67. (Re-upload) How to Enjoy the Hunting Competition (1)
67. (Re-upload) How to Enjoy the Hunting Competition (1)
[Chapter 67] - How to Enjoy the Hunting Competition (1)
The seven 'dwarfs' who follow the princess—
Unlike the hairy dwarfs in fairy tales, the dwarfs in the game were each different 'fairies'. They didn't live together in one place like in the fairy tales; they were seven dwarf fairies living in hiding in different places.
In the game, these fairies are called the 'Seven Dwarfs'.
'Brownie', the house fairy waiting for a new master in a hut in the mist.
'Habetrot', the spinning wheel fairy who makes clothes for the princess once you get close to her.
The cat fairy 'Cait Sith', who is capricious and acts as the princess's pet, and so on—
There were a total of seven small and cute dwarf fairies in this world.
In the game, the princess meeting a dwarf is usually considered a 'sub-event', and clearing this sub-event allows the princess to form a contract with the dwarf. It's a common story where the princess solves the dwarfs' worries, and the dwarfs are moved by the princess's character.
The secondary goal of this game was to increase the number of dwarfs one by one and get as close to as many as possible until the princess turns 15. Because having many dwarfs would be a huge help in clearing the 'main event' that takes place at the 'Academy', the main stage of autumn.
And while I said collecting many was a secondary goal, it was fine not to collect many dwarfs. After all, this place I possessed is a 'raising simulation game' with dozens of endings.
There are countless endings where the princess becomes happy without ever meeting a dwarf.
Still... it's better to have them by the princess's side than not.
If the princess has dwarfs by her side, they would be enough to help her. It was my thought and goal to let her make a few fairy friends rather than being alone.
'Even if I leave the royal castle and leave Titania's side, the dwarfs will be able to fill my empty spot. Titania will also feel less lonely if the dwarfs are by her side...'
So I made it my goal to have Titania meet the dwarfs. I don't intend to have her meet all of them, but I still intended to have Titania meet at least a minimum number of dwarfs.
The first target is the house fairy 'Brownie', whom you must meet even in the game.
That hut is a place like the 'Fairy's Side Path' that Fran told me about, and if Titania forms a contract with Brownie, Titania will be able to go anywhere through the hut without learning magic.
Truly, anywhere.
According to the game's description, it was written that Brownie's hut is no different from 'another world'. Perhaps what the game wanted to explain was the Fairy's Side Path?
Anyway, even though that mist has the notoriety of being a mist that swallows people, I knew how to enter and exit that place. It would be strange if I didn't know, since I went in and out of that mist every time I raised the princess in the game.
"Hoo..."
I let out a small sigh and glanced to the side to look at Titania sitting next to me. Titania, who still flinches and walks on eggshells just by making eye contact with me. Seeing that made my head ache automatically.
And another cause of my headache is—
"Please don't glare at me like that. I also tried my best to keep the promise of 'never appear in my sight again' that Her Majesty the Queen spoke of, you know? But this kind of situation can't be helped, can it?"
"...Yeah. But can't you go to another table? Princess Fiona?"
"Ha... You're not a child."
"What did you say?"
"I didn't say anything? And since the seating was decided by 'Lady Serina' herself, as an invited guest, I don't want to throw a tantrum like a child. I hope you can endure it a little even if I'm burdensome."
It was because of 'Princess Fiona', who was covering her mouth with a fan and smiling with her eyes curved next to me. I hadn't realized that this hunting competition hosted by Lady Serina was such a huge event that even royalty from other countries would visit. I just thought it was a small hunting competition hosted by the family...
Lady Serina, who was busy welcoming guests in the distance, must have felt my gaze, as she came running with quick steps, greeted me, and then looked at Princess Fiona sitting next to me and asked.
"Princess Fiona. Thank you for accepting this invitation. I sent invitations every time, but honestly, I never dreamed that Your Highness would visit in person. I prepared a seat in a hurry upon hearing the news of Your Highness's visit, but please let me know if there is anything uncomfortable."
"Not at all, Countess Serina. I am actually grateful for the invitation. The excellence of the beasts from this forest is truly famous even in our home country. I really want to engrave the sight of a wonderful prey into my own eyes today."
Hearing the two people's greetings, my expression scrunched up on its own.
So, she ignored the invitations every time, but chose to attend on the very day I visited? It was suspicious no matter how I looked at it, but I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut because I had no evidence.
As I was making a grumpy face, Princess Fiona chuckled, held out the glass in her hand to Lady Serina, and whispered like this. Really, she whispered in such a small voice that I could barely hear it.
"If the Lady's hunting competition ends wonderfully today... would you like to have a drink together in Lady Serina's 'room' tonight?"
"Ye, yeees?!"
Lady Serina covered her mouth and was startled by the sudden 'slang'.
She was so surprised that she jumped in place, and Lady Serina was trembling, not knowing what to do. Princess Fiona, who was chuckling at that sight, sipped her drink and smiled sweetly.
"It's a joke. They say it's a trend in this country?"
"Ah, haha, yes, that's right. It's a trend in high society."
Did she even find out about the 'slang' that's trending in the high society of another country? If her effort is great, it's great, but honestly, I didn't want to praise her. Because it felt like what Princess Fiona had said to me was still lingering in my ears.
'I know you well. You aren't the type of person to be sad just because a child who isn't even blood-related ran away, right? Are you pretending to be sad in front of others to manage your image as the Queen?'
'You looked like you were having such a hard time pretending to be sad, so I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to do that in front of me, Your Majesty the Queen. Acting gets tiring if you do it for a long time, doesn't it?'
......
Thinking about it again made my irritation rise. If she had known the old Vivian, I might have accepted it, but even so, it wasn't something to say in front of a parent who was desperately looking for a missing child. Since she's a princess of another country, I ended it with just a slap, but honestly speaking, I felt like throwing her in prison right away.
Titania seemed to feel the same way as me, as she was glaring at Princess Fiona as if she were trying to stare her down. 'Yes, you're doing great! Keep guarding and glaring like that!' As I was cheering for Titania in my heart, Titania tilted her head as if she didn't understand, and approached Princess Fiona.
And then—
"Why did you lie to me?"
"Yes?"
"Our Minister of Foreign Affairs said so. That there is no 'Second Queen' in your country. Why did you lie to me? Was everything you said back then about 'not wanting me to end up like you' a made-up lie? Did you insult my mother with a lie?"
...? What is she talking about?
Is this a conversation between the two that I don't know about? Come to think of it, on the day Princess Fiona and the delegation left, Titania had asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs. 'What kind of person is the Second Queen of the Silverword Kingdom?'
Silence fell for a moment at that question. Princess Fiona looked down at Titania and smiled with her eyes curved. For some reason, unlike the smiles she had been making until now, I felt that smile looked sorrowful for some reason.
"My, you are bold. Is that a question to ask me in a place where everyone's ears and eyes are open?"
"I don't care about others' gazes. Right now, the only thing that matters is the fact that you lied to me and insulted my mother. Tell me. Why did you insult my mother even while lying to me?"
"...Ha."
At some point, the bustling tent became quiet. As everyone's gaze poured onto Titania and Princess Fiona, Princess Fiona let out a small sigh and wiped away her smile. Princess Fiona, who looked down at the princess with a cold, expressionless face and icy eyes, answered Titania in a voice filled with cold air.
"Princess Titania, I did not lie."
"But...!"
"How would a mere Minister of Foreign Affairs from another country know my true past? To drive an opponent into a liar just by believing a subordinate's words. Is this how Princess Titania treats a princess from another country? I didn't act this immaturely when I was your age."
Whoosh—
At that answer, Titania's face turned bright red.
"You...!"
"Titania! Come here!"
At the sight of Titania, who looked like she was about to shout right away, I had no choice but to stop Titania. Even to me, it looked like Titania had rushed in emotionally. Titania was a smart child, but it was also her weakness that she couldn't control her emotions whenever someone talked about me.
I sat Titania on my lap, stroked her hair, and tried hard to soothe her. I was really grateful that she got angry for my sake, but the place was not good. This was inside the hunting competition tent, and we weren't the only three people in the tent.
As Titania quieted down, the nobles in the tent started to turn their gazes. The gazes turned the other way, but their ears were still open to our side. Is it a habit of nobles? The nobles who like such stimulating situations didn't seem to have any intention of leaving the tent.
I let out a sigh for a moment, then glanced to the side to look at Princess Fiona. Princess Fiona was still maintaining an expressionless face, just staring intently at the glass in her hand.
"...Princess Fiona, I don't know what you talked about with Titania, but I hope you answer this truthfully."
"What is it?"
"Did you really 'lie' to Titania?"
At my question, Princess Fiona, who had been looking at her glass, raised her head to look at me. An expressionless face without a hint of a smile. No, rather, she even looked a bit angry. Princess Fiona sighed for a moment, sipped the glass in her hand, and answered me.
"I don't know if you'll believe me if I say this... No, I didn't lie. Among the things I said to Princess Titania at the tea party back then, I didn't mix in a single lie. You can bet everything I have on it."
"...Yeah."
"And, to you that day, too."
"What?"
Princess Fiona, who had stood up from her seat, raised her head to look down at me. In that cold gaze looking down, there was raw disgust and contempt that she didn't hide at all. Just what on earth did 'Vivian' do to Princess Fiona that she doesn't hide her emotions to this extent?
'...She treats me emotionally whenever she sees me, just like Titania... Although it's disgust and contempt, not the same affection as Titania...'
At that contemptuous gaze, I let out a deep sigh and hugged the waist of Titania, who was trying to struggle in my arms. For some reason, it seemed like Princess Fiona's expression crumpled even more whenever I stuck to Titania. It must be a misunderstanding, right...?
Amidst such a chaotic atmosphere, a loud bell rang out.
The bell announcing the start of the hunting competition.
Everyone cheered and started riding horses into the forest. Our schedule was to enter the forest together with the scholars gathered to investigate the forest immediately after those participants returned.
As I was watching the participants enter the forest for a while, Princess Fiona let out a deep sigh, then smiled sweetly again and looked at me and Titania. Honestly, that ever-changing expression was scary.
"Your Majesty the Queen? By any chance, may I ask what your schedule will be afterwards?"
"Ah, um... After we enter the forest with the scholars, we are thinking of enjoying a picnic at a place recommended by Lady Serina... Is Princess Fiona not participating in the hunting competition?"
"I just came to watch the beasts being caught. I can't even shoot a bow."
Princess Fiona bent her forearm and put a lot of strength into her arm, but instead of a bicep popping out, her delicate forearm just trembled. Princess Fiona, who was panting as if she were exhausted even though she had only put in a little strength, let out an exhausted sigh and looked at me and Titania with a bright smile.
"Then, would it be okay if I tagged along? Honestly, I wanted to try going into the forest too!"
"....."
At that moment, I, who had lowered my head to look at Titania, could never have imagined that Titania could make such an expression until now. The way she scrunched up her face, showing how much she hated Princess Fiona's suggestion, looked like a hunting dog growling in anger.
"Yes? That's fine, right? I even brought some delicious snacks just in time! There's egg tarts... and some fun books I brought to kill time..."
Princess Fiona started to urge me when there was no answer.
Now I don't know what Princess Fiona is thinking at all.
A moment ago she was so angry looking at me, and this time she wants to hang out together? Is it because of diplomacy? Or high-level politics? I scrunched up my face, let out a deep sigh, and looked up at Princess Fiona.
When Princess Fiona made eye contact with me, Princess Fiona looked at me and smiled brightly. I also smiled brightly, as if responding to that smile, and answered like this.
"No."