Heads turned as Ingrid walked into the premises where the hunt was being held. However, none caught the glance of the aloof lady except for one.

A complex expression surfaced in Ingrid's eyes upon catching sight of the towering man, who was wearing modest, earth-toned clothing usually worn by the common folks when hunting. With the fame of his tyranny, she thought everyone would stay away from him like he had the plague. Yet all the nobles of the empire, both young and old, flocked towards him like butterflies. They cannot wait to shower him with flattery—all to gain his favor.

On the other hand, Crown Prince Aleric is also very generous in giving them his attention. He looked friendly and charming as he spoke—it was impossible to think he was the same crown prince whom they say had slaughtered thousands of men.

Ingrid wanted to puke at the Crown Prince's hypocrisy, but instead a rare smile appeared from her lips. Like a rippling effect, the eyes of those who saw her smile went wide in surprise.

It is a known fact that the only person who can make Ingrid smile is her father. However, the grand duke is standing right beside her, so who could she be smiling at?

Everyone quickly looked around to find the lucky person who made the unparalled beauty smile.

Grand Duke Rasmus was the first to spot the subject of her gaze. But before he could stop her, Ingrid was already making her way towards the man standing in the midst of the crown, who, despite wearing such simple garments, still exudes an aura of reverence and authority.

The crowd parted like the Red Sea, their bewildered eyes following their goddess's every step.

"What a pleasure to see you again, Your Highness," she said, her face brimming with happiness.

Silence...

The entire camp was filled with deafening silence.

It was the very first time that their beautiful goddess came down from her throne to voluntarily greet a mortal being. But their dumbstruck faces were soon replaced with piercing glares as they looked at Crown Prince Aleric. Though they respect the crown prince, given his controversial reputation, they do not believe he is worthy of their goddess's attention.

"The pleasure is mine, my lady," Crown Prince Aleric said, and he kissed the back of her delicate hand, his soft lips lingering longer than they should have.

Ingrid forced a smile on her face, pretending to enjoy the crown prince's attention, even though she wanted nothing more than to pull her hand away and slap him across the face.

"I thought you hated the hunting festival," Aleric asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"I do, but it's the fastest way to make my father believe I like you," Ingrid said, grimacing as she said the words 'I like you.' “What better event can get a message across than joining a celebration that I hate the most for the sake of a person I am interested in?" She added sarcastically and secretly rolled her eyes at the Crown Prince.

"But are you really okay? You're trembling, you know," Aleric said.

For a second, Ingrid felt like there was a hint of worry in the crown prince's voice. But she quickly dismissed the thought, thinking how ridiculous it was. The self-centered crown prince would never care for anyone but himself.

Indeed, she was trembling. The hostile stares of the men around them, as if they would tear Aleric to pieces at any given moment, were putting her on edge.

Crown Prince Aleric's dirty look, as if challenging them to do something, only made matters worse. She fears that a fight worse than what happened two years ago might just happen.

"Can you please stop provoking them?" Ingrid pleaded.

Aleric looked at her innocently, as though he didn't understand what she was saying.

She was really close to punching him.

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"Ehem!" the grand duke coughed, bemused by how close the crown prince was to his daughter. He didn’t like how they looked like sweet lovers as they whispered to each other.

But before the grand duke could speak his mind, the emperor appeared, drawn by the commotion.

"I'm wounded to think my niece would greet the Crown Prince of Aradhya before me, her uncle." The Emperor lamented clutching his chest in a display of mock anguish.

Ingrid flinched at her uncle's theatrics.

They aren't exactly close. As the key to her father's heart, she’s quite aware that the emperor was only using her to get on the grand dukes good side. And with the people believing that the House of Lennox is behind him, his hold on the empire is further strengthened.

However, in reality, the relationship between the imperial household and their ducal household is quite strained, especially after what happened six years ago. Upon investigation, it wqs revealed that someone from the emperor’s side had a hand in her abduction.

Whether it was someone else or the emperor himself is still unclear.

“That’s not the case, your majesty," Ingrid said while bowing. “I was about to greet your majesty when I saw Crown Prince Aleric along the way, so I went ahead and greeted him.”

The Emperor and the Grand Duke looked at each other with an inexplicable expression on their faces. Crown Prince Aleric stood in the opposite direction from where the emperor is seated. The Emperor quickly grabbed his brother and pulled him to the side.

“You could really tell that they are brothers,” Aleric whispered while the Grand Duke and the Emperor weren’t looking.

The Emperor is the Grand Duke's younger brother. However, it is hard to tell who is older or younger based on their looks alone, as Grand Duke Rasmus seems to have stopped aging. Meanwhile, the Emperor, who holds the weight of an entire kingdom on his shoulder, did not get lucky in the aging department.

“I’ve been wondering about this, but why isn’t your father the emperor? ”

Ingrid raised her brow. “That’s elementary knowledge, and you don’t know?” She said sarcastically. She knew he had people investigate their empire.

Crown Prince Aleric scoffed, unwilling to be looked down upon. “I'm quite aware that the succession of the crown in the empire of Learia wasn’t based on a first-born basis. Instead, all of the princes and princesses of the kingdom are given a fair chance to succeed the throne through fair competition..."

"...But your father was the one everyone expected to win the competition. He was far ahead of his brothers and sisters. The fiefdom he was assigned prospered greatly. The commoners loved and respected him, and many nobles rallied behind him. Yet he didn’t become the emperor in the end.”

“That’s because of my mother,” Ingrid answered with a hint of sadness in her voice. “My father gave up his title while they were at the climax of the competition, all because the most beautiful woman in the land whom he loved the most was the sole daughter of the Grand Duke Lennox."

"My grandfather has no male heir to pass on the family name you see. Thus, on his deathbed, he announced he would only accept a son-in-law who would marry into the family. You could guess what happened next.”

Aleric nodded his head in understanding. “Speaking of your mother, do you remember her face?”

Ingrid glared at Aleric. "Did none of your sources tell you that she died while I was a baby?" she snapped.

Her mother was a sensitive topic for her. If there is one thing that she lacks in this world, it is a mother. She would often envy those who grew up with their mothers, wondering how it felt to have one.

Seeing Ingrid's sour mood, Aleric didn't pursue the topic further. It was of no use anyway. Ingrid was practically caged in her castle, so she wouldn't have known that there was not a single trace left of her mother in the world, as though she never existed.

“My child, the journey must have tired you. How about we go to our tent so you can rest? Let us leave His Majesty the Emperor and the Crown Prince as they prepare for the hunt." Grand Duke Rasmus suggested while pulling Ingrid by the waist before she could voice any words of disagreement.

He couldn’t wait to take his daughter far away from that crown prince before some nonsensical relationship of some sort formed between the two.

On the contrary, Ingrid was greatly thankful to be taken away. She had already done what she came to do, and she needed to cool her head.

“Is he the one you meant?” The Grand Duke asked hesitantly.

“The one I meant?” Ingrid tilted her head, acting oblivious.

“The person you said... the one you..." Grand Duke Rasmus sighed. “Never mind.”

Ingrid couldn’t help but smile while watching her father walk ahead of her dejectedly. Although she felt sorry for deceiving him, she knew she had to do this for his sake and hers.

Everyone strives to be beautiful. No one ever wants to be ugly. However, too much beauty can turn into poison. How much more if you are born with beauty whose league is above and beyond anyone else on the planet?

Life is a curse for her, who is the most beautiful. And she's well aware that she couldn’t live under the protection of her father forever.

Every life ends like the season, and soon she will be alone in a world that wants nothing but to tear her apart.

Then, as she was pondering her future, the most perfect candidate came into view. A man who has both the strength and power to shield her from the world. Although he has a terrible character, he is still a better option than the other guy, who only wants to make her a breeder for pretty children. That was why she did not resist as much as she should have, despite how infuriating his threats were.

Now she could only hope that she was right to choose him. Hopefully the rumors of his might and power aren’t just mere lies, for only if they are true will she be able to escape the fate that awaits her in the hands of that terrible man.