I was chilling in a tent, the Arlen family crest flapping in the breeze above like it was all majestic or something. And yeah, thank the heavens, Lora was far, far away from me. I wasn't about to deal with her fake princess act again. She was sitting with Tristian and Theodore, looking all pale.
Maybe they were asking her why she looked like she'd seen a ghost. I mean, I did scare her good in the carriage, right?
Anyway, back to me.
The Grand Duchess herself was planted right next to me, and man, her face was a whole vibe of worry overload. Her face was full of wrinkles—well, not literal wrinkles, but she is worried.
"Sweetie, are you sure you want to participate?" she asked, her tone all soft and motherly.
Like, seriously? Didn't I already say I was going to hunt before we even walked in here? Still, I tried to play nice.
"Don't worry, I'm gonna be alright," I said, doing my best impression of someone who cared.
Honestly, it felt weird saying that to someone who was somehow both my family and not my family. Complicated stuff, right?
But nope, she wasn't having it. Her worried eyes darted to Tristian—yeah, that Tristian. The male lead of this whole ridiculous story. Mr. Perfect, Mr. Everyone-Loves-Me, Mr. I-Have-The-Aura-Of-A-God. Ugh.
"Tristian," she said, her tone dripping with concern, "please take care of her."
Oh, here we go. Tristian's head snapped toward me, death glare locked and loaded, like he was trying to set my soul on fire just by staring.
Bro, chill out. I'm just here to hunt, not start a war.
Instead, this guy let out the sigh of the century. Then, with all the drama of a K-drama chaebol heir, he said, "Don't worry, Mother. She'll come out soon… as soon as she sees the wild beast."
I scoffed so hard I thought my soul might leave my body. Alright, man. You've officially, indirectly, stupidly challenged me. Time to show you the real Cecilia Von Arlen, aka Eun-byun Lee, the one and only street-fighting legend.
***
And just like that...
We all stepped out of the tent, looking all serious. And there he was—the Grand Duke himself. Surrounded by a flock of aristocrats. He spotted me, and immediately, worry plastered all over his face like he just saw me holding a grenade.
"Cecilia, dear, are you sure you want to hunt?"
Not this again.
"Don't worry, Grand—" I started, but then he hit me with his sharp glare.
That glare. The one that says, Call me Grand Duke one more time and I'll make you write 'Father' a thousand times in perfect cursive.
I coughed and corrected myself. "Don't worry, Father, I'll be safe."
He sighed again, his whole face screaming, I-have-no-faith-in-you-but-I-love-you-so-what-can-I-do? "Alright," he said, "but if you sense any danger, promise me you'll leave immediately."
"Yeah, yeah," I replied, waving him off.
So there I was, minding my own business, when BAM—a huge, fancy carriage rolled up. And when I say fancy, I mean fancier than the Arlen family.
The lion crest on it was practically roaring. Bow down!
Behind it? A squad of knights, not just one squad, but TWO. Different uniforms, but both giving a stern and serious vibe.
Everyone around me suddenly stood in line like soldiers in boot camp. I blinked. Uh… hello? What's going on?
The tension was so thick.
I whispered to myself, "Is a king showing up or something?"
And then it hit me.
Oh crap, the king IS showing up!
The carriage door opened, and out stepped... THE KING. Like, full royal drip. He was rocking this enormous cloak, and let me tell you, he wasn't just dressed like a king—he looked like one. The dude was old, yeah, but his silver hair was so majestic. And those red eyes? Bro looked like he could see into your soul.
And...
The queen wasn't just standing there behind him looking all plain. Nah, she was the real showstopper. Absolutely stunning. This lady had carrot-colored hair with those light golden eyes—like, who even has carrot-colored hair and still pulls it off?
She was serving looks before she even stepped into the room.
I'm telling you, they didn't just look like the king and queen of a kingdom. They were the king and queen of this kingdom. I must say, the writer did a good job here. Anyway, the king starts walking toward us.
we all bow down like we're supposed to. No surprise there. It's the damn king, after all.
The king, all jolly like he's about to give out candy, turns to Tristian and Theodore, grinning like he's winning at life. "Tristian, Theodore, looking sharp as always! Good luck on this hunting festival!"
They flashed those perfect smiles and bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty, the King," they both say, all polite and respectful.
The queen, she walks straight up to Lora, all proud and regal, as if she's about to give her a trophy. "I must say, Lady Lora, you're as beautiful as ever. Still shining the most."
Now Lora? Her face? She's glowing so hard you'd think someone slapped a spotlight on her. "Thank you, Your Majesty the queen. I'm honored," she says, bowing.
But then—hold up—plot twist.
The queen looks at me. Yup, you guessed it. Her smile? Gone. Like it just vanished into thin air, as if a gust of wind came and snatched it away.
Her expression?
I swear to God, it went from, Oh, I'm so proud of everyone, to, Wait, who let her in here? in less than a second. Like, was my outfit really that offensive? Was I not supposed to show up in my battle-ready look instead of my "royal hunting fashion"?
But then, of course, the king's voice booms. "Are you going to hunt too, Lady Cecilia?" He's staring at me like he's about to judge my life choices. I suck in a breath and force the fakest, tightest smile I can muster. "Yes, Your Majesty the King, I will."
He scans me for a hot minute, and he says, "I guess, then, you will be the first one coming out of the hunt."
I clenched my fist like I'm about to throw a punch, but then I plastered on that fakest smile and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I'll make sure I won't disappoint you."
The king? Doesn't even flinch. Doesn't even breathe in my direction after that. My fake smile remained, and then, to take the heat off me, my so-called "father"—the Grand Duke—decides to get all smooth with it.
He pulls that fake-ass smile of his and says, "Your Majesty, I can't seem to see Crown Prince Rhaegar around. Is he not joining the hunt?"
And just like that, BOOM, the King's whole vibe switches. Looking all proud, the king says, "He'll arrive shortly, Grand Duke."
He just... turns away and walks off to meet other aristocrats with my so-called "father"—the Grand Duke.
But...
I'm standing there, clenching my teeth so hard I could probably crack a rock, but I'm still rocking that forced smile. They've all just pissed me off, especially with how they look down on me.
Now, it's time to make this royal hunt the most memorable one in history. Let's see how you react when I'm out there making history.
But... hold up, hold up.
"Crown Prince Rhaegar?" I mumbled.
That name sounds too damn familiar. I'm sitting here trying to piece it together like I'm solving a damn mystery. Is this guy the villain? Or just some side character who's gonna show up and stir up some trouble? I'm racking my brain, tryna figure it out, until...
I can feel it.
I could sense it.
A stare.
A heavy stare on me.
It's not like the usual eyes of judgment from these stuck-up nobles, no.
This is different.
I look toward the dark jungle, the shadows shifting like they're hiding something. The trees are just too still, and the shadows feel... wrong.
Something's out there.
I trust my gut, and my gut is saying, "Get ready." Danger. And not the kind where you just get your hands dirty. This feels way worse.
But screw it, I'm already in it. No turning back now. Let's hope this jungle's ready for me.
"I just hope nothing goes wrong," I mumbled with a sigh.