Chapter 58: The Beginning of The Change (2)
After a couple of days, the hunting competition finally began. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. I looked at the large tents embroidered with family crests. The sun was scorching, so the tents were essential. Some of them were so splendid they caught everyone’s eye. Which family does that belong to?
Abel approached me and said, “Why are you hanging around in someone else’s tent?”
“I was just looking around.”
The Heilon family’s tent didn’t look as extravagant, but the fabric was luxurious and strong. It kept the inside much cooler than the outside.
“The weather is hot. Don’t wander around too much. It’s annoying to have to look for you.”
I glanced up at Abel, who looked both tired and annoyed. The capital’s climate was too hot for him, given that his hometown was the cold Heilon.
“You’re not participating, are you?”
If he did, there was a real chance the Duke of Heilon might collapse from the heat.
“I won’t. I’ll watch you acting cute.”
“Acting cute….” Sometimes he could be really over the top. This was a competition that involved my pride.
Abel sat on a chair inside the tent, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He mumbled in a tired tone, “This is why I hate the capital.”
He seemed to be in really bad shape.
“Shall we make it snow near our tent?”
Even if snow didn’t appear because of the heat, the ambient temperature might drop slightly. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Forget it. I don’t want you to lose your strength before the competition starts. I’ll do what I can.” Abel leaned deeply into the backrest. “Also, you don’t have that much stamina, so finish it as soon as possible.”
I quietly nodded. My weakness was indeed my stamina, which wasn’t very good. However, I wasn’t so weak that I would collapse. My stamina was about average for a noble girl my age, so it was sufficient for daily life. But catching monsters was different. Using my magic drained a significant amount of my stamina right away. Just as knights become fatigued from wielding their swords for extended periods, mages also tire from continuous use of their magic.
“Just catch a higher-level monster to shut them up as soon as possible.”
In the competition, monsters came with varying levels of difficulty. Certainly, catching a high-level monster would be more impressive than several low-level ones.
“There’s no way there are high-level monsters in the hunting competition.”
High-level monsters typically appeared near their natural habitats. Moreover, this was a competition organized by the royal family and the nobility for enjoyment. Naturally, the hunting grounds would have been selected to feature monsters that could reasonably be handled. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. Any particularly dangerous monsters would have been dealt with before the competition began.
At that moment, a soft voice rang out from outside the tent.
“Excuse me, Duke of Heilon.”
I lifted the fabric that covered the entrance, and Livya stood there.
“Lady Livya?”
Livya greeted Abel and then looked at me while holding her skirt.
“Lady Fiona, I came here to meet you.”
“Do you have something to say to me?”
Livya smiled. “Yes, could we move to a different location to speak?”
I glanced at Abel. He waved his hand dismissively, signaling that he wasn’t interested. It was a gesture to indicate that the younger ones should leave and not bother the older ones. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Seeing that, I nodded. “Alright, let’s move.”
***
Livya and I moved to a more secluded spot.
“What’s going on?”
“I have a favor to ask of Lady Fiona today.”
This was somewhat expected since I had joined the last tea party.
“What’s that?”
If it wasn’t too difficult, I thought I’d grant it. There was no benefit in having a hostile relationship with her.
Livya grinned. “Would you mind offering me the monsters you catch in the hunting competition?”
Of course, this request was unexpected.
“Why?”
Seeing my bewildered expression, Livya smiled briefly. “Well, Lady Fiona, I believe you’re going to win the hunting competition.”
“I haven’t started yet, but thank you for believing in me like that—”
Livya suddenly wore a playful expression. “You don’t have to be modest. I knew that Lady Fiona has been defending Heilon’s walls all along.”
“Oh, really?”
It was difficult to keep up with the conversation given such a request. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. But unlike me, who still couldn’t grasp the full context, Livya smiled leisurely and fluttered her fan.
“I’m a member of the Priscilla family. I can’t speak for other families, but the Priscilla family doesn’t trust or gather uncertain information.”
In other words, she was warning me not to underestimate the intelligence of the Priscilla family.
“So, I’m betting that Lady Fiona will win this hunting competition. Also, from what I can see, the other contender, Prince Sigren, doesn’t seem very motivated.”
At that, I turned my head. On the side of the royal tents, Sigren was stroking his horse and yawning briefly. He looked genuinely unmotivated. His demeanor made me want to scream at him, “Hey, you said you had a girl you liked!”
I looked back at Livya. “Then, what’s the purpose of requesting the monsters?”
Typically, knights and young noblemen offer monsters to express their affection for young noble ladies. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Otherwise, the Crown Prince would offer a monster to me. It’s quite difficult since I can’t openly refuse due to my position. But if the winner, Lady Fiona, gives them to me, then, given his pride…”
Oh, I understand now. If I, as the winner, offered my monsters to Livya, it was obvious that the Crown Prince would be unable to do so, as it would hurt his pride.
Livya continued, seeing my expression. “If a younger lady wins and offers her monsters to me, while the Crown Prince also gives them, it would create a clear comparison. Not only can he not tolerate that sort of thing, but he also doesn’t have a pure crush on me that would make him prioritize me over his pride.”
In other words, it was a request to block the Crown Prince’s advances towards her.
“I understand what you mean.”
However, if I did this in a public competition, it would be akin to challenging the Crown Prince openly. Everyone knew of the Crown Prince’s interest in Livya. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
‘Is it wise to turn a slight issue into a hostile confrontation?’
As if reading my thoughts, Livya continued smoothly, “Of course, I’m not asking this without offering something in return.”
Then Livya closed her fancy fan adorned with colorful feathers.
“In exchange, I’ll help you establish your place in the social circle.”
“How?”
“Lady Fiona is a member of the Heilon family who supports His Majesty Sigren. So I’m pretty sure the Empress would never view you favorably.”
The Empress was the Crown Prince’s mother. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“To be honest, the Empress is determined to make you a laughingstock in society. That’s why I’m offering to help you. My position in the social world is quite solid, so I might be able to help you avoid some of the Empress’s attacks.”
Of course, there were many weaknesses that people in the social circle could exploit. As the heir to the Heilon family, I was also an adopted daughter of a fallen noble family, which made me even more vulnerable.
Livya was offering to shield me from these weaknesses. However, considering that the opponent was the Empress, I couldn’t expect too much. Still, Livya’s proposal was essentially a deal.
I quietly admired her. She knew exactly how to leverage her position.
Besides, I was in a position where I could be hostile to the Crown Prince at any time, so it wasn’t a bad idea to make friends with the neutral Priscilla family. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Okay,” I said, gladly accepting the offer.
“That’s a rather cool response, Lady Fiona.”
I shrugged lightly. “I’ll make sure Lady Livya is the person who receives the most monsters in the hunting competition.”
Livya burst into clear, cheerful laughter. “Hahaha… It’s an honor.”
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