Hunting Season

That day, the Keinheart Kingdom was busy preparing for the members of the kingdom who would go hunting because it was hunting season in their kingdom. In certain months, they used to go to stay outside the kingdom for two days and then hunt.

The meat of the hunt is usually consumed, while the head, such as the head of a deer, is used as a display in the palace.

The members of the kingdom got ready with their horses to go to the campsite where they would spend the night.

Dion rode his horse, while Jillian had to ride with Dion because she was his responsibility. Jillian was forced to sit behind Dion feeling annoyed.

'Hmph, I can ride my own horse, but I have to ride one horse with him,' she complained to herself.

"Hey, hold on to me or you'll fall off," Dion said.

"Huh? No, I don't want to hold on to you," Jillian retorted.

"Oh you won't?" Dion started his horse so suddenly that Jillian almost fell off.

"Aahh!" She reflexively hugged Dion tightly because she didn't want to fall off the horse.

"I told you to hold on, but you hugged me instead. It's okay wife, if you're scared, you can hug your husband tightly," Dion teased in an annoying tone.

Jillian became even more annoyed with Dion's behavior towards her. She knew that he was doing it on purpose to shock her.

"Yes, I'll hug you tightly until you can't breathe at all," Jillian said in a half-whisper, remembering that the emperor and Theodore were also there.

"Pffftt... My wife is so sweet."

Theodore, who was riding his horse near theirs, heard what happened. He could only shake his head as the two of them continued like that.

After two hours of traveling, they arrived at the spot where they would set up their tent. While the servants were busy setting up the tent, Jillian walked around looking at the forest.

Until she saw a large tree on top of a small hill surrounded by a beautiful flower field. Jillian's eyes lit up when she saw the beauty of the place.

"What a beautiful place..." she praised as she walked closer to the tree that seemed to be the center of life in the place.

Realizing that his wife was not around the tent, Dion searched for Jillian until he found her near a nearby tree. The man walked over to Jillian. As he got closer, for a moment he seemed to see the back of a blonde-haired woman like her, staring up into the tree.

Dion's eyes stared at the woman he had missed so much. He slowly approached and tried to reach out to her.

"Mom..." he called softly.

When the woman turned around, Jillian looked at Dion in surprise.

"Dion, what's wrong with you?" she asked.

Instantly Dion came out of his imagination to see his mother. He sighed softly because he had hallucinated like that.

"Nothing. I'm just a little reminded of something..." replied Dion looking up at the tree.

"What is it?" Jillian asked again.

Dion was silent for a moment, then he opened his mouth and said that this tree was where his mother used to sit while waiting for his father to hunt.

"When Theo and I were little, we'd lie on her lap waiting for him to finish hunting. Mom wasn't much of a hunting, so she preferred to sit here and wait," Dion explained.

"Then... What happened to her?"

"She got sick, a disease that we don't even know the cause of took her life from us when Theo and I were six years old. Since that day... It's been hell..." the man replied with an agonized tone of voice and a lowered look in his eyes.

Jillian who saw this was speechless. She knew how it felt to lose someone precious to her life. Jillian slowly took Dion's hand and held it.

Although she hated Dion with a passion, but seeing someone going through such a difficult time, Jillian felt compassion. The man glanced at her gently clasped hands, the grip seemed to say, "I'm here for you."

But not wanting to appear sad, Dion immediately changed his expression and gave Jillian a playful look.

"What is this? You're looking for an opportunity to hold my hand, hmn? If you really want to, just say so," he teased.

"Huh?! I'm not doing it for that!" Jillian immediately released her grip. "Heh, I'm getting lazy pitying you!"

"No one's asking you to feel sorry for me--"

Without listening to Dion's words, Jillian sat under the tree while leaning back to enjoy the lushness of the tree. The beautiful scenery plus the coolness of being under the tree made Jillian feel calmer. Dion also sat next to Jillian and looked at the large field of flowers.

"Hey, I know you're trying to change the subject, but I just feel sorry for what happened to you, that's all..." Jillian said while picking some flowers.

"Hmn..." Dion responded by clearing his throat and closing his eyes.

Seeing Dion asleep, Jillian quietly tucked the flowers in her husband's hair. Making Dion's hair filled with the flowers she picked.

"Pfftttt... Like a bird's nest with flowers," she chuckled.

From a distance, Theodore called out to the two of them and said that their tent was finished. The two of them followed back to the campsite. Dion only realized that his hair was filled with colorful flowers when Theodore told him.

"It must have been you," Dion annoyed Jillian.

But Jillian whistled softly, pretending not to know what Dion was saying. Since they were married, they got a tent together.

"I have to be stuck with you again," Jillian complained.

"Who do you think wants to share a tent with you?" asked Dion sarcastically.

"Oh? Then I'll just move into Theo's tent, he won't mind," said the woman walking towards Theodore's tent.

However, before Jillian could move away, Dion caught her arm and held her back.

"Don't make any more strange rumors in the kingdom. He's your brother-in-law after all, don't you think they might think something of my wife choosing to sleep with her own brother-in-law?"

Jillian shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't care what Dion said to her. The man could only sigh at that. Not realizing that he often annoyed Jillian with his behavior.

Upon entering the tent, there was only one medium-sized bed inside. They both stared silently at the bed.

In the kingdom, they used to sleep separately. Jillian would sleep on the main bed, while Dion slept on the spare bed by the window. But this time there was only one bed in front of them.

They both glanced at each other, as if thinking about the same thing in their minds.

'That bed is mine!!!'