A Blend of Romance and Fantasy - Chapter 101

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

101.
Leonard withdrew a scroll from his saddle.
The riddle inscribed upon it unfurled before our eyes.
[ They are verily the monarchs of the Forest.
They contend for the throne without drawing steel,
Offering themselves before the famished,
Forever burning like flame itself.
Seek out this sovereign who returns each year as though reborn from self-surrender, and bring it to heel. ]
“In other words, what we’ve been hunting all this time is the ‘alpha.’ A male stag. And you’re suggesting we substitute a female instead?”
As I nodded, Cedric shook his head.
“Your Highness, it’s true that male and female red deer appear quite similar in appearance. However, one cannot mistake their sex upon examining their reproductive anatomy.”
“I’m not talking about deception. I mean we should make a female the alpha itself.”
Both men wore nearly identical expressions of confusion at my words.
“The alpha who rules the herd is indeed male. But in ‘everyday’ life outside the breeding season, the oldest and most experienced female leads the herd. So if we present an alpha doe from among the females, we wouldn’t be straying so far from the answer.”
“…!”
Their gazes met.
I drove my point home before the two speechless men.
“This Empire is a nation ruled jointly by the Empress and the Emperor. The riddle asks us to find a king, not a ‘male.’ So it’s not a wrong answer.”
Leonard smiled faintly.
“Indeed, that’s quite right.”
“Your Highness, how do you know so much about red deer?”
“Five years ago at the Hunting Festival, the top quarry was a red stag.”
I was grateful I’d thoroughly reviewed the documents Alex had given me.
Apparently, the Former Crown Princess had lavished praise on the beauty of that stag’s antlers at the time.
“Leonard, there should be plenty of red deer here on Witness Mountain.”
“I’ll depart at once.”
Leonard quickly mounted his horse.
Yet his gaze alternated between Cedric and me before he let out a peculiar sound.
“What’s wrong?”
“It seems he dislikes leaving the two of you alone together.”
“…!”
Startled by Cedric’s response, Leonard suddenly wheeled around.
“I harbor no such childish thoughts.”
With that, Leonard spurred his horse forward roughly and galloped ahead.
Watching his retreating figure, I jabbed Cedric in the ribs.
“Cedric, I think that man is heading in the wrong direction. Would you follow him?”
Truly, a miraculous sense of direction he possessed.
* * *
With Cedric’s assistance, Leonard successfully captured a magnificent red doe and descended the mountain.
As Leonard had said—one’s mouth may be crooked, but one’s words should be straight—if he won the first battle, the spoils would be divided: one-third to me, one-third to Cedric, and one-third to Leonard.
“Is this… the answer?”
The moment I presented the red doe, the Emperor’s expression darkened considerably.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“I believe you understand the meaning well enough, Your Majesty.”
Leonard then gestured toward the dead stag lying in my carriage.
“As you can see, my wife ‘accidentally’ caught a stag for this evening’s dinner.”
“Your Majesty, the venison must be delicious, wouldn’t you say? While everyone else competed earnestly for the throne, I hunted earnestly for dinner ingredients!”
A time-tested, universally effective strategy of playing dumb. It would surely work here too.
As I flashed a bright smile and clenched my fists, Emperor Yukal let out a faint groan.
“…You’ve worked hard, Sixth Prince’s Wife.”
“Not at all~ We all bite! Tear! Taste! And enjoy!”
Huff—
Laughter erupted beside me. It was Prince Chris.
“Chris, you didn’t even catch any game. What are you laughing about?”
“Surely I’m free to laugh, am I not? And as you can see, I caught something too.”
Before him lay a pheasant.
Its feathers were rather unremarkable.
He’d probably left his office work near the end and simply shot some random bird with an arrow.
The Emperor frowned and turned his gaze toward Demian.
What he had laid before him was a dark gray mountain buffalo.
“Do you intend to offer that as your answer?”
“The interpretation of a riddle is free, after all.”
“…The first trial of the Succession to the Throne is concluded.”
With Demian’s cryptic response, the Emperor reached his verdict.
“In four days’ time, I shall announce the results of the Succession to the Throne.”
He instructed us to attend the Banquet that would follow the hunt.
Truly an extreme schedule for a homebody like me.
Despite Abigail’s incessant nagging, I downed two fatigue recovery potions.
“Your Highness, potions build tolerance in the body. You shouldn’t take too many!”
“I feel like I’m dying right now. If tolerance builds, I’ll just increase the dose gradually.”
Just then, Leonard entered through the open door.
“Charlotte, this was left in the Study.”
A yellow envelope bore a raven seal. It had to be documents from Hermes!
I accepted the envelope and examined its contents.
“Good heavens! Your Highness, isn’t this the Kedilac Young Master?”
“…Hehe.”
The moment I saw the photograph, laughter escaped me unbidden.
Ignis, seeing me, let out a startled squeak and trembled.
“Ignis, your face looks like you’ve seen a ghost. Who is this Kedilac Young Master?”
“Don’t you remember? At the Empress’s Tea Party, the young lady who slapped my cheek was Miss Cedilac! This is her older brother.”
“And afterward, you went to apologize to Dorothy personally.”
“Seems the lesson didn’t stick.”
Ignis let out a derisive snort.
Dorothy clenched her fists and cried out to me.
“Your Highness, the Kedilac Young Master seemed to have come to this Hunting Festival. What if we publicly humiliate him at the Banquet?”
I pondered for a moment, then spoke to Leonard.
“I think we need to hear Cedric’s opinion on this. Let’s discuss it with him.”
* * *
Leonard summoned Cedric to his Study.
Under the Sixth Prince’s authority, Cedric was able to meet with us safely.
“Cedric, when would be the best time to reveal the truth about the rumor?”
“I wish to follow whatever you think, Your Highness. I dislike being an obstacle to you.”
Why had this man suddenly become so affectionate?
I broke into a cold sweat and averted my gaze from Cedric on my right.
Then I felt Leonard’s gaze from my left.
‘Is this the fate of a reverse harem possession heroine?’
Thinking of how Aurora would call me insane if she heard this, I fixed my eyes on the Chandelier above.
“Revealing it publicly would feel satisfying, but I don’t think antagonizing the Empress would do us any good.”
“…True. The Empress has considerable pride.”
“Right. She’s the type who insists on repaying wrongs in front of everyone.”
Which is why she often ends up suffering greatly herself.
The problem is that she then harbors resentment again. Like a Möbius strip.
“Besides, this Ball was opened by Prince Chris. He’s an ally, so we must maintain courtesy.”
“Then Charlotte, what timeframe are you considering?”
“Once the Hunting Festival ends, the Nobility Council will convene anyway. We’ll bring charges against the Empress then.”
“…She’s certainly committed crimes of that magnitude, so the Empress will be confined to the Palace under house arrest. Then the Duke will naturally find his position.”
“Will that be alright?”
As I asked cautiously, Cedric nodded.
“What about Hermes’s demands then?”
“You mean showing him this record?”
Leonard lifted the documents where Cecilia’s memories had been written down.
“He seems like the type who’ll come looking regardless of whether we show it or not.”
“Let’s try contacting him. If he left the documents after breaking into the Study, he’s almost certainly watching us from somewhere nearby.”
“Ugh, I’m already exhausted.”
I collapsed onto the sofa. Then Cedric sat beside me and poured tea, handing it to me.
“….”
In that moment, I had no choice but to gauge Leonard’s reaction.
“Cedric, thank you. Could you set it on the Table instead?”
“….”
This time, Leonard subtly pushed a plate of cookies toward me.
“Thank you, but I’m quite full at the moment.”
This was genuinely awkward.
I rolled my eyes and quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, have you both finished reading through Demian’s past?”
“…!”
Suddenly, the air in the room seemed to crystallize into rigid silence.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————