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Bang!
A bird that was flying up fell with a sound of a gun early dawn. Another shot followed after. Both shots were bullseye. Bird hunting is hard, but for two men, it was not a problem.
As they pulled the lever, the empty cartridge popped out.
Two men didn’t say a word. They were focusing on aiming for their pretty and pulling the trigger while deep in their thoughts. It was their servants who were worried.
Ivan was by Claude’s side while glaring at Ian’s subjects, who almost killed him a few years ago.
The anxiety that was swarming over. They were commanders who were enemies at one point and allies at another.
Claude, who was wearing a thick coat over the white uniform, which was the signature of the Empire, saw another prey and aimed. Ian also aimed at the same prey.
They both pulled the trigger at the same time. The bird that was hit fell. The servant checked the prey and raised the flags of both nations. It meant both of their bullets hit.
“Darn
”
“How rude.”
They glared at the flag and aimed the gun at each other. The bustling forest became instantly silent.
Ivan and his subject who were guarding Claude also aimed at Ian Sergio. Ian’s side was the same.
Ian spoke while smirking a little, “It would’ve been nice if you knew what shame is.”
“It was told that the man should know when to back off,” Claude responded.
“I never had something I wanted taken away from me.” Ian continued.
“It was the first time I wanted something.”
Their tone was calm, but one could feel the aggressiveness in the air. Ian’s guards were also flustered.
At early dawn, it was Claude who suddenly suggested hunting. Both of them over drank last night so they couldn’t even move. Ivan, who witnessed it himself at the time, could see his vision pale at such situation.
They were aiming at each other for a while and turned towards the bird that flew up at the same time.
Their shots were so simultaneous that it felt like one.
As they lowered their gun, the servant finally relaxed and grabbed the prey.
No one lifted their flag this time. They were anxious that this happened because they raised their flags at the same time.
“That rude Marchioness greeted me too much. As if she met her savior.”
Ian spoke while getting rid of the cartridge. Claude smirked at that, nodded and answered.
“You probably are.”
“From what I heard, she’s done something stupid. She
 Tried to frame Canillia as a thief or the center of the treason.”
“It’s the empire’s business. The guest from Geore can just enjoy himself and go back.”
Claude stopped him there. He almost lost it as Ian kept on saying Canillia’s name. He already knew that Ian Sergio proposed to Canillia. But that was in the past and it would’ve been nice if it stopped in the past. But Ian confidently said that he came back to fulfill his past promise to Wade. The way he said ‘past promise’ made it sound like Canillia accepted Ian’s proposal.
A promise. He felt jealous. So even though he was confident that she loves him, he still acted childish.
As she had to deal with the man’s jealousy all night, she probably wouldn’t be able to leave her bed all day.
Claude tried to end the hunt so he could go see her.
“Give all the prey to Grand Duke Sergio. I don’t loot.”
So Ian, who was glaring at Claude, answered sarcastically, “Thank you. It would’ve been nice if you gave me something alive.”
Claude pointed at the bag that the servant was holding.
“The last one is alive. I only hit its wing so I think there’s nothing better than that. I’m off. I’m still hungover.”
There was a sound of wings flapping in the bag full of the smell of blood.
The hunt ended.
“How cruel.”
Ian glared at Claude, who was smiling relaxingly, and told his guard.
“Are you now going to believe that he is a crazier person than I am?”
***
“Where did the Grand Duke go?”
Lia asked the servant who brought food. The servant looked out the window emotionless and answered.
“He went to hunt with a guest.”
“A guest
. You mean the Grand Duke Sergio?”
“Yes.”
Was the gun shot she heard Claude and Ian’s? Canillia couldn’t eat even with all the warm food in front of her.
How did he find out? Did he hear it from Ian?
Why would Ian tell Claude?
“I’ll be back for you, so wait for me. Canillia.”
It was the day the Duke passed away. Before leaving the palace, Ian kissed her hand and said this.
She was too young to take the proposal too seriously. She didn’t know what love was and what it means to be man and wife.
So, after she heard that Ian visited the Marquis personally, she knew that he was serious.
But it didn’t matter.
She only received the proposal, but she didn’t accept it so it didn’t matter.
But what if Ian doesn’t know that she rejected it? If he really came to fulfill that promise, then Anastasia’s reason for officially inviting Ian was revealed.
Canillia was glaring at well cooked chicken and turned her head in surprise at the sound of the door opening.
Claude came in while taking off the thick coat, looked at Canillia sitting in front of the table and smiled.
“I smell like blood so don’t come to me. I need to wash up.”
“I heard you went for a hunt,” said Canillia.
“Eat.”
He answered coldly, took off his uniform jacket and went into the bathroom. Canillia stared at the spot he was at blankly until she heard the water running.
Then suddenly she felt like she was wronged so she got up and went to the bathroom.
Claude, who was staring at the water that was coming down, seemed to hear her and turned. Underneath his wide shoulders was his muscular torso. The steam covered his perfect body.
Canillia thought what she wanted to say while staring at his scars all over his body. Something that she felt when she touched seemed even more clear now.
His huge body that was squishing her the entire night. It was a night she couldn’t do anything as she was locked in with his long hard legs and beautiful jewel-like eyes.
Why was he so tenacious last night? Was it because of Ian’s proposal? Someone who doesn’t know what fear is? Jealousy didn’t fit this man. In the end, she was chewing on her lips as she couldn’t think of something to say.
“If you’re going to stare
 Come in.”