The Villain's Ending is Only Death Chapter 98
At that moment, an exclamation burst out from one side of the sunshade.
"Incredible, Lord Renald is in fifth place!"
"Will he pass his prey to someone else?"
A few young ladies were causing a commotion not far from me.
Hearing the commotion, Renald waved his hand with a very proud look on his face.
I frowned at the sudden screams.
'What is this, a fan club?'
I didn't want to see Renald putting on airs. I lowered my parasol to avoid making eye contact with him.
Without any further announcement, the next name was called, indicating that Renald had no intention of passing his prey to anyone else.
"Fourth place, Lord Derrick Eckart, the young duke of the Eckart family! Two wolves, two white foxes, and one Flapofin from the Duchy of Yeta!"
Similar reactions were repeated once more.
I was somewhat surprised.
Derrick was known for his strong pride. I thought he would compete for the top two places with the crown prince...
In any case, the chaos caused by my actions must have distracted everyone from the hunt.
'But it's none of my business.'
I became more interested in the unfamiliar prey he had caught rather than his ranking.
'A rare animal from the Duchy of Yeta...?'
I raised my parasol and looked at the pile of prey.
However, the dead prey was laid out in such a way that I couldn't see them clearly from my position.
Except for a glimpse of an unfamiliar purple hue among the familiar prey.
"Next, third place! Lord Bouter Berdandi, the marquis of the Berdandi family!"
I wanted to observe more, but my attention was drawn to the next name being called.
"Three deer, two adult wild boars, two peregrine falcons, and one mammoth from the Caphria Mountains!"
The Berdandi area seemed to be packed with large animals, unlike the Eckart area.
'Oh, he's quite impressive.'
I thought he was just good at magic, but he turned out to be a rough and capable hunter.
I looked at Bouter with renewed interest.
Suddenly, he raised his hand and said,
"My prey is dedicated to Lady Penelope Eckart, who showed the greatest performance in this competition."
"Berdandi... Marquis... to the lady..."
People around me who recognized me gasped and glanced at me.
As a result, my location was quickly exposed.
Bouter pointed at me as if he had a sixth sense.
When our eyes met, he smiled with a twinkle in his eye.
The murmurs grew louder. I didn't want this kind of attention at all.
'Why! Just take it yourself!'
Due to the cursed affection level, I had almost been forced to accept and complete the main quest, but I had no desire to become the queen.
While I was flustered, the next name was called, and all of Bouter's prey was credited to me.
"Second place! His Highness Prince Calisto Regulus! One white tiger!"
Despite the bombshell dropped by Bouter, I was shocked by the name and prey announced.
Calisto had been unconscious since being chased by assassins on the first day of the competition, so he had no chance to hunt.
Clearly, he must have caught the tiger in the half-day before we met...
As I shivered with goosebumps, the prince suddenly spoke.
"Wasn't the star of this competition a lady?"
"I, too, will dedicate my prey to Lady Eckart."
The prince's bright red eyes were already fixed on me, as if he had a radar.
He smiled slyly at my shocked expression.
'Are you guys crazy? Why?'
Not only the male leads but also everyone in the square was staring at me.
The whispers grew louder.
"So, the queen of this hunting festival is the lady...?"
"Don't say that. There's still first place, right?"
"But if His Highness isn't first, who could be?"
Last year, the mad dog of the marquis family, who was even under a restraining order, was now about to become the queen of the hunting festival.
"...And the grand first place!"
The much-anticipated first place, which could resolve the mystery and prevent the lady's victory, was immediately announced.
I had completely forgotten until then.
"Lady Penelope Eckart of the Eckart family! One brown bear!"
The fact that I had encountered a brown bear before being involved in the assassination.
When my name was called, a silence fell like cold water had been poured over everyone.
I had no idea how that damn bear was credited to me.
Well, it was probably the prince's doing.
But more importantly, the thing I feared had become reality.
'I really became the mad chimpanzee of the marquis family who single-handedly killed a bear!'
I could tell from the white-eyed stares of everyone that my reputation was sealed.
"Combining the prey of Marquis Berdandi and His Highness, the winner of this hunting competition is...!"
The servant who was calling out the names drove the final nail.
"Please come up to the stage to receive the prize and trophy!"
I wanted to disappear into thin air.
I sighed deeply and moved towards the distant stage.
Strange gazes followed me as I crossed the silent square.
Finally reaching the stage, I folded my bright pink parasol and held the hem of my dress.
'I should have worn hunting clothes.'
The light pink, lacy dress didn't suit the title of the hunting competition winner at all.
Even without the two male leads giving me their prey, I had won first place with the brown bear...
"Congratulations on your victory, Lady."
The prince greeted me with a serious expression as I climbed the stage.
The trophy on a cushion was immediately handed to me by the servant.
The award ceremony was simple.
"The prize for this victory is 100 million gold. I will have it sent to the Eckart residence through a servant."
Before the prince said that,
My ears perked up. 100 million was the amount I had used to buy Eclis with a blank check!
Even if I didn't need game money, there was no reason to refuse free money.
The prince smiled amusedly at my changed expression.
Then another servant walked up with something on a cushion.
The prince suddenly held out what was on the cushion.
A wave of shock rippled through the crowd as they recognized it.
What the prince handed me was the crossbow that had been seized as evidence.
"I specially arranged to return the crossbow to the lady who made a significant contribution to killing the bear."
Calisto twisted his lips and handed me the crossbow.
Through this, he completely announced that the false accusation of 'noble assassination' had been cleared.
The nobles, who had been skeptical of the lady's past misdeeds, were shocked.
"...Thank you, Your Highness."
I reluctantly took back my crossbow with a grim expression.
"Shouldn't you say a few words?"
The prince stepped aside and pressured me.
I couldn't help but stand in the center and look around the crowd.
From my high vantage point, I could clearly see the male leads among the many people.
Bouter, with a strange expression, calmly watched me.
Renald, frowning as if something was bothering him.
I met Derrick's blue eyes head-on.
His expression was blank, but when our eyes met, an unknown passion flashed in his blue eyes.
'Your trust is unnecessary from now on.'
Seeing him, my resentment flared up.
And with a haughty and proud attitude, I looked down.
To ensure that no one would ever look down on me again, after all the people who had despised and belittled Penelope.
"First, I dedicate all the glory to the little sun of the empire, His Highness the Crown Prince. And..."
"The bear hunt was nothing special."
The square was filled with a suffocating silence at my words.
I scanned the crowd below the stage once more.
Among the people gathered under the distant sunshades, I saw a blue-haired woman with a red face glaring at me.
I had heard that she was released quickly because she had no clear evidence, unlike her father.
I didn't know she was shameless enough to attend the closing ceremony.
I looked at her intently and said,
"Next time, I'll bring back Elk's head."
A sharp intake of breath was heard from somewhere.
Elk was the symbol of the Kellin family.
I was glad I had read the noble genealogy in advance while moving through the palace archives.
Just as I bowed exaggeratedly like a stage actor and lifted my head, the world before my eyes turned white.
〈SYSTEM〉 [Queen of the Hunting Festival] title acquired!
〈SYSTEM〉 As a reward, you have received [100 million gold] and [Reputation +200].