Chapter 59
Before I knew it, the competition was all set to begin.
Familiar faces walked by in the midst of the hustle and bustle as everyone getting ready.
I put down my drink and stood up.
Across from me, Bellieta was walking over.
Her outfit, which caught everyone’s attention, was surprisingly casual.
Where did her dress go? Why did she choose something so casual?
As she came closer, I smiled and asked, “Where are you off to?”
“Everyone’s going out for the hunting competition, and just sitting around is boring. I’m thinking of heading inside in the forest for a bit.”
“You sure that’s a good idea? It’s a forest full of monsters.”
“It should be fine. As long as I don’t go too deep, I’ll mostly see deer or rabbits. I’m just going to shoot a few arrows. What do you think, Sierra?”
What do I think about what?
I tilted my head at her question.
Bellieta took a bow from Fiorrette, who was walking behind her, and pulled back the string. Even though there was no arrow, the bow was pointed directly at me.
Her face was smiling, but the bow felt sharp and threatening.
I narrowed my eyes as I felt like the bow was about to pierce right through me. Bellieta slowly opened her mouth.
“Fiorrette and I are planning to go in together. Do you want to join us?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. I’ve seen you shoot a bow before. You’re good at it. If you’re up for it, why don’t you come with us?”
The smile on her lips faded slightly, and I could see her eyes clearly now. They were fixed on me.
Bellieta was inviting me.
Into a dark, eerie, and somewhat dangerous forest.
A place where monsters might appear.
“Just the three of us—me, you, and Fiorrette.”
A place where anything could happen.
* * *
“So, this is it.”
The light rain that began at dawn had turned into a heavy rainfall by morning.
A man climbing the mountains toward Ripperton stopped and looked up at the sky.
The dark, gloomy sky, paired with the thunderclaps, felt like bad luck for Ripperton’s future.
His face was covered in gray stubble, and his sharp eyes glowed even in the darkness.
“Ha…”
Even though it was still summer, his breath was visible in the chilly air of Hermonia.
The rain pouring down on him showed no signs of stopping.
After gazing at the sky for a moment, he sighed softly, then resumed his climb.
As his coat fluttered in the wind, the sheath at his waist clinked.
“Head for Ripperton.”
The command that echoed in his ears weighed heavily on his steps as he continued up the mountain.
Heading somewhere unwelcome was no different from walking straight into a grave to meet the dead.
The man could already taste the bitterness in his mouth as he thought about what was going to happen there soon.
He rummaged through his bag, pulled out a flask, and took a long swig.
The sharp, bitter alcohol helped shake off the foul taste lingering in his mouth.
His rough hand stuffed the flask back in, and as he moved, the sword hanging by his side clinked softly.
He paused, glancing down at the hilt that his hand brushed against, and stopped in his tracks.
Now, the only sound around him was the rain pouring down on the trees and the earth in the mountains.
Slowly, he turned around, and there they were—at least hundreds of soldiers, all lined up.
They were all marching in the same heavy cloaks, their steps weighed down by the mission ahead.
The man watched them in silence, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
“War.”
This was war.
A war that no one else had dared to fight.
A war that could cost lives.
It was dangerous, deadly, and something nobody wanted to touch, yet he could feel his blood boiling inside.
His hand fidgeted with his sword hilt, then pulled his cloak tighter around himself as he turned back.
The march resumed, and his feet followed.
“We’re almost there.”
Their destination was Ripperton, where the hunt for the beasts was already well underway.
It was the heart of Hermonia.
* * *
The forest wasn’t as dark as I’d expected. In fact, the sunlight streaming through the leaves made it pretty bright.
It was strange, considering this was supposed to be a forest where monsters lived, but it was better than a gloomy, eerie place.
As we followed the well-trodden path, I glanced at Bellieta walking ahead.
Ever since we entered the forest, she hadn’t said a word.
“Hunting, huh…”
I wasn’t sure if the arrows in the quiver on my back or the one in my hand would actually get used.
From what I remembered, Bellieta hadn’t even received basic self-defense training.
The Duke of Bozbourne would never let a scratch touch his precious only daughter.
That’s why I’d never seen Bellieta use a bow.
Which meant the one keeping an eye on me from behind, Fiorrette, was likely the real deal.
“Been a while since we came here, huh?” Bellieta suddenly spoke up.
“I’ve never been here before, have I?” I replied.
“We came here when we were little. Don’t you remember? When we were about eight? I got all excited chasing a rabbit and got lost. Don’t you remember?”
I stared blankly at her, trying to recall. Then, a faint memory surfaced, and I nodded.
Bellieta seemed pleased with my response and flashed a clean smile as she glanced around.
“I was so scared back then. Even though it was broad daylight, and we hadn’t gone in that deep, I cried so much. I thought I’d be stuck in that forest forever. But then you came and found me.”
Her expression softened, lost in nostalgia, and she smiled as if the memory had just resurfaced in her mind.
“I still remember it clearly. There I was, bawling my eyes out, and you showed up looking so calm. No adults, just you. You reached out your hand and said we should head back, and you led me out. Even though your shoulders were small, they felt so sturdy to me back then.”
What a load of sentimentality!
I hold back a laugh, watching Bellieta suddenly dive into some sentimental memory from the past.
Getting all emotional out of nowhere?
Seriously?
Was she bipolar or something?
I didn’t even know how to respond, so I just stared at her, and she glanced at me before smiling again.
As she tilted her head with that bright smile, she said, “I think that’s when it all started. You became my most precious friend.”
“Is that so?” I replied dryly.
Bellieta nodded as if she were completely serious.
“I know things aren’t the same between us anymore, Sierra. I get that friendships go through ups and downs, but I don’t want us to drift apart or let silly rumors break us apart.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Sierra, I want us to be close again. Like we used to be, like best friends, like family. So let’s forget about the awkwardness and go back to how we were. I’ll take care of the rumors. I’ll explain they’re just nonsense, and if anyone keeps spreading them, I’ll set them straight. So let’s go back to how things used to be, okay?”
“…”
Her voice, her gestures, even the expression on her face—it was all so convincing like she really wanted to apologize and fix things between us.
If anyone else saw this, they’d probably be convinced.
But knowing what I knew, I couldn’t help but feel disgusted.
How should I respond to this?
What should I say?
When Bellieta dragged me here, I figured she had some ulterior motive, but I didn’t think it would be this.
An emotional appeal out of nowhere?
Really?
I glanced back briefly.
Fiorrette, who’d been watching me, quickly turned her gaze away when she saw me look.
“Back then…”
I muttered quietly, turning my head forward again.
Bellieta nodded enthusiastically, repeating, “Back then!”
She looked at me with hopeful eyes, as if waiting for me to say something that would fix everything between us.
I stared at her for a moment before finally opening my mouth.
“Bellieta, so… can you clear up all those ridiculous rumors about me, as you said?”
“Of course! I’ve been wanting to do that, but I didn’t want to butt in and make things worse. Just tell me. I’ll cover those rumors with even bigger news if I have to, and I’ll clear up everything.”
“How far can you go? The one about me following you around? Or the one about me copying you? Or maybe the one about me badmouthing you? How much can you clear up?”
“All of them. Everything you mentioned!”
“Really? Then…”
I trailed off for a moment, letting the suspense build.
Bellieta, eager for me to speak, smiled brightly and waited for me to continue.
Seeing her like that, I let out a small smirk, straightened my back, and said, “Then clear up the rumor that I stole your fiancé.”
“Of course, I’ll take care of that. That’s an absurd rumor, obviously. I was going to clear that one up anyway. Don’t worry. My father will make an official statement, and once the engagement ceremony happens and we make a public appearance, all the rumors will die down. You and I are friends, so it’s natural we’d be seen together. We can just say—”
“No, Bellieta. That’s not the kind of clarification I want.”
“What do you mean?”
She blinked, looking confused.
I gave her a soft smile as I met her innocent gaze, and I could see her brow furrow slightly.
“What kind of clarification do you want then?” she asked.
“It’s simple. The rumor that I stole your fiancé isn’t about me. It’s about you. So, cut it off at the source.”
“Cut it off…?”
“Yeah, issue a statement saying he was never your fiancé in the first place. That way, it’s clear I couldn’t have stolen him. Even if you go ahead with the marriage and make it public, there will always be suspicions. But if the two of you were never engaged to begin with, all the rumors will disappear, and so will mine.”
“But, Sierra, I can’t just—”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not telling you to call off the engagement for real. Just put out a statement saying it was never official. Then later, you can quietly announce it again. It’ll look like it wasn’t planned but just happened.”
“…”
“Not a bad idea, right?”
