Betty was feeling very flustered.
A few days ago, someone in their circle suggested going on a hunting trip. His Highness the Sixth Prince would take them to the Royal Forest.
They had never been there before, so everyone happily agreed.
Betty had refused at first.
She had heard that the Sixth Prince led a rather chaotic private life and didn't want to get involved.
But later, she heard that His Highness Ron would also be going.
Out of curiosity, she decided to come along as well.
Betty would absolutely never admit that it was because of the previous rumors that she wanted to see what the Seventh Prince actually looked like.
She was merely curious about the person who had invented Element Card; that was all.
In any case, she was quite confident in her own looks. Surely neither of the two princes would take interest in her, so tagging along should be relatively safe.
As it turned out, there were two carriages in total—two men and six women—so each prince needed to choose one lady to share a carriage with.
Soven didn't rashly pick the girl he had already set his sights on. Instead, he chose the old flame who had organized the outing.
After all, a meal had to be eaten one bite at a time. You couldn't reveal your true target right from the start.
Soven was quite experienced in this regard.
As for Ron, he barely glanced at the other five girls and casually asked, "Is Betty here? Come ride with me."
And so Miss Betty of Viscount Carl's family—whose appearance and figure were both rather ordinary—found herself sitting beside His Highness Ron.
From the moment she saw Ron's handsome, captivating face, she had been in a dazed state ever since getting into the carriage.
Why is His Highness Ron so handsome?!
A hundred times more handsome than His Highness Soven!
Just look at Serena in Soven's lap.
That vixen had been secretly throwing flirtatious glances at His Highness Ron the entire ride!
I'm the one personally chosen by His Highness Ron as his companion!
Betty secretly puffed out her cheeks and shot Serena a glare, only for Serena to return it with a disdainful eye-roll.
A little annoyed, Betty boldly scooted closer to Ron, sneaking glances at him, her heart blooming with joy.
If, when she first heard the rumors linking her with His Highness Ron, she had felt indignant as a girl who had never been in love—
Then, at this very moment, she felt that everything was fate. All the previous buildup had been leading to this very encounter between them!
Just as Betty was indulging in her fantasies, Ron's voice sounded in her ear:
"Move over a bit. You're squeezing me."
…
"Pfft—hahahahaha!"
When they arrived at the entrance of the Royal Forest, the men and women headed to separate changing rooms to switch into lighter hunting attire.
The moment Soven stepped into the men's changing room, he couldn't help but slap Ron hard on the shoulder and burst out laughing.
"You're way too clueless about romance! Miss Betty is clearly very into you."
"'Move over a bit. You're squeezing me.'" Soven mimicked Ron's tone, then doubled over laughing again.
"Stop laughing." Ron shot him a glance. "The girl in your lap was throwing me flirtatious looks the whole way. That just shows how little charm you actually have."
"Heh." Soven changed clothes leisurely. "Serena and I are just playing along for appearances. Our previous intimate relationship ended amicably long ago. This time, she's here to help me win over Panny."
Ron nodded in understanding. "The gentle one with the good figure, right?"
"You should trust my taste." Soven patted his shoulder, revealing a meaningful smile. "Tonight, aside from Panny, you can pick anyone you like—including Serena."
"Of course, they have to be willing. That depends on your hunting skills."
"Don't think hunting is just about killing pitiful captive animals. The real hunt is for a maiden's heart!"
"I don't agree with that viewpoint." Ron shrugged and brushed off Soven's wandering hand. "I prefer relationships that grow naturally over time."
"And the fact that you can even go for someone like Serena makes me question your so-called taste."
"That's just naive." Soven shook his head. "What man hangs himself from a single tree?"
"There are so many delicacies in the world. A sweet dessert like Panny is what most men pursue, sure—but spicy grilled meat like Serena has its own flavor."
"If you spend your whole life eating only one dish, no matter how much you once loved it, you'll eventually get sick of it."
"Twisted logic." Ron finished changing and walked over to the rack of bows and crossbows to choose one. "Even a single dish, if prepared with care, can be made into a hundred different flavors. You'd never grow tired of it in a lifetime."
"You're just making excuses for your impatience and lust."
"Don't try to contaminate me with your crude theories."
"Tsk." Soven took down a bow he was accustomed to using and clicked his tongue. "Who would've thought that a little fledgling like you would have such a logically sound theory about love?"
"Just because I haven't slept with anyone doesn't mean I don't have romantic experience."
"You have a woman?"
"Mm… sort of."
"Either you do, or you don't. What do you mean by 'sort of'?"
"Then yes."
"With that ambiguous attitude… don't tell me it's your first love? So pure!?"
"…What's it to you?"
"Hahaha." Soven ran a hand through his hair, laughing. "Now that you've said that, I find it even more challenging."
"What do you mean?"
"How to train a pure little fledgling into a seasoned veteran who strolls through a sea of flowers."
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed." Ron adjusted the bowstring calmly. "I find the dish at home quite tasty."
"Don't speak so absolutely~."
Chatting idly, the two walked out of the changing room, bows in hand and quivers on their backs.
The ladies were clearly taking longer to change. Despite wasting plenty of time joking around, the two men still arrived at the stables first.
"What are you doing?" Ron watched as Soven moved behind a horse, fiddling with something. "I didn't expect you to have such peculiar tastes…"
"What are you talking about?" Soven rolled his eyes and gestured toward the now-empty syringe in his hand.
"This is?"
"A potion. After a short sprint, it'll cause the horse to enter a rapid fatigue phase—no side effects." Soven grinned proudly. "Later, coordinate with me and let Panny choose this horse."
"…You really have a lot of tricks." Ron twitched his lips.
"Want to pick one too? I'll inject it for you. Let Betty or Serena ride it later?" Soven took out another syringe, coaxing.
"No need. I don't resort to that kind of tactic." Ron waved him off. "Even if I really wanted to win over one of them, this face would be enough. Why go through so much trouble like you?"
"Damn!"