Chapter 57: The damn hunting contest is just a day away.

The damn hunting contest is just a day away.

I was awakened by maids from the dawn of the day and forced to get rid of the dirt and polish.

It was because of the eve festival held at the hunting ground inside the palace. This time, it was going to be even larger than other times because a large number of royalty and aristocrats from other countries also participated.

Secondly pickled in flavor oil, I complained with sleepy eyes, leaving my wet hair in the hands of the maids.

"Why do I have to do this? I'm going to tie my hair up and wear pants when I hunt tomorrow anyway."

"So you should dress up more beautifully than anyone else today and get the most prey from men!"

Emily responded briskly. Then the maids, who had stormed into my room since morning, responded.

"Sure, miss!"

"This time, you will be the queen of the hunting festival!"

"That's right! Last year, Lady Kellin won the first prize in the case, and her kids were so proud of her...."

Finally, the chattering maid suddenly shut her mouth. Emily's glaring, glaring glance at the maid reflected in the mirror.

The atmosphere in the room quickly subsided. Now that she has spoken of her master's dark history, she seemed afraid that she might lose heart from me

"Well,I'm not the one did it."

I generously passed the maid's slip of the tongue. And thought about the hunting competition they were looking forward to.

It didn't come out in detail in Normal mode, but the hunting competition here was open to all regardless of gender.

On the last day, there was something unusual about selecting the winner by the final number of game. Even if you don't hunt yourself, you can win the first prize if you have a lot of people.

Of course, hard-to-catch prey such as bears and tigers were scored separately. Therefore, many men would hunt hard and offer their prey to give the woman they liked the honor of winning. It was a kind of courtship.

'While hunting competition is just like a women's game. Are you a manito of love or what?'

Countess Kellin won the hunt last year. It was thanks to Penelope, who had a hard time with her.

The man in attendance drove the game away because of the sympathy that she almost got hit by the Duke's mad dog, or the chimpanzee's crossbow.

'I think that's what the Duke used to teased do with ...'

Sadly, I was not interested in anything but protecting my life.

"Ah."

At that time, one head was pulled. Thanks to it, I was awakened from my thoughts.

"Oh, are you hurt, miss? I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

A maid was fixing it by holding my dry hair up. At my brief groan, she hurriedly let go of her hand and stepped

"That's enough. Go on."

I nodded and urged. And muttered to myself like I was talking to myself.

"Don't worry too much, everyone. I have an idea, too."

"...what?"

"I'll catch it when I get a chance."

The sudden words puzzled the maids' faces.

"What, miss?"

"The woman who has the most prey."

"...?"

"If you watch it in moderation and shoot the woman on the last day with a crossbow and take away the prey..."

"Oh, lady!"

It was a joke to lighten up the mood, but the maids' faces turned black at once. Emily panicked and hurried back to the topic.

"Please don't say such a horrible thing! Now! It's all over now. All you have to do is put on makeup."

"You've got a long way to go."

I mumbled in a lump, but closed my eyes gently as they told me. Being pretty is a good thing anyway, so the early morning makeup didn't end until late afternoon.

I wore a set of white pearl accessories chosen by the maids and a red dress like blood with deep clavicle.

'As expected, This look suit this face.'

Evil things were bound to be beautiful. The image of Penelope reflected in the mirror was dangerously fascinating, as it was set as an image intentionally opposite to that of the normal mode.

The big tail of the eyes, slightly raised like a cat, is strangely colorful. Red and covetous more than anything on the surface, but actually like an apple full of poison.

The maids brought black enamel shoes to match the dress. I couldn't get used to wearing high heels after a long time. As I staggered, Emily quickly grabbed me and asked.

"Do you want me to help you to the first floor, lady?"

"No, bring Eckliss in."

"What? Why is he..."

As if wondering, Emily asked back. I responded lightly.

"Of course he's going to escort me."

"Well, yes! Then wait a minute, miss. I'll call him now."

Emily hurried out, nodding her head with a quivering face. I understood her doing so. Because slaves cannot enter the palace.

But the reason for calling him wasn't actually because of the escort. To see if Derek and him really had a fight after I went. And I'm also...

'Now that I've been carefully dressed, it's time to raise his favorability.'

Soon after, the door opened with a knock.

"Lady, I've got your escort."

"Come in."

Following Emily, Eckliss entered the room.

"Master..."

He suddenly stopped walking when his eyes met with me, who was looking at him in a drowsy position with my chin on the table.

The gray eyes shook violently once. It was clear that it was because of my appearance dressed up to the most

[Favorability 50%]

Unlike before, I immediately smiled with a slight rise in favor.

"Emily, you need to go down first with my crossbow case."

"Are you going to take it today?"

"I thought I'd better put it in Cabana in advance."

"Yes, I will, miss."

After a while, she left the room with a crossbow case.

"Come closer, Eckliss."

I tapped a few fingers on the table. Stiff with a blank face, he managed to pull himself together and walked slowly toward me.

Eckliss's stopped with a few steps left from the table.

"Closer."

Once again, as he lifted his head, he narrowed the distance without a word and came close to me.

"Kneel down."

Despite a rather abrupt and coercive order, Eckliss boiled his knees before me without delay.

I reached out my hand and gently wrapped it around his chin. I didn't even bump into Derek a few days ago, so I needed to check in detail.

Fortunately, there were no scratches on the smooth skin.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

Contrary to the rude touch of turning my chin around, I asked in a gentle manner.

'Because you can see the face, you can swoop over and pat yourself.'

Eckliss, who looked at me still, nodded slightly when I finally stopped moving.

"You didn't fight, I guess."

"... ...the master left, and then the leader left."

As soon as he noticed what I was curious about, he gently confessed what happened afterwards.

"Were you worried?"

It was the same question as before. Then I gladly answered yes.

Perhaps I liked it quite a bit, but the gray eyes stared blankly at me. The look seemed to force me to answer yes, immediately.

But when he showed unexpected hostility, my heart was pounding, so I picked up a whip instead of a carrot.

"From now on, don't be so reckless."

A harsh voice came out as if to scold the dog for committing a mistake.

"You said you could do it, but you want to be kicked out before you're even admitted to stay here?"

"He's the first one who..."

"What do you mean him."

I warned coldly, raising the hand that was holding his chin.

"The first brother is the one who will let you pass, do he look as generous as I am, to you?"

"....."

Eckliss's eyes, which were refuting as if they were unfair, dropped a little. An expressionless face was the same as usual, but a subtly sullen face somewhere. Of course, it may be an illusion.

I looked at the white writing clearly floating on his head and said in a relaxed, soft voice.

"I want you to stay with me for a long time."

Eckliss should not be kicked out of the Dukedom until his favorability is complete. So I can escape.

"Then you'll have to exclude him from your personal hostility."

"....."

"It means don't vent your resentment toward the empire on him."

It wasn't just that Derek and Eckliss might die in the struggle.

-How that shallow savage teaches the only princess of the empire how to hold a bow.

As soon as I heard Eckliss say so, I suddenly remembered clearly the memory of a rainy day. He who wields a wooden sword in the air as if to kill anyone, and his sword, which was pushed close next to my neck.

Eckliss seemed to be in awe of me for bringing him in and taking care of him, but at the same time vehemently loathe that I was being rolled into the clutches of the Empire.

For a successful escape, Eckliss's should not continue to harbor such a treacherous mind.

'I have to make sure that I have a whole crush on him.'

So I needed to remind him once or twice.

"Do you hate me for buying you? Do you think an auction house would be better than staying here and being looked down on?"

"....."

"I need someone useful to me. If you don't like it and I'm forcing you, I'll give you this Ruby Ring. You can leave anytime."

I always acted as if I'd taken out a Ruby Ring stuck in my left index finger right away. It was a super-stronger. If he really goes, then you have to change your posture and apologize.

But playing Normal mode, I knew it well. He accepted Penelope's all-out exploits and annoyances, but stayed with the Duke until the end.

For there was no place for the slaves of the defeated country to go, nor to feel as peaceful as the dukedom gave him.

"...Master."

Eckliss' pupils shook once as I pulled out the ruby ring and handed it over. As expected, he did not receive the ring. Instead,

"I'm... I'm sorry."