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80th Chapter

“Who is that person, the one who almost got poisoned?”

My heart sank as I desperately pulled at Reiner’s collar, asking in haste.

‘Could it be Leo!’

I thought this incident might have been recorded during ‘The Night of the Fairies,’ but the memory felt elusive. As I grew anxious wondering if it might be Leo, Reiner, who had been staring at me in surprise, finally spoke.

“Ivy Ron. He is a Baron of the Atara Kingdom. I doubt you know him, Young Lady.”

Ivy Ron. Certainly a name I didn’t recognize. I took a deep breath and weakly released Reiner’s collar.

‘It’s definitely not Leo. Leo used a different alias.’

From what I’ve gathered, Leo, who is also the king of Atara, visited the Empire under the false identity of ‘Leo Bluebell, the Count.’ I quickly calmed my racing heart with a deep exhale.

“What happened? What are the circumstances?”

“It happened this morning, so it’s still under investigation. We are currently searching for the culprit, but if it becomes public, there could be conflict between the Atara Kingdom and the Empire. Thus, in agreement with the delegation, we are keeping it confidential for now. The delay in the delegation is for the investigation.”

‘Could it be that Elle is delayed to heal Baron Ivy?’

I began to piece the puzzle together. Ivy Ron may only hold the position of a Baron, but he is indeed one of the representatives of the kingdom’s delegation. The Pope could certainly wield divine power.

‘But… who? And why would someone want to harm the delegation?’

It felt as if a slender thread connecting this important incident had suddenly burned away. I clutched my head where past memories and present recollections were becoming a tangled mess.

“Young Lady of Crisis. Are you alright?”

Noticing my furrowed brow, Reiner quietly asked in a flat tone. I felt a warmth from his otherwise dry voice, and I slightly lifted the corners of my mouth.

“I’m fine. Just lost in thought for a moment.”

‘For now, let’s focus on the hunt. I’ll ask Leo what happened when he arrives.’

Resolving to sort my cluttered thoughts, I lifted my head. The priority now was hunting.

‘I need to make that little car a kneeler.’

As I gripped the reins tightly, I noticed Reiner’s expression darken as he slowly spoke.

“…Do you have someone in mind from the delegation, Young Lady?”

‘From the delegation?’

Blinking at his sudden question, I shook my head.

“I have one friend… but no one I’m particularly interested in.”

‘Leo is a friend, after all.’

Reiner’s face brightened faintly at my hesitating reply.

“Then that’s enough. Let’s head in.”

He muttered softly as he began to steer his horse toward the edge of the forest. I was curious about why he had asked that question, but I figured there must be no deep reason, so I quietly followed him.

The forest entrance was bustling with people on horseback. Following Reiner, I navigated through the crowd. Just as we were about to enter the woods, an unpleasant voice came from behind.

“It seems the Young Lady of Kashmir is going hunting with Count Ainheart.”

Reiner’s face, who had been matching pace next to me, instantly turned grim. This was the first time I had seen the usually impassive Reiner show such vivid displeasure.

‘Calm down. Don’t draw your sword.’

Feeling the collective gaze of the crowd, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I turned to face the person whose voice would incite my inner fury.

“I don’t recall granting you permission to use my name, Frama Young Lord.”

The one who stirred up a commotion at this hunting tournament, Audi Frama.

Ignoring my icy response, Audi approached me on his mottled gray horse with a smile. I began to sense an ominous air emanating from Reiner, who was standing guard beside me.

“Please don’t be so cold. You’ll undoubtedly grant me permission in the future.”

‘That little brat.’

I gritted my teeth at Audi, who looked down on me arrogantly, exuding an aura of someone certain of his victory and my future as his romantic interest.

Struggling to suppress my urge to shatter his every word that ruffled my insides, I stared at him with cold eyes.

“What do you want?”

I pressed him for just the essentials. Just meeting Audi raised my battle spirit, making me eager to start the hunt.

“Oh, it’s just that… it seems the Young Lady of Kashmir plans to go hunting with Count Ainheart.”

“That’s the intention. Is there a problem?”

I responded with a cold eyebrow raise. Audi grinned unpleasantly and tilted his head slightly.

“You distinctly asserted that you would hunt solely with your own strength; I was just concerned that accompanying Count Ainheart would mean breaking that promise.”

He clearly assumed I would rely on Reiner’s assistance.

‘How much do they underestimate me?’

As I chewed on the words circulating among the crowd, I barely managed to rein in the burst of fury rising within.

It seemed like Audi had a book titled ‘101 Ways to Arouse the Fury of the Kashmir Crisis.’

“I vowed in front of the sun at the banquet that I wouldn’t accept anyone’s aid. Was my vow inadequate to you?”

I tried to remain calm, but my boiling voice came out. I could endure most things, but the sheer dismissal of my capabilities was intolerable.

“Oh, of course not. I was merely concerned that the righteous knight, Count Ainheart, would find it troublesome if the Young Lady of Kashmir couldn’t catch any prey.”

Audi, shrugging his shoulders, spoke mischievously. His underlying belief was a conviction that without Reiner’s help, I wouldn’t catch even a single animal.

I inhaled deeply with anger rising within me. Audi’s condescending attitude was more than enough to make me clench my fists.

“You should stop insulting the Young Lady of Crisis.”

And just as I pondered whether or not to draw my sword, I was halted by Reiner’s voice, which seemed even angrier than mine.

‘…Reiner?’

Audi, meeting Reiner’s eyes, flinched like a frightened little mouse, and I was momentarily taken aback.

Reiner Ainheart was, how should I describe him, the very epitome of a perfectly crafted knight. Honest, upright, and seemingly unflappable in any situation.

‘That Reiner is angry.’

To be honest, I never imagined that. While I hesitated to confirm his expression, the clearly frightened Audi timidly retorted.

“Ah, Count Ainheart, how could this be considered an insult! I merely…”

“I.”

Audi’s meek protests were cut off by Reiner’s deep, resonant voice. I could feel his previously sweet voice now sunk and rough, and slowly turned my head toward him.

Through the fragrant rush of deep rosewood, the air crackled with tension. It was invisible to ordinary folks, but to me as a Sword Master, the wild pulses of mana radiating in every direction were clear. The lethal aura emanating from the Sword Expert naturally filled the surrounding people with fear.

And for the first time, I saw it.

“I’m telling you to back off, Frama Young Lord.”

Reiner, truly filled with rage.

His lips pressed tightly, fists gripping the reins as if suppressing his fury. An ominous aura spread, alongside a chilling gaze and gleaming golden eyes.

Before I could marvel that such a straightforward warning came from ‘that’ upright Reiner, I realized one thing.

“If you speak of the Young Lady of Crisis in such a manner again, I will not forgive you.”

I understood then just how frightening Reiner could be when angered.

Audi, bewildered by the pressure of Reiner’s aura, could add nothing further, having sealed his lips. Even I, who was stronger than Reiner, felt a chill at his flaming spirit.

‘Wait, I’m the one who was insulted, yet Reiner seems angrier than I am. Although I appreciated him for being angry for my sake, the situation felt strangely awkward, and I scratched my head.’

“Are you worried that the Young Lady of Crisis might seek my assistance?”

“Y-yes? Yes…”

Under Reiner’s cold inquiry, Audi trembled, stuttering. Reiner’s golden eyes glinted sharply.

“Rest assured about that. I swear on the name of Ainheart, I will not dare hinder the Young Lady of Crisis’s hunt.”

The promise made by the future heir of Ainheart, uttered with such integrity, carried significant weight. A silence enveloped the area. Audi bit his lip in frustration.

“However…”

“And above all.”

Audi’s attempt to argue was cut off by Reiner’s firm interruption. Looking down coldly at Audi, Reiner turned back to me.

For a moment, I was at a loss for words under the steady gaze of his golden eyes. Two eyes filled with unwavering trust and blind affection. The depth and intensity of his gaze made my heart sink.

The Sword Expert Reiner wasn’t stronger than me, a Sword Master. He didn’t possess the overwhelming power of the Pope El or the King Leo. After all, he was merely a viscount. He wasn’t as socially adept as the Crown Prince Diego.

“Young Lady of Crisis doesn’t need my help. You are more than capable of handling this on your own.”

But Reiner Ainheart was, more than anyone I knew, a person in whom I found unwavering righteousness and trust.

The certainty emanating from his low voice, the belief shining in his eyes quelled my simmering anger and filled my previously cold heart with warmth.

‘What a truly good person.’

I smiled gently. That Reiner, once my savior in childhood, had become such a wonderful person and appeared before me now felt like a reassurance that my troubled youth hadn’t been in vain.

“Ainheart’s words are indeed correct.”

With a confident smile adorning my lips, I steered my horse boldly toward Audi, clearly proclaiming to his bewildered expression.

“I am sure I can win this wager against you solely on my own strength.”

The black calamity does not require a prince on a white horse to escape peril.

There was simply a comrade to weather the crisis and help me through it.

“Are you alright?”

How long had it been since we entered the woods, leaving the clamorous surroundings behind? Only when I reached a point where I couldn’t see the clearing behind us did Reiner finally speak.

‘Why ask if I’m suddenly alright?’

I took a long look at Reiner, who had remained silent up until now and suddenly asked an inexplicable question. Reading the inquiry on my face, he added more.

“Did Frama Young Lord act disrespectfully? I was just concerned that you might not want to go hunting with me because of that.”

“It was indeed unpleasant, but… why would you think that would lead me to not want to hunt with you?”

Audi’s rudeness and hunting with Reiner were separate matters. Narrowing my eyes, I tilted my head as Reiner hung his head in contemplation.

“…Either way, I am the reason you had to endure such an insult.

I apologize if my invitation to accompany me led to you hearing those remarks.”

I blinked slowly. It seemed Reiner was feeling guilt regarding what had just occurred. Observing how troubled he appeared, even more than I, I could not help but chuckle softly.

“You are quite kind, Count.”

“…Huh?”

At my brief comment, Reiner’s face rapidly turned crimson.

 

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