Had he been waiting nearby?
Tristan stepped up to the stage in a single stride.
The young man, whose physique didn't match his light, bird-like movements, quickly captured the attention of the crowd. I was no exception.
'Why does he look so good?'
Just a moment ago, he was the same person I knew, a penniless bachelor.
Does wearing a cloak suddenly make him look handsome…? I wondered, and then I realized something.
It was the fact that Tristan was standing there expressionlessly.
With his attire, reminiscent of a military commander, it seemed like he could raise his hand and issue the command to begin a battle.
In contrast, just earlier, when he was with me, his expression was…
While I tried to recall Tristan's familiar expression, a servant approached and handed him a white bow and arrows.
Tristan lightly grasped the bow, which was almost as tall as I was, and slowly pulled the string. The thick bowstring, like the horn of a buffalo, resisted, making it clear that an immense amount of strength was required, but his face remained calm.
Tristan released the bowstring.
Fwoosh…!
The air split sharply. The heavy sound made it clear that it served as the signal for the commencement of the event.
Having done his part, Tristan silently lowered the bow. Yet, the crowd remained silent, as if they were still captivated by his fingertips.
In the stillness, the only voice was that of the second prince, who stood at the front, not even casting a glance at the stage.
"Move forward!"
The men in the ranks spurred their horses. The brown Thoroughbreds surged forward like waves.
The scene was unexpectedly magnificent.
"Wow…"
The waves split into paths when they faced the forest. Some climbed the ridges, others followed the stream.
In less than a minute, the participants found their hunting grounds and melted into the woods.
The flags dividing the groups grew distant, and the Duke's banner had long disappeared from view. The last group, the third prince's, remained at the rear.
When the final group began to move, those remaining in the open field cheered. Tristan, moving at the back, watched the others prepare to leave and patted the trembling young participant on the shoulder.
It was surprising to see him care so much…
Just as I was thinking that, Tristan turned slightly to look at the remaining crowd.
Unlike his brothers, he hadn't said a word. Was he going to say something to the audience before he left?
But unexpectedly, he didn't speak.
He simply raised his hand and tapped his chest twice.
Before I could even think about the meaning of that action, the horses took off in an instant.
The brown ponies surged out like a receding tide. The remaining participants were hard to see because of the dust settling after the servants had sprinkled water on the ground.
Still, I tried to rise on my toes to see where Tristan had gone—
"Oops."
"Ah! Who are you!"
I almost kicked someone who suddenly picked me up from behind. Luckily, just before a disaster struck, the culprit spoke.
"Who else? I'm the only one who would spoil you like this, Dory."
"Ah, sister."
"More importantly, who were you trying to look for, sticking your neck out like that?"
"My fiancé."
"…You could have said that more indirectly."
"My father."
"That sounds like a really perfect lie, it makes me uncomfortable."
"Actually, I was looking for you, sister."
A second later.
"Ahahaha! You've learned how to live in this world? But do you really think I'd be happy with such an obvious comment? Hmm? Really?"
You are very happy. Just look at your hand throwing me around!
After a moment, my sister set me down and awkwardly greeted Maria, who had been standing beside her.
"It's been a long time, Maria."
"Hello, Lady Natalie. I'm really happy to see you again at such a pleasant event!"
"A pleasant event, you say? You don't look like someone who would enjoy a hunting competition."
Well… just because she's nice to me doesn't mean she'll be kind to everyone.
But Maria is not the type to get easily hurt.
"I'm not fond of hunting. But I'm glad I can experience this unfamiliar yet valuable hunting competition with familiar people. I was worried I'd be alone."
"Don't you have other friends, Dory?"
"Embarrassingly, I've only exchanged names with others… but I'll probably get closer to them through this opportunity."
"I see."
Natalie didn't press further. She only made a meaningful comment.
"In the social circle, it's more dangerous when 'exchanging names' is all you've done."
The meaning of her words would become clear later, at the tea party held on one side of the hunting ground.
After the opening ceremony, the ladies returned to their tents first. When they had quenched their thirst and finished fixing their makeup, the noblewomen who were leading the gathering would send their servants to ask if they would join their tea parties. Then, they'd chat about boring things while eagerly waiting for the evening banquet to begin…
This was Natalie's explanation of the hunting competition.
"Of course, you can stay in the tent. It's also fun to laugh at the hunters who return empty-handed and say, 'Oh! That person is just wasting water!'"
"If you don't join the tea party, my mother said people will talk behind your back. Won't you go, sister?"
"If you go, I'll have to think about it. What if you start crying from loneliness?"
"I won't cry."
If I were to cry, it wouldn't be because of loneliness, but rather because small talk between strangers is always so awkward.
Was it the mask at the Sacred Salon that made it easier to talk to others?
Soon, a servant from Redfield arrived at the tent, announcing that a tea party was being hosted by a countess.
I, of course, agreed, and after some hesitation, my sister nodded as well.
A short while later, we followed the servant toward the tea party location. Beyond a narrow path between large tents, a spacious patio awaited the guests.
The ladies who had arrived first smiled at us reflexively, but I could feel them flinch when they saw my sister, Natalie.
Should I hang a sign in front of her saying "Don't approach, or I'll bite"?
The good news for them was that Maria, who had arrived before us, greeted us warmly.
"Lady Natalie, you're here too!"
"Oh, what a coincidence!"
"Would you like to come this way? The view is beautiful!"
My sister calmly sat next to Maria. As she settled between Maria and me, the other ladies sighed in relief.
Soon, a servant brought over a trolley with black tea, and the tea party began.
Maybe because it was outdoors instead of in a stuffy tea room, the atmosphere felt more relaxed than I had expected.
"Who do you think will win this year's hunting competition?"
"Everyone's saying the young duke, but I don't think so. He's probably never hunted outside of snowy mountains."
"Wow! Look over there, someone already filled up their cart. I wonder who it is?"
I nodded, focusing my attention elsewhere.
What is this egg tart? I'd sell my house just to taste it!
The accompanying pepper sablé cookies immediately woke up my tongue, dulced by the sweetness. It turns out you can combine sweet and salty in desserts other than just salted caramel.
While I was eating eagerly, the conversation groups among the people naturally split. Most of the ladies were just adding brief comments, but some whispered among themselves or looked toward the hunting grounds.
Was that what bothered her?
The countess, who was slightly apart from the conversation, spoke to a lady who had been staring toward the hunting ground.
"Your eyes were shining just now, looking at the hunting grounds. Is your hunter arriving?"
"Oh, no, that's not it!"
"Hmm, you're blushing. I wonder if your parents have given permission for this? It seems there's a bit of a class difference between you and him…"
The countess's voice was so soft, it was hard to immediately recognize the uncomfortable content of her words.
While the lady flustered, the other guests craned their necks to see who the hunter in question was, lowering their voices to gossip among themselves.
Mother always says if you skip the tea party, people will talk behind your back.
But these people gossip whether you join or not.
The lady, trying to show discomfort too late, didn't have the chance to express herself. The countess skillfully shifted the conversation to ask others about which hunters they knew or who they were supporting.
It was only then that I realized the common thread among the people invited here.
'They're all young.'
Except for the countess, most of them were in their early twenties. Even if the countess were rude or behaved unpleasantly, it was hard for anyone to protest due to their age.
Of course, there are exceptions, like Natalie—
I glanced at Natalie, who was softly smiling while observing us.
She seemed quite satisfied with the tea party.
Right. I keep forgetting, but Natalie is the villain! She doesn't care about other people's tragedies!
The countess probably knew this well, which is why she invited Natalie.
Once I realized that, the taste of the cookies felt like sand in my mouth.
Skip the tea party, and they talk behind your back; join it, and they gossip in front of you.
The ladies, initially startled, soon became silent accomplices, unable to stop their own gossip.
Just as I was considering whether I should leave, the countess changed her target.