Chapter 56

The next day.

 

The effects of delicious food, warm bedding, and a soft bed were tremendous. I woke up feeling refreshed and invigorated.

 

“With this condition, the healer will surely say there’s no problem.”

 

I stretched widely, and my body felt light and refreshed with no stiffness. I was in peak condition.

 

Knock-knock-

 

“Mistress, are you awake?”

 

Norman’s voice came from outside the door with the knock.

 

“Yes, Norman.”

 

“I will enter with the healer.”

 

“Come in.”

 

Norman and the healer entered the bedroom together. The healer sat on the adjacent chair and asked me.

 

“I will check your pulse briefly to confirm your physical condition.”

 

I extended my right arm to the healer, and he placed his fingers on my wrist to check my pulse.

 

‘Is he making a diagnosis through reading the pulse?’

 

I hadn’t expected to see a traditional Korean medicine diagnostic method here. About a minute passed. The healer looked at me with an uncertain expression and asked.

 

“Hmm… I heard you also have bruises. May I check them?”

 

“Of course.”

 

The healer unwrapped the bandages on my arms and legs and checked the wounds.

 

“First, I will apply some treatment medicine.”

 

He took medical supplies out of his bag, applied ointment to the wounded areas, and meticulously wrapped the bandages. His touch was definitely thorough and delicate treatment, befitting a healer. The healer asked me a question.

 

“Have you been overworked or strained recently?”

 

“I was a little strained at the Hunting Festival yesterday, but I’m fine now.”

 

The healer shook his head and asked again.

 

“I’m asking if you have been under mental or psychological strain, not just physical exertion.”

 

“Not particularly?”

 

…I was about to answer that, but Norman, standing next to me, interrupted and confessed.

 

“Actually, the mistress has often been sleeping late due to excessive work for the trading company.”

 

“For how many days a week was that?”

 

“She fell asleep in the early hours of the morning about four days a week.”

 

The healer looked sympathetic and cautiously began to speak.

 

“Just as I suspected. That seems to be the case.”

 

“Is there a serious problem, Healer?”

 

“Your innate constitution is not the most robust type, and excessive fatigue has accumulated, negatively impacting your recovery ability. You must have had difficulties with stamina even when working normally.”

 

“I’ve never had such an experience!”

 

“The patient seems to be quite unaware of their own condition. On top of this, you’ve acquired bruises, and despite hearing you received treatment from a priest, the situation is not good.”

 

I was dismayed by the healer’s words, which sounded like he was diagnosing a near-fatal illness.

 

“I’m perfectly fine! Look at this.”

 

I stood up and flailed my arms and legs. The healer spoke with a serious expression.

 

“The patient seems to be overestimating their self-healing abilities. You might feel fine now, but absolute rest is necessary for your future well-being.”

 

“……Is that true?”

 

Norman looked at me with concern.

 

“How should we proceed with treatment, Healer?”

 

“You must take the healing medicine consistently to maximize recovery. Short walks are fine, but it is not advisable to carry out external schedules.”

 

“Does that mean she should absolutely not go outside?”

 

“It would be better for recovery if she didn’t.”

 

This meant I couldn’t attend the Hunting Festival after-party banquet tonight.

 

‘This won’t do… I absolutely have to attend the banquet today.’

 

The healer gathered his bag and rose from the seat.

 

“Please continue to apply the bandage and ointment to the wounds for a while. Based on today’s diagnosis, I will formulate the treatment medicine and send it to the manor.”

 

“Thank you, Healer.”

 

“You are most welcome. I am merely doing my job.”

 

The healer then left my room. Norman spoke to me, oblivious to my troubled heart.

 

“Mistress. You heard the healer. You are confined to the house until your condition improves.”

 

I knew he was concerned, but I absolutely had to go out today.

 

“I appreciate your concern, but wouldn’t a house ban be better starting tomorrow? If I don’t attend the banquet today, there will definitely be a problem…”

 

“There will definitely be no problem.”

 

I thought hard and chose a different approach.

 

“The trading company! I must go to the trading company!”

 

I could pretend to go to the trading company and slip away to the banquet hall. It seemed like a pretty good idea.

 

“There’s a lot of work to do at the trading company. There’s a backlog of work from this time too.”

 

Norman narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing me as if he could see through me.

 

“If you are worried about the trading company, I will bring the documents so you can work from the manor. That will be fine, won’t it, milady?”

 

“I also need to get reports from Kenny and the staff and check how the trading company is running.”

 

“For urgent matters, contact them via communication orb, milady.”

 

Even for important business, Norman showed no signs of budging, and I felt dizzy.

 

“No going out, milady.”

 

Facing the impregnable fortress that was Norman, I finally waved the white flag.

 

“…Alright.”

 

Norman smiled with satisfaction at my answer and said.

 

“Milady. Please rest.”

 

As Norman was stepping out, he turned back and warned me.

 

“Going out without telling me like last time will not be tolerated. You understand, milady?”

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

Norman went out with a proud smile. I was ultimately forced into mandatory rest.

 

 

***

 

 

In his conversation with Norman, Freyer had proposed that Lilithia be confined to the house for a while. He felt that attending the banquet after going through a bad experience was not a good choice.

 

‘Lilithia must not have attended.’

 

Lilithia was nowhere to be seen in the banquet hall. The Emperor, seated on the dais, opened the proceedings.

 

“I heard there was some unrest. But I am truly relieved that the Hunting Festival concluded without major incident.”

 

Originally, the Hunting Festival after-party banquet was held at the campsite, where participants would place their game in front of a marker. However, the sudden appearance of a monster delayed the banquet, and it was difficult to hold the event at the campsite.

 

Although the participants had been informed that the after-party banquet would be held at the Imperial Palace Banquet Hall instead, they were tense, as they hadn’t expected the Emperor to preside over it himself.

 

“I promised a wish in my name to the person who brought the most valuable game.”

 

The participants who returned to the campsite immediately handed their storage orbs to a magician upon arrival. Since the game was not publicly disclosed, and they didn’t know what each other had caught, the tension was heightened.

 

“Those who are confident, step forward and show your game.”

 

The Emperor looked out at the banquet hall and shouted.

 

“I will display my game first.”

 

Diara stepped forward to the front of the banquet hall.

 

“It seems you are confident in the game you caught.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Show the game from Diara Alstein’s storage orb.”

 

The magician standing in the center took out the storage orb from the box he was holding. It was possible to place objects or game into the storage orb without mana, but the help of a magician was needed to take them out. The magician poured mana into the storage orb, and with a bright flash of light, a sleeping animal appeared on the floor. Diara said with a faint smile.

 

“I brought back a deer with long antlers.”

 

The Emperor exclaimed in admiration as he looked at the game.

 

“It must have been hard to catch. You worked hard.”

 

“It was fine.”

 

Diara bowed lightly and stepped back. The magician also returned her game to the storage orb. The Emperor scanned the banquet hall and said.

 

“Who will display their game next?”

 

After Diara, the young lords confidently showed their game to the Emperor. However, the participants’ game was roughly the size of rabbits, roe deer, deer, and wolves, and the number caught was also similar. The Emperor’s expression grew subtle as he checked the game.

 

“Doesn’t all the game look similar?”

 

Some young ladies with weak stomachs stood a distance away, chatting in hushed voices.

 

“It seems no one caught anything special in my opinion.”

 

“Then is the Crown Prince the winner again this time?”

 

“He hasn’t shown his game yet, but he must have caught something amazing.”

 

“Didn’t he catch a tiger in the Hunting Festival two years ago?”

 

“I’m looking forward to it.”

 

The young ladies’ eyes sparkled as they looked at Ivailo. Ivailo stood in front of the banquet hall with a faint smile. The young ladies couldn’t hide their anticipation, placing their hands over their chests.

 

“This is the Crown Prince’s game.”

 

Everyone’s attention was focused on the Crown Prince’s storage orb. The magician took out the animals from the magical tool, and everyone gasped, holding their breath, frozen in place.

 

“The game I caught is a black bear and a female black panther.”

 

Everyone was astonished and impressed by the enormous size of the game. Even the chattering young ladies exchanged looks of surprise between the Crown Prince and his game.

 

“As expected of the Crown Prince.”

 

“He’s truly amazing!”

 

The Emperor narrowed his eyes as he looked at the game.

 

“Quite. You have caught interesting game.”

 

There were no storage orbs remaining in the box the magician was holding. The young lords murmured with regret, thinking the Crown Prince was the last to reveal his game.

 

“As expected, the Crown Prince is the winner again without any surprise…”

 

“Sigh. What a shame.”

 

The Emperor asked the magician.

 

“The Second Prince hasn’t shown his game yet, so why is the container empty?”

 

The young lords, who had been bowing their heads, looked up in surprise at the mention of an unexpected person’s name. The magician stammered in response to the Emperor.

 

“…That is because His Highness the Second Prince did not return his storage orb.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

“He seems to have forgotten in his haste to rescue the young lady who was lost in the forest and return…”

 

“In that case, we should check the Second Prince’s storage orb.”

 

At the Emperor’s words, the magician’s eyes widened, and he tried to stop him.

 

“Your Majesty. By the rules, the storage orb must be returned upon return to the campsite. There is a possibility that His Highness the Second Prince may have bought game elsewhere and put it in to win…”

 

“Isn’t the purpose of placing the video orb in the forest to prevent such a thing, Magic Director?”

 

“Ah… that is true, but.”

 

“Then there should be no problem.”

 

The Emperor spoke toward Freyer.

 

“Second Prince, step forward. Do you have the storage orb with you now?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then hand the storage orb over to the Magic Director.”

 

The magician hurriedly approached Freyer and held out his hand.

 

“Please hand over the storage orb you possess.”

 

“Here it is.”

 

The magician who received the storage orb poured mana into the orb. A light spread, and the game inside appeared on the floor.

 

“I brought back an orc, the main culprit that disrupted the Hunting Festival, and a male black panther, the leader of the forest.”