Purple Heart (1)

When the clocktower bell rang ten times, the carriage stopped in front of the imperial hunting grounds.

“Lady Alicia, we have arrived.”

Juan opened the carriage door as he spoke.

Beyond his shoulder, Alicia caught sight of the bustling hunting grounds filled with imperial family members.

“Good luck with the hunt today, Sir Juan.”

At Alicia’s encouragement, Juan shook his head.

“I hold no expectations.”

The imperial spring hunt was attended only by the Emperor’s kin, relatives by marriage, and his closest confidants.

When the imperial family set out for the spring hunt, they dismissed as many attendants as possible.

It was meant to revive the memory of when they used to hunt in the old days.

It was a glorious event open only to those who were royalty, part of the imperial household, or trusted by the royals—yet also a burdensome day when one had to prepare everything personally.

Even the Emperor dismissed all attendants and pages for the spring hunt.

Instead, he had brothers and confidants who served as his limbs, taking over the work of attendants.

“Sir Juan, just catch ten, that should do!”

Alicia whispered in a lowered voice.

Juan was said to be teamed with the Grand Duke of Tessen today.

Another member of that team was Marquis Lennox.

Though nominally it was the Grand Duke and Marquis Lennox’s team, in reality it was the Emperor’s support team.

The Emperor was to hunt with Marquis Manners, the chancellor.

The Emperor enjoyed hunting, and Marquis Manners was one of his hunting companions.

Reichardt’s skill in hunting and combat was nothing to worry about, but Marquis Lennox was the textbook image of a scholar shut away at his desk.

Moreover, Marquis Lennox was the type who fawned over the Emperor more than any other brother of the royal family.

Since the marquis was older, if he suggested to Reichardt that they should move near the Emperor’s team, Reichardt could not refuse.

Even without that, Reichardt, the foremost warrior among the royals, was obliged to safeguard the Emperor’s life.

Reichardt himself was in charge of running this spring hunt.

From arranging the difficult tent placements to organizing the guest list and distributing invitations, everything had passed through his hands.

If anything went wrong during the spring hunt, he would not escape blame.

At Alicia’s ridiculous encouragement, Juan looked exasperated.

“That is not within my authority, my lady.”

“Then how about we just enjoy a picnic here instead?”

Alicia whispered in a passing tone.

Juan’s expression grew momentarily serious, as though recalling something.

“Shall we…?”

It seemed Daisy, Annie, and Lise—who could not attend the hunt—had all scolded Juan beforehand.

Before Alicia boarded the carriage, the three had promised to fast and pray for her safe return.

So Alicia had firmly ordered that all three be served full-course meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner before she left Luderne.

“Juan, are you not going to hunt?”

“Because Your Ladyship has not seen the marquis shoot a bow. Do you think he only knows the bow? The spear as well… Why is it that you will not join the hunt, my lady? The wives and noble ladies also form their own teams or may join whichever they wish.”

Juan looked at Alicia as if hoping she would form her own team.

Alicia smiled softly.

“What kind of hunting could I do?”

Her humble words made Juan’s face fall into disappointment.

It was puzzling, but Alicia was pretending to be the kind of lady in Baden who had never lifted anything heavier than a fork.

Though she had already been in a brawl with Viviana Manners, making that façade meaningless.

But pointing out such things was pointless.

Juan set aside idle chatter and spoke of what mattered.

“Would I be of use here? If so, I will withdraw from guarding.”

Alicia only answered in her heart: very useful indeed.

“I will excuse you from guarding duties.”

At the unexpected response, Juan looked momentarily puzzled, then broke into a playful grin.

“I shall rely on you, my lady. But still…”

Juan let his words trail off, glancing around where Alicia was looking.

“It feels like we’ve come to a den of demons.”

Alicia smiled faintly, saying words that didn’t match her expression.

“Yes, somewhat.”

“Den of demons” was the perfect description.

A stronghold of malice where wicked deeds and plots never ceased.

The Emperor’s concubines, too, attended the spring hunt.

With the Empress absent due to illness, this spring’s hunt felt like walking on thin ice.

Instead of their private tents, the concubines and noble ladies gathered in a shared pavilion, armed with smiles.

Near Duchess of Pfalz—who had risen to power by taking charge of Princess Dorothea’s upbringing—clustered concubines and noble ladies like a fortress wall.

One hardly needed to listen to know what was being said.

It would begin and end with flattery.

Opposite the formidable duchess sat three marchionesses who had once dominated the concubines’ circle.

Beside them were lesser concubines and noble ladies bound by mutual interests.

All wore active yet dazzling dresses, but none would step outside the tent.

The other noble ladies with separate tents were no different.

Marchioness Manners, who had once rushed unadorned to her daughter’s childbirth, now occupied one of those tents with an entirely different face.

Every step toward her tent seemed as though it would drain away one’s vitality.

“How peculiar.”

What first caught Alicia’s eye among it all was a group of gathered young ladies.

After several months’ absence, Viviana had appeared at an imperial event, laughing and chatting with Cynthia and Angela.

What kind of combination was that?

Just looking at the troublesome scene made Alicia lift her gaze to the sky.

It was an unusually warm day.

The breeze brushing her cheek carried the warmth of early summer.

“Lady Alicia. You are only arriving now?”

The den of demons began with Marquis Lennox.

“I greet Your Grace, the Marquis.”

Alicia offered courtesy to Marquis Lennox as he approached.

Juan, standing by her, did the same.

“There’s no need for such formality. We are practically family now.”

Marquis Lennox spoke with kind tones, showing intimacy.

“Your Grace, I will see you later. My lady, I shall go to Sven to make preparations.”

Juan quickly withdrew, avoiding the marquis who was showing familial warmth toward Alicia.

The marquis maintained his generous demeanor.

“Go on.”

Alicia cast a glance at Juan as he backed away.

Her look carried the question of why he was going to Sven for preparations, but Juan only answered with a gentle smile.

As he retreated, he discreetly indicated the person beside the marquis with his brows.

Next to Marquis Lennox stood a woman in a slightly dark yellow dress.

The color alone drew the eye, but the satin sheen was unusual.

The blonde-haired woman had intellectual features.

Her adornments—on her ears, arms, fingers, and dress—suggested a curiously youthful taste.

If the flower-shaped sapphire ring on her right thumb was striking, the heart-shaped diamond earrings looked girlish.

Even the charms dangling from her bracelet bore heart-shaped gems.

Unlike most royals who preferred simplicity, her style was full of whimsical details.

Thanks to that, Alicia realized who she was.

“It is an honor to meet you, Marchioness of Belz.”

“Ah, so this is your first time meeting her. Lady Alicia, this is the Marchioness of Belz. Marchioness, this is Lady Alicia, fiancée of Reichardt. Since you will soon be family, it would be good for you to become acquainted. Now then, I shall leave you to it.”

Marquis Lennox gave a light introduction, then passed her along as he left.

Alicia and the Marchioness of Belz both bowed to his departing figure.

“……”

“……”

The hunting grounds felt littered with traps, leaving Alicia somewhat dazed.

She had not expected to meet the Marchioness of Belz.

Could it be… the Marchioness of Belz?

Meeting her added yet another suspicious hypothesis.

“I have heard much about you, my lady. They say you are like an angel.”

“Perhaps it is just sudden good fortune that breeds such rumors.”

Alicia replied with a smile and polite humility.

The Marchioness of Belz’s husband, the Marquis of Belz, had been the late Emperor’s second son, brother of the current Emperor.

When the marquis died in an accident seven years ago, curiosity swirled over whom the marchioness would remarry.

She was the niece of the King of the wealthy Kingdom of Osron.

At one time, she had even been mentioned as a possible bride for the Emperor.

But the current Emperor had actively pursued Empress Eleanor, and that story faded away.

Instead, by the late Emperor’s will, she was wed to his second son, forging an alliance with Osron.

It had been a purely political marriage, so people assumed she had little affection for her late husband.

Yet the marchioness showed no intention of remarrying.

She was known to society as a frivolous, carefree woman without worries.

Her frivolity sometimes manifested in astonishing miracles.

Even before marriage and after, she treated gold like mere stones on the roadside.

One of the most famous anecdotes about her told of how, while riding in her carriage, she saw a child quarreling with his mother over fruit. She stopped and bestowed grace upon him.

What made the story famous was that she paid the shopkeeper with enough gold to buy the entire fruit shop.

“Would ten thousand gold suffice?”

Having never known a house without fruit, she assumed fruit cost that much.

She wore handmade shoes worth at least two hundred thousand gold, spent five hundred thousand or a million gold on dresses worn once then discarded.

The ribbons she tied on her wrist always cost ten thousand gold, so by her standards, it was a conservative estimate.

The fruit seller thought she was offering to buy the whole shop.

Common folk who heard the story assumed she meant to buy every piece of fruit on display.

But all the marchioness had wanted was a single basket of fruit.

“As expected of Osron!”

Everyone who heard the tale marveled.

The stories did not end there.

Even in conversation with royals or nobles, she sometimes naively uttered absurdities, earning frowns.

When one noble lady remarked that she had spent a fortune of fifty thousand gold on a fan as a debut gift for her niece, the marchioness, not realizing it was a huge expense, had laughed sincerely and asked, “How could anyone use a fan that cost fifty thousand gold?”

Yet her purse was so full of gold that, though people grumbled behind her back, they bowed before her.

The world said the Marchioness of Belz squandered gold and uttered foolish words like a worshipper of gold, but that she bore no malice.

Rather than vanity, she gave the impression of someone frivolous but kind-hearted.

Ignorant of the world, at times she spoke nonsense only because she truly did not know.

Her sincerity, however, was warm.

A little thoughtless, perhaps, but a good person.