Chapter 81.

I was dumbfounded to hear the end of the story.
What kind of story had been experienced that could isolate a dead bear’s neck on the spot?
The story seemed to have gone through a violent storm and lost direction all of a sudden. The Crown Prince probably thought I was speechless and lost his smile.
“But does the male daughter really have no courage? Unlike me, an opportunist, the male daughter faced the bear directly.”
Without realizing it, he resumed his usual appearance. Looking at the Crown Prince who had a displeased smile on his face ……
Maybe he wasn’t mocking me, but himself at that time.
“Your stone bow level is stronger than I thought.”
“Normally, skilled hunters wouldn’t act as calmly as you if they suddenly encountered a bear.”
“…… If you had turned to run at that moment, you would soon have been overtaken by the bear and had your limbs torn off.”
“So put away pointless thoughts and just be proud of your instincts and coping skills.”
It was unexpectedly comforting. I looked at Callisto with wide eyes.
Had indeed experienced a similar situation. Even though they were very wooden and insincere words, there was inner peace. At the same time, it’s ironic that the person saying such words is not someone else, but the crown prince.
“…… Thanks for the compliment.”
After a long time, I managed to open my mouth and replied awkwardly.
“Your Highness is also, courageous as a child.” Answered the compliment in his own way.
To the story the crown prince told me, I have nothing to say except that. I feel sorry for his childhood, but it was only temporary.
From the moment I cut off the head of the dead bear and let me win the championship, the idea was upside down.
He’s been clueless ever since.
But even after praising him, at that moment the Crown Prince’s face became unhappy and frowned.
“Is it over like that?”
“What? What’s wrong?”
I asked back in confusion. The Crown Prince’s frown tightened.
“Is that the reaction to my story?”
“Yes. It’s over.”
“The male female has no feelings?”
“…… What?”
The inexplicable answer surprised me. The Crown Prince glared at me and immediately spoke.
“Why are people so strange?”
“What is …… saying?”
My eyes widened as if I had heard strange words.
‘Heh, saying such things to me?’
Grinning somewhat angrily, he said in a moody tone.
“Saying such words to soldiers shivering on the battlefield, they’ll cry.”
“Doesn’t the male daughter feel sorry for me as a child?”
Unaware of any resentment, that guy said to himself. I just laughed dryly.
‘Not pitiful, not pitiful at all!’
Who exactly to pity.
In this damn game, I’m the most pitiful. At least the Crown Prince wouldn’t grovel with trepidation for fear of losing his favor.
Like waiting for an answer, the red pupils stared at me. I decided to be honest.
“Anyway, it’s alive and well now, well, originally the sad story was supposed to end with death.”
How much I’ve suffered to avoid that bad ending, and dying would be a waste of everything.
“Tsk.”
Hearing my answer, he smacked his tongue and muttered.
“It’s true that she’s as cold-blooded and heartless as the rumored evil girl.”
“Who’s this to say ……!”
If it were any other male lead, he would have been unable to hold his tongue. I wanted to be furious, but I always got lost in the thought of “Try again, this guy seems to be happy”. I took a deep breath and held back the profanity that wanted to come out of my mouth.
‘Dog.’
Closing my mouth, I glared at him, venting my displeasure with my eyes.
“Ha……”
He suddenly released his murderous expression and said briskly.
“There’s really no time to be bored with a male female.”
And.
[Favorability 34%]
Together with the unknown smile that surfaced on his face, the favorability rose. I slowly widened my eyes.5%, quite a big rise.
Dumbfounded, I looked at the top of his head that was glittering with golden light. It exceeded the base favorability given in normal mode by 30%. Now the Crown Prince’s favorability could be said to have reached a level far from death.
But it didn’t feel quite real. Relieved, but is it really. I looked at him staring at me and smiling and just felt strange.
“The trembling stopped.”
It was then that the chains imprisoning the body ‘snapped’ free. Unlike a hard hug, Callisto let go of me very carefully.
“It’s really time to sleep now.”
He stood up from his seat and went back over to the campfire without a care in the world. The heat surrounding it disappeared all of a sudden.
As he said, the trembling that had occupied his body without realizing it disappeared.

“Dad.”
“Back yet.”
Duke Eckhardt knocked on the table anxiously. Seeing his eldest son entering the tent, he looked up happily.
But Derrick shook his head and the Duke frowned.
“Is …… it still the same?”
“Leonard has gone back into the forest with the hounds, and will hear news soon.”
“Who was the last person seen.”
“I found a guard who answered me that she had gone to the critter hunt.”
“So she went there?”
This time, Derrick nodded quietly. Bang-! The Duke slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
“Now that all the questions are done, what about a minor girl alone in the woods?”
He said he was going to visit the hunting grounds, but he didn’t expect this. Penelope was supposed to be temperamental.
Even so, the critter hunting grounds weren’t far from the hunting convention tents, and whatever happened, the Konoha would be able to find it quickly.
The problem was that she might have gone to the deep forest where the beasts were unleashed. The Duke had a terrible headache and pressed hard on his temples, asking.
“What about the Crown Prince’s side?”
At that moment, the corner of Derrick’s mouth twitched slightly. The Duke saw the stiffness at the corners of his mouth.
“The …… palace just sent a search party as well.”
At this exact moment, the Duke’s daughter had also disappeared. It had been a long time since the announcement of the gathering, and the Crown Prince had not returned.
“If you find it, notify this side as well. Then only the matter of waiting remains.”
“Did that madman kill Penelope and drag her somewhere ……”
“Dad.”
Derrick stopped the Duke.
“There are a lot of people listening.”
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t thought so. But this wasn’t Eckhardt territory, it was the center of the hunting grounds where various nobles were gathered. There was no telling where anyone was listening.
“Leonard, who conducted the search first, found something strange.”
Derrick said in a lower voice.
“In the golden marked area where the beasts of prey were released, there were carcasses of bears with their necks cut off.”
“Carcasses of …… bears?”
The Duke held his breath at the seriousness of his voice.
“Yes. But the strange thing is that the severed head is rolling around away from the body.”
“Well ……”
“It’s said that a lot of the hair on the body was charred, exposing the flesh. There were round beads inside.”
“What, what are you talking about!”
“Maybe the bear attacked humans ……”
“No, there are no such marks.”
Derrick flatly denied it, and the Duke sighed in relief. Great.
“So what happened to the bear’s body.”
“It was the squires of the Marquis of Ehren’s house who arrived first and were cleaning it up. So it had to be backed up.”
“The Marquis of Ellen’s house?”
The unexpected name made the Duke frown.
“So …… was it the Marquis of Ellen who caught the bear?”
“That’s impossible. Because of His Royal Highness’s evil inclinations, it should have been him who brutally hunted the bear.”
“But how could the guy who can’t even shoot a bow catch the bear ……”
“Besides, if he caught it, he should have picked up the head and taken it away when he came back ……”
“Ha …… have absolutely no idea how it happened.” The Duke sighed with a headache and muttered.
“Penelope, she what’s going to unleash the beasts in the area! Doesn’t she have that stone bow ……”
“Dad!”
Derrick asked suddenly, listening to his mumbling in silence.
“What kind of magic was applied to Penelope’s stone bow?”
“What magic did you apply to make her shoot at bears without knowing the sky?”
“Ahem!”
The Duke, probably uncomfortable with the topic, turned his head with a dry cough. Seeing his father like that, Derrick narrowed his eyes.
“Could it be that a killing magic was applied?”
“Did you say killing? Impossible!”
The Duke suddenly turned his head and said in a raw voice.
“…… That’s right. It’s just a temporary fainting level, suitable for hunting, and it should have passed the inspection as well.”
“Is it really just that?”
Facing a sharp line of sight, the eldest son was not easy to deceive. The Duke mused for a moment.
“…… There, the magic of losing memory after being hit was applied.”
The expressionless Derrick’s face twisted. The tent was quiet for some time. Derrick spoke after a long time.
“…… Why did you give her something like that?”
The Duke glanced at his son and answered tersely.
“If there’s someone who wants to shoot, just quietly shoot at them.”
“You know her character, why did you give her something dangerous like that?”
Derrick’s voice was calm again, as if he had suppressed his anger.
“If she’s running around shooting people indiscriminately like she did last year ……”
“What are you going to do if a large number of people lose their memories when they get hit by a stone bow?”
“Nothing like that will happen.”
The Duke smacked his lips in defense.
“I’m only doing it just in case. She has reflected fully, and I will be careful.”
“With one less Earl Kailin, would you like to bring a few of the remaining nobles along this time?”
“Derek Eckhardt.”
The Duke interrupted Derrick flatly. Handing over a diamond mine to the pestering Earl Kailin would be a huge loss for Eckart as well.
But how could a male daughter, who was strictly listed in the genealogy, stand by and watch her child be imprisoned for her ignorance.
“…… Stop it. Give it all. The recent mess that’s been going on in the house has made me angry.”