"By the way, how is the other task going?" Max asked.
"Alas, the emperor often summons Sir Mikhail to the royal study. However, no suspicious movements have been detected from either of them."
Max thought of the faces of the two men he despised for a moment. Then, he clenched his fists. It wasn’t a problem. Even if they tried to do something, they wouldn’t be suitable opponents for either him or his master. Recalling his master's statement that he would be by Jubelian's side throughout the hunting contest, Max opened his mouth to speak. "What about the other intel I've asked you to look into?"
"I’ve been informed that Lord Elios is hiding his swordsmanship skills. Apparently, he's quite an outstanding swordsman, and a mana user at that..." Fresia trailed off once she noticed the murderous expression building on her lord's face, quickly changing tack. "Of course, he would be no match for you, Your Highness, and I believe that in the hunting competition in four days, the victory will be yours.”
"It better be," he said. As if his mood had improved, he was now nodding.
Fresia sighed. It was so difficult to curry favor with him. How did Lady Floyen get along so well with him?
While she was admiring Jubelian's mysterious powers, Max continued. "And there’s one more thing you need to do,” he said, tone serious.
Fresia swallowed nervously before lowering her head. "Whatever it is, I will endeavor to serve you to the best of my abilities."
"Jubelian will have her coming-of-age ceremony soon,” he began. "I am unsure what to give her as a present."
"I'm sorry?" Fresia asked, taken aback. Then, she realized what her lord meant. "Ah, I see. I’ll look into her preferences and come up with the best gift for her."
A smile finally replaced Max’s disgruntled expression. "She liked the gift you chose last time, so I’m trusting you again.”
Fresia let out a small sigh. She didn’t know how she came to be in charge of Lady Floyen’s gifts.
A puff of smoke escaped Radian's lips as he smirked. "A magical beast? How would I know how to control something like that?"
Mikhail’s face crumpled. He shouldn’t have had any expectations for this guy. This guy was pathetic.
Just as Mikhail was about to get up and leave, however, Radian held him back. "I can't tell you anything about the beast, but I have heard rumors about Lady Floyen.”
Mikhail sat back down. Glaring at his cousin, he demanded, "What rumors?"
Flicking the ashes of his cigarette onto his ashtray, Radian met Mikhail's eyes. "Fredrich Lionel Elios, the socialite, has his eyes on the lady!"
Upon hearing those words, Mikhail recalled Frederich's true face and frowned.
"I don't understand,” Frederich had said. "It’s pitiful that someone so accomplished like you can’t shake off a stupid woman just because of her status."
Always smiling, the man pretended to be a gentleman on the outside. On the inside, however, he was cold, and blue blood ran through his veins. Frederich had once looked down on Jubelian for devaluing the Floyen household.
"It can't be," Mikhail decided.
Radian took a puff from his cigarette before spitting it out. The musty smell reached Mikhail's face, and he frowned. Then, Radian rubbed the cigarette on the ashtray, putting the embers out.
"My dear cousin, I don't know why you're not believing me... but unfortunately, I can't be wrong about what I just said.”
Mikhail was bewildered. "What?"
Looking into his eyes, Radian said, "The noble Lord Elios said to me that he would be the one to give the Flower of the Underworld's Goddess to Lady Floyen by winning the hunting competition. He said he would kill me if I tried to approach her."
Mikhail's eyes widened at the unbelievable tale. Soon, a vicious energy settled in his amethyst eyes. Win? There was nothing that could back that guy up...
Mikhail’s expression twisted and Radian snickered. "Surely you won't give her up just because Elios is of higher status?”
As soon as his cousin finished speaking, Mikhail gritted his teeth. "Give her up? Where did you learn to speak nonsense like that?"
His eyes burned with ferocity.
Frederich Lionel Elios, you will never win the hunting competition or take Jubelian away from me, he pledged. Not only that...
The murderous expression soon left Mikhail's face.
Radian, watching all the while, smirked. He would get to see something interesting during the hunting competition, it seemed.
It was the day before the hunting competition.
"This is the outfit and the hat that you’ll be wearing tomorrow, my lady. Please check if they’re to your taste."
The outfit Merilyn had prepared looked appropriate for outdoor wear. Since I would be outside for a long time, I told her to prioritize comfort over style. The cape also covered my neck, which meant I didn't need to find an extra accessory to conceal the mark on it. Satisfied, I commended her. "Excellent."
Merilyn smiled and nodded. "I will keep it stored for tomorrow, then."
"Sure. Thank you."
Once she left, I collapsed onto my bed. I would be with my dad during the hunting competition, so I didn't think anything would happen to me. However, the problem was…
I frowned as I recalled how this event was described in the original story. After being commended for getting rid of the beast that suddenly appeared and tried to attack Bea, Mikhail won with an overwhelming score. I knew both the weakness of the beast and the identity of the one who would release it in the field. However, there was no way he would do such a thing now. The villain of the original novel was now my lover.
Thinking about his handsome face for a moment, I was suddenly engulfed by anxious thoughts. Everything had turned out differently from the original story, so I couldn't really pinpoint what was going to happen. Ominous feelings began to creep in, and I was worried that something might happen to Bea.
Just then, Max called from outside the door. "Jubelian.”
Speak of the devil... Sighing, I got up.
As soon as I opened the door, he hugged me. "I missed you," he said. He was a lot bigger than me yet he was putting most of his weight onto me. Honestly, I felt a little burdened. Day by day, I felt more like I was spoiling him with my affection.
In any case, the hunting competition didn’t leave my mind. Although she pretended to be fine, I was aware that Bea had been concerned about her relationship with her mother.
I would have to ask Max to take care of Bea tomorrow just in case.