Picking me up effortlessly, Raniero was just gazing only at my face, not caring about Sylvia, who had collapsed next to her and passed out.

"Let's go back."

He casually left all the unpleasant things behind. As if there was nothing more to see since the enjoyable moment was over.

I stared up at him anxiously.

Walking in small strides, he looked down at me.

"Why?"

A small boulder caught on his toe was kicked mercilessly and bounced over there. I tilted my head slightly and glanced at the bloody scene—Sylvia—to be exact. Turning back at the same time, he smiled as if he knew. It was a mocking smile.

"You're still soft and weak."

He held me tighter and started walking again.

The wind began to blow against us, making all the unpleasant smell of blood wash away from the tip of my nose.

"If I were you, I'd care a little more about yourself than the daughter of the prey. Well, you may be weak because of such a disposition."

I gave up trying to shake my head.

I could not even move my body, and I would not be able to make Raniero understand by shaking my head here, anyway. It was not that I did not care. All threats were gone, and I was safe in his arms. Nonetheless, Sylvia was still lying among the corpses...

No, wait... I almost got it wrong.

The threat is gone...?

...Was this man holding me not the biggest threat to me?

'Again, again, I must be out of my mind...!'

Argh. Since I cannot move my body right now, I should just take this time to reflect.

The heat of the sun did not sting very much because the painkillers dulled the senses in my body. On the contrary, the adrenaline rushed through my body, because of the warmth that could be felt through his body temperature coming through a layer of clothing or two.

I shut my eyes quietly with my arms hanging out.

Raniero did not even talk to me anymore as well. Instead, he whistled softly. The pitch went up and down uncontrollably, high and low as it could go. It was too crude to be called music, though somehow, it had the magic to make people listen.

After a while, the sun shone on my face. It seemed that we came out of the hunting grounds.

Slowly opening my eyes, I frowned with a glare. I had to blink a few times because my eyes could not focus. Meanwhile, the nobles were staring this way, glued to the fence of the hunting ground.

I managed to move my head a little and gazed up at Raniero's face.

He was more radiantly beautiful than ever. A strange ecstasy and joy overflowed from his eyes. It was a kind of madness that naturally evokes fear. However, I could not take my eyes off him. It may be because of the logic of the world where poisonous creatures are bound to be splendid.

He stopped about twenty steps from the fence gate where the nobles twinkled in anticipation of what the godson would say. Then, Raniero's head slowly turned to the left before looking back to the right.

Because the summer solstice festival was a national event, all the nobles of Actilus had gathered. In front of the leading people, he declared bluntly.

"The Empress hunted the prey herself. The hunt is over. The Empress doesn't even have a scratch."

"Oh, my...!"

The exaltation seen in Raniero's eyes began to grow in the eyes of the other nobles as if it were contagious. Their gaze alternated between Raniero and mine with admiring eyes.

They all knelt over the fence in unison. It took a gesture of obedience.

I was nothing more than a person born weaker than the people of Actilus, and I had only been preparing for this hunt for only a few weeks. However, I succeeded in hunting the Actilus people like this. To those who worshiped power, I could imagine what I would look like after hunting without a single wound in unfavorable conditions.

But even so, it was not like turning your palms over like this...

Until now, it was obvious that their support for me was only just a political calculation. Now, this seemed genuine.

The priest who was in charge of the day's ritual exclaimed in ecstasy.

"The Empress is truly the Emperor's companion!"

Above my head, I could hear Raniero snorting.

"Really, a companion?"

'...Oh, please.'

I was afraid that the grandfather priest's frivolous remarks would blow away his neck, and the sparks would hit me. Although Raniero muttered, 'How dare you call this weak Empress my companion? Marriage partner is one thing, and a companion is another.'

Instead of beheading the priest, he just held me. Denying the priest's words so that I could only hear him, all he did was stare down at me with those sinister scarlet eyes.

The look on my face glancing up at him must have displayed how terrified I was. It was because I could tell by looking at Raniero, who smiled with his eyes bent with great joy.

He declared, still gazing into my face.

"Let the evening banquet be dedicated to the Empress."