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The young lady of Paris March who sat at the head of the table sipped the tea as if she was bored.
She behaved as if she didn’t care about my presence, but the other young ladies were different.
They were about fifteen to seventeen years old.
The faces of the young ladies, who might have already graduated from the academy, or enrolled in a higher grade than I, were turning red.
I had no intention to stop.
“Or perhaps Young Lady Liz ‘purposely left this table’ only to send a maid to invite me?”
“. . .”
Everyone closed their mouths with their faces crumpled.
The patrolling guards were around us, and if they answered me with such a lie, it would be a greater disgrace for them if it was found out later.
Because the guards stationed for the hunting competition were not from any aristocrat family but from the palace.
The fan in Rachel Kubrick’s hand trembled.
I stared down at them while speaking in an apathetic voice.
It seemed like they thought leaving someone standing was great perverseness, but I had no desire to sit on this kind of table.
“This kind of low-level trick is not fun.”
When I was a little and grew up enough, Mom began to occasionally tell me about the nobles that she met at a party or banquet.
She told me in detail about how childish nobles could be, and how clever they were in harassing others.
I thought that was a bit exaggerated, though.
I retorted right away because they were still young and immature, but actually I felt strange as I felt the ridicule, contempt, and disdain directly in person.
It was just a shallow tease for now, but I wondered if people would become more skillful and shady as they repeat this.
Then, I spoke to the young lady of the Brigo Family, who lowered her head while her hands trembled.
“Young Lady Liz.”
“Ye, yes!”
“I have heard about the Brigo Family.”
I felt like I knew the reason Marquiss Paris invited her.
Although the Brigo Family was from a remote area, they had cavalry boasting excellent equestrianism.
On top of that, thanks to the unique climate, uncommon medicinal herbs and rare creatures were offered up as tributance.
They were not a family that was enough to advance in the capital, but surely, wasn’t it profitable to put them under one’s force?
I stared at her then asked.
“Are the knights from the Brigo Family not joining the hunting competition?”
I could see knights with a badge engraved with the same pattern like in her handkerchief standing and waiting with nothing to ride.
How could there be no horse for people exceptional with equestrianism?
Young Lady Liz’s face turned dark.
She, who was fiddling with her skirt, answered in a low voice.
“The horses suddenly fell ill . . .”
“The horses you brought? All of them?”
I saw other young ladies who were exchanging happy glances next to her who quietly nodded.
Suddenly there’s a problem with all of her horses, huh?
The person in question lowered her gaze as if she was surrendering.
‘I invited you, but don’t you outshine me.’ Is this something like that?
Either they did something to the horse in advance, or perhaps directly ‘advised’ her to leave the horse behind.
Either way, it was a very dirty trick.
Liz Brigo dropped her head down.
It seemed like she thought I was ridiculing her.
I sent a glance at her, then at the knights holding sharp swords and treading the ground.
Then I pondered about something and said,
“I’m thinking about lending horses to the knights of your family. Is that okay?”
“Ho-horses?”
I nodded to her question.
Then I pointed to the modest but actually not modest black carriage I rode.
The dull black carriage between colorful carriages with fancy decorations was very distinguishable.
“The carriage horses weren’t doing anything anyway.”
“. . .”
Her face turned pale.
The other young ladies looked frightened as well.
It seemed like they were thinking I was insulting the Brigo Family, but I was sincere.
The Brigo Family surely were talented enough.
It is more advantageous for knights from the mountainous area because they hunt in deep forest.
There was only one reason for me to show kindness to her.
Orion can’t win no matter what.
As if she was sentenced to death, Young Lady Brigo looked at the coachman bringing over the horses tied to the carriage with a pale face.
Next to her, who approached the knights to explain the situation, I could hear the breath of the excited horses.
Go now. It would even be better if you make Orion’s horse get discouraged so it couldn’t run anymore.
Admiration clouded the eyes of the Brigo Family’s knight, who was handed the reins of the horse.
It seemed like he recognized that this horse was from a very good breed and how it was cared for superbly.
I signaled him with my eyes to not make a commotion and focus on the hunt.
The knight who was holding the rein stared at me with a determined look.
Yeah, if there’s no Bertin or Young Duke Bolton, then others just need to win.
It was fine as long as it was not Orion.
“Let’s start the hunt!”
The moment the knights climbed to the horse, the horses I lent away began to run swiftly like an arrow moving past Orion’s knight order.
They disappeared far into the forest as if they wouldn’t come back.
The lightning pace made Young Lady Liz stunned.
“What, is that?”
I didn’t care even if they couldn’t win against Orion’s blue knight order.
Being the lady of the day was a matter of my personal embarrassment, nothing else.
At least the Brigo Family wouldn’t have a low result today.