Chapter 52: Chapter 52

The hunting grounds would be chaotic with last-minute hunters—definitely not an option.

The lovely gardens? Those would be full of couples trying to create a romantic atmosphere at the last minute.

The banquet area with the tables from yesterday’s tea party? That’s where the unlucky ones, who failed at both hunting and romance, would be sitting around.

That leaves only one place.

“The dining hall!”

“Pardon me, my lady, but are you hungry?” the guard asked, confused.

Seriously?

Ignoring him, I called out urgently to the faster guard ahead of me. “The Marquis Arthur should be there! Tell him a monster has appeared and ask for his help!”

“Uh… Well, he’s certainly capable, but…”

The guard trailed off.

“We can’t make such a request to the Marquis without the Crown Prince’s approval.”

“What? Are you telling me you need the Crown Prince’s permission for everything, even in a situation like this?”

“For us, yes. This is the capital, and it’s royal territory. Requesting help from someone like the Lord of Frosthill could raise… political issues.”

I wanted to scream.@@novelbin@@

And yet, I understood what the guard was worried about.

Politics. The eternal headache.

In theory, under the feudal system, all nobles are knights sworn to their lord. If an ordinary noble resolved the situation, the king could simply commend them. But with someone like the Northern Duke, the dynamic changes. Frosthill wasn’t gifted to him as a favor but entrusted to him out of necessity—more like a CEO managing a subsidiary the company can’t handle on its own.

If someone like him dealt with a major problem at a royal event, it wouldn’t just humiliate the royal family—it would put them in significant debt to a household already carrying the kingdom’s burdens.

The guard hesitated, glancing at me for understanding.

“Surely you understa—Lady!”

I didn’t wait to hear the rest. Kicking off my shoes, I sprinted past the guard. I heard him scream like someone stepping on a LEGO brick—probably because he’d stepped on my discarded shoes. Sorry, but no time for apologies!

As expected, in the dining area, I saw Arthur’s dark hair poking out among the attendants.

“Marquis Arthur!”

Arthur, who was receiving snacks from maids, looked up.

“Lady Doris? What… What’s going on?” His gaze dropped to my bare feet, and he shot to his feet, clearly realizing something serious had happened.

“A monster has appeared! The guards are busy evacuating people, and Prince Tristan is handling it alone!”

“A monster? I’ll go immediately! Lead the way!”

“There’s no time! Head to the second clearing in the camping area. From there, you’ll be able to assess the situation… Eek!”

“Pardon me, but I’ll need your guidance directly.”

Arthur scooped me up with one arm and started running.

I felt like a ventriloquist’s dummy in a ridiculous position.

Embarrassing, yes, but at least it wouldn’t cause any awkward misunderstandings if we ran into Maria. Plus, it was efficient for giving directions.

“That way!”

“Understood!”

As we ran, Arthur gripped the hilt of his sword with his free hand. Along the way, we passed the guard from earlier. Thankfully, he didn’t try to block us with some bureaucratic nonsense like, “We need the Crown Prince’s approval!” Instead, he chose to pretend we didn’t exist. A classic case of turning a blind eye.

Good choice, my man. Survive another day.

As we ran, Arthur spoke. “I noticed earlier that a large number of guards were heading toward where the First and Second Princes are. I thought it was for the closing ceremony, but it must have been to protect His Highness.”

“When was this?”

“A few minutes ago.”

“Ugh…”

So instead of dealing with the monster, they prioritized guarding the princes? It was infuriatingly transparent where their loyalties lay.

While frustration simmered in my chest, worry overshadowed everything else. Please, let Tristan not be seriously hurt.

You, of all people, shouldn’t have confronted that monster! Even in the original story, you only ever fought battles you knew you could win. Why now, of all times, would you act honorably?

‘Please, let it have just been for show when I was there, and let him have hidden like a coward as soon as I left!’

But as we neared the site, the eerie silence only made my anxiety worse.

Why wasn’t there any noise? No growling from the monster, no cries of pain from Tristan. Nothing.

Could it be…

“Put me down, Arthur!”

“Promise me you’ll stay calm first.”

“I’m perfectly calm!”

“You don’t seem calm at all!”

“I mean it! I’m so calm I could plan my escape from your grip if I wanted to!”

“Not happening!”

“Why are you being like this?”

Arthur handed me off to the first guard we encountered, who reflexively grabbed my arm in confusion.

I’m calm, I swear! I could sing the national anthem right now! There’s no way I’d lose my cool just because an idiot might be dead! He’s just a fictional character who stepped off the page! But still… still…

‘Still…’

Please, be okay.

Arthur, sword drawn, moved forward. His posture was perfect—balanced and ready to both attack and defend. All I could do was pray he could save Tristan.

“...What?”

Arthur stopped suddenly, his startled exclamation making my heart sink.

If you’re going to say something like that, at least warn me first!

“What is it, Marquis?”

“Well…”

Arthur lowered his sword.

And then, the explanation came.

“...Situation resolved.”

A blood-soaked figure rose from the carnage.

From Tristan’s mouth came the words, “The monster has been dealt with. Soldiers, handle the corpse and have the servants clean up the area.”

“Your Highness…”

Tristan spotted me and casually wiped his face with his sleeve. But since his sleeve was also soaked in blood, it only made my heart race for all the wrong reasons.

“Your Highness. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine enough.”

“Please, allow me to escort you to the infirmary—”

“Arthur Albion. Escort the lady to where she belongs.”

Arthur hesitated only briefly before obeying. He gripped my shoulder firmly, turning me away from the battlefield.

“Your fiancé is fine, my lady. I swear it on my honor. Trust him and head to the closing ceremony.”

I had too many objections to count.

I don’t trust him! He’s not even officially my fiancé yet!

I was about to argue the second point when Arthur added, “He’s surprisingly strong. I mean that sincerely. It was an impressive display.”

“What? Was he hurt?”

“Oh, he was injured, but not severely. When fighting monsters, the concern is usually survival rather than minor injuries.”

“…”

“Not to mention, for someone facing a monster for the first time, to analyze and subdue it so quickly… The capital is fortunate to have someone like him.”

Still, he got hurt!

Even as I listened to Arthur’s uncharacteristic praise, I couldn’t feel happy. All I could think about was whether Tristan was seriously hurt or if he’d bear lasting scars. Knowing his pride, even scars would upset him deeply.

By the time we reached the closing ceremony, my nerves were still frayed.

About an hour later, the situation was summarized before the First Prince officially began the event. Apparently, among the animals imported for the hunting tournament, one was an unawakened juvenile monster. It had consumed several prey animals and rapidly matured into a full-fledged monster.

I couldn’t help frowning.

‘They even import animals for these tournaments?’

So it’s not just a hunting event—it’s imported slaughter. And they didn’t even bother with proper inspections?

I should suggest to Tristan that they only hunt native animals in the future… Not that we’re on speaking terms right now.

Idiot.

Please, don’t let your injuries be serious.

Prideful fool.

We’re getting married anyway, so I’ve already given up on love or whatever. Just, for once, listen to reason.

As I stewed in my thoughts, the ceremony preparations continued smoothly. The atmosphere, which had been dampened by the news of the monster, began to liven up as scores were tallied.

Of course, my name wasn’t on the scoreboard—I didn’t expect it to be.

‘Grace might win the laurel crown.’

Ha, ha. I didn’t care at all. Maybe I’d ask to see her award if she won. I wasn’t expecting anything for myself, really! Tristan didn’t care enough to make an effort for me, right?

But then.

A servant rushed to the scribe, pointing at the pen.

“I have something to report.”

“Oh? Did someone just score a last-minute success?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, go ahead. A hunter who doesn’t stop until the very end deserves recognition! Who caught what, and who are they dedicating it to?”

The onlookers buzzed with anticipation.

Until the servant spoke.

“Prince Tristan… wishes to dedicate the monster to his fiancée.”

“…”

The scribe, after a long pause, hesitantly said, “Uh… While monsters aren’t on the list, we could categorize it as the ‘misregistered wolf cub.’”

But the servant had one more issue to raise.

“Additionally, twelve prey animals were found in the monster’s stomach. What should we do about those?”

“…”