[Episode 67] - How to Enjoy the Hunting Tournament (1)
The seven “dwarves” who followed the princess—
Unlike the hairy dwarves in fairy tales, the dwarves in the game were all different “fairies.” They were seven dwarf fairies who lived hidden in separate places, not gathered together in one home as in the tale.
In the game, those fairies were called the “Seven Dwarves.”
The house fairy “Brownie,” who waited for a new master in a cottage amid the mist.
“Habetrot,” the spinning-wheel fairy who, once befriended, made clothes for the princess.
The fickle cat fairy “Cat-sith,” who served as the princess’s pet, and so on—
A total of seven small and adorable dwarf fairies existed in this world.
In the game, the princess meeting a dwarf was usually treated as a “sub-event,” and when you cleared that sub-event, the princess became able to form a contract with the dwarf. It was a common story: the princess solved the dwarves’ worries, and the dwarves were moved by her character.
Increasing the number of dwarves one by one like that and befriending as many as possible before the princess turned fifteen was also a secondary objective of the game. The more dwarves she had, the more helpful it would be in clearing the “main event” that would take place at the “Academy,” the main stage of autumn.
And though I called gathering many of them a secondary objective, it was not as if you absolutely had to gather a lot of dwarves. After all, this place I had possessed was a “raising simulation game” with dozens of endings.
There were countless endings where the princess became happy without ever meeting a dwarf.
Still... it would be better for them to be by the princess’s side than not.
If there were dwarves beside the princess, they would certainly be of help to her. Rather than leaving her alone, my thought and goal was to let her make a few fairy friends.
‘Even if I leave the royal castle and part from Titania’s side, the dwarves should be able to fill my empty place. If Titania has the dwarves with her, she’ll feel even a little less lonely...’
That was why I set it as my goal to have Titania meet the dwarves. I had no intention of meeting all of them, but I did intend to have Titania meet at least the minimum number.
The first target was the house fairy “Brownie,” whom one inevitably met even in the game.
That cottage was like the “Fairy Byway” Fran had told me about, and if Titania formed a contract with Brownie, Titania would be able to go anywhere through the cottage even without learning magic.
Truly, anywhere.
According to the game’s description, Brownie’s cottage was written to be no different from “another world.” Perhaps what the game had wanted to describe was the Fairy Byway?
In any case, even if that mist had the notorious reputation of being a mist that swallowed people, I knew how to go in there and come back out. In the game, every time I raised the princess, I went in and out of that mist, so it would have been stranger if I didn’t know.
“Phew...”
I let out a small sigh, then glanced to the side at Titania, who was sitting beside me. Titania still flinched and watched my expression whenever our eyes so much as met. Seeing her like that made my head ache all on its own.
And the other cause of my headache was—
“Please don’t glare at me like that. I tried my very best to obey what Her Majesty the Queen said: ‘Never appear before my eyes again.’ But in a case like this, it can’t be helped, can it?”
“...I see. But can’t you go to another table, Princess Fiona?”
“Haa... You’re not a child.”
“What did you say?”
“I didn’t say anything? And since the seats were personally arranged by ‘Lady Serina,’ as an invited guest, I would rather not throw a tantrum like a child. Even if I make you uncomfortable, I hope you will endure it for a little while.”
It was none other than “Princess Fiona,” who sat beside me, covering her mouth with her fan and smiling with her eyes curved. I had not realized that this hunting tournament hosted by Lady Serina was such a large event that even royalty from other countries would attend. I had simply thought it was a small hunting tournament hosted by the family...
Perhaps sensing my gaze from afar while busily receiving guests, Lady Serina came trotting over, greeted me, and then looked at Princess Fiona sitting beside me as she asked,
“Princess Fiona. I offer my gratitude for accepting this invitation. I have sent invitations every time, but to be honest, I never dreamed that Your Highness would visit in person. When I heard news of your visit, I hurriedly prepared a seat, but if there is anything uncomfortable, please tell me at any time.”
“Not at all, Countess Serina. Rather, I’m grateful that you invited me. The excellence of the beasts that come from this forest is truly famous even in our homeland. Today, I would very much like to imprint a splendid prey upon my own eyes.”
Hearing the two of them exchange greetings, my expression naturally twisted.
So, after ignoring the invitations every single time, she just so happened to decide to attend on the day I visited? No matter how I looked at it, it was suspicious, but I had no proof, so I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut.
As I sat there with a sullen expression, Princess Fiona laughed softly and held out the wineglass in her hand toward Lady Serina, whispering this. Truly, she whispered so quietly that I could barely hear it.
“If your hunting tournament concludes splendidly today... would you like to have a drink together tonight ‘in Lady Serina’s room’?”
“Y-yes?!”
At the sudden “code phrase,” Lady Serina covered her mouth and started in surprise.
She was so startled that she jumped in place and even trembled, at a complete loss. At that sight, Princess Fiona giggled and sipped from her glass with a bright smile.
“I’m joking. They say it’s a trend in this country, don’t they?”
“Ah, haha, yes, that’s right. It’s a trend in social circles.”
She had even learned the “code words” trending in another country’s social circles? If one called it impressive effort, it was impressive, but honestly, I did not want to praise her. Because what Princess Fiona had said to me still seemed to linger in my ears.
‘I know you well. You aren’t someone who would grieve just because a child who isn’t even connected to you by blood ran away, are you? Are you pretending to be sad in front of others to manage your image as queen?’
‘You looked as though pretending to grieve was terribly difficult, so I merely wanted to tell you that you need not do so in front of me, Your Majesty. If one acts for too long, one is bound to grow tired, is one not?’
......
Even thinking about it again made irritation surge up in me. If she had known the old Vivian, I might have accepted it, but even so, that was not something to say in front of a parent desperately searching for a missing child. It ended with a single slap only because she was a princess of another country; to be honest, I had felt like throwing her into prison on the spot.
Titania seemed to feel the same way I did, glaring at Princess Fiona as if she were trying to bore holes into her. ‘Yes, you’re doing well! Keep being wary and glare at her like that!’ As I cheered Titania on in my heart, Titania tilted her head as if she did not understand, then approached Princess Fiona’s side.
And then—
“Why did you lie to me?”
“Pardon?”
“Our Minister of Foreign Affairs told me. That your country has no ‘Second Queen.’ Why did you lie to me? Was what you said back then, about not wanting me to ‘end up like you,’ all a lie you made up? Did you insult my mother with a lie?”
...? What was she talking about?
Was this a conversation between the two of them that I didn’t know about? Come to think of it, on the day Princess Fiona and the delegation left, Titania had asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs something. “What kind of person is the Second Queen of the Silver Word Kingdom?”
At that question, silence settled for a moment. Princess Fiona looked down at Titania and smiled with her eyes curved. For some reason, unlike the smiles she had been wearing until now, that smile somehow looked sorrowful to me.
“My, how bold you are. Is that a question you ought to ask me in this place, where everyone’s ears and eyes are open?”
“I don’t care about other people’s gazes. Right now, the only thing that matters is that you lied to me and insulted my mother. Tell me. Why did you insult my mother, even going so far as to lie to me?”
“...Haa.”
Before I knew it, the tent that had been murmuring had gone quiet. As everyone’s gaze poured onto Titania and Princess Fiona, Princess Fiona let out a small sigh and wiped the smile from her face. Looking down at the princess with a cold, expressionless face and a gaze like a sheet of ice, Princess Fiona answered Titania in a voice tinged with chill.
“Princess Titania, I did not lie.”
“But...!”
“How would a mere foreign minister from another country know my true past? To believe only your subordinate’s words and brand the other party a liar. Is this how Princess Titania treats a princess of another country? When I was your age, I did not behave this childishly.”
Whoosh—
At that answer, Titania’s face flushed bright red.
“You...!”
“Titania! Come here!”
Seeing Titania looking as though she would burst into shouting at any moment, I had no choice but to stop her. Even to my eyes, Titania had charged in emotionally. Titania was a smart child, but her inability to collect her emotions whenever the topic was me was also a flaw.
I sat Titania on my lap, stroked her hair, and tried hard to soothe her. I was truly grateful that she had gotten angry for my sake, but the location was not good. This was inside the tent of the hunting tournament, and the three of us were not the only ones in the tent.
Once Titania grew quiet, the nobles inside the tent began to turn their gazes away. Their gazes had turned elsewhere, but their ears were still open in our direction. Was it a habit of nobles? The nobles, who liked such stimulating situations, did not seem inclined to leave the tent.
I sighed for a moment, then turned my head slightly to look at Princess Fiona. Princess Fiona maintained her expressionless face as ever, simply staring quietly at the glass in her hand.
“...Princess Fiona, I do not know what you said to Titania, but I would like you to answer this much truthfully.”
“What is it?”
“Did you truly ‘lie’ to Titania?”
At my question, Princess Fiona, who had been looking at her glass, raised her head and looked at me. An expressionless face without even a hint of a smile. No, if anything, she even seemed a little angry. Princess Fiona sighed briefly, sipped from the glass in her hand, and answered me.
“I do not know whether you will believe me if I say this... but no, I did not lie. Among the words I said to Princess Titania at that tea party, I did not mix in a single lie. I may stake everything I have on that.”
“...I see.”
“And to you that day as well.”
“What?”
Princess Fiona rose from her seat and lifted her head to look down at me. In that cold downward gaze was raw hatred and contempt, not hidden in the slightest. Just what in the world had “Vivian” done to Princess Fiona for her to show her emotions so openly like this?
‘...The way she gets emotional whenever she sees me is just like Titania... Though in her case, it’s hatred and contempt, not affection like Titania’s...’
Under that contemptuous gaze, I let out a deep sigh and wrapped an arm around Titania’s waist as she tried to thrash in my embrace. I didn’t know why, but every time I clung to Titania, Princess Fiona’s expression seemed to crumple even further. It must have been my imagination... right?
In the midst of that utterly chaotic atmosphere, a great bell rang out.
The bell announcing the start of the hunting tournament.
Everyone cheered and began riding their horses into the forest. Our schedule was to enter the forest with the scholars who had gathered to investigate it, right after those participants returned.
As we watched the participants enter the forest for a while, Princess Fiona let out a deep sigh, then smiled brightly again and looked at Titania and me. To be honest, that ever-changing expression was frightening.
“Your Majesty? May I ask what your schedule will be after this?”
“Ah, um... We plan to enter the forest with the scholars, then enjoy a picnic at a place Lady Serina recommended... Princess Fiona, are you not participating in the hunting tournament?”
“I only came to watch the captured beasts. I can’t even shoot a bow.”
Princess Fiona bent her arm and put all her strength into it, but rather than any muscle appearing, her slender arm merely trembled. As if exhausted from just applying a little strength, Princess Fiona panted, let out a weary sigh, and smiled brightly at Titania and me.
“In that case, would it be all right if I came along as well? To be honest, I wanted to go into the forest too!”
“.....”
At that moment, I lowered my head and looked at Titania, and I had never imagined until now that Titania could make such an expression. She frowned so much at Princess Fiona’s suggestion that she looked like an angry hunting dog growling.
“Hm? It’s all right, isn’t it? I happened to bring some delicious snacks too! There are egg tarts... and some interesting books I brought to pass the time...”
When there was no answer, Princess Fiona began urging us.
Now I truly could not tell what Princess Fiona was thinking.
Just earlier, she had looked at me and gotten so angry, and now she wanted to come along with us? Was it because of diplomacy? Or some sophisticated politics? I frowned, let out a deep sigh, and looked up at Princess Fiona.
When our eyes met, Princess Fiona looked at me and smiled brightly. As if returning that smile, I smiled brightly as well and answered like this.
“No.”