The Princess' Harem
Chapter 45: Royal Hunting Banquet

Chapter 45: Royal Hunting Banquet

The day of the Royal Hunting Event in Elysia Kingdom had finally arrived. Since morning, participants had been gathering, filling the preparation area near the kingdom’s forest border.

Tents had been meticulously arranged, each marked according to the participants’ status and group. Nobles, knights, and invited guests wandered around the campsite, exchanging conversations about various issues; strategies, hunting techniques, and, inevitably, court politics.

Viana had arrived earlier to prepare the whole set up, accompanied by her trusted companions, Reyes and Joel, along with Arden, who, as usual, was carrying a few documents, always prepared to discuss something regarding governance.

The atmosphere grew livelier by lunchtime, as a communal meal was set to take place under the shade of the towering trees.

Several round tables had been arranged, decorated with an array of delicious dishes. Participants found their seats, their groups forming based on familiarity and alliances. And Viana, due to her position, sat near the front, where the most prestigious guests were placed.

With slight reluctance, Viana had to mingle with everyone. To her, this banquet was more of a mental test, where influence and status were often measured behind casual conversations and insincere smiles.

It didn’t take long before two familiar figures, known for causing trouble in both of her lives, appeared. Lady Olivia and Lady Lindsay, the two sisters from Duke Callissto’s family, had always tried to undermine her.

Even though the Duke was still serving his sentence as a city prisoner, his daughters were already carrying out his plan, working to ensure Viana could never claim the throne.

Both wore extravagant hunting gowns and jewelry, which felt unnecessarily excessive for an event like this.

Olivia made a show of kissing her husband’s cheek, though everyone knew she rarely stayed by his side. Her lover was conveniently lurking somewhere nearby. Viana found the act revolting.

Then Olivia, followed by her sister Lindsay, walked toward the princess, giving a clearly forced bow. Out of sheer obligation, Viana returned the gesture.

"Ah, Your Highness, I must say, the decorations and arrangements for this hunting event are truly remarkable. It’s astonishing how, despite your endless responsibilities in running the kingdom and even managing the slaves, you still managed to organize such an amazing hunt," Olivia said, covering her mouth with a fan that, in Viana’s opinion, was outrageously pink. Her tone was syrupy sweet but laced with subtle mockery.

Lindsay, standing beside her, added in a sweet but clearly fake tone, "Exactly. The Princess must always be busy with things she doesn’t really need to do. She even tries to act like a proper maiden in the eyes of the people."

Viana tried to remain calm, though inside, she was annoyed that her efforts were being dismissed as mere attempts to appear good in the eyes of Elysia’s citizens.

"And I suppose you both were very busy picking these spectacular hunting gowns, considering this isn’t exactly a ballroom party," she said, sipping her wine with a polite smile.

The air grew tense as those around them, including the noblewomen nearby, fell silent at the Princess’s words. Olivia, however, suddenly let out a forced laugh before replying, "Of course, a true noblewoman knows how to stay graceful in any situation."

With that, they walked away, leaving Viana shaking her head with a long sigh. But just as she started to relax, she heard Lindsay calling out to Prince Rayne.

"Your Highness, Prince Rayne. What a delightful surprise to see you here. And I’ve heard of your remarkable skills—your prowess in hunting is said to be unmatched," she said in a voice softer than usual, clearly trying to sound charming.

Rayne had been making his way toward Viana, but at Lindsay’s words, he paused briefly. Then, without much thought, he replied as he stepped past Lindsay, "Thank you."

Not wanting to lose the chance to speak with him, Lindsay quickly added before he could walk too far, "I have always admired men who are skilled hunters. In your opinion, who has the best chance of winning the title of Queen of Hunting this year?"

Prince Rayne suddenly stopped. He turned toward Viana, who was pretending not to notice them, then glanced at the Callissto sisters before answering, "That is not a concern for men. But I think the winner certainly won’t be those who are just trying to attract attention."

Without another word, he walked straight to Viana. She greeted him with a respectful bow, and he kissed her hand before they began to talk.

A few noblewomen covered their smiles, clearly enjoying the prince’s rejection.

Lindsay froze for a moment, as did Olivia, though they quickly masked their frustration and turned to mingle with the other noblewomen present.

The two sisters, along with their followers, continued their efforts to irritate Viana, especially after noticing that Prince Rayne was making an effort to sit beside her.

Viana found their behavior strange. As a princess of equal standing to the prince, it was only natural for her to sit next to him, especially since the king and queen were not present.

Her annoyance grew slightly when the two women took seats directly in front of her. As the nobles enjoyed their meal, Olivia reached toward the table as if to grab something, but suddenly, her hand "accidentally" bumped a cup of hot tea, sending its contents straight toward Viana.

Before the tea could reach her, Prince Rayne quickly reacted, lifting an empty plate from the table to block the splashing liquid just in time.

"Tsk, so careless," Rayne remarked casually, though his eyes made it clear he did not truly believe it was an accident.

Viana remained calm, fixing Olivia with a knowing look. "You should be more careful, Olivia. We wouldn’t want any incidents before the hunt begins, would we?"

Olivia smiled, feigning innocence. "Oh, forgive me, I truly didn’t mean to."

Lindsay quickly attempted to change the subject. "Anyway, I am really excited to see today’s hunt results. I hope the Queen of Hunting gets a prize worthy of the title."

Viana gave a small smile but chose not to reply. To her, she had entertained them enough for one conversation.

What worried her now was that a man kept staring at her, and that man was Count Lazarus. He was sitting not far from her.

He had been watching her throughout the banquet, waiting for the perfect opportunity to speak with her. Fortunately, every time he attempted to get close, Prince Rayne or Arden somehow managed to block his chances.

As Viana enjoyed a piece of roasted meat, Count Lazarus finally made his move. "Your Highness, allow me to say that—"

But before he could continue, Prince Rayne’s soft yet casual voice came from beside her. "Your Highness, it seems you haven’t tried the finest wine on this table," he said, offering her a goblet.

Viana, who was naturally far more interested in conversing with Prince Rayne than entertaining Count Lazarus, smiled and accepted the cup. "The wine from Valendale Empire is truly unmatched."

Count Lazarus fell silent, clenched his jaw, then chose to retreat for the time being.

It wasn’t long before he attempted again. He waited for a moment when Viana seemed alone after the banquet had ended. But just as he was about to speak, Arden appeared, carrying several documents, and immediately took the seat beside the Princess, whose previous companion had gone off somewhere.

"Your Highness," Arden said, unaware of the frustrated stare Count Lazarus was directing at him. "I need to discuss something with you. There are a few matters you should know before we return to the palace."

Viana quickly shifted her attention to Arden, inwardly grateful that Count Lazarus had once again lost his chance to approach her.

"Good, I will read them. Please bring all of these to my tent later," she said, taking one of the parchments from Arden’s hand and reading it.

Out of the corner of her eye, Viana noticed Count Lazarus clenching his fists on the table, though his expression remained calm. A sly smile played on her lips.

Yet, his attempts did not stop there. Suddenly, he was standing behind the Princess and said, "Princess Viana, if you allow me, I would be honored to accompany you on the hunt."

Viana hesitated slightly, unsure how to respond. Fortunately, Reyes, who was now standing behind her, overheard the Count’s words.

"The Princess already has her own team. You don’t need to worry, we are more than capable of ensuring her safety, as per the King’s orders," Reyes stated firmly.

Count Lazarus hesitated, clearly suppressing his frustration, before bowing in defeat.

As Count Lazarus walked away, clearly frustrated but maintaining his composed demeanor, Viana let out a quiet breath of relief. At least for now, she had successfully avoided engaging with him longer than necessary.

Just as she was about to take another sip of her wine, Prince Rayne leaned slightly toward her, his expression amused.

"You know, Your Highness," he murmured, his tone carrying its usual playful edge, "no matter how much you try to avoid it, you always seem to attract attention. And not just any attention—the kind that makes men particularly persistent."