In any case, there was a high probability that the Empress had played some kind of trick this time as well, but Theo didn't seem to care.
"The Empress will probably choose to use rumors rather than petty tricks. There's no plan as satisfying as the Second Prince, who was betrayed by his nanny and escort knight and suffered a great mental shock, being driven into a corner and bringing in a random bird and insisting it's an eagle to recreate the myth and being embarrassed."
"I heard that they've scraped together everything from dignitaries from neighboring countries to nobles and ladies from the provinces. I think it will be the Hunting Festival with the most participants ever."
Orca sneered. It was a tone that said the effort to make Theo a laughing stock and damage his reputation was commendable. No matter how big the Hunting Festival was, they had never gathered people while pushing themselves this far.
But they had gathered as many nobles from territories far from the capital, ladies who were resting in the castle due to illness, young children who were not old enough to participate in the hunt, and even border counts who had difficulty leaving their territories due to circumstances, so it was obvious what the Empress was thinking when she expanded the event.
If Theo took out a bird that resembled an eagle, she would try to prove that it was not an eagle in any way possible. She might even do that even if she saw my appearance, which anyone could see was an eagle. So we had to prove it in a slightly different way.
Theo held out his arm to me, who was lost in thought. Uh… I think it'll ruin your clothes… When I hesitated, he held out his arm again as if to say it was okay.
"Don't worry. It doesn't matter if you tear the clothes, so come here."
Only then did Theo gently stroke me, his hand moving up my arm. His touch, slower than usual, seemed less about soothing me and more about calming himself. After stroking me for a while, he slowly began to speak.
"Everyone who sees you will be very surprised. Many things will likely change from today onward."
My existence would cause a significant political upheaval. It would certainly not benefit the First Prince's faction, and the Empress would scrutinize Theo even more, perhaps making things difficult for him in a more persistent and malicious way than before. I, too, could get caught up in something quite dangerous. Of course, I hadn't decided to stay here without knowing that.
"Not just a hunting festival, but the day I seize ultimate victory. Once I've taken everything, I'll give you the most precious thing of all."
Theo buried his lips in my forehead and murmured in a deep voice. What was he thinking about at this moment? Was it the past days of crouching down, biding his time, and honing even his soul with anger? Or was it the future image of himself, having taken everything, forcing those who had oppressed him to kneel, and finally sitting on a blood-stained throne? Even victory was incomplete for him. Because no one was left unscathed.
Just as the divine beast Dux was Artes' guide and protector, I wanted to lead him down a path where he would never be hurt or wounded. I couldn't be his good fortune, but I didn't want to be his misfortune.
"Screech-"
I simply rubbed my head against his neck. If I were human, if I could embrace him with both arms, could I offer him even a moment of peace?
Alas, a mere eagle could not fully comfort him.
ꕥ
As Empress Felsia lifted the corners of her lips, the woman in the mirror, with her flame-like red hair piled high and adorned with extravagant jewels, smiled as well. She was a beauty with a flamboyant presence that anyone who looked at her couldn't help but admire, but that fleeting smile was elegant and dignified before it was beautiful.
There was a time when she thought that wearing dresses from the most famous designers in the most famous salons, adorned with all sorts of rare jewels, and gliding through the dance halls was not her life.
Her life was about wearing tight-fitting riding clothes, riding a horse through the forest, aiming her bow at the prey caught in the corner of her eye, and hitting the target no matter how much she swayed.
She believed that her life would be like an arrow that always flew and hit where she wanted, no matter what trajectory it took.
However, life as an Empress was not the target she had envisioned. She had never missed a target with her archery skills, but strangely, she missed the target for the first and last time. It was her last mistake, as she had never held a bow since becoming Empress.
Felsia decided to pick up the bow again. She checked the target, nocked the arrow, and pulled the bowstring taut. Just as she was about to hold her breath and release the string, an unexpected gust of wind blew.
Theodore, that damn thing, kept making her bow shake. Even so, she couldn't let go carelessly. Even if that thing she thought was a miserable worm eventually became a whirlwind, no matter how much the arrow's trajectory curved, nothing should change.
The beautiful huntress, once called a tomboy, lost everything after giving birth to the Sun's child. For her, her true beauty was not in her peacock-like finery, but in her hair tied up roughly, her riding clothes stained with dirt and disheveled. The woman in the mirror was no longer beautiful, and could not be beautiful. Therefore.
"Mother, you look beautiful today."
Her son had to become Emperor, no matter what.
"The Prince looks quite dashing today as well."
Felsia smiled elegantly at her son, who was looking at her with a worried expression, concerned about her complexion, just as she had in front of the mirror.
The Prince's job is not to worry about me. I have fulfilled my duty, so the Prince must prove it. The value of my choice. No, the reward for my forced devotion. She swallowed the words that welled up inside her with effort. Not yet, it was okay. She could still be a more benevolent mother.
"Prince, I have obtained something very precious for you. It's called a 'Spirit Stone,' and it's said to help increase spiritual power."
The bowstring was still pulled taut, and as she became increasingly breathless, the time to release it was approaching. Even if it eventually crashed to the ground, the arrow on the bow had to be shot. That was the arrow's purpose.
"Many dignitaries from various countries have participated in this hunting festival, so our Prince must show everyone that he is truly fit to be the Crown Prince, wouldn't you agree?"
Felsia, who was accustomed to ignoring Ricardo's troubled expression as he bit his lip, affectionately wrapped her arm around his shoulder.
"But the Prince seems to have had a sleepless night. Were you unwell last night?"
Even though Ricardo did not answer easily, Felsia easily recognized the reason for his insomnia. Theodore. That damn thing was always the problem. As if to express her feelings, the corners of her elegantly raised lips trembled, but she calmly turned around and looked out the window to hide her agitation.
"Are you worried about the rumors?"
"...Mother, do you believe the rumors are true?"
Theodore, who had been deeply hurt by the betrayal of the nanny and the guard he had known since childhood and had run away, had returned in better shape than she had expected.
She thought she could finally get rid of him this time. Unlike his mother, he was very persistent. But he had tamed an eagle and brought it back.
When she first heard the rumors, she thought he had finally gone crazy from the shock of the betrayal. Even in the midst of all that, one thought as bothersome as Theodore made Felsia uneasy.
'What if it's true?'
If he had really tamed an eagle. No Emperor in history had ever succeeded, but what if he had tamed an eagle like Artes in the myth and was going to show it at the hunting festival?
It was obvious that most of the nobles, who loved the Empire's founding myth more than anyone else, would turn away. Spreading malicious rumors on purpose and calling in even the petty nobles from the provinces would turn into a terrible blunder.
'No. No, that can't be.'
Yes, even if the rumors were true, it would be okay. It's just an eagle. Even if he brought Dux from the myth himself, he wouldn't be able to completely overturn this situation. She muttered to herself several times as if to soothe herself, but strangely, the inexplicable sense of foreboding did not disappear.
"Prince, don't worry. Whether the rumors are true or not, it doesn't matter."
The bow was shaking uncontrollably due to the gust of wind, but it didn't matter. The crown was going to be her son's anyway. She just had to make it happen, no matter what. She had already lost the most precious thing, so there was no reason to hold back any longer.
"This mother will put the Empire in the Prince's hands."
ꕥ
Before the hunting festival officially began. The nobles, who would normally be resting and spending time inside their tents, were all outside. The invited dignitaries from friendly countries were also present. It was to confirm the truth of the rumors.
Since the time had finally come to grasp the truth of the rumors that no one could completely trust or completely deny, no one was calm enough to go inside the tent and sit comfortably.
Felsia fanned her face to hide her stiff expression. Ricardo, dressed in formal attire, also couldn't hide his nervousness and only looked at the tent assigned to Theodore.
After a while, the protagonist of the rumors finally appeared. As if he was born to rule, the arrogant attitude, which could not be scratched even by the vulgar rumors, rather captivated the eyes and drew admiration. And a bird perched on his arm. It was the moment when the truth of the rumors that had been the talk of the town was revealed.
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