Chapter 28
Bang! Bang!
Two thunderous blasts rang out in quick succession. Even as the deafening reports echoed through the forest, Dominic didn’t so much as blink. Expressionless, he lowered his shotgun.
A thin veil of gray smoke curled into the air, carrying the sharp scent of gunpowder. As if waiting for the signal, a hunting dog sprinted into the woods. Watching it disappear among the trees, the Crown Prince removed the cigar from his mouth and muttered,
“Nicky, you can’t hit both of them every time.”
Click. Instead of answering, Dominic simply cocked open his shotgun. He slid two fresh shells into the chambers with practiced ease before raising his eyes to the sky once more.
The forest lay beneath the blazing afternoon sun in complete silence. The songbirds had fallen quiet. The hunting dogs made no sound. Even the hunting party itself seemed to be holding its breath.
“Knowing when to show a little mercy is part of being a gentleman.”
Just then, the hunting dog emerged from the trees. Its docked tail wagged excitedly as it trotted over and dropped two dead birds from its jaws with a pair of soft thuds. The Crown Prince clicked his tongue in mild displeasure.
Lowering the muzzle of his shotgun, Dominic asked:
“Would Your Highness like another round?”
“You’re hopeless as a loyal subject.”
The Crown Prince raised both hands in surrender, then reached down to ruffle the hunting dog’s head as it waited expectantly for praise. Panting in the summer heat, the dog wagged its tail with renewed enthusiasm.
“That’s right, Mark. Looks like you’re getting a special treat today.”
No sooner had he spoken than an attendant stepped forward and collected the two dead birds. The unfortunate game would become the dog’s reward.
“As promised, I won’t be arranging any unnecessary matchmaking gatherings from now on.”
“For the time being.”
“If you decide to make another wager, be my guest.”
As Dominic calmly removed the shells he’d just loaded, the Crown Prince slipped his cigar back between his lips and frowned.
The reason for today’s wager at the royal hunting grounds was simple. The Crown Prince wanted, by any means possible, to find a suitable bride for Dominic, who had shown absolutely no interest in marriage despite being well past the age to wed.
To settle their disagreement, the prince had naturally chosen the one contest he was most confident in winning: hunting marksmanship.
He had assumed victory would come easily. After all, the Duke of Whitmore hadn’t touched a firearm since leaving the army three years earlier.
Instead, he had suffered a crushing defeat. As a result, the Crown Prince was now barred— at least for the foreseeable future — from bringing up marriage prospects with the Duke of Whitmore.
“I just don’t understand. Is it because of Chloe? She’s all grown up now. She’s more than mature enough to sincerely celebrate her brother’s marriage.”
Even as Dominic methodically unloaded the shotgun and snapped it shut, the Crown Prince’s complaints showed no sign of stopping.
“I understand that Chloe means everything to you, but the more you keep avoiding marriage like this, the stranger the rumors become.”
“Rumors?”
Only then did Dominic finally look at him. The Crown Prince clicked his tongue as though making sure his notoriously insubordinate vassal was actually listening.
“Yes. The rumors that you’re preventing Chloe from participating in society because you’re absurdly overprotective of your little sister!”
“…And what does that have to do with my marriage?”
His eyes, blue as the sea, reflected genuine confusion. His strikingly handsome face was openly puzzled. The Crown Prince couldn’t decide whether the man was innocent, dense, or simply impossible to read.
After repeatedly taking his cigar out and putting it back without smoking it, he finally answered.
“What do you mean, what does it have to do with it? People are whispering that you’re so obsessed with your sister that you have no interest in marriage — or in women at all.”
The shotgun slipped from Dominic’s hand. Staring at the Crown Prince in stunned disbelief, he let out a long, exasperated sigh.
“You cannot possibly be serious…”
“I know it’s ridiculous. That’s what rumors are — ridiculous. Do you know why I keep telling you to get married? I’m not some elderly matron with nothing better to do. If nothing else, at least let Chloe go out a little.”
Let her? If anything, Dominic wanted to get on his knees and beg his sister to do that for once.
Thinking of Chloe’s stubborn refusal to participate in social gatherings, he slowly shook his head.
“That’s going to be difficult.”
“Honestly… Fine, let’s leave Chloe aside for a moment. Then when are you going to get married? After you’ve become a doddering old man? Right before you die? Why are you so dead set against marriage? There has to be a reason.”
“It’s simply not the right time yet.”
Hearing the same answer as always, the Crown Prince pulled an exaggerated grimace.
“At this rate, you’ll be waiting until you’re in your coffin. If you were only ruining your own reputation, that’d be one thing. But remember this: if things keep going the way they are, Chloe’s reputation is going down with yours.”
The only response was the sound of the Crown Prince clicking his tongue at Dominic’s rigid expression.
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