Chapter 65: The Deeds of Raphael Orleans (2)
Chapter 65: The Deeds of Raphael Orleans (2)
Typically, the imperial pheasant hunt was the first event of spring hosted by the royal family, with the honor of escorting the royals alternating each year between two ducal houses. This privilege, however, was something Raphael quietly seized in the name of the Orleans heir and used as leverage to propose a wager to Marquis Hyante.
Claiming that everyone’s joints had stiffened over the winter, he suggested a friendly archery match. Whoever won would serve as the Emperor and Crown Prince’s escort for this year’s hunt.
Given that tradition dictated the ducal houses take turns and the Hyante family would have to wait a century for their turn, there was no reason for them to refuse.
Marquis Hyante, flush with excitement, cast aside even his own sons and boldly volunteered to face the young knight Raphael himself.
Got him.
Raphael pretended to hesitate nervously.
“Marquis, you seem quite worked up. Your face is flushed. Don’t you think you might need a moment to cool down?”
“It’s the thrill of a fair duel between men! I, too, once served proudly as a knight. No backing out now. Let us begin!”
“If you insist… I suppose I have no choice.”
The location was a clearing at the entrance of the imperial hunting grounds.
The rules were simple: each would shoot ten arrows at a target, and the one with the higher score would take charge of this year’s pheasant hunt escort. To ensure fairness, three witnesses were appointed: a member of the Count Esault’s household, the imperial gamekeeper, and a retired knight from the Blue Rose Order.
‘Tch, challenging someone over a perfectly legitimate right… Has he gone mad from the spring air? Well, this is the end for House Orleans. If their heir’s this fond of gambling…’
Marquis Hyante sneered inwardly.
It’s perfect. I’ve got nothing to lose, win or lose!
If he won, not only would he claim the escorting duty, but he could also spread the word that Raphael’s archery was a joke.
And if he lost? So what? Losing to the heir of House Orleans, an active knight, wouldn’t damage his reputation. It was a pragmatic choice. Had he sent one of his sons and they lost, that would be a different story. But if he lost, there was no fallout.
‘Excellent… Ugh, I’m so excited my head’s pounding again. Ten arrows… just ten, and it’ll be over.’
Back in his knightly days, Marquis Hyante had never made much of a name for himself. He was good at ceremonies, decent with a bow, but knights rarely served as archers, so he never had much chance to shine. He’d retired early, without regrets.
That foolish duke’s son wouldn’t know the first thing about my hidden skill. Hah.
Just then, Raphael looked to the side and spoke.
“Bring it here.”
“Yes, sir!”
“What’s this?”
Before the bow and arrows even arrived, Raphael had a table set up with a steaming teapot and cups. He poured a little of the contents and took a sip, immediately grimacing.
“Ugh, it tastes even worse now that it’s hot.”
“What… is it?” the marquis asked, tense.
From the color, it didn’t seem like a potion, but it could be some kind of concentration-enhancing tonic, couldn’t it?
“Pfft. It’s just, going straight to the match felt a bit dry. Let’s say the loser drinks all of this awful water in the pot.”
To prove his point, Raphael coughed multiple times after drinking.
‘Poison? No… he actually drank it. Maybe the inside of the cup is coated with something…’
Hyante’s mind whirred.
‘But if he drank it first, he’s probably just being dramatic. Fine, whatever. I’ll play along.’
“Hm, very well. Though I do prefer drinking from my own familiar cup, I’ll have one prepared.”
“As you wish.”
It’s not poison?
Watching Raphael so easily agree, Hyante was struck by the sudden fear that the liquid wasn’t poisonous… just disgusting. And that fear became reality moments later.
Thwip!
The final arrow soared from Raphael’s bow. The result didn’t even need to be checked.
“Grr…”
Lowering his bow, Marquis Hyante glanced down at his modestly protruding belly.
In his mind, he was still the vibrant young man of his twenties. Had he truly aged…? No! It was just that he hadn’t held a bow in years. He’d bounce back with some training. He clenched his fist and accepted the outcome in a grumbling tone.
“I must be off my game lately. These headaches, you see. Lord Raphael, the match is yours.”
“I’m honored, Marquis. Thank you for granting me the opportunity.”
Raphael had landed his first three arrows squarely in the center, though his accuracy had wavered slightly in the latter half. He stepped forward and offered a handshake.
The House of Orleans… rotten from top to bottom, but I suppose this one really is the famed noble heir.
Still, once he becomes Duke, he’ll be just like his father. It’s in the blood. They’re all the same.
Despite the bitter defeat, Marquis Hyante responded with dignity and clasped Raphael’s hand.
“Thank you.”
“Well then… time for the penalty, ahem, a fine, calming herbal tea to soothe the nerves.”
“Herbal tea…?”
There are so many pleasant names in the world – flower tea, fine teas, coffee, golden tea, honeyed drinks, hot chocolate…
But herbal tea? Was this some roadside weed boiled in water?! No wonder Raphael had complained about the taste earlier! As expected of the Orleans family! Poison or not, they’ve brought some vile concoction to humiliate me!
Raphael, now sipping the cooled tea, murmured quietly.
“Still bitter, but it’s better now that it’s lukewarm. Ugh…”
“…The loser had to drink it all, wasn’t that the deal? Sigh.”
“Marquis!”
One of the knights who had come with the marquis rushed forward to intervene, but Hyante took the cup from the servant’s tray.
A man should be bold in defeat. Accepting one’s loss with grace was the mark of a true gentleman.
“A man must keep his word. Gulp…! Ugh! Gah!”
Choking on the foul taste, the marquis managed to down the lukewarm liquid. Raphael’s kind eyes shimmered with admiration.
“You are indeed the esteemed Marquis Hyante. Allow me to lessen your burden and take a share myself… Guh! Augh… I mustn’t spit it out…!”
“Urgh! Ugh!”
And so began an unexpected ‘side match’ of enduring the repulsive tea, which dragged on for nearly an hour.
When the marquis finally placed down the last empty cup, his complexion even paler than when he’d arrived at the hunting grounds, he muttered, “Hah… This was harder than the archery… I haven’t tasted something this vile in the past ten years…”
“Th-Thank you for your effort. Perhaps… we could rematch under the same conditions in two years’ time?”
Marquis Hyante, still reeling from the taste, shouted with indignation.
“Fine! Of course we will! I’ll personally appear again, Sir Raphael, so don’t you dare back out! Even if the sky falls and the earth splits, our duel shall continue!”
“Ghh… Understood.”
Clutching his upset stomach, Raphael nodded, the tea sloshing inside him like a storm. And thus, thanks to Raphael’s not-so-noble sacrifice, Marquis Hyante unexpectedly recovered his health.
His chronic headaches disappeared completely, but he was too consumed with rage and humiliation to notice the change.
Having been defeated by the heir of House Orleans and subjected to a teapot of revolting tea, his pride was in shambles. He immediately ordered a calendar for the year after next and hung it on the wall.
“728 days… Not long now. By then, I’ll have regained my former strength! The glory of escorting the pheasant hunt will be ours! And that dreadful tea will be his to drink!”
He hadn’t even let the ink dry before flipping the calendar pages and marking the days.
“Servants! By tomorrow, clear the ground behind the mansion and set up a target. Come rain or snow, I will reclaim my archery skills!”
Several days later, Marquis Hyante finally realized that his headaches had vanished.
— — —
Meanwhile, at the Klein Duchy estate, Dott frowned.
“That’s odd. This should’ve been the day… Wasn’t this when the marquis usually muttered about his headaches before collapsing on the way back home? Ugh… why does everything keep going awry?”
She pouted and tapped her fingernail against the calendar before flopping onto the bed.
‘Would a rock need to fall on his head before he feels unwell? Everything’s turning out different from what was supposed to happen. It’s driving me crazy.’
If only the marquis had shown symptoms, she could’ve simply sniffed the herbal pouch the doctor recommended, something he always carried, and identified it.
Dott had rehearsed her role in her mind countless times. Everything was prepared, but the patient wouldn’t get sick. It made no sense.
‘Why haven’t I heard that he collapsed? And Morgana… she’s holed up in the Tower, clearly with no memories.’
At least with no news from the marquis, that source of suspicion had quieted down.
Just then…
“Tiana, are you asleep?”
“No, Mother!”
Duchess Klein entered her daughter’s room just in time. Dott straightened her back and greeted her mother with a cheerful smile.
The room was brighter and more cheerful with the arrival of spring, and now that she had finally received new mahogany furniture, she felt deeply satisfied.
“Mother.”
“So, how have you been lately? If you’re feeling well, perhaps we should start planning your next appointments.”
“Of course, please decide as you see fit.”
The Duchess stroked her daughter’s hair fondly. Even her dislike of the pink hues adored by other noble girls seemed refined.
She’s special, because she’s my daughter.
“Nonsense. You should choose what you want. Countess Quessa has sent an invitation for a tea party and perfume tasting, the Viscount Duran is holding a reading circle, and things are quiet on the Hyante front for once. The Orleans family only mentioned a simple tea gathering.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Lastly, the Dahlia Hotel Salon is hosting a spring flower bookmark event with various attendees. Do you know which you’d like to attend first?”
“Hmm… okay.”
Dott pretended to think, though she had already decided as soon as she heard the list.
‘Is the Hyante marquis unwell and unable to host anything? Then this must be the sign. He’ll still show up at the palace even while sick, so I need to jump in when I see the chance. Let’s shortlist the gatherings I can attend.’
Though in truth, there wasn’t much to consider. Of all the events, only two were really worth her time.
……
T/N: Dott was already well-prepared for the healing Marquis Hyante, it’s just that her patient is already healed hahaha
