The hunting grounds would be chaotic with last-minute hunters, so that's out.
The pretty gardens? Probably full of couples trying to create a romantic atmosphere at the last minute, too.
The banquet area with the tables from yesterday's tea party? That's where the ones who failed at both hunting and romance would be hanging out.
That leaves only one place.
'Let's go to the dining hall!'
"Pardon me, my lady, but are you hungry?"
Does that make sense?!
I yelled urgently at the guard running ahead of me.
"Arthur Frosthill is likely there! Tell him a monster has appeared and ask for his help dealing with it!"
"Well, uh… He's certainly skilled, but…"
The guard's voice trailed off.
"We can't request such a thing of Lord Frosthill without the First Prince's authorization."
"Wait, are you saying we need the First Prince's approval for everything in this situation?"
"For us, yes. This is the capital, and we're in the royal family's domain. Asking the Lord of Frosthill for help would be… politically complicated."
"…"
Unbelievable!
The worst part? I understood what the guard was worried about.
'That cursed political game.'
Under feudalism, nobles are technically subordinate knights to their overlords. If an ordinary noble handled a monster, the king could simply reward them.
But a Grand Duke from the north like Arthur? That's a different story. Frosthill isn't just a piece of land the king generously bestowed—it's more like territory the king begged him to manage, because no one else could handle it. Arthur's position is less like a subordinate and more like the CEO of a high-performing subsidiary.
If someone like him resolves a major issue at a royal event, where the royal family is supposed to take full responsibility…
It would embarrass the royal family and put them in debt to a Grand Duke they already find troublesome.
The guard glanced at me hesitantly.
"You understand, right, my lady…?"
No, I don't care! Tristan is in danger!
I kicked off my shoes and darted past the guard.
"Lady Redfield!" he shouted, trying to chase me, but quickly let out a pained cry like someone stepping on LEGO. He must've stepped on my discarded shoe. Sorry!
At the far end of the dining hall, I saw Arthur's black hair sticking out, just as I'd expected.
"Lord Arthur!"
Arthur, who had been enjoying some snacks served by the maids, looked up in surprise.
"Lady Dory? What on earth—what happened?"
Noticing my bare feet, he jumped up, quickly realizing that something serious was going on.
"A monster has appeared! The guards are evacuating people, and Prince Tristan is facing it alone!"
"A monster? I'll head there immediately. Lead the way!"
"There's no time! Go to the second small plaza at the campgrounds first. From there, you'll be able to assess the situation—Kyaaa!"
"Pardon me, but please allow me to carry you!"
Arthur swept me up with one arm and started running.
The position felt like that of a ventriloquist holding a puppet.
Embarrassing, for sure… but at least it wouldn't lead to awkward misunderstandings if Maria saw us.
It was also efficient for giving directions.
"That way!"
"Understood!"
While running, Arthur gripped the hilt of his sword with his free hand.
As we dashed down the path, we passed the same guard from earlier. Thankfully, he didn't try to stop us with another "We need the First Prince's authorization!" Instead, he simply pretended not to see us—a classic case of bureaucratic avoidance.
Fine, survive however you can, little man.
As he ran, Arthur spoke.
"Now that you mention it, I did notice many guards heading toward where the First and Second Princes are. I thought it was for the closing ceremony preparations, but it must've been to protect them."
"When did that happen?"
"Just a few minutes ago."
"Ha…"
These people, really! I told them to go deal with the monster, and they prioritized running to the princes instead?
It's so blatant who they think is more important, and it's infuriating.
As much as the frustration boiled in my stomach, worry surged even more.
I prayed Tristan hadn't been seriously hurt.
You're supposed to be the kind of guy who only takes on fights you think you can win, even if you're strong in the original storyline. So why would you step in front of a monster?
Please, just live the way you've always lived—don't suddenly decide to be noble!
'Hopefully, all that bravado earlier was just for show, and you cowardly hid after I left!'
That's what I wished.
But as we approached the spot from earlier, the eerie silence made my anxiety grow.
Why can't I hear anything?
No growling from the monster, not even the sound of Tristan in pain.
Could it be…?
"Put me down, Arthur!"
"Only if you promise to stay calm."
"I'm completely calm!"
"…You don't seem calm at all!"
"I swear I'm calm! I'm even calm enough to plan how to escape your grasp right now!"
"No, I can't risk it!"
"Why are you being like this?"
Arthur handed me off to the first guard we encountered, practically shoving me into his arms. The guard, flustered, reflexively grabbed my arm tightly.
I really am calm! I could sing the national anthem right now if you asked! There's no way I've lost my composure just because I thought that idiot might be dead. He's just a fictional character who emerged from a few paragraphs on a page—no, wait, but seriously…
'Seriously…'
I really hope he's okay…
Arthur, sword in hand, advanced forward. Even to my untrained eyes, his stance was a flawless blend of offense and defense. I prayed he could save Tristan.
"…Huh?"
Arthur suddenly stopped and let out that exclamation, causing my heart to drop.
If you're going to say "Huh," could you at least warn me first?!
"What is it, Lord Arthur?"
"Well…"
Arthur lowered his sword.
And then he explained:
"…The situation is resolved."
The bloodied man who stood up at that moment was Tristan.
From his lips came the command:
"The monster is dealt with. Soldiers, handle the corpse… and have the servants clean up the area."
"Your Highness…"
Tristan turned to me and, as if trying to clean himself up, wiped his face with his sleeve. Unfortunately, the sleeve was also soaked in blood, which did nothing to ease my pounding heart.
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
"More or less."
"Let me take you to the infirmary—"
"Arthur Albion, would you escort the lady to where she should be?"
Arthur didn't hesitate further. With squelching footsteps on the wet ground, he led me away from the battlefield, gripping my shoulder firmly to turn me around.
"Your husband-to-be is fine. I swear on my honor. Trust him, as always, and wait at the closing ceremony venue."
I was so taken aback that I was at a loss for words.
First of all, I never trusted him!
Second, he's not even my husband yet!
While I was trying to deny the second claim, Arthur spoke again as he escorted me.
"His Highness is remarkably strong. Forgive my boldness, but I'm genuinely impressed by his skill."
"What? He wasn't hurt?"
"Oh, he was injured, but not severely. In one-on-one combat with a monster, the concern is usually not about injuries but survival itself."
"…"
"Moreover, for someone who has never faced a monster before to analyze it so quickly and neutralize it… the capital is fortunate to have someone of such caliber."
So, he was hurt after all!
Even though this was the first time I'd ever heard Tristan being praised so much, it didn't make me happy—if anything, it only upset me more.
I didn't know why the monster appeared, but what if Tristan's injuries were serious? What if he had lingering effects? Or worse, scars? Knowing Tristan's personality, he'd be devastated.
Even after arriving at the closing ceremony venue, I remained on edge. Not even the First and Second Princes moving upon receiving the report of the monster's death could ease my worries.
***
About an hour later, the situation was somewhat under control. Before the First Prince began the closing ceremony, the details of what had occurred were explained.
Apparently, among the animals imported for this hunting event, there had been an unawakened juvenile monster. It had devoured several pieces of prey at once and awakened into its adult form.
My brow furrowed as I listened.
'They're importing animals just for a hunting competition?'
They're essentially importing them to kill them, yet they didn't even conduct proper inspections?
Maybe I should suggest to Tristan that they at least stick to hunting animals native to the area next time… No, wait. Things were awkward between us after our last argument.
Idiot.
Please don't be seriously hurt.
You're just a stubborn fool.
I don't expect love or anything from this marriage, but could you at least listen to me sometimes?
As I spiraled into complicated thoughts, the closing ceremony preparations continued smoothly.
The crowd, which had been somewhat subdued by the news of the monster, became lively again as they began calculating the hunting results.
Names of participants who didn't catch anything weren't listed, which, of course, included mine.
'If my sister wins the laurel wreath, I'll have to ask her to let me see it.'
Ha ha ha, I really didn't expect anything. If she wins, I'll just cheer her on. It's not like Tristan, who clearly doesn't love me, would go out of his way to do anything for me, right?
But then—
A servant ran up to the secretary by the tally table and pointed to the pen.
"Excuse me, I have something to report."
"Oh, did someone just successfully make a kill?"
"Something like that."
"Go ahead. If they hunted until the last moment, that's impressive enough to deserve recognition! Who offered what to whom?"
The spectators around us perked up, their curiosity piqued—until the servant delivered the details.
"Prince Tristan… would like to offer the monster to his fiancée as her share."
"…"
The secretary held their forehead, clearly struggling to find a response. Eventually, they came up with something.
"Well… While it's not on the list of hunting prey, we could classify it as a mislabeled 'young wolf'. That should work."
But the servant had one more problem.
"Also, there were twelve pieces of prey found in the monster's stomach. What should we do about those?"
"…"