Chapter 173
“A hairpin?”
A smoothly polished wooden ornament that seemed to have been coated with something, giving it a glossy sheen. At its rounded end, a deep blue sapphire was intricately carved and embedded. Ysaris looked at it with a surprised expression.
“I never expected to see something like this here.”
“So you recognize it.”
“The Kingdom of Pyrein is close to the eastern sea, so it’s not strange for items from the Eastern Continent to occasionally drift in.”
But this was not something the Emperor of the Uzephia Empire, situated in the heart of the Western Continent, would casually take out from his possession. Even when Ysaris had traveled by carriage through Uzephia or stayed in the Imperial Palace, she had never seen even the smallest trace of the Eastern Continent.
Had he learned of trade routes while staying in Pyrein and purchased it this time?
The hairpin looked luxurious enough that Ysaris couldn’t imagine Kazhan having made it himself. The thin bandages wrapped around his hands were concealed beneath winter gloves, leaving her with no way to notice.
“But why are you giving me this…?”
“It’s not unusual for a participant to give a token of promise to someone they care about before the hunting competition begins.”
As he said, the participants didn’t only receive handkerchiefs. It was common to give ornaments or pins as a way of expressing that the hunt was dedicated to that person.
However, it was a relatively rare occurrence, and for someone competing for victory, it was unnecessary. Winning the prize and offering it instead would be a far greater honor.
Recalling how Temisian had only received a handkerchief from Pnesir earlier, Ysaris glanced up at Kazhan and tested him.
“You don’t seem confident about winning. Are you giving up already?”
“No, I intend to do my best in the competition. I can give you this now, and then present you with the Sepia flower as well.”
His flawless response left Ysaris momentarily speechless. Whenever Kazhan showed this kind of gentle side, she felt as if pushing him away made her the bad person. If only he were truly a terrible man, she wouldn’t feel as guilty. But despite everything, he had always treated her well, making it impossible for her unease to fade.
“…Do your best. Just don’t get hurt by overexerting yourself.”
In the end, as she accepted the hairpin and gave him a perfunctory word of encouragement, Ysaris immediately regretted it.
Because his face, as he looked at her, slowly lit up with a smile that was far too beautiful.
Because… his emotions for her were so vividly clear.
His eyes, suffused with warm light, and the soft curve of his lips stirred something in her heart. If this continued, she felt like she might accept him without realizing it.
Even though, rationally, she knew she shouldn’t.
“I’ll return safely. I hope you enjoy your time while I’m away.”
Kazhan had wanted to place the hairpin in Ysaris’ hair himself, but he refrained from being greedy and turned away. There was no time, and besides, the fact that she had accepted the gift was already a small victory. The next step could wait.
As expected, he hadn’t received a handkerchief in return. But her concern, which resembled encouragement, was enough to make his energy surge.
His sluggish body suddenly felt lighter. He even entertained the thought that he might defeat Duke Blake more easily than expected.
With that, Kazhan rode to the starting point, gazing across the vast imperial-owned plains and forests, waiting for the signal.
“Then, let the hunting competition begin!”
“Waaaaah!”
With a chorus of cheers, the sound of galloping hooves echoed through the air.
It was time to reclaim the Sepia flower for Ysaris.
* * *
There weren’t many people left in the area after the participants had departed. Most of the remaining nobles entered a warm building nearby, where refreshments had been prepared, engaging in idle chatter. Only the competition officials lingered to handle various tasks.
Ysaris and Pnesir didn’t stay there long either, choosing to move elsewhere. Waiting outside for the competition to end would be a waste of time, not to mention the slight chill in the air.
“Uzephia holds its hunting competition quite early. In Pyrein, we always have it in spring.”
“The winters here aren’t too harsh. There’s a unique beast that’s active around this time, and its meat is incredibly tender, making it a delicacy to hunt and eat.”
“Ah, you mean the Harik, the one that can only be eaten in Uzephia’s winter?”
“That’s right. Have you tried it?”
“Mikael likes it, so we have it every other day. We used to eat it daily, but he’s started getting tired of it, so I adjusted the schedule.”
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