nobles from various houses present, but also the numerous attendants serving them, making the place as crowded as a marketplace during a festival.
If something were to go wrong in such a chaotic place… Oh, I really don’t want to think about it.
