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Chapter 3
Hearing people casually talk about a personal insecurity he had long struggled with—even though he had never met them—caused Kaisertern’s mood to plummet instantly.
Hail, the steward who had served him for a long time, guessed that the prince must have overheard something else he hadn’t and cautiously spoke up.
“Uh… Your Highness, perhaps you should start preparing in advance for the upcoming hunting tournament.”
Kaisertern, who had already been irritated by what he heard, no longer wanted to be in a place where many people could see him. He would need to politely and gracefully refuse any young ladies approaching with impure intentions.
‘At my current mood, I doubt I can even be courteous to them.’
With a deep sigh, Kaisertern spoke to Hail.
“No, I will not participate in the hunting tournament. Prepare a statement for me explaining that I wish to have some time alone, and you stay at the lodging.”
Though surprised by the sudden instruction, Hail bowed without question, acknowledging the order.
Meanwhile, Roabellin sat alone in the stands of the hunting grounds, surveying the area where the tournament was about to take place.
The hunting tournament was the grandest event of the king’s birthday banquet, held on the last day at the royal family’s hunting grounds.
Originally, the forest was home to a variety of animals, from rabbits and deer to predators like wolves and leopards.
However, after becoming royal property, much had changed. In the name of protecting the nobles and royalty, the larger predators had been gradually hunted down over several years.
As a result, only herbivores and foxes remained. The safe forest, with only smaller animals, allowed participants to hunt freely. Nobles who enjoyed hunting would never miss this tournament.
‘This is… odd.’
Roabellin, betrothed to the prince and previously the distinguished daughter of Duke Hertenes, was being unusually slighted during this year’s banquet.
‘It wasn’t like this last year.’
In truth, she had no real reason to watch the hunting tournament. None of her family members were participating.
Yet, she came to the grounds, mindful of appearances. Once there, however, there was nothing to see or do.
‘Boring… I wish my nanny had come too…’
Because the event was held within the palace, foreign nobles could not bring their own attendants; the palace assigned maids and stewards to attend them.
Yet, for some reason—either a mistake in assigning staff or someone’s intention to slight her—Roabellin was given no attendant. She was left awkwardly alone in a rather empty area.
Since her family members were busy entertaining guests, she could not trouble them.
‘No choice. There’s nothing else to do, so I might as well take a walk.’
Having been seated for a while, Roabellin stood up with determination.
She entered the forest, deliberately taking a route that would avoid intersecting with the participants’ paths, but soon got lost. The sun, once intense, was beginning to fade.
As she nervously scanned the surroundings for a path, she came across an unexpected sight.
Kaisertern had sent Hail back to the lodging and mounted his horse, taking the reins. Though officially listed as a participant in the hunting tournament as a guest representing the Empire of Prahenfeld, he had no real intention of competing.
‘Forget hunting. I’ll enjoy some time alone for once.’
He rode at a leisurely pace, moving in the opposite direction of the tournament.
‘Into the forest, to avoid people pestering me…’
Everyone at the birthday banquet knew that this handsome boy with black hair and golden eyes was a prince, so he chose a secluded path.
As he went deeper into the forest, his gentle horse suddenly grew anxious, then increasingly agitated.
“Easy, easy. Calm down.”
Kaisertern stroked the horse’s mane, trying to soothe it, but it wouldn’t settle.
“……!”
Scanning for the cause, he spotted a black panther glaring at him from ahead. Kaisertern froze.
‘A panther…?! Why?’
It was strange. Though deep in the forest, this was royal hunting grounds. The dangerous animals had long been removed, and it was not connected to the outside.
Knowing the situation of the hunting grounds, the sudden appearance of a predator was all the more alarming.
‘And I don’t even have my dagger or bow…’
He could not freely use magic here. Being on foreign palace grounds, any use of magic could be misinterpreted as a hostile act, potentially escalating into a diplomatic incident.
‘Even if I used magic, it would surely be reported to my older brother… He’s always keeping an eye on me…’
While contemplating whether to use magic, the world suddenly tilted.
“Neighh-!”
The panther’s fierce gaze spooked the horse, which reared up. Kaisertern was thrown from the saddle.
“Ah!”
Fortunately, he landed safely but twisted his ankle.
“Ugh…”
As he sat clutching his ankle, the black panther approached with a low growl.
“Neighh!!!”
The terrified horse bolted without looking back, leaving Kaisertern alone with the panther. He bit his lower lip.
‘I can’t run with this ankle. There’s no choice. He’ll know what happened, but I’ll worry about that after I survive.’
Deciding he might have to use magic if the panther attacked, Kaisertern began to channel his power.
Then—
Tap, tap, tap, tap!
Light footsteps approached. The panther paused, glancing behind itself. Kaisertern turned toward the sound.
‘Huh?!’
A flash of soft platinum hair first, then a dazzlingly beautiful girl—Roabellin—came into view.
Kaisertern, stunned for a moment, realized the girl was moving straight toward him.
“Don’t come! Don’t you see the panther ahead?!”
But Roabellin ignored his shouts, reaching him, and crouched beside him, shielding him with her own body as she faced the panther.
“What… are you?”
Kaisertern, flustered, stammered. But Roabellin did not look at him, only at the panther. With her arms spread wide, she showed the panther she would protect him. The panther paused, staring intently at her.
‘It… stopped?’
His hope, however, was short-lived. The panther resumed moving slowly toward them.
‘As expected… I have to deal with this myself…!’
Kaisertern resumed channeling magic. At the same time, Roabellin extended one hand toward him, signaling him to hold off.
The distance between them and the panther had grown perilously close.
Roabellin kept her gaze on the approaching panther, hand extended as if greeting a cat or dog.
As Kaisertern opened his mouth in astonishment, an incredible thing happened: the panther rubbed its head against her hand like a cat, licked it once with its rough tongue, and then walked away.
Once the black panther vanished from sight, both exhaled in relief.
“How… did you do that?”
Kaisertern, staring at the direction the panther went, asked in disbelief.
“Um… I can communicate a little with animals. I told it with my eyes not to harm us and to leave.”
Not wanting to fully reveal her abilities to a stranger, Roabellin gave a vague answer.
Kaisertern found everything strange: a panther appearing in the royal hunting grounds, a perfect-timed girl appearing to save him, and her mysterious powers.
‘Where does her role as a duke’s daughter even end?’
He looked at Roabellin suspiciously.
“Who are you? Why are you in the forest?”
Roabellin could not say, “I’m the betrothed princess of the prince, got bored during the banquet, and went for a walk and got lost.” She was slightly flustered.
“Ah… I was just walking in the forest and got lost… Then I saw a panther approaching from a distance. I thought you might need help, so I came.”
Technically, Kaisertern should have thanked her. But since their mother had passed, he had always been watched and restricted by his half-brothers and his father’s consorts, facing many small crises.
Distracted by the panther, he did not immediately realize he should be grateful to Roabellin.
Whether she noticed or not, Roabellin watched him quietly for a moment, then turned away.
“I’m glad you’re safe. It’s getting late, so I’ll be going now.”
The sun was sinking behind the mountains. Hunting had to finish before dusk, with the captured game submitted to the hosts. The awards ceremony was about to start, and being late would clearly show her absence, so she felt rushed.
Before she could even take a step, Kaisertern’s calm voice called out.
“You said you got lost, right? How do you plan to get back?”
“…….”
