Beyond the tall man, the countdown had finally ended.
〈SYSTEM〉 Due to the time limit being exceeded, [Callisto] has appeared and eliminated [the Giant Bear].
〈SYSTEM〉 [Hunting the Giant Bear] quest failed!
'Damn it, the time limit was just long enough for the male lead to show up!'
I panted shallowly and glared at the white rectangular window that had popped up beyond the crown prince.
"What are you staring at so stupidly?"
The crown prince, who had finally reached me, opened his mouth upon seeing my expression.
Then, he twisted one corner of his mouth and chuckled.
"Why? Did you suddenly fall in love with me again?"
I finally snapped out of it and frowned.
"......No way."
"Even though I saved you, you're disappointed, princess."
The crown prince said this with a face that didn't look disappointed at all.
For some reason, his mocking tone slowly calmed my rapidly beating heart.
'...Damn. I really thought I was going to be beaten to death by the bear.'
The empty groove of the bead and the giant paw of the bear roaring as it approached.
Recalling that heart-stopping moment again made my legs tremble and my vision blur.
I slowly took a deep breath and patted my still thumping chest.
Thinking about it, it was more natural that failing a sudden quest didn't lead to death.
This was true for both normal mode and hard mode.
I didn't die just because I failed the [Watching the Festival with Derrick or Leonard] quest.
Since the 'Hunting Contest' is one of the main episodes of the game, it was natural to be involved with one of the male leads in a critical situation like 'Failing to Hunt the Bear.'
'But why did it have to be this guy...?'
I bowed my head, hiding my crumpled face under the guise of a greeting.
And I forced out a grateful thank you.
"......Thank you for saving me, Your Highness. Thanks to you, I was able to avoid the crisis."
"Thinking of wandering around the predator zone alone, you really have a lot of courage."
Clap, clap, clap. The crown prince, instead of responding to my thanks, suddenly clapped.
"I'm curious what was going through your head."
"......"
"But no matter how crazy the princess gets, a woman can't catch a bear of that size alone."
His tone, as if lecturing a naive child, made me feel wronged.
'Do you think I wanted to? The quest told me to, the quest!'
I wanted to bang my chest and shout, but the [12% Affinity] above his head stopped me.
"I know."
Instead, I replied with a sullen voice.
The crown prince exaggeratedly feigned surprise, shrugging his shoulders.
"You know?"
"Yes."
"Oh, so you knew and still did it. Did I interfere with your prey, princess?"
"It wasn't prey I was trying to catch...!"
I was about to retort sharply at his annoying tone but held back again.
"......I was startled when the bear suddenly appeared."
"......"
"Originally, I lost my way while chasing a fox......"
I muttered with a gloomy face.
I ended up losing the fox I was chasing.
Not only did I fail to hunt, but I almost died trying to catch a rampaging bear, and now I've met the number one target of the hunting contest.
How could I not be depressed?
'This is all because of that audacious Eclis.'
What kind of hardship is this just to gain some affection from that damn guy?
Sighing and swallowing the tears that were welling up, I said,
"Anyway, I am extremely grateful for your rescue, Your Highness. I'll be on my way now."
I hurriedly bowed.
Regardless of whether my affinity had moved away from death, getting involved with the crown prince would bring no good.
Just as I was about to turn and leave after a hasty bow,
"Wait."
The crown prince grabbed my arm tightly.
"Take this."
"What......"
I turned to look at him with a puzzled face.
The crown prince, letting go of my arm, walked briskly to where the dead bear lay.
He grabbed the hilt of the long sword embedded in the bear's thick neck and pulled it down with all his might.
Crack, crack.
With a terrifying sound of bones breaking, the bear's head was cleanly separated from its body after a moment.
'Crazy......'
I stared blankly at the incredible scene with my mouth open.
The crown prince wiped the blood-soaked sword once and put it back in its sheath.
Then, he walked over to me, holding the bear's large head with one hand.
Fresh blood dripped and drew dotted lines on the ground.
"Here, take it."
The crown prince suddenly handed me the monster bear's head.
I looked at what he was offering with trembling eyes.
The bear's head, which had been caught off guard and had its eyes still open, seemed to be glaring at me as if it were still alive.
'Is this... some kind of duel request method not explained in the game?'
If not, there was no reason to cut off the head of a killed animal and hand it over.
I tried to recall, but I couldn't remember seeing such a scene in the game.
I glanced sideways at his golden crown and spoke with a trembling voice.
"Your Highness, I don't have a sword right now......"
It meant that without a sword, I couldn't duel with him.
But the crown prince said something completely off the mark.
"Then I cut it off for you, didn't I?"
"......What?"
"The body is too heavy to carry right now, so at least take this and show it to the attendants to have them carry it."
Only then did I realize that his reason for giving me the bear's head was not for a 'duel request.'
It seemed he wanted me to run an errand while he continued hunting.
'What a rotten kid.'
How could he make such a delicate lady do this?
I had no confidence in carrying the large, blood-dripping bear's head.
"Do I really have to......?"
I asked cautiously, trying to gauge his reaction.
"What nonsense is this?"
He frowned deeply.
"Only you can prove that you caught the bear yourself, can't you?"
"Wha?!"
My eyes widened in shock.
'Only I can prove that I caught the bear myself?'
After repeating it in my head for a while, I realized he was offering me the prey.
"I......"
My voice trembled, taken aback by the unexpected offer.
"I don't really need it."
I was already busy with whispers about me on every street corner; I had no intention of carrying a large bear's head and gaining the reputation of 'the mad chimpanzee of the duke's family who beat a bear to death alone.'
Besides,
"Why is it mine? Didn't Your Highness catch it?"
"You were almost out of energy, and I just finished it off. So, it's almost as good as you catching it."
'Is this guy speaking normally......?'
I looked at the crown prince with even more surprise than before and politely refused.
"It's fine. I appreciate your kindness, but I really don't need it. I don't even think of it as something I caught."
"Then consider it a thank you for the gift you received earlier."
Just as I was confused by his sudden talk of gratitude,
- I'll personally catch a suitable prey for the princess as a thank you for the gift.
I remembered the words he said when he took the amulet from me.
I forced a smile on my crinkling eyes.
"Gratitude is fine."
"It's worth much more than a mere fox. Don't be stubborn and take it."
"Being stubborn isn't the issue...... Hey, be careful!"
The crown prince, annoyed by my refusal, stiffened his expression and approached, grabbing my ear and shaking it.
Fresh blood splattered everywhere.
I frowned and stepped back quickly.
"Your Highness, the blood is getting on my clothes!"
"A hunter should be proud when blood gets on their clothes."
"I don't need that kind of pride......!"
"Are you afraid of blood? That's surprising."
Before I could answer that I wasn't,
He chuckled and deliberately shook the head of the corpse he was holding.
"Ah!"
I screamed and backed away from him.
Even though I dodged quickly, blood splattered on my shirt under my jacket.
The stench hit me. I had a very weak stomach.
It wasn't just the blood; the animal's head he was holding was disgusting and terrifying.
I looked up at him with a horrified expression.
"What are you doing?"
"Just take it."
"Ah! Stop it!"
Again, he shook the head, and I finally panicked and ran away.
When I put some distance between us and hid behind a tree,
"Ha ha."
A low laugh came from behind.
Turning around, I saw a pleased smile on the crown prince's lips.