CATB Chapter 12

3. Good Will Hunting

After the banquet ended, I was bored.

Alexa's dissolution became quite an issue that circulated around the palace, but Marquess Berford had almost no palace visits as before (except to see Ariel. Lily said their steps have been infrequent lately, so they don't seem to be meeting each other), and I had no reason to go outside. While meeting people was Ariel's job, I didn't know how she had cooked up and presented the dissolution story, but it wouldn't be enough to reverse the dissolution that had already happened, so I wasn't too worried.

Well, no matter how much more they curse, a b*tch remains a b*tch. Nothing new there.

The important thing wasn't that. I was sick of the boredom.

Unlike the king or Wilhelm who had to handle general administration, there wasn't much for a princess to do. I had thought the queen might handle internal court affairs, but the cunning king hadn't given even that full authority to the queen, so she had virtually no real influence, and it seemed the typical role of royal women was to sit around dressed up like dolls.

Well, seeing the queen and Ariel, they seemed quite busy going to social parties and meeting nobles, but that wasn't my style at all. I had always hated playing house since I was little, and honestly, I hadn't had the luxury for such things since my parents passed away.

Two months after the king's birthday celebration party, another major royal event came around.

The hunting competition.

An honorable and traditional social event for royalty and nobility only (I snorted at Lily's explanation), where young nobles participating in the hunting competition team up with a young lady who supports them as a partner. The team that brings back the most valuable and largest game wins, but winning wasn't the purpose of this event.

A young noble could designate a young lady to partner with him or receive volunteer applications, but typically the principle was for young ladies to volunteer themselves—show their intention to support—this was meant to give greater freedom to the women who would otherwise have to keep their seats throughout the entire event. Multiple applications were allowed, so the young noble who received the most applications became the unofficial winner of the hunting competition.

Meanwhile, young nobles who received not a single application of support from the young ladies—there were invariably one or two every competition—would face punishment, which was usually crude and spiteful, like crawling between the winner's legs or stripping naked and jumping into the stable manure pit. The noble young men forced to endure such humiliation would suffer tremendous wounds to their pride and withdraw from society for several years—this was an age-old tradition of the hunting competition.

"Why on earth do they do such pointless things?"

"Well, it's because of factions among the nobles. If there's a young noble who's an eyesore, they secretly coordinate to ensure no one applies to support that young noble. Since it's a royal event tradition, they can make excuses if their scheme fails."

"Geez, the rice money* going into those bastards' mouths is such a waste. Such a waste of rice money."

"Huh? Rice, you mean?"

Leaving behind Lily, who tilted her head in confusion about rice, Jen brought clothes for the hunting competition.

"I brought them in a style Your Highness would like."

I rummaged through the dresses and chose a teal dress with a shallow neckline, then suddenly added to Jen.

"Prepare a hunting outfit with good mobility too."

"Huh? Are you planning to hunt as well, Your Highness?"

"Where else would Alexa the Beast go?"

Being stuck in the palace all day was making me restless beyond endurance. Just thinking about refreshingly riding a horse and roaming through the forest made me excited already.

The morning of the hunting competition arrived. As I watched Jen and Lily wake me from the crack of dawn to get me dressed up, I yawned incessantly.

"Princess Ariel will definitely come heavily made up."

"Damn, we absolutely can't lose."

"You guys seem to have forgotten that I'm going hunting..."

"Kyaa! What do we do? Then your makeup will smudge. Your hair will get messy too..."

"Your Highness. Do you really have to hunt? If you're exposed to the hot sun, you'll get freckles!"

"When have I ever cared about such things? I'm definitely going hunting. Just sitting dressed up for hours waiting — I might go crazy and unconsciously spray champagne on Ariel and the ladies."

"Hmm... that's quite possible."

"Then you must come to us when the hunt is over! We'll fix your makeup and redo your hair."

I nodded—if I went to these two after the hunt, I'd be trapped there for at least an hour. I couldn't waste precious outdoor time like that—and obediently surrendered my face to them.

After they had been at it for probably two hours, Lily's "We're done!" was heard.

Lily had created healthy, glowing skin with distinct eye makeup. Plus glossy, glass-bead-like lips. I don't know what they used since there wouldn't be lip gloss here, but I gave them a thumbs up. Jen piled my hair up high and tied it in one bundle. My black hair gleamed glossily, but she had skillfully arranged it to be much more convenient for activity than usual. I gave Jen both thumbs up too. Both of them smiled proudly and blushed.

"I'm so happy I don't know what to do when My Lady praises us."

"Me too. I'm happier about those thumbs than when you praise us with words..."

Cute things. I gave them each a lollipop I had hidden under the vanity as a reward and got into the carriage.

It was a competition held in the forest near the palace, so we had to leave early.

"You're here."

Getting off the carriage and entering the large tent, a gentle voice was the first to welcome me. Ariel grabbed my hand and led me to her group.

"We greet Princess Alexa."

The ladies who had been sitting stood up in unison and greeted me, and I responded briefly.

"Princess Alexa is unconventional again today."

Duke's daughter Manuela looked at me with gleaming eyes. Along with malicious mockery.

"You've been recuperating for so long that adapting to society must still be very difficult. Just like at the last birthday party... Princess Ariel will need to help you a lot with royal etiquette and protocol."

She was probably commenting on my makeup that showed my natural skin tone and my body-hugging dress amid all those pale, powdered faces and puffy-sleeved little-girl dresses.

As Ariel's closest aide, she was skilled at indirect jabs.

"Lady Manuela. As Alexa has said repeatedly, she simply didn't have opportunities to encounter the royal court. This is something we should fully understand. From now on, things will improve since I'm here."

Ariel looked at me benevolently as she spoke.

I smiled brightly.

"Well, I think everything should be done to suit oneself... There's nothing more unfortunate than forcing yourself to follow something that doesn't suit you. For example, in cases like Lady Manuela where there's flesh on the arms, these puffy sleeves are fatal. They only emphasize the arm fat. If you chose sleeves that flow airily, not only would the fat not be highlighted, but your arms would look relatively thinner."

Smiling sweetly as I pointed to her arms, Lady Manuela's face turned bright red.

"Your Highness! Are you insulting me right now?"

"Insult? That was absolutely not my intention. It's just advice filled with concern. If you're suspicious, please try following my advice. You won't regret it. If you don't want to do that, well... there's no choice but to lose weight. In your current state, all I can see are your arms, Lady."

The surrounding ladies giggled at my words. Once you point out one thing about a person, that thing tends to become highlighted afterward. I'd bet all my hidden lollipops that interest in Manuela's arms wouldn't stop all day today.

When Manuela couldn't continue speaking and huffed angrily, Ariel stepped in.

"Lady Manuela, please calm your excitement. Alexa, you should restrain yourself too. It's troublesome if you disturb the atmosphere."

"Well, I only gave advice. I had no idea Lady Manuela had such a severe complex about her arms. I'm sorry, Lady Manuela. I'll make sure not to bring up arms from now on."

The ladies' giggling grew louder. Everyone's gaze was fixed on Lady Manuela's arms sticking out from her puffy sleeves. Lady Manuela trembled with anger and quickly fled.

Ariel sighed, and Countess Kiel, who was said to be her childhood friend, followed Manuela out.

The gazes of the remaining ladies were mixed. Manuela's close associates glared at me, while there were those who looked at me with favor, and those who showed curiosity. I calmly drank my tea, pretending not to notice any of them.

"Father will soon declare the start of the hunting competition. Alexa, who are you planning to support?"

At Ariel's words, everyone's attention poured onto me as they had been chatting among themselves.

Jen had informed me in advance that Marquess Berford had promptly asked Ariel to be his partner. The Marquess seemed still very anxious that I might ensnare him.

What kind of behavior is it to ask me this when she had taken my former fiancé as her hunting competition partner?

'How annoyingly she's playing these games.'

I didn't like this kind of emotional warfare. Clear-cut decisions of either yes or no were much cleaner and more fair.

If Ariel truly loved Marquess Berford, she shouldn't have let Alexa develop a one-sided love for the Marquess or become engaged to him from the beginning.

Or at least, even now, she should have covered up Alexa's dissolution and tied up her official relationship with Berford.

Ariel did nothing.

She kept Berford by her side, took Alexa's place, and tested her heart.

What does Ariel want? Berford, or despairing Alexa?

I stared at Ariel's face as she tried to gauge me.

Everyone's attention would be focused on my answer. Knowing Alexa's long-standing one-sided love, they wouldn't think it had changed just because of the dissolution. Rather, they would think Alexa would choose Marquess Berford again.

Let's see how long this goes on. What would actually happen if she chose him?

Berford would naturally reject Alexa and team up with Ariel. Alexa would be left alone again, watching her beloved and her sister, while enduring the sharp stares directed at her.

According to Jen, Alexa had never had a partner at hunting competitions. In these events—where she attended as rarely as rain in a drought—during her confinement in Conetti, she had designated Berford every time but was rejected, and spent the entire day sitting alone until the competition ended, and then she was stuck back in her room.

Now she at least looked human on the outside, but if it had been Alexa's past appearance, there would have been tremendous attention. Disgust and curses as bonuses. Even now, there were people murmuring while looking at me.

I was irritated. By the visible days of past Alexa.

"Well..."

I drew out my words and sipped my tea. The sweet scent of apple mint spread in my mouth.

"Hmm? What did you say?"

Ariel asked again. She must have found it strange that I didn't immediately say Berford's name.

"I haven't said anything yet."

"Right. I must have misheard. Alexa, who will you choose?"

Why was she asking so persistently? Ariel was insisting I answer to the end.

"Hah, sister, what are you so curious about? I'll choose appropriately on my own, won't I?"

"Ah, I was just curious. It's been a while since you participated in a competition..."

At my words, Ariel seemed hurt and lightly sniffled, causing murmurs of 'How heartless of her' among the ladies. Here she goes again with her act of being kind.

"Sister. You worry too much."

I smiled brightly and tucked Ariel's hair that had fallen forward behind her ear. Surprised by my sudden approach, Ariel drew in a shallow breath.

"Marquess Berford is already your man, sister, so what's there to worry about? Hm?"

Translation Note:

Rice money (쌀값) is a Korean idiom meaning they're not worth the food it takes to keep them alive - essentially calling the nobles worthless parasites who waste resources. English equivalent would be, "not worth the food they eat" or "waste of oxygen."