I Have No Intention Of Training The Male Leads - Chapter 13 Part 4

13. The Hunting Event in May (4)

Translated by: ???????

It was information she could recall purely from the last minute of etiquette classes she had with Alberic, who forced her to read a list of each noble family’s background, and the current power structure of the nobility.

‘No, it can’t hurt to talk to this noble lady, there’s nothing wrong with it….’

She felt a strange chill run down her spine and a tug at the back of her head.

Eve surreptitiously tensed the muscles in her body at the ominous premonition she felt on an instinctual level.

Eve was making small talk to distract herself when she realized that another group was approaching them from the direction Katarina had come.

“After all, the best hunting rifles are the Renoir line, made by Chelsea & Fredecar.”

“I see you have a taste for the classics, and the rifle you’re holding is also a custom Renoir model from CnF, isn’t it?”

“Yes. I know some people liked the classic Renoir without any customization, but I liked a more tuned blackwood better.”

“Certainly the blackwood body has a heavier flavor than the warmwood body of the classic line, and it’s very well tuned.”

Eve eagerly complimented Katarina’s aesthetic, even as she gauged her distance from the slowly approaching horde.

A group of gentlemen finally emerged from behind Katarina, who smiled with her cheeks rosy.

“Oh no. Our paths have crossed. I apologize for interrupting your pleasantries, ladies.”

“My goodness. His Highness the Archduke.”

“His Highness the Archduke.”

It was Archduke William, whom Eve had expected to meet at least once on this hunt.

He lifted his hat and gently interrupted their conversation, he looked as if he couldn’t stand the hordes of nobles and had slipped away, with only three or four attendants at most.

‘Hmmm. The hunting party event was supposed to be the first time I’d met William, so I thought I’d run into him at least once today. Though the Main story is already a mess.’

William laughed quietly as he was greeted by a long line of people, and Eve couldn’t help but exclaim at the sight of him.

Then Eve noticed that Alberic’s complexion was strangely clouded as he exchanged pleasantries with William.

No matter how accustomed he was to the ‘Aristocratic’ life of masked society, as the master of the nightly game, she could not help but notice the slightest change in his complexion, which determined whether the game should continue or cease.

The three groups of people they encountered greeted each other cheerfully, each identifying themselves, and, despite feeling a little nervous, Eve was able to smile softly and gracefully, proving that her etiquette lessons had not been in vain.

William, who was dressed in an all-black and all-white hunting suit with no hint of color, was mounted on a black horse that was so polished that not a single hair on his body was visible.

A quick glance at his navy blue hair, which was tied back in a single braid and cascaded down his back, told Eve that the man’s riding position was quite good, and she realized that the mysterious man inside William was trying to look quite noble.

“…Lady?”

“Uh, yeah. Lady Katarina.”

“Lady Evelyn, what are you thinking so hard about?”

“Ahahaha. It’s….”

At that moment, Eve jerked reflexively as an arrow shot out from the direction of the bushes.

It was flying straight for her and instead of saying something, she swiped at it with lightning speed.

“Gah!”

“Sh—t, dodge back!”

Eve realized it was an arrow only after she slashed.

An arrow was a fairly classic style of attack in this era, but it was also a relatively safe weapon in that there was little risk of being discovered.

Eve tightened her grip on her longsword after glancing at the arrow on the ground where it had been snapped in half.

What had been a peaceful hunting ground with lighthearted greetings quickly turned into chaos.

It was a secluded spot, far from the main gathering place, and if anyone noticed the commotion, it would be too late.

Several of his Royal Highness the Duke of Valqueres’ bodyguards, as well as the Archduke’s bodyguards, rose to their feet and drew their weapons.

Eve slipped to the back of the line as the men, armed with shotguns and swords, stepped forward to gauge the direction of the arrows.

Some of the escorts, accustomed to handling horses, remained on their mounts, ready for any contingencies, but most dismounted and kept a watchful eye on all sides, not wanting to risk falling off their excited mounts.

Eve dismounted as well, handing the reins to Katarina’s attendant who had fallen into the rear, and then turned to Alberic, who had also retreated back into the rear with Katarina, to ask if he was alright.

She looked up to see the man nodding, with his face a little pale.

What was a bit unexpected was that Archduke William hadn’t retreated back, but was instead directing his attendants to prepare for further attacks.

As if on cue, one of his attendants spurred his horse into a gallop in the direction they had come from.

“Looks like a raid is coming, everyone, get ready.”

William’s calm voice cut through the silence as if he sensed the thickening atmosphere.

Instead of stepping forward, Eve slipped to the back and stood guard, blocking the way for Alberic and Katarina.

Just because the first arrows came from the east didn’t mean the raiders were all in the east.

“… It’s coming.”

With a sharp tug of tension, the arrows began to fall.

Swish. Swish.

The sound of a bowstring being drawn to its limit and then released could be heard not far away.

Unlike the other side, which was shaded by bushes, this side was exposed on a well-traveled path with no cover.

The terrain put them at a complete disadvantage, and as they quickly parried the blind arrow that flew toward them, William frowned and stared off into the bushes as if thinking about something.

Eve felt a growing sense of indescribable discomfort as she continued to slice through the arrow in front of her.

She then felt an arrow stirring in the air, coming from a direction other than where the arrow had been flying.

Eve was quick to react, pulling a small dagger from her hip and hurling it quickly in the direction of the movement.

They exchanged blows, Eve gritted her teeth as she failed to parry the attack before it hit her, and swung her longsword, but three arrows came flying at her, and she only managed to parry two as she was slow to react.

Boom!

Alberic, who had been keeping watch at Lady Katarina’s side, saw the arrows flying in their direction and stepped in front of her.

The arrow tore a long gash through the man’s thigh, leaving a trail of red blood as it hit the ground.

“Oh, shit.”

“Baron!”

Being attacked by unknowns was a regular occurrence whenever the two of them came to the capital.

They never said it out loud, but after each attack, Eve and Alberic had a vague sense that the assassins were the work of killers sent by the Second Prince’s faction.

But thanks to Eve’s unselfish devotion and Alberic’s grueling efforts to save his life, the man had escaped unscathed.

‘Until today.’

“Why the fuck did that chopstick thing have the nerve to…!”

Eve gritted her teeth as she muttered an expletive into her mouth.

They had a contract, and it was her job to protect him.

Eve quickly sheathed her remaining dagger and threw it at the last remaining escort, then moved toward Alberic.

Katarina’s face was stained with guilt as she stood beside the half-collapsed man, her face pale as she supported him.

A quick glance showed that the wound where the arrow had grazed him was not shallow.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, ah…!”

“No. You don’t look okay.”

“What should I do? Blood, blood…!”

“I’m fine.”

Eve knelt down on one knee in front of the man and examined the wound.

She took off her glove, wiped the wound with the outside of her finger, smearing it with blood, and then brought it to her mouth, the eyes of the man and the lady who was attending to him turned into fire in an instant.

Eve, after spitting the blood on the ground, pulled a handkerchief from her bosom and pressed it firmly against Alberic’s thigh.

“Ouch!”

“Don’t groan, just keep pressure on it, luckily the arrow wasn’t poisoned, the wound is a bit big but once the blood stops you’ll be fine, I’ll call a mage as soon as we get back.”

With that, Eve stood up from her seat, her eyes glowing with menace.

Alberic, who had noticed something odd about her behavior, pressed his handkerchief to his thigh and asked.

“What are you trying to do….”

“Something’s wrong, I’m going to grab one of them and trash the shit out of them.”

Alberic realized she was firmly angry, after looking at Eve, who had blurted out the harsh words within earshot,

“How dare you shit on my twenty-year accident-free career.”

“Wait a minute, Evelyn.”

?