The villain's ending is only death, Chapter 57
The cursed hunting competition was just one day away.
I was awakened by the maids at the crack of dawn and was being forcibly bathed and polished.
It was because of the pre-festival held in the royal hunting grounds.
This time, it was expected to be on a larger scale than usual because many nobles and royals from other countries were participating.
Second, I was soaked in fragrant oils and, with sleepy eyes, complained to the maids.
"Why do we have to go to such lengths? I'll just tie my hair up and wear pants tomorrow when we hunt."
"Then you must look more beautiful than anyone else today and receive the most game from the gentlemen!"
Emily replied enthusiastically. The maids who had barged into my room early in the morning also chimed in.
"This time, you will be the queen of the hunting festival!"
"That's right! Last year, because of that incident, how arrogant the Kelin lady was after winning first place..."
The maid who had been chattering suddenly stopped.
Emily glared at her sharply, giving her a warning, which was reflected in the mirror.
The atmosphere in the room instantly became solemn.
The maid seemed fearful that I might get angry for mentioning my master's dark past.
I generously overlooked the maid's slip of the tongue and thought about the hunting competition they were eagerly anticipating.
While it wasn't detailed in the normal mode, the hunting competition here was open to everyone regardless of gender.
The winner was selected based on the total number of game caught on the last day, and there was a peculiar rule.
You could win first place even if you didn't hunt yourself, as long as you had the most game.
Of course, difficult prey like bears and tigers were scored separately.
Therefore, many men would hunt diligently to give their game to the women they favored.
It was a form of courtship.
'This hunting competition is just like a setting in a female-oriented game. It's like a love secret Santa.'
Lady Kelin won last year's hunting competition.
Thanks to Penelope's misdeed.
The sympathy for her nearly being hit by the duke's mad dog, or rather, chimpanzee's crossbow, led the male participants to give her their game.
'She must have been boasting about it to the duke's family...'
Unfortunately, I was only interested in protecting my life.
At that moment, one side of my hair was pulled, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Ah! Does it hurt, Miss? I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
One of the maids was fixing my hair, curling it up and securing it.
At my short groan, she quickly let go and stepped back.
"Never mind. Keep going."
I nodded and murmured to myself.
"Don't worry too much. I have a plan."
"I'll definitely seize the opportunity."
The maids looked puzzled by my sudden statement.
"The woman with the most game."
"If I wait for the right moment and shoot her with a crossbow on the last day, I can take all her game..."
The atmosphere turned pale as the maids were taken aback by my joke.
Emily quickly tried to change the subject.
"Please don't say such terrifying things! Come! It's all done. You just need to put on your makeup."
I grumbled but obediently closed my eyes as they instructed.
After all, being beautiful is a good thing.
The elaborate preparation that started early in the morning finally ended in the late afternoon.
I put on the white pearl accessory set and a blood-red dress that revealed my collarbones, chosen by the maids.
'Of course, this face suits such an appearance.'
Evil is inherently beautiful.
Compared to the protagonist in the normal mode, Penelope's image in the mirror was dangerously alluring.
Her large, slightly upturned eyes were strangely erotic.
They were as red and tempting as an apple, but one that was filled with poison.
The maids brought in a pair of black patent leather shoes to match the dress.
I hadn't worn high heels in a long time, and they didn't feel right. I wobbled, and Emily quickly steadied me.
"Miss, shall I support you to the first floor?"
Emily asked, puzzled. I responded nonchalantly.
"He's my bodyguard, so it's natural for him to escort me."
"Y-Yes! Please wait a moment, Miss. I'll call him right away."
Emily nodded reluctantly and hurried out of the room.
I understood why she was hesitant. Slaves were not allowed in the palace.
However, the reason I called him wasn't for protection.
To find out if Derrick and Iclys had really fought after I left.
'Now it's time to raise his affection.'
A short while later, the door opened with a knock.
"Miss, I've brought your bodyguard."
Iclys followed Emily into the room.
He stopped abruptly when our eyes met, his gray eyes shaking intensely.
It was clearly because of my elaborate appearance.
I smiled deeply at the slight increase in affection, which was different from before.
"Emily, take my crossbow case and go down first."
"Are you taking it today?"
"I think it's better to leave it in the carriage beforehand."
A moment later, she left the room with the crossbow case.
I tapped the table a few times with my fingers.
He, who had been standing there in a daze, finally regained his composure and slowly walked over to me.
I nodded again, and he silently closed the distance, standing right in front of me.
Despite the sudden and forceful command, Iclys knelt down in front of me without hesitation.
I reached out and gently cupped his chin.
Since the confrontation with Derrick a few days ago, we hadn't even brushed past each other, so I needed to check him thoroughly.
Fortunately, there were no blemishes on his smooth skin when I examined him closely.
Despite my rude handling of his chin, I asked in a feigned gentle tone.
'If there are no marks on your face, they might have beaten your body.'
Iclys, who had been staring at me silently, nodded slightly when I finally stopped moving.
"Fortunately, it seems you didn't fight."
"After you left, the captain also left."
He confessed the events that followed, having immediately sensed what I was curious about.
It was the same question as before. I had readily answered affirmatively then.
He seemed quite pleased, his gray eyes staring at me blindly.
His gaze felt like it was demanding an immediate affirmative answer.
But my heart had sunk when he showed unexpected hostility, so I decided to use the whip instead of the carrot.
"Don't act rashly in the future."
My voice came out stern, like scolding a misbehaving dog.
"You said you could handle it. Do you want to be chased out before you're even recognized here?"
"He grabbed your wrist first..."
I released his chin and warned him coldly.
"Does the First Brother seem like someone who would overlook your insolence the way I do?"
Iclys's eyes drooped slightly, as if he felt wronged.
His expression was as usual, but he looked subtly dejected.
Of course, it might have been my imagination.
I looked at the white text floating above his head and spoke in a soft, gentle voice.
"I want you to stay by my side for a long time."
Iclys must not be expelled from the duke's household until my affection meter is full.
"To do that, you need to exclude me from your personal grudges."
"I mean, don't take out your resentment towards the empire on me."
My unease wasn't just about the possibility of dying in the power struggle between Derrick and Iclys.
- How that vulgar barbarian teaches the empire's only princess how to hold a bow.
The moment I heard Iclys say that, the memory of the rainy day came vividly to mind.
The way he swung a wooden sword in the air as if to kill someone and the way his sword was pressed against my neck.
Iclys seemed to revere me for bringing him here and taking care of him, but he also intensely despised being under the thumb of the empire.
For a successful escape, Iclys must not continue to harbor such contradictory feelings.
'I need to make him feel only affection for me.'
So, I needed to remind him once.
"Do you hate me for buying you? Do you think it would be better to be despised here than to be back at the auction?"
"I need someone useful to me. If you don't like it, I'll give you this ruby ring. You can leave whenever you want."
I acted as if I was about to take off the ruby ring on my left ring finger and hand it to him.
It was a strong move. If he really decided to leave, I would have to quickly apologize.
But I knew from playing the normal mode.
He stayed with the Penelope, enduring all her wickedness and irritability, because he had nowhere else to go and no place as comfortable as the duke's household.
When I finally took off the ruby ring and handed it to him, Iclys's pupils shook.
As expected, he didn't take the ring. Instead,