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“His Highness the First Prince, will be last to arrive. Because the Bolsheik princess has broken off her engagement with His Highness the Third Prince.”
No one dares to contradict the statement, which itself serves as proof that Smith’s powers are not fully supported by his allies but rather by those who follow the Bolsheiks.
And it turns out their expectations were not entirely unfounded

It had been quite a while since the two carriages from the palace failed to open their doors.
-Thud.
With the creaking sound of the door opening, Smith emerged first, his insides simmering with an imminent explosion. Yet, he maintained a faint smile on his face.
Revealing any discomfort in this situation would be the epitome of a disastrous move.
Regardless of the seething darkness within him, he had to project an air of calm on the outside.
As soon as he stepped onto the ground

-Thud.
The door of another royal carriage swung open, and the First Prince stepped out, wearing a confident expression.
The First Prince’s arrogant demeanor twisted Smith’s stomach once again, but he knew better than to open his mouth, even if he had ten voices.
The rumor about his break-off with Lyna had already spread far and wide, and it was likely that the First Prince was aware of it too, though he chose not to mention it.
However, if Smith had shown any signs of weakness, the other side would have exploited it, making him appear even more vulnerable.
He endured it out of pride, knowing that it was essential for him to step out first from the very beginning.
“Haha, Smith. You should have come out earlier since it was going to be like this anyway.”
The First Prince purposefully attacked Smith’s pride as he approached him, provoking a reaction.
It wouldn’t have mattered if Smith exploded in anger right then and there. Alternatively, it wouldn’t have mattered if he didn’t, because he could assert dominance over the individual who always acted superior.
A vein pulsed on Smith’s temple, but he exercised an extraordinary level of patience, ignoring the First Prince.
As he walked amidst the fleeting, contemptuous gazes of the crowd, his attention was drawn to a ger prominently marked with the seal of the Bolsheiks.
-Crunch.
A series of cracking sounds echoed, as if Smith’s teeth were shattering one by one, but he refrained from walking towards that direction.
Ever since he had fled the scene the last time, he had been unable to figure out how to handle Lyna.
His attempts to appease and calm her had ended in a resounding failure, leaving him with no choice but to exert force.
However, Smith, who had risen to his current position with the support of the Bolsheiks, couldn’t dare to threaten them.
Instead, he needed to exploit her personal weaknesses.
Smith leaned in close to his aide, who faithfully followed him like a shadow, and whispered something.
“Has it not been found yet?”
“I’m sorry.”
Without needing to hear the specifics, the aide understood what Smith was inquiring about and shrugged his shoulders.
Up until now, he had diligently documented all of the preferences and aversions of the Bolsheik princess, but a weakness?
“Tsk, dig a little deeper. Something will come out.”
“Yes.”
‘It’s easier said than done,’ was the phrase that lingered on the aide’s tongue, yet he firmly sealed his lips.
Truly, it was easier said than done.
Whose weakness was Smith hoping to uncover?
None other than the Bolsheik princess herself.
Moreover, she was the sole heiress to the Bolsheik duchy.
Right from the start, she had never revealed any vulnerability, and even if one were to stumble upon such a weakness, the Bolsheiks would promptly track them down.
This held true even for an aide serving a prince.
For when comparing the Third Prince, whom the aide served, to the Bolsheik Princess, the scales would tip heavily in favor of the Princess.
As the aide’s inwardly swallowed sigh accumulated, almost forming an atmosphere around him, Smith arrived at the Royal Ger, with the First Prince following suit.
“Your Highness, are you well.”
“Your Highness, with this new arrival
”
“Your Highness, it’s been a while, and you look even more radiant
”
Immediately, a crowd swarmed around the two princes.
Who could deny that they were the two princes closest to the current crown prince’s position?
The status of the Third Prince had become somewhat ambiguous after his separation from the Bolsheik Princess.
However, those who recalled the past, where the Bolsheik Princess fervently professed her love for the Third Prince, held onto a glimmer of hope for him.
Certainly, the lack of any concrete developments from the Bolsheiks played a significant role in this belief.
Observing the people gravitating towards him with a similar intensity as they did towards the First Prince, Smith’s face eased slightly.
As a sense of self-assurance naturally filled him, he raised his chin.
“Pardon me for asking, but what happened with your break-off with the Bolsheik Princess?”
The story that Smith dreaded hearing emerged, casting a sudden silence over the room.
Even the usually talkative First Prince fell silent and listened attentively.
Smith glared menacingly at the person who brought up this particular tale, his hand itching to slap him. However, he couldn’t act on his impulses.
“Your Highness?”
The individual questioning him happened to be the head of the third most influential family supporting him, excluding the Bolsheiks.
Smith maintained a prolonged silence, and gradually, the expressions on people’s faces began to shift.
Among those who backed the First Prince, anticipation and joy were visible.
On the other hand, those who supported the Third Prince, or rather, those who supported him solely due to his engagement to the Bolsheik Princess, displayed disappointment and confusion.
As the atmosphere around him rapidly cooled, Smith found himself with no other choice.
“Haha. It seems Lyna’s heart has been deeply hurt. I’m working to soothe her feelings.”
In order to evade the impending situation, Smith resorted to fabricating a lie.
Superficially, he believed that if he could just evade the current circumstances, he could find a way to bring Lyna back into an engagement with him.
Little did he know the rapid and spectacular unraveling that awaited his deceit

“Ah, I see.”
“Hmm.”
Smith’s words were met with a mixture of skepticism and cautious consideration among the people. They didn’t wholeheartedly believe his claims, yet they refrained from outright dismissing them as nonsensical.
“The Bolsheik Princess is picky. It would be best to quickly appease her.”
The count, who had posed the challenging question to Smith, offered advice that was more of a veiled suggestion. Some nodded in agreement, treating it as an obvious course of action, which only fueled Smith’s anger.
As the future crown prince and next emperor, he found it infuriating to be advised to appease Lyna’s emotions. The reality of the situation weighed heavily on him, intensifying the frustration churning in his stomach.
Just when it seemed like he was on the verge of exploding from the provocation, the First Prince unexpectedly diverted the conversation to a different topic.
“Speaking of which, the Bolsheik Princess is here.”
“Yes. She said she wouldn’t attend, but it seems she’s changed her mind.”
The individual who uttered those words cast a fleeting glance at Smith.
To those unaware of the complex dynamics between Lyna, Smith, and Ainar, it appeared that Smith was the sole reason for Lyna’s change of heart.
However, unlike before, Smith refrained from speaking up, keeping his silence.
Having already told a lie, he realized that speaking now would only compel him to spin another falsehood. Thus, he deemed it wiser to choose silence instead.
The person who had been observing the silent Smith now introduced an entirely different topic.
“I’ve heard that this year’s game is a bit special.”
“That’s right. They say it includes a beast that is incredibly large and fierce beyond words.”
“Well then, the person who catches that beast
”
The atmosphere inside the royal ger grew lively as discussions centered around the upcoming hunting competition, befitting its nature. Both the First Prince and Smith engaged with the people present, maintaining appropriate interactions and conversations.
“Who is the likely winner this year?”
“Well, the winner of last year is certainly
”
“No, isn’t there a rising star
”
As the discussion shifted from the game itself to speculations about the potential victor, both the First Prince and Smith wore subtly contemplative expressions.
Simultaneously, the same thought traversed their minds.
Regardless of the other competitors, this year’s ultimate triumph would undoubtedly belong to Ainar.
However, Smith refrained from mentioning Ainar’s participation. He knew that once Ainar arrived, all attention would be immediately fixated on him. Thus, why should he draw attention to it

“Hmm, Ainar is late.”
However, whether it was due to the First Prince’s lack of consideration or some other underlying motive, he openly brought up Ainar’s name, causing Smith’s expression to crumble entirely.
No sooner had the First Prince finished his statement than a wave of excitement rippled through the crowd, with people starting to murmur animatedly.
“His Highness the Second Prince is attending?”
“My goodness, then today is the day.”
“No matter how fierce or large, that beast will be captured.”
“I’m really looking forward to this.”
Ainar’s illustrious record, established through numerous victories in previous hunting competitions, remained an unbeatable legend. Naturally, people’s expectations soared to great heights.
While Smith glared at the First Prince with a contorted expression, the prince feigned obliviousness and averted his gaze. Judging by his reaction, it appeared that he had spoken without much thought, merely going along with the conversation.
What a foolish man, Smith inwardly cursed.
Just as Smith’s frustration simmered, the individual who had stirred up the crowd’s anticipation finally arrived at the forest.
-Neigh!
“Whoa, whoa, good boy.”
As Ainar arrived at the scene, not in a grand royal carriage but on horseback, the onlookers blinked rapidly in surprise.
“That
outfit.”
“Oh my, now that you mention it.”
“Isn’t it the same as the Bolsheik Princess?”
To further validate the speculations, Lyna, who had remained unseen despite the arrival of the princes, suddenly emerged, confirming the murmurs and discussions among the crowd.
“My
god.”
“It’s really matching
”
As the exclamations and astonishment of the onlookers gradually subsided, blue flowers scattered across the ash-colored plain, adding a touch of ethereal beauty to the scene.
Unwavering, Ainar approached Lyna amidst the lingering atmosphere of surprise, confusion, and a peculiar sense of anticipation. In a voice loud enough for all to hear, he called out to Lyna, capturing the attention of the entire gathering.
“My Lyna.”