Chapter 46
Finally, the day of the hunting competition had arrived.
Lucy and Bartholomew headed together to the venue.
The location was a mountain owned by Logan’s family, where the hunting competition was set to take place.
The Red Wolf Knights stood guard, and temporary tents had been set up.
Lucy looked around, surveying the area.
It wasn’t as crowded as a social party, but there were still many people.
Most of the participants were young nobles from distinguished families.
Noblewomen had come to watch and cheer them on.
Having attended two social parties already, Lucy recognized some familiar faces among the crowd.
And among them, she spotted an unexpected person:
It was Elisha.
Perhaps sensing Lucy’s gaze, Elisha looked toward her.
She approached with a gentle smile on her face.
“Lucy. I’m glad to see you here.”
Elisha scanned Lucy with her eyes as she spoke.
“You look fully recovered now, don’t you?”
“Thanks to your care, yes,” Lucy replied with a smile.
Elisha’s eyes narrowed slightly.
She sensed a certain composure in Lucy’s demeanor—an ease that wasn’t there before.
It stemmed from the confidence Lucy had gained after improving her stats.
No longer would she collapse from exhaustion at the slightest provocation, nor would her answers be limited to dull, short responses.
Even this alone gave Lucy a previously unseen aura of grace.
‘Still, it’s trivial compared to me,’ Elisha thought, smirking inwardly as she shifted her gaze.
Her eyes landed on Bartholomew, who stood beside Lucy.
“Prince Bartholomew. It’s nice to see you again,” Elisha said, smiling.
“It’s nice to see someone so actively participating in social activities. Are you joining the hunting competition as well?”
“No,” Bartholomew replied curtly, cutting the conversation short.
An awkward silence settled, but Elisha seemed unconcerned.
“Lucy and Prince Bartholomew make an oddly good pair,” she said unexpectedly.
Lucy looked at Elisha, puzzled.
“I don’t mean anything by it. I just mean… you seem well-matched, like two similar people meeting.”
Similar people.
Did Elisha see Bartholomew as someone like Lucy?
She wouldn’t know him well enough for that.
Lucy felt a twinge of annoyance, thinking Elisha might be looking down on Bartholomew.
“Well, have a good time,” Elisha said, smiling broadly, and walked past them.
“Prince Bartholomew,” Lucy called softly.
“I’m the type of person who can’t speak ill of someone with a smiling face,” she added, pursing her lips.
“Apparently, that doesn’t apply to everyone,” Bartholomew said, curious about her remark.
Elisha had always shown Lucy kindness, but Lucy’s guarded response suggested she didn’t fully trust Elisha.
Bartholomew had never seen Lucy dislike anyone, so seeing her react this way made him think that Elisha might be different from her outward appearance.
‘I can tell just by the way she looks at me.’
Every time Elisha met Bartholomew, she observed him with a mix of curiosity and contempt.
Bartholomew had no connection with her, so he didn’t understand why she looked at him that way.
But it didn’t matter to him.
If it were Lucy’s gaze, he might have been concerned—but this wasn’t.
While Bartholomew pondered this, Lucy spotted Cecil.
She led Bartholomew over to him.
“Cecil. How have you been?”
“Your Highness,” Cecil greeted, studying her.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
“You look much healthier now. I’m glad to see your condition improving day by day.”
“That’s why, in a way, I feel a bit disappointed,” Lucy said.
“Disappointed?” Cecil asked.
“Because I’ll have fewer chances to see you,” Lucy explained.
Cecil raised his eyebrows, surprised by her answer.
“When I invited you to the villa, I meant it. I hope to give you a chance to repay the debt you owe me.”
“I only did what any healer would,” Cecil said modestly.
“But I was a difficult patient,” Lucy said, smiling, and Cecil smiled in return.
Bartholomew quietly watched the two, sensing a bond he could not penetrate.
“Will you be participating in the hunt, Cecil?” Lucy asked.
“No. I’m here in case anyone gets injured,” he replied.
Lucy nodded.
Only then did Cecil shift his gaze from Lucy to Bartholomew.
“Prince Bartholomew, will you be hunting?”
“No,” he said.
“That’s good. It would be dangerous given your current condition,” Cecil said, glancing at Bartholomew’s complexion.
“Though even being here might be a burden,” he added.
Lucy widened her eyes and looked at Bartholomew.
He seemed fine, but as a healer, Cecil’s eyes told a different story.
“Does Prince Bartholomew not look well?” Lucy asked.
Before Cecil could answer, Bartholomew interrupted.
“Thank you for your concern,” he said calmly.
Their eyes met briefly—Bartholomew’s gaze dark and serene.
He didn’t want Cecil to comment on his condition in front of Lucy.
Sensing this, Cecil said no more.
“Then enjoy yourselves, and if you need my help, come find me. I’ll do my best,” Cecil said before departing.
Still curious, Lucy asked Bartholomew,
“Prince Bartholomew, are you pushing yourself to be here despite your condition?”
He shook his head.
“Would I act foolishly? Cecil is used to seeing me at the temple and probably said that out of habit.”
“That’s a relief,” Lucy said, exhaling.
At that moment, Patrick approached them.
“You two came together. You seem very close,” he said.
“We’re good friends,” Lucy emphasized, making sure Bartholomew heard.
“Will you be hunting, Patrick?” Lucy asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
Lucy instinctively surveyed him from head to toe.
Even in hunting attire, he remained strikingly handsome.
‘Not sure about his hunting skills, though.’
He would certainly be an eye-catching sight for the young noblewomen watching.
Patrick seemed to read her thoughts, smiling quietly.
“The young ladies seem to be betting on a winner. Aren’t you joining, Your Highness?”
Lucy glanced around and spotted someone.
“If there’s a sure winner, why bother betting?”
She pointed with her eyes at Logan.
Patrick followed her gaze and feigned disappointment.
“That’s disappointing. Not even a false hope of me winning,” he said.
“You dislike empty words, and you don’t want people dazzled by your appearance to mistake you for a winner,” Lucy replied.
Patrick raised his eyebrows and then laughed.
“Still harsh in your assessment of me,” he said, but he seemed pleased.
He spoke only to Lucy, ignoring Bartholomew beside her.
Annoyed, Lucy broke off the conversation and moved with Bartholomew.
“Even just greeting everyone wears you out,” Lucy joked.
“Many people want even a single word with Princess Lucy,” Bartholomew said, nodding and pointing ahead.
“Here comes someone else,” he added.
It was Logan.
If you want, I can also polish it to read like a fully natural English novel chapter, keeping the tone, pacing, and dialogue flow intact—so it feels like an official translation rather than a literal one.
Do you want me to do that?
