A Marriage Alliance for Revenge - Chapter 57

“My goodness, it’s enormous.” 

The gathering crowd marveled at the impressive stag adorned with magnificent antlers. 

“Is it not the handiwork of Count Lawrence?” 

“Even in his old age, his archery skills remain unmatched.” 

Amidst the constant praise, Countess Lawrence wore a faint, knowing smile. 

She understood better than anyone that the game before them would not be offered to her. 

Compliments swirled as they admired the various games that had been captured. 

“Duchess Viterpan.” 

At the call from behind her, Briella turned. 

“Oh! Lady Hailey.” 

“My mother wishes to speak with you, Duchess Viterpan.” 

As Lady Hailey spoke, a middle-aged woman resembling her stood nearby, gazing at Briella. 

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Duchess Viterpan.” 

“Likewise, Marchioness Hailey.” 

A brief exchange of pleasantries passed between them as they studied one another. 

Yet Briella was not the only one under scrutiny; the gaze of the Hailey entourage was unmistakable. 

“As you may know, this is Count Delevingne. He wished to greet you, Duchess.” 

The situation was almost amusing. 

Count Delevingne bowed politely, treating Briella as if she were a complete stranger. 

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Duchess Viterpan.”

Briella nearly greeted him with a long-overdue salutation before hastily bowing her head. 

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Count Delevingne.” 

As awkward pleasantries were exchanged, Lady Hailey and Lady Delevingne nearby also inclined their heads toward Briella. 

“I should have greeted you earlier; my apologies for the delay. Thank you for providing my daughter with such a valuable opportunity.” 

“Not at all. Lady Hailey has been accommodating, managing her affairs while assisting other noblewomen. Her kindness is truly admirable.” 

At Briella’s compliment, Lady Hailey’s cheeks flushed. 

The assistance she had offered to the young ladies who had just arrived in the capital was solely due to the advice of Marchioness Hailey. 

It was something she had thought would go unnoticed and be forgotten. 

Yet Briella was fully aware of the situation. 

“You flatter me, Duchess Viterpan.” 

“Flattery? It is praise well-deserved.” 

The atmosphere among them was delightfully warm. 

Briella shifted her gaze to Count Delevingne, who stood somewhat awkwardly amid the women’s conversation. 

“I understand that this is Lady Delevingne’s first time in the capital, yet she has performed her duties remarkably well.” 

“Thank you, Duchess.” 

Her gratitude was rather understated compared to Lady Hailey’s. 

It seemed she still struggled to recognize Briella as the Duchess Viterpan fully. 

“Lady Hailey has taken excellent care of my Rose,” Count Delevingne remarked, prompting Briella to glance at him.

Outwardly, he appeared to be a typical neutral noble, yet he shared a close relationship with Lucas. 

His support for the prominent noble family aligned with the Emperor made Briella feel uneasy. 

“Not at all. I am honored to befriend someone like Lady Delevingne, Count Delevingne.” 

As Briella stepped back, awkwardly smiling between the two houses, she suddenly heard a loud voice declare, “The Emperor is returning!” 

At the steward’s booming announcement, Eve, who had been anxiously waiting within the tent, dashed outside. 

Her flushed face revealed her excitement for Gusto. 

Given that considerable time had passed since the hunt began, her anticipation had only grown. 

“Oh my!” 

A massive bear was being dragged by three horses, struggling under its weight. 

“Remarkable!” 

Count Lawrence, who had declared himself a hunter, took a step back. 

“Your Majesty!” 

As Gusto leaped from his horse, Eve rushed into his arms. 

“Oh!” 

Gusto wrapped his arm around Eve’s waist and lifted her effortlessly. 

Her red skirt fluttered like petals in the wind. 

“Why are you so late?” 

With a smile, Gusto gently set her down, responding to her playful reprimand. 

He then extended his hand to her. 

Blushing, Eve cupped her cheek with her hand before taking Gusto’s offered hand. 

All eyes were on Gusto and Eve.

Gusto and Eve exchanged glances, reveling in the attention of those around them. 

The handkerchief Eve had given him that morning hung from Gusto’s bow. 

“Eve, it is thanks to your well wishes that the goddess has bestowed upon me a great reward.” 

“Oh my! Were you not in danger?” 

With her face buried against Gusto’s chest, Eve spoke with a tremor in her voice. 

“Not at all.” 

Briella offered a wry smile at his words, a sentiment echoed by several other nobles. 

Just then, a knight who had lost consciousness was being carried into the tent where Baron was waiting. 

‘You are safe, aren’t you? You used others as shields.’ 

As she hid among the crowd, Briella shot a glare at Gusto. 

“More important than this game is your safety, you know that?” 

Her tearful golden eyes were fixed intently on him. 

In response, Gusto smiled and pressed his lips against Eve’s. 

“Oh my!” 

The suddenness of Gusto’s action caused nearby young ladies to turn their heads away. 

The older women clicked their tongues, displaying their disapproval, but quickly forced smiles in response to their husbands’ admonishments. 

‘Continue to enjoy yourselves like this; the pain will only deepen when you fall from grace.’ 

Amid the chaos, only Briella cast a cold gaze upon them. 

As the kiss ended, Eve nestled closer into Gusto’s embrace, seemingly embarrassed. 

“Hahaha! Has everyone returned?” 

“Not yet; the Duke Viterpan has not come back.” 

“Really? Just how large a prize must be caught to delay his return?” 

Gusto surveyed the assembled crowd.

‘So, you were hiding there.’ 

Gusto kept his gaze fixed on Briella, as though he had found his quarry. 

While different from Eve’s dazzling beauty, Briella was no less striking and captivating in her own right. 

‘How fortunate to have such beautiful women around, especially one who is quite clever.’ 

Turning his attention from Briella, Gusto regarded Rose Delevingne, who stood nearby. 

Her deep golden eyes, reminiscent of the afternoon sun, were fixed upon him. 

‘She appears quite different from the first time I saw her; she has grown rather bold.’ 

“Your Majesty?” 

“What to do? Since today is the first day, I would like to call it quits.” 

Gusto spoke slowly as he surveyed the gathered nobles. 

Despite the multitude present, not a single person ventured to speak. 

“Yet I can’t help but wonder what the Duke Viterpan has caught to be so delayed. Surely the reaper of the battlefield isn’t content with just a few rabbits.” 

At Gusto’s words, the nobles nodded in agreement. 

They harbored hopes that, like Gusto, the Duke would return with a bear rather than merely the animals they had released earlier. 

For those who had only heard of Lucas’s exploits through word of mouth, this hunting competition was an opportunity to witness his skills firsthand. 

“Your Majesty, the mulled wine is ready. Shall we wait inside?” 

“Shall we? It seems everyone has much to say about today’s hunt.” 

With a sigh, Briella reacted to Gusto’s remark. 

‘Had I known it would come to this, I should have claimed to enjoy hunting.’

Briella sighed as she recalled Lucas disappearing into the forest, leading the family’s knights. 

He would likely return empty-handed. 

Moreover, he had the responsibility of managing not only the horses but the entire hunting grounds. 

For outsiders to encroach upon the hunting grounds where the Emperor and nobles enjoyed their sport was a grave offense. 

Hunting was a privilege reserved for those wielding bows and blades. 

Thus, if unauthorized individuals were to intrude and cause a commotion, they could lose their lives under the pretext of attempting to assassinate the Emperor. 

At times, such a transgression could lead to the annihilation of an entire family. 

Therefore, managing the hunting grounds and caring for the horses was an arduous task, far too demanding for a single family to shoulder alone. 

“While we await the Duke Viterpan, shall we observe the skills of others?” 

With a glass of Bordeaux’s wine in hand, Gusto smiled as he admired the scattered game. 

“Count Lawrence is truly impressive!” 

“You flatter me.” 

Gusto congratulated Count Lawrence, who stood proudly before the stag he had captured, giving his shoulder an approving pat. 

“With skills like that, you could return to the battlefield.” 

“Oh! Your Majesty, please don’t say such things.” 

The crowd erupted in laughter at Count Lawrence’s jest. 

“Something is approaching over there.” 

Amid their laughter and merriment, the sun was slowly disappearing beyond the mountains. 

At the steward’s remark, everyone turned their heads in unison.

“What is that?” 

It was light. 

The brilliance was so immense that it drew gasps from the crowd, even from a distance. 

As the light drew nearer, the young noblewomen, who had been hiding before the slain game, flushed with embarrassment and stepped back. 

Though she felt the weight of piercing gazes upon her, Briella did not retreat. 

In fact, those around her unconsciously moved back, leaving Briella standing at the forefront. 

“Ah, you’re late, my lady.” 

Lucas leaped down from his horse, presenting her with a bouquet of yellow flowers. 

“…Lucas.” 

“Are you disappointed?” 

“Not at all. I prefer this to any game.” 

“Well, you have proven to be a better hunter than I.” 

“Pardon?” 

“Riel, you have already captured my heart.” 

“Ummp!” 

Briella made a concerted effort to ignore the shrieks of the noblewomen behind her. 

Her face flushed with embarrassment, and her heart raced as if it might leap from her chest. 

“This is…?” 

“I intend to be honest.” 

“Pardon?” 

“About the beating of my heart.” 

“Lucas?” 

“I’m still unsure whom this beating is directed toward. Therefore, I need to confirm.” 

Briella found his words utterly incomprehensible. 

The whispers behind her faded into oblivion.

“Your Highness.” 

“Lucas.” 

As if instinctively, Briella’s words were corrected by Lucas, who forced the large bouquet into her hands. 

“Ah!” 

Caught off guard, Briella swayed at the weight of the flowers. 

The yellow roses, known to bloom throughout the seasons in the Rhone Empire, released a delicate fragrance that wafted around her. 

“These flowers are truly befitting of the Duchess Viterpan, are they not?” 

Eve’s sudden comment jolted those who had been absorbed in the sight of Briella and Lucas back to reality. 

“Indeed! You both look splendid together.” 

Lady Hailey, standing beside Eve, hurriedly echoed her sentiment. 

“They bloom all year round, making them easy to find, and they are also used as herbs, I believe?” 

“Yes. They are said to be good for stomachaches and mild colds. Truly a precious flower for the impoverished citizens of the Empire.” 

Eve nodded in response to Lady Hailey’s answer. 

“A flower of many uses, much like someone we know.” 

At Eve’s remark, the young noblewoman, who had previously been blushing, discreetly shrank back. 

It was evident they were trying to avoid drawing any unwanted attention to themselves. 

The lively atmosphere sparked by Lucas’s bouquet quickly froze, akin to the chill of midwinter. 

Eve tightened her cloak and pouted slightly. 

The nobles cautiously glanced at Gusto and Lucas, but their gaze seemed inexorably drawn to Briella and Lucas. 

The sight of Briella and Lucas, shyly smiling in front of the vibrant flowers, captivated their attention more than Gusto and Eve standing confidently before the slain bear.

“I had high hopes for the Duke Viterpan’s skills.” 

It was Gusto, not Eve with her pouting lips, who stepped forward. 

“I apologize for falling short of expectations.” 

“Indeed. With this outcome, one might begin to doubt your moniker as the Reaper of the Battlefield.” 

Gusto clicked his tongue as he observed Briella struggling to peek out from behind the bouquet. 

The flowers were a stark contrast to the vibrant red roses that Eve tended with such care. 

These pitiful, diminutive blooms hardly warranted the title of roses, and Gusto frowned at their insignificance. 

He found it disheartening that the flower representing the Rhone Empire could appear so meager. 

“I heard this was a place for the lady.” 

“And so?” 

Gusto’s lips twisted at Lucas’s retort. 

This was a gathering where the most esteemed nobles of the Empire were observing. 

Lucas’s audacity to retort in such a setting was displeasing to him. 

Yet Lucas remained largely unchanged; he followed Gusto’s commands without a hint of disrespect. 

At least on the surface. 

‘It’s about time to reveal who truly holds the reins here.’ 

With an inscrutable smile, Gusto lifted his chin. 

“Thus, I merely presented what my lady enjoys.” 

Lucas’s words elicited gasps from those around them. 

Though the sounds were subdued, they were clearly audible to Gusto’s ears. 

“Then perhaps tomorrow we might hunt not for our ladies’ sakes, but for ourselves, Duke Viterpan.” 

At Gusto’s suggestion, Lucas lifted his gaze slightly. 

His dark eyes shimmered as if they were engulfing the surrounding shadows.