Chapter 24

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: An Invitation to the Hunt
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Ever since I began my tutelage under Madame de La Vallière, the dynamic among the maids at the Vischwartz estate had begun to subtly change.

The change was most amusing in the clique centered around Mago. They seemed flustered to see me spending most of my days with Madame de La Vallière, as if they had been expecting her to humiliate me.

According to Marie, who had been observing them, Mago was deeply disappointed in Madame de La Vallière for taking me in and was furious that I had made a sort of debut at the recent exhibition.

“Perhaps that's why the glares I receive are so intense. I can hardly bear it. What should I do?”

I gently patted the shoulder of Marie, who was quietly confiding in me while watching my reaction. Then, I took a small gold ring from my jewelry box, pressed it into her hand, and said.

“There can't be many maids in this mansion who enjoy Mago's favor. I want you to gather the ones who are outside her circle—girls in the same position as you. Do you understand? With a common enemy, it won't be difficult to grow close.”

Mago was only human; it was inevitable she would favor only those who suited her tastes. Naturally, she would share the choicest cuts of meat with them alone, while paying the others no mind at all.

After all, why would someone in her position need to be kind just to keep up appearances? With Roena's backing, she had even less reason to bother.

These were the ones I needed. The little lambs who had not received Mago's grace. The hyenas, starved and venomous. I desperately needed these wretched beasts, ready to charge ravenously at the scent of meat.

And now, I was in a position to take them by the hand. This was all thanks to one person: Madame de La Vallière. It was possible for the simple reason that she was my tutor.

The advantages of my association with Madame de La Vallière were beyond imagination. Not only was my standing within the Vischwartz estate solidifying, but prominent figures in society connected to her were beginning to take an interest in me.

There was no greater accomplishment than this: influential members of high society were now seeing me as ‘Cisse de Vischwartz’.

For they, at least, would surely see me as Cisse of House Vischwartz, not merely my mother’s daughter.

In the past, I had found it incredibly difficult to form connections with other nobles. No circle is more sensitive to rumors than high society, and unfortunately for me, they had already formed their prejudices long before my debut.

An idiotic girl of lowly birth. A woman of no use except as an object of ridicule. I was the subject of their every taunt.

The tale of the beautiful, angelic younger sister and the homely, garish older sister was more than enough to pique everyone’s interest. As was the sight of said sister seething with hostility toward her.

But what about now? An invitation had arrived for me—a girl with no connections in the aristocratic world due to her humble origins—asking me to attend a hawk hunt.

Written on the envelope in an elegant script was, unmistakably, ‘Cisse de Vischwartz’—my name.

With a trembling hand, I traced the letters of my name. A memory from the past surfaced so vividly that I almost let out a dry laugh—the time I had pestered Roena into letting me tag along to a hawk hunt, curious despite not having been invited.

I opened a drawer and placed the letter inside. Then, I turned to Marie, who stood waiting behind me, and asked in a gentle tone.

“Marie, where are the estate's hawks kept?”

Roena had never cared for hawk hunting. She only accepted the invitations because her friends enjoyed accompanying the young lords to the hunting grounds.

Then again, what was there to enjoy? All they ever did was sit in tents—erected by servants dripping with sweat—and gossip. They’d be lucky not to shriek in surprise at a bug buzzing past their faces.

A few ladies might occasionally offer words of encouragement to a young lord they fancied, or even brave flying a hawk themselves, but they were a small minority.

The only ones who truly enjoyed themselves at the hunting grounds were the young lords, who hunted with hawks and the assistance of their servants.

Nevertheless, many young ladies—most of whom had yet to make their societal debut—flocked to these hunts because of the dazzling array of attendees. It was even called ‘the little society’ for a reason.

Attendance surged, especially after a rumor spread that a certain duchess was a frequent participant. It was even said that the invitations were becoming more exclusive.

Roena was a consistent guest at every hawk hunt. This was partly due to her own reputation, but also because many young ladies were eager for a glimpse of Rustein Halberd, known as the Sword of House Vischwartz.

For many a lady, nothing boosted her pride quite like her personal knight. And really, what could be more romantic than being the lady of a handsome knight coveted by all?

Rustein Halberd was precisely that. A perfect man, he possessed skills so exceptional he was called the Knight of the Clear Sound, and looks handsome enough to make any woman’s heart flutter.

He was courteous and polite, with a serious and noble character, and his scholarly knowledge was second to none. He was, in a word, the very ideal of a knight, accomplished in both sword and letters.

Imagine such a man escorting you, protecting you in a forest where a wild beast might leap out at any moment. Could there be a more heart-pounding tale?

That was why, when Roena eventually stopped attending the hunts, many young ladies lamented that they could no longer see him.

My stepfather was overjoyed that I had been invited to the hunt. He paid no heed to the advice of Madame de La Vallière, who disapproved of the outing. Instead, he made every preparation to ensure I would have a wonderful time.

A personal horse, a fashionable riding habit, a personal knight, and a pair of maids to attend me—everything was identical to what Roena would have received.

But her knight was Rustein Halberd.