Marriage…
Thinking about it in detail makes me feel uneasy.
Can I really live well with Tristan?
With someone who doesn't like me, and whom I don't like either.
Sure, that's how marriages were arranged during the Joseon Dynasty, but I'm a person of the 21st century.
If we ever fight, would I even be able to assert my opinions to a member of the royal family?
For a moment, I imagined myself arguing with Tristan across the dinner table—
And the moment I pictured his face as he pulled back the bowstring earlier, all my thoughts came to a halt.
What do I do?
'I feel like I'd forget my anger just by looking at his face.'
Why does this guy have to be unnecessarily good-looking?!
Calm down. People don't live by looks alone. Just one conversation with that perpetually rude man, and my fantasies will surely shatter.
To experience his temper sooner, I started toward the banquet hall but stopped in my tracks.
'What about Maria? Will she be okay?'
This was the exact moment in the original story when a minor antagonist went to find Maria.
A noble named Alex sneaks a wounded rabbit into the Meyer tent. Startled, Maria—who happens to be alone—screams, and Alex uses her distress as an excuse to approach her tent. At that moment, Rick, who had been lingering nearby, grabs Alex by the collar and throws him aside.
So far, everything important had unfolded according to the original story.
'Except for the meddling by certain villains.'
Rick wasn't a villain, and his unwavering devotion to Maria is certain. He would undoubtedly try to save her.
…Even so, I couldn't shake my unease and headed toward Maria's tent.
Even if there's a 99% chance everything goes as written, what if this time it falls into the 1%?
An isolated tent, a confined space, a burly son of a marquess, and a lower-ranking noblewoman—
It was obvious what could happen if things take a turn for the worst.
'Maria could end up suffering too much.'
I'll just make sure Rick rescues her and then head to the banquet hall.
***
Even though evening was approaching, the summer sun kept the surroundings as bright as afternoon. I hid in the shadows of the tall trees.
A young maid stepped out of the tent first and asked Maria, "Are you sure it's okay for me to leave first?"
"It's fine. Go quickly, help with the meal service, and eat while you can. If you wait until after the banquet, all that'll be left are tasteless leftovers. That's how big parties always are."
"Understood. Thank you!"
The maid bowed and scurried off.
I couldn't help but admire Maria's kind nature.
People who make sure others get good food are truly good people.
'I hope you'll be happy…'
As I silently made that wish, I nibbled on the snacks I'd brought earlier.
The tea party refreshments, said to have been specially ordered by the royal family, were truly delicious.
***
When the shadows grew deeper, I heard the sound of rustling footsteps.
I tensed up immediately.
'That b@stard's here.'
The white rabbit struggling in his arms made him easy to recognize.
Alex—whatever his last name was—the son of a marquess.
He kept glancing back as he approached the Meyer tent. The nearest tent was dozens of meters away, and with everyone heading to the banquet, the area must've seemed deserted.
Once he confirmed no one was around, a sinister grin spread across his face as he resumed heading toward the tent.
As he stopped in front of it, Maria cautiously called out,
"Is someone there…?"
He didn't reply. Instead, he lifted the rabbit high.
Blood dripped from the rabbit's wound onto the ground.
Perhaps sensing danger instinctively, Maria's voice trembled more than before.
"Who's there?"
Alex reached out to the tent's entrance.
Those few seconds felt like an eternity. I strained my senses, searching for any sign of the second male lead.
Rick Rey, where are you?!
Meanwhile, Alex bent down and slipped the rabbit into the gap beneath the tent.
The rabbit tumbled inside, letting out a sharp cry.
"Eek!"
"W-What? What's going on—ahhh!"
Maria screamed, probably after seeing the rabbit's injuries.
Outside the tent, Alex chuckled sinisterly, clenching and unclenching his fists.
I wiped my sweaty palms on my clothes, scanning the surroundings nervously.
Rick, when are you going to get here?
This was the only chance to take Alex down without Maria noticing!
Inside, Maria tried to calm the rabbit.
"Easy now, don't move—stay right there!"
But catching an injured, thrashing rabbit is no easy task. While the rabbit consumed all of Maria's attention, Alex unbuttoned his shirt, stretched once, and reached his hand toward the tent…
Rick, you owe me dinner after this!
I thought to myself as I dashed forward.
The man's broad back gradually came closer. Rick may not be as well-built as the male lead, but he's still a sturdy man. Meanwhile, I'm just an average-sized woman stuffed with flour, butter, and sugar.
Even if I attacked Alex from behind, overpowering him in one move would be impossible.
But humans had tools.
In a moment of urgency, the details of the original story flashed vividly in my mind.
"A hunter must always remember that they can fall into the trap meant for their prey. In that sense, Alex was the worst hunter in this hunting competition. Had he paid a little more attention to his surroundings, he would have noticed the large trap displaced by the rain from the previous night. But it was too late. The role of the hunter had now shifted to the uninvited guest, Rick Rey. Rick, without hesitation, picked up the fist-sized trap and—"
Whack!
Instead of Rick, I picked up the trap from its original spot in the story and struck Alex on the back of the head with it.
Did it work…?
A moment later, the man who had been bending over in front of the tent slowly sank lower until his knees hit the muddy ground, and he collapsed.
In the original story, Rick had lifted the man and tossed him down the slope beside them, ensuring he didn't fall into the tent.
Since I lacked Rick's strength, I had to push him with my entire body.
"The ground, slick from last night's rain, was an advantage for Rick. Graceful as a swan gliding over a winter lake, he carried the scoundrel toward the slope—"
Like a duck. No, like a laborer hauling stones for a pyramid, I shoved the scoundrel with all my might.
The slope was right there.
Below it ran a stream that, while seemingly perilous, symbolized in fiction the "100% survival rate for anyone who falls in."
He wouldn't die.
Just suffer a little.
I leaned into him, releasing the tension in my shoulders, and his body began sliding down the slick slope.
But just before he fell completely, he grabbed my forearm tightly. He seemed to have regained a bit of consciousness.
Like I'd let this stop me!
I bent my head down and bit his fingers as hard as I could.
The taste of dirt spread in my mouth.
"…!"
He flinched in pain, releasing his grip, and his body slid down the slope.
His fingers, now caked with mud, left long grooves in the wet ground as they clawed at it. But the rain-soaked earth didn't hold him.
In a final attempt, he opened his eyes, seemingly to identify his assailant—
I stomped down hard on the slope with my heel.
"Agh!"
Mud splashed into his face, and that seemed to do the trick. He slid down completely, unable to grab onto anything, and disappeared below.
Shortly after, a duck-like squawk echoed from the distance.
Don't worry. He won't die.
***
Almost simultaneously, the door of the Meyer tent opened. I flattened myself against the edge of the slope, listening intently.
"Is someone there?"
If Maria looked down, she'd see evidence of my scuffle with Alex. But, just as in the original story, the rabbit bolted from Maria's arms and darted toward the bushes.
"Oh, rabbit!"
Squeak!
"That's dangerous! Stay with me at least until the competition ends!"
Maria chased the rabbit into the bushes. Seizing the opportunity, I quickly stomped on the muddy footprints to obscure them and retreated.
Sigh. My clothes are a mess.
The maids had put effort into dressing me for the banquet, but now the hem of my dress was soaked in mud up to my ankles.
Should I head back to the tent to clean up?
But then I remembered.
They'd said the head of the Redfield family had used up all the bathwater in one go after falling earlier during the hunting competition. It would take time to fetch more.
With no spare banquet attire to change into, I decided to forgo attending altogether.
'What a convenient excuse.'
But I still had things to do.
Where on earth is Rick?
And I still need to find Tristan…