I Have No Intention Of Training The Male Leads - Chapter 15 Part 1

15. Night of the Hunt (1)

Translated by: ???

After meeting William, Eve became convinced that someone had been following her for a while. Despite being cautious, she noticed a tail following her carriage as she crossed the river.

This didn’t only concern Eve. Even Alberic, who had been summoned to the palace after a long time, warned her to be careful with a stern expression, saying that someone was following her.

It wasn’t common for someone to openly pursue someone who was being protected by the Crown Prince’s knights. Either they had a very powerful backing, or they were very brave. Eve looked at Alberic, guessing that it was probably both.

“Who do you think it could be?”

“There are many suspicious people, but the most likely one is Prince Reynold.”

“So, we have to catch him to know for sure.”

“…Refrain from discussing this outside the mansion.”

“Of course, I won’t say anything outside.”

Having used etiquette education as an excuse to send the people away, Alberic glanced from time to time at the tightly closed doorway of the reception room, as if he were still feeling awkward about submitting to Eve in a space that wasn’t a sealed room.

Eve tickled the underside of Alberic’s chin as he knelt at her feet, naked, wearing only a dark blue-dyed leather collar on his neck.

“By the way, do you want to go to the garden party?”

“What?”

“Do you know Madame Helphus? Her name was Claire before she got married.”

“I’ve heard of her.”

“Lady Katarina, whom I met at the hunting ground, gave me an invitation.”

“…It seems like you’re getting closer to the lady of Valqueres.”

Until just a moment ago, Alberic had been paying attention to the outside, but now he looked at Eve with a strange expression. Eve just smiled and gently stroked the man’s jawline, ignoring his change in attitude.

“I heard his wife’s hobby is quite sophisticated.”

“I didn’t know you were interested in supernatural phenomena.”

“Well, I think it’s normal. Isn’t this the age to be interested in things like astrology or flower petal readings?”

As soon as Alberic heard Eve’s words, he looked stunned. He didn’t expect such words to come out of the mouth of a woman who made a man older than her knelt before her, making him wear a leash for animals like a dog or a cat.

However, Alberic decided to keep his mouth shut instead of arguing with her. Eve praised his wise decision and patted his cheek.

“Anyway, it seems like I need a partner for this outdoor party. You’re coming with me, right?”

“Is it really necessary for me to go?”

“Haha, who else do I have to take as my partner besides you?”

‘I can’t ask Castel, who is busy with official duties, and taking the Archduke or the Crown Prince to such an event would be absolutely insane. This guy, who’s unemployed like me, is the most suitable option.’

Eve swallowed her inner thoughts. Looking up at Eve, who was crossing her legs arrogantly and cocking her head to the side as she moved, Alberic nodded obediently, a blush rising to the corners of his cheeks as if he were shy.

‘I offered to make him feel good, but he seems to enjoy it a bit too much, making it a little weird.’

In any case, her purpose was achieved. Eve whispered, “Shall we start slowly?” and stood up from her seat. Somehow, in her hand was a long and thin wisteria stick.

***

The host of the garden party, Claire Helphus, greeted the young lady of Vermell, who was introduced by the young lady of Valqueres, with a smile.

The lady, dressed in a dark green velvet evening dress, did not seem as violent or rough as the rumors suggested. It was just fascinating to see how the rich colors of the fabric suited her despite her young age.

The young lady with rosy cheeks and bright red lips that matched her age praised the party’s noble elegance with a gentle face. Claire introduced her to the other guests with a smile, feeling pleased with the young lady’s skillful manners.

There was no one who could be rude in the presence of the hostess of the party herself, who was making the introductions, and in the presence of a demure young lady whose hair had been styled into a bun, rolled up and tied in a position that modestly concealed her neck, and who wore a bonnet of exactly the same material as the fabric of her dress and smiling sweetly at them.

Moreover, the partner she brought with her was the young Count of Vermell, who has been gaining popularity in the marriage market lately. They were eager to exchange greetings with young master Alberic Vermell, either through Lady Evelyn Vermell or the hostess.

In a way, Evelyn Vermell, despite her somewhat tarnished reputation in social circles, seemed to have adapted quite successfully to Claire’s garden party.

“Wow, there are so many people. I thought I was going to die greeting everyone.”

“Shh. Someone might hear you. And this number of people is not that big of a deal.”

Alberic, who attended the outdoor party as Eve’s partner and guardian, whispered softly, covering his mouth with a champagne glass.

The man discreetly glanced at Eve. Alberic, with satisfaction in his heart, tilted his champagne glass and lightly moistened his lips as he looked at the green sapphire necklace hanging slightly above the dress that was adorned with numerous ruffles falling in rich folds behind her back and covering her neck.

Eve had to dress up as a ?proper? lady, at least for the sake of Lady Katarina, who had helped her get the invitation. Eve cursed her country with all sorts of insults, but still cinched her waist in a corset for the first time in a very long time.

By the time Eve was almost finished dressing, Alberic entered the dressing room and personally put the green sapphire necklace around her neck. The man silently praised his own taste as he looked at the thick green sapphire hanging around Eve’s neck.

“By the way, who are you looking for?”

“Hmm, they didn’t come. Don’t worry about it.”

Eve deftly spread butter on a piece of bread with her gloved hand and rolled it up, taking a bite in one go. It was quite a contrast to the sight of some ladies on the other side who were delicately eating biscuits or nibbling to avoid smudging their lipstick or dirtying their gloves.

“You did well by cinching the corset just a bit. If you hadn’t, I would have been starving all day. Seriously, I’ll burn this cursed corset someday.”

Her complexion, darkened due to being tormented by the attendants for a long time, began to brighten again as she ate a few pieces of bread. Avoiding the gaze of others, Eve quickly ate the bread and then drank the champagne that Alberic handed her, speaking with a completely refreshed expression.

“Well, then I’ll go pick some flower s, so have fun by yourself.”

“…Please.”

“Oh, you rascal and your mouth.”

Watching Eve disappear while she made her scathing remarks, Alberic seemed somewhat pleased as if he were enjoying her irritation. However, when he saw Madame Claire approaching with a smile to greet him, he quietly lifted the corner of his mouth, wondering if there were any more introductions to be made, 

Meanwhile, guided by a servant, Eve was led to the women’s lounge within the mansion. Inside, she spotted Katarina, who had been fixing her makeup.

Making eye contact with Eve in the mirror, Katarina smiled, then turned and spoke first.

“I didn’t get a chance to greet you earlier because of the crowd. Have you been well?”

“Yes. thank you for introducing me so I could receive an invitation. It must have been a lot to ask.”

“Don’t mention it. You helped me so much that day, so this is nothing.”

“Oh, please continue with your makeup. You can talk comfortably.”

Eve remembered the letter she received from Lady Katarina not long after the hunting incident. Although she only helped protect Alberic and stood in front of her, Katarina seemed quite impressed with Eve’s actions. Moreover, as she had always been interested in martial arts and hunting, she even hinted for Eve to teach her some basic self-defense techniques. While a typical lady might have taken offense, Eve didn’t feel bad because she knew that Katarina’s request was purely out of curiosity about martial arts.

After that, they exchanged letters a few times and became quite close. In the game, Eve would have attended the garden party through a different route, but there was no easier way than using the name of a Duke’s princess to get invited to the party, so Eve made a casual request using their relationship as an excuse.

Lady Katarina readily agreed to Eve’s request and gave her an invitation. It was a kindness that even Eve, who made the request, was a little surprised by, as it was not something that could be received without great favor.

Eve smiled and apologized again after Katarina finished applying a thin layer of powder on her cheek.

“After you returned home that day, did the Duke and the young masters get very angry?”

“Yes, they were really upset. They were angry that I was wandering around alone without much protection. But with your help and the others, I managed to get through it without a scratch. If I had even a scratch, I would have been stuck in my territory without being allowed to leave during the season.”

Listening to her somewhat exaggerated complaints, Eve burst into laughter.