“It’s a shocking statement. Even though the Marquis is handsome, Iel has never lost in terms of appearance.”
“People have different views on appearance.”
“Does the Marquis look the best to you?”
“Yes, among those I’ve seen…?”
Goyo, who had unconsciously continued speaking, belatedly realized that her words might have sounded strange. Rajin grinned mischievously at the abruptly quiet Goyo.
“Do you perhaps love the Marquis?”
“No, I don’t.”
The immediate response came as soon as the question mark fell.
“They say quick denial is affirmation.”
“It was a political marriage to begin with.”
There could never be love between him and her.
It was a marriage made after weighing political benefits, even without meeting five times. Outwardly, that was all, but if one looked deeper, the reason Annecy married Goyo was so obscure that a single misstep could lead straight into a quagmire.
Her life had been ruined by a tumultuous first love.
Back then, she had the excuse of being ignorant, but Goyo now knew all too well how devastating the consequences would be if she were to fall in love with Annecy Bethelgius.
Goyo did not love Annecy. She did not love her husband.
It was a given.
“Even in a political marriage, if the hearts align… Ah, I think I asked a rude question. I’m sorry, Madam. You and the Marquis seem to get along so well that I spoke carelessly.”
“It’s fine. It’s not an inappropriate question to ask between a married couple. But.”
I will never love him.
Goyo spoke in a calm voice. Rajin thought that voice sounded as if she were making a resolution.
* * *
On her way back from the Eliom estate, Goyo called her secret guards and asked them to keep the matter of the handkerchief a secret.
This was because she was inexperienced in embroidery and was unsure if she could produce a decent result by the hunting tournament.
If, by the day of the tournament, only poorly made embroidery came out, Goyo planned to buy a ready-made product instead. It was unthinkable to give an imperfect gift.
Fortunately, the secret guards, though not her subordinates, nodded in agreement.
Goyo spent busy days practicing embroidery on the handkerchief and preparing for the hunting tournament, which was fast approaching.
Her schedule became so packed that she hardly had time to think about how bored she had been before, and time rushed by until the day of the hunting tournament arrived all too quickly.
The day had finally dawned.
Since it was a hunting event, Goyo chose comfortable clothing that didn’t cling. She wore common hunting attire, shiny black leather boots, and a short jacket.
After tying her hair in a single braid and placing a hat on her head, she felt the reality of participating in the tournament sink in.
After getting dressed, Goyo soon boarded the carriage with Annecy.
She couldn’t quite understand the idea of having the carriage pulled by horses when it was enchanted with automatic magic, but as Annecy had said, it did set the mood.
Since Ramona Forest was behind the capital, the two arrived at the forest soon enough.
As Annecy was about to step out of the carriage first, Goyo called him. “Wait a moment, Annecy.”
“Take this.”
“A handkerchief.”
“You’re participating in the tournament too. I can’t just receive something.”
A light purple handkerchief embroidered with a four-leaf clover in white thread. There was a subtle glimmer in the man’s eyes as he accepted what Goyo offered. A mix of slight confusion and small joy.
“The four-leaf clover’s meaning was ‘luck,’ right? The use of bright colors and simple design—was it by Le Rang? Debussy? Derun?”
“You don’t have much of an eye for handkerchiefs, do you? Sorry to disappoint you, but the embroidery wasn’t done by anyone that grand. It was by a very insignificant novice named Goyo Bethelgius.”
“My word, did you embroider this, Madam?”
“You said you’d make one yourself, so I thought I should at least put in some effort.”
Though the result is like this… Goyo trailed off.
Despite thinking she had tried her best, the handkerchief turned out quite plain. Luckily, she had chosen the finest material; otherwise, it might have been too embarrassing to carry around.
“Somehow, it doesn’t have the smell of dirty gold coins.”
“You’re mocking my lack of skill, aren’t you? There’s no need to sugarcoat it.”
“How could I? I like it very much.”
Annecy smiled brightly.
“Thank you, Madam. I was always a lucky person, but today, I feel even the goddess of fortune might be less fortunate than me.”
“Thank you for your joy, but please don’t say things like that.”
“I think it’s about time I gave you my handkerchief as well.”
Annecy took a sharp-edged box from his coat. The plain white box seemed modest, but as soon as it opened, the handkerchief revealed inside was anything but.
The large blue cloth was surrounded by elaborate lace, leaving only a small portion in the center unadorned.
Each of the four corners had a ribbon, making Goyo doubt if it could even wipe up three drops of spilled tea.
“This… is a handkerchief?”
Goyo muttered blankly, flabbergasted.
“Didn’t you say you’d make it as modest as possible?”
“This is quite the modest handkerchief. If you brought ten random people here, nine of them would agree.”
“There are dozens of passersby outside. Should we ask them and see for real?”
“That’s unfortunate. The hunting tournament is full of the one in ten who can’t appreciate simplicity. If you’d like, we can ask someone with eyes, though it may be in vain.”
Step out for a moment, Legit.
“Legit is your subordinate. He wouldn’t dare speak against you.”
“Such distrust, even after three months together.”
“You talk like we’re a couple that’s been married for thirty years.”
“Time passes, and three months becomes thirty years.”
Both Annecy, who had spoken unconsciously, and Goyo, who had been listening, froze, surprised by their own words.
The air turned slightly awkward, and a silence hung between them. To break the tension, Goyo barely managed to pull her voice from her scratchy throat.
Anyway, I understand.
“I’ll accept it gratefully, though I doubt I’ll use it as a handkerchief.”
“There’s no need to be bound by the name of a thing. If you’re unsure how to use it, well, no matter.”
Goyo, wait a moment.
Annecy bent forward, loosening Goyo’s single braid. He gently untangled her hair, which bore the marks of being tied, and took the handkerchief from her.
He began weaving the handkerchief and her brown hair together, finally braiding it into one strand that fell over her shoulder, which he tied off.
Then, Annecy pressed his lips to Goyo’s hair.
“As I thought, it suits you well.”
“Not exactly in the way I expected, though.”
Goyo sighed, but couldn’t help the faint smile that crept onto her lips.
* * *
The hunting tournament courses were divided according to registration type. One part started at the edge of the forest, where small animals appeared, while the other began deeper, where real monsters roamed.
Goyo, of course, was in the beginner course, while Annecy was in the expert one.
Reciting the name of Kolabe Perroto with a bleak expression, it seemed he hadn’t intended it. However, it wasn’t something that could be changed once the tournament had started.
Moreover, this particular event was hosted directly by the royal family, making it tricky to exercise any authority.
In the end, Goyo’s husband disappeared with a bitter smile, and Goyo had to head to the meeting place where she had promised to meet another acquaintance participating in the tournament.
At that moment, her eyes met with a knight who, although not as striking as Annecy, still stood out quite a bit. Sir Eliom. Just as Goyo was about to call out Rajin’s name after making eye contact with him, someone bumped into her.
Despite the maid being behind her, the collision was so sudden that she couldn’t prevent it.
“Madam!”
As Annie belatedly approached, Goyo raised her hand to stop her. She had seen the face of the person who had bumped into her.
“…Lady Renier.”
“Oh my, isn’t it Madam Bethelgius? It’s been a while.”
Despite the blatant intent behind the collision, her attitude was disingenuous.
Suppressing a sigh, Goyo searched for the person who always accompanied Emily, but Rante Frittil was not beside her. Perhaps their relationship hadn’t mended after the incident when the tea had been spilled on her.
Or perhaps they had parted for good. Goyo briefly speculated as she glanced at Emily’s face, filled with venom.
“I heard rumors and thought it couldn’t be true, but you really did come to the hunting tournament. I haven’t heard that you handle firearms, nor that you’re skilled in swords or magic. So you must be using some other tool, right? Oh my, I can’t wait to see what kind of amazing artifact the Marquis gave you!”
“Thank you for your anticipation. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Not wanting to engage further, Goyo tried to leave, but Emily Renier blocked her way.
“You seem awfully busy, despite us not having had much of a conversation.”
“If you have a topic you wish to discuss, please get to the point. I’m not that free.”
“You’ve changed, Madam, haven’t you?”
At Emily’s words, Goyo slowly raised her eyes to meet Emily’s.
“You weren’t the type to speak your mind so openly before. I used to admire your discretion, but after you got married, somehow…”
“That’s not something I need advice on from you, Lady.”
“Indeed, Lady Renier. You should stop.”
Rajin, who had made eye contact earlier, approached and interjected. Meanwhile, the glances that had been merely curious turned into whispers.
A sneer curled at the corner of Emily’s lips.
“To think even Sir Eliom is drawn in—Marquis Bethelgius’s power must be as impressive as the rumors suggest.”
“Lady.”
“Oh, I shouldn’t speak like this, right? If I end up dragged into court again and made a scapegoat, this time you’ll probably accuse my family of treason!”
Scapegoat? Accused?
Her words were too severe for merely being brought to court over rumors. Especially since the result of Bethelgius’s lawsuit had only been a fine.
Had Annecy intervened separately? Goyo felt a bit curious, but with so many eyes watching them, she didn’t show it.
“You would do well to watch your words unless you wish to repeat the same mistake.”
“There’s no need to politely tell me to get lost, Madam. You don’t need to speak so grandly; I won’t be lingering around in front of you any longer.”
With that, Emily spun around, her skirt swirling, and walked off briskly.
Watching her retreating figure, Goyo’s eyes narrowed slightly. It didn’t seem like she had come just to pick a fight.
Rajin, who had been looking at Emily with a somewhat disdainful expression, was about to speak when a breeze blew from the direction of the forest. The wind carried a faint scent toward Rajin.
“This scent…”
“Oh, I used the perfume you gave me. You called it a ‘lucky perfume,’ didn’t you? I was worried it might scare away the wild animals, but Annecy said it blended with the forest’s scent, so there would be no problem.”
Recalling Annecy’s reassurance, Goyo smiled lightly. The scent was so faint that she barely noticed it unless she focused, and even then, it was a pleasant forest-like fragrance.
Though it seemed as if another scent mingled with the breeze, she didn’t mind it. After all, it was natural for the wind in the forest to carry different smells.
Rajin hesitated for a moment, her expression uncertain, before offering a vague smile.
“I see.”
Watching her indecisive expression, Goyo smiled back.
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