Chapter 59: The Villain's Ending is Only Death
A chill silence descended upon the carriage as if someone had poured cold water inside.
"Haha. It's over, it's all over."
I laughed, feeling a sense of liberation.
"ā¦Did Penelope give it to you?"
Derrick asked in a voice that had grown even lower. For some reason, it seemed tinged with anger, making me shudder.
Unaware of the tension, the Duke chuckled and further provoked them.
"Hmm. You guys too. You should behave better normally. With such personalities, no wonder you're not popular with women, tsk tsk."
Leonard laughed in disbelief.
At that moment, Derrick, who had been silently staring at the Duke, suddenly turned his gaze toward me.
His azure pupils swirled with an indescribable emotion.
He tried to say something in a strained voice but then closed his mouth and turned his head away. And then,
'Ah, why! Just giving a charm, what's the big deal!'
I felt a surge of injustice at how easily the Hard Mode's goodwill had dropped.
As we approached the palace, the carriage's speed suddenly slowed down.
Glancing out the window, I saw a long line of carriages stretching from the entrance.
"Why is it taking so long?"
I was puzzled, as the last banquet had passed through without any lines.
The Duke answered my unspoken question.
"They are checking for lethal magical weapons, monsters, and mages."
"Yes. Since the prince is personally hosting the hunting competition, they will thoroughly search to ensure everyone's safety."
I nodded in agreement, though I was still puzzled.
The prince, a war hero, had many enemies both inside and outside the empire.
He would likely face constant surveillance and threats to his life until he ascended the throne.
'His personality could have been ruined.'
I understood why he was so crazy.
But that didn't mean I felt any sympathy. I was the most pitiful one here.
'But if they're checking for magesā¦ can Bƶter participate?'
My thoughts didn't linger long, as the Duke's carriage soon reached the checkpoint.
We passed through easily, of course.
My crossbow's beads triggered the magic-detecting crystal, but since they were clearly for hunting, there was no problem.
A palace mage finished the inspection and returned my crossbow case to Emily, who was in another carriage.
"What are you planning to do this time? You've really come prepared."
Leonard sneered, looking out the window.
Derrick, seemingly in agreement, sighed and glanced at me with disdain.
The Duke, who had prepared everything meticulously, let out an uncomfortable cough, and I felt wronged again.
The venue for the pre-banquet was a spacious garden a short distance from the hunting forest.
As expected of the palace, the outdoor banquet area was beautifully decorated.
Colorful flowers and delicate fabrics and ribbons enhanced the beauty of the garden.
The tall hedges surrounding the area, adorned with elegant lighting, made it quite impressive.
There were already many guests, and servants were bustling between the round tables set up for each family.
The Duke and my two older brothers immediately went to check the cabins and horses they would use during the competition.
So, I had no choice but to enter the garden alone, with only Emily following behind.
'Where is he? Hasn't he arrived yet?'
I weaved through the crowd of nobles, frantically scanning my surroundings.
I needed to locate the prince first.
Not knowing where he might suddenly appear made my heart race.
'I should have just followed the others and come with themā¦'
Even if he was a crazy, ruthless guy, he wouldn't try to kill me with the Duke's family all around, right?
Suddenly, a harsh whisper reached my ears.
"How shameless. Even though the ban has been lifted, does she not know where she is to show her face here?"
"That's what I'm saying. How does Duke Ecart raise his childrenā¦."
"Oh, my lady! Don't say such things. No matter how much education she gets, she's still a commoner."
Clearly, they were talking about me.
I frowned and looked around to find the source.
But I couldn't. Everyone in the garden was whispering about me.
Well, considering I was last year's superstar, it was understandable.
Still, being criticized was annoying.
I realized I couldn't calmly understand why the prince's personality had been ruined.
Penelope had enemies both inside and outside, just like the prince.
Therefore, there were reasons for her to walk the path of tyranny.
"Ugh! Look at that cheap dress."
"A lady who hasn't even had her coming-of-age ceremony, and she doesn't know shameā¦."
Emily's face was gloomy, having chosen a dress to highlight my beauty.
This was the fourth time I had been insulted just because of my clothes today.
'They say if you endure three times, you can avoid murder.'
Since I had surpassed three, was it now okay to cause a commotion?
I called the maid in a low voice that everyone could hear.
"Go and get my crossbow."
"Yes, miss! I'll bring it right away!"
But she soon answered much louder and turned around.
When she had shivered in fear at the thought of such a terrifying thing, I didn't know.
I chuckled as she hurried off toward the cabins.
Unlike the earlier whispers, the venue suddenly fell silent.
'Just say one more thing.'
I lifted my chin arrogantly and scanned the crowd.
Each pair of eyes I met flinched noticeably and quickly turned away, which was amusing.
Even though my only maid had disappeared, leaving me alone, no one dared to speak out rashly.
'So, no one wants to be hit by the mad chimpanzee's crossbow, huh.'
I put aside the idea of locating the prince.
Fortunately, he hadn't appeared yet.
If he were here, he wouldn't have let my current state go unnoticed.
I moved to the Ecart family's table at the front and plopped down in a chair, crossing my legs and calling a passing servant.
"Bring me some alcohol. The whole bottle, not a glass."
As I finished loading the crossbow, people around me gasped in shock.
A short while later, Emily returned with the crossbow case.
She was panting heavily, having run back with great effort.
Emily smiled smugly at my praise, the same despicable smile she had given me when she woke me up with a needle.
I placed the case on the table and took out the crossbow.
Then, I began to load the beads ostentatiously.
Click, click. Click, clickā¦.
The silent banquet hall was filled only with the eerie sound of the steel beads being loaded into the crossbow.
"Goodness! Someone, please stop herā¦."
"Shouldn't we call the guards?"
Whispers came from somewhere.
Ignoring them, I even started to turn the crank.
"Hah. What are you doing now?"
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew over my head. Looking up, I saw the Duke and his sons had arrived.
Sighs of relief were audible from the surrounding crowd.
"You're really waiting for it, aren't you? If you're going to be called a chimpanzee, might as well prepare to shoot."
Leonard asked, incredulous.
Clank. Finally, having loaded the crossbow, I slung it over my back without looking at him and replied.
"Can't you see everyone is staring at you? Do you know what kind of humiliation we'll face because of youā¦."
The Duke warned him as his voice grew louder.
Leonard glanced around for a moment before leaning in to whisper to me.
"ā¦Are you really going to sit there in such a ridiculous state, you crazy girl?"
His voice, filled with suppressed curses, was chilling.
Even I thought my appearance, with a grand crossbow slung over a beautiful dress, was absurd.
They wouldn't believe me if I said it was for my own protection.
Another person was looking at me as if I were insane.
"The ban has been lifted after a year. It would be wise not to act rashly."
"Father has given his permission."
I had no choice but to use the most convincing excuse. Leonard's eyes sparkled as he quickly asked.
The Duke's stern look made me flinch a little.
Fortunately, he clicked his tongue in disapproval but didn't deny it.
"ā¦No one said you can't have hunting weapons at the banquet. Stop making a fuss and sit down."
"But Father! She already has a clear recordā¦."
"Ah! Don't you trust your sister? She says she has deeply reflected, so let's see."
The Duke turned to me and warned.
"If you cause a commotion again, I'll leave you to the palace prison, understand?"
"Of course! Believe me, Father."
Leonard's face was full of things he wanted to say, but he finally shut his mouth and sat down roughly to my left.
His gaze, glaring at me with a mocking smile, was murderous.
'Oh well. If you feel wronged, you could buy an amulet too.'
I teased him internally, feeling very satisfied with the amulet's power. I had made the right choice giving it to the Duke.