What kind of food will be prepared in the banquet hall? There must be plenty of delicious things.
By now, I wondered what kind of time Arthur and Maria were having. Probably a heart-pounding moment at the bottom of the cliff.
Hahaha.
Haha…
'Even when I try to think about other things, I can't forget it!'
My face feels hot.
Why did I look at Tristan's face and cause this mess?
'Though it was a face worth looking at!'
Muttering about how handsome he is, I made my way to the count's barracks. However, the maids who saw me looked flustered.
"Lady Dory? A-are you alright? Your arm… Your hair… Your dress…"
Their confused eyes flitted between the bandage on my arm, my disheveled hair, and the dirtied hem of my dress.
"Explaining will take too long."
It really would.
"My body is fine. I'll explain everything to my family. Could you help me get ready to attend the banquet hall?"
The maids had expressions as sorrowful as employees who hear their boss say, "Check my email and prepare a report for the Monday morning meeting," at 5:40 p.m. on a Friday.
Still, they moved without hesitation, for which I was grateful.
"You'll be wearing the dress prepared for tomorrow's luncheon."
There's another dress? Nobles, seriously!
Natalie's maid quickly fixed my hair. Though my hair ornament was more modest than before, this simpler look felt more like the real Dory Redfield.
Just before leaving the barracks, a question suddenly crossed my mind, and I asked the maids.
"Have you all had your meals?"
"Pardon?"
"I was wondering how you eat during banquets. Surely you don't go without food all day?"
One of the maids shook her head and waved her hands.
"Oh, no need to worry! We brought bread and cheese from the mansion, so we'll manage."
"I see. Then please enjoy your meal."
I quickly bid them farewell. My absence would let them eat and rest comfortably.
But one maid's voice stopped me.
"My lady. Is there anything we can help you with? Seeing your injury earlier, I was worried something unpleasant may have happened…"
"Ah…"
"Of course, I know Miss Natalie is most trustworthy to you, but there are times when someone like us could quietly resolve certain matters."
Her voice was both clear and gentle. It felt like the kind of care you'd give a younger sibling.
"Thank you. But it's something I can handle myself."
"Forgive me for overstepping. Please take care, my lady."
The maids bowed. With a slightly fluttering heart, I stepped out of the barracks.
Wow, what the maid said just now sounded like a line from a thriller movie—something like, 'We'll dirty our hands for you.'
Though, in reality, it probably just meant they'd help as much as they could.
'Thanks for the offer.'
Not that I've done anything deserving of such loyalty.
'I should bring them some snacks later.'
But first, there was someone I had to prioritize before the maids.
Before entering the banquet hall, I asked a maid carrying food to deliver some simple finger food to the royal infirmary.
Alright, the humane thing was done.
Time to start the real task.
I began by making an appearance before my father.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"Of course, I am. I won't stop hunting until I catch a fox to gift your mother!"
Is he planning to stay in the hunting grounds forever?
Next was my sister Natalie. As expected, she was surrounded by men, all busy boasting about their achievements.
"There's no one who got closer to the alpha wolf than I did. Though the beast was startled by the whistle of my arrow and fled, tomorrow I'll surely—"
"You're ridiculous. The animal that fled from your clumsy arrow was a poor basset hound! Lady Redfield, wouldn't you rather hear about the fox I caught…?"
My sister sipped her drink, clearly enjoying their banter as entertainment. She looked like she was having fun.
I decided to come back and greet her again later, assuming she ever got a moment to herself.
"Oh, Dory!"
The moment she spotted me, she stood up abruptly. Leaving behind the spot where the men must've been vying for her favor with flowers and desserts, she walked over to me.
"Sister, you can continue talking with them!"
"I'm bored of it. They only cycle through three lines anyway: 'You're beautiful,' 'Please accept my hunt,' and 'I'm better than that guy.'"
"Our meals are the same—we cycle through meat, bread, and dessert."
"Haha, true. This is exactly the kind of talk I wanted to hear!"
She playfully pinched my cheeks. It felt like I was being treated as a toy, but strangely, it didn't bother me much.
For about three seconds.
"Dory, your outfit and hairpiece have changed since you went out earlier. Did something happen?"
The excuse I had prepared popped out immediately.
"I tripped while going to meet a friend."
"What?"
"It was my fault. I took a poorly maintained shortcut… Later, I met His Majesty and asked him to fix the path. I did get a bit hurt, but the royal infirmary treated me, so no need to worry!"
"Alright, I've already preemptively defended against any possible attacks!"
Thanks to that, my sister looked a bit awkward, as if she had no target to hurl her complaints at. After a moment of deliberation, she shot out an unexpected criticism.
"That 'friend' of yours—is it Maria?"
"Yes…"
"Does that friend know you ended up in this state?"
"S-she doesn't, but it's not her fault! This happened when she wasn't around! It's 100% my fault!"
"Who cares? I'm in a bad mood anyway."
"..."
"Your friend goes to the infirmary all by herself, and meanwhile, you're off having a great time with the most handsome man around? Ugh, how annoying."
"…Excuse me? What do you mean by 'great time'?"
She pointed her chin somewhere.
"Maria Meyer. Earlier, she seemed to be heading towards the secluded garden maze with Arthur. She probably thought she was being discreet, but the young duke is a bit too noticeable…"
"Wh-what?"
"Huh? Why are you so shocked? Is something wrong?"
Something wrong? Of course, it's wrong! It's absurd!
On the first night of the hunting tournament, Maria is supposed to fall off a cliff and spend a PG-12 moment with Arthur!
While I was flustered, my sister squinted her eyes and smirked. She had gone into battle mode.
"Why? Did you have prior plans with Arthur or something?"
"No. I have no interest in Arthur."
"Tch."
"Maria is my friend, and I want her to achieve what she desires."
"Then isn't it a good thing for the two of them to spend time together? What's the problem?"
"There's… no problem."
If this were a novel, there would be a problem.
In a family-friendly romance, the main couple can't just have lovey-dovey moments. Scenes where they face danger together are crucial! Those tense, edge-of-your-seat emotional beats are the climax of this genre!
But since this isn't a novel, their romance might progress normally.
Still, I can't just sit back and do nothing—it makes me anxious.
I need to see it with my own eyes!
Before heading off, I grabbed some food from a nearby table to fill my stomach. My sister chuckled.
"The bakery here is great. Looks like the hosts put in a lot of effort. Eat up."
"Alright."
"Just don't gain weight."
"...I'll come greet you again later."
"Dance a little when the orchestra starts playing."
After my sister returned to her group of admirers, I quickly headed toward the location she mentioned.
What could have caused such a critical event to go off track?
Actually, the problem started even earlier.
In the original story: A scummy noble tried to make a move on Maria, only for Rick to grab him by the collar and throw him down. Maria, unaware of this, headed to the banquet hall.
In reality: Rick didn't show up, so I had to deal with it. Maria… well, that's a whole other story.
At least the outcome of that part matched the original.
Later in the original story: Maria, unable to blend into the exclusive atmosphere of the banquet, fell for a minor character's trick during a game of tag, got lost, and slipped into the valley. Arthur, alerted by the servants' comments about someone falling, went down, found Maria, and consoled her as she confessed her fears of the social world, leading to a heartfelt moment.
But in reality: Nothing dramatic happened. They're probably just… dating.
Where did it go wrong?
No—wait. A thought flashed through my mind.
The path.
With all the rain over the past few days, the hunting grounds were a muddy mess. The author could have thrown anyone down the cliff, and it would have been plausible.
But now?
Tristan's been working the laborers hard, fixing up all the paths!
Maybe that's why Maria, who was supposed to slip during the game of tag, made it through safely.
What's really frustrating is that I might have caused this ridiculous level of maintenance.
Didn't Tristan say: "We're continuing to fix the paths that people walk on. If you want to make my warnings about being careful on the road unnecessary, this is how it's done."
How could I have known that one trivial warning would trigger a butterfly effect?
While I was internally screaming, the maze garden came into view. The dim lanterns placed here and there created a perfect atmosphere for lovers to sneak away for a romantic rendezvous.
It looked so depressing to enter alone…
Wait a second.
Near a clearing just outside the garden, a familiar silhouette came into view through the bushes.
It was Rick Rey, sitting alone on a bench.