novelDon't come to the hunting contest in the forest (8)
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Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Don't come to the hunting contest in the forest (8)
As if she recalled the terrible event at the Botanical Garden of Rajabude Museum, Melissa soon had a scared look of her own because she saw Wendy's cold look.
'Dang it! Why am I seeing this troublesome woman here?'
Wendy turned her mouth up slightly to hide her displeasure. She found comfort in the fact that Melissa didn't recognize her face at once, thinking with great relief that the veil of her hat was more effective than she thought
"Miss Melissa, it's nice to see you again. How have you been?"
"Oh, it's you, Wendy, right?"
Smiling brightly, Melissa pretended to know her. Obviously, she seemed very glad to meet Wendy again.
"Never did I expect to see you here! Actually, I have been wanting to go to the flower shop all the time, but I didn't because you might feel uncomfortable... I'm so happy to meet you in this place, Wendy!"
Wendy turned her eyes to the glass on the table, trying to be indifferent to Melissa's kind words. When Wendy wiped off the white vapor on the surface of the glass with her hand, water drops fell, leaving her hand marks on it.
"Miss Melissa, can you lower your voice a little bit? I'm embarrassed as everybody is looking at us."
"Oops! I think I made a mistake again."
With a straight face, Melissa quickly covered her mouth with both hands. Jean, who was next to her, urged her to avoid telling the people around Wendy's name because he was well aware that Wendy did not want her name to be mentioned to people. When he pointed it out, Melissa nodded. She seemed downcast when Wendy and Jean rebuked her.
"By the way, please call me Melissa! Please call me Melissa. I want to be called by that name this time."
Melissa indicated her wishes to Wendy, who thought that though she looked foolish, there was something devious about her.
"Sure, will do, " said Wendy with a bright smile.
If the people here saw Wendy calling the marquis's daughter by her name causally, it would be harder for them to guess her identity. As Melissa herself let her call her by her given name, no one would take issue with it. So, calling her Melissa was not in any way harmful to Wendy.
But she was worried that Melissa would warm up to her too much.
"I think we had better go to see the crown prince. Will you stand up?"
As many nobles were unusually crowded near their table inside the tent, Lard suggested to Wendy that they should move. Although she didn't like to be around the nobles or meet the crown prince,
Wendy nodded and stood up because she had to follow the prince's order that she and Lard should come and see him before the hunting contest began.
The two left the tent after seeking Jean and Melissa's understanding.
The prince's tent was located far from the tents provided for the nobles. A pure white tent, ornately decorated with red and yellow silk, stood in the midst of the forest. They stopped at the entrance of the tent where the imperial family's crest was embroidered.
"Oh, it seems the emperor is inside the tent now, " he said, seeing the guards surrounding the tent.
"...This is a necessary bill, Your Majesty. Do you know that?"
"Of course, I know. But I have to be concerned about its repercussions."
"That's why I am trying to alleviate your burden. So, please take my side this time."
"Don't you know that's why I'm more worried?"
An agitated voice came out of the shallow tent. Wendy and Lard remained outside.
"... Come to the Kingsbray Palace after the hunting competition is over."
"I will."
"...Didn't you quit playing the violin once and for all?"
"Yes, I quit as you ordered. But don't interfere with me when I play it as a hobby."
"Keep the imperial rule. None of the successive emperors liked musical instruments like you. You should make sure they don't doubt your legitimacy because of that."
Their conversation continued. Right at that moment, one of the guards standing near the entrance of the tent saluted Lard silently and approached them. As Lard couldn't overhear the emperor's conversation, he said to Wendy, "I think we have to postpone seeing the prince."
Wendy nodded silently.
"I've come here to see the prince. So, tell him that I've been here."
Conveying his words to the knight, Lard led Wendy back to the tent where the nobles were.
There, while trying to be indifferent to the curious gaze of the aristocrats and sipping soft drinks, Wendy spent a tedious time recalling the dialogue between the emperor and the prince who she had just overheard.
As she saw only his superficial behavior, she had a very low expectation of the prince. But obviously the prince had qualities befitting his position, given his conversation with the emperor.
Hearing him talking to the emperor, she thought he was very determined.
'That's what the position of the crown prince looks like...' she thought to herself.
She even felt sorry for him because he couldn't play the music he wanted to do, but it was none of her business.
After some time, several servants serving the imperial family appeared and escorted the nobles to a wide open area to the right of the tents where there were tables full of bows and arrows as well as target boards at a distance.
The prince appeared with several imperial knights with a big smile and said to the embarrassed nobles, "Well, nice to meet you all. Welcome to the Burgonu hunting competition on behalf of the imperial family!"
His voice now was so different from the voice he used in his tent a little while ago.
Wendy first noticed his curly, chocolate brown hair.
With his fair complexion and hair, his image seemed to have become more subdued and even mischievous, especially when he laughed like that!
Wendy forgot her sympathy towards him like she did a little while ago, and got upset, recalling his hysterical actions after his forced retirement from the musical stage.
As soon as she saw his face, she instinctively felt annoyed. Such a childish expression on his face also made her feel more resentful because she knew he was faking it on purpose.
"Hahaha. Before you guys go hunting, I decided to help you. You already know that men and women should go on the hunt as a team, and what you see now are my special gifts for the ladies who will go hunting for the first time. Now, ladies, please choose the bow that you like. And with the help of your partner, please learn how to draw and shoot an arrow! Oh, don't worry too much because you'll have plenty of time to practice. In particular, Count Josephine's daughter! Your face has turned so white! You shouldn't be scared even before lifting your bow!"
The dark-haired woman, who was pointed out by the prince, lowered her head as if she was ashamed, putting her hands on her cheeks. There were outbursts of laughter here and there, but Wendy couldn't understand their amusement.
"After practice, I'm going to have the women compete with each other first. Well, I will give the winner the bow of my violin! Ahaha! As you learn archery for hunting and receive my gift, isn't it like killing two birds with one stone?"
Wendy concluded that she didn't need to win.
'Does he think what's valuable to him is also valuable to others?'
It wasn't much different from the round stone her neighbor boy Benfork gave her, saying it was a good viewing stone. Benfork liked it, saying he could draw brown letters with it on the floor, but she refused his gift coldly. For him, it was a pretty precious object, but for her it was nothing but a lump of hardened horse dung. He didn't seem to know if it was still horse dung.
Anyway, his violin bow was as useless to her as a horse dung.
But other women seemed to think differently. They were burning with desire to win as if the bow stained with the prince's touch was a very special souvenir for them because they flocked to the tables to choose bows that fit their hands.
"Come on! Let's go and get one, " Melissa said with a flushed face.
She was obviously anxious to win and get the prince's bow. Wendy was silent, pretending not to know what was happening around her, before walking when Melissa waved her hand at her a couple of times, asking her to come quickly. As if all the people gathered here seemed to participate in a huge play directed by the prince, she couldn't find any sincerity in their excitement.
She approached the women crowded around the table when she was pushed hard by a sudden force and almost staggered. Obviously, someone pushed her shoulders with a lot of force. She barely avoided falling but moved back a few steps.
"Oh, dear! Are you okay? You should be careful."
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