After a couple of days, finally, the hunting competition was held. I looked at the large tents embroidered with family crests. The sun was hot, so the tents were a must. Some of them were gorgeous enough to catch anyone’s eyes. Which family is it?

Abel approached me then said, “Why are you hanging around in someone else’s tent.”

“I was just looking around.”

Heilon family’s tent didn’t look that splendid. However, the material of its fabric was luxurious and strong. Certainly, it made the inside of the tent also was much cooler than the outside.

“The weather is hot. Don’t walk around too much. It’s annoying to go around to look for you.”

I glanced up at Abel. he looked half tired and half annoyed. The capital’s climate was too hot for Abel, whose hometown was the cold Heilon.

“You’re not participating, are you?”

If he did, there would be a possibility of seeing Duke of Heilon collapse from the heat.

“I won’t. I’ll watch you acting cute.”

“Acting cute….” He sometimes was really too much. It was a competition with my pride in it.

Abel sat on a chair inside the tent. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. Then he mumbled in a tired tone. “This is why I hate the capital city.”

It looked like he was in really bad shape.

“Shall we make snow near only in our tent?”

Even if the snow would not show up since the weather was hot, the ambient temperature would drop slightly.

“Forget it. I don’t want you to lose your strength before the competition starts. I’ll do what I could.” Abel leaned deep on the backrest. “Also, you don’t have that much stamina. So, finish it as soon as possible.”

I quietly nodded my head. Obviously, my weakness was that my stamina was not very good. However, I wasn’t that weak either that I would fall over. My stamina was just about the same as a noble girl of my age. It was just average, so there was no problem in daily life. However, it was different when catching monsters. Because when I used my magic, it cut a big chunk of my stamina right away. Just like those knights wear out when they wield their sword for a long time, the mages also got tired of continuously using their magic.

“Just catch a higher-level monster to shut their mouth as soon as possible.”

The monster in the competition definitely had different difficulties. Certainly, catching one high-level monster was more rewarding than a few low-level ones.

“There is no way that there are high-level monsters in hunting competition.”

The places where high-level monsters appeared were mainly places close to the monsters’ habitat. Besides, this was a competition that the royal family and children of the nobles made for half-enjoyment. Naturally, the hunting ground should have been decided as a place where monsters that could reasonably be dealt with were gathered. Even if there was a monster that threatened, it must have been subjugated before the start of the competition.

At that moment, a soft voice rang out from outside the tent.

“Excuse me, Duke of Heilon.”

I rolled up the fabric that close the entrance instead of Abel, and Livya stood there.

“Lady Livya?”

Livya looked at me after greeting Abel while holding her skirt.

“Lady Fiona, I came here to meet you, Lady.”

“Do you have something to say to me?”

Livya smiled. “Yes, could we change the location to speak?”

I glanced at Abel. he shook his hand with an expression that he was not interested. It was a gesture to order the kids to go out and do not bother the elder.

Seeing that, I nodded. “Alright, let’s move.”

***

LIvya and I moved to a more remote place.

“What’s going on?”

“I have a favor to ask Lady Fiona today.”

This was somewhat expected to some extent ever since I joined the last tea party.

“What’s that?”

If it wasn’t a difficult request, I thought I’d grant it, there was nothing good about having a hostile relationship with her.

Livya grinned. “Would you mind offering me the monsters that Lady caught in the hunting competition?”

Of course, this request was unexpected.

“Why?”

Seeing my bewildered expression, Livya smiled briefly. “Well, Lady Fiona is going to win the hunting competition.”

“I haven’t started yet, but thank you for believing in me like that—”

Livya suddenly had a funny face. “You don’t have to be humble, I knew that lAdy Fiona had been defending Heilon’s wall all along.”

“Oh, really?”

It was difficult to keep up with the conversation while hearing such a request. But unlike me, who still couldn’t understand the context, Livya smiled leisurely and fluttered her fan.

“I’m a member of Duke of Priscilla family. I don’t know in other families, but Priscilla family does not trust or collect uncertain information.”

In other words, it was a call not to underestimate the intelligence of the Priscilla family.

“So I bet Lady Fiona wins this hunting competition. Also, from the looks of it, the other contender, Prince Sigren, doesn’t seem to have much motivation.”

Hearing that, I turned my head. On the side of the royal tents, Sigren was stroking his horse and yawning briefly. He was really looking unmotivated. The looks on his face made me want to scream in his ear. Hey, you said you have a girl you like!

I looked at Livya again. “Then, what is the purpose of offering you the monsters.”

Because it was a way for the knights and young noblemen to express their affection for young noble ladies.

“Otherwise, the Crown Prince would offer a monster for me. It’s very difficult since I can’t openly refuse because of my position. But if the winner, Lady Fiona, gives it to me, then due to his characteristic….”

Oh, I got it. If I, the winner, offered my monsters to Livya, it was obvious that the crown prince would not able to give them to her because his pride would be hurt.

Livya continued her words after seeing my expression. “A young lady, who is younger than him, becomes the winner and offered her monsters, if the Crown Prince also gave it to me, there would be a clear comparison. Not only is he not someone who can stand that kind of thing, he is not someone who has a pure crush on me to think of me as more important than that pride.”

In a nutshell, it was a request to block the crown prince hit on her.

“I know what you mean.”

However, if I did it where this hunting competition was a public competition, then it was no different than asking the Crown Prince to fight openly. Because everyone knew that the Crown Prince was interested in Livya.

‘Is it okay to turn a slight bad relationship, to a hostile one?’

As if recognizing my thoughts, Livya skillfully opened her mouth.

”Of course, I’m not asking for this without paying anything.”

Then, Livya closed her fancy fan that has colorful feather decorations.

“Instead, I’ll help the young lady to establish a place in the social circle.”

“How?”

“Lady Fiona is a member of the Heilon family who supports His Majesty Sigren. So I’m pretty sure that the Empress would never see Lady Fiona in a good light.”

The empress was the birth mother of the crown prince.

“To be honest, the empress is determined to make Lady Fiona a laughingstock in society. So I’ll help you. Also, my position in the social world has been quite solid, I could perhaps help you to avoid the Empress’ attack a little bit.”

Well, of course, in the case of me, there were many weaknesses that people in the social circle could attack. The heir to the Heilon family was also an adopted daughter, even more, that daughter was the illegitimate child of a fallen noble family.

Livya meant that she would block my weaknesses. But, the opponent was the empress, so obviously I couldn’t expect too much. In any case, what Livya was proposing was a deal.

I quietly admired. She knew very well how to use what she had.

Besides, I was in a position to be hostile to the crown prince at any time. So, it was not a bad choice to make friends with the neutral Priscilla family.

“Okay.” I gladly accepted the offer.

“That’s a cold answer Lady Fiona.”

I shrugged lightly. “I’ll make Lady Livya to be the person who receives the most monster in the hunting competition.”

Livya burst out with a clear laugh for the first time. “Hahaha… It’s an honor.”