Chapter 40
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 40
"Hyah!"
I galloped across the pitch-black night astride Lucky, my heart ablaze with exhilaration.
The darkness stretched before me like a fathomless ocean, its maw gaping wide as if to swallow me whole.
To race at such speed through a void where nothing could be seen—it was a terrifying prospect.
And yet, I trusted this ebony steed beneath me, carrying me forward with unwavering devotion.
'Would you let me ride you? I want to run with all my heart.'
At those words alone, this intelligent creature offered his back without hesitation.
And he plunged into the darkness with such fierce determination, as though he would carry me to the very edge of the world.
The frigid wind caressed my earlobes.
Each gust cut like a blade, sharp and merciless.
I pressed myself low against Lucky's neck, melding my body with his.
It was surely impossible, yet I could have sworn my heartbeat synchronized with his own.
Perhaps my own heart was simply thundering too loudly.
I kept my eyes stubbornly open, piercing the absolute blackness with my gaze.
My breath came in ragged gasps.
To stare fear directly in the face was an exhausting ordeal.
But I had to. I simply had to.
Gritting my teeth, I embraced the noble creature who galloped beside me through the night.
And so we two raced onward until we finally reached the edge of darkness.
* * *
"Whoa!"
I came to a stop at the edge of the open Cliff, my arms spread wide as I fell backward onto the ground.
The roar of waves—far more terrifying than the sound of wind—crashed fiercely beneath my feet.
How long had I been running? An hour? Two?
I couldn't say. Besides, what did it matter?
My legs trembled from the tension I'd been holding in my thighs.
Lying on my back, I gazed up at the black sky where only stars and the moon were visible.
Suddenly, a long face loomed over mine.
Pffft—
"Ah, stop it. That tickles."
I laughed and rolled to the side to escape Lucky's playful teasing.
The horse continued to play with me for a while, but when I burst into uncontrollable laughter, he settled down beside me and sat.
'Oh, so horses can sit too...'
I glanced at him curiously and couldn't help but laugh.
For a moment, we both gazed silently at the vast expanse of sky and sea stretching before us.
"I want to have all of this."
I murmured suddenly.
"It's so wide—surely I can have a little of it?"
-....
"Lucky. I want to fly."
I thought I must be drunk.
Here I was, spouting such nonsense to a horse.
"I want to soar through the air and go here and there. If I had sturdy legs like yours, I'd love to run around too."
I gazed into Lucky's bright blue eyes as I spoke.
"You have everything, Lucky. I really envy you."
It was a longing that came from the depths of my heart.
The beast's blue eyes gleamed mysteriously.
I closed my eyes, still smiling faintly, and listened to the sound of waves and dawn.
I breathed in the scent of wind and felt the heaviness of the damp air.
When I opened my eyes again, I thought of Lucas Black.
Perhaps, without him, I would never have experienced a moment like this in my entire life.
"When on earth will His Excellency arrive?"
I murmured, lifting my arm marked with the glyph.
The black horse glanced at me. Despite the pitch-dark night, the glyph inscribed on my forearm seemed to shimmer more brilliantly than usual.
Did it emit light when the surroundings grew dark?
'Now that things have come to this, I can't casually talk about breaking the engagement like before.'
For someone who, just days ago, had been absolutely certain she could never marry that man, I had accepted it far too easily.
In fact, my heart trembled slightly.
-If you were to marry me, I cannot promise you will be happy without fail.
—But only until you feel happy.
—I will do my best.
A man willing to make an effort for my happiness.
'...This is a first.'
Naively, she wanted to believe his words, at least a little.
He might be as frightening and wicked as he appeared on the surface.
'But I don't think he is.'
Grace found herself wanting to trust him once more, with that same naive hope.
Those deep, azure eyes that always gazed directly at me when he spoke.
Those very eyes, so remarkably similar to the black horse watching me quietly beside me.
"Hmm."
Regardless, I had come to share his secret.
Grace wanted to protect his and the Black Family Estate's secrets with all her might, no matter what.
'...Then perhaps marrying him truly is the right choice?'
Especially since the fear that had once gripped her so desperately had faded so completely.
One of the greatest reasons preventing her from marrying him had simply vanished.
But if she truly met him again, would she really not be afraid?
His mellifluous voice alone could not determine that.
Well, this is quite the predicament.
"...I wish I could meet him soon."
Before her father forced her to return.
Grace closed her eyes and recalled Lucas Black's voice.
—Grace.
Yes, it was exactly like that.
He pronounced the first syllable of her name with strength, letting the last dissolve softly like honey on his tongue.
—Grace Oellin.
As if my name melted away at the tip of his tongue.
—...Heartless woman.
'What?'
...Wait, he never said anything like that?
—You think of me whenever you have a moment, yet you haven't replied to me once all day.
...Ah, this was not a voice from her imagination.
It was Lucas Black's real voice.
Startled, Grace's eyes flew open and she straightened her back.
'What, what do I do?'
She never expected that man to be thinking of her at this hour.
No, she never expected him to speak to her.
'Did he just hear my muttering?'
Gulp.
Her throat bobbed visibly as she swallowed hard.
The magnificent black horse sitting beside her with dignified poise stared directly at Grace and flicked its tail against the ground once.
—You're not toying with a man's heart, are you?
She flinched.
'Toying? With whose heart? Mine?'
It was absurd, and at the same time, deeply unsettling.
Did this man truly believe someone could toy with him?
—You know your voice is quite beautiful, and you treasure it carefully, don't you? Well, I suppose that voice is rather rare.
'...What on earth is this man saying right now?'
Grace's face grew increasingly flushed.
The black horse glanced at her furtively, then swished its tail once more.
—Hmm... no, perhaps it's your face. Come to think of it, you have the most elegant neck I've ever seen. And why are your eyes so clear and profound? It's rare to find a face that grows more beautiful the longer you look at it. Now that I think about it, with beauty like that, you could rival the witch from the founding mythology...
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Grace opened her mouth.
"That's... please, stop."
Grace buried her face in her hands and exhaled a long sigh, her cheeks burning.
His words made her tremble with embarrassment.
—Hmm? Did I mishear? I could have sworn I just heard Grace's clear, elegant, and utterly precious voice...
"Why, why are you doing this? Please. Stop it."
Grace pleaded desperately.
—Ah, so I didn't mishear? Grace, can you hear me?
Lucas replied with laughter threading through his voice.
"I can hear you. Too well, in fact, so please stop saying such strange things."
—Ah, haha. I thought my voice had become completely inaudible since you never responded. Hmm, so that's how it is. Beautiful Grace. You can hear me after all.
To hear those words—"beautiful Grace"—spoken in his voice.
Grace felt as though her ears might burst.
"Stop teasing me. I know I'm not that pretty."
—You are. To that extent.
"...You don't have to keep teasing me."
—I'm not teasing. I'm sincere. Grace, are you perhaps unaware of your own beauty?
"I'm not that beautiful."
—You are that beautiful. You.
"..."
Grace found herself biting her lip, unable to respond.
—If not "that" beautiful, then to what extent do you consider yourself beautiful?
"Really, you're incorrigible. No, I'm not pretty. So please, just stop."
With her neck flushed crimson, Grace buried her forehead against the nape of the black horse beside her, whose tail swayed gently, and murmured softly.
She felt it tense.
The horse's firm muscles tensed visibly beneath her touch.
Grace met the horse's gaze and stroked its smooth mane soothingly, trying to calm it.
—...You are beautiful, Grace. Truly.
After a long moment, Lucas spoke again, his voice noticeably subdued.
His voice carried more strength and sincerity than before, leaving Grace unable to even mount a rebuttal.
In the end, she found herself laughing with her forehead pressed against Lucky's head.
—When you laugh, you're lovely. When you're stubborn, you're adorable. And when your face flushes red, you remind me of a human peach. The kind that would burst with juice if bitten....
...But Lucas's mouth shows no signs of stopping.
Grace covered her ears and shook her head, but his voice seeping directly into her mind could hardly be blocked out.
He continued rambling with laughter spilling from his lips.
—Your eyes seem to resemble the stars of the night sky, and when you're angry, hmm... I haven't seen you angry yet, so I'll skip that. What else was there.
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
—If you're upset, why don't you return the favor in kind? Come now, what did you think of my eyes? Tell me. Grace.
"I don't like this. I won't say anything!"
—Why not? I'm feeling a bit hurt.
He spoke in a deliberately forlorn tone.
Grace flinched at that dejected voice.
She found herself worrying whether she had truly hurt his feelings.
"I'm sorry. But honestly, I find such things embarrassing and mortifying... I don't think I could possibly do it."
—You find this embarrassing, Grace? That's troubling. When we become husband and wife, you'll have to do far more embarrassing things....
"Yes, what?"
Lucas laughed at her voice, which had jumped several octaves higher in surprise.
—Things like vows of love, or a kiss to seal the vow. Did you perhaps have some other thought in mind, Grace?
"No!"
Grace answered quickly and sprang to her feet, pacing the space restlessly.
That wasn't what she'd meant at all, but now she had.
She'd imagined it.
The far more embarrassing things she'd have to do once they became husband and wife!
'...I've lost my mind!'
She squeezed her eyes shut.
For just a fleeting moment, she'd imagined lying in bed beside Lucas Black, on the verge of a kiss.
—Grace?
Lucas called out, but she didn't answer, instead continuing to pace in place.
The black horse beside her stared intently at her face, which had flushed so deeply it seemed ready to burst.
Neigh—!
The horse laughed.
For some reason, that sound felt as though His Excellency himself were laughing right beside her.
Grace regarded the horse with a peculiar gaze.
The horse sat quietly, as if asking why she was looking at it that way, and swished its tail gently.
Grace silently swallowed a sigh and settled down beside Lucky.
Her chest felt ticklish.
Fearing someone might notice, Grace quickly buried her face in the horse's neck.
She felt the horse start in surprise.
She stroked its mane gently, as if to soothe Lucky.
...Sigh.
I couldn't tell where the sigh was coming from.
Whether it was the General's sigh piercing through my mind, my own sigh, or the sigh of the horse I held in my arms—I couldn't distinguish at all.
Soon, I heard him murmur in a subdued voice.
-I wish I could see you soon.
Grace murmured quietly, in a voice so soft that only Lucky pressed against her could hear.
'So do I.'
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org