Chapter 57: I Stole Yooju's First Love
"Bu, but thereās no way I could winā¦."
"Miss, you did win. I heard the story beforehand, so donāt worry and come up."
In the end, I was pushed up the stairs by Helen.
The peopleās gazes felt unbearably intense.
As I ascended the platform, Aster congratulated me.
"Congratulations on your victory, Miss."
"But I only caught one rabbit."
"Didnāt you risk your life to draw the wolfās attention to save the duchess? I heard there was a similar case before. When I considered the bonus points, you ended up winning."
Hearing this, I thought deeply. It seemed he was talking about the hunting competition held at the academy in my graduation year.
There was an incident where a demon attacked during the competition, just like today.
Back then, Tatiana diverted the demonās attention to protect everyone.
Of course, the male leads who loved her stepped in to defeat it since she went in unarmed.
And there was a precedent where she won by finding an unknown clause that earned her extra points.
āBack then, I thought it was an unreasonable stretch.ā
I briefly met Tatianaās gaze. She looked angry, but I smiled at her defiantly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Aster handed me the prepared trophy and shook my hand. Cheers and applause erupted.
I awkwardly smiled and waved to the crowd.
I still couldnāt believe I had won.
After receiving the trophy and coming down, my father and mother rushed to me.
"Who would have thought youād win over Sir Helen! Well done, Karin."
Father looked slightly excited.
Mother also looked happy, but there was something strangely different about her.
"You risked your life for this award, so Iām not sure if you should be happy."
I couldnāt understand why I had stepped in at that moment.
"You donāt need to be so dejected. You did well."
Seeing my expression, Mother sighed and told me about her investigation.
"The demonsā magic disappeared without a trace. There might have been someone helping them from behind."
Is someone targeting Tatiana?
It was surprising that there were people who held grudges against Tatiana in this world.
Since Helen wasnāt friendly towards Tatiana, it wouldnāt be strange if there were others like her.
I changed the topic to lighten the mood.
"By the way, what did you catch, Mother?"
"Me? I caught two foxes. Iāll give one each to you and Father, so take them."
The fur of animal-type demons was highly valued for its resistance to magic.
Fox fur, in particular, was even more precious due to its beautiful color.
But there was something more important.
"You caught two this time?"
Mother was talented at hunting but found it tedious, so she usually only caught what she needed and then rested.
At the hunting competition a few years ago, she only caught one prey for my share.
It was right after she divorced Father.
āThe atmosphere was intense back then.ā
I was relieved that the hunting festival wasnāt held the following year.
Father and Mother avoided my gaze and looked elsewhere.
I didnāt want to meddle in their relationship, so I decided to pretend I didnāt notice.
"Then I donāt need to give you what I caught."
Father looked flustered. He must have assumed he would receive it.
"Iāll go see the king for a moment."
Avoiding people who tried to talk to me, I quickly headed to the tent where Aster was.
The knights guarding the entrance bowed when they recognized me.
"His Majesty said to come in."
Following the butler who had come out to greet me, I entered. Aster, having taken off his elaborate coat, was in a light shirt.
Leaning against the table and reviewing a report, he looked like a painting.
"His Majesty, Lady Paeonia is here."
"Understood, you may leave."
Asterās voice was different from usual. After the butler left, he put down the report and looked up.
He seemed a bit angry, and recalling what I did at the hunting ground, I couldnāt help but shrink back.
No, he was definitely angry.
Aster sighed deeply and said,
"Iām sorry for being angry. I didnāt mean to be."
He rubbed his face a few times and gestured for me to sit. Then he fell silent.
Warm herbal tea was served, and when it was half empty, Aster finally spoke.
"Last time during the fire, and now, youāre too reckless with your own safety."
"You donāt need to apologize to me."
He shrugged and leaned back in his chair.
"You should feel sorry for yourself. You throw yourself into dangerous situations without a plan."
His tone was cold, but it was the truth.
This was a forest where magic didnāt work. I couldnāt even use my meager magic.
Yet, I had taken a life-threatening gamble to save Tatiana.
"Iāll be more careful in the future."
"Thatās not what I mean. I want you to prioritize yourself."
"You must be excited about winning first place, so Iām sorry for saying this."
"No, I understand. I know youāre worried about me."
I wasnāt disappointed by his words.
Aster was genuinely concerned about me. Besides, he looked apologetic and at a loss.
Seeing this, I couldnāt help but smile. I grinned mischievously.
"But you wonāt refuse my gift, right?"
Asterās eyes widened in surprise. He must not have expected to receive prey from me.
Still looking confused, he muttered,
"I thought youād give it to the duke."
"Father already received his."
"Ah, the head of the tower participated."
He nodded, understanding.
Seeing Asterās usual composed face, I felt like teasing him more.
"Ah, donāt misunderstand. I always intended to give it to you."
Asterās face changed again. As he gradually turned red, I couldnāt help but laugh.
In the end, Aster buried his face in his palms.
"So you wonāt refuse the gift?"
Aster nodded but didnāt lift his head.
After parting with Aster, I returned to the dukeās tent.
After washing and changing into comfortable clothes, I was resting when Helen came to see me.
"Yes. She said it would be brief and is waiting outside."
Could she be here to argue about the judgment?
I had already told her it was fine, but she must have felt wronged for losing to a wolf she didnāt catch.
I put on a cardigan and went outside.
Helen, leaning against a tree, was also in casual clothes.
Scratching the back of her head, she spoke cautiously.
"If itās not too much trouble, Iād like you to accept the prey I caught."
Prey? It was customary to give such things to loved ones or family.
I was so surprised I couldnāt speak.
Seeing my reaction, Helen looked even more surprised and waved her hands.
"No, no, itās not because I have any special feelings. I, I just wanted to get along better with youā¦."
In the end, she blushed and lowered her head.
My reaction must have been poor.
Feeling guilty, I quickly spoke.
She must have thought I would refuse.
"Iāll take the gift. Thank you."
"If itās too much trouble, you donāt have to."
"Iāve never received anything like this before. I really appreciate it."
Smiling slightly and taking her hand, Helenās eyes welled up with tears.
I was surprised that receiving a gift could be such a big deal.
"Um, Iād like to return the favor, but I only caught one thing."
I had already given it to Aster.
I regretted not catching more.
"Itās fine. I didnāt give it with the expectation of receiving something in return."
Helen smiled slightly and said,
"Iāll let you know if I have a favor to ask in the future."
After our conversation, an awkward silence fell between us.
Having never had many friends, I didnāt know how to handle this situation.
āInviting her home might be okay, right?ā
Thinking of inviting Helen, I felt lighter.
"Then, Iāll invite you to my home next time. Itās only natural for friends to invite each other."
Helenās eyes widened as she looked at me.
"Really? Youāll invite me?"
"Of course. Itās my first time inviting a friend, so I might be clumsy, but please understand."
Helenās expression softened, clearly pleased by the invitation.
Maybe this time, I could gain a good friend.