Chapter 42
Kaaahh.
Chasing away a crow that was cawing without a care in the hunting grounds, a man captured the mood perfectly.
However, the man seemed uninterested in such crows and fed sugar cubes to his horse.
“Easy, Delfi.”
Being called Delfi, the man seemed to lightly scold him as if asking why he was so late.
The man was soothing a spirited horse that seemed fierce enough to be a second-in-command in the empire, like calming a newborn foal.
Just today, Delphi had kicked the hunting groundskeeper twice, making it a truly unfair incident for the groundskeeper.
Heeiiiiing.
“Alright, Today, you can run as you please.”
Delfi sniffed the man’s nose, comparing it to his own. The man, as if accustomed to it, caressed Delfi.
The man wore a hunting coat that was plain black with no embellishments, but it looked very luxurious.
This place was the hunting grounds of the imperial palace, where one could not enter without the emperor’s permission.
The only ones allowed to roam freely here were the emperor, empress, and Ern Lars, to whom the emperor had granted a special access pass.
However, even Ern Lars didn’t use the hunting grounds unless there was an agreement with the emperor.
“So, what about other visitors?”
“Oh, they said they would go in first and explore the hunting grounds.”
Huh, Johan couldn’t help but burst into a dry laugh at Ern’s audacity.
He complained about coming this far, and now he was going in first?
Johan briefly pondered whether he should revoke the access pass he gave Ern.
Originally, the pass wasn’t given for Ern’s sake; it was given because he wanted Ern to conduct surveillance since the maintenance costs for the hunting grounds were too high.
But using it like this was beyond unacceptable.
It seemed like Ern needed to change his habits firmly, Johan immediately mounted the saddle.
“What weapons are you prepared with?”
“Are you planning to go hunting, Your Majesty?”
“Well, if there’s game to be found, why not?”
The gamekeeper nodded, sealing his nose in agreement, That’s how it is.
“I happened to clean the , 44 caliber rifle properly this morning. Should I bring it?”
“That should be sufficient.”
“How about the ammunition? How many rounds should I prepare for you?”
“Generously, 44 Magnum will do.”
‘Generously, ‘ The short word carried a profound emotion.
The gamekeeper mourned in advance, not knowing what the prey for today’s hunt would be.
.44 Magnum, huh.
Seems like he’s planning to catch even a bear.
“What about you? What kind of gun did you bring?”
“Oh, are you talking about another visitor? That person didn’t bring a gun.”
“…To the hunting grounds?”
Johann furrowed his brow.
To be called to the hunting grounds and not bring a single gun.
It was not the behavior expected of someone who half-madly lived for hunting.
“Yes, That person did not seem like someone fit for hunting at all.”
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the hunting grounds.
Anel was riding a horse, galloping through the meadow after a long time.
He didn’t know there was such a space in the imperial palace.
He had vague resistance to the idea of a hunting ground, but once he left the dark forest, a quite spacious meadow unfolded before him.
“How does it feel to come to where you were born, Buttercup?”
Anel gently held the reins of his horse, Buttercup.
The horse, with its long legs, showed traces of being well-loved.
Even on a cloudy day, its fur gleamed with a mysterious luster.
Buttercup was a horse Anel received as a gift from Empress Sunhwa when he was 17.
It had been raised in the Grand Duke’s estate, but Anel brought Buttercup with him when he entered the imperial palace.
“It looks like you’re having fun, and I’m glad.”
Anel spoke to Buttercup and gazed into the distant sky.
The hunting grounds behind the imperial palace, boasting the wealth of the Stein Empire, were vast. Despite Anel being a frequent visitor to the palace, she had never set foot in the hunting grounds.
Samu rarely hunted unless absolutely necessary, and Duke Morata did not permit Anel to engage in hunting. He bluntly stated that it was not a task for a “woman.”
Fortunately, Anel herself detested causing harm to living beings, so it was a relief.
“Buttercup, is this your first time in the hunting grounds?”
Hee-hee-hee-hee.
Buttercup happily neighed, seemingly agreeing.
“It’s my first time too. If I knew it was this vast, I would have brought you here at least once.”
There was no need to hunt just because they were in the hunting grounds. If the purpose was to let Buttercup run freely, there seemed to be no better place than here.
“I didn’t come because the name sounded ominous. My mistake.”
Buttercup seemed fine and walked docilely.
“Do you want to try running a bit? Hm?”
Anel firmly held the reins. She happened to be well-prepared for horseback riding, with riding gear and a hat. It seemed suitable for a short ride with Buttercup.
Just as she was about to encourage Buttercup to run,
Bang!
From not far away, a sound that made the heart sink echoed.
“Heeheehee!”
Having never heard the sound of a gunshot in its entire life, Buttercup, the buttercup, lifted its front paw in surprise, visibly excited.
“Calm down, Buttercup!”
“Heeeeeeeeeeeeing!”
It was a disaster.
Buttercup, still in a state of confusion, shook its head and leaped forward with abandon.
Then, like a mad thing, it started to run forward.
“!”
Anel quickly grabbed the reins and leaned forward.
Anel hoped that her words would calm her down, entrusting her body to the speeding Buttercup.
The slender horse galloped along the outskirts of a long-stretched forest.
She sensed that the sound came from within the forest.
The horse, running without any intention of stopping, was not showing any signs of calming down.
At this rate, there was a suspicion that it might really fall off the horse and die.
“Buttercup, please calm down…!”
Even with Anel’s words, Buttercup continued to leap wildly.
Perhaps more surprised when it heard the voice in its ear, it hurriedly stopped.
It’s falling.
Anel sensed that she was going to fall.
At that moment.
“!”
“A black horse ran alongside Anel, who was about to fall from the buttercup. Along with it, someone grabbed Anel. Anel was shocked, her eyes tightly closed as if the world had turned upside down.
The man held Anel, pulling her close with one hand and gently seating her in front of him.
‘Looks like the queen rides horses just like herself.’
When she opened her eyes again, there was a man looking down at her.
Of course, it was Johann.
Johann gently held Anel’s chin with one hand, turning her head this way and that. With his remaining arm, he firmly supported her back to keep her from swaying. Then, he lowered the hand on her chin down to her waist and abdomen.
“Are you hurt?”
With the sudden contact, Anel averted her gaze, quickly lowering her head. She wasn’t in pain, just flustered by the man’s touch.
“It doesn’t seem like you’re injured.”
Only then did Johann exhale a short breath as if relieved.
‘Relief, huh.’
Anel briefly scolded herself for thinking that way. Why would this man be concerned about her? He only regarded her as a possession, caring only because his property might be damaged.
As she realized this, the worry from him felt bitter.
“Why are you here, Your Majesty?”
Johan spoke with a colder expression than ever before.
“In the palace, my empress should be resting gracefull, Why are you here, saying such things and trembling?”
Anel shivered slightly at his indifferent tone. Normally, she wouldn’t have reacted so strongly, but perhaps due to the recent events, the shock had not completely subsided. Her body reacted first even to a small disturbance.
“You’re trembling.”
John confirmed her reaction, twisting his lips.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I… I’m not scared.”
“If you want to deceive someone, deceive yourself first before speaking.”
Stubborn.
John muttered softly, licking his lips as he observed her reaction.
“Whether you believe it or not.”
Anel’s voice broke.
She cleared her throat once again.
“I came here to meet His Majesty.”
Anel prayed that this man wouldn’t get angry.
The man she had seen so far was someone who could get annoyed enough to express his anger, especially if he found her troublesome. He might even reprimand her for not making a formal request.
To ask for help from someone who had strayed from the path of words was a difficult task. It was dangerous too. He might consider it a threat to the emperor and try to punish her. However…
“…Me?”
His reaction was the opposite of Anel’s expectations.
Anel wished this man wouldn’t get angry. He had been troublesome enough for her in the past for trivial reasons. Maybe he would scold her for not making a formal request. But…
