The day of the hunt. Fortunately, the weather was clear and sunny.
The Grand Hunt was essentially Princess Johanna's debut into Habsburg's political arena. Sebastian and I had wanted the grandest stage possible. If the skies had been overcast, the mood of the hunt would have dampened.
Nobles gathered in the Imperial Forest. One by one, they paid their respects to the host, Her Highness Johanna. The first in line was, as was only natural, Crown Prince Rudolf von Habsburg.
"What fine weather, sister. Congratulations."
Crown Prince Rudolf spoke with his lips twitching. He clearly wasn't in a good mood. His eyes were practically screaming: That's where I should be standing, not you.
A bit foolish, really. Congratulations? What exactly was he congratulating her on? The good weather? It sounded almost like he had been wishing for bad skies. Could he really be cut out for the role of Crown Prince with that kind of pettiness? Even if you are petty, at least have the sense not to show it so openly.
"My, brother, you don't look to be in good spirits. Feeling unwell, perhaps?"
"……."
Crown Prince Rudolf fell silent for a moment. The Crown Prince tended to be blunt in his manner of speech, but our Princess Johanna was off-the-charts blunt. He must have been at a loss for words.
My condolences, Crown Prince Rudolf. Our princess is something of a loose cannon. You probably didn't know her personality well, since she's a sister you had no interest in beforehand. Ignorance comes back as a regrettable arrow. I'm sorry, but you'll have to bear it.
"……No, there's nothing wrong with me. Thank you for your concern."
"Oh, that's a relief! If you ever do feel unwell, don't hesitate to say so."
Princess Johanna let out a dramatic sigh.
"Whew. I'm in rough shape myself from all this preparation. I only realized a few days ago just how impressive you are, brother, for having hosted something like this twice."
"……Thanks. I hope you stay healthy as well."
Crown Prince Rudolf answered with a grimace. That was the face of a man who had no idea what to say next.
I understand that feeling all too well, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Sebastian and I find ourselves in that position quite often.
The Crown Prince ultimately walked away as though fleeing halfway through. Nobles murmured among themselves. By anyone's reckoning, Princess Johanna had won the first round. But just how deep the princess truly ran was still anyone's guess…… The nobles were intrigued by this unfamiliar princess's sudden emergence.
Greetings from the highest-ranking nobles followed in rapid succession.
"You are far more beautiful than the rumors suggested, Your Highness!"
"Yes, thank you, Marquis Westphalen. I haven't heard any rumors about your appearance, but if I had, I would have returned the compliment."
"Hmm? Haha, thank you."
The nobles were generally satisfied with Princess Johanna's hospitality.
The princess was naturally a woman without pretense. The etiquette she had learned since infancy had seeped into her gestures, but she herself never stood on ceremony. There was a curious balance to it.
"In all my fifty years, to be complimented on my appearance by Her Highness the Princess—living long certainly has its rewards."
"What a pity. If the Count were exactly half his current age, I would have confessed to him."
"Hahahaha!"
Princess Johanna wore a look of genuine regret. The surrounding nobles laughed at her jest.
Above all, Princess Johanna had wit. Not the forced, wrung-out kind of wit, but the kind that sprang forth reflexively, like a spinal reflex. The vast majority of nobles present were seeing Princess Johanna for the first time. But they quickly warmed to the young princess.
A hidden gem. Surely the same word was forming in everyone's mind.
"Kuh. To miss the chance of being confessed to by Her Highness the Princess—that is something to blame the heavens for."
Marquis Westphalen exclaimed.
"Hey, Fritz! Did you see that? This is what it means to be a man on top of his game!"
"That fellow looks like he's turning into a complete monkey in front of Her Highness."
The elderly gentleman waiting for his turn shook his head. He was a stout, dignified old man.
The man stepped forward before the princess and bowed at the waist. It was a respectful greeting, yet even that could not mask the old man's innate commanding presence.
"I am honored to make your acquaintance for the first time, Your Highness. I am Fritz von Rosenberg."
I let out a quiet "Ah" of realization.
Fritz von Rosenberg. In the game, he had been a rather unique character.
He did not acknowledge the Hero. But neither did he show hostility toward the Hero. Margrave von Rosenberg emphasized nothing more than the duty of humanity.
Humanity had to fight as humanity—it could not pin its hopes on a single individual called the Hero. Even if they prevailed against the Demon Lord's army, mankind would fall prey to the epidemic of hero-worship……
The Margraves sortied to the very end, declaring they would show the pride of the North. To prove that humanity could stand against the Demon Lord's army even without the Hero. In the end the Margraves' armies were defeated, but for the first time in history they marched beyond the Black Mountains.
Her Highness Johanna smiled faintly.
"Welcome, proud lion of the North. I have heard much about you."
Proud lion of the North…… That was precisely how she put it. No better phrase could have captured Fritz von Rosenberg.
The Margrave himself seemed surprised—his eyes widened slightly. A thin smile soon hung at the corners of his lips.
"I am an old man who can better be said to be dying than living. To receive such an overwhelming honor from Your Highness leaves me at a loss."
"A Margrave dying? Pfft, hardly. If the Margrave is dying, there can't be many people in this world who aren't."
Her Highness Johanna chuckled. It was a laugh that teetered just barely on the right side of decorum. The Margrave of Westphalen and the Margrave of Rosenberg watched her with keen interest.
"I may be young, but I know well enough that life is not determined by the number of years one has lived. There are lives proven through death itself, if anything. Margrave von Rosenberg—when I said I welcomed you, it was no empty compliment."
"……I am deeply honored, Your Highness."
The Margrave of Rosenberg bowed his head low. It carried a different weight from the polite bow he had offered moments before. There was something genuine about it.
"If there is someone in this imperial capital who remembers me, then I, Fritz von Rosenberg, can return to the North with a joyful heart—that alone is enough."
"Oh my! You're always so stiff, aren't you?"
The Margrave of Westphalen cut in.
"Why so serious in front of Her Highness the Princess? That's exactly why you're less popular than I am, my friend."
"……Hmph. They say a frog doesn't remember what it was like as a tadpole. It seems you've forgotten the time I stole that noble lady from you at Marienburg."
"A-Ah! We agreed never to bring that incident up!"
The Margrave of Westphalen flustered. At that, the Margrave of Rosenberg smiled—a mischievous, impish grin. Having only ever seen the Margrave's serious and composed demeanor in Dungeon Attack, I was surprised, yet the expression didn't look out of place on him at all.
"Your Imperial Highness. Forgive my impudence, but even if the two of us had been half our current ages, Your Imperial Highness would never have been able to confess to the Margrave of Westphalen."
"Oh my. That's deeply intriguing. Why ever not?"
"Because I would have confessed to Your Imperial Highness first. I must inform you that the number of young ladies I have snatched away from the Margrave of Westphalen amounts to a total of seven."
Her Imperial Highness Johanna burst out laughing. Her laughter was contagious, and the surrounding nobles all joined in. The Margrave of Westphalen—the man who had been robbed of young ladies left and right—was the only one whose face flushed a deep red.
"N-No, Your Imperial Highness! That's completely untrue!"
"Hoh? My dear friend, would you dare tell a lie before Her Imperial Highness? If you'd like, I can whisper the names of all seven ladies to you right now."
"S-There were six, not seven!"
The Margrave of Westphalen roared.
Had this been a battlefield, the mountains and rivers would have trembled. Unfortunately, this was a hunting ground. The nobles burst out laughing even harder. A warm, amiable atmosphere flowed between the Margrave and the court nobles—two parties who were supposed to be rivals.
I was quite satisfied. My debut had gone splendidly so far. Now then, where would things go from here…
Princess Elisabeth, dressed in a military uniform, came walking over.
Her hair was silver—the same shade as Her Imperial Highness Johanna's. The difference was that Princess Elisabeth wore hers long. Her silver locks swayed with each measured, dignified step.
She came after the Margraves had finished their turns—Princess Elisabeth, the Third Imperial Princess. She officially held the title of Countess of Evatrie. Unless she was hosting a palace ball or formal event, she was treated as a mere countess by order of precedence.
"It's been a long time, Sister."
"Yes, Elisabeth! It has been quite a while. Has it been nearly two years?"
"About that. It's been difficult for even sisters to see each other's faces. It really drives home how busy these times are."
Princess Elisabeth smiled—a composed smile so restrained it was hard to believe she was only thirteen. Then again, Her Imperial Highness Johanna also occasionally displayed insights far beyond her age. What kind of bloodline produced such people…
"It was at Eldest Sister's funeral, wasn't it? If she were still alive, she would have been so happy to see how well you carry yourself now, Sister. What a pity."
For the first time, Her Imperial Highness Johanna's expression froze.
The air around them turned cold.
There was nothing wrong with the words themselves. But the nobles gathered here had each fought their own succession battles to claim the position of family head. Not one among them was so obtuse that they would fail to sense the princess's hidden intent.
From the end of last year to the beginning of this one, two princes had died in succession—the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince. Each was said to have succumbed to illness or perished in an accident... yet whispers persisted in certain circles that Princess Elizabeth had been behind their assassinations.
And it was Elizabeth who now invoked the memory of the First Princess, who had died under mysterious circumstances.
She was warning Princess Johanna.
Why are you making a move? Do you want to die just like your eldest sister?
Princess Elizabeth smiled. She looked every bit the younger sister gently addressing her elder.
"Fortunately, we still have our brothers and elder sisters in the family. And of course, Father remains in good health. I sincerely hope that even our small family can remain at peace."
"..."
Princess Johanna's face turned deathly pale. I could see it from where I stood right beside her—her shoulders were trembling ever so slightly.
I took a single step forward, slipping just barely between Princess Johanna and Princess Elizabeth, and offered the prepared glass of wine to Princess Johanna with a bow.
Princess Johanna turned to look at me, as if on cue.
Our gazes met for the briefest of moments.
That was enough. Princess Johanna's expression shifted. She took the wine glass. The trembling of her shoulders stopped.
I silently retreated to my place. To any observer, it was nothing more than a servant dutifully presenting a drink.
"You're right, Elizabeth. Our family has been plagued by far too many misfortunes. Robert's death was especially devastating... May the Goddess watch over the souls of our family."
I prepared another glass of wine and this time offered it to Princess Elizabeth. She accepted the glass calmly. With that, the wine I had just offered to Princess Johanna would be seen as nothing unusual.
"..."
In that instant, the princess's blue eyes shifted in my direction. A chill traced its way down my spine. It was only for a moment. Princess Elizabeth was still smiling.
"Yes, sister. May the Goddess watch over our family."
With a bright clink, the two sisters brought their wine glasses together.
SuCheonCheonSa// I keep saying this but it's a misunderstanding. Really.
Halledeim// If I develop that into its own story, I'd have to publish two works simultaneously and I'd die.
NineBreaker// Double serialization=death is registered in my brain's dictionary.
Ssssssssss// Sorry. I went off on a tangent but it's more fun than I expected. (...) I'll finish it quickly in the next chapter and get back to the main story.
GomSangAdeul// Yay, safe.
fewfqew// Surprisingly, the protagonist is quite diligent here!
SecretEu// I'm willing to bet that SecretEu is probably the one among all readers who most fervently hopes for a bad ending. (...)
OreumeulHaemaeneunja// I plan to finish it tomorrow. To that end, I wrote two extra chapters today, so please forgive me...
katrias// Your words are so cryptic that I can hardly understand them!
As I kept writing it got fun so it looks like it'll end in the next chapter. (...) No, originally the Great Hunt was supposed to end in chapter 193 and the side stories too, but...
Johanna is cuter than I expected. (...)