We traveled as a group for about fifteen minutes more, then we arrived at the crown prince's villa.
It's called a villa, but truthfully, it was as grand as a mansion. The place could accommodate more than fifty guests, plus also the servants and knights that each guest brought with them.
"Lily, the floor is slippery. Be careful."
As he had been glued to my side throughout the entire trip, Theodore still wouldn't stop sticking to me once we arrived. His behavior was so burdensome that I couldn't control the expression on my face now.
Still, as I got off the carriage, I tried hard to school my hardened features because other people's eyes were drawn to us at once.
Their gazes were full of prying curiosity, perhaps because of the rumors circulating about how the Duke and Duchess of Valentino have become amicable towards each other.
"I shall lead Your Graces the Duke and the Duchess of Valentino to the room you will be staying in."
Ignoring the prickly gazes, we followed after the attendant who guided us to our room.
After checking the room we were guided to for a moment, we soon went out again. As we reached the middle of the garden, the crown prince was seen to be in the middle of a commotion.
"I can't wait to see who will win the hunt! Firstly, though, it's not going to be me-that's for sure! Hahaha!"
...It still confuses me whether he's just self-assured enough to make himself the butt of the joke or if he's just pretending to be a carefree man.
In any case, it's true that his hunting skills were terrible. He loved the sport of hunting itself, but he had no talent in shooting an arrow from a bow or throwing a spear.
Even so, he seemed to be adept enough in handling a sword.
"Oh? I wonder who's this!"
After looking this way, the crown prince shouted at us in delight. He's fond of Theodore.
However, I didn't know if it's because of a personal reason or if it's because of a political agreement...
Judging by the crown prince's past behavior, he seemed to be trying to win Theodore over to his side.
"Duke Valentino! And the Duchess. I'm so pleased to see you side by side."
As we approached, I smiled hollowly at the crown prince, who began to speak so much.
I really don't think that I'll ever be able to match the wavelength of this man, just like with Rozenne Delacroix. If I were to describe it, it's like I lose strength the longer we talk...
"Goodness, Duchess, your pallor is much worse now compared to the last time we met. You should take more care of your health."
The last time we met... It was last winter... No, it was around the end of March earlier this year.
The Fraunces Kingdom-though it differed from region to region-was a country that was not very hot during summer and not very cold during winter, but this year, the temperature had gotten especially low, especially as April approached.
The crown prince had visited the Valentino Castle by the end of March, when it was especially cold. He visited because he said he wanted to catch a white fox with luscious fur so that he could present it as a gift to his consort,
but.........
Eventually, the crown prince didn't catch a single one. Theodore had caught six, so he gave the crown prince three as a gift.
"Duchess, will you be able to ride on horseback today? If you think it'll be too hard on you, you may rest inside instead. You don't have to push yourself."
At the crown prince's words, all I could say was, 'Thank you for your concern,' but the crown princess soon hinted at her husband.
Unlike the crown prince, she had a quiet, more reserved personality. She was also the direct opposite of her sister, Rozenne Delacroix.
It's amazing to see how the royal couple, despite their differences in personality, were doing quite well together.
With a neutral smile on my lips, I spoke.
"I'm alright. Thank you very much for your concern, Your Highness the Royal Consort."
"Yes, let me know if you're having a hard time."
Still smiling, I bowed my head to her. The crown princess has always been taking good care of me, but I still couldn't tell whether this was out of duty or out of sympathy.
I have a feeling it's the latter.
"Lily, I have something for you."
Then, as if he just remembered, Theodore said this. From his pocket, he took out a brooch with a pale pink gem on it, then he proceeded to attach it directly to the collar of my riding suit.
Right then, people around us turned to stare in astonishment.
In particular, the most bothersome gaze was the crown prince stared so blatantly at us with curiosity.
"I infused the gemstone with my elemental power. I'm sure nothing will happen, but... just in case of an emergency, this will protect you.
"...Thank you."
The gemstone seemed to be a rose quartz. When I gently touched it with a fingertip, I could feel its warmth.
People who have entered a contract with an elemental spirit had the ability to infuse their elemental power into metals or gemstones like this. Not all kinds of materials are good for this, but only gemstones or metals of the highest purity.
After being infused into a medium like this, it'll be possible for anyone to wield the elemental power that's inside it. Something like this was similar to how a magic tool worked.
Of course, compared to the original power of the contractor, this was much weaker and more limited.
Still, this was very helpful when dealing with monsters. That's why the stronger the elemental power of the territory lords, the better they could protect their land.
"...The rumors must be true. The Duke seems to care very much about her?"
"Yeah, it seems like it. I didn't really believe it myself, until I saw it with my own two eyes..."
People started whispering here and there. Then, when I looked around with an aloof expression, they all quickly closed their flapping mouths.
Hearing people gossip like this always made me feel dirty. Some of them have even made bets about when exactly the divorce would happen.
Did they not have any other hobby other than using other people's misfortunes as their entertainment? Letting out a sigh, I glanced back at the crown prince.
I was about to ask what time the hunt would start, but the crowd grew noisy once more.
'What is it this time...'
I frowned slightly as I stared in the direction of where the fuss had started. The first thing I saw was their silver hair that glowed with a blue tinge beneath the sun.
Ah.
This single sound left my lips as soon as I realized. I was wondering why I couldn't see them anywhere yet. If I hadn't been so aware of the crown prince, I would have noticed them earlier.
The two brothers of House Everett.
Owen and Hessen walked forward side by side. And, those two scoundrels were glaring straight at me.
-------------------
"Oh? Duke Everett isn't coming?"
Thanks to the crown prince quickly stepping forward, Owen and Hessen's sharp eyes were directed away from me.
As Theodore was standing next to me, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and hugged me closely.
The fact that he was trying to protect me now made me feel conflicted.
With the past and the present intersecting, the dissonance made my mind go blank.
Before I knew it, Owen and Hessen were talking to the crown prince.
It was mainly Owen who was talking to him, while Hessen looked at me from time to time and glared at me.
As though I didn't know who he was, I averted my gaze.
But at that same moment, one person's unusual presence in this event heightened my already taut nerves.
"......?"
When I felt someone else's gaze on me, I turned my eyes.
And unexpectedly, the person who I felt peculiarly about was someone I'm meeting for the first time. He's standing a little behind Owen.
'Who's that?'
Somehow, I had a bad feeling.
I frowned slightly, then the man raised his head and stared straight into my eyes.
At that moment, I unconsciously froze up. His eyes were empty-as if there was truly nothing within him.
Like a dead man.
"Madam, that's the new mage working under Young Duke Owen."
Charlotte whispered behind me.
I nodded wordlessly and stared at that person.
Because his face was covered by a hood, all I could see was part of his face and his thin wrists at the end of his long sleeves. His skin was exceedingly pale.
No matter how much I looked at him... He didn't look like a normal mage.
'He's the mage who started working under Owen around the same time Theodore suffered that head injury...'
The military records I read through a while back... There was nothing unusual about anything.
However, there was one part that bothered me.
That day, there were many monsters pouring out of the rifts. Apart from their numbers, those monsters had also been very vicious.
'I knew it, there's something suspicious about that mage. I have a bad feeling about this.'
It was just a hunch, but I couldn't help but keep paying attention to this matter. I couldn't ignore my intuition.
"Hello, Lily."
My train of thought suddenly broke apart as the languid voice entered my ears. After finishing his chat with the crown prince, Owen came to greet me.
He was glancing down at me while standing with a haughty posture, his demeanor boasting of a ruler's superiority, just as usual.
I always felt helpless in front of Owen, but at the same time, I was overcome by a murderous intent towards him.
Owen smirked crookedly and bowed lightly with his head.
"And, Duke Valentino. How have you been?"
It was as if all the air around me had become frozen. This must be quite the spectacle for the others to watch.
Then came Theodore's cold voice.
"I have been well, thanks to you."
"Right. You must have liked my gift."
...Gift? What gift? This was the first time I'm hearing about this. I grimaced and glanced at Theodore, but he looked at me with a complicated gaze and whispered.
"I'll tell you later. After the hunting party."
His memories were faulty-well, only regarding me-but what on earth happened between him and Owen?
I glanced at Theodore and tried to speak, but a high-pitched voice pierced my eardrums.
"Big Sis! Ah, I mean, Your Highness."
This loud-mouthed woman was none other than Rozenne Delacroix. She had a pleasant greeting with her older sister, the crown princess, then she turned her head and started waving wildly at someone else.
When I looked to see who it was, it was someone I recognized at first sight.
Zenedier Delacroix.
"Brother! Zen! Hurry, come over here!"
Rozenne's older brother, while the crown prince's younger brother. He was the successor of House Delacroix.
Queen Ellemiel arrived as well, and soon after she presented to everyone the coral bracelet, which would be the prize of today's winner.
Looking closely, I saw that the bracelet was not only adorned by corals, but also diamonds and pearls. It was truly an iridescent piece, but it was an accessory that could be worn by anyone regardless of their gender.
"Now then, let the hunt begin!"
The crown prince clapped his hands together once as he proclaimed.
Until the very end, Hessen didn't come to greet Theodore at all. And he just glared at me as though he was about to devour me whole.
Ignoring Hessen, I looked around instead. I saw that Marquis Chester was here, but his brother, Lennon Chester, was nowhere to be found. Perhaps he's absent from today's event.
In any case, as I mounted my horse, I thought about how it's nice that I wouldn't have to see his disgusting face.
Those who were participating in the hunt were supposed to take the lead, and then the spectators would follow behind. In other words, we would be divided into two groups.
It would be difficult for the participants to concentrate on the hunt if the spectators would be wandering around the perimeter, so it's imperative to be separated like so. This way, the participants wouldn't be distracted.
There should be nothing to worry about, especially since the Ashridge forest was not a habitat to any dangerous animals.
That is, unless a rift suddenly appears...
"Lily."
Ignoring the crown prince, Theodore turned to me as he called my name. It seemed as if he was interpreting my concerns in his way.
Sure enough, he clasped my hand and spoke.
"Since there are knights escorting you, there won't be any trouble, but still be careful. Don't take off the brooch I just gave you."
"Alright."
The people glancing this way, watching me and Theodore, gradually seemed to be getting used to the sight.
Theodore gently let go of my hand and left my side. Still though, he kept looking back as though he couldn't bear to take his eyes off me.
Uninterested in him, I turned away and headed towards the place where Queen Ellemiel, the crown princess and Rozenne were.
I knew that I'd be the safest with these three people. After all, they had the most escort knights.
...But unlike how it was before, I could now see one more person with them.
It was none other than Adeline.
"......"
After thinking about it for a moment, I changed my mind and I was about to turn my horse away. But at that moment, Adeline stopped me in my tracks as she called me in a bright voice.
"Duchess Valentino!"
Since she was waving her hand so innocently to beckon me her way, if I were to ignore her and go elsewhere, the only one who'd be seen in a bad light was me.
I turned my horse this side and that so it eventually let out a sigh, but I soon pasted a smile on my lips.
When I arrived at Adeline's side, she smiled and spoke to me warmly as though we were close.
"Lily, who do you think is going to win today? I'm betting on Theo."
In the past, whenever Adeline spoke to me like this with such a bright expression, I couldn't help but feel upset. But now, it didn't matter.
Rather, seeing Adeline consistently act like this made me pity her.
I answered her with a gracious smile.
"I'm also rooting for 'my husband' to win, of course."
"......"
Adeline's smile seemed to falter for a second, but it grew wide again. I don't know anything else about her, but she was surely perfect whenever it came to schooling her facial expressions.
She was about to answer back, but the voice of one tactless person intervened.
"Of course Duchess Valentino is going to support her husband. What kind of obvious question is that, Miss Adeline?"
What she said brought our surroundings to a freezing temperature. However, Rozenne, the very person who spoke up, turned towards the crown princess and continued their chat as though she didn't care at all.
While taking advantage of the usefulness of a tactless person who couldn't read the mood, I steered my horse to a slow trot.
As I joined the flanks of a group of noblewomen and ladies, with knights escorting us on both sides, we soon arrived at the entrance of the Ashridge Forest.
The forest was filled with luscious green foliage and silence hanging in the air.
From time to time, we could hear only the rustling of leaves as a breeze would pass by, the sound of bugs hiding in the grass, and the chirping of small birds.
Naturally, there were many insects coming out in a forest like this when it's summertime. I put on my thin, silk gloves that reached my wrists, then lowered the mesh attached to my hat down to my neck.
I hate bugs. No, actually, I hate summer itself. And compared to the outdoor events that were held during winter, I disliked having to go out in the heat. And most of all, I truly hate that so many insects would come out.
"You seem to be thoroughly armed, Duchess Valentino."
With a smile, Queen Ellemiel spoke to me as she steered her horse so that we were riding side by side. I smiled back with a hint of embarrassment.
I had to act accordingly in front of her as she was the queen. If I could look like a crumpled wildflower amidst a bouquet, that would be even better.
I considered Ellemiel to be a frightening person. She was harmless, vulnerable and endlessly generous with the people she had to protect. However, she was cunning, greedy and endlessly cruel to the ones she considered to be a threat.
The type of person that Ellemiel disliked the most was someone typically like Adeline. I'm quite sure that Queen Ellemiel was already well aware of what exactly Adeline looked like beneath her mask.
"Here, try taking a whiff first, spray it on yourself and see if it'll be effective. The bugs that try to come to you will decrease significantly."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
I politely accepted the small crystal bottle that the queen handed over to me.
When I took off the cap and sniffed it, there was a hint of a piquant scent amidst a cool fragrance. It seemed to be a mix of eucalyptus, peppermint and cinnamon.
I knew that a scent like this would drive away the bugs, so I sprayed it moderately on my body.
Grateful by this, I smiled at Queen Ellemiel and returned the bottle to her.
"By the way, your complexion seems to be declining by the day, Duchess. Are you doing alright?"
...I have no idea why there's so many people interested in my health these days.
My horse was trotting at an unhurried pace, which was just the same pace as the queen's horse.
The people at the lead of the hunt were now nowhere to be seen. That's how far the distance between us had gotten.
I could hear nothing unusual around us. However, as we went deeper into the forest, I could feel my skin prickling, worsening the bad feeling I've had since earlier.
'....It's weird. What on earth is making me feel this way?'
"We're here now, but I've not even seen a rabbit. Perhaps the people who've gone ahead have found their own prey, but..."
The crown princess murmured with a low voice. Certainly, not a squirrel could be seen, let alone a rabbit. But there was something else that bothered me more.
'Is anyone else feeling this?'
The deeper we went into the forest, the clearer it became to me that there's something up in the air. It wasn't exactly an unpleasant feeling.
Rather than that... It felt as if there was a small petal flying in, fluttered gently by a passing wind-that kind of sensation.
I wanted to ask people around me if they also felt anything strange, but I eventually closed my lips. It might just be me, and I'd look strange bringing up something unnecessary.
'...But just in case, I need to stay alert. And Owen's mage is also suspicious...'
Then at that moment, I felt something different.
Immediately on reflex, I halted my horse.
I felt chills down my spine along with a wave of anxiety. If I had felt just a tickling sensation of something harmless earlier...
This was the complete opposite.
"Duchess Valentino?"
The crown princess looked back at me with a perplexed look when I stopped in place.
And it was only then that I realized what this feeling was. It was the sensation of...space being distorted. And I felt this only once before-when a rift had appeared in a village at Veronis.
"What's the matter, Duchess Valentino? Is horseback riding too difficult for you after all?"
Adeline approached and spoke to me with a pitying tone. But with my brows furrowed, I asked her.
"Lady Alvinith... Do you not feel anything?"
"......?"
Adeline only looked at me as though she wanted to ask what I was talking about. Urgently, I then ignored her and shouted towards Queen Ellemiel.
"Your Majesty, please stop the march! You can't go any further!"
As Queen Ellemiel paused and looked back at me, it was at that very moment that the space right in front of her had cracked open, and a 'crevice' appeared.
It was a rift.
"R-Rift!"
"A rift broke out!"
"Secure Her Majesty and Her Highness!"
The quickest to respond were the royal knights who were escorting Queen Ellemiel and the crown princess.
They quickly sent the two to the back and defended them from the front.
The knights of House Valentino and other households also went forward and drew their weapons.
"Why did a rift appear in the Ashridge Forest?!"
"This isn't even the season for when rifts occur...!"
"Rifts don't appear here in the first place! This is the first time!"
People went into a panic. But amidst the chaos, Adeline's questioning voice could be heard beside me.
"Lily, how did you know that there would be a rift?"
...Is that really important right now? I didn't want to deal with her, but I answered with a steady voice anyhow.
Because several people, including the queen, were paying attention to our exchange.
"I felt the space around us distorting."
Hearing my answer, Adeline narrowed her brows, then she snapped back.
"...That's ridiculous. You have to enter a contract with an elemental spirit first to feel that-"
But at the same time, a tremendous rupture resounded throughout the forest.
The distortion of space shook the ground and a loud ringing sound split through the air. The trees swayed as though they'd be uprooted at any given time, and leaves scattered to the ground soon enough.
As the fabric of reality was torn open, a dark energy that was as dim as the abyss flowed out.
And as if kicking down a glass window, beyond that rift, a strange beast's foot appeared.
It was a monster.
"......!"
As soon as the deluge of monsters registered in everyone's minds, the surroundings grew entirely silent, and the tension in the air was pulled taut.
Even the sound of everyone's breathing could be heard through this silence, and at the same time, the cries of the herd of monsters soared sharply.
Soon after, terrible monsters poured out of the rift.
"Everyone stay in place! Do not retreat!"
A knight from the vanguard cried out. There were two ways to deal with this kind of situation.
First, those who could fight would protect those who couldn't, and they would fight against the monsters.
Second, those who couldn't fight would run away.
But the latter wasn't a very good choice. Because...
"Aaahhh! Save me! AAAACK!"
A man who showed his back to the monsters was eventually caught by one, which had jumped straight at him.
That's why.
It wasn't known whether the monsters were capable of intelligent thinking or not, but they commonly attacked anyone who'd show their back first.
"Fire the smoke signal! We must alert His Highness about this!"
"The smoke signal is defective! I've tried firing it several times now but- Huuk!"
Turning the situation into a full-frontal battle wouldn't be good. The smoke signals were defective, and the monsters were coming in droves, enough that the knights were being pushed back.
At this rate, their defense would soon be broken through.
Towards the young ladies and noblewomen who were trembling in fear, Adeline suddenly stepped forward and shouted.
"I'll drive them out with magic, so everyone, please stay behind me!"
Certainly, Adeline was a daughter of House Alvinith, and so she knew how to wield magic. The problem was this fact-it was very difficult to deal with the monsters with magic.
The only power that could surely defeat the monsters was through the power of an elemental spirit.
Magic could weaken a monster or take its breath away, but the very door through which the monsters entered-the rifts-could be closed only by an elemental spirit's power.