Chapter 183

Chapter 183

Leaving the tent, Deatrice headed towards the walking path as Lucius had suggested.

In her heart, she wanted to confront the Emperor right away about Lucius being mistreated. However, she held back, knowing that Lucius had said he would see another priest for treatment, which meant he would handle the matter with the Emperor, in a hurry. She didn’t need to intervene further.

But why was her heart in such turmoil?

Her feet were freezing as she awkwardly walked on the snowy ground. The damp hem of her skirt started to weigh her down, and the cold winter wind stripped away any warmth. On the way to the garden, she crossed paths with Frederick, who was talking to the knights.

The knights surrounding the prince were cautiously asking about the incident, and Frederick replied with a nervous attitude, repeatedly stating that it was an accident and that he was running from a distance and accidentally fired in the direction of the prey.

“But as I’ve said repeatedly, given the angle of the bullet…”

“I can’t believe it, can you just go ask Elliot, the one who was involved? He wasn’t even seriously injured; there’s no need to treat me like this.”

At that moment, Frederick also turned his head and saw her.

Deatrice gave him a cold gaze before turning her steps away from him. However, it seemed that Frederick had no intention of letting her go. After sending the knights towards Lucius, he seemed to be following her.

The mud soaking her shoes made a dreadful sound as she walked, and she couldn’t stand the unpleasant sighs it caused. Following her, Frederick suddenly raised his voice.

“Do you think I intentionally shot him too?”

She didn’t know what he wanted to justify. The more she heard his voice, the angrier she became. She walked on without saying a word, but then Frederick inserted himself in front of her, stopping her steps.

“I’m asking you.”

“…”

“Or does your husband say I did it intentionally? That I shot him.”

“What do you want?”

Amidst Deatrice’s icy voice, Frederick faltered slightly. It was a voice and attitude he had never heard during their engagement life.

“You’re really curious about what I think? Or are you testing whose words I’ll believe?”

“Testing me?”

Frederick asked, his jaw tense. Deatrice let out a bitter laugh. She couldn’t understand how such a person managed to survive in the battlefield. The Frederick in front of her just seemed to be a nuisance and useless prince.

“If I said I didn’t shoot, would you believe me?”

Despite her mocking laughter, Frederick’s voice became somewhat calm. Deatrice frowned at Frederick’s inscrutable face.

“As if I would believe you over Lucius. Even if Lucius insists it was an accident, I wouldn’t believe you didn’t shoot.”

Her cold response followed, and with it, the seriousness that had been wrapped around Frederick’s side also disappeared.

“You say hurtful things. If you think about it, haven’t we been together for longer than you and him were in love? We’ve spent almost a year together.”

“It was a meaningless time.”

“Meaningless?”

Frederick raised one corner of his mouth as if amused. Deatrice retorted without hesitation, sharpening her sword.

“So you thought I would have any interest in your boring ambitions?”

But Frederick was no pushover either.

“So, did you decide to live by the side of a man with no ambitions, not even a dream? I may become a boring king, but your man will live as a lively knight. I would enjoy that. You living by the side of a man who repeatedly risks his life for others. They say the Emperor doesn’t let go of those who gamble with their lives in wars, right?”

Each word he uttered was like a blade.

Surely, he must have trained only the tip of his tongue to survive. Deatrice couldn’t bear her past while waiting for a man’s letter and sitting alone in the reception room.

All the anger piled up.

Despite the thought that turning away without saying anything might seem like admitting defeat, Deatrice didn’t feel like engaging in any more verbal sparring with Frederick. Even if she left him some sharp words, leaving something behind felt more dreadful in her heart.

Deatrice lifted her soaked dress and moved away from Frederick, putting some distance between them.

Back at the palace, she changed her clothes carefully and returned to the hunting ground. When she returned, everyone looked at her with surprised eyes, and they commented on the attire she had chosen.

“Isn’t that an equestrian outfit you’re wearing, my lady?”

“What’s the meaning of dressing up in equestrian attire when your husband is injured?”

Her actions seemed to defy common sense, and people furrowed their eyebrows at her behavior.

“Could it be that you’re planning to hunt in Elliot’s place?”

Words and glances exchanged hastily beyond the fan. Deatrice casually lowered her head towards the Emperor, who looked rather taken aback but soon burst into laughter and nodded.

“Weren’t you famous for having better skills than most young men even before you got married? I’ll be glad to have you join us after such a long time.”

“Hah.”

In response to his permission, Frederick, who was beside her, let out a short laugh, and all the nobles looked back and forth between her and the prince, curious about how this confrontation would turn out. The prince couldn’t stop her participation, given the arrows she shot at her own husband, so he just welcomed her with a faint smile.

“Allow me to escort you.”

However, the prince’s escort was the kind that was entirely unnecessary. Deatrice nodded politely and quickly mounted her horse, setting off at a brisk pace in response to the signal. She knew she was acting rather impulsively, but she didn’t feel bad about it.