“A hunting contest?”
I received Cassio’s invitation with a perplexed frown.
Cassio smiled inscrutably, as he always did.
“The royal family is hosting it.”
“A hunting contest, not just a picnic?”
The weather was beyond what might be considered early summer.
It was a full summer.
Even the servants donned short sleeves and light aprons.
An outdoor event was not uncommon, although…
This world was unique in its late invention of guns.
One would expect guns to have emerged in the same period that opera and coffee became popular.
Or perhaps they were invented but deemed too hazardous, and hence repressed by the authorities.
If firearms existed, neither Raretis nor Cassio would bother with rose rings or knives as gifts; instead, they would probably offer me a small-caliber pistol as a disguise.
That implies it’s a gun-free hunting tournament.
Few would desire to suffer in this heat even if swordsmanship is considered a nobleman’s refinement.
A hunting contest hosted by the royal family at this time?
It seemed strange no matter how I thought about it.
The king’s health was deteriorating, and it seemed strange to stage a violent event so grandly during the social season.
Cassio reacted as if he understood my emotions.
“There is nothing odd about it. A martial tournament would be weird, thus it has been altered to a hunting competition. Tournaments almost always require royal family members to compete and award victors. It becomes more complicated as the number of onlookers increases.”
Hunting competitions are primarily a pastime for nobility proficient in horseback riding, swordsmanship, and archery.
Commoners can hardly come close without being mistaken for a game.
However, tournaments are available to the public to watch.
Although the nobility and royalty would have the best seats, it remains a ‘contest.’
Aptly called, a skilled commoner could win by chance and establish a reputation for himself.
“Hunting competitions aren’t like that. His Majesty has traditionally disapproved of young men congregating in clubs and playing cards. He believed a nobleman, especially one with the title ‘sir,’ should be able to hunt a boar with only a sword.”
Just hearing about it made me imagine the type of guy he would be if he weren’t as he is.
Cassio’s tone remained casual as if he were discussing someone else’s affairs.
“…That’s probably simply an excuse to perform.”
“Right?”
Those in the know knew that the capital was in the eye of a storm.
“The knights’ escort is necessary whether it’s a hunting contest or a tournament.”
“This goes without saying.”
The knighthood’s assistance is necessary for such events to occur. Even without the king’s instruction, if the ceremony was held annually or biennially as a tradition, it might be handled normally without incident.
“We can freely use and move the troops without much concern.”
Cassio only smiled when he spotted my mute look.
A little unpleasant and confident smile, similar to that of a fox.
He gently inquired, “Why, Emilia? Are you concerned that it could be dangerous?”
“We can waste the efforts of troops stationed in the capital on frivolous activities. Right?”
My voice sounded sharper than I intended.
Cassio’s gaze cooled slightly, possibly anticipating a lighter response.
“Is there someone you’re worried about?”
I was about to say something, but I bit my tongue just before I did.
The vision of a man telling me to use him like a knife and dump him whenever I wanted rushed through my head, leaving me dumbfounded.
Cassio’s stare at me hardened unusually.
“I’m always looking out for myself, Mr. Cassio Brahamdorff.”
“Oh, is that so?”
His voice sounded unclear.
He appeared to be playing along, but there may have been a trace of sarcasm.
“I suppose I should be concerned, even with a single-blind blade. Even emergency remedies have limits. Wouldn’t it be prudent to anticipate any party’s actions?”
“Both sides would indeed be eager to make their moves.”
Cassio Brahamdorff responded casually as if he were inquiring whether to serve tea with scones or madeleines.
Encounters like these always revealed the genuine nature of the man who could joke freely with me.
A man who even took the royal family for granted.
“Has the Grand Duke come up to the capital? Her Majesty the Queen must feel worried as if she had a toothache. And the Grand Duke must consider how to handle this problem best.”
“Are you going, Sir Cassio?”
“Would your goldfish’s droppings stray far from where the goldfish goes?”
He laughed as he responded to an analogy I had previously used.
The bright summer sun made his golden hair shine like a halo.
Yes, this man, who could speak such a goldfish droppings statement while unnecessarily looking handsome as he smiled, would be regarded as the darkest of hearts in the realm if not for one.
I placed down my cup of tea and stated, “So, it ends once the task is completed.”
“Lady Emilia…”
“Us being a lady and a cavalier, you’re asking for more romantic terminology?”
“I am ecstatic, Emilia! You can tell what I want to communicate just by gazing into my eyes. This is true…”
“Business partnership.”
“You’re really too much, Emilia. Knowing my heart better than anyone else, but treating me coldly.”
Who knows anything for certain?
A man who appears capable of utilizing deception as a weapon.
I repressed the temptation to respond.
“So, if it’s dangerous, you won’t go?”
“…I must leave. Would the royal family truly exclude you and me?”
If we’re being specific, Cassio, the Brahamdorff family heir, and I, the casual companion.
“It sounded like you were saying you’d brave dangers for me, my heart skipped a beat for a moment there.”
Cassio put his hand over his left chest.
I replied calmly to the flirty man, “Do you get regular health check-ups? I’ve heard that arrhythmia symptoms aren’t great.”
Cassio Brahamdorff’s countenance faded like a sunflower that has abruptly drooped.
“…Lady Emilia is truly formidable.”
“Thank you for the compliment, Sir Cassio Brahamdorff.”
I responded with a tinge of sourness.
“Anyway, Lady Emilia, everything will be alright. I’ll be with you.”
“So, you’re confident we won’t engage in a full-blown confrontation if you accompany me.”
“It’s nice that Emilia catches on quickly.”
A tiny emotion flared in his grey eyes.
Yes, the man’s ‘real’ smile looked more like this.
Not the sparkling smile that anyone would recognize as beautiful.
Not the right kind of light for the sun.
Rather, it was like staring into a crocodile’s eyes, with something inorganic moving quietly between the crevices of a tough skin.
A mask that looks like a smile rather than a genuine grin.
I naturally averted the man’s sight.
“Will the royal guard be called upon?”
“If Princess Aloysia or Prince Alexis make an appearance. While the former is uncertain, the latter appears implausible. The royal guard’s principal purpose is to safeguard the royal family. There is no need to protect a hunting contest where the royalty does not participate.”
“You mentioned that Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Grand Duke might play their games, didn’t you? Willn’t any of the royals attend?”
“It’s beyond even me to know what form that might take.”
Cassio shrugged.
“Pushing a protected royal into a dangerous situation without considering some significant benefit in return would be difficult.”
“…”
I stopped, attempting to grasp the significance of his remarks, and then fell silent.
So, if a monarch in need of protection is forced to organize something like a hunting tournament, it suggests they’re prepared to accept that danger for a reward that could be much more than expected, right?
Certainly not.
Even if Her Majesty the Queen is desperate, these are her children.
Few people would make impulsive decisions to sacrifice their own children.
While the Grand Duke’s intentions are uncertain, Her Majesty the Queen can activate the capital’s royal guard…
I believed I had grown accustomed to Cassio Brahamdorff’s manner of speaking.
That is his way of twisting language to conceal his genuine objectives.
If I understand well, this means that if there is a specific compensation, they will not hesitate to uncover weaknesses and put someone at risk.
The issue isn’t with the queen or the royals, but with me.
Is he warning me that if they get what they want, I could be thrown anywhere?
His normally enigmatic demeanor suddenly got bothersome.
“I’m warning you in advance, Sir Cassio Brahamdorff.”
Cassio gave me an enigmatic expression.
“If I go out and die, I will become a spiteful spirit haunting you for a thousand years unless you give me Ophelia’s remaining letters. I would be too upset to close my eyes in death if I didn’t see those.”