Chapter 9

A breeze rushed through the cave, causing me to feel a sudden chill and jolt awake. It seemed to be early morning, judging by the faint blue light filling the cave. The campfire that had been burning all night had gone out, and smoke was softly spiraling from the remaining coals. Beyond it, I could see Callisto sleeping with his back to the wall. I should get dressed before he wakes up. I was still practically naked under the cloak, meaning I could feel the soft, cold breeze acutely against my bare skin. Doing my best not to make a sound, I got to my feet. To my relief, my clothes—which had been set out next to the fire—were completely dry. I was quickly pulling them on, attempting to finish before the prince woke, when there was another cold gust accompanied by the ghostly wail of the wind. Another breeze rushed through the cave, causing my hair to flutter ominously. Pausing in buttoning my jacket, I hesitated, realizing what had been bothering me. The breeze… It was sweeping outward from inside the cave. I squinted into the darkness with bated breath until it came again. The great gust of wind made me stumble back—I wasn’t mistaken. The cold draft was definitely coming from inside. Is there another entrance at the other end? I wondered. If a wind blowing from the other side could be felt from my position, that meant the cave itself was short and likely a straight tunnel. All I could see, however, was complete darkness, which seemed to suggest it couldn’t be that shallow. Wind swept around us, causing the ghastly voice of the wind to cry once more. I rushed to the crown prince. “Your Highness, wake up.” He seemed to be deeply asleep, however, and didn’t stir. I didn’t want to touch his bare skin, but with no other choice, I shook him by the shoulder. “Your Highness.” Callisto’s eyes didn’t open. I realized his skin felt extremely cold under my fingers. Is it because he gave his cloak to me and slept without a blanket? And perhaps in consideration of me, the crown prince was still wearing his damp pants. “Your Highness? Your Highness?” I shook him several times, but he wouldn’t wake. I suddenly grew scared, remembering that he’d also been injured by both dagger and sword yesterday. D-don’t tell me he’s dead! I pressed my ear to his chest. His heartbeat was steady, meaning he was still alive. After removing my head from his chest, I hit his cheek lightly in an attempt to wake him. Well, there’s nothing for it, since shaking him doesn’t seem to be doing anything. I promptly slapped him. “Your Highness! Open your eyes!” I smacked him again, over and over, my soft slaps growing more forceful with time. Of course, I wasn’t motivated by anything other than the desire to wake him. There was nothing else to be done about it. Since the restrained hits didn’t seem to be working… “Your Highness? Your Highness!” Attempting one final time to check if he was awake yet, I slapped him so hard the sound rang throughout the cave. “Mmm…” The crown prince groaned, his face scrunching into a scowl. His eyelids twitched, and then he blinked open red eyes. “Are you all right? Do you feel sick?” I asked worriedly, quickly hiding my hand behind my back. I’d been preparing to slap him again. “Hey…” “Yes, Your Highness?” “Did you…just slap me?” “What? Don’t be absurd! I would never dare do such a thing.” I shook my head, eyes wide. My eyes were glued to his cheek, which was cherry red. “Odd. I was fairly certain someone was smacking my face.” “You must have been dreaming. Please get up.” I shot to my feet before he could put together what I’d been doing and kindly brought him his clothing and armor. Perhaps I was feeling a touch bad for my actions. “This is no time to be leisurely chatting about dreams. A wind is blowing from inside the cave.” “A…wind?” “Yes. I don’t think this cave is shallow, and yet…” Another great gust of frosty wind blew past at that very moment. The crown prince, who’d been pulling on the clothes I’d given him, paused and stared into the cave. “Wait…,” he said, his expression rigid. “Wh-what is it?” “I feel someone’s mana.” His serious eyes met mine. “There seems to be someone else inside this cave.” “Someone’s…in here?” I said, blinking in shock. Rather than being shocked that we weren’t alone in the cave, I was more surprised that the crown prince somehow knew someone was there. That’s pretty scary… Unlike Callisto, whose eyes were flashing with alarm, I wasn’t really worried. If this was a dangerous episode planned by the game, a damned system window would have appeared by now. And I didn’t care if this was one of the surprise events that had nothing to do with the story, either, since the invincible crown prince would no doubt mince any attackers into tiny pieces. “I have to check it out.” The crown prince, having draped his cloak over his shoulders once more, picked up his sword and rose to his feet. However, he grunted as soon as he had risen. “Ugh!” “Y-Your Highness!” I said, this time truly startled as I caught his arm, trying to support some of his weight. He didn’t look well at all. “Your Highness, what’s the matter? Please sit down again.” “I’m fine. I was just dizzy for a moment.” “Maybe your wounds are infected? You look as white as a ghost,” I said, the worry audible in my voice. The crown prince suddenly grinned. “Come, now. The way you were slapping me, I got the impression you’d break out in song and dance if I was dead.” “Y-you knew?” “If we’d been near the palace, you’d have been dragged away for attempted regicide.” “Regicide?! That’s absurd!” I protested emphatically. “I had to wake Your Highness, so I had no other choice…” I fell silent as my embarrassing attempt at an excuse was cut short by the icy wind, which wailed once more from somewhere deep inside the cave. Callisto appraised the darkness with sharp eyes and darted forward as soon as the breeze had swept past. He approached what remained of the fire and struck the flint a few times, causing a new fire to flare quickly to life. Then he took the longest and thickest piece of firewood he’d brought the night before and lit it. His impromptu torch flared to life. “Wh-what are you doing?” “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” “Y-Your Highness!” I hurriedly clung to his cloak before he could disappear into the dark cave. “Is it…really necessary to look into it now?” He arched a brow. “What do you mean by that?” “It might be dangerous. Shouldn’t we get out of the forest first and bring back reinforcements—?” Suddenly, a glaringly bright rectangular window slid into view in the darkness behind the crown prince. <SYSTEM> Hidden quest discovered! Would you like to explore the [Mysterious Cave]? (Rewards: unspecified) [YES / NO] I stared blankly at the notification. I realized I might have jinxed myself with my earlier thoughts—that I wouldn’t need to worry until a system window appeared. The timing of it gave me goose bumps. “What if whoever it is disappears before we can return?” the crown prince said, glancing back at me, no doubt finding it strange that I’d suddenly stopped talking. “No one near the palace is allowed to use magic except the sorcerers under oath. Anyone who disobeys is executed on the spot. I can’t sense much mana, which suggests there’s only one person. I’ll kill them quickly and return.” His sword slid out of its scabbard with a metallic sound as he readied himself to rush into the gloom. I didn’t have time to consider things properly. “I-I’ll go with you, then!” Feeling as if I might burst into tears, I pressed the [YES] button. I desperately wished I could press [NO] instead, but I had no choice. If I let him go alone and something bad happened, who knew if it would cause his affection to drop? And the rewards from every hidden quest I’d done so far had ended up being very useful. “Aren’t you out of ammunition?” the crown prince said sardonically when he saw me retrieve the crossbow from the ground. He seemed to be suggesting I was useless without the weapon. “Two is better than one, isn’t it?” “I think you’ll only be deadweight.” “Don’t worry. I’ve got no way of shooting anyone now, so I’ll just run away by myself if we encounter another assassin.” “Ha! Your impudence never fails to surprise me. Doesn’t the Eckhart family teach their children the proper etiquette for addressing a member of the Imperial family?” the crown prince said, tutting as if I were an unruly child. You started it! I thought irritably. As I straightened from picking up the crossbow, something shiny caught my eye. Huh? Two unfamiliar weapons were lying next to where the crossbow had been: a bloody dagger and a short sword. “Wait…” I realized they were the weapons that had been used to injure the crown prince yesterday. Oddly enough, however, it wasn’t the sharp blade of the throwing knife that shone in the dim light, but the rough-looking hilt of the dagger. But why…? I moved closer, and it glimmered more fiercely in the firelight as if encouraging me to pick it up. I grabbed it, puzzled, and at the same moment, a system window appeared. <SYSTEM> You have acquired a [Dagger Imprinted with Emblem] as your reward. This took me by surprise. Does that mean this is the “Token of the Assassins”? I was staring dubiously at it when the crown prince called out to me, annoyance clear in his voice. “How long are you going to just squat down there like that? If you don’t want to come, then just say so.” “I-I’m coming!” You need to learn a little patience. Taking the dagger with me, I hurried back to him. “Why are you bringing that with you?” “I’ll use it to defend myself since I can’t use my crossbow.” “Do you know how to wield a dagger, too?” the crown prince asked, bemused. I didn’t, of course, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. “Let’s go,” I said instead. And so I went with the crown prince to explore the [Mysterious Cave]. The cave grew narrower and more winding as we progressed. The air was damp from the water sporadically dripping from above, and the breeze blowing toward us was only growing stronger. The icy wind wailed once more, and Callisto’s torch flickered violently when the breeze blew past again. There must really be something inside. I forced myself to continue walking forward, though the creepy sound the wind was making made my hair stand on end. Every time I started to regret accepting the quest, I turned anxious eyes on the back of the prince’s head. Please let everything be all right. Honestly, I was more frightened of his affection dropping than the creepy wind. We’d been walking for a good while, following the curving tunnel, when the crown prince came to an abrupt stop. “Look,” he said. I squinted at where he was pointing and saw a faraway and faint point of light. “That has to be the source. I can feel the mana getting stronger.” Another breeze swept past, this time much stronger than before. The flickering torch finally went out, and we were suddenly plunged into darkness. When the wind passed, the light we’d seen in the distance went out as well. I couldn’t figure out why. “Let’s hurry!” I said, wanting to get this quest over and done with as soon as possible. I wished I could run ahead, but the cave was now so narrow that we had to walk single file, and I was unable to get past him. “I don’t understand…,” Callisto said, his voice puzzled as he continued to walk. “Are you really a noble lady?” “What do you mean?” “Most ladies would be screaming and jumping into my arms in a situation like this…” Realizing what he was hinting at, I scoffed. In your dreams. “Sadly, Your Highness, the tunnel is much too narrow for that. The next time we find ourselves on a wider road, I’ll be sure to throw myself into your arms.” “I look forward to it,” he said with a mocking laugh. Yeah, you do that. Once we were free from this forest, I would ensure that I was never alone with him ever again. I followed briskly behind him, and soon enough we arrived at the source of the light. It was a crack in the stone, much narrower than the tunnel itself. “The edges are sharp, so be careful not to cut yourself,” the crown prince said. He pushed himself through the crack with some effort. Since I was smaller than him, I had much less trouble passing through. When I got to the other side, I found myself looking down at him from where I was standing. Am I supposed to jump down? I wondered, taken aback. He held out his hand. “Hold on.” I stared at him in surprise for a moment before reaching for his hand. He supported my weight, easily helping me to the floor. The strongest gust of air yet buffeted us as a bright-blue light suddenly erupted in front of us. “Ugh!” I squeezed my eyes shut automatically, and my ponytail was tossed around by the wind, feeling as if it might come loose from its tie at any second. The gust died down quickly, however, and I opened my eyes, which were starting to water—the blue light was gone. The crown prince darted forward without saying a word, and I followed, taking in my surroundings. We found ourselves in a pretty large space—a stark contrast to the narrow tunnel from earlier. It appeared to be a man-made room, and there was a round, flat podium in the center. It looked as if it had been carved from a single slab of large stone and stood taller than most grown men. Because of its height, I couldn’t see past it. The crown prince used the jagged rocks around it as footholds to climb on top of it with ease. I followed suit, and when I finally reached the top, my eyes felt as if they might fall out of my head at what I found. “Wait…” In the center of the flat surface was an upright skeleton with no lower body. Its arms were raised in the air as if it were cheering, and there was a large, mysterious scroll clutched in each hand. The blue light suddenly flickered to life around the skeleton, and another gust blasted outward. The blue flash of light blinded us, and a massively strong gust of wind blew past us. “Ugh.” Since I’d only just climbed over the edge after Callisto, the sudden wind caused me to lose balance. My body tensed in anticipation of falling, but a strong hand gripped my wrist firmly. “Careful.” The crown prince didn’t seem at all fazed by the wind, holding on to me effortlessly as he stood steady in place. As the wind whooshed outward again, I held down my hair with one hand and pried my eyes open with considerable effort. “Wait…” There was a large circle surrounding the skeleton on the altar. A complicated pattern began to form inside as if an invisible person were drawing on the floor, and before long the blue light erupted again above the circle. There was a formless energy that whirled around the skeleton like an invisible, rippling flame. It also seemed to be the source of the powerful gusts of wind. The tattered clothing that the skeleton wore fluttered around wildly. “It’s a magic circle,” the crown prince said after gazing at it for several long moments. A magic circle? I stared blankly at the blue light coming from the design, unsure of what he meant. The wind died down again, and the rippling energy seemed to follow suit. The pattern on the floor slowly faded, and the cave was silent once more. “So someone was using magic inside the palace grounds without permission, though they obviously died a long time ago.” The crown prince, who’d been holding my wrist tightly to keep me from falling off, now let go. Sure enough, the skeleton standing in the magic circle looked very old. The cave was a damp environment, though, which meant remains as old as these appeared to be would usually have rotted away by now. Has it been preserved by magic? I was curious how the skeleton was able to stay upright even though the blasts of wind were strong enough to knock a living person off their feet. “Why is there only an upper body?” I asked. Mummies were sometimes discovered in a standing position, but that was only possible when the skin and muscle on the lower body had been preserved. The remains in front of me couldn’t be described as a mummy. There wasn’t a single hint of flesh on the ribs and the severed backbone, and it looked as though it was almost fused with the rock at its base. Peering at it with great interest, I wondered aloud, “Did the water trickling down cause the bones to fuse with the stone?” “The skeleton has remained intact because of residual mana.” “Huh?” “It seems this person used their own body as a sacrifice to the magic circle in order to bind their soul here,” the crown prince said. I realized I’d been musing out loud without realizing it. “From the looks of it, you’ve seen your fair share of bones? You don’t seem all that fazed.” He watched me peering at the remains curiously with some amusement. “Sometimes animals are used for this kind of ritual instead… But this body was pulverized while they were still alive, and they died halfway through the process.” “Their body was pulverized?” I repeated, shocked. Callisto nodded and said grimly, “A powerful life force must be supplied to the magic circle in order to activate it.” “Powerful life force?” I knew nothing about magic circles or life forces. What the? There wasn’t any information about this sort of thing in Normal Mode. And his explanation wasn’t at all what I’d been expecting, leaving me confused. What is this, a fantasy movie? How do you bind your soul to something? After a moment’s puzzlement, I abruptly remembered that this wasn’t reality, just a game world where magic was commonplace, so I needn’t try to find logic in it. “Why…did that person try to bind their soul here?” “They probably wanted this magic circle to operate even after their death. I wonder what kind of spell they cast. Quite a nasty individual, I’d say.” Callisto scowled and added, “For the sake of those residing at the palace, it’s probably a good thing this bastard died before they could succeed.” I nodded. It was pretty terrifying that this random person had tried to secretly carry out some kind of magic rite deep inside a forest on the palace grounds. The crown prince walked around the outer rim of the magic circle, eyeing the skeleton. “It looks like the soul has been consumed and only the mana inside the body remains trapped inside the magic circle. If that is enough to keep the magic circle active after all this time, they must have been a pretty formidable sorcerer when they were alive.” I understood this to mean that the remaining mana inside the dead body had preserved the skeleton. So mana is all you need to preserve a corpse, not some complex mixture of chemicals? Magic made the world such a convenient place. Suddenly, I felt a faint vibration. There was a deep buzzing sound, and the blue magic circle began to reappear on the rock floor once more. It was about to activate again. “It could be dangerous, so back away from it for a second,” Callisto said, gesturing for me to step back. I did as I was told, climbing down from the rock altar carefully. The skeleton’s mana surged from within the magic circle once more in a great blast of wind. Callisto pulled out his sword and plunged it ferociously into the invisible whorl with a sickening crunch. Immediately, a loud booming sound—like that of an explosion—filled the entire cave as the cluster of mana resisted the sword that the prince was using to cut through it. His luxurious golden hair danced wildly in the wind, but the crown prince didn’t seem fazed—he just held the sword firmly in place piercing the rock altar, red eyes staring into space as if bored. Blue sparks began to fly around him. Loud cracking, crunching sounds rang out as the rock developed fissures, beginning in the spot he’d thrust his sword into. The thin cracks widened and spread rapidly, filling the entire magic circle. With a great cracking noise, the violent gusts of wind died away, the billowing mana and the violently surging magic circle suddenly disappearing with a flash. “Phew…” The crown prince yanked his sword out with a deep sigh. There were droplets of sweat beading on his forehead, so I assumed disrupting the spell must have been quite strenuous for him. “Is it…over, Your Highness?” I asked, taking my hands from my ears since the deafening noises had faded. “I’ve destroyed it completely,” Callisto said with a careless nod. “Now let’s find out what kind of spell they meant to cast.” Sword in hand, he strode across the cracked surface toward the skeleton—his targets the arms, which each held a thick scroll. “Hmm.” He paused in front of it and rubbed his chin, thinking, before raising his sword. He looked prepared to strike the skeleton. Realizing what he was doing, I shouted, “Y-Your Highness!” “Huh?” Callisto paused, turning to me. I rushed to him. “What are you doing?” “I’m going to cut off its arms.” “Why?” “Examining these scrolls is the only way to find out what they were scheming.” “That doesn’t mean we have to ruin the remains to get them!” The crown prince’s eyebrows twitched; he clearly didn’t understand what I was trying to say. “So what? Are you going to handle the skeleton and retrieve the scrolls for me?” “Yes.” “Wh…what?” “I’ll get them for you,” I said with a quick nod, excited. I’d always wanted to excavate a human skeleton, and I didn’t want the remains to be destroyed by the crown prince’s sword-happy solution. It had been preserved for a long time in such an interesting position, after all. “Step aside for one moment, Your Highness. And put away that sword,” I said, softly pushing the dangerous man backward. “Ha!” he laughed incredulously but complied, sheathing his sword in one elegant motion. His mocking expression seemed to say, “Show me what you can do, then.” After confirming that he’d moved out of the way, I stood in front of the skeleton and clasped my hands together as I bowed my head. Sorry about this. I need to disturb your final resting place. Archeologists were always the most nervous when excavating human remains or tombs. It was hard to believe for most people, but supernatural incidents were more common than one would think during such undertakings. Sometimes even rituals or prayers were done prior. I’d just finished my silent apology when the crown prince spoke. “What…are you doing?” He was right next to me, peering down at me as if I were some kind of interesting specimen. “I’ll be touching human remains, so I’m just paying my respects.” “Why?” “I wished peace upon the soul of the deceased and prayed that nothing strange will happen when we take the things that belonged to them.” “How pointless,” the crown prince said, glaring at me with a frown. “I never took you for the superstitious type.” I ignored him. A general investigation into the state of things was always required before an excavation. I bent down and studied the scrolls, and the hands holding them, carefully. The paper was rotten and black where it was in contact with the bones, perhaps because the person had died holding the scrolls. Around the blackened areas were deposits of dust, sand, and other debris. Do we have a brush or something? Of course, there was nothing like that inside the cave, though. Oh! I know! I was looking around for something I could use in its place when an idea came to me. I placed my crossbow on the floor and took out the dagger I’d found earlier. Then I grabbed a handful of my own hair and cut it, though I was immediately interrupted in my actions by the crown prince. “Watch it!” His hand darted out to grab my own, the one holding the dagger, and he forced me to spin around. “What the hell are you doing?” Wide-eyed, I stared up at the crown prince’s fierce expression. “I’m…cutting my hair?” “With a knife? It’s dangerous—and nothing’s wrong with your hair in the first place.” “I need to use it as a brush.” “A brush?” I was just about fed up with his constant questioning every step of the way. “Just let me handle this. I asked you to wait, remember?” I said in an audibly tired voice, tugging my hand from his. “I’m busy trying to get this done, so don’t get in my way. Just wait.” “How rude… Are you suggesting the crown prince of the empire is bothering you?” I pointed at the spot where I wanted him to stand, and he grumbled but did as he was told. I tucked away the dagger and took the clump of long hair I’d cut off. The dark-pink hair curled lusciously. It would have been better if my hair were straight… Disappointed, I shot a glance at the crown prince’s blond hair but decided I’d have to be content with my own if I wanted to live. I went to the skeleton again and used the hair to gently brush the debris from the finger bones on the left hand—the first step of excavation being the removal of foreign substances. My hair was too soft to actually scrub everything away like real bristles might have, but it was better than nothing. Soon enough, most of the debris I could see was gone, though the job was far from perfect. I couldn’t retrieve the scroll yet, though. Thanks to the liquid that had oozed from the rotting corpse and the damp air of the cave, parts of the paper were stuck to the bone. What do I do now? The paper could tear if I tried to force it. I needed to remove the moisture somehow first. Thinking deeply, I attempted to find a way to free the scrolls. Since paper artifacts were very easily damaged, they had to be handled with extreme care. The correct procedure would be to move it to an aseptic chamber, apply preservatives, and allow it to dry, but I couldn’t do any of that given the circumstances. I glanced around, hoping to find something I could use to remove the moisture, then spotted the extinguished torch the crown prince had cast aside. That’s it! I allowed my handful of hair to fall scattered to the floor and went to retrieve it. After picking up the piece of wood, I smashed the tip against the rock, and the burned parts broke apart easily. Once I had ground enough of the burned wood into a kind of charcoal powder, I threw the torch aside, crouched, and gathered the powder with my hands. Returning to the skeleton, I began softly rubbing the powder onto the scroll. “What are you doing now?” The crown prince, who’d watched silently as I scurried about, once more edged closer. “I’m drawing out the moisture so I can more easily remove the part stuck to the bone.” He regarded me with an unreadable expression for a long moment before saying, “I don’t see why you’re going to all this trouble. Why can’t we just cut the bone?” “This is the best way to preserve both the skeleton and the scrolls as much as possible. It would have been nice if I had some pincers or forceps, though…,” I murmured to myself, not paying much attention to his ill-tempered commentary. Crouching down and applying the powder with my bare hands, I suddenly wished for some latex gloves—they had been so commonplace in my real world. “You’ve studied archeology?” Callisto suddenly asked, making me pause in my careful application. “I…” I resumed my movements, hoping to appear casual. “I just read a few books about it at home, that’s all.” “An eccentric one, you are. You seem to only take an interest in things other noble ladies wouldn’t be caught dead doing.” “Thank you, I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said through gritted teeth, choosing to concentrate on finishing up with applying the powder to both scrolls. Now all I had to do was wait for the ash to absorb the moisture. My hands were a mess from the charcoal and I stared down at them, wondering how I was going to get them clean. “Here,” Callisto said suddenly, holding something out for me to take. “Wipe your hands.” The crown prince was offering me his handkerchief. I stared down at it in surprise before gathering my wits and accepting it with a muttered thanks. “I didn’t know you carried this sort of thing around,” I said, only as an afterthought, but the crown prince scoffed as if my words offended him. “Ha! What kind of man do you think I am?” “Well, obviously…” …you’re a lunatic. The words I wanted to say came to mind easily. “A…brave crown prince, of course,” I said weakly, just barely managing to hold on to good sense and keep my real thoughts to myself. “I just didn’t think…handkerchiefs were usually carried when one goes hunting. My brothers often forget theirs.” Honestly, I didn’t really know if this was the case. The crown prince eyed me suspiciously but finally settled on saying, “Probably because they know they’re likely to be receiving gifts.” “Huh?” “A noble lady gave that to me before the tournament,” he said with a grin, and I stared blankly at the cloth in my hands. The white handkerchief was now grimy and dirty with soot. I belatedly realized there was a daffodil embroidered in one corner. “Shame, I won’t be able to use it now thanks to you. I unwittingly rejected her feelings for me by letting you get it dirty. Isn’t that so?” The crown prince clutched at his heart in mock agony. He was just trying to make fun of me again, I was sure of it, so I shoved the used handkerchief at him. “Just have it washed, and it will be as good as new again.” “You simply refuse to offer me one of your own handkerchiefs, huh?” he said with a scowl. It sounded as though he’d only offered me the handkerchief to trick me into promising one of my own later, so I ignored that comment completely. “Thank you for letting me use it.” “Why are you so mean to me?” The crown prince pouted, taking the handkerchief with a disappointed expression. You’re the meanest of them all, you jerk! My ill temper didn’t last long, however, once I realized I could probably try my luck at removing the scrolls. I took off my jacket to use in place of gloves since the heat of my bare hands could very easily damage the old paper. Though I wasn’t particularly happy with the arrangement, I was forced to use the thinnest part of the jacket to take hold of each of the scrolls and tug them free carefully. To my great relief, I found I’d been correct in using the soot to draw away the moisture. Though it wasn’t exactly an easy process, I was quickly able to pry them from the skeleton’s hands. I finally breathed, since I’d hardly dared to before, afraid that the paper might crumble. A sigh escaped my lips as I placed the jacket down carefully, the two scrolls wrapped inside. “Are you done?” Callisto asked. “Yes.” “Why are you being so careful? We just need to read what they say,” the crown prince said, tutting and coming closer as I gingerly opened my jacket. Not responding to his grumbling, I studied the scrolls. They were bound with a crumbling red and blue leather string, respectively. Other than a black rotten patch in the center of each, the paper seemed to be in good condition. I saw no signs of mold or damage caused by insects. Maybe the mana preserved the paper like it did the bones? Though I couldn’t be sure until I was able to check inside, the paper was folded into many firm layers, which meant the rotten spots might still be legible. Now that I’d successfully removed them, I expected that they’d be kept in a safe place, since relics like these were usually first preserved, then researched. “Go on, open them.” The crown prince tugged roughly on the blue string on the second scroll. “W-wait!” The knot came loose before I could stop him, and the scroll fell open on its own. “You can’t just—” I was about to scold him angrily about his careless treatment of relics when my vision filled with a flash of light. <SYSTEM> Hidden quest complete! [Explore the Mysterious Cave] <SYSTEM> Reward acquired: [Ancient Magic Map] Accept the reward? [YES / NO] Huh? I stared blankly at the notification. “This…this is a map of the northern forest,” the crown prince said stiffly, studying the map. I turned to examine the scroll and was surprised to see a moving map etched across its surface. When the crown prince touched the map in different places, the image moved and zoomed in to show more details, like the gently waving trees and brush. It felt like watching black-and-white footage. No way. It’s almost like a tablet. The discovery of this odd magical map took me completely by surprise, but the crown prince seemed unmoved. “Our dead guy was trying to create a portal into the palace grounds, it seems.” “A portal?” He reached for the red-tied scroll and unfurled it before I could protest. It was another map, this time showing a location I couldn’t identify. “And this…this is a map of the ancient nation of Valta.” The crown prince’s red eyes slowly grew wider as he studied the map. “A relic of Valta… That is very surprising.” “Valta?” “Yes—the present-day Arkina Archipelago. I suppose you wouldn’t know much about it, since most of the history of Valta has been erased.” I didn’t even know what Arkina was but just nodded along, assuming it was a neighboring country or something. “I see.” “You know that sorcerers often face persecution these days, correct?” he asked suddenly. This was a topic I was well aware of, on account of Winter. “Valta was where that persecution began.” I stared with wide eyes upon processing the crown prince’s remark. “Where…the persecution began?” “That’s right. Back when magic wasn’t as widespread as it is today, several sorcerers came together and formed the nation of Valta,” he said. “They somewhat ambitiously planned to conquer the world. At the conclusion of a fierce war, those who defeated Valta erased it from the map and turned against all sorcerers. I thought the whole story was just another myth, but…this map suggests otherwise.” The crown prince laughed incredulously and waved both scrolls in the air. “It appears this sorcerer was trying to create a portal between Valta and the palace and chose to establish it here, since transport scrolls are limited by distance.” I turned my attention to the skeleton with no legs, slightly taken aback. The crown prince’s theory was convincing. If this ancient sorcerer hadn’t died while casting the spell… Maybe the Eorka empire would have been conquered long ago and replaced with a realm of sorcerers… I pictured Winter and the children in animal masks whom he protected. History had always been a fascinating subject to me, which was why I’d developed a love for archeology. It sometimes transpired that very trivial events were the ones upon which the history of the world hung. “If I knew the activation phrase, we could use this scroll to teleport out of the forest,” he said, interrupting my reverie. He made an annoyed sound before continuing, “Alas, this is nothing but a worthless scrap of paper as it stands. We can still use the forest map to find our way out, I suppose. We won’t be needing this, though.” He tossed the map of ancient Valta onto my jacket. The notification window was still floating in front of me. I stared at it, then at the scrolls that were supposed to be my reward. Will they actually come in handy, I wonder? Regardless, I had nothing to lose by taking them with me for now. In this crazy game, you never knew when something was going to be useful. After a moment of thought, I pressed [YES], and the text shifted. <SYSTEM> Reward item acquired: [Ancient Magic Map Scroll x2] You are able to use the scrolls three times each. <SYSTEM> To use, point to your desired location and yell out the activation phrase. (Activation phrase: Yeta thoo t’ashi poshi) What is with these weird words? I thought, kind of creeped out by the strange text written on the screen. There was nothing to be done for it, though, since I wanted to get out of this damned forest as quickly as possible. “I think…I could activate the scroll,” I said, pointing to the map of the northern forest he was holding. “…You?” “Yes.” “You…you can speak the ancient magic language?” the crown prince asked, turning to me with a skeptical look on his face. I felt a little offended by what his tone seemed to be implying. “Why are you looking at me like that?” “Well… You don’t possess even a drop of mana, no?” “I learned a few ancient activation phrases just in case. Transportation spells are common no matter where you go, after all,” I lied casually. I didn’t actually know if such spells were common, but what did it matter? All that mattered to me was getting out of here. “This is basic knowledge for anyone who calls themselves a noble.” However, I couldn’t stand being snubbed, so I chose to imply he was lacking somehow for not knowing something so simple, and an odd look appeared on his face. “…The education standards for nobility must have changed quite a bit while I was away at war,” he allowed reluctantly. “Well, give it a try, then.” “Where should we go?” “The fewer people who know, the better, when it comes to this sort of thing. I think we should choose somewhere that’s not too close to the entrance of the forest since it’s likely to be too crowded there.” He unfurled the map, studied it carefully for a moment, and then pointed. “Here.” As soon as he touched the map, the image zoomed in, and soon we could see a fully rendered black-and-white image of the forest. A rabbit suddenly hopped into view, and I was once again surprised by how realistic the image was. “The small-game zone,” Callisto said, elaborating on the location he’d chosen. It was where this entire two-day shitshow had begun. I rolled up the map of Valta, tied it closed, and quickly put on the jacket I’d spread out on the floor, not forgetting to retrieve my crossbow as I went. “I’ll give it a try, so keep your finger on the map.” Callisto nodded, despite the suspicious look on his face. Count yourself lucky I’m here with you, I thought with an inward groan, wishing I could leave him behind. Then I said the silly spell: “Yeta thoo t’ashi poshi.” As soon as I did so, a white notification window appeared. <SYSTEM> Would you like to use the [Ancient Magic Map Scroll] once and teleport to your desired location? [YES / NO] I pressed [YES] without hesitation, and immediately there was a blinding flash of light. “You weren’t lying, huh?” I heard the crown prince’s voice, and I opened my eyes again. We were no longer in that stupid cave and instead were sitting in the middle of the quiet forest. <SYSTEM> [Ancient Magic Map Scroll: Northern Forest] You have been teleported to the location through the use of the item. (1/3) “That’s some useful knowledge you possess—color me surprised. You’re nothing like what the rumors about you suggest,” the crown prince said, and as he looked at me, real shock was in his eyes. [Affection: 35%] His affection had risen as he stared. I’m not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not… His backhanded flattery didn’t make me feel good at all. I eyed his blond hair, which was glistening in the early-morning sun, with stony eyes. “I need to conduct an official investigation, so I’ll be taking these,” the crown prince said, rolling up the map of the northern forest. “You do that,” I said, handing him the map of Valta as well. I didn’t really have any use for the maps anyway. Looking around, I spotted the path I’d been traveling on before I’d gotten lost the day before. “Let’s go back now, Your Highness.” I was relieved we had managed to return so quickly without getting lost. I stood and began dusting myself off, as did the crown prince—the scrolls shoved in his pocket. He suddenly put a hand to his forehead and wobbled. “Ugh.” “Your Highness!” I shouted, grabbing his arm to try to steady him. In the cave, it had been too dark, but I could now see that his face was deathly pale. “Are you all right, Your Highness?” How long had his condition been deteriorating? Cold sweat was dripping down his pallid face. I reached out to wipe away some of the moisture and found his skin so cold that I shivered in sympathy. I recalled how hard it had been to wake him earlier that morning. “Your wounds are infected, aren’t they?” “You…told me not to die in front of you. I guess because you don’t fancy the idea of having to dispose of my corpse, eh?” “This is no time for jokes!” I practically screamed at him. The pale prince smiled faintly. “Don’t worry. I’m not dying.” “That’s not reassuring. Lean on me. We need to go back quickly!” “Wait,” the crown prince called, halting my attempts to drag him away. “Don’t go showing your villainous nature now by leaving me to die. Make sure you go and tell somebody to come and get me, you hear?” “What? I don’t understand—” “If you don’t, you’ll regret it when I wake—” He continued to threaten me, voice increasingly frail, then suddenly slumped like a puppet whose strings had been cut. “Y-Your Highness!” I yelled, his sudden deadweight causing me to sink to the ground with him. “Your Highness! Your Highness!” I shook him hard, but his red eyes remained closed. Scared to death, I pressed my ear to his chest. His heartbeat was slow and quiet, unlike this morning. Though I knew a male protagonist couldn’t necessarily die, I was still horrified. “I need to do something.” I stood up. “Your Highness, I’ll bring someone back to help. Please hang on! Do you understand?” He didn’t respond, so I turned and dashed down the path with clenched teeth. I need to get someone, anyone! Fortunately, the area we’d teleported to wasn’t too far from the forest entrance. We’d been very lucky to find the scrolls when we did. I arrived at the fork in the road that I’d seen when I’d first come to this part of the forest, and after that, it took me only a few minutes to arrive at a clearing filled with guards. “Hey! The crown prince…in the forest…,” I gasped, trying to catch my breath as I addressed two of the closest knights. They looked surprised to see me but soon recovered and seized me by the arms. “Lady Penelope has returned!” one of the knights shouted into the tent that served as the hunting tournament’s headquarters. Their cries brought a slew of knights running, surrounding me quickly. What the? This almost feels like an arrest. An ominous feeling of foreboding crept over me. “Listen!” I shouted at the knights, frowning, as they kept a firm grip on my arms. “There’s no time to waste. The crown prince is in the forest, and he’s—” The knights parted suddenly to make way for someone, and I recognized the captain of the guards, whom I’d first seen a couple of days ago. “Penelope Eckhart, daughter of the duke. You’re under arrest for attempting to murder several members of the nobility.” My jaw dropped. I’m being arrested? Out of nowhere? When would my bad feelings ever prove to be wrong? “Marquis!” Marquis Ellen’s aide rushed into his lodge. “The duke’s daughter has just emerged from the forest alone! She was arrested on sight and escorted to a cell.” “Alone? What about the crown prince? What happened to him?” “She provided the knights with an account of where they could find the crown prince, and he was found unconscious and brought to the palace.” “How is he doing?” “He hasn’t woken yet. And if you would lend me your ear…” Marquis Ellen leaned closer, and the aide whispered, “An informant told me they haven’t determined yet whether his condition was caused by poison or by various minor wounds that have been found all over his body.” “Really? Is that so…” The old man visibly brightened. He’d been smart to instruct that the weapons be poisoned in preparation for the attack. He’d searched far and wide for the poison they’d eventually used, even resorting to sourcing it from a faraway desert kingdom. Since the symptoms did not appear right away—thanks to the poison’s slow spread through the body over a couple of days—it was perfect to prevent facing any scrutiny should the attempt to kill the prince fail. Perhaps we’ll be having a funeral soon. Marquis Ellen imagined this joyous outcome before suddenly turning sharp eyes on the other man. “And you left no trace of our involvement? I heard their tracks ended at the cliff.” “Yes. We searched along the forest path and recovered all the weapons we found lying on the ground. As for the Holy Nation of Laila citizens, they’ve been hidden away beneath the empress consort’s part of the palace.” “Well done. And those who have awakened still don’t remember what happened prior to losing consciousness?” “No, Marquis.” “I suppose it’s for the better,” he said, eyes gleaming. He’d put an incredible amount of work into planning this rebellion. The first thing the crown prince had done after returning from war was to scrub clean any connections between the criminal underworld and the second prince’s supporters. It made it impossible to hire assassins as they had done before, leaving the marquis with no choice but to call upon any man of some ambition from the six houses that made up the bulk of the second prince’s allies. The hunting tournament was set as the date of the crown prince’s death, and the selected men were disguised as nobles of the capital after receiving training that would aid them in the assassination attempt. One of these men was a distant relative of House Ellen, Baron Tulitte. However, five or six men weren’t enough to pull off killing the crown prince. This was where the Holy Nation of Laila had come in, their plans conveniently lining up with the marquis’s. Even the empress consort had been prevailed upon to help by facilitating the transportation of their forces through the palace. In the end, he had successfully sent as many as twenty assassins after the prince… —“Wh-what? They’re all unconscious?” Marquis Ellen had nearly fainted when he’d heard from the attendants he’d sent to tidy up after the assassins that the would-be killers had been found unconscious. Thankfully, it hadn’t been that difficult to figure out who the sole witness accompanying the crown prince was. —“She threatened me, saying the crossbow would turn me into a simpleton. It has to be that woman who did this to the baron!” First, there was the account of Miss Gloria Kellen, who’d screamed at the top of her lungs upon seeing her fiancé in such a state. In addition, the duke’s daughter was nowhere to be found. If the crown prince had been responsible, he would have simply massacred the attackers with his blade. The second prince’s supporters had despaired, realizing that not only had the assassination attempt failed but there was also a living witness. However, there was a solution to every predicament. “Now, then… All that’s left is making a scapegoat of Eckhart’s little brat.” Marquis Ellen planned to pin the entire thing on the girl, who was the only witness. Her good reputation was practically nonexistent—people already called her the “Mad Dog of House Eckhart.” It would be easy enough to fool the masses into believing his version of events. His initial plan had been to confuse the issue by having the girl arrested on sight for “attempted murder of members of the aristocracy,” but now the crown prince had also turned up unconscious. Apparently, the deity Laila was smiling down on him this day. “Looks like I’ll be able to deal some damage to those damned Eckharts, too! Thorns in my side, they are.” Marquis Ellen snickered to himself, satisfied. Regardless, though, his first priority was making sure he was free of any suspicion regarding the incident, since he had bigger plans yet to come. In that sense, Penelope—the very reason for this attempt’s miserable failure—was the perfect prey. While everyone was occupied with the crazy girl from House Eckhart, he would send out the assassins provided by the holy nation and have them destroy any evidence. The most ideal outcome would see the crown prince dying because of the poison, but it didn’t matter even if he survived for now. Any accusations he made meant nothing without proof to back them up, just as with the countless attempts on his life that had come before. “In fact, I’ll have her charged with the attempted murder of a member of the Imperial family as well.” By the time the prince awoke, those involved in the assassination attempt, witness or otherwise, would have been effectively silenced. It was the perfect plan, and the marquis burst into delighted laughter just thinking about it. “What about Tulitte, by the way? Is he still acting like a simpleton?” “Yes. He hasn’t recovered yet…,” the aide said. “What a waste of resources!” Marquis Ellen tutted, annoyed. “I spent a lot of money procuring dragon’s blood for him to improve his prospects, but he’s even more of an idiot now than he was before!” Baron Tulitte had never been the quickest, even as a child. It was unacceptable that the empress consort’s family had no male heir to represent the family at large social events. After considerable searching, the marquis had found a distant relative who at least possessed a healthy body, if a rather slow wit. He’d given the man an intelligence potion brewed with expensive dragon’s blood—which was full of concentrated mana—and arranged for his engagement to House Kellen in order to make him a respectable member of the capital city’s nobility. And I thought he’d finally start using his brain… Tsk. Marquis Ellen’s lips twitched. He stood from his seat. “Let’s go see Baron Tulitte.” Baron Tulitte’s lodge was still in chaos. “He’s exhibiting side effects that indicate he’s come in close contact with mana,” said the court physician, shaking his head, after examining the baron. “Side effects? Wh-what is that supposed to mean?” “His body was exposed to an excessive amount of mana in a very short period, which has reduced his brain functions abnormally. It will likely take a considerable amount of time for him to recover fully.” The physician, upon expressing his regret that nothing could be done, quickly left the lodge. “Heh-heh. I s-saw the hunting goddess in the forest. Eh-heh-heh…,” mumbled the baron, drool trickling down his chin. “Please pull yourself together already!” screamed his fiancée. Count Kellen, standing nearby exuding a nervous air, tried to console his daughter. “Gloria, my child, calm down.” “What in the world is happening, Father? I’m humiliated! I can’t bear to be seen in public ever again.” “Gloria…” “Why did you allow that psycho to take part in the hunting tournament at all this year?” Gloria shouted, tugging at her blue hair in rage. Count Kellen couldn’t bring himself to confess that he’d accepted a diamond mine on the condition that he “never mention the affair” ever again. “Heh-heh. Eh-heh-heh. Goddess! Oh, goddess…,” muttered Marquis Ellen’s nephew, saliva continuing to dribble out of his mouth. At that moment, a man stepped into the lodge. “Count Kellen.” “Welcome, Marquis.” “Don’t get up for me,” he said, waving off any attempts to rise and greet him from the two of them. “You’re here as well, Gloria. That’s good.” “We heard a ruckus outside. What’s happened?” “The duke’s daughter has returned,” said the marquis, and Gloria immediately shot to her feet. “Where is she right now?” “She was arrested straightaway and locked up. The gods are on our side,” said the marquis, soothing the girl—her immediate reaction making her fury obvious. “The most important thing now is your testimony, Gloria. Can you deliver it convincingly?” “Of course. I wasn’t even the only person in attendance at the tea party,” Gloria said with a firm nod, shaking with rage. It seemed obvious something had happened between her and Penelope Eckhart, since she was so furious it was as if steam were pouring from her ears. “I’ll leave it in your capable hands, then.” “House Eckhart will retaliate. Are you sure we can handle it? And what if the crown prince wakes too early?” Count Kellen asked, looking worried. The Eckharts were not easy prey. “Don’t you worry. There’s no evidence against us, and the only witness to the entire thing—the crown prince—is dying.” Marquis Ellen’s smile was deeply satisfied as he patted Count Kellen on the shoulder reassuringly. “The emperor isn’t in the capital right now, either. If necessary, we can blame the assassination attempt on House Eckhart and do away with those bastards altogether.” This crisis was turning out to be a good opportunity. The marquis had already fabricated a story to explain the failed assassination attempt. At first, he’d intended to claim that the crown prince, after killing the bear, had gone on a rampage and attacked Baron Tulitte and the other nobles. There were a number of nobles who could corroborate the story, and only one crown prince, after all. Since the incident was to take place deep in the forest without any witnesses, it wouldn’t have been hard to argue that this was truly what had happened. But then the duke’s daughter had appeared, and the crown prince was unconscious, thus creating an advantageous situation for the marquis. “Even if the crown prince wakes up, he won’t be able to derail things like last time. Everything will already be over by the time he comes to.” Marquis Ellen’s eyes gleamed insidiously as he gazed into the distance, plotting. My crossbow was confiscated, and I was dragged away to be locked in a tower located in the northern part of the palace. Thankfully, it wasn’t an underground dungeon—the kind violent criminals were usually kept in. It seemed to be a space reserved for nobles awaiting trial, so the room was quite clean and dignified. I’d have been hard put to describe it as a prison if not for the iron bars that covered the exits. What in the world is going on? I glanced around the room, sitting on the bed with a deep sigh. Derrick will blow a gasket over this… Frankly, I was more worried about Derrick’s reaction than any accusations against me that I’d tried to murder some nobles. —“If you damage the family reputation once more, I won’t let it end with only imprisonment.” He had threatened me with harsh punishment if I brought shame to the family again, and yet here I was. “Ha-ha.” Laughing to myself and resigned to my fate, I had no idea where this crazy game’s plot was headed next. There was one thing I was sure of, however—this whole situation was surely just another plot point laid out by the game. Retrieving the short sword I’d tucked inside my jacket pocket, I could tell that House Eckhart’s influence was at work once again—though my crossbow had been taken away, they hadn’t dared to search me. This was probably why I was able to remain so calm even in the present situation. “A Token of the Assassins…” I hadn’t had time to examine the reward properly when we’d been in the cave. The poisoned short sword that had been used to stab the crown prince was decorated with a mysterious pattern. I had no idea what it represented, but I recognized it as the crest of a house unknown to me. —“Watch it! What the hell are you doing?” —“With a knife? It’s dangerous—and nothing’s wrong with your hair in the first place.” I recalled how the crown prince had grabbed my arm when I’d tried to cut my hair so that I could use it as a makeshift brush. I’d thought he was overreacting at the time, but… Perhaps he already knew at that point that the blade was poisoned. I turned the weapon around in my hand, studying it with a somber expression. In addition to the pattern, there was a small braided ornament attached to the hilt, made of blue silk thread. The sword’s appearance was like a gift from someone wishing me well. “Now then, if I find out which house this family crest belongs to, will I be able to come out of this mess a hero?” I muttered to myself before putting the weapon away for now. It wouldn’t do me any good if someone found out I had evidence of the assassination attempt. At that moment, someone called to me through the bars. “Penelope Eckhart.” In the dim light of the torches, I could see a pair of stony blue eyes. “…Young Lord?” It was, indeed, my eldest brother. Startled, I stood and slowly approached the door. Perhaps it was because of the unfamiliar environment I found myself in, but even though I knew he was going to be angry with me, I was glad to see his face again following the two miserable days I’d spent lost in the forest. I checked the score above his head. [Affection: 29%] The score hadn’t dropped since I’d last seen him, which was a massive relief. “I heard you shot a bear,” Derrick said, presumably preparing to begin his diatribe. “Oh, yes. I was—,” I said, suddenly forced to think of an excuse. “You…you’re not hurt?” I couldn’t believe my ears. My head shot up, and I stared at him in shock. He wore no expression on his face, making it hard to guess what he was thinking. Regardless, I felt as though I might cry, since the first thing he’d said to me was actually something caring, rather than reproachful. Perhaps I hadn’t realized just how hurt I’d felt about being accused of trying to murder all those nobles. “Are you and Father all right as well? And Reynold—” “Reynold left the palace to quickly retrieve the sorcerer responsible for imbuing your pellets with magic. The first thing we need to do is prove that they were not meant for killing anyone.” “I’m sorry. Things got out of hand,” I muttered weakly. My brain, on the other hand, was in overdrive. In the game, the members of the Eckhart family had only protected the “fake” until the real daughter appeared. Their patience had run out in the end, of course, leading to Penelope’s death. Maybe giving him the weapon right now is the solution. I decided to do just that. “Young Lord,” I began, intending on telling him everything that had happened over the past two days. “I’ve been falsely accused. I have a way to prove it. In my pocket—” “Penelope Eckhart,” Derrick interrupted, cutting me off. “There are over half a dozen separate people claiming that you shot them using your crossbow.” “Huh? I don’t understand—” “At the tea party on the day of the incident, you aimed your weapon at the other ladies, threatening to turn them into idiots.” My eyes widened. Had the rumors spread so much already? “W-well…” “Your pellets are designed to create an electric shock that causes a person to fall unconscious and activate a spell that erases their memory. However, Baron Tulitte—Miss Kellen’s fiancé and the nephew of Marquis Ellen—went completely insane after you shot him.” “Huh?” “I hear he won’t stop drooling and demanding to see the hunting goddess with dark-pink hair he met in the forest.” “What?!” My jaw dropped upon hearing this absurd accusation. What’s going on? Does this mean that the blue-haired girl’s fiancé was one of the assassins? I frowned, trying to think. I had no idea which political faction Count Kellen belonged to or who Baron Tulitte was, but I could make an educated guess based on the fact that he was Marquis Ellen’s “nephew,” who was related to the empress consort on her maternal side. “So tell me why you lied to the other women at the tea party, or rather…” Derrick paused. He seemed to have arrived at his own conclusion already. “Tell me what angered you so much this time that you felt you had to take up arms against those noblemen. I need to prove there were extenuating circumstances at the very least so we can try for a reduced sentence.” My mind went completely blank. I’d expected Derrick to ask for my side of the story—I’d assumed this series of events would end with the accusations against me being proved wrong and my past notoriety erased—but Derrick’s words suggested something different. He makes it sound like it’s an established fact that I shot those nobles out of some twisted inner evil of mine. It was true I’d used the crossbow, of course, but I’d been shooting at masked killers, not noblemen whose faces I could make out. I gaped, unable to find words, before finally replying, voice hollow, “It doesn’t occur to you that I might’ve had a reason? That I was defending myself ?” “Viscount Garboyle, who was carried back unconscious by an attendant, testified,” Derrick replied immediately, his tone as cold as ice. “According to him, you appeared in front of them as they hunted the bear together. You claimed you were taking the bear for yourself and shot at them with your crossbow.” “What…did you just say?” “The bear was already attacking them, so he had no way to avoid your attacks as well.” “Ha! And you believe that?” I asked, laughing incredulously. The story was absurd, even by the real Penelope’s standards. How could a single noble lady defeat all those men by herself ? Though I did do just that. If not for the game’s systems, however, the crown prince and I would be dead and buried. “What I believe isn’t important.” Derrick didn’t seem to see things the way I did, however. “The bigger issue is that there is a strange rumor going around, accusing you of silencing any witnesses so that you could assassinate the crown prince.” “Assassinate?” These accusations were getting more and more outlandish. Not bothering to hide my indignation, I said, “And what do I have to gain by killing the crown prince?” “They mean to launch an attack on the Eckhart family and use you as their weapon.” “Young Lord. First of all, I wasn’t the assassin. They were.” I knew I needed to start with the truth after realizing we were straying from the main subject. “I was the one hunting the bear. The crown prince, who happened to be passing by at the time, saw me struggling and helped me to kill the bear and behead it. How could I have possibly shot down all those men on my own? I’m surprised anyone believes such a ridiculous story in the first place. An investigation is bound to bring the truth to light—” “The truth?” Derrick said in a low tone, interrupting me again, “The truth is whether you actually did shoot the bear and those nobles.” I dragged my gaze from his lips to his eyes. “Young…Lord,” I breathed. “Another truth is that the crown prince—the only person capable of corroborating your testimony—is currently at death’s door.” His unfeeling blue eyes made me cold all over. Ah. I understood. He hadn’t had the slightest bit of faith in me from the get-go. “If we call this a mischievous prank played by a stupid, reckless girl, sweeping it under the rug isn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility,” he said. In other words, he was telling me he wasn’t going to help me if the accusations turned out to be true. A hollow laugh escaped my lips. Here I was, ignorant of what he was really thinking and actually grateful that he’d come to visit me. I’d even considered giving him the only article of evidence I possessed. “Young Lord… You never believed I was innocent. No—you never even intended to check whether the horrible things being said about me were actually true.” “…Penelope. Your best option here is to get this dealt with before the rumors get out of hand,” he said, adopting a placating tone. He was merely pacifying his angry little sister in a way he seemed very used to. “That way you can get released quickly. If we pointlessly let this drag on—” “No,” I said, glaring at him frostily. “You’re only saying this because it’s easier for you to make me out as some attempted murderer.” “Penelope.” “I know what you’re thinking—I’m just a crazy bitch who has always created nothing but trouble.” “Wait a second, you—” “You know that if you paint me as scum—regardless of the truth—and use money to silence everyone’s wagging tongues, the public would buy it and forget about this whole thing.” “Watch your mouth,” Derrick said, his jaw tense in the face of my brutal accusations. “We’re in this mess because of you. How dare you throw around such utter bull—” “No, you’re the one who’s doing the bullshitting.” I spat the words through gritted teeth, almost not even meaning to say them out loud. Derrick’s blue eyes—visible only through the bars—widened slowly. At the same time, the number above his head dropped. Affection –3% [Affection: 26%] I watched it go down without any expression. Despite the change in affection, he still didn’t understand what I was saying to him. “What…did you say?” he asked, looking a little dazed. “Go away,” I said. I’d managed to silence him, but I felt no satisfaction. “I have nothing more to say to you.” “Penelope Eckhart,” he said, his voice dropping lower. Affection –2% [Affection: 24%] It had taken only moments for his affection to crumble from nearly 30 percent. I didn’t have any regrets, however. I’d crossed out his name a long time ago. I could confidently say I’d had zero expectations for him, but I was still having trouble keeping my expression free of emotion. “I’ll take care of this matter myself. I don’t need your help, Young Lord. Just leave me to deal with it alone, as you’ve always done. Whether I die or rot away in prison, it’s none of your concern.” “What the hell are you saying, Penelope?!” Derrick was growing increasingly upset thanks to the arrogant tone I’d adopted, but I spun away from him, unwilling to hear any more. I knew my behavior had potentially dangerous consequences, but I had no intention of taking back anything I’d said now. As long as I didn’t die, I didn’t care if his damned score dropped. I irritably turned my back on the door and sat on the bed. I heard his soft footsteps fading away. “Ha,” I laughed, flabbergasted. I was the one who’d told him to go, but he hadn’t hesitated to leave his little sister alone in a cell. Fine… That’s how you’ve always been anyway. When I’d carefully stored away the second present given to me by Derrick in one of my jewelry boxes, I’d actually dared to think our relationship might be improving. Though I hadn’t really tried to wipe the slate clean so to speak, I at least hadn’t done anything more to warrant being called a “stupid, reckless girl.” I’d hoped that perhaps we could form a good relationship as siblings, even if we couldn’t develop a romance like the one the game called for. Maybe having family kinship would have made working toward an ending less painful. I’d been delusional to hope for that, of course. I don’t need your charity. I can handle this on my own. I glared through the bars stonily. At that moment, it was almost as if I could hear one of the red strings of fate that I was clutching snap. After spending a night in my cell, I was given a simple meal early in the morning and led by knights to a meeting room of sorts. They were treating me pretty generously given that I was supposedly a vicious criminal who’d shot seven noblemen without rhyme or reason. I guess I’m getting the VIP treatment. The ropes tying my wrists were knotted pretty loosely, too. They still hadn’t searched me, either, even though I’d been brought to a meeting hall located inside the palace. They must think I’m a completely harmless child without my crossbow. The way their behavior seemed to contradict itself was funny to me. “Announcing Lady Penelope Eckhart, daughter of the duke,” cried an attendant as the gigantic door to the meeting hall slowly opened. My footsteps were audible as the murmuring voices inside quickly fell silent. The high-ranking nobles in charge of managing state affairs were all seated in the hall. As I walked past them with my head held high, I discovered something that made my eyes glitter triumphantly: I could see little plaques in front of each seat that were engraved with the symbols of each family. That’s good. The plaques grew fancier depending on the importance of the person they sat before. I studied them intently out of the corner of my eye and finally found the one I was looking for when I’d almost reached the last of them. There it is! The crest was the same one that decorated the sword. I felt the tension bleed out of me in an instant as I saw who was seated behind the crest, since I was now certain that things were going just as intended according to the game’s designs. I sighed in relief and turned away to regard those in the opposite high-set seats—the duke and his eldest son. The duke’s face contorted when our eyes met; he was likely offended by the sight of his adopted daughter being brought in with her hands bound. Derrick, on the other hand, was expressionless. [Affection: 22%] His affection had fallen another 2 percent since I’d seen him last, which made for a total of 7 percent in lost points. Losing that much wouldn’t spell the end of the game just yet, so I wasn’t overly concerned, though that was likely only because I’d been trapped in this game world for quite some time now. Had this happened when I’d just arrived, I’d have been scared stiff by such a huge drop. I don’t care. At the sight of his dark hair, I turned coldly away. Clearing this episode was worlds more important than the affection of trash like him. “Please be silent, everyone.” A solemn voice rang through the room. It seemed the trial was about to start. There was a lectern placed one level below the emperor’s seat, and in front of it stood an old man with white hair and a beard. “As His Majesty is currently not present in the palace and the crown prince is currently unwell, I will be presiding over this trial as the minister of justice. Anyone who has any objections, please raise your hand.” This was a similar process to how they’d dealt with things while the crown prince was gone fighting the war, so no one spoke up. The game had described the old man as fair and of good moral standing. He was well suited to the task, and I had nothing to lose by allowing him to lead. “Lady Penelope Eckhart.” “Yes.” “You stand here today accused of attempting to murder seven noblemen during the hunting tournament. I must ask that you swear honorably as a subject of the great Eorka empire to speak truthfully for the duration of this trial.” “I swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth,” I replied simply. The minister turned and addressed someone else. “We’ll start with the victims’ accounts. Viscount Garboyle?” A man seated at the far end rose and came to stand next to me. He bowed briefly to the minister and began giving his testimony without hesitation. “The seven of us ventured deep into the gold hunting area yesterday so that we could hunt a bear. We were lucky enough to find one. After an extended struggle, we were about to deliver the killing blow when Lady Penelope suddenly appeared out of nowhere, threatening us with her crossbow and demanding that we hand over the bear!” “Oh no…” “What has the world come to? Tsk.” I could hear people making sounds of disapproval all around. I glanced at the duke’s face, which was now looking more pinched than before. “We tried to reason with her that since we’d come upon the bear first, we would help her find another. She refused to listen. Baron Tulitte approached her to try to talk some sense into her, and the lady shot him without warning!” “My goodness!” A violent, loud bang rang through the room. Marquis Ellen, seated opposite the duke, had slammed both hands down on the desk angrily. “How could a girl behave so wickedly?!” The nobles seated around him all nodded and cried out in agreement. Encouraged, Viscount Garboyle continued delivering his performance with greater pizazz. “While we stood frozen in shock and confusion, the lady took aim and shot at each of us. We all were knocked unconscious. When we came to, we were back at the campground, and my only friend, Baron Tulitte, was…” Viscount Garboyle pretended to stifle a sob, covering his face and turning away. The pieces were slowly starting to come together in my mind, and I began to understand how it had come to be that I was being accused of attempting to murder the crown prince. I observed the proceedings as if I were watching a play. The most effective strategy for me would be to turn the tables at precisely the right moment. Just then, someone stood to speak on my behalf. “I object, Your Honor.” [Affection: 22%] Derrick continued in a calm voice, “Penelope’s crossbow is not intended for killing anyone.” I was surprised since he’d walked away from me without an ounce of hesitation yesterday. I stared at him blankly. “The pellets were designed for use when hunting small animals, and the only magic they were imbued with was a spell that causes its target to fall unconscious and erases the target’s short-term memories. It puzzles me that these men, supposedly shot by Penelope with pellets enchanted in such a way, so clearly remember the events leading up to the attack.” “But th-that’s… Don’t you lie!” Viscount Garboyle shouted, his face going red. It seemed Derrick had found a critical weakness in their story. In the face of the viscount’s rage, he didn’t so much as blink. “I’m doing nothing of the sort. I have the very sorcerer who enchanted the pellets waiting outside in the hall right now, ready to verify my statement.” “Young Lord Derrick. We understand you only want to defend a member of your family, but don’t you think you’re being unreasonable? How are we to know that you haven’t bribed this sorcerer?” the viscount asked. Derrick responded immediately, obviously expecting to hear this sort of objection. “I have the contract we signed when issuing the commission—” Viscount Garboyle cut him off, his voice booming. “And there are witnesses who heard Lady Penelope herself explain that her weapon makes simpletons of its targets! Your Honor, please allow us to hear these witnesses’ testimonies!” The audience murmured. A member of the aristocracy was clearly regarded as more honorable, and therefore their word was to be trusted more than that of a sorcerer, who could apparently be bribed. “They may speak,” the minister allowed with a nod. The door to the hall opened as if on cue, and three people entered. A wheelchair was pushed inside, rattling loudly and filling the quiet chamber with noise. A thin man was sitting reclined in the chair, and a familiar blue-haired lady wearing a haughty expression was pushing it. Countess Dorothea was walking beside her primly. The blue-haired girl was glaring at me, her eyes burning with rage even as her lips were stretched wide in a mocking grin. I could feel the animosity coming off her in waves from across the room. And they call me the villain… I was starting to feel more and more bitter about this whole damned circus. I thought Penelope was supposed to be the worst villain in the game, but it had to be that it was actually this evil bunch, who were trying to have me locked away in prison even though I’d done nothing to deserve it. “Eh-heh! Tee-hee! The g-goddess! Goddess!” My indignation shattered at the sight of the man suddenly squirming in the wheelchair. “Oh, goddess! Eh-heh! G-goddess!” Drool running down his chin, he flailed and reached for me. “S-stay still!” Gloria blanched, grabbing on to her fiancé. “Oh my god!” Looking disgusted, Countess Dorothea backed away. An attendant was forced to come forward and tie Baron Tulitte’s hands with a length of cloth and gag him to silence him. “Ahem. Miss Kellen, you may speak,” said the minister, silencing the murmurs in the room. “Lady Penelope pointed her crossbow at us at the tea party and told us it was enchanted. She said it would turn anyone she shot insane.” The whole time she was speaking, the blue-haired lady glared daggers at me. “Present at the time was the hostess, Countess Dorothea, as well as wives and daughters belonging to many of the noble houses. Isn’t that right?” “Y-yes. I heard her say that, too…,” Countess Dorothea said timidly, glancing fearfully at me. She flinched when our eyes met and fell silent. I smirked at her. Looks like my threat must still be pulling its weight. This was a good sign for me. When the woman with the blue hair had finished delivering her angry testimony, the minister turned to me. “Lady Penelope. Do you have any objections to the facts presented in Miss Kellen’s testimony?” “I do not, Your Honor,” I said briefly. As expected, jeers could be heard immediately from Marquis Ellen’s side. “Ha!” “And after what happened last year, too…” “What has the world come to? The duke seems to be educating his children so poorly.” Suddenly, the trial appeared to be going very badly for me. “Your Honor!” Derrick cried urgently, surging to his feet. “My sister has been sick and bedbound, and she has only just recovered.” I frowned at hearing this. I was in perfect health, and I didn’t like the lie he had chosen to use as an excuse. “And it’s only been a day since she went missing and was found again. Of course she can’t be expected to be in her right mind—” “I’m perfectly fine and am in full possession of all my faculties.” Unable to listen to him any longer, I cut Derrick off. “If every one of the witnesses has finished speaking, I’d like to have my turn now.” “Penelope…,” Derrick growled warningly, but I ignored him and turned to the minister. He nodded, giving his consent. “You may give your statement.” “First of all, with the exception of Miss Kellen’s testimony, nothing that has been said today is remotely true.” The viscount tried to protest immediately. “But th-that’s—” “Calm yourself, Viscount Garboyle,” warned the minister, causing him to promptly shut up. I was allowed to continue without interruption. “And what Miss Kellen spoke of was just a silly joke, the kind you’d expect to hear at any tea party,” I said, shrugging casually as I glanced around, deliberately projecting a cheeky air. “I can’t say I appreciate being slandered in this way.” “S-slandered?” Gloria screeched, glaring at me. “You are completely out of line, Lady Penelope! How is it just a silly joke to aim your crossbow at someone?” “But you were the one who requested I show off my skills, were you not? And I’m sure Countess Dorothea can attest as to whether it was just a joke,” I said calmly, turning to the countess, who was standing nervously to the side. Beaming at her and making eye contact, as if daring her to lie, I said, “In the end, she was the one who laughed the loudest. Isn’t that right? Am I making anything up thus far?” “N-no! Y-you’re right… I did… You did tell us you were joking…” “Countess Dorothea!” the blue-haired woman screamed. The countess stammered with a stunned expression for a moment before eventually falling silent once more. I’d only attended the tea party for a short time, but I’d been there long enough to get a feel for the woman hosting it. She enjoyed making fun of other people, but she was also the despicable sort who never did so openly. That had been easy enough to discern from the way she’d quietly encouraged things but only added little comments of her own. No doubt Gloria had convinced her that this was the perfect opportunity to crush me forever, and she’d come to get revenge for the humiliation she’d suffered at the tea party and lend a hand. However, this was the exact kind of person who crumbles when the roles are reversed. Not to mention, I scared her shitless. The unspoken threat I’d made at the tea party had worked wonders. I couldn’t hide my smile as I watched her standing there stiffly, unable to meet my eyes. “But, Your Honor! You must remember that she nearly shot me last year as well—” “Your Honor. The bear Viscount Garboyle claims he was hunting was my quarry to begin with,” I interrupted before Gloria could attempt to muddy the waters any further. I was completely contradicting the viscount’s claims, and in response, the minister’s eyes immediately gleamed with interest. “Hmm. Continue.” “I shot it with my crossbow but wasn’t able to subdue it completely, and the crown prince was the one who beheaded the creature for me.” “Th-that’s not true!” Viscount Garboyle shouted, shaking his head frantically. “She lies! Everything she says—” “I’m sure we can discover who’s telling the truth by checking the carcass,” I said rigidly. “If, as Viscount Garboyle claims, many men attacked the bear at once, there should be evidence of that on the body, correct?” In response to my suggestion, the minister called a knight who was standing nearby. “We’ll confirm one way or the other right away. Sir Dennis? Go with the coroner and check the bear’s corpse.” “Yes, Your Honor!” Things were going smoothly. Viscount Garboyle, who’d been giving the performance of his life, failed to hide his anxiety. “B-but that’s…th-that’s because we cut the bear’s throat almost immediately…” This new claim was both absurd and self-contradictory. He also seemed to lack confidence in what he was saying, his voice trailing off into a whisper. At that moment, an elderly voice spoke from the left. “But why is it, then, Lady Penelope, that you were in the forest with the crown prince?” So the puppet master finally speaks. Marquis Ellen, seemingly unsatisfied with the direction his pawn’s testimony was taking, gazed down at me with some concern. “As far as I am aware, you and the crown prince have never been properly introduced. I find it hard to believe that you suddenly decided to go hunting together.” I could see members of the audience nodding their heads in response to the question posed by the marquis. However, I’d expected this to come up from the moment I’d heard that I was being accused of attempting to assassinate the crown prince. Even if I had the Token of the Assassins with me, I had to provide a plausible explanation for how we’d ended up killing a bear together, since, in reality, it had been the game developers who’d brought us together. I couldn’t hope to clear up any doubt if I simply called it a coincidence. That would only give those making accusations a chance to find fault in my story. To stamp out any and all doubt once and for all, I chose to employ a painful but necessary tactic. “I had arranged to meet with the crown prince…for a rendezvous.” I don’t want to be saying this. The system is forcing my hand, I told myself, clenching my teeth and making myself smile. “His Highness and I actually… We had…” No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t keep the tremor from my voice. I can’t do it! I was in huge trouble. If I choked and didn’t finish explaining, it would surely cause suspicion. I had to do something to overcome the predicament I’d found myself in, one way or another. “Ahem… We had romantic feelings for each other,” I finally managed to say. “Wh-what?!” There was a deafening bang on the table to my right. The duke was staring down at me with eyes the size of saucers. “Penelope Eckhart! Wh-what in the world are you—?!” “Your Grace, please remember that you are in a court of law,” the minister warned the duke, who appeared seconds away from screaming bloody murder. The duke restrained himself with great effort, silently fuming. I could understand his emotional reaction. His youngest child, who’d been attacked by the crown prince not so long ago, had suddenly confessed to being in love with the same man. I, too, would have gone completely mental in his shoes. “Th-the crown prince and Lady Penelope are…,” someone stammered. My bold declaration had an incredible effect on the audience. The once-silent hall was suddenly filled with noise, and amid the ruckus, I found a pair of blue eyes set in a face stiff with shock. Derrick’s eyes were boring into me, his fists clenched. He looks ready to storm over and grab me by the collar… The affection meter hovering above his black hair blinked precariously, the hostility rippling off him sending shivers down my spine. It would be rather dangerous if his affection fell below 22 percent. I couldn’t help but glance at the gauge above his head. A voice interrupted my worried musings. “Silence! Order in the court!” The minster rapped his gavel against the block, and the murmuring slowly tapered off. “Lady Penelope, please continue.” “Not too long ago, I ended things with His Highness,” I said with a decisive nod, once again adopting an unaffected demeanor as if I weren’t seemingly airing all my dirty laundry for the world to see. “I’m sure those of you who were present on the eve of the tournament saw the confrontation between the crown prince and me over this.” “I think I did see them together…” A few members of the audience tilted their heads as if recalling the incident. Good thing I made a point of being so loud at the time. What mattered most now was making the huge scandal I was concocting seem as real as I possibly could. I quickly steered the story back on track. “After we killed the bear, we encountered assassins who’d been sent after the crown prince.” “But th-that’s—” “As the assassins pursued us, he was injured. There were too many for us to take on by ourselves, and they ended up driving us over the cliff.” The surrounding nobles appeared terribly confused by my testimony, which alleged the polar opposite of what Viscount Garboyle had claimed. I pressed my advantage, turning to the viscount and saying, “I shot at no one but the bear and the assassins. So it doesn’t quite add up how there are nobles who supposedly fell victim to my crossbow.” “Sh-she lies! Sh-she shot me… I m-mean, us…” Viscount Garboyle was stammering so much, it would raise the suspicions of even the most foolish of men. Marquis Ellen wasted no time intervening, his expression rigid. “But there remains something that doesn’t make sense about your testimony, Lady Penelope.” “What would that be?” “His Highness is currently in a coma, cause undetermined. The court physician who diagnosed him said that his external injuries were only minor and that there must be a yet-undiscovered reason for his illness.” “Yes. And?” I adopted a tone that was overly bored, especially for someone who’d allegedly been lovers with the man in question. “If things unfolded as you claim they did, and the crown prince was injured by assassins before falling off the cliff, you would have been forced to wait until a search party found you, unable to move him alone. But both you and the crown prince were able to walk to the entrance of the forest the next day. The prince only passed out immediately prior to when you were found, almost as though…” Marquis Ellen trailed off, tone pointed. You’re suggesting I lured him into the forest and tried to poison him. It wasn’t hard to guess what he was implying. Marquis Ellen seemed confident that no proof of the assassination attempt remained. Well, he’s right, in a sense. If the crown prince had fallen unconscious before we were able to find the magic maps, we would probably still be trapped in that cave even now. A stifling silence settled over the room and was finally broken by the duke. “Look here, Marquis Ellen!” he cried angrily, banging his fists down on the armrests of his chair. “You expect me to stay silent whilst you try to frame my daughter? How dare you imply she conspired to harm the crown prince?” “We can’t be sure she was acting alone, of course.” “Y-you impertinent old—” “That is inappropriate, Your Grace. I’m just exploring every reasonable explanation, that’s all,” Marquis Ellen said with a smile that was obviously designed to provoke the duke. He turned his attention to me again. “Lady Penelope, please tell us. How is it that the crown prince came to fall unconscious?” “It seems as though he was poisoned,” I said, not batting an eye. The look on Marquis Ellen’s face changed very quickly—he hadn’t expected me to be so direct. “H-how can you be sure of that? I-it’s almost as though you poisoned him yourself !” “Well, I’m sure we can get to the bottom of exactly what happened when we investigate the evidence I obtained from one of the assassins.” “Wh-what?” The marquis, who’d been completely relaxed throughout the proceedings, suddenly shot to his feet. “You have proof ?” “Wait, does that mean she was really attacked by assassins?” The ruckus was now louder than ever before. “I-it’s a lie! All lies…” Only Viscount Garboyle was tactlessly trying to deny my words. “Your Honor. I offer as proof a dagger belonging to one of the assassins who tried to hurt the crown prince—” I was reaching for the dagger tucked inside my jacket with my loosely bound hands when my vision was filled with light. <SYSTEM> ~Main Quest: Become the Queen of the Tournament!~ [Third Objective: Expose the Assassins] Would you like to proceed? (Rewards: All Love Interests’ Affection +7%, Reputation +70) [YES / NO] My eyes glinted with glee as I read the message. A seven percent increase for all love interests! Among all the rewards offered for completing the game’s damned quests, this was the most generous yet. <SYSTEM> As this is a Main Quest, the event will be auto-accepted in 5 seconds. <SYSTEM> 5 I clicked [YES] before even a single second had passed. The rewards were great, and the difficulty less than in any of the quests I’d completed so far. I had no reason to refuse. The text in the window changed. <SYSTEM> Select the owner of the [Token of the Assassins] you obtained as a reward from the quest [Protect the Crown Prince from Assassins]. [Options] 1. Marquis Ellen 2. Viscount Garboyle 3. Baron Tulitte 4. Count Kellen The sudden quiz took me by surprise, since I’d just assumed the marquis to be the guilty party. House Ellen’s crest, which I’d seen as I was being led inside, had matched the design on the dagger. But the damned game could never make it that easy. “Lady Penelope. Please continue,” the minister said. He looked worn out from struggling to silence all the noisy nobles, and thanks to that, he didn’t seem to have noticed that I’d suddenly fallen silent. I mentally conjured up the appearance of the dagger in my jacket. Who would be stupid enough to use a dagger marked with the Ellen crest, a weapon that had obviously been a gift based on the silk tassel attached to the hilt? The coloring of the silk had been a familiar blue as well. It wasn’t hard for me to arrive at an answer. Number three! I pressed the option with little hesitation. The person who’d tried so persistently to kill the crown prince was none other than Gloria’s fiancé—Baron Tulitte. <SYSTEM> Correct! Now expose the [Assassins]! As soon as I’d processed this new message, I began speaking. “I would like to submit into evidence the dagger that was used to stab the crown prince by one of the assassins.” I produced the dagger confidently, finishing the motion I’d paused midway through thanks to the system notification earlier. “H-how can you be certain that it is from one of the assassins?” came a stuttered protest. “Its hilt is engraved with the insignia of House Ellen.” “Wh-what?” I lifted the blade so the hilt was visible to both the minister and the high-ranking nobles in the upper seats. Marquis Ellen’s jaw dropped. “If we can discover the origin of this silk decoration, we’ll be able to find out who was responsible for organizing the assassination in the first place,” I continued, gently shaking the dagger above my head to punctuate my words, causing the attached blue silk tassel to flutter. “I—I recognize it… Miss Kellen showed it to me and said she’d just finished making it… Oh my,” Countess Dorothea gasped, then fell abruptly silent after her seemingly involuntary observation, both hands shooting up to cover her mouth. But it was already too late—the cat was out of the bag. “Th-that’s a lie!” “Sh-she’s lying!” Marquis Ellen and Gloria spat their accusations at almost exactly the same time. “How do we know she didn’t shoot Baron Tulitte and his companions and take the sword from them herself—” “I saw Lady Penelope hunting the bear with my own two eyes,” someone interrupted. The door to the meeting room had flown open, and someone strode inside, moving to take the empty seat next to the podium. “Apologies for being late. One of the children in my care had a seizure…” [Affection: 32%] Winter wore an awkward expression as he apologized for his tardiness. Come to think of it…he’s also a high-ranking noble, I guess? I stared at him with some surprise, having not given any thought to whether he was present before that moment. “Marquis Verdandi! Wh-what are you saying?” Marquis Ellen was demanding before Winter could even sit down. “Your Honor. May I present an account of events as I witnessed them?” Winter said, raising his hand calmly and addressing the minister rather than replying. “You may.” Permission granted, Winter stood again and addressed the room at large. “Before Lady Penelope went missing the day before yesterday, I saw her bravely facing down a brown bear by herself in the gold area of the hunting grounds.” “L-lies! Marquis Verdandi wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity—” “Silence, Viscount Garboyle!” The minister slammed his gavel twice in rapid succession. “Please be silent. It is not your turn to speak,” he shouted irritably at the viscount, who had made a habit of interrupting others as they spoke. “Please do go on, Marquis Verdandi.” “She appeared to freeze midway through the confrontation, perhaps because she was out of ammunition. I was about to intervene, concerned for her safety, when the crown prince appeared and killed the bear before severing its head.” This was much too close to the truth for him to be bluffing, which meant he must really have been watching me at the time. The idea of it sent goose bumps shivering down my arms. So I was right. Defeating the bear hadn’t been all there was to that stupid special quest. If the crown prince hadn’t stepped in, there was no doubt in my mind that Winter, Derrick, or Reynold would have. The system only intended for me to fight off the rampaging beast long enough for one of them to appear at a critical moment and save me. This game is insane… As I came to this chilling conclusion, Winter calmly finished giving his statement. “I left since they seemed to be having a private conversation. That’s all I saw.” The room was thrown into chaos once more. “That means Viscount Garboyle was lying, doesn’t it?” one person asked. “So Lady Penelope was telling the truth,” another said. “My god, to think Baron Tulitte tried to kill the prince…” I surveyed the murmuring crowd before glancing at the Eckhart seats. The duke looked just as surprised as everybody else, but it was Derrick’s reaction that really confused me. When our eyes met, his face slowly contorted into an expression resembling rage more than shock. I couldn’t be sure whether he was angry that his idiotic adopted sister had actually been telling the truth, or because I’d supposedly been meeting the crown prince in secret. I was relieved to see, however, that his slowly blinking affection meter hadn’t changed despite the scowl on his face. See? I raised my chin, making direct eye contact with him. I can get by just fine on my own. You can take your so-called “help” and shove it. I was staring at him with stony eyes when the gavel rang out once more. “I will now declare my ruling!” shouted the minister in a dignified voice that carried easily over the din. “An unrelated third party bore witness to the incident in question, and their account matches the testimony of the suspect, Lady Penelope. In addition, the evidence she has presented is incontrovertible.” The room fell into dead silence. The minister paused to take a breath. “It seems those in need of investigation are the seven nobles, including Baron Tulitte and Viscount Garboyle, as well as Marquis Ellen, not Lady Penelope.” “Y-Your Honor! I object—” “The crown prince is still unconscious. This is a deeply concerning case that may lead to charges brought forth for attempted regicide. I command that all nobles implicated be taken into custody immediately.” The minister rapped the gavel against the desk three times, and the ruling was complete. A notification popped up before me. <SYSTEM> ~Main Quest: Become the Queen of the Tournament!~ [Third Objective: Expose the Assassins] Quest cleared! <SYSTEM> You have acquired [All Love Interests’ Affection +7%] and [Reputation +70] as your reward. (TOTAL POINTS: 200) Finally, it’s over! I silently cheered to myself, fists clenched. “I’ll have to write to His Majesty and inform him right away. Sir Valter! Carry out your orders!” the minister called to the captain of the guard, who was positioned next to the podium. The doors to the room flew open, and a wave of knights poured inside. “It’s a-all lies! None of it’s true!” Marquis Ellen insisted, shaking his head frantically as the knights approached to arrest him. “It wasn’t me! I wasn’t involved! Tulitte was behind it all!” “I—I have nothing to do with this! Why are you arresting me?” protested the girl with blue hair as well. She was manhandled to the ground, her arms forcefully twisted behind her back. The lady cast her gaze around the room, desperately searching for someone who would help her. House Kellen, however, was not influential enough to warrant an invitation to this kind of meeting among the nobility. It seemed as though they’d been hoping to elevate their status by cozying up to Marquis Ellen. Since the Eckharts are at the center of power, the Kellens tried to make their big leap up the societal ladder by pushing down the duke’s daughter. They probably thought I’d take it lying down, just like last year. I watched coldly as the already-disheveled girl was dragged away. But I’m the top villain in this game, I thought. Soon all those incriminated had been dragged away, and the trial naturally wound to its conclusion. A few of the nobles glanced at me as they left—as if they wished to speak to me—but after seeing the scowl on my face, none of them dared. “Lady Penelope.” The captain of the guard, a solemn-looking middle-aged man, approached me. “Would you please pass me the evidence?” “Here,” I said, handing the sword over without a fuss. Upon taking it and tucking it inside his jacket, he said, “I’ll release you. Please give me your hands.” I held out my arms, which were bound with a thin rope at the wrist. “Excuse me one moment,” he murmured, taking both of my hands in his. He then chanted something I couldn’t understand, and the ropes became loose and slid free easily. He bowed, retrieved the rope, and left. Wait. It was enchanted? No wonder it had seemed too loose to actually be effective. It probably couldn’t be cut or undone without an activation phrase. I felt a little embarrassed for thinking I was getting some kind of special treatment earlier. Fatigue washed over me, the tension finally leaving my body. I needed rest. I spun, wanting to leave the room, but someone was standing in the way. “My lady.” [Affection: 39%] White letters glittered above a luxurious head of silver hair. Despite everything, I was happy to see his increased affection. “Marquis…” It occurred to me that I hadn’t thanked Winter yet for suddenly coming to my aid. Without his testimony, the trial wouldn’t have come to a close as concisely as it did. He had been helpful, unlike a certain somebody who’d wanted me to admit to shooting everyone like a reckless fool. “Allow me to offer you my sincere gratitude for helping me,” I said, bowing to him shallowly. “Thanks to you, I was able to disprove the false charges without further ado.” “I…did the best I could in the given situation, nothing more,” Winter said, repeating the words I’d said to him not that long ago. “And I’m happy I was able to pay you back for your help on the eve of the hunt.” I laughed, remembering Winter’s peculiar fascination with paying back his debts, which always seemed to emerge whenever we met. He was a merchant to the core. “You’re always so worried about keeping the scale balanced, aren’t you, Marquis?” His navy eyes widened slightly upon hearing me laugh so suddenly, and he stared at me without speaking for a long moment. Feeling embarrassed, I dropped the smile from my face. “I know I refused your help before, but I’ll gratefully accept it this time. If you’ll excuse me,” I said with another bow, then made my way past him. “Does this mean you’ll now come and find me again when in need?” he abruptly asked, causing me to freeze. “I fully restored your trust in me, did I not?” I slowly turned around and studied him. He was referring to the incident at his guild. Huh? Is this a trick question? I’d been intending to inform him that I knew his identity, if necessary, but I’d never imagined he’d reveal it first, especially not as directly as this. I pondered for a moment, trying to think of an adequate response. Winter was no longer a viable backup plan, but I couldn’t completely rule him out as an option, either. I chose an ambiguous response. “I doubt anything will come up that will require your services again.” “So you knew it was me after all,” he replied immediately. It had definitely been a trick question, then. “I…happen to have a good eye for people,” I said with a reluctant smile, making a point to lock eyes with him. “Oh,” he said with a slight groan, no doubt never expecting such a thing would give him away. I’d just made use of the absurd plot device employed by the heroine in Normal Mode: guessing that the marquis and the sorcerer were one and the same based only on the color of his eyes. After spending some time here, however, I was realizing that it wasn’t as far-fetched as it seemed, at least in this world. Hoity-toity nobles had very little respect for the merchant class, and they would very likely never bother to remember the eye color of a masked information broker. “If you’re concerned I’ll spill your secrets, you can erase my memories concerning the children,” I said, guessing at the reason he’d wanted to confirm that I recognized him. “It’s not that,” he said, shaking his head firmly. “That isn’t it…” He trailed off, then suddenly reached toward me. “You…always seem to be injured when we meet.” His long, firm fingers grazed my neck. “Oh,” I murmured at the sting of pain that accompanied his touch. Winter flinched and withdrew his hand. I pressed my fingertips over where he’d just touched and felt a rough scab. It was the cut Reynold had applied ointment to what felt like an eternity ago. I’d felt nothing at the time, but now the wound seemed to throb with pain. Apparently, I’d been grazed in the same spot without realizing it, reopening the wound. Seeing me press my hand to it, Winter said gravely, “Please don’t touch it. I suggest you go to the infirmary just in case—” “Penelope,” someone interrupted. I automatically spun to face the person who’d spoken. [Affection: 29%] The quest reward saw his affection restored to the level it had been before our argument. Derrick approached with a stern expression. The duke must have left already. I was a little surprised to see that my brother’s side was empty. “Hello, Young Lord Derrick,” Winter said with a slight bow to Derrick. No doubt eager to lay into me, my brother paused and bowed in greeting reluctantly. “Thank you for your testimony earlier, Marquis.” “Don’t mention it. I only did what was right.” “I don’t know what matter you wished to speak with my sister about, but we’re having an emergency family meeting. Please excuse us—she’ll be coming with me now.” “I see,” Winter said with an affable smile, despite Derrick’s rather rude tone. He retreated easily. “My lady, perhaps we can continue our conversation next time—” “No. That won’t be necessary,” I said, seizing Winter’s wrist gently despite my earlier unwillingness. “We can finish our conversation now, if you don’t mind, Marquis.” “Penelope Eckhart,” Derrick bit out coldly. I could see the numbers starting to blink slowly above his black head of hair again. “What do you think you’re doing?” His expression was severe as he processed what was happening. Ignoring the peculiar look that had appeared on Winter’s face, I shot Derrick a stony gaze. “I told you I have nothing left to say to you.” “Remember that we are in a public place,” Derrick warned through gritted teeth. “Let go of his hand and come with me.” Upon hearing his demands, the first thing that came to mind was the question Why should I listen to you? I really had nothing more I wanted to say to him. I’d done no damage to the family name, and the incident had been wrapped up nicely. “When did you start concerning yourself with who’s watching?” The sarcastic words flew from my mouth before I’d even considered if they were a good idea. “Everyone no doubt thinks I’m still not right in the head because I only recently rose from my sickbed. No one will pay me any mind,” I said, throwing the words of his poor attempt to defend me back in his face. “Penelope, you…” A vein visibly bulged in his forehead. Winter served as a useful shield. Derrick seemed conscious of the eyes on us and so didn’t try to forcefully drag me away. Taking a deep breath, he visibly attempted to rein in his temper. “Fine. I’ll admit it.” “Admit what?” I asked. “I was wrong. But remember the way you’ve behaved up until now. Considering your past reputation and reckless behavior, most would have come to the same conclusions I did.” “Ha!” I laughed bitterly. I was wondering what you had left to say. It was just more excuses and blame for his refusal to trust me—for not asking my side of the story and playing into the attempted murderer claims. The reasonable, coolheaded, and handsome male protagonist whom I’d admired in my past playthrough was just a despicable loser. “It comes to you so easily, huh?” I said. “…What?” “Accusing someone of attempted murder and making them out to be some kind of unstable, stupid wreck. It’s so easy—blame everything on Penelope, and the problem will disappear, wrapped up all nice and neat,” I mocked. Derrick’s eyes widened at my acidic tone, and the affection meter blinked threateningly. “Is that all you had to say to me? That I have no one to blame but myself for being falsely accused, since I’m reaping the consequences of my own actions?” “Penelope Eckhart!” Affection –2% [Affection: 27%] So hot and cold with his affection. But I was past feeling any alarm because of it. In my current state of furious indignation, I didn’t think I would care even if it fell by 10 percent. A savage scowl twisted my face, but I forced a smile onto my lips. “Don’t worry. I know it’s all my fault in your eyes. That’s why I took care of things by myself.” “Is your idea of ‘taking care of things’ ruining our family’s reputation? I mean, secretly meeting with the crown prince? What made you think saying that was a good idea—?” “What should I have done, then?” I said, shrugging. I still couldn’t think of a better option. “Told them I’d just so happened to run into a bear and was forced to fight it, and the crown prince just so happened to be nearby to help me kill it, and assassins just so happened to appear out of nowhere and chase us?” “…” “Is that what you would have me say?” I asked, repeating everything I’d already told Derrick the night before. I was telling the truth, but nobody would have believed me if I’d explained things in this way—Marquis Ellen would have made sure of that. “I would have been branded a traitor and charged with attempted regicide. But I guess you’d get a kick out of that, huh?” “Don’t put words in my mouth,” he spat, still struggling to mask his anger. His eyes burned with a roiling fury. “If you’d been upfront and told me you had evidence, this matter could have been resolved without a shameful scandal sullying our family’s honor.” “And whose fault was it that I had to come up with a lie in the first place?” I snapped back, teeth gritted. “It’s not like you gave me a chance to tell you I had any proof.” I was having trouble keeping my storming emotions from showing. I knew that my face was like a mirror, my expression reflecting everything I was feeling and my fake smile slowly crumbling. I could feel Winter’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t stop. “No, you didn’t listen to a word I said. Not when I desperately tried to explain that I was being framed, not when I said that I had a solution, and not even when I trusted you with the truth.” “…Penelope.” “You’re the one who refused to hear me out, Young Lord. What—are you going to blame me for that, too?” Maybe I was letting my emotions get the better of me—I had forgotten I was supposed to address him like a brother in public. —“Young Lord. I’ve been falsely accused. I have a way to prove it. In my pocket…” —“It doesn’t occur to you that I might’ve had a reason? That I was defending myself ?” —“The crown prince, who happened to be passing by at the time, saw me struggling and helped me to kill the bear and behead it.” Claiming that the crown prince and I met for a rendezvous, that we were somehow romantically involved with each other—those were the last words I ever wanted to say. But it had been the best I could come up with after a whole night of racking my brain over the problem. Perhaps there had been a better way. Perhaps with Derrick’s quick intellect and the Eckharts’ influence, we could have concocted a more acceptable testimony. That was why I’d intended on giving the dagger to him. It had been he, however, who’d ignored my attempts to ask for help and forced me to deal with everything by myself. “If that’s everything, I’d like to finish speaking with the marquis now. Before you so clearly interrupted, we were in the middle of an important discussion about the trial.” “We didn’t have enough time to talk.” Derrick rushed to speak, placing himself in the way as if to prevent me from leaving with Winter. “You know perfectly well that everything was happening so fast, and our people had access to extremely limited information.” “…” “The other nobles were relentlessly trying to frame our house for the attack on the crown prince, and everyone was beginning to believe the frankly absurd rumor that we’d trained you with the crossbow in order to kill him,” he continued, deeply frustrated. To me, this just felt like a continuation of the conversation we’d had the day before, filled with the same tired excuses. “I believed the best solution was to focus solely on wrapping things up as soon as possible and getting you out of that cell.” “I don’t know what point you’re trying to prove, but don’t worry, Young Lord,” I replied firmly. “You can’t let me down when I had no expectations in the first place.” Derrick’s face fell, though I couldn’t fathom why. There was a mysterious emotion painted across his usually gruff features that didn’t seem exactly to be anger. “Penelope…,” he began in a subdued tone. Then his affection meter blinked. [Affection: 32%] It had suddenly risen without warning, leaving me to stare at it with some surprise. I quickly cast off any interest I might have felt in this peculiar development, however, instead turning away from him with a decisive nod of my head. “…Shall we, Marquis?” I took Winter’s hand and strode past Derrick, who remained rooted in place. He didn’t try to stop me this time. We left the meeting hall, and I only let go of Winter’s hand after we’d arrived at a secluded location and I’d turned to him to apologize. “I’m sorry, Marquis. You shouldn’t have had to listen to that,” I said, feeling sorry that he’d been forced to witness that mess. Winter just peered at me wordlessly as he removed something from his pocket. Holding it out to me, he said, “Please don’t cry.” “Huh?” I said, puzzled. I felt my face. There were no tears—if anything, my skin was dry, thanks to the several sleepless nights I’d had the past few days. Of course there were no tears. I wasn’t crying. “I don’t understand…” “I told you the first time we met—my only wish is for the sadness to disappear from your lovely eyes. Your eyes, my lady, are only ever filled with sorrow, never joy.” I suddenly remembered our first meeting, something I’d completely forgotten about. My expression crumbled. I couldn’t help it. I’d been lying earlier—I’d had expectations. I’d hoped Derrick would listen to me and help me. Despite knowing I was playing the game in goddamn Hard Mode, I’d hoped that the reality I’d found myself in would be different and that some dramatic change might occur, regardless of how unlikely that eventuality might be. “You’re right, I guess,” I said after a pause, laughing weakly. “I wonder if a day will ever come when I can smile, carefree?” I somehow doubted it. I would probably never be free until I got to the end of the game and made my escape. I muttered the bitter words under my breath, and as I glanced up, I felt a cold breeze on my face. The folded handkerchief in Winter’s palm floated off his hand and suddenly, for lack of a better word, bloomed. The fabric folded this way and that as though invisible hands were manipulating it, rustling, crinkling, knotting, and billowing in turn. Soon it had taken on the shape of a little rabbit. “Uh…” I stared blankly at it, and the rabbit made from thin fabric slowly drifted back down to settle on Winter’s palm. Its tiny ears twitched as if in greeting. I was having a hard time believing my eyes. “Would you please hold out your hands?” Winter asked softly. I slowly held them out in a daze, and the rabbit jumped with soft little hops from his hand to mine. The sight of it rubbing its tiny face against my palm as if it were a real living creature was, frankly, bizarre. Then it occurred to me that Winter had just used magic inside the palace while dressed as the marquis. “Wait… Is it okay for you to do this?” I said, looking around nervously. Though we were tucked into a secluded spot, someone could still be watching. “No one’s watching. What does it matter?” Winter replied easily. Since I already know, did you decide you didn’t care to hide anymore? It had barely been any time at all since he’d revealed his identity to me. His change in attitude was too abrupt—I peered up at him suspiciously. “This is very basic stuff, and I barely used any mana. No one will know. You don’t need to be concerned,” he said with an awkward smile. Then as if to change the subject: “More importantly…do you not like animals?” The rabbit began bouncing on my palm as he spoke, then rolled over cutely, revealing its tiny belly. Though it was only made from a folded piece of cloth, it moved and acted just like a baby rabbit. The sight made me smile. “I…do,” I said. “Finally, a smile,” Winter replied. It suddenly occurred to me why he’d conjured the rabbit: He was trying to console me. My heart pounded, and I moved my gaze from the handkerchief rabbit rolling around on my palm to his face. For the first time ever, I smiled brightly at him—a sincere expression that came from the bottom of my heart. “Thank you, Marquis.” His gaze wavered, and then: [Affection: 44%] Five percent. It was quite a large increase. I let the smile slowly fade from my face as I looked at the number shimmering above his silver hair. [In Normal Mode, Winter appears whenever the heroine is feeling sad or upset and comforts her by performing incredible magic tricks.] Even now, I was thinking about using him as my backup plan instead of being present and enjoying the moment. It left me feeling a little hollow inside. Though something terrible had happened—namely, an attempt on the crown prince’s life—the hunting tournament continued unaffected. Only the few high-ranking nobles who were present at the trial knew what had happened, and there were many foreigners taking part in the tournament. It hadn’t been called off even following the attack on the eve of the event, and if it were to be halted now, the Eorka empire’s reputation would be impacted. And thus, the hunting tournament continued on without its host. There were four days remaining until the winners would be selected. “…and that is why His Majesty commands that no one be allowed to leave the hunting grounds until he returns, for safety reasons.” Early on the morning following the trial, attendants visited the campground of each house and delivered the Imperial order. All the nobles were to be kept on the palace grounds until the emperor returned. But why me? I thought, staring helplessly at the attendant holding a scroll embossed with the Imperial crest. I’d been hoping to go home right away since the misunderstanding had been cleared up. The man’s next words made me feel slightly better about the whole thing, though. “However, Lady Penelope took diligent care of the crown prince. In light of this, and since she is a lady, she is invited to stay in the palace instead of on the hunting grounds.” “I’ll go,” I said as soon as the attendant had finished reading, raising my hand enthusiastically. “Penelope…,” the duke called, voice gloomy. I turned to him with an innocent look, and he said no more, even as his expression soured further. Following the trial, everyone seemed to be having a hard time addressing me, and I was enjoying it quite a lot. “I shall prepare a carriage, then,” the attendant said. He bowed politely to the members of the Eckhart family and left. “I’ll go as well. I need to get ready to leave,” I said, jumping to my feet. I didn’t want to stay in the duke’s stifling tent for a moment longer than I had to. “Oy!” Reynold burst out, clearly annoyed by the sudden cold silence my remark had caused. “Are you serious? You—” “Tsk, Reynold,” the duke scolded. He sighed deeply and said, “All right. You do that, then. It will be easier for you to rest well in the palace.” “Yes. I’ll see you later.” I left with only a brief goodbye, not looking back. I could feel three sets of blue eyes burning into the back of my head as I left. Though I left the cabana strutting with confidence, my steps slowed as soon as I had escaped. “Ugh…” On the first day of the tournament, I hadn’t foreseen how much my relationship with the Eckharts would deteriorate. Sighing, I trudged toward my cabana. Perhaps my frustration with them wasn’t totally justified. I could understand how they’d felt all these years, tormented by Penelope’s thoughtless rampages up until now. And I knew they must have been beside themselves with anxiety this time since I’d somehow become involved in an attempt on the crown prince’s life. Maybe it had been the best option available to the duke and Derrick, just dismissing me as a mischievous fool and minimizing the damage. But why should I have to be understanding of them at all? Understanding their reasons didn’t cause me to feel any less offended. If they’d asked me what had happened first and discussed things to find a solution—if they’d defended me even once, trusting that I wouldn’t do such a thing—this episode would not have ended on such a disastrous note. “Oy…,” someone suddenly called out. I didn’t register that they were talking to me, since I was so lost in thought. “Hey, hey! Penelope!” came the voice again, shouting this time. I finally came to a stop. Ugh… I don’t want to turn around. There was only one person in this game who would address me in such a way. Standing in place, I only turned my head. [Affection: 37%] Of course it’s you. A man with a fluttering pink head of hair was approaching me rapidly. “It’s not true, is it? Tell me it isn’t,” Reynold demanded, reaching me in an instant. “What do you mean?” “That you and that Imperial dick—” “R-Reynold!” I shouted in shock. His voice was becoming louder the more agitated he grew. I can’t believe you’re cursing the crown prince out on the palace grounds! He was stupidly brave, to be sure. Thankfully, since it was so early in the morning, the only people out and about near the Eckhart campground were the two of us. Reynold, seemingly coming to his senses and realizing his mistake, began again, careful to censor himself this time. “Is it true that you and…he had something going on?” “What do you mean by ‘something going on’?” “I’m not in the mood for any of your games,” he growled, though I had been asking a genuine question. “Everyone’s talking about you and the crown prince! Did you know that?” “…” “What the hell did you say at the trial? Tell me the truth. You were lying about you and him, right?” Reynold demanded again, looking as if he wanted to grab hold of me and shake. I told him the truth. “No. It’s not true.” “Phew…” He sighed deeply with relief and scratched the back of his head. He then muttered angrily, “Dammit, what a stupid rumor to be going around—” “If the rumor is about me and the prince meeting in the forest secretly, that part is true.” “Huh?” His hand froze, buried in his ruffled pink hair. His eyes glinted violently. “What…what are you saying?” “Like I said. We met alone in the forest. That’s why the assassins chased both of us,” I said, giving him an ambiguous answer accompanied by a casual shrug. I’d expected that someone would question me about the truth of my claims. I could be honest and say the entire story was made up to avoid raising Marquis Ellen’s suspicions, but I didn’t feel like sparing any of the Eckharts. “You… Give me a straight answer,” he snarled through gritted teeth. “You acted like you hated him after he cut you up last time. Now what? You’re saying you met him alone in the damn woods?” “Cut me up?” I said, frowning at his choice of words. “I met him to discuss something privately.” “What did you discuss?” “That is none of your business.” We hadn’t actually talked all that much, so I really had nothing to report to Reynold anyway. “Enough of this bullshit. Be straight with me! And what’s this I hear about you having feelings for him?” “People are already talking about that, too?” I thought nobles were supposed to be, well, noble. They can’t seem to keep their mouths shut, though. I was shocked that the rumors had already spread so quickly after only a single evening. With a deep sigh, I said, “That was just…a lie I told to make my story more plausible.” I told him the truth despite my resolution that I didn’t need to explain myself to him. It couldn’t be helped, since he would demand an answer until I told him what he wanted to hear. And besides, I didn’t actually want anyone thinking I liked the crown prince in any way. He latched on to my words like lightning. “Then why did you meet with that bastard? What were you thinking? Do you have a death wish?” “Reynold,” I said, looking around us. “Watch your mouth.” I didn’t want to engage in a battle of wits so early in the morning, so I was very audibly fed up as I continued, “I know you’re unlikely to believe me anyway, but it was only a coincidence.” “I’m not Derrick.” “…Huh?” “If you’d told me it wasn’t you who shot all those nobles, I would have taken you at your word.” I mentally repeated his words to myself—he’d have believed me, because he’s not like his brother. I found this very hard to accept, and a bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Don’t lie. You would have believed me? You? Really?” Of course you wouldn’t have. I’m sure you’d have accused me just like Derrick. The two sons of the duke were capable of incredible teamwork only when united against me in some way. “Wh-what, you think I’m stupid or something?” Reynold stuttered, confused by my cold glare. He began to ramble. “You might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but you wouldn’t have gone mad like that immediately after the ban was lifted. Besides, you didn’t even want to come, since you were so afraid that something might happen.” I stared at Reynold, taken aback. To be more precise, I’d been afraid of running into any of the male protagonists. I was certain I’d managed to keep that hidden, so it was surprising that he of all people had come so close to figuring me out. “So you can open up to me. It’s not really true, is it? The part about you having feelings for him?” Reynold asked again, tone calmer, perhaps aware that he had my full attention. “Who knows? Maybe I can help with squashing those rumors.” “All right… It wasn’t a some secret love rendezvous in the forest.” I gave in, confessing to Reynold the truth in the face of his stubborn persistence. “It didn’t seem likely at the time that I would be able to convince anyone that I’d met the crown prince accidentally. It was the only good excuse I could think of. That’s all there is to it.” “Ugh, you idiot! You could have just told me that from the start. Why did you have to be so difficult about it?” Reynold complained, beating a frustrated fist against his chest. I know, right? I hadn’t felt I could be honest after his brother hadn’t believed a single word I’d said. I swallowed back a wry smile. “Right… Of course you wouldn’t be involved with him like that,” Reynold mumbled to himself, looking relieved. I asked him glumly, “Is that all? You just wanted to ask me about that?” “What do you mean, ‘is that all’? This is a serious issue, you blockhead!” Reynold shouted, scowling. I was dumbfounded by his reaction. It was true that it was a serious issue, I supposed, but there was no reason for it to matter so much to him, was there? If the crown prince were to wake any time soon, I’d be the only one forced to go through the hellish process of dealing with his reaction to the whole thing. “And I didn’t just want to ask you about that,” Reynold said, rummaging angrily in his pocket after noticing my cranky glare. “Here. Take this,” he said, suddenly handing something over. It was a small, flat container, one I’d seen before. When I didn’t move to accept it, he shook it at me and said, “Well? Take it already.” I took it reluctantly. “Your wound’s gotten worse since the eve of the hunt, you idiot. How are you so thick? You didn’t even notice, did you?” he said gruffly, clicking his tongue. Winter had seen it after only a glance yesterday as well. I supposed the wound really must have gotten worse. Embarrassed, I rubbed the skin around the area. “Is it bad?” “Don’t touch it. It’ll get infected,” he said with a frown. I lowered my hand. “Tsk. Apply that every day while you’re at the palace. And even if it’s a schlep, go to the infirmary when you get the chance. Got it?” We’d see each other again in only a few days, but he sounded as if one of us were departing on some kind of long voyage. It made me laugh. “I’ll do that. Thank you for being so considerate, Brother,” I said, nodding gently. After a moment’s hesitation, I added, “And…for believing me. You’re the only person who’s trusted me in this whole mess.” I was only stating the facts, but his face blushed bright red. “Wh-why do you need to say that shit out loud?” he shouted angrily before storming away without even saying goodbye. The hell? How am I supposed to thank you without saying it out loud? [Affection: 40%] I pouted as I watched the pink-haired boy return to his cabana. My time at the palace was generally pretty comfortable. The palace servants were very kind, like Emily, and every meal was such a lavish spread that I feared the table would collapse under the weight of all the food. The most important part was that no one stopped me from doing whatever I wanted or going wherever I desired. This is way better than the duke’s manor. The thought suddenly occurred to me as I was leaving the Imperial library. The surrounding area was empty of people, leaving only blessed silence. In addition, the huge library was full of books on topics I enjoyed, allowing me to read through countless pages about ancient sorcerers and the mythology of Valta. With the book on the Arkina Archipelago I’d borrowed in my arms, I walked briskly down the now-familiar path. When I’d made it past the guards who were all stationed around a single entrance, I spotted a man exiting the building accompanied by a doctor. “Lady Penelope! You’re here again today,” the aide to the crown prince observed. I nodded in acknowledgment and quickly cut to the chase. “How is he today?” “His breathing is much more regular. I believe we’re making good progress.” “I’m relieved to hear that.” This was actually great news. I’d been quite frightened upon hearing that his condition had taken a turn for the worse two nights ago. “But the toxins are still in his system, so we’ll have to wait and see for a few more days.” “…Right.” “Would you…like to go inside?” the aide asked cautiously. I had no idea what rumors were circulating exactly, but people always looked at me funny whenever I showed up at the crown prince’s palace. “I’ll go see him for just ten minutes,” I said, not letting the puzzlement show on my face. It was the same thing I always said. “Of course,” the aide said with a knowing smile. Though the rumors probably suggested that the crown prince and I were very close indeed, I would leave exactly when the ten minutes were up, as I always did. The crown prince’s bedroom was almost three times as big as my own and, much like his personality, bleak. There was no other furniture in the room other than the bed and a table. The empty room had a pervasive, bitter medicinal scent, and I paused for a moment in the doorway before entering the large room, frowning as I adjusted to the terrible smell. There was a chair next to the bed, probably placed there by the doctor who had just left. I didn’t take a seat, though, since I had every intention of leaving right away. I approached the bed and came to stop beside him, even going so far as to stare at him without any thought for how rude it might be. His luxurious golden hair was fanned out on the white pillow under his head. [Affection: 42%] Callisto, with his eyes firmly closed, lay so still that he almost resembled a painting in a museum. It’s like looking at one of the illustrations in the game… The crown prince was capable of saying some of the most terrible things when awake, but seeing him lying silently in bed like this made me feel…very strange. Still, it does seem like he’s getting better. He’d been so pale yesterday that his skin had been indistinguishable from wax. He was looking much better, however, and only a single day had passed. His breathing was more regular now as well. There was no known antidote to the poison coursing through the crown prince’s veins. The only solution was to hope for the best and trust in his body’s healing ability and any natural resistance to poisons that he might have. I’d heard that his wounds hadn’t actually been all that deep, thanks to the armor he was wearing. His current condition was a testament to how frightening a few drops of poison could be in the hands of one’s political enemies. “Hey, you…,” I said, calling to him softly just as I’d done in recent days. I reached out slowly and held my hand under his nose. His soft breath tickled my fingers. “You’re…going to be okay, right?” Though I knew that in the game the male protagonists couldn’t die, I found myself growing extremely anxious. Sometimes I found myself remembering the violent events of the game so far and chills shivered down my spine—that was probably why I found myself coming here daily to check that he was indeed still breathing, feeling guilty that I was the reason for his condition. Though the assassination attempt itself had been no doubt unavoidable, he’d been stabbed while trying to save me. He’d also given me his cloak, even though he’d known that his body was faring poorly. If he hadn’t given me the cloak and had chosen to ignore that I was likely to catch a cold without it…maybe the poison wouldn’t have spread so quickly, and he would be doing a lot better. No… This was all part of the story’s design. I shook my head in an attempt to cast off my distress. “Don’t die, Your Highness,” I whispered, the same words I’d been saying every day for the last three days. Especially not on my account. If you die, it should be while saving the Normal Mode’s heroine, not me. With that, I withdrew my hand. It had already been nearly ten minutes, and it was time for me to end my visit. I turned, intending to leave the room, when I felt something latch on to my wrist. “Huh?” I spun around, shocked, and locked eyes with the fiery red stare of the crown prince gazing up at me. “I can’t bear to listen to your bullshit anymore.” I could hear the incredulous laughter in his voice. “Don’t die? That’s all you have to say to me for three whole days? You could have at least prayed for my quick recovery.” He sounded sick, his voice raspy and low. I stared at Callisto blankly. He was somehow delivering his usual sarcastic lines, despite the ghostly pallor of his face. “And what was it you said to me earlier? ‘Hey, you’? Is that any way to address the crown prince of the empire?” Perhaps it was because I’d spent the last several days watching him just lying there unmoving, but I was struggling to believe that he was really awake and speaking to me. “Your Highness, you’re…you’re really awake?” “What, do you think I died and came back to haunt you?” “But they said there was no antidote and they’d need at least a few more days until they could be sure you were all right…” I hadn’t expected him to even wake up until after I had already returned to the duke’s manor. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I was conscious the whole time. I just didn’t have the strength to open my eyes because of the poison.” My mouth fell slightly open. Even if all the male protagonists were impossible to kill, he had recovered scarily fast. It felt really strange to be looking into his red eyes again, lucid and clear as they were. I felt relieved, and at the same time, my heart was pounding for no conceivable reason. “Are you…feeling okay?” I finally managed to ask. “No. Not at all,” he replied immediately. “It hurts like hell. My veins feel like they’re on fire, and it feels like someone’s sawing at every one of my joints,” he added with a frown. My heart sank. “I-I’ll call for the doctor!” I said, turning in haste to do just that. However, the crown prince held fast to my wrist, pulling me right back to his side. He was still so strong that I couldn’t believe he had only freshly risen from his affliction. “It’s fine.” “But…” “The doctor can’t do much for me anyway. He’ll burn some herbs, at best.” He shook his head resolutely. “They must have gotten their hands on some exotic poison this time. What a shame for them that it didn’t kill me. I’d be dead, though, if they’d managed to get me with any more of it.” I scrunched my face up in displeasure upon hearing him take such a cavalier attitude to his own life. He burst into laughter after seeing my expression. “Have a seat,” he said, nodding to the chair beside the bed. “Since I’ve seen for myself that you’re awake, I think I’ll go.” For him to get the rest he so desperately needed, I intended to leave as quickly as possible. The crown prince’s eyebrows twitched upward, however, as he proceeded to accuse me. “You won’t even do this much for the man who nearly died on your account? Tsk. You’re as heartless as a villain.” “What?!” I blurted, indignant. “You just woke up, so I’m letting you rest—” “I’m fine. Sit down,” he said, cutting me off and tugging at my wrist. I was forced to sit, as he’d requested. Nothing bad is going to happen, right? I was no longer scared for my very life in the presence of the crown prince. In fact… [Affection: 42%] The gauge floating above his golden hair was quite full. Belatedly, I realized that his affection was now over 40 percent. “How long…has it been since we left the cave?” the crown prince asked, even as I kept throwing glances above his head. “Three days.” “So the hunting tournament will be over tomorrow.” After making this observation, he smirked at me. “I’m surprised—I thought you’d leave my unconscious body behind in cold blood. I suppose I owe you my life.” I was speechless at his accusation. Maybe he didn’t remember grabbing me and threatening me right up until the moment he passed out. “You told me I would regret it if I did.” “That was because I was convinced you’d leave me to die.” “I’m a pacifist. I’m not the kind of person who would get the urge to murder people depending on my mood, unlike a certain someone I know.” “Now you’re blaspheming against a member of the Imperial family. I’ll have to remember to give you a tour of the dungeons sometime soon.” It didn’t sound like a threat coming from a man so pale, laid up in bed. Besides, despite his words, he looked to be in a fine mood—laughing gleefully at my response. I stared at him for a moment, then asked with some difficulty, “Why…didn’t you tell me?” “Tell you what?” “That you’d been poisoned.” “Would it have changed anything?” His response rendered me silent. He had a point. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything, even if I’d known. Seeing my somber expression, he asked roguishly, “Oh-ho? Are you finally feeling bad about hitting me in the face?” “H-hitting you?! I did nothing of the sort!” I protested emphatically. “It was unavoidable given the situation…” “The poison didn’t take effect right away, so I wasn’t certain myself,” the crown prince said. “And even if I had been, I wouldn’t have told you.” “…Why is that?” “The future emperor must be flawless.” I was stunned. He’d said this to me once before. The crown prince of Hard Mode behaved as though his life depended on becoming a formidable emperor. I could understand where he was coming from, since this mindset was probably the only reason he had survived so many assassination attempts. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help feeling surprised whenever I saw a side to him that hadn’t been revealed in Normal Mode. “Don’t just sit there looking glum. Say something,” the crown prince chided, provoking me when I remained silent, unsure of what to say. The unidentifiable emotion that had welled up inside me for a moment vanished. I finally replied sullenly, “Like what?” “Anything. Tell me about the goings-on outside while I was confined to this bed, and whether the instigators of the attempt on my life have been found.” I paused for a moment to think. Things had happened so fast after he blacked out, moving at a breakneck speed. I’d been arrested, imprisoned, and brought to trial—no one taking my side. I’d also used the [Token of the Assassins] won as a quest reward to turn the tables all by myself. The idea of explaining all these things to him felt a little like tattling, though. Besides, I couldn’t talk for too long, since he’d just woken up, so I summarized only the important details. “There was a trial, and we discovered who was behind the attempt, but the emperor hasn’t returned. So no proper investigation can be carried out just yet.” “Of course,” Callisto said, nodding as if he’d expected this. “That’s it? Did you testify at the trial yourself ?” “Yes. I ended up…” I was about to tell him I’d been accused of trying to murder the noblemen and forced to speak in my defense, but something occurred to me that gave me pause. Wait a second… He doesn’t know about the stupid stuff I said during the trial. I felt a chill go down my spine at the thought of him hearing that I’d testified we were once lovers. “You ended up?” he prompted. Seeing me freeze mid-sentence so suddenly, the crown prince narrowed his eyes. He’s sharp as a knife. After dropping the bombshell about our made-up dating history at the trial, I’d intended to return to the manor once the hunting tournament was over and keep to myself. I hadn’t expected him to wake so quickly. A bead of cold sweat trickled down my neck, and I somehow managed to keep the tremor from my voice as I said, “…I ended up shedding light on what took place.” “That must have been hard.” Thankfully, he didn’t seem to realize what a nervous wreck I was on the inside. “Come to think of it, you’ve performed admirably for the duration of the hunting tournament. You even rescued me. I’ll have to reward you somehow.” “Th-that won’t be necessary…” “Is there anything you want?” “No, nothing in particular,” I said quickly. I’d only done what the game had asked me to. Besides, who knew what he might demand of me later if I accepted a reward from him now? The crown prince chided me for my prompt refusal. “There must be at least one thing you want.” “Not really.” “Wait, I seem to remember that you love gold because it matches the color of my hair.” “Huh?” Back up. The order of that’s been completely reversed. This thought was promptly brushed aside as he added, “How about a chest full of gold?” “A chest…full of gold?” It was a tempting offer. However, I was the only daughter of a duke, not a freshman college student who was only barely able to pay her bills by working part-time. Besides, having a pile of game currency I couldn’t use in the real world was of no use to me. With reluctance in my tone, I finally replied, “It’s…it’s all right.” “Just ask for something while you can, before I change my mind,” the crown prince grumbled, perhaps offended by my repeated rejection. “In that case…I have a favor to ask,” I said after a moment’s pause, choosing to bring up something that had been bothering me for a while. Callisto’s head tilted curiously. “What is it?” “Promise me you’ll grant my request. No matter what.” “Now I’m a little afraid of what you’re going to ask for.” “It’s not a big deal,” I assured him. “Go on, then. I’m listening,” he said, lifting his chin imperiously at me even as he lay in bed. “I’ll do anything, as long as you don’t ask for something like the empress consort’s head on a platter. I could bring you Marquis Ellen’s if you wanted, though that might take some doing.” “I don’t need his head,” I said, balking. It was precisely the sort of reward I’d expect him to offer. I finally forced myself to make my request. “No matter what you hear regarding me later, please don’t kill me.” “What?” “I’m asking you not to kill me, no matter what happens. If you want to reward me, this is my request.” It was a sincere ask, but all he did was laugh incredulously. He looked puzzled. “What do you take me for, a bloodthirsty homicidal maniac?” I wanted to reply “You’re not?” but I couldn’t say that directly to his face, especially with his red eyes boring into me. You don’t want to hear what I have to say regarding anything, so why do you keep asking? I complained to myself internally. His eye twitched as he continued, “Most ladies would ask for an invitation to visit the palace again or for some kind of Imperial jewel. Why is it that you always behave so nonsensically, in a manner no other lady would?” “You’ve behaved in such a way that I have cause to be concerned,” I shot back at him. My snapped retort made him shut up. He fell into quiet contemplation for a moment, before his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Did you perhaps…do something I won’t like at the trial while I was unconscious?” It was my turn to fall silent. Scary clever. I’d barely managed to stifle a gasp. His instincts were as sharp as some kind of lithe predator, and it gave me goose bumps. “O-of course not. What could I have done?” “Why are you asking me for such a nonsensical request, then?” “I just want to ensure my safety if we run into one another again. I was really quite ill after you cut me last time, you know,” I muttered, pouting. “Besides, aren’t you the one who offered me a reward in the first place?” He’d been the one who’d wanted to give me a boon, so why was he being so picky about it now? “Tsk.” The crown prince tutted, displeased. After a considerable pause, he said, “Fine.” “Really?” I said, delighted. “You must swear on your good name, all right?” “All right, I get it.” A grin appeared on my face as soon as he confirmed it. Yes! This should work as a good safeguard for at least a few incidents! It was the best news I’d received in the entire time I’d been trapped in the game. What I’d noticed during the hunting tournament was that no matter how much I tried to avoid the love interests I’d crossed out, it was impossible to stay away from them completely if I was caught up in the events of the main plotline. In contrast to my gleeful reaction, the crown prince seemed unhappy. “You’re this overjoyed?” “Of course I am!” Why wouldn’t I be happy? You’re the most dangerous of them all, and you just promised not to kill me. I couldn’t resist the urge to smile brightly. Callisto, who had seemed offended at the implication he was a blood-crazed maniac, eventually laughed along somewhat reluctantly. He seemed mostly puzzled by my delight. “You…you really are very strange,” he muttered, an odd expression on his face. “Very strange indeed.” [Affection: 45%] I held back the urge to retort that he was the strange one. His affection had risen as he said it, after all. Surprisingly, Callisto was now the male protagonist with the highest affection after Eckles. The game was well and truly getting crazier. The final morning of the hunting tournament dawned. All the nobles gathered in the clearing for the selection of the winner and the closing ceremony, including the duke, his two sons, and Winter. All the game caught during the course of the hunt had been piled near the tent serving as headquarters. I had arrived a little late since I hadn’t actually intended on coming at all—the crown prince had sent an attendant to escort me, so I’d had no choice. The afternoon sun felt hot on my skin. I’d brought a parasol to use as a shield, but my worries were immediately proved warranted. “Look over there! It’s Lady Penelope.” “Did you hear? She shot some of the other nobles…” “Do you think it’s really true that she was secretly meeting with the crown prince?” People were staring at me and whispering from the moment I appeared. Whatever. Gossip your little hearts out. I ignored them and stood under the edge of the awning installed along the edge of the clearing. The only thought in my head was how I needed to make a run for it before the crown prince heard the news and came storming over to interrogate me. The muttering of side characters I’d likely never see again was none of my concern. “Announcing His Highness, the crown prince!” There was the loud blast of a horn as the crown prince climbed the podium. I covered my face slightly with the parasol so he wouldn’t be able to find me in the crowd easily. “I trust you’ve all hunted your fill?” he asked. Elevated above everyone, he began his closing speech with his customary arrogance. I was a little surprised by his appearance as I stole glances at him from behind my parasol. He still looked really ill yesterday… Now, however, the crown prince appeared to be in perfect health. “It seems as though the hunting tournament has once again ended without any mishaps,” he said calmly, as though nothing untoward had occurred at all. —“The future emperor must be flawless.” Callisto was behaving true to his words, like the “Prince of Blood and Iron” he was. “You all performed very well. I’m curious to see who will use this opportunity to win some hearts this year,” he said, and the gathered nobles burst into boisterous laughter. “Now then, let’s hear the scores.” The crown prince nodded to an attendant at the foot of the podium, who brought a large leaf of paper tallying all the game that had been hunted over the past four days. The long list of names was called out loudly along with their respective scores. “I’ll give my game to Miss Julie!” “And mine to Miss Natalie!” As names were announced, some bold young nobles gifted the game they’d caught to their lovers, and the attendants busied themselves with adjusting the score totals. Well, this is more interesting than I thought it would be. The atmosphere grew more and more excited, ladies blushing as their names were recited and the people in the crowd cheered and whistled. I now understood the crown prince’s joke and watched with newfound amusement as the selection of the winner progressed. As was to be expected, the scores got bigger as the attendant moved further down the list. Some of the contestants refused to give up their game, no doubt hoping to receive the winner’s reward, and among those men was the duke. None of the love interests’ names had been called out yet. I assumed they would take the top scores, as was to be expected in any dating sim. After some time had passed, I heard the attendant yell, “Second son of House Eckhart, Young Master Reynold Eckhart!” My ears perked up at the familiar name. “Two raccoons, three pheasants, one wildcat, three deer, and eight rabbits, putting him in fifth place!” I heard a squeal of excitement coming from somewhere under the awning. “My goodness, to think Young Master Reynold placed fifth!” “He’s sooo cool!” “Do you think he will offer his game to anyone?” A few ladies were making a huge fuss not too far from where I was standing. Hearing the ruckus, Reynold waved with an arrogant expression. “Dear me! Young Master Reynold!” I heard one of the girls scream, making me frown. What the hell? Does he have a fan club or something? I despised the look of smug satisfaction on his face. Not wanting to make eye contact with him, I pulled the parasol a bit lower over my face. Reynold didn’t seem inclined to give his game to anyone, since he remained silent as the attendant continued down the list. “In fourth place is Young Lord Derrick Eckhart from House Eckhart! He killed two wolves, two white foxes, and one of the legendary creatures from the Principality of Yeta, a plapopinu!” Another lady squealed, triggering a cacophony of reactions similar to the women screaming over Reynold. I was mildly surprised by Derrick’s placement—he was a fiercely prideful individual, and I’d expected he would be battling for first or second place with the crown prince. Is it because of me? I supposed he would have struggled to focus on the hunt, what with all the trouble I’d caused. Not that it’s any of my business. I was more interested in the rare animal he’d caught than his ranking. A rare creature from the Principality of Yeta? I raised my parasol, better to peer at the game piled to the side—the animals had been laid out on the ground, however, so I couldn’t get a good look at them from where I was standing. The only thing of interest I could see was an odd pinkish-purple color among the more familiar animals. “In third place is Marquis Winter Verdandi of House Verdandi!” I wanted to continue my inspection, but the name caught my attention. “Three deer, three grown boars, two goshawks, and one mammoth from Kapria!” The area where the Verdandi kills were gathered looked very full compared with the Eckharts’, perhaps because of the array of large animals. Well, well. That’s pretty impressive. I’d honestly thought him a bit of a nerd who could only perform magic, but it turned out he could rough it on the hunting grounds just as well as any of the other gentlemen. I peered at him with newfound respect. “One moment,” he called suddenly, raising his hand. “I’d like to dedicate my game to Lady Penelope Eckhart, who was undoubtedly the most impressive participant in attendance.” He spoke calmly, as if he hadn’t just dropped a massive bombshell on the assembled crowd. Wh…what? My mouth hung wide open. “My goodness,” someone exclaimed. “M-Marquis Verdandi is giving his game to L-Lady Penelope…” Those who recognized me murmured to one another, staring, which made my location immediately obvious. “Ah, here she is.” Winter gestured, easily finding me in the crowd. He smiled broadly when our eyes met, causing the murmuring to grow louder. I didn’t appreciate the increased attention at all. What’s the matter with you? Just keep the score for yourself ! I’d been all but forced to take the quest since the promise of increased affection was too good to refuse, but I’d had no intention of actually becoming the queen of the hunt. As I just stood there, dazed and confused, the attendant moved on. All the animals Winter had killed had already been assigned to me. “Next, in second place, is His Highness the crown prince, Callisto Regulus! With one white tiger!” Despite my surprise over Winter’s actions, I was aghast to hear that the crown prince had managed to hunt something so terrifying. Callisto had been chased by assassins on the very first day and was unconscious for the remainder of the tournament, which gave him virtually no time to hunt. Which meant he had killed the tiger in the few hours he’d spent out on the grounds before running into me. That scary bastard. I shuddered, goose bumps forming on my skin. “The hero of this year’s hunt is the duke’s daughter, is it not?” the crown prince’s voice suddenly called out. “I, too, will dedicate my game to her.” The crown prince’s red eyes were locked on me, making me wonder if he had some sort of magical device capable of locating me. He snickered when he saw the look of pure outrage on my face. Are the two of you insane? What is your problem?! Everyone in the clearing was staring at me now, all my love interests included. The whispering around me was growing louder still. “Then does that mean she will be the queen of the hunt this year?” someone said. “Don’t say that. We still don’t know who’s in first place!” said another. “But if the crown prince isn’t in first place, who is?” The clearing descended into chaotic murmurs. It wasn’t a surprising reaction, since the duke’s crazy daughter—banned from the hunt after last year—now seemed likely to become the queen this time. “And finally, the long-awaited first place!” The answer to everyone’s questions and the person who would blessedly prevent me from winning was about to be announced. “Lady Penelope Eckhart of House Eckhart! One brown bear!” Up until then, I’d completely forgotten I’d supposedly defeated the bear, right before the assassins had ambushed us. A hushed silence fell over the clearing after my name was called. Son of a… I had no idea how the bear had been tallied under my score. No doubt it was the crown prince’s doing. Who else would arrange something like this? More importantly, however, my fear had just become reality. Not only am I a chimpanzee, I’m a deranged chimpanzee who killed a bear on her own! I could tell from all the wide eyes directed at me that I was to be fine gossip fodder for the foreseeable future. “After tallying the game gifted by Marquis Verdandi and His Highness the crown prince, the winner of this hunting tournament is…,” the attendant began emphatically. “Lady. Penelope. Eckhart! Please come to the podium to receive your prize money as well as the trophy!” I wished I could vanish into thin air, but of course that wasn’t possible. With a deep sigh, I trudged toward the distant podium. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me as I crossed the silent clearing. When I arrived at the bottom of the steps, I closed my light-pink parasol and picked up the hem of my dress. I should have just worn my hunting clothes. The pale-pink dress trimmed in frilly lace didn’t seem fit for the winner of a hunting tournament. I’d acquired first place by myself thanks to the brown bear, even without the additional points gifted by two of the male protagonists. “Congratulations on your victory,” said the crown prince, greeting me as I ascended the steps, my expression glum. An attendant immediately appeared to hand me a trophy placed on a cushion. As it turned out, there wasn’t much fanfare involved in completing the award ceremony. Or so I thought, until the crown prince added casually, “The prize money this year is a hundred million gold. I’ll have an attendant bring it to the Eckhart Manor.” A hundred million! My ears perked up. That was the same amount of gold I’d spent buying Eckles using the blank check given to me by the duke. In-game currency might not be of much use to me, but I also had no reason to refuse free money. The crown prince looked amused by the change in my expression. Another attendant approached then, carrying a second cushion. “Here, take it,” the crown prince said, picking up the object that was sitting on top. “W-wait, that’s…,” protested someone in the crowd. Concern rippled through the audience as they recognized what it was. The crown prince was holding my crossbow out to me, the same one that had been confiscated as an attempted murder weapon. “I took it upon myself to have your crossbow returned since it was instrumental in your defeat of the bear,” Callisto said with a twisted grin as he handed it to me. In doing so, he was announcing that the accusations that I’d attacked those noblemen were unfounded. It was probably a shocking turn of events for the audience, who had all no doubt been thinking the rumors were true, considering all the trouble Penelope had caused in the past. “Thank you…Your Highness,” I said reluctantly, taking back my crossbow. “How about a short speech?” he said, stepping aside and subtly pressuring me to speak. I wanted to ask if I could just go home, but instead I unwillingly glanced around at the crowd assembled before the podium. I spotted my three of love interests right away thanks to my elevated position. [Affection: 44%] First, there was Winter, calmly gazing up at me with an unfathomable look on his face. [Affection: 40%] Then there was Reynold, scowling about who knew what this time. And finally, there was Derrick. [Affection: 32%] He was staring at my face. He wore no expression, but as soon as our gazes met, a mysterious storm of emotion rushed through his eyes. I won’t be asking you to believe in me ever again. Seeing him made my temper flare. I raised my head high, gazing down at the crowd arrogantly. I would make sure all the idiots who’d looked down on Penelope until now would never take me so lightly ever again. “First of all…I would like to thank the Second Sun of the Empire, the crown prince, for granting me such an opportunity. Also…hunting a bear was really no big deal,” I said with an easy grin, shrugging. The crowd fell eerily silent as if hardly daring to breathe. I glanced over them again and spotted a blue-haired woman as she stood in a tightly packed group in the shade of the awning in the distance, fuming angrily and glaring. I’d heard she’d been released quickly since there was no actual evidence against her as there was her father. I hadn’t thought she’d be shameless enough to show her face here, though. Fixing my eyes on her, I said, “At the next hunting tournament, I’ll be sure to hunt down the elk and cut off its head.” Someone gasped loudly. The elk was widely known to be the symbol of House Kellen. I’d done well to read up on all the noble families during my time spent in the library. “That’s all I have to say,” I said, giving an exaggerated bow as if I were an actress concluding a play. When I lifted my head, my surroundings flashed with white light. <SYSTEM> Title acquired! [Queen of the Tournament] <SYSTEM> You have obtained [100,000,000 Gold] and [Reputation +200] as your reward. (TOTAL POINTS: 400)