"Who is that person, the one who almost got poisoned to death?"
"Who is that person, the one who almost got poisoned to death?" My heart sank, and without realizing it, I grabbed Rainer's collar and demanded urgently.
Could it be Leo?!
I vaguely remembered this incident being recorded in Fairy's Night, but the details wouldn't quite come to me.
As I grew anxious wondering if it might be Leo, Rainer, who had been staring at me in surprise, finally spoke.
"Ivy Ron. He's a baron from the Atara Kingdom. I doubt you know him, my lady."
Ivy Ron. A name I definitely didn't recognize.
I let out a deep breath and released Rainer's collar limply.
It's not Leo. Leo's alias was something else.
From what I knew, Leo—who was also the king of Atara—had visited the empire under the false identity of Leo Bluebell, Viscount.
I took a deep breath to quickly calm my startled heart.
"What happened? Tell me the details of the incident."
"It happened this morning, so the full story hasn't come out yet. We're still hunting for the culprit, but if word gets out publicly, it could spark discord between the Atara Kingdom and the empire. So we've agreed with the delegation to keep it under wraps for now. That's why the delegation is running late—they're investigating."
Could El's delay be because he's healing Baron Ivy?
Now the puzzle pieces were starting to fit together a bit.
Ivy Ron might only be a baron, but he was still one of the delegates representing the kingdom. It made sense for the pope to use his holy power.
But... who? And why target a member of the delegation?
It felt like a vital thread connecting to some greater mystery had just burned away.
Memories from the past and present tangled and twisted in my head until it felt ready to burst. I clutched at it in frustration.
"Lady Crisis. Are you all right?"
Rainer, who had been quietly watching my furrowed expression, asked in his usual dry tone.
His parched voice carried a hint of concern, warming my heart just a little. I tugged the corner of my mouth up faintly.
"I'm fine. Just lost in thought for a moment."
First things first—the hunt. I'll ask Leo about the situation again once he arrives.
I forced my tangled thoughts into order and lifted my head.
The hunt was the top priority right now.
I need to make that automobile bastard kneel.
I gripped the reins tightly, steeling my resolve once more—only for Rainer, whose expression had darkened, to speak slowly.
"...Do you have someone in the delegation you're interested in, my lady?"
In the delegation?
His sudden question made me blink before I shook my head.
"I have one friend there, but no one I'm interested in."
Leo's a friend, after all.
Rainer's face brightened faintly at my hesitant reply.
"Then we're good. Let's head in."
He muttered softly and urged his horse toward the forest entrance.
I wondered why he'd asked, but figured there wasn't much to it and quietly followed him.
The forest entrance buzzed with mounted nobles.
I followed Rainer, weaving through the crowd.
Just as we were about to enter the woods together, an unpleasant voice called from behind.
"Looks like Sir Ainheart and Lady Kashmir are off to hunt together."
Rainer's face, which had been matching my pace beside me, twisted in disgust. It was the first time I'd seen the ever-stoic Rainer show such vivid displeasure.
Calm down. Don't draw your sword.
Feeling the stares converge on us, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
I turned toward the miraculous voice that had riled my blood just from sound alone.
"I don't recall ever permitting you to use my name, Prama."
It was Audi Prama, the one who'd stirred up trouble at this hunting tournament.
He grinned, undeterred by my icy response devoid of any emotion, and rode his gray-spotted horse toward me.
Killing intent began to seep faintly from Rainer, who was guarding my side.
"Don't be so cold. You'll permit it soon enough."
This bastard.
I ground my teeth inwardly at Audi's arrogant gaze looking down on me. It was the attitude of someone utterly convinced he'd win and become my lover.
Suppressing the urge to carve up that mouth of his—which grated on my nerves with every word—I fixed him with a cold stare.
"What do you want?"
I pressed him curtly, sticking to the point.
Just facing him was boosting my combat urge; I wanted to get to the hunt already.
"Ah, well... I saw you were about to go hunting with Sir Ainheart, Lady Kashmir."
"That's the plan. Got a problem?"
I replied coldly, my eyebrow twitching.
Audi smirked unpleasantly and tilted his head slightly.
"You did declare you'd hunt solely with your own power. Won't going with Sir Ainheart break the rules?"
It was the attitude of someone dead certain I'd need Rainer's help.
How much of a pushover do they think I am?
Amid the murmuring crowd, I chewed my lip and barely restrained the killing intent threatening to spill out.
Audi seemed to have a book called 101 Ways to Provoke Kashmir Crisis's Wrath.
"I swore to the sun at the banquet that I'd accept no one's aid. Was my oath amusing to you?"
I tried to stay calm, but a rough, boiling voice burst from my lips.
I could endure most things, but being dismissed like that was too much.
"Ah, of course not. I was just worried that the righteous knight, Sir Ainheart, might help out Lady Kashmir since she can't catch any game on her own."
Audi shrugged and spoke shamelessly.
Underneath it all was his conviction that I couldn't catch a single beast without Rainer's help.
I drew in a furious breath.
Audi's needling attitude was more than enough to make me grit my teeth in rage.
"You should stop insulting Lady Crisis any further."
What stopped me as I debated drawing my sword was Rainer's voice—seeming even angrier than I was, the victim.
...Rainer?
Audi flinched at eye contact with Rainer and shrank back like a frightened rat. Even I was momentarily startled beside him.
Rainer Ainheart was, well... the textbook image of a perfect knight. Honest, upright, unshakable no matter the situation.
For that Rainer to get angry.
Honestly, I couldn't picture it.
As I hesitated, reluctant to check what expression he was making, the visibly terrified Audi stammered a timid rebuttal.
"S-Sir Ainheart, insult? I was just... "
"I'm telling you to shut your mouth, Prama."
Audi's feeble protest was cut off by Rainer's low voice.
I slowly turned to him, feeling his once-gentle tone scrape like the ocean floor, erupting rough and low.
Through the thick rosewood scent carried on the wind came a wave of killing intent.
Invisible to commoners, but to my Sword Master eyes, I could see the wild mana waves spreading everywhere.
With a Sword Expert's killing intent bursting forth, the crowd naturally fell into fear.
And for the first time, I saw it.
The truly enraged face of Rainer.
Lips pressed into a straight line. Hands clenching the reins as if to suppress his fury. Fierce killing intent spilling unconsciously, chilling golden eyes flashing.
Before I could even be shocked that that upright Rainer had told him to shut up, I realized one fact.
"If you speak of Lady Crisis that way even once more, I won't forgive you."
Rainer was truly terrifying when angry.
Crushed by the killing intent, Audi clamped his mouth shut without adding another word.
Even I, stronger than Rainer, faltered momentarily under his blazing aura.
No, I was the one insulted, but Rainer seems even angrier. It's touching that he's mad for my sake, but it puts me in an awkward spot.
I scratched my head, position suddenly flipped.
"You were worried Lady Crisis might need my help?"
"Y-Yes? Yes... "
Audi shuddered as if chilled to the bone, stammering at Rainer's icy question.
Rainer's golden eyes flashed coldly.
"Don't worry about that. I swear on the name of Ainheart—I won't dare interfere with Lady Crisis's hunt."
The oath from the heir of Ainheart carried upright weight.
Silence fell over the area.
Audi bit and released his lip.
"St-Still... "
"And above all."
Rainer blocked Audi's persistent rebuttal.
He glanced coldly down at Audi before turning to me.
I lost my words at those golden eyes staring straight at me.
Steadfast trust and blind affection filled them both.
His deep, unwavering gaze settled my heart just by meeting it.
Rainer the Sword Expert wasn't stronger than me the Sword Master.
He didn't wield immense power like El the pope or Leo the king.
He was just a viscount's heir. Not as socially adept as Prince Diego.
"Lady Crisis has no need of my help. She can handle it on her own."
Yet Rainer Ainheart was more righteous and reliable than anyone I knew.
The conviction in his low voice, the faith in his eyes gazing at me—it quelled my boiling rage and filled my cooled heart with warmth.
He's truly a good man.
I smiled softly.
That the Rainer who'd saved me as a child had become such a good man standing before me felt like solace—that my unhappy childhood hadn't been entirely in vain.
"Sir Ainheart is right."
With a confident smile curving my lips, I urged my horse forward and faced Audi squarely.
I declared firmly to his bewildered expression.
"I have every confidence I can beat you in our bet with my own power alone."
The Black Calamity Mir had no need of a white knight on horseback to rescue her from peril.
She only had comrades to face and overcome crises alongside.
"Are you all right?"
How long had we been riding into the forest, leaving the noisy crowd behind?
Only when the clearing was out of sight did Rainer finally speak.
All right, suddenly?
I stared blankly at Rainer, who had been silent until tossing out this out-of-nowhere question.
Reading my expression demanding explanation, he added,
"Prama was rude back there. I was worried you might be upset enough to not want to hunt with me."
"I was upset, but... why would you think that would make me not want to hunt with you?"
Audi's bullshit had nothing to do with hunting with Rainer.
I furrowed my brow and tilted my head. He bit his lip and looked down.
"...Either way, you heard that insult because of me. I'm sorry—I shouldn't have suggested coming together and put you through that."
I blinked slowly.
Rainer seemed to feel guilty about what happened earlier.
He looked more troubled than I was, the actual victim. I chuckled softly at the sight.
"You're too kind, sir."
"...Pardon?"
At my short words, Rainer's face flushed rapidly.