#075. Forget Beast Hunting — When It Comes to Hunting Humans, I Was More Confident
Originally, we had planned to announce our engagement at the eve festival.
But since an unfortunate incident had occurred, we decided instead to first make a good impression during the eve festival, then liven up the nobles’ mood throughout the hunt, and finally announce our engagement on the day of the post-hunt festival.
According to that plan, the Archduke and I dressed ourselves like dolls, beautiful and immaculate, and spent the entire evening standing quietly like ornaments in the ballroom.
The reasoning was simple: since both of us looked pleasing enough, the longer we remained on display, the more favorable the impression we would leave.
That night, after smiling like a doll all day, I laid out the clothes I would wear tomorrow along with my traps and other necessities, carefully reviewing my plan one last time.
“Three objectives.”
First, to secure a beast to present to Liana.
Second, to aim for the prize of most kills in the hunt.
Third, to lure my enemies into striking.
The first goal needed no explanation—it was the very reason I had decided to personally take part in the hunt. The second was incidental; if I was going to do it, I might as well aim for the top.
In hunts, most people competed over size and ferocity of prey, so few ever bothered to aim for the sheer number of kills. Which meant the competition for that particular title was scarce, making it both easier to win and unlikely to draw undue attention.
And then there was the third, the most important. In fact, this was the one opportunity I could not afford to miss—forcing those who held grievances against me to act.
Hatred always flows downward, like water. Just as no one blamed the Emperor for Liana’s infertility, instead pouring their resentment on the younger Archduke who was unable to dethrone her…
Now, all of them would turn on me—the easiest target.
After all, I had shown no particular abilities, and though of royal blood, it was only from a small kingdom. To those looking for a scapegoat, I was nothing more than a lucky girl who happened to win the Archduke’s favor.
For such people, this hunt was a golden chance to vent before I was officially installed as the Archduke’s fiancée.
A single day made all the difference. Had I already been named Archduke’s consort, even a prank would be grounds for “insulting the imperial family.” But as nothing more than the Archduke’s playmate, there was no official law to punish anyone for teasing me.
And with my position already unstable thanks to that adulterous pair, how much easier I must look to harass.
Of course, they wouldn’t dare go too far. Targeting the Archduke’s most likely future consort directly would be too risky.
So it would likely be something “small”—startling me to frighten me, pushing me into water, staining my clothes. Trivial enough that a child might cry in humiliation, but nothing that left behind hard evidence or warranted official notice.
At least, that was what they would think.
But from my perspective, so long as I prepared properly, even the smallest trick would leave me with proof.
“And once I have that, I can flip public opinion in my favor.”
Because of that scandalous couple, things had erupted too close to the hunt, leaving me no time to redirect public sentiment.
But in other words, the rumors hadn’t yet spread far enough to firmly pin the blame on me.
That made this the perfect moment. I only needed to catch those who would attempt to torment me and make a public example of them.
And since they would surely not be tied to Mastéra or Lady Starte, I could shed the image of a “pitiful lover persecuted” and instead recast myself as a “poor girl bullied by the Empire’s aristocrats.”
Then, if anyone later tried to shift the scandal’s blame back onto me, they would be treated as accomplices of those who dared to slander the Archduke’s consort during his debut.
By that point, Lady Starte would already be sent back to her homeland and young Lord Mastéra exiled to the provinces, removing the very sparks that fueled talk of “lovers’ double suicide.”
In short, I was laying two kinds of traps: real ones for beasts, and a psychological one, with myself as bait, to catch my enemies.
“Tomorrow promises to be very rewarding in more ways than one.”
As for hunting beasts? That was secondary. Human hunting was where my true confidence lay—after all, none of my rivals had ever succeeded in bringing me down.
And so, I organized my gear for the next day, looking forward more to the human prey than the animal ones.
“Just how many traps did you bring? Please make sure none of them catch people.”
On the day of the hunt, the Archduke looked at the sheer bulk of my baggage with a troubled expression. In truth, half of it was first-aid supplies, cloths, and items to guard against enemy tricks, but I only smiled.
He didn’t need to know my plans. Some things were meant to be handled quietly, beneath the notice of one’s superiors.
“Don’t worry. Humans don’t count toward the hunt’s tally, so I won’t be catching any.”
“What a reassuring thing to say.”
As we exchanged these words on horseback, the Emperor was delivering the opening address before the crowd.
“Show us all your skill!”
The speech was short. With that, the hunt was officially declared open. While nobles dashed off in groups, the Archduke turned to me one last time.
“Shall we ride together?”
I smiled sweetly and declined.
“I fear I would only slow you down, Your Grace.”
Of course I couldn’t go with him. Who would bite at bait already tied to a hook?
He may not have understood my true reasoning, but he seemed to accept my intent to ride separately. He gazed at me intently, then leaned in with a whisper.
“Be careful. This is your first hunt, after all.”
It was my first festival hunt, yes. But hunting itself—whether beasts or humans—I had done far too often to count. I answered with a serene smile.
“I’ll make sure not to stray too far.”
“Good. You’re not the reckless sort.”
He brushed a hand against my ear, where usually a ribbon was tied, though today I had deliberately worn nothing.
“You said you don’t need a beast. But how about a flower?”
“If you were to bring me one, it would be an honor.”
“Then I’ll pick a large bloom worthy of your hair.”
Whether such flowers could even be found in this forest was doubtful, but if not, no matter. I reached back to check that my packs were secured, then urged my horse forward.
I knew the art of trapping beasts inside out.
Traps were designed to take time—patience was part of the hunt. Normally, that meant they weren’t suitable for short-term pursuits.
But this was a festival hunt. To keep the participants entertained, prey had been deliberately stocked, and with nobles stirring the forest everywhere, animals would be more active and less cautious.
Which meant that, if I chose my locations well, I could catch prey in mere hours.
I rode slowly through the woods, selecting smaller traps—just as the Archduke had worried, I didn’t want hounds or horses blundering into them.
For my purposes, size didn’t matter. Even a rabbit or squirrel would suffice as a symbolic offering to Liana. My real ambition was the “most kills” prize, after all, and aiming for larger prey would only waste time.
“This spot looks good.”
For squirrels, the upper branches were best.
I set a trap where I could reach from horseback, then marked the location on my map. I would need to return before the deadline to check what I had caught.
Once I had distributed traps both above and below ground, all that remained was to wait for my enemies to find me.
“Perhaps I should wander about a little.”
It was better for fishing if the bait didn’t stay in one spot.
So I guided my horse slowly, deliberately choosing places where few animals would roam. The lush greenery was peaceful, almost soothing.
Even if my “human hunt” failed, the calm itself made the festival worthwhile.
“…Should I dismount?”
On second thought, remaining on horseback might make it harder for anyone to play tricks on me. A fall from such a height could cause serious injury.
Yes, better to dismount and play the part of a girl idly gathering flowers.
So I slipped down, tied the reins loosely to a branch, and planned to wander into an open clearing where I would be more exposed.
But just as I was considering it—
An arrow whistled past, grazing the space beside my ear.
