Chapter 41
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Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 41
"My lady, a messenger bird has arrived from the Capital."
A middle-aged woman with neatly coiled chestnut hair approached the noblewoman who had been watching the shallow stream flow by.
Selena Black, a noblewoman with lustrous golden hair gathered to one side, turned around with a delighted smile.
"From the Capital? Is it Lucas?"
Lora, Haem's mother and attendant to the Previous Duke's wife, handed Selena a note with a bright laugh.
Even with age, she remained a woman whose warm smile was always beautiful.
Her smiling face bore an unmistakable resemblance to Haem, Lucas's secretary.
"It seems to be from Lord Lucas. Even though he appears stern, he has a tender side to him, doesn't he? In contrast, Lord Cain appears kind on the surface, but he has a sharp edge to him."
"That's right. In that respect, Cain takes after me. Lucas takes after him... It's always amusing to see. Born from the same womb, yet so different."
Selena smiled quietly and broke the seal on the letter.
Lora adjusted the shawl slipping from Selena's shoulders and nodded in agreement.
"It's the same with us. Haem and Katrina are so different, aren't they? No matter that they're siblings... Haem is more fussy and meticulous, whereas Katrina is surprisingly rough for a girl."
"Still, there's no one quite like Katrina. She's admirable. A knight, no less. I'm so proud of her."
Katrina was Lora's youngest daughter.
She was eight years younger than Haem and was currently boarding at the Oasis Knight Academy in the Capital, receiving knight training.
Selena smiled, thinking of Lucas, Cain, Haem, and Katrina.
Suddenly missing the children, she slowly withdrew the letter from the envelope and began to read.
Her blue eyes moved slowly across the letter.
As they traced from right to left and finally reached the period, a short exclamation escaped her lips.
"My goodness..."
"What is it, my lady?"
Selena, clutching the letter to her chest, turned to face Lora.
Her eyes sparkled as if she had discovered something delightful.
"...It seems Lucas has finally found his match."
"What? Lord Lucas?"
"Yes. And apparently, our family's curse has transferred to his partner? How intriguing."
"...What? What do you mean by that?"
Lora blinked rapidly, unable to follow the thread of conversation.
It was her endearing habit whenever she was flustered.
Selena laughed gracefully and spun around sharply.
"Pack our things, Lora. It seems we must visit the Capital."
"N-now, my lady?"
"Yes. Right now. We must hurry. It seems a young lady is in quite a predicament."
Selena set off toward the Estate with brisk, eager steps, her warm laughter trailing behind her.
For the first time since his death, she felt a flutter of anticipation in her heart.
* * *
It was a long dawn.
Since it had taken hours to arrive, the journey back would require the same.
Grace clung tightly to the back of an enormous horse, its musculature firm and densely packed beneath her.
With each powerful stride the horse took, I felt its massive muscles grow even more taut.
Summer was drawing near.
It was hot enough that even the early morning sun felt sharp and biting.
Though it was dawn, the air offered little respite, and the black horse's body had already grown scorching.
After hours of riding, the creature's flesh beneath my fingers felt nearly like a furnace.
"Lucky."
Grace slowed the horse's pace as the Estate drew closer into view.
Whinnnnny—!
The overheated horse stamped its hooves roughly against the ground.
Grace patted Lucky's neck gently before sliding down to the earth.
My thighs trembled weakly from the strain of gripping so tightly for so long.
"Shall we rest for a moment?"
At her words, Lucky glanced up at the sky with a puzzled expression.
A deep violet sky, reminiscent of Grace's own eyes, stretched overhead.
It was the darkest hour of dawn, just before the sun would break the horizon.
'Why rest now when we'll be exhausted regardless of returning?' Lucky seemed to wonder.
Grace smiled and led the questioning horse forward.
The sound of flowing water reached us from nearby.
It was a stream connected to the river.
"I want to wash up, but I didn't want to wake anyone by going inside now. You look hot too."
For a moment, Lucas couldn't quite comprehend what Grace was saying.
But before he could fully grasp her meaning, she slipped off the robe dress draped over her shoulders, revealing a thin, gossamer night dress that shimmered in the moonlight.
"...!"
Startled, Lucas instinctively stumbled backward.
'W-what is this all of a sudden?'
Grace gently soothed the alarmed Lucky with her fingertips.
"It's alright. Let's just cool off a bit before we go."
Without hesitation, she removed her shoes and clothes, placing them on a nearby rock.
Lucas stood rigid, quickly turning his head away.
Fortunately, Grace seemed aware they were outdoors and didn't remove everything.
But the night dress she wore was so thin that once wet, every curve of her silhouette would be unmistakably visible. No matter how deserted the dawn was, this was far too dangerous.
"Come on, Lucky. I'll wash you. Come on, hurry."
'A-are you insane, Grace?!'
Lucas recoiled silently in shock.
"You won't come? You look incredibly excited right now."
'Excited?! Who? Me?!'
Lucas Black snorted sharply and spun around.
My heart wouldn't stop racing like some lovesick fool.
Of course, her soft skin and flushed cheeks were endearing.
That slender silhouette kept drawing my gaze.
But, but... this wasn't right.
'If Grace finds out later that the one standing here wasn't the black horse Lucky, but Lucas Black... she'll never forgive me.'
It wasn't intentional, but my head spun with dizziness.
Struggling against the weakness that kept tempting me to surrender, I quickly stepped backward.
"You really won't come in? I'll go alone?"
'I need to stop her from going in...'
But Grace's appearance was too dizzying for my eyes.
If this continued...
'No. Stop it. Compose yourself, Lucas Black. Are you really going to become worse than a beast?'
I shook my head forcefully and retreated further.
Snort! Snort!
Angry snorts burst from my nostrils.
"...Do you really hate it that much?"
Grace stopped calling for Lucky.
How could she call him when he was resisting so violently?
She gave up gracefully and dipped her ankles into the stream.
Cool, clear water wrapped around her slender ankles.
"...This is nice."
The sensation of smooth pebbles brushing against her soles felt unfamiliar.
The surroundings were dark, and no one was nearby.
A place where she didn't need to be conscious of anyone.
She felt free.
"Since it's come to this, should I just take everything off?"
I muttered it to myself, but Lucky went wild.
Pacing noisily in place, yet unable to bring myself to approach her.
How did that clever horse understand human speech so well?
Grace chuckled softly and waded into deeper water.
The water lapping past my calves and over my knees felt refreshing.
Just one more step—only up to my thighs.
It wasn't particularly deep anyway, nor was the current strong.
I was already soaked through anyway.
Neigh!
But the more I moved, the more Lucky panicked.
"Lucky, come in here. It's incredibly refreshing."
Neigh! Snort!
With uncertain steps, I only circled in place.
Grace shrugged her shoulders and had just taken a step forward when it happened.
She mistepped on a smooth, rounded stone.
"Eek!"
Splash!
The gentle current wrapped around her weakened legs, and she tumbled into the water.
Water sprayed high as she disappeared beneath the surface.
—!
The startled black horse didn't hesitate and bolted toward where Grace had fallen.
Splash! Splash splash!
Long legs churned through the water without restraint, driving forward.
Droplets that gleamed like silver scattered in all directions.
—Grace!
I wanted to cry out her name, but my desperate voice didn't reach her.
I felt my blood rush backward in panic at the thought that Grace might have drowned.
I hurried toward where she had been.
"...I've got you!"
That was when it happened.
Grace, who had been floundering in the water, suddenly wrapped her arms around Lucky's neck as he rushed to her side.
—!
Was it because there was no time to be surprised? Or was I too caught off guard?
Or was it her radiant smile, drenched and glistening, as she leaned her body against me that dazzled my eyes?
"Sorry, did I scare you? I just took a little tumble—nothing's broken. Though I'm completely soaked."
For a moment, I could only stare blankly at Grace, too stunned even to feel anger.
She laughed with a voice as clear as a flower blooming, hugging Lucky's warm neck tightly.
"You thought I'd fallen in the water and came running right away? Such a clever boy. You're truly a magnificent horse."
She pressed her wet forehead against the horse's forehead, murmuring affectionately.
Lucky—no, I felt my heart pound abnormally.
"How is it? Refreshing, isn't it? Feels nice and cool in the water, doesn't it?"
Grace met my blue eyes with her gaze and gently poured water from her palm onto my back.
Flinch, flinch.
I could feel the horse's tense muscles trembling finely.
"Shh, it's alright. I'll just clean off the dusty spots."
Speaking tenderly, Grace gently stroked the horse's rigid body.
What a good creature.
If such a large beast had decided to flee or resist, there would have been nothing she could do, but the horse did not.
Cleverly, the moment she made even the slightest sound of discomfort, the horse would stop all movement.
As if worried that she might get hurt.
The beast's affection was so endearing and lovely that she devoted herself to rubbing down the horse's body.
Just as Grace's hand moved from the horse's tense back toward its hindquarters—
The black horse that had been still suddenly sprang up like a coiled spring, shaking its head forcefully.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org