Max perused the writing in ink. ‘A notice from the emperor.’ He soon furrowed his brow. “To commemorate the harvest festival… a hunting contest will be held in three weeks? Not only the royal family, but nobles—ranked higher than count—and their families are obliged to participate…” To his knowledge, the emperor hated hunting—it wasn’t that he was uncomfortable with slaughtering animals. The man was simply terrible at it.
‘Why in the world would he hold an event like this, then?’ Max wondered.
Lowering his head, Victor reported, “It is said that the emperor has been meeting with the heir of Marquis Hessen.”
“Mikhail,” Max gritted his teeth. With a hardened expression, he continued, “It’s unusual that the two are meeting so frequently.” A murderous spirit overcame Max, and Dennis swallowed nervously.
“It seems the emperor is trying to connect the princess to the eldest son of Marquis Hessen by using the event as an excuse,” he speculated.
All of Max’s questions were now answered. ‘I see. The emperor does not have reliable support from the nobles—the marquis must be an attractive candidate for an ally.’ Thinking of Beatrice, Max frowned. Ladies tended to dislike hunting contests, as most viewed it as barbaric. However, some women cheered on the men they were fond of, hoping they would bring back valuables from the game.
‘She’s such a pushover. It’s clear she will easily fall for his tricks.’ Max didn’t know why Mikhail had suddenly changed his target from Jubelian to Beatrice, and rather than feeling relieved that his competitor had disappeared, he felt uneasy. ‘I’ve been too complacent.’ The disgusting obsession in Mikhail’s eyes was still clear in Max’s mind. He couldn’t believe that the man had given up on Jubelian. Moreover, the fact that he was trying to get close to the emperor was suspicious.
“We’ll keep a watch on the man.” Having given his orders, Max left the room.
* * *
There were still three days until the tea-tasting party, yet Beatrice was busy checking the mirror for any flaws in her appearance.
‘My hair has become frizzy lately.’ She had been applying heat to curl her hair, and such seemed to be the consequence. Frowning, Beatrice gave an order to her head maid, “Sarah, I’ll need some oil for my hair.”
Once the maid left, Beatrice looked in the mirror for another moment then smiled. She thought of sitting next to Jubelian during the tea-tasting party, and just the idea made her heart flutter in excitement. Squealing, Beatrice fantasized about giving all the tea cookies to her lady friend—she would definitely enjoy them, and Beatrice would watch her eat them one by one like a mother bird watching over her chick. The princess was immersed in her happy thoughts when…
Tap! Tap!
Startled by the noise coming from the balcony window, she turned around. She wondered why the uninvited guest was standing behind the glass, then she shivered when she realized something. ‘Is it possible that he saw what I was doing?’ she glared at Max.
“Open it before I break the windows,” he threatened from outside. Beatrice’s face crumpled in displeasure. No matter how many favors he had done her, he was an ignorant brute in the end. In any case, she opened the doors to avoid further trouble.
“What took you so long?” Max complained.
Smirking, Beatrice spat out, “Be grateful. Who else would open their windows to someone who was sneaking peeks into their room?”
Tilting his head, Max retorted, “Jubelian never made me wait so long.”
Bea’s expression hardened. How brazen could he be to secretly watch her?! Irritated, she scolded, “It’s a shame to watch others without their knowing. If you love your partner, you shouldn’t do that.”
Max scowled at the criticism. However, regret washed over him once he remembered what he had done until now. ‘Maybe that’s why she keeps asking me to come through the main door…’ Looking back at his actions, he was concerned about what Jubelian thought of him.
“What brings you here anyway?” Beatrice asked, interrupting his worries.
Reminded of his purpose, Max opened his mouth. “Take great care during the hunting contest.”
“Why?”
Max sighed. “Nothing’s certain, so I can’t say anything. I just think the emperor is holding the event for an ulterior motive.”
Beatrice stiffened at the mention of the emperor. ‘I see. He must be doing it to gain something.’ She wondered about what benefits her father had in doing this, then she quickly came to a conclusion. ‘He has been holding frequent audiences with Mikhail these days… Is he trying to marry me off?’ She scoffed in disbelief, then she turned to Max. He had warned her about future troubles before her banquet—had he come here to notify her once more?
It was strange, but her stepbrother was trying to protect her from dangerous situations. Appreciative, she opened her mouth. “Thank you for letting me know, Max.”
The siblings had always been cold to each other, but a warm atmosphere now flowed in the room. Beatrice was thinking she could eventually reconcile with him in the near future when Max insulted, “By the way, you look ridiculous when you’re making a big fuss about something.”
Trembling in anger, Beatrice threw a pillow at him. “You stupid sod. Get the hell out of here.”
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