What Became of the Tyrant After the Pregnant Empress Left - Chapter 171

If commoners considered the various events and food stalls spread along the main streets centered around the plaza as the highlight of the festival, the nobles marked the beginning of the new year by opening the imperial hunting grounds, which were accessible for a few days.

“Do you think Duke Blake will take first place again this time?”

“Well, that’s hard to say. His Majesty the Emperor is participating this year, after all.”

“True, His Majesty was absent last year and the year before… When the two of them have competed in the past, their win records were about even, right?”

“I remember them taking turns winning. If you think about it that way, His Majesty might have a higher chance of winning this time.”

Among the groups of noblewomen gathered here and there, conversations speculating about who would emerge as the main figure of this year’s hunting competition were exchanged. In one corner, secret bets were even being placed on the likely winner.

In truth, if Temisian Blake were to participate in the hunting competition at full strength, such speculation would be unnecessary. Who could possibly surpass him, the knight regarded as the finest not only in the Uzephia Empire but across the entire continent?

The hunting competition, which the nobles treated as a lighthearted event, was far beneath his stature. Originally, he wouldn’t have been able to participate at all, but Temisian had thrown a fit and insisted on joining, even if it meant imposing numerous restrictions on himself. As a result, he couldn’t use his abilities or even weapons, and he had to hunt blindfolded.

Despite all these limitations, Temisian often ended up claiming the top prize, and it wasn’t until Kazhan stepped in that a proper competition began. Most participants resigned themselves to aiming for second place.

“What exactly is the prize that keeps Duke Blake participating?”

“Well… it’s a bit embarrassing to say.”

Sitting at a makeshift table slightly apart from the crowd of nobles, Penesir, who had been chatting with Ysaris, made an awkward expression at her question. Even for her, explaining her husband’s seemingly frivolous behavior brought a faint blush to her cheeks.

“From second to fifth place, they receive varying amounts of prize money, but the first-place winner is given two options: a large sum of gold or the Sepia Flower.”

“The Sepia Flower?”

Blinking at the unfamiliar name, Ysaris listened as Penesir explained.

“It’s not an actual flower but an artificial wreath made of glass carved into a specific shape. Every year, a craftsman hired by the imperial family for the New Year’s hunting competition creates a new design, making it a one-of-a-kind piece.”

Though it held high rarity value, it was still just a glass wreath—hardly a prize worth turning down an enormous fortune for. Yet, Ysaris could guess why Temisian was so determined and smiled faintly.

“Duke Blake must be working so hard to gift that to you.”

“I’ve told him to stop, but he still throws a fit and insists on joining the competition. After three consecutive wins, participants are usually barred from competing again to maintain decorum, but… he keeps reapplying to participate, and I’m worried he’s becoming a nuisance to others.”

Though she scolded Temisian in her words, Penesir laughed softly, clearly in good spirits.

“Actually, when he first won the hunting competition, he proposed to me with the Sepia Flower. Since I accepted it, he must have thought it was to my taste, and he’s been doing this ever since.”

“I would’ve thought Duke Blake had already won multiple times as a child. Was that not the case?”

Ysaris recalled the information she had read about Duke Blake and his wife. If her memory served correctly, the two had married quite some time after reaching adulthood, which made her curious.

Seeming to guess what Ysaris was wondering, Penesir shook her head and replied.

“Not really. He wasn’t interested in the hunting competition as a child and mostly didn’t participate. Even when he did, he only did the bare minimum to save face. The Blake ducal family didn’t really need money or frivolous decorations, after all.”

Then one day, after learning that Penesir had participated in the hunting competition herself to try and win the Sepia Flower but had unfortunately fallen short of the rankings, Temisian had stepped in the next time. As Penesir reminisced about this fond memory with a soft smile, Ysaris, who had been quietly observing her, suddenly asked a question.

“What about my husband?”

“Huh?”

“I never got to see the Sepia Flower.”