Annette looked around nervously.
She wanted to rest a little away from the public eye after winning Ernest to her side, but there was a man following her and flirting with her as if he wanted to get closer to her, so she tried to evade him, but he continued to follow her suspiciously.
“What the hell was that man trying to do with a face like that?
Did he think that a wife married to a man as handsome as he was would look at his ugly face and allow him to approach her in such a disgusting way?”
Annette muttered to herself as she took off the shoes that hurt her feet and looked around.
She walked without thinking while trying to avoid the strange man, so she moved away from people and isolated herself in this remote place.
It was good that Annette was able to rest in this secluded place because there was no one around, but the problem was that she had lost her way back.
Annette had a terrible sense of directions and a very bad memory, so she would often go to the wrong place even in the Flores Palace.
There was no escort following her today.
Annette had to return to the festival soon, but she couldn't figure out which direction the concert hall was in.
Annette thought it would be best to start walking first if she could find someone along the way to help her.
But it was then...
Somewhere, I heard the roar of a wild animal followed by the sound of gunfire.
However, what was more threatening than the monster's terrifying voice was the presence of the person who appeared out of nowhere and strode straight towards her.
“You'd better keep still.”
In the blink of an eye, the man held a sharp knife to Annette's throat and threatened to slit her throat.
It was the same guy who had been following Annette and trying to flirt with her for a while.
'It was a trap.'
Annette could completely understand the words Theodore had told her earlier.
“The fact that the knife I was stabbed with was not poisoned definitely means that that man had no intention of killing me.
If you get stabbed by someone who really wants to kill you, you will learn to know the difference.”
Annette made one thing clear.
This man will kill her now whether she obeys his words or not.
There was a knife above her throat, so there was nothing she could do to defend herself.
The feeling of helplessness angered her more than the fear of death.
All Annette could do at that moment was hope that luck would be on her side, so she shouted a trivial word with her heart full of hope that he would hear her.
***
Theodore felt someone's presence around him on the grass.
Theodore quickly turned around but all he saw was a small squirrel running away.
The forest scene was very peaceful.
This is strange.
It was clear that he felt like someone was trying to assassinate him.
The accompanying knights planted here and there were secretly controlling the situation and waiting for the assassin who would catch up with Theodore to appear.
But despite everything, his intuition, which he had developed after living under the threat of assassination for many years, warned him that he was in danger.
After all, isn't this a day to rejoice and applaud the killing of lives?
If Theodore died today, and not the deer, there would be greater applause and enthusiasm among the audience, so these were very good chances to kill him on the hunting ground.
Although he said no to Annette in order not to scare her, he did not rule out the possibility that the pickpocket was really trying to assassinate them.
Although he intentionally attended the festival with full authority, a real assassination attempt could have occurred today.
Therefore, Theodore kept Annette away from him and spread a false rumor that his wound was serious.
This was a trap to target his enemies and get rid of them in today's hunting ground.
But nothing happened.
Did Theodore miss something?
In order not to die, you must understand the mind of the person who wants to kill you.
If Theodore was trying to kill Hugo, how would he react?
How could he tear apart his enemy in the most painful and humiliating way?
While thinking about it, Theodore led his horse to the other side of the hunting ground, but then the sword belt ornament at his waist swayed and made a soft, gentle sound.
It was a gift from wives to their hunting husbands.
“I don’t want to give it to you, but I am a respected and exemplary wife in people’s eyes.
So I can only wish you well today.”
His wife had a talent for doing nice things under the mask of a tough, uncaring woman.
It was enough to simply wish him a good trip, but despite this, Annette could not take her eyes off his stabbed waist, and was uttering words that pretended that she did not care about his health and was only doing her duty.
But no matter what, Annette had a talent for making this little ornament look like a powerful magic talisman.
Theodore thought of Annette, and touched the decoration gently, but suddenly stopped.
"Dammit-!
The target isn't me!"
What they were aiming for was Annette.
Until now, the only thing he had to protect was himself, so he didn't think that the people around him could be in danger.
However, the killer was well aimed at the target next to him.
The more Annette is worth, the more danger around her, and she will never be safe away from him.
Theodore vaguely believed that Annette was in danger, but he did not expect his enemies to target her so quickly.
“Find the Grand Duchess immediately!”
Once Theodore realized the killer's true target, he urged his horse to move as quickly as possible.
The horse ran hard and headed to where Annette had been when he had last seen her.
He also ordered the hidden knights to search for her as well.
“Theodore!”
As he ran quickly towards the entrance of the forest, he heard a faint voice calling to him.
It was Annette's voice.
As he ran towards the source of the sound, he saw Annette and a huge bear lying close to her.
Even though it was a hunting ground, it was not easy to see such a monster around.
But the bear had already lost its fighting ability and was unconscious.
The bear was drugged with the intention of leaving it alive and killed in front of everyone on the festival stage.
Who the hell made such a joke?
Theodore didn't know who this person was, but it was someone who wanted to brag about the fact that he had killed this bear in front of everyone.
Theodore wondered if he could describe this impudent act as an assassination attempt or if perhaps they wanted to do the same thing by threatening the life of the Grand Duchess.
Theodore wondered who the person was who wouldn't hide such a reckless act, and wanted to find the culprit immediately, but Annette's safety was his top priority.
It wasn't the bear that was dangerous, but the man next to her.
The man who was courting Annette was not a naive aristocrat, but a hired killer hiding among the guests.
After Annette said Theodore's name, the killer threatened to slaughter her with a knife, but then Theodore raised his gun without hesitation, and a gunshot rang out.
The killer collapsed without seeing Theodore appear behind him.
Then, after a moment of convulsion, he fell to the ground and lost consciousness.
What Theodore was carrying was a hunting rifle loaded with drug darts.
“I didn’t kill him.
Secretly take him to the basement cell.
Since he was here alone, look around to see if there is a group accompanying and helping him.”
Theodore ordered in an icy voice, then the attendant who was following him moved from behind, then took the killer with him and quickly disappeared from the scene.
Annette tried to calm her trembling left hand with her right hand, but to no avail.
This was because her right hand itself was trembling just as much.
Only when Theodore held her hand did the trembling finally stop.
“I'm sorry, I've been alone my whole life so I didn't think they would target you.
But I promise you that things like this will never happen in the future.”
“I...I'm fine.
I was just a little surprised...I'll calm down soon.
I'm glad you came.”
“I was able to find out where you were because you called my name.
Well done.”
Annette pretended to be fine, but her eyes were still twitching.
“Today you did not see anything, because nothing happened here.”
Annette nodded very slowly.
Theodore was afraid that Annette would collapse so he decided to keep the truth about the death of her companion who was protecting her.
Theodore was able to arrive at the right time thanks to the attendant who sacrificed his life in an attempt to get rid of the killer, thus delaying the assassination attempt.
When Theodore let go of Annette's hand to help her get on the horse, Annette was startled, and took his hand again.
Her delicate fingers gripped him tightly.
She seemed to think he was going to leave her behind here.
“I'll just put you on the horse's back.”
“Ah....okay.”
Annette blushed, unlike usual.
Theodore noticed her thin white neck, which was visible thanks to her tightly tied hair.
Suddenly he felt that her shoulders were thin and her back was very small.
No matter how arrogant she acted and no matter how forcefully she spoke, in the end, Annette was just a physically weak and delicate woman who could easily break.
Why did he think this woman was so powerful yet?
Theodore regretted bringing her here with him in the first place and exposing her to such danger.
***
The sun is starting to prepare to set.
Those who finished hunting returned with their prey.
Many birds, as well as deer and foxes, lined up in front of Hugo.
Judging by the large number of prey, it seems that the queen of today's festival will be Yvonne.
On the other hand, there was nothing in front of Annette.
After the assassination attempt, Theodore sent Annette to the ballroom with the knights and he remained in the forest.
This was to erase traces and find evidence.
Annette changed out of her dirty clothes and waited for him to return.
When she saw Theodore being stabbed by a pickpocket, she thought it could happen to her one day, but she was so helpless when it actually happened.
There was nothing she could do but call Theodore by his name.
Why was his name the only thing that came to her mind at that time?
She hated to admit it, but there was only one answer.
Annette was beginning to depend on him.
She needed Theodore to survive.
The fact that her feelings for Theodore had begun to change again shocked her.
The person she should hate slowly continued to take over her heart.
Especially now that you're starting to discover a lot about him these days.
For example, on days when the sunlight is strong, Theodore is cutely sulky like a child, or when Annette sits at the dining table with him, Theodore secretly steals some of the food she eats while pretending he doesn't, his diet is unexpectedly unbalanced, and things like that.
And what else...
Annette subconsciously felt relieved as she began to remember Theodore's daily habits.
She only came back to reality when she heard the whispers around her.
"What is this?"
“Could it be...”
Theodore appeared loudly and caused a commotion around him, and behind him the attendants grumbled as they carried a huge bear.
It was the same bear that was drugged by those who tried to kill Annette when he almost attacked them and ruined their plans.
Theodore spoke indifferently in front of the stunned people.
“Am I the last?”
Theodore raised his sword and cut off the bear's head, then picked up the severed head and threw it over the deer that Hugo had caught.
“I think I am the winner today, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Apparently you are.
It's great to be hunting bears.
You seemed desperate to win, and you finally did.
Congratulations.”
“All credit to the person who pushed me to win today.”
Hugo's eyes turned to the bear.
It was unnatural to say that it was caught by natural fishing.
It was impossible that Hugo did not understand Theodore's hidden hints in his actions, but he pretended that he did not understand them.
It was a warning not to try to touch Annette again.
Even if Hugo was not the one who attacked Annette with his own hands, he would be related to the killer and the mastermind of the assassination attempt, so Theodore made it an official warning in front of everyone.
He now has an important person to protect in this world, and if anyone tries to touch that person, he will cut their throat to stop them.
So Theodore made this show in order to show those who tried to break him by daring to touch that person the consequences of their actions.
And everyone knows very well who Theodore wants to protect.