‘Your Highness, should this creature immobilize itself and coil its tail, you must make a silent retreat, ever so silently.’
‘Is the horse motionless?’
‘Yes. Even this one, renowned for its courage, can do so.’
‘Why?’
‘It senses it instinctively.’
The stableman whispered in a hushed tone.
‘It feels the presence of a nearby predator, capable of engulfing it in a single gulp.’
The Crown Prince dismounted his horse cautiously, his face filled with anxiety.
Impossible.
Could it be?
He took a careful step forward, attempting to steady his trembling legs.
Crackle.
Even the sound of grass being crushed sounded alarmingly loud.
Just then, the voice of his talkative companion resounded in the frozen First Prince’s ears.
‘By the way, do you know what the most thrilling prey in this contest is? It’s-‘
Before he could finish his recollection, the First Prince abruptly found himself face to face with a pair of bloodshot eyes.
“He… uh…”
The immense creature that locked eyes with the breathless First Prince was a true behemoth.
No, it was not merely large; it was renowned as the most fearsome prey in history.
Its closed mouth concealed razor-sharp, saw-like teeth, while its thick forepaws possessed the power to decapitate a cow with a single swipe.
Hidden within those forepaws were claws that required no introduction; they could rend a steel shield as easily as a sheet of paper.
The First Prince, finding himself face to face with such a beast, gasped in shock.
“A… black tiger?”
His voice escaped as a strangled whisper, yet luckily for the First Prince, the black tiger the size of a house displayed little interest in him and simply turned its head.
Satiated from devouring three hunters during today’s contest, the black tiger remained sluggish, regarding the First Prince as insignificant as a passing fly.
Moreover, what captured its attention was the alluring scent that permeated the air.
“Grrr.”
The black tiger rumbled, rolling its throat and shaking its mighty neck.
Finally, the realization struck the First Prince.
This explained why the forest had maintained an eerie tranquility despite his departure from the safety zone.
The territory he tread upon was under the dominion of this colossal, menacing creature.
No other beings would dare venture into a domain inhabited by such a formidable and dangerous beast.
Had it been a bear, it might have marked the trees with its forepaws, but the tiger exhibited no such signs.
-Crack.
The sound of a small branch snapping under the First Prince’s foot reverberated louder than thunder, causing him to startle.
The black tiger’s ears flicked, yet it lazily swished its tail, thick and resilient as any rope.
With a yawn, it stretched its mouth wide, enticed by the delectable aroma emanating from its surroundings.
“Uh… huff.”
The Crown Prince emitted a sound as if he might collapse at any moment, hastily covering his mouth, and promptly landing on his backside.
The resulting noise was even more cacophonous, yet the black tiger remained seated, unfazed.
At this time of year, the scent of an exceptionally rare grass, which exclusively thrived in this forest, repelled most animals, but for the black tiger, it was as irresistible as any narcotic.
Thus began the stalemate between the First Prince and the black tiger—neither able to escape nor approach.
Though the black tiger appeared indifferent…
At the very moment when the First Prince stumbled in surprise at the black tiger’s yawn, Jane was on her quest for the elusive poisonous plant she had set her sights on. Not too far away, deep within the forest—the very territory the black tiger could traverse in a mere few strides.
“Is this not it?”
Jane’s lovely brows furrowed as she dusted off her hands, now stained with dirt.
The plant was supposed to be here in the forest at this time of year without fail.
“Is its rarity what makes it so difficult to find?”
Mumbling to herself, Jane took a few more steps deeper into the forest, unknowingly moving in the direction where the black tiger rested its chin.
While Jane held exclusive knowledge about a mysterious poison unknown to anyone else, unfortunately, the information she possessed was not particularly detailed.
“They said it emits a scent that repels most creatures.”
Bits of information about the ingredient flowed effortlessly from Jane’s lips, as if she could recite them in her sleep.
It can only be found in this forest at this time of year, and its scent keeps the surroundings eerily quiet.
However, the top predators of the forest are oddly drawn to the fragrance.
Although humans can touch it with bare hands as its toxicity is weak, it must never be consumed.
If ingested, whether directly or as an ingredient in something else,
“It induces extreme aggression. Well, I certainly won’t be eating it.”
The poison, once combined with the ingredient, gradually drives a person into madness, and the imposter currently occupying Jane’s position was bound to consume it.
Jane’s face remained composed as she brushed aside a branch that grazed her cheek.
After walking a bit further, she surveyed her surroundings.
There was no creature, small or large, willing to brave the presence of humans in sight.
“Even the birds seem strangely silent. It must be nearby.”
A smile began to grace Jane’s tired face as she combed through the forest.
Unbeknownst to her, just ahead, a black tiger capable of snuffing out her life with a mere touch lay in wait. Jane’s steps grew lighter, blissfully unaware of the peril that lurked.
As a gentle breeze swept the perspiration from her slender forehead,
Jane’s field of view suddenly widened, and an instinctual realization washed over her.
“This is the place. It must be here.”
With a satisfied smile, Jane took one step, then another.
Unaware that the surroundings had fallen into an eerie silence devoid of birdsong, her sole focus fixed on the prized ingredient.
As a bead of sweat perilously clung to the tip of her nose before finally plummeting to the ground,
she discovered the ingredient that perfectly matched the description in the book.
However…
“Ther…Ah!”
Despite Jane widening her eyes and reaching out, she was unable to pluck the precious ingredient.
Someone forcefully covered her mouth and pulled her back.
“Uh… Ah!”
As Jane was dragged backward, teetering on the brink of falling, the First Prince, her captor, steadied her.
His concern lay not so much in preventing her from getting hurt but rather in preventing any noise that could alert the giant beast.
Jane struggled against the sudden restriction of her freedom, her muffled protests stifled by the Prince’s firm grip.
Desperation fueled both Jane and the Prince. With no one to shield him, the Prince risked being torn apart by the beast in an instant if anything were to go wrong.
No matter how she fought, Jane realized she could not escape the stranger’s grasp. Resigned, she tightly closed her eyes, then slowly opened them.
Once Jane ceased her futile struggles and calmed down to a significant degree, the Prince broke the silence.
“Hush, hush. I will release you, but before that…”
The Prince cupped Jane’s face and turned her gaze toward the direction of the black tiger.
“Look there. Observe and steady yourself.”
It was truly ironic to tell someone to remain calm while beholding such a colossal and perilous creature, yet it was precisely what the situation demanded.
Although she had been forcefully brought here with her mouth covered, the person behind those rough hands was, after all, a fellow human being.
What stood before her was…
“That… thing…”
“Hush. I understand your astonishment, but we must remain silent. It appears uninterested in us.”
The Prince hurriedly rambled on, desperate to prevent her from screaming or abruptly attempting to flee.
Yet Jane paid little attention to the Prince’s words.
Of course, she also beheld the unrealistically immense black tiger.
Just like the Prince, Jane froze, her eyes widening at the sight of the majestic beast.
However, her focus swiftly shifted to what lay beneath the black tiger’s belly.
Each time the black tiger’s tail swung, something fleetingly came into view.
‘This is the exact location.’
Jane had discovered the vital ingredient for the poison she had tirelessly sought. A subtle elation crept across her face.
For a moment, the Prince, who had been solely fixated on the black tiger, stole a glance at Jane, his expression contorting in a peculiar manner.
What did that expression signify in this situation?
‘Has… has she lost her mind?’
As Jane leaned forward without even a hint of a scream, the Prince murmured, once again tightening his grip on her wrist.
Being in the presence of someone who had seemingly gone mad heightened the gravity of the situation. The moment the Prince released the strength in his grasp on Jane’s hand.
-Whoosh!
An arrow soared through the air, its origin unknown, slicing through the atmosphere.
Whether it was a stray arrow or one precisely aimed, its mark remained uncertain.
“Rrooaarrrr!”
Regardless, that single arrow found its mark, embedding itself in the black tiger’s shoulder.
Approximately 10 minutes before Jane encountered the black tiger, Lyna found herself wandering in a safe zone, far removed from the forest where Jane ventured.
In the hushed atmosphere, punctuated only by the occasional rhythmic sound of the horse’s hooves hitting the ground, Lyna contemplated.
She couldn’t discern the nature of Jane’s association with Becky’s blackmailer, but it seemed implausible that there was no connection whatsoever.
Otherwise, Jane wouldn’t possess a Bolsheik permit, granting her access to restricted areas.
“No…”
Lyna involuntarily murmured in denial, swiftly clamping her mouth shut.
It was not long before Jane entered as a Bolsheik.
With the conclusion of the hunting competition, the season of tea parties would commence in earnest.
Since it was something that happened without her knowing even before the return, it could also be the arrangement of her father, completely unrelated to Becky….