Her older sister replied confidently.
"Nothing."
"Natalie! Really? Not even a handkerchief?"
"I've done this every year. The men who come to offer their catches are grateful even if I just hand them a single rose petal."
"This time, your opponent is a young duke! There's no way he'll be the one to bring the offering first… Well, considering the last banquet, maybe you could pull it off…"
Before she could go any further, her sister shrugged indifferently.
Having achieved something almost magical recently, there was little room for more nagging. Their mother, slightly deflated, turned her attention to me.
"Dory, what about you?"
"A handkerchief. Oh, of course, it's silk!"
"Which region's silk? What color embroidery? Did you include the Redfield family crest?"
"..."
Do I really have to think about all that?
Mother's eyes grew sharp.
"You know how cliché a handkerchief is. That's exactly why you need to pay even more attention—"
I was saved by the barking of dogs near the lead carriage.
"Woof! Woof!"
Father called out.
"Dear, wrap it up! The dogs are dying to get their teeth into some deer already!"
"Deer, my foot! Just don't hurt yourself and come back safe. This year, the honor of the Redfield family rests with our daughters!"
Yeah, that's not going to happen.
Mother shot a wry smile at Father, while I exchanged the same look with her, just as the coachman spurred the horses into motion.
The hunting grounds were in Silver Helm, the forest attached to the royal palace.
A "forest" in name, but half of it was a mountain. Imagine something modeled after Mount Bugak behind the Blue House, mixed with open plains.
When we arrived at the Redfield camp, Father warned us.
"Kids, don't go wandering into the mountains. The ground's unstable after the recent heavy rains."
"Shouldn't you be careful, Father? Will you be okay?"
"I'll be fine. If others slip and fall, it might be my chance to finally not come in last place!"
How about you stop slipping and start flying instead?
Ignoring Father's baseless confidence, the servants began setting up partitions and assembling furniture in the tent. The moment a cot was placed, my sister threw herself onto it.
"This is already boring. I wish women could hunt too."
"Is there something you'd want to catch?"
"I'd like to test how far I can go shooting arrows at people while pretending it's an accident. Especially with the excuse that the paths are slippery this time."
"Just get some rest."
Natalie is ever the same.
With time before the opening ceremony, I decided to step out and look around.
Dozens of tents set up by the royal palace were spaced generously apart. Though the tents themselves were similar in design, you could easily gauge the prestige of each family by the grandeur of their flags and the size of their setups.
The royal family's camp stood out the most. A sprawling tent flew a banner of a lion with a blue mane, fluttering magnificently. The adjacent stables, packed with horses, looked ready for a full-scale war.
On the other hand, Arthur's camp was smaller, being for his personal use. Still, large tapestries depicting white wolves adorned the tent walls, likely to uphold the dignity of the northern ducal family. The whole setup looked almost like a temple.
In stark contrast, the Meyer family's camp was tucked away in a corner, almost hidden.
Seeing it made me sigh.
"Is this even a tent? Looks more like a heating tent for studio apartments."
A strong gust of wolf breath could blow it away.
Clearly, Baron Meyer only applied for the bare minimum, thinking himself noble. He barely invests in Maria and yet boasts that he's doing his utmost for his niece.
Well, not that Maria would be staying here much in the original story…
I figured I might as well say hello.
"Maria, are you in?"
"Oh? Oh my!"
Maria emerged from the tent immediately, her eyes sparkling.
"Dory! It's been so long. Is your leg alright? Have you been well?"
"Completely fine. I just escaped our hunting dogs' chorus."
"Your father's participating in the hunt?"
"I wouldn't expect much of a haul. How about the Meyer family?"
Maria shook her head.
"My uncle's been on for years… He registered me instead, saying I should at least enjoy the spectacle. Want to come in?"
She held up the tent flap. Inside, the sparse tent had little more than a drowsy young maid, who startled awake at the unexpected visitor.
"A-a guest! Let me prepare tea… Oh, wait. There's no tea… I'll fetch some hot water!"
Clutching a kettle, the maid darted out in a flash.
Now I feel bad.
Maria, slightly embarrassed, offered me a cushion.
"Please, sit. Sorry we couldn't greet you properly."
"There's nothing to apologize for. We're all guests of the royal family here. It's just you and the maid in the Meyer camp?"
I asked, already knowing the answer.
Maria nodded, then hesitated.
"Rick's here too. But my uncle couldn't afford his entry fee, so he's working as a groundskeeper in the hunting grounds."
"How considerate…"
"Right? Rick's so diligent! He says he wants to save up quickly and build a stable life."
That's not the kind of dedication I meant.
"Then you'll be able to meet Rick when you're bored?"
"No. Rick's here to work, isn't he? If I act familiar, it might distract him, so I don't plan on talking to him."
Rick seemed even more pitiful now.
While the maid was still out, Maria picked through some tea leaves and spoke.
"The girl who just left is a new maid, so she's always on edge. I was thinking of letting her rest at home by evening."
"Won't you feel uneasy being alone?"
"Come on, would any thug really show up at a royal event? And if anything happens, I'll just scream for help, and some brave soul will come running."
Hmm…
The Meyer camp was tucked deep into the woods, practically inviting snakes or worse.
And in a few hours, some jerk was going to show up to bother you. You wouldn't even be able to scream properly.
"Well, Rick will probably be nearby and save you right away."
But no matter who saves you, it won't erase the fear.
"Maria."
"Hmm?"
"If some creep shows up, promise me you'll call for me. I'd love to kick that jerk's butt. Got it?"
Maria's eyes went wide.
"What…?"
"I'm serious. Say you'll call me."
"Haha! Don't worry so much… Fine, I'll call you."
Maria smiled softly.
Even if it was just words, it felt a bit reassuring.
I wanted to let her know she had someone on her side here.
To Maria, the young maid was someone to protect, and Rick was someone not to burden.
A little while later, the maid returned with boiling water, and the three of us shared a meager amount of black tea.
Then, I asked something that had been on my mind.
"Maria, have you prepared a gift for your hunter?"
"Yes, my uncle got me a nice silk handkerchief. Want to see it?"
"Definitely!"
Maria untied the ribbon on a small box. When the white fabric inside was revealed, I felt a wave of relief.
Mother, Maria also prepared a plain silk handkerchief! Gifts can be a bit cliché—so why were you so hard on me for mine…
…Wait.
It's not cliché.
"You embroidered it."
In the corner of the handkerchief, delicate yellow flowers were stitched, with slender, outstretched leaves that somehow reminded me of Maria. Beneath the flowers, white thread depicted a snowy field.
The once plain white handkerchief now looked like a stunning canvas.
"It's beautiful…"
"Thank you. I heard many participants like to show off the gifts they receive, so I put in some effort."
Maria blushed slightly and asked,
"Do you have a gift for your hunter, Dory?"
I do.
A plain white handkerchief, chosen with zero thought.
(T/N: I snorted so loudly, she's too cute-)
"Uh, I, um, forgot to bring it. I left it in the tent!"
It was actually a relief I didn't have it on me.
If I had shown it, Maria would've tried to say something nice, and that would've been even more embarrassing.
There was a reason I'd settled on such a basic gift.
Right before the hunting tournament, I had asked Natalie about what Dory gave Tristan at last year's tournament for inspiration.
But Natalie frowned and threw the question back at me.
"What are you talking about? You've never been to a hunting tournament."
"What?"
"Tristan hasn't sent you a single lark since his debut year at the tournament. Because of that, when you were old enough to attend, our parents kept you home every year, afraid everyone would see their daughter being snubbed by her fiancé."
"…"
"Don't think for a second that he's changed just because he gave you one dress."
Tristan had been shameless from the start.
If we hadn't exchanged anything, I wouldn't have any expectations, which is why I chose this basic handkerchief.
But is this really okay?
What if Tristan mocks it as soon as he sees it?
…No.
'Maybe he didn't expect a gift at all…'
Honestly, I'd prefer that.
Unaware of my inner thoughts, Maria smiled brightly and said, "Then shall we go to your tent together? To fetch your handkerchief."