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Just as Cosette was about to put the arrow to the bow, an unknown man exclaimed.
“Oh, Lady Cosette? Do you know how to handle a bow?”
He was one of those who followed Cosette around after falling in love with her face.
‘That d*mn man.’
Keira’s expression darkened. That’s what Arthur and Keira agreed in advance he was supposed to say after Cosette shot the prey.
And Keira was supposed to answer, ‘By the way, where did you learn the bow? I’ve never heard of you learning a bow over the winter.’
It was her way of making people suspicious of Cosette and that what she revealed about Keira’s past was a lie.
The plan is a bit messed up, but it’s not too late. As Keira thought so, she asked as if she had found the situation strange.
Keira: “By the way, where did you learn archery? It’s not something that could be mastered by practicing for a day or two.”
Cosette: “Ah, that…”
Flustered, Cosette was unable to speak.
Her reaction wasn’t surprising. After all, Cosette was the one who said she grew up isolated in the mountains to an elderly herbalist couple.
She struggled to come up with an excuse.
Cosette: “From my uncle… I learned it briefly. So, before I entered the grand duchy. That’s why my skills are still lacking.”
Keira: “Is that so?”
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It was truly a pity that Keira’s plan had been ripped to shreds. If Cosette had shot the fawn, she wouldn’t have been able to use that excuse.
Keira continued to speak in a calm, soft voice.
Keira: “Since you’re holding a bow, try practicing. The target isn’t moving.”
“…”
She could see Cosette biting her lip.
If Cosette hit the fawn, she would be proving her statement wrong, but if she missed it, she would be promoting her lack of skill compared to Keira.
It wasn’t a bad situation after Keira’s original plan fell apart. But the moment a smile began to bloom on Keira’s lips…
Cosette: “Heuk!”
Cosette suddenly burst into tears.
“Oh my, Miss Cosette?”
“?!”
Just what was this…
The unexpected scene stunned Keira. Perhaps Keira wasn’t the only one caught off guard as everyone looked at Cosette in surprise.
“Lady Cosette, what’s wrong?”
First of all, the worker bees, possessed by her beauty, approached her. The ladies who were fond of Cosette followed suit.
Surrounded by them, Cosette cried and said.
Cosette: “I-I can’t do this, Keira! It’s still a fawn.”
Was she trying to escape the situation by playing a soft-hearted young lady? Keira’s lips twisted slightly.
It was a pretty good measure given the last-minute changes in Keira’s plans.
However, some people in their party stiffened.
If Cosette felt sorry for the prey, she shouldn’t have participated in the hunting competition in the place, should she?
All of the people gathered here planned to take the life of their prey.
The people watching wouldn’t have taken it well to see Cosette pretending to be nice, and painting others into heartless human beings.
‘This is my victory,‘ Keira thought.
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But just as she found her confidence, Cosette continued.
Cosette: “You already shot and killed the mother deer! I can’t kill the child!”
Then Cosette’s target turned to another person.
Cosette: “Isn’t that right, Marquis of Edinburgh?”
“…?!”
For a moment, Keira wondered why Cosette had to involve her dear grandfather, but she soon understood the meaning behind her words.
When Ludwig and Rowena Weinberg divorced, there was a lot of noise about whether the Grand Duchess was really infertile.
The Marquis of Edinburgh, the father of the new Grand Duchess, was accused of making the false accusation, and the suspicions about him still persisted.
Sometimes, nobles still mentioned it in conversations.
So, Cosette was acting like the fawn.
‘You’ve already killed my mother. That’s not enough for you ,so are you trying to kill me by treating me like an imposter, too?’
Half of the people in their party looked confused as if they didn’t understand while the other half flinched, obviously noticing Cosette’s intent.
When Keira glanced around, her grandfather’s lips were trembling.
‘Think. Come up with a response.’
At this rate, things would go as Cosette intended, but Keira still couldn’t respond since her mind went blank.
The reason was probably…
Marquis: “… that’s right. I killed her.”
Marquis: “You can say that because you didn’t know the situation at the time! There were only two options– kill or die! She was an enemy, so I removed her. That’s it.”
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It might be because her grandfather framed an innocent woman and eventually got rid of her.
“What’s happening?”
“Younger people may not know, but there was a rumor that circulated about twenty years ago…”
Someone whispered. Soon, the people around them started murmuring.
Cosette buried her face in her palms as the crowd comforted her. She was probably hiding her smile that way.
Keira was sure of it.
‘D*mn it.’
Keira gritted her teeth.
‘If I had known you were so soft-hearted, I wouldn’t have brought you to the hunting competition. I should respond that way.’
Hit–!
‘…Probably.’
But before she could finish her thought, an arrow crossed her field of vision.
Then the sound of something piercing through flesh followed.
The young beast cried for the last time and fell helplessly on the ground.
“…”
Keira’s gaze shifted to the fawn that had fallen, its neck pierced by the arrow, then slowly turned in the direction the arrow flew.
It was Zicchardt holding a bow.
Dozens of eyes were on him, and he shrugged his shoulders.
Zeke: “She said she couldn’t do it, so I got the prey instead. What’s the problem?”
“…”
Everyone remained silent. But Zeke continued talking without hesitation.
Zeke: “Ah, and I’m giving it to my noonim as a present.”
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Whether Keira or Cosette was the real daughter, it remained the same that Zeke was the successor of the Parvis family. Even if Zeke’s maternal grandfather, the Marquis of Edinburgh, had committed a crime, Ludwig would not be able to drive out his only son.
Those who came to that conclusion smiled and clapped.
“Wow, you’ve just become an adult but your archery skills are already amazing.”
“It’s like seeing the Grand Duke at this time of year.”
They acted as if they didn’t notice what Cosette meant.
Before Keira knew it, the atmosphere returned to normal. Everyone laughed, chatted, and pretended to praise each other.
Arthur: “Come on, get his prey.”
The servants rushed to pick up the fallen deer, and Cosette looked at it coldly. She stared at the fawn she compared herself to, dead with its neck pierced.
But then she smiled again, one that was tired. In other words, it was a smile that aroused one’s protective instincts.
Cosette: “I’m a little scared after seeing the blood. I should go back and rest.”
“We still have a long way to go…”
“Ooh, Lady wants to rest. I’ll escort you back.”
Cosette: “Thank you. Keira, see you later. Do your best.”
Cosette disappeared along with a few knights.
When she was completely out of sight, Zeke walked over to Keira and patted her on the shoulder.
Zeke: “Noonim, too. Why did you keep listening to such nonsense?”
Keira: “Oh, huh? What?”
Zeke: “Why did you just look at such nonsense? I mean, when she implied that grandfather killed her mother and if he will kill her as well? What kind of trick was that? How annoying.”
“…”
Ah, right. This child didn’t know the sins of his grandfather.
That must be why the situation didn’t fluster him.
Keira tried her best to sound calm.
Keira: “I was struck speechless at how ridiculously good she was at crying.”
Zeke: “Ah, I thought so, too. I couldn’t believe she could shed tears like that while staying still. Did they bring a real actor from somewhere?”
Zeke’s voice rose as he continued.
Zeke: “It’s just like that when I see her act so shamelessly. I think she really worked as an actor. What do you think?…Noonim?”
He soon noticed that his sister’s complexion didn’t look well.
Zeke: “What’s wrong?”
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Keira: “It’s nothing. If you hadn’t shot the arrow just in time, she probably would have trapped me in her scheme.”
Zeke: “You’ve always been quick to respond when people throw things at you, but why are you like this today?”
Zeke patted her on the shoulder and smiled.
An innocent smile that only those who did not know the truth could make.
Keira forced a smile as she faced her brother.
Keira: “Let’s go somewhere else. You’re not going to end the day with just one deer, right?”
Zeke: “Good.”
Then Zeke spurred his horse first and went ahead.
She quietly followed after him.