CATB Chapter 15

The Grand Duke said nothing.

He simply stared down at me quietly.

Was he embarrassed, or was he simply unmoved?

I couldn't tell from his calm exterior.

Since I didn't particularly want to discover the truth anyway, I just smiled back at him.

"Alexa?"

A voice like rolling jade beads broke the tacit space between me and the Grand Duke.

The Grand Duke took a step back.

"Grand Duke Belkellion."

When Ariel greeted him, the Grand Duke nodded his head as well. And then he left immediately.

"I'll go change my clothes."

At his brief words, I nodded back at him too.

Ariel gazed quietly at the Grand Duke's retreating figure before approaching me again.

"What were you doing with the Grand Duke?"

"Nothing."

This time Ariel stared at me quietly, as if telling me not to lie.

I waved my hands defensively, feeling guilty for no reason.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I really didn't do anything."

Though I did flirt a little bit.

Remembering the Grand Duke's rough but warm hands, a smile naturally spread across my face again.

Ariel sighed.

"Alexa."

"Yeah?"

"I thought you would choose Berford."

What? Then you knew when you asked me earlier?

"Well, now you know that's not the case."

"Why didn't you choose Berford? Didn't you like him?"

"That's what I want to ask you. Why didn't you choose Berford, sister?"

"Answer first."

"Sister, Grand Duke Belkellion was right there."

Ariel looked at me as if asking what difference that made.

"Do you think Berford would even be visible with Belkellion standing there?"

"I don't understand what you mean."

"What do you mean what do I mean? I'm saying the Grand Duke is incredibly handsome."

I grinned. Just thinking about the handsome Grand Duke's face made me smile.

Ah, I truly am shallow about looks.

"You sound as if you've actually fallen for him."

"Ah, maybe I really have."

I readily agreed.

Ariel shot me a sharp look.

It was such a fierce gaze that I'd never seen before that I flinched involuntarily.

What? Is she angry? Why?

"He has black eyes."

"So?"

"He's cursed."

"So what. What does that matter."

"Alexa."

"I was a beast. You know that."

"......"

Ariel continued to glare at me.

At what point exactly did she get angry? I didn't choose Berford, and I didn't particularly pick a fight with her either. Maybe she just hates me breathing?

"If you're going to say useless things, please leave, sister. I need to get ready too."

I quickly issued her an order to leave.

The Grand Duke would be coming soon, and I needed to hurry and change into hunting clothes.

After maintaining silence for a moment, she spoke.

"If I had known you would be interested in such nonsense, I would never have brought you here."

"What do you..."

Before I could finish speaking, Ariel turned and stormed out.

Her stomping footsteps seemed uncharacteristically angry.

"What the..."

I shook off my uncomfortable feelings and quickly changed into hunting clothes.

Lily helped me while making a fuss.

"Princess, you must absolutely not touch your face! Your makeup will be ruined!"

"I know, I know."

"Princess, absolutely don't face the sunlight directly..."

While I was giving half-hearted responses to Lily's continuous nagging, Jen entered the tent.

"Princess Alexa, Grand Duke Belkellion is waiting outside."

"Really?"

I quickly gathered my things and rushed outside.

Even seeing me suddenly burst out, the Grand Duke showed no sign of surprise and greeted me.

"Your clothes..."

His black eyes swept over my outfit, which was not a dress.

"I'm planning to participate this time too."

"This is not some outdoor activity."

"You don't know what my nickname is, do you, Grand Duke?"

I grinned, but the Grand Duke's expression didn't change. He was saying no.

"If you find accompanying me burdensome, I completely understand. It wouldn't be anything new..."

"It's not that I find it burdensome."

The Grand Duke added before my words were even finished. Ah, how cute.

I slowly lowered my rising lips.

"Are you worried I might be in danger?"

"...It would be better if you changed clothes and rested with the other young ladies."

I approached the Grand Duke closely and looked up at his face. The Grand Duke was tall.

He took a step back.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"....."

"Grand Duke."

"We'll depart."

Without looking back, he walked briskly toward the tethered horse.

Tsk, what a stone wall of a man.

"You won't receive any encouragement?"

At this bait I threw out just in case, the Grand Duke's footsteps stopped abruptly.

Originally, it was one of the traditions of this competition for young ladies to tie encouraging items to their partner lords for a safe return from the hunt.

I quickly approached him and held out a sky-blue handkerchief that Lily had embroidered with my name.

Actually, I had intended to tie it around his wrist, but it turned out that either the Grand Duke's forearm was too thick or my handkerchief was too small. In a hurry, I tied the handkerchief to his silver bow instead.

The Grand Duke stared at me blankly.

"Return safely."

And again I rose on my tiptoes and kissed his left cheek.

He looked down at me quietly and opened his mouth.

"Do you usually... like this..."

"Pardon?"

"...to just anyone..."

To just anyone, you mean a kiss?

Looking at him as he gazed down at me but couldn't quite meet my eyes directly, I smiled brightly.

"Well, what do you think? Do you think I would kiss just anyone like this?"

"If you're joking, please stop here."

The Grand Duke spoke expressionlessly. Actually, his expression remained the same, so I couldn't tell if there was any change.

However, being able to sense that he wasn't pleased with my words was almost instinctive.

"I'll do as the Grand Duke wishes."

"....."

'''If you want me to do this with other people too, I will'''

'''If you want me to do this only with you, I will'''

"....."

"Which do you prefer?"

He maintained silence for a while. I waited for him patiently.

"...I don't like being manipulated."

He finally met my eyes.

"I don't like sudden things either. But..."

He gently stroked my cheek with his thumb. And slowly approached.

He had no expression at all, so anyone who saw would have mistaken him for trying to attack me.

Soft lips pressed gently against my cheek. A deep musk scent swirled around my nose.

It was so intense that I thought it didn't suit him, but it was such an extremely masculine fragrance that the fact that the Grand Duke was a man hit me more strongly than ever.

"I might come to like it if it's you. Thank you for the encouragement."

After briefly lifting his lips, he mounted his horse in an instant. With my handkerchief tied to his silver bow, he rode into the forest like the wind. I stared blankly at his retreating figure and clutched my chest.

Ugh, heart attack.

It was a good life...

No matter how much I flirted, his single cheek kiss was more lethal.

I took a breath to calm my pounding heart.

I thought he was completely clueless, but it doesn't seem to be entirely that way. Looking at his reaction to my behavior, he seems innocent, but I really can't tell for certain.

In the end, he left without answering my question.

I unconsciously kept rubbing the cheek where his lips had touched.

It had become tingly.

After barely calming my pounding heart, I mounted the horse I had prepared in advance.

The hunt would begin with the horn that sounds at noon, so I planned to wait near the forest and then join from the opposite side of the forest.

"Princess Alexa, will you really be alright by yourself?"

Lily tied a bow to me with a worried face, along with a quiver shining with sharp arrowheads.

"Are you forgetting who I am?"

"Ah, that's right, isn't it?"

I had no retainers and didn't need any, so I'd probably end up playing solo today. The funny thing was that I wasn't afraid of that at all. Alexa's overpowered martial arts skills were probably at the top among everyone here.

Still, my cowardly nature from my previous life hadn't changed, so in preparation for any unexpected situations, I strapped a dagger to my right thigh and a long sword to my left waist.

"It's like you're going to war again."

"This?"

"In the past, it was something... more tremendous, I think, but anyway, you used to go fully armed like this. Hehe."

'Tremendous' didn't seem to be used in a particularly positive sense, but in any case, I headed toward the forest with a fulfilled heart. I was going to the back of the forest while listening to the horn sounds reverberating from far away. Since all the others would be entering from the front of the forest at once anyway, it would be no fun to be discovered from the start.

"Hehe... rare things... rare things..."

Having decided to aim for victory since I came out anyway, I scoured the forest with eagle eyes.

Was the prize a sword and money?

Well, I didn't particularly need them, but I wanted to make the king's face crumple as he pretended to be gracious while giving out the prize, so I considered that sufficient motivation.