Tristan, dressed in a white uniform, was looking down at me.
"Your Highness."
"You were here, Dory Redfield."
We exchanged names, followed by three seconds of silence.
An awkward atmosphere lingered.
Even though he said yesterday's events would be treated as if they didn't happen, emotions don't just vanish like that. Seeing that annoyingly handsome face of his made my irritation flare up… only to quickly subside. Handsomeness like that is like a never-expiring winning lottery ticket, isn't it? It never wears out.
I wondered what someone with a face like that thinks when they look at an ordinary face like mine.
The awkward silence, which I found amusing, was broken when Maria curtsied.
"It's been a while, Prince Tristan."
"Miss Meyer, I see. I'm glad to see you in good health. Have you enjoyed the hunting tournament?"
"Thanks to Your Highness's consideration, every moment has been filled with joy. Of course, I must also credit the companionship of my dear friend."
Despite all the trouble Tristan caused her earlier in the season, Maria greeted him politely and naturally shifted the topic to me.
"You have business with my friend, don't you?"
"It won't take long. I'll return her to you shortly."
"Go on, Dory."
Maria gave me a light push on the back.
Ugh, this is so uncomfortable. Whatever Tristan wanted to say, it probably wasn't anything good for my peace of mind.
At that moment, Tristan shook his head.
"Not that friend. The other one—the worker."
Rick's eyes went wide.
"Me? You mean me, Your Highness?"
"Is there another worker here?"
"…Understood."
"A rockslide occurred near the peak, and debris has invaded the area around the event grounds. It needs to be cleared, so head to the section at 11 o'clock."
"Yes, sir!"
Rick's reply was spirited, though his face betrayed a murderous expression, like an office worker being asked to work overtime on a Saturday for a weekend retreat.
Looking around, I noticed workers moving one by one in the direction of the opening ceremony. Everyone seemed busy preparing for the closing ceremony.
Tristan motioned for Rick to leave quickly.
"Ah, Your Highness. Before I go, I'd like to finish my conversation with Lady Redfield. As for this rabbit—"
"It's unnecessary. Whether you eat it, burn it, or do whatever else, handle it as you wish."
"…Understood."
Rick attached the rabbit to his belt and walked off. Feeling wronged, I said to Tristan,
"That was a question I should have answered!"
"Anyone caught hunting without permission in the royal hunting grounds should be grateful even for orders like that."
"That rabbit wasn't something Rick personally hunted. He helped drive the game for another participant and received it as an extra—"
"You believe that?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"There were no arrow wounds on the rabbit."
"You didn't examine it closely."
"Most aristocrats use broadhead arrows, which cause deep wounds and heavy bleeding. That rabbit's condition was too clean. It must've been taken with personal weapons… Anyway!" Tristan growled.
"It's just that someone untrustworthy said something unbelievable."
"…"
It was true that Rick was untrustworthy in the original storyline, but hearing Tristan say that made it oddly funny.
Not that I was in any position to defend Rick.
"Alright. Let's pretend that rabbit doesn't exist. I'm not particularly interested in game anyway…"
"No. I will personally catch game—even if it delays the closing ceremony—so just wait."
"What?"
He really planned on catching something?
"Wait, no. You're busy. It's fine, really!"
"I'm not fine with it."
"…Is this about the gift I gave you?"
"No. …You are my fiancée, after all."
His firm denial was followed by a slightly trembling voice, as if he were making some kind of confession.
What does that even mean? Am I your fiancée or your nanny?
I was debating whether to say something when Tristan suddenly jerked his head up and stared into the distance. What's going on?
I turned around, but all I saw were people blocking my view. Before my eyes could register anything, my ears caught someone's warning.
"Get back! Move into the building—a wolf is—!"
At first, I pitied the unlucky wolf. After all, it had wandered into a place swarming with hunters. This was a royal hunting ground, filled with armed guards.
But then—
"It's no ordinary wolf…"
The warning voice was abruptly cut off, and in that instant, I, along with those around me, sensed that something was going terribly wrong.
People began retreating in silence, one by one. The widening path, like a wave, reached us, and I could finally see the "wolf" the servant had mentioned.
I'm not an expert on animals, but normal wolves only have one mouth, right? And they're supposed to be smaller than tigers, right?
"Kee…ek…"
The wolf opened its mouth. Its upper and lower jaws were split into two each, flaring open like petals. Every single jagged tooth, sharp as thorns, was smeared with blood—evidence that it had already claimed a victim.
What is this thing…?
Tristan's voice shattered my dazed sense of reality.
"Blue shirt, white shirt. Go to headquarters now and summon guards and escorts."
The two men, who had been slowly retreating, froze in confusion when Tristan called them out. He wasn't about to let their hesitation slide.
"Would you rather I order you to get eaten first?"
"N-no, sir!"
"Leave in three seconds. I'll distract it."
He wasn't bluffing. Tristan drew the sword from his waist. Its sharp blade reflected the light provocatively. The wolf quickly turned its attention to Tristan, now standing right in front of it.
"Grrrr…"
'No matter how I look at it, that's a monster. What are you doing here?'
The creature pressed its massive front paw against the ground. One strike from that thing could easily dislocate a human's bones.
Why is a monster here?
Even if the original story got twisted because of me, it's not like I drew a magic circle or performed a summoning ritual. This is just ridiculous!
'What if Tristan dies?'
The mere thought made cold sweat drip down my back, and my hands and feet instantly turned cold.
The few guards around didn't look like they were protecting Tristan. If anything, they seemed to be seeking protection from him.
"Your Highness…"
Tristan didn't respond. His rapier, perfectly steady, pointed at the monster. It was a weapon beautiful in appearance but specialized only for piercing attacks, given its narrow blade. How long could he hold out with that?
The guards didn't seem likely to be much help either.
Only one solution came to mind.
'I need to call Arthur!'
If anyone could take down this monster, it was him.
But how could I summon him?
If I made a move on my own, I'd likely become the monster's next prey.
As I hesitated, Tristan spoke.
"All guards, begin retreating while protecting the lady and the participants. Immediately!"
At the same time, Tristan's right arm, wielding the rapier, and the monster's massive paw moved simultaneously…
I didn't see what happened next. A few guards had stepped in front of us, blocking my view.
Someone grabbed my shoulder and pulled me away forcefully.
"Lady Redfield, we must escort you inside! As per His Highness's orders, quickly!"
"Alright."
My immediate compliance seemed to catch the guard off guard. Did he expect me to cry out, "No! Your Highness! I can't leave him behind!" or something?
The priorities were clear.
"Did you send a messenger to inform Lord Arthur as well?"
"To Lord Arthur…? No, we're reporting this to the First Prince first! After that, we'll follow orders!"
"…I see."
Reporting to the person in charge takes precedence? Is there no emergency protocol for situations like this?
I understand the corporate instinct to seek approval from a superior, but that's too slow!
'Where is Arthur right now?'
If this were the original story, he'd probably be scaling a cliff while carrying Maria. But relying on the original storyline at this point seems foolish.
Still, I can use the story's character traits as reference.
After confirming his feelings for Maria, Arthur tends to stick close to her. But Maria, not wanting to draw too much attention, often asks him to keep a low profile. Arthur, ever the dutiful knight, usually ends up hiding somewhere out of sight.
If Maria said something to him this morning—like she usually does—then: 'He's probably in a secluded place right now.'
That leaves only one possibility.
"Wait! Lady Redfield! Where are you going?"
"Somewhere important! Someone, come with me!"