Chapter 20 Hunting Festival (2)
The Hunting Festival (2)
A month passed by in the blink of an eye.
Having attended noble etiquette lessons disguised as bride training every single day without fail, I could tangibly feel how much my posture and bearing had changed. Everything from basic dining etiquette to the proper demeanor required during conversations—all of it.
"Please mind your steps. Walking like that could easily lead to a twisted ankle."
...Though it seemed I still had a ways to go. Still, being able to walk comfortably in heels this high now could be considered a remarkable improvement, couldn't it?
After observing my posture several times, Allen finally gave a satisfied smile.
"You've improved tremendously. It's hard to even recall how you were during our first meeting."
"Ahaha. Thank you."
By "first meeting," he must mean when I first proposed the contract marriage to Abel. Come to think of it, back then I had neither the composure nor the slightest regard for noble etiquette—no wonder he'd say that.
"This level is... sufficient."
"How unexpected. I never thought even Allen would acknowledge you."
Abel, who had emerged from the office without me noticing, spoke those words. Even he seemed slightly surprised that I'd earned Allen's approval in just one short month.
Well, if nothing else, I do learn quickly.
Ahem.
Clearing my throat and slightly crossing my arms, I couldn't help but feel a little smug—prompting Abel to chuckle.
"Glowing with pride is all well and good, but shouldn't we start preparing to leave soon?"
"Ah, right."
Perhaps I'd gotten too carried away—I'd completely forgotten. Today was the day of the Hunting Festival, after all.
Even if the Eternal Snow Mountain was relatively close to the Hardenberg estate, we'd still be late if we didn't prepare now.
"Lady Adel!"
From a distance, Lily called out to me in a loud voice as she approached. Having been scolded by Laura last time for running and tripping, she was now walking briskly.
"It's time to get ready!"
"Got it, Lily."
As I followed Lily, I suddenly felt someone's gaze on me and turned my head.
There stood Abel, flashing me a meaningful smile as he waved in my direction. There was a mischievous glint in his expression that sent a wave of unease washing over me.
How should I put it? It was the same foreboding I always felt right before some major disaster struck.
Even as I frowned slightly, he continued to stare at me with that same inscrutable smile.
'...Why do I feel so unsettled?'
I hoped it was just my imagination that he was about to cause some huge incident. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared. If it turned out to be nothing, all the better—but wasn't it said that preparedness averts peril?
With that thought, I followed Lily again.
§
"Haaah..."
As expected of a place literally called the Snowy Mountain. Even bundled up in multiple layers, my teeth chattered uncontrollably.
The fact that my breath turned into white mist even inside the carriage spoke volumes about just how bitterly cold it was.
Abel, seated across from me, glanced at me sideways before flicking his fingers.
"Seems you're quite cold."
"Extremely. How—how are you dressed like that, Abel?"
His attire wasn't much different from his usual uniform—dignified and befitting his status, but hardly suitable for a snowy mountain.
So much so that even I, who never normally worried about him, found myself concerned he might catch a cold.
"Magic."
Ah. Right.
Must be nice being born with a silver spoon of magic.
Hearing that made me feel foolish for worrying in the first place.
For someone like me, who grew breathless from mana depletion after casting just one or two simple spells like tracking or shield magic, it was downright enviable.
"Still cold?"
"Of course—... Huh?"
Come to think of it, the cold no longer bothered me. If anything, I even felt slightly warm.
Confused, I lifted my head—only to see Abel smiling at me with that mask-like expression.
Had he used magic for my sake? I hadn't planned to ask, but... seeing him do it so readily felt strangely unfamiliar.
Well, from Abel's perspective, having his fiancée catch a cold would probably be inconvenient.
Still, the fact remained that he'd helped me...
"...Thank you."
"Hm? I can't quite hear you."
This man—pretending not to hear me again. That playful look on his face gave him away instantly.
Not that I was the type to skimp on gratitude, so repeating myself louder wasn't a problem.
"Thank you, Abel."
"Don't mention it."
With that perfunctory reply, he immediately returned his attention to the documents in his hands, as though he'd lost interest.
For some reason, that irritated me slightly, but I let out a sigh and turned away.
Really—in more ways than one, he was the kind of person who got under your skin.
Beyond the carriage window stretched a mountain range blanketed in pure white snow. Even to my eyes—those of a former hiking enthusiast before possession—the scale of these snowy peaks was staggering.
It naturally made me wonder if they might even surpass Mount Seorak in height.
To think a single carriage could ascend to such altitudes...
The magical engineering of this medieval era was truly an astonishing technology.
No matter how much magic existed in this world, the fact that a carriage could climb such dizzying heights was remarkable.
I even found myself entertaining idle thoughts—Wasn't the coachman's profession far more extreme than one might imagine?
Clatter, clatter.
Of course, no amount of that incredible magical engineering seemed capable of smoothing out this ride. I still hadn't gotten used to it. Though, truthfully, someone like Abel—who could comfortably read documents amid all this jostling—was even more bizarre.
If I asked, he'd probably just say it was thanks to magic again.
As I lost myself in thought, the clattering stopped with a whinny from the horses.
"We've arrived."
Saying this, Abel set aside the documents he'd been reading and stood up. Stepping out of the carriage first, he extended his hand to escort me down.
Outside, a snowfield stretched endlessly, blanketed in white.
And at its center—as if a barrier had been cast—lay a flat, wasteland-like clearing where the snow had melted away.
Young ladies and noble sons in vibrant attire, aristocrats, even members of the Imperial Family were visible. Among them, I spotted a face so familiar it was downright grating.
The Crown Prince, the Tower Lord, the Imperial Knight Commander, even a Duke...
A gathering of people whose mere names would make anyone's jaw drop.
Practically every type of male lead you'd expect in a RoFan was assembled here.
Even for one of the Empire's most significant events, the Hunting Festival, it was rare for such high-ranking figures to all appear.
The reason, of course, had to be her—the protagonist.
Turning my head, I spotted Estelle not far away. Silver hair gleaming under the sunlight, golden irises that added an air of mystique. Hers was a beauty so striking that anyone would instinctively recognize her as a peerless beauty.
Estelle von Lewis.
The protagonist of the original work, a woman of such charm she ensnared every male lead in her orbit.
Even for a RoFan, the sheer number of men drawn to her felt unrealistic. The more I witnessed it, the more this world's nature as a romance fantasy sank in, leaving me with an odd sense of dissonance.
Ah, we made eye contact.
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise before she offered a faint smile and a small wave. Though startled myself, I forced composure and awkwardly waved back.
Seeing her react so genuinely made me feel all the more out of place...
She really was a good person, though.
From what I'd heard, the original Adel had caused her all sorts of trouble.
Yet, Estelle had sincerely offered congratulations, expressed interest in further conversation, and even handed me an invitation before I left the engagement ceremony.
I began mentally reviewing the rumors of Adel's misdeeds toward Estelle.
Faking a stumble to spill wine on her dress, subtly mocking the Count Lewis Family's commoner origins.
Even covertly leading the social ostracization of Estelle at her own parties.
Had Adel been half out of her mind?
The more I dwelled on it, the less I understood why Estelle would extend such kindness.
If she could still invite me after all that, she might as well be a living saint.
Every single act had not just violated noble etiquette but outright insulted her. It was far more rational to assume she had some hidden motive.
"You seem deep in thought."
Only then did I notice Abel's outstretched hand. Had I been so lost in contemplation that I hadn't even realized he'd tried to take it first?
"Ah, my apologies."
"There's no need. Though, tormenting yourself over unsolvable problems is a difficult habit to break."
His tone was far more refined than usual—likely because others were present.
Even if he was subtly chiding me, he wasn't wrong. No amount of pondering would suddenly reveal Estelle's intentions.
Better to focus on what was right in front of me.
I took slow, deep breaths, untangling the knotted thoughts in my mind. Gradually, I felt a little more settled.
"Thanks for the advice."
"You're welcome."
He flashed a grin in response—an unusually saccharine smile that sent a faint shiver down my spine, though I hid it well.
Honestly, I much preferred the usual mischievous glint in his smiles.