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CHAPTER 10……………………………………..
“Is this an event that’s held every year?”
At Ariella’s question, Dmitri lifted his head. Looking up at him from below, he seemed younger than usual. After a brief pause, he answered shortly.
“…Yeah.”
“What’s the atmosphere of the hunting festival like?”
“It’s whatever.”
Ariella shut her mouth before asking anything else. Somehow, his expression didn’t look ordinary.
This is when I really need my swallow knight.
Gerald had once said that he liked wagging his tongue far more than swinging a sword.
Though he was called a knight, he was actually just a guard. Knights permitted to remain inside the imperial palace had to meet specific qualifications set by the imperial family. But occasionally, commoners with connections to someone inside the palace became low-ranking knights.
They couldn’t rise in rank or make careers for themselves, but the job was stable, so it was popular. Even when wars broke out, they weren’t deployed. All they did was miscellaneous work for the real knights, and among those tasks, guarding the top of the tower was considered the most insignificant.
But to Ariella, Gerald had been like an air hole.
Thanks to his talkative personality, she had managed to endure those painful, endless stretches of time.
The funniest thing was that Ariella didn’t even know what Gerald looked like.
The most she ever saw of him was an occasional glimpse of his back whenever the maids delivering food opened and closed the door.
The stories Gerald shared about the outside world were astonishingly detailed and always the fastest to spread. Simply put, he was extremely nosy.
If he had been here beside her, she would’ve already learned all about the hunting festival.
She looked around. There was no one anywhere who would kindly explain this overwhelming situation to her.
It’s not like I can go around searching for a knight named Gerald.
If she did that, rumors would spread that the crown princess was trying to take a lover before even holding the wedding ceremony.
Lost in all kinds of thoughts, Ariella and Dmitri eventually left the rear garden.
Not long after, a wide road appeared—broad enough for two or three carriages to travel side by side. Just as they stepped onto it—
“When we arrive at the hunting grounds, stay close to me.”
“What?”
She asked in surprise, but no answer came back. Dmitri’s expression looked even worse than before. As though he were about to head into a difficult battle.
For some reason, tension tightened through her.
At some point, they must have entered the hunting grounds, because the atmosphere changed in an instant. Dmitri handed Ariella the reins and mounted his own horse.
A black jacket, sleek navy trousers, and a black horse that suited him perfectly.
The golden epaulettes and shorter-than-usual cape made Dmitri appear far more masculine. The impression she’d had of him until now suddenly felt meaningless. He looked arrogant—like a commander standing at the front lines of a battlefield.
Then he bent down and whispered something to his horse.
Afterward, he gently stroked its mane. Anyone watching would have called it an affectionate gesture.
A tyrant who connected with animals.
“You must treasure that horse a lot.”
For a moment, he stared straight ahead without speaking. It didn’t feel like he was ignoring her—more like he was turning her words over in his head.
After a brief silence, his careful voice answered.
“Yeah. I suppose I do.”
It wasn’t some grand statement, but somehow her heart stirred.
* * *
Spring hunts were unpredictable.
Some days it was difficult to find even a single small animal, while on others they would encounter furious beasts freshly awakened from hibernation.
Ariella looked up at the sky. It was perfectly clear without a single cloud.
People had already gathered at the hunting grounds. Perhaps because of the ominous atmosphere, the horse carrying Ariella snorted loudly and tossed its head once. She climbed down first. Both she and the horse desperately needed water.
Then she felt a gaze falling from above.
It was Dmitri.
“You’ll be lucky if you don’t get flung backward just trying to pull a bowstring.”
She couldn’t read most of his expressions well, but somehow his displeasure always showed clearly.
Still, she had no comeback. She had never even touched a bow before.
Then Dmitri suddenly extended an arm toward her.
“This way.”
He meant for her to ride with him.
“What? Why? Is that really necessary?”
“When the horns sound, all the horses will charge at once. If you fall off in the chaos, you’ll die instantly.”
“N-no way…”
Would someone really die from that?
Ariella looked around anxiously. As if proving Dmitri’s words, everyone’s expressions were grim.
At that moment, the emperor emerged from a massive tent bearing dragon-emblazoned banners. He walked slowly onto the platform like a well-fed predator.
Silence instantly settled over the hunting grounds.
Frederick swept his gaze across the crowd.
His eyes paused briefly on Ariella and Dmitri before moving on. It lasted only a moment—so fleeting she almost thought she imagined it—but goosebumps prickled down her skin.
Frederick soon raised a hand and lazily waved twice.
“Ariella. Hurry.”
Dmitri urged her again.
Though hesitant, Ariella stretched out her arm. He leaned completely toward her. The moment their hands connected, her body lifted into the air.
Light as a dry leaf, she was effortlessly hoisted up and seated directly in front of him.
His horse was far taller than she had imagined.
Her heart pounded painfully.
“I’m more nervous at the hunting grounds than on the battlefield.”
“W-why?”
Ariella clutched the saddle tightly.
“Because on the battlefield, the enemy is in front of you. At the hunting grounds, they’re behind you.”
His low voice seeped directly into her ear.
Her whole body stiffened.
“What does that mea—”
Before she could finish, the deep blast of hunting horns shook the entire forest.
Dogs barking.
Men shouting.
Women laughing sharply.
Dust clouds kicked up by galloping horses—
And suddenly her body was yanked backward.
Dmitri wrapped an arm firmly around her waist and pulled her tightly against him. His body, which had looked lean, felt much larger than expected.
Before she could even catch her breath, he nudged the horse’s side with his heel.
At once, the horse shot forward at tremendous speed.
It was the first time in her life she had ever been pressed so closely against a man, yet she had no room to even think about it.
Hngh—
The horse cherished by the tyrant had started behind the others, yet quickly surged to the front.
The trees of the dense forest seemed alive, lunging toward her from every side. The fierce wind knocked the breath from her lungs.
“Keep your head clear and watch the right side.”
The right? Which side was right again?
Barely orienting herself, Ariella narrowed her eyes and saw Gray running powerfully ahead. Other hunting dogs followed behind him in a line.
As they splashed through a shallow depression, muddy water sprayed upward.
Then Dmitri leaned closer.
“Tell me everything you see.”
His hot breath settled against the back of her neck, heating her skin.
A deeper puddle appeared ahead, and this time the horse leapt high.
As her body lifted into the air, Ariella squeezed her eyes shut.
“The right.”
As though he had noticed her closing her eyes, Dmitri ordered her again.
His voice near her ear was almost a whisper, yet sounded like a stern warning.
The hunting dogs barked wildly at something in the distance.
Some panted heavily, tongues hanging out, twisting their bodies completely in the opposite direction.
The pounding of hooves—
The pounding of hearts—
She couldn’t tell whether the racing heartbeat belonged to her or Dmitri.
As time passed, she slowly began to see her surroundings more clearly.
Triphina’s forests were entirely different from Forenze’s. Even the flapping wings of startled birds bursting upward at the intrusion felt unfamiliar.
Before long, Dmitri dominated the hunting grounds.
Though she could hear other riders chasing closely behind at impressive speed, none dared overtake him.
“Two o’clock! Two o’clock direction!”
Ariella shouted after spotting thick bushes shaking violently.
At her words, Dmitri’s head snapped toward the movement.
Immediately, he jerked the reins sharply upward. The horse, which had been charging at full speed, slowed instantly without even making a loud sound.
“Eek—!”
A metallic gasp escaped her throat.
“Shh.”
Dmitri covered her mouth with one large hand.
Reflexively, Ariella grabbed onto his arm.
For a moment, she thought she heard a low laugh.
Just as she turned her head to look at him, his large hand cradled the back of her head.
Then he pulled her face tightly against the side of his neck.
As the master held his breath, even the horse beneath them seemed to quiet its breathing.
Ariella wanted to see what was happening, but Dmitri twisted his body further, pressing her face firmly against his shoulder. Her vision was completely blocked.
How much time passed?
Unable to see, all her senses focused entirely on sound and breath.
Just as the rough breathing became unbearable, Dmitri’s body suddenly jolted once—
Then came a dull, sickening sound.
The horrible noise of something sharp piercing flesh.
Wanting desperately to see what had happened, Ariella struggled against him.
But Dmitri only tightened his hold around her.
“Hah… hah…”
Her breathing rose all the way to her throat.
“Shh. It’s okay. It’s over.”
In a strange, unfamiliar tone, he soothed her.
Then he let out a long whistle.
Only after that was Ariella finally able to escape his grasp.
