The Hunting Festival (1)

A vast garden where red and white roses mingled, each exuding their own fragrance.

As expected of the Duke's family, the flowerbeds stretched so far that their ends were barely visible. I leaned back on the bench beneath the warm sunlight.

I felt slightly guilty saying this to Father, but this was a hundred times better than Count Este's tiny garden.

Especially considering our so-called gardener had only been old man Hans, who spent every day rolling around drunk.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Ah, you are..."

At first glance, she appeared plain with her brown hair and black eyes.

But the calluses embedded in her hands and the rough scars told me she was no ordinary person.

If I had to describe her, she seemed like a tough motherly figure.

Laura. If my memory served me right, she must be the head maid of the Hardenberg household. Wasn't she the one Lily kept following around, calling her "teacher"?

Considering how Lily's styling skills had improved since coming to the Duke's estate, Laura must have been doing an excellent job as her mentor.

"Laura Espelt. You may simply call me Laura."

She smiled gently as she spoke.

"Ah... Laura. It's been a while."

I'd nearly forgotten about her since we'd only met briefly during my engagement ceremony when she helped with my preparations.

With Lily handling most of the maid duties, I'd hardly had any reason to see Laura.

More than anything, we'd been too busy with engagement preparations to properly converse when we first met.

"You seem to like the garden."

"Yes. The roses are truly beautiful."

"This was the flower garden tended by the previous Duchess."

The previous Duchess. In other words, Abel's mother.

...I tried to imagine it for a moment, but the image wouldn't come. I couldn't picture Abel ever calling anyone "mother."

Before that, I even wondered if he'd ever truly had a mother in the first place.

Perhaps it was because of the merciless demeanor I'd seen during our first meeting. Or maybe it was due to the cold-blooded noble I'd witnessed before.

"The Duchess passed away before the young master turned four. Such a tragedy."

Laura sighed deeply, her expression heavy with sorrow. I grew slightly nervous—had she somehow sensed my rude thoughts?

Even though I knew perfectly well that mind-reading magic didn't exist in this world.

"Did you know? This garden originally only had white roses."

"Then the red roses..."

"Young Master Abel—no, the Duke planted those himself."

No wonder the roses grew so densely intertwined.

But why would he plant red roses in a white rose garden? What kind of tasteless whim was that?

Or maybe I was just seeing everything through the lens of knowing he was the mastermind.

"The Duchess loved the color red. Even as she tended the white rose garden, she always lamented not having red ones."

Well, with a garden of this scale, the previous Duchess couldn't have planted all the flowers herself. It was likely an inherited garden, cultivated over generations.

Had Abel planted the red roses in the white rose garden... for his mother's sake?

Somehow, this felt completely opposite to the impression I'd always had of him.

"Please don't hate the Duke too much."

"...Huh?"

I turned my head sharply and saw Laura's slightly sorrowful expression.

The tough demeanor I'd first sensed in her had long since softened.

"He may seem cold-hearted, but he's actually quite awkward."

This was unexpected.

He appeared completely indifferent to his household, but perhaps that wasn't the case.

Come to think of it, not a single servant I'd encountered in the mansion had ever spoken ill of Abel. If anything, they only had good things to say.

Though I had to admit, Evan the escort knight's endless praise of the Duke was a bit much to listen to.

"Was that... too much meddling?"

"...No. It's fine."

Truthfully, I still didn't understand.

Abel Hardenberg.

What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠kind of person was he really?

Before meeting him, he had been nothing but a suspicious villain.

When we first met, he was a ruthless figure driven by profit.

During our contract marriage, he had been playful.

Which was the mask, and which was his true self?

'...I really don't know.'

For the first time, I felt genuine curiosity about Abel Hardenberg.

§

Etiquette, pride, manners—everything befitting a noble...

The days labeled as "bride lessons" were, in truth, nothing short of noble education, with no end in sight.

I'd thought learning to dance would suffice as an engagement candidate, but it turned out I had to master countless other things.

Basic embroidery techniques were just the beginning—middle school-level mathematics by modern standards came as a bonus, and on top of that, I had to learn every etiquette expected of a duchess.

The only saving grace was that I'd grown somewhat familiar with sewing in my past life.

'...This is exhausting.'

I'd known there were many areas where I fell short as a noble, but going through this made me realize just how rude I'd been all this time.

Not that it warranted assassination attempts fueled by sheer malice, but...

It was true that I'd needlessly stirred up trouble where there was none.

"You seem tired."

"D-Duke—no, Abel."

When I turned my head, I saw Abel's face, slightly smirking. For some reason, that expression looked annoyingly smug, and I let out a sigh.

"Still not used to it, I see. When will you finally call me by my name properly?"

"...Did you come here just to tease me?"

"Of course, that's exactly why."

His shameless reply to my question nearly made me sigh again. He'd been absent for days, and the first thing he says upon returning is something like this?

"Is it really acceptable for a duke to be this idle?"

I asked half-jokingly, and Abel chuckled before answering.

"This time, I left things to Allen, so it's fine."

Allen—that white-haired old butler, right? If he's the one handling things, then I can rest easy.

Rumor had it he'd served the Hardenberg family for nearly fifty years. At that point, wasn't he practically a hidden power behind the scenes?

Whether butler or maid, it was rare for someone to serve a single household for so long.

"I heard you're struggling with noble etiquette. Is that true?"

"Well, yeah..."

A few months ago? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠No, considering the regression, it had been nearly a year since I'd lived as Adel von Este, yet I'd never paid much attention to etiquette.

In the first place, when survival was my top priority, how could I have spared the time to learn such things separately?

And now, by some twist of fate, I found myself learning noble etiquette as the future mistress of the ducal house...

Perhaps because of the over twenty years I'd lived as a modern person, there were many aspects of etiquette that I couldn't quite accept, making even memorization difficult.

"If you'd like, I could help."

"...Why?"

The blunt question slipped out before I could stop myself. Even so, he let out a soft laugh and answered in an oddly kind tone.

"Because I'd hate to see my dear Adel humiliate herself."

"Ugh... It's not that bad, is it?"

"Oh? Reciting all the etiquette you skipped out on at the engagement ceremony out of nervous trembling doesn't sound too bad either."

"Ugh, that..."

It was true—after that incident, I'd had to endure a two-hour lecture from Allen in his gentle yet firm tone once we returned to the estate.

Even Lily, who usually defended me fiercely, had turned her back on me that time. That said it all.

"Well, there's no need to rush. You won't be making public appearances for a while anyway."

"But isn't the Hunting Festival coming up?"

Puzzled by his words, I asked, and he shook his head.

"The Hunting Festival has been postponed by a month. The snow on the Eternal Snow Mountain hasn't melted yet, apparently."

The Hunting Festival.

A grand event held on the Eternal Snow Mountain, a massive range north of Irie, the capital of the Arieh Empire.

Due to the rugged terrain and the powerful monsters inhabiting the area, it was an extremely dangerous region.

Originating from the first emperor of the empire, Yuke von Shpenheim, who subdued all the monsters of the snowy mountain and reached its summit, the festival had continued for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠over a thousand years.

For young noblemen, it was not only an opportunity to prove their strength but also a chance to present their hunt to the noblewomen they admired.

Conversely, for noblewomen, it was an opportunity to gauge their own worth based on the hunts offered to them.

The one who brought back the most or the most valuable prey would earn the title of King, while the one who received the most valuable hunt would be crowned Queen.

In other words, it was a chance to make a name for oneself in more ways than one.

Of course, given the extreme danger, the Imperial Knight Order also participated in large numbers.

Thanks to that, while casualties weren't nonexistent, they were limited to just one or two per year.

"You seem eager for the Hunting Festival, Adel."

"Huh?"

"Are you curious about what I'll ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bring back for you?"

Saying I wasn't would be a lie, but seeing his smug face made me slightly irritated.

"Who knows. Not really."

"Then I'll make sure to bring back something beyond your expectations."

Somehow, that made me uneasy. Was he seriously thinking of claiming both the King and Queen titles?

Even if it was to maintain the facade of our contract marriage, surely he wouldn't go that far...

...Right?