Chapter 42
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Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 42
Grace spoke in a soft, soothing voice, her surprise evident.
"What's wrong, Lucky? Does it itch?"
She stroked the black horse's back and hindquarters with even gentler, more tender hands in apology. Yet the softer her touch became, the more rigid the black stallion grew, caught between embarrassment and discomfort he could not voice.
Neigh, neigh!
As Lucky shook his head and stepped backward, Grace spoke with concern.
"Don't you want to be washed? Alright then, I'll just clean your tail a bit. Your beautiful tail is caked with dirt and all tangled up."
She grasped the horse's tail in both hands. Without soap, she needed to wet it thoroughly and rinse away the grime.
The horse turned around to look at Grace, who held his tail firmly in both hands, and became even more alarmed, his movements growing more violent.
Snort! Whinny!
His resistant snorts were rough, and his thrashing kicks conveyed panic. Water droplets, like morning dew, sprayed wildly in all directions.
"Oh, it's cold!"
As a result, Grace was drenched in cold water once again. The moment the black horse pushed her away with his muzzle and body, splashing frantically, Grace finally surrendered and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Stop, stop, Lucky! I won't do it anymore, stop!"
Grace stepped backward, wringing out her soaking wet hair to one side as water dripped from it. She cast a reproachful glance at the horse's wary eyes.
"I was trying to at least protect my hair, but now it's completely soaked."
Truly carefree words. Meanwhile, someone's heart had nearly leaped from his chest in panic.
'Oh, heavens.'
Lucas felt the muscles in his stiffened hind legs trembling involuntarily.
The beast's body was far too sensitive.
His vision was sharp, his skin heated rapidly, and his blood vessels raced wildly at every brush of her touch.
With vision so clear he could see each individual strand of Grace's hair, her wet form was an overwhelming temptation.
Though I had done nothing wrong, I felt as though I were committing a sin.
This was dangerous. I had to escape.
My skin and heart burned simultaneously, like a bomb on the verge of detonation.
-Please, stop now, Grace.
Lucas cried out, but she seemed lost in her own world, completely oblivious to his voice.
Lucas was on the verge of going mad from frustration.
"Alright, alright. You seem more sensitive than I thought. If you don't like it, I won't touch you. Don't look at me like that."
Grace laughed apologetically and raised her hands.
At her promise not to touch him further, Lucas regarded her suspiciously before carefully approaching her side again.
Grace pretended not to notice Lucky approaching and splashed playfully in the water, then suddenly pulled the black horse close as he drew near.
"Good boy."
The black horse still flinched at her gentle, gradual stroking, but he neither fled nor threw a tantrum like before.
"You're truly remarkable. No wonder the General treasures you as his prized steed."
Only Lucas burned with inner turmoil at Grace's soothing words, spoken in a voice as gentle as a spring breeze. And there was nothing he could do about it.
But then, in that very moment—
"Hm, Lucky, what is this...."
Her hand stretched downward toward his belly, toward his groin, as if she had discovered something. Lucas, far more startled than when his tail had been teased moments before, nearly shrieked her name and leaped into the air.
—No, please, Grace!
Her hand froze mid-motion.
"...Your Excellency?"
—Can you hear me, Grace? Can you hear my voice?
Perhaps it was because I yearned for it so desperately.
The voice I had longed to hear reached Grace. Even submerged in water, I felt cold sweat trickling down my back.
"Oh? You haven't fallen asleep yet?"
—Mm... I woke up for a moment.
His voice was slightly lower than usual, yet carried an unmistakable intensity.
Grace reasoned it away as the grogginess of waking from sleep.
Lucas spoke urgently.
—Grace, you mustn't enter the water at dawn. It's dangerous.
"What? How did you know?"
—I just heard it. Someone saying they thought you'd fallen into the water.
He spoke as though wringing the words from himself.
Grace readily accepted the explanation with an embarrassed laugh.
"I've been caught. I was trying not to let anyone know."
—You'll catch a cold, Grace.
"It's fine. It feels wonderful. And I'm in such a good mood right now."
Grace stroked Lucky's wet back, then waded deeper into the moonlit water, stirring it as she went.
Her mood was so buoyant that a humming tune escaped her lips unbidden.
Skimming her hand across the silk-smooth surface of the water, she swam through the shallows that reached her waist.
She felt weightless.
It was a perfect escape she would never experience again in her life.
A sensation she would never have felt had she not come to this place.
How could a noblewoman's daughter be frolicking in the water at dawn in near-nakedness?
The gentle current wrapped around her, reaching to her waist.
Her chest swelled with exhilaration. Buoyed by the power of the dawn, Grace spoke as though slightly intoxicated.
"Thank you, Your Excellency."
—Suddenly?
"Not suddenly... I've always wanted to say it. To thank you."
He said nothing.
It was all right.
She simply wanted to find the courage to speak her true heart to Lucas Black, this man.
"Thank you. Truly. For holding onto me. And..."
—And?
"For pulling forward the inexperienced, cowardly me. Thank you."
For allowing me to feel the emotion I had yearned for so desperately.
'Ah.'
In that moment, Grace understood.
Even when the moment came to face him again in reality, I would not fear him.
'I wish I could see him again soon.'
Thump-thump.
My heart raced violently.
My heart, anticipating another meeting with Lucas Black, that man, thundered with desperate intensity.
'Hmm.'
Lucas made a low, rasping sound in his throat.
It was an ambiguous noise, tinged with a sigh, its meaning impossible to discern.
-I'm the one who should be grateful, Grace. And....
'I'm sorry.'
Lucas studied Grace's expression with conflicted eyes before turning his head away.
Seeing her drenched like that, he had nowhere to look.
His veins pulsed like an inexperienced boy's.
His taut muscles swelled involuntarily.
'Hah.'
Yet he couldn't close his eyes either.
'...This is driving me mad.'
Lucas exhaled quietly, concealing his inner turmoil.
A burning gaze flickered, sweeping across Grace.
The thin slip clung to her slender frame like a second skin.
The wet silhouette felt more provocative than complete nakedness.
Startled, Lucas quickly shook his head.
His indecent mind conjured the image of her unclothed form.
'Damn fool.'
He cursed himself without restraint.
'How could I think such things about Grace, with that pure and luminous face....'
The Grace he glimpsed was impossibly lovely.
The image of her playing with the water, gazing up at the dawn sky with her fingers, etched itself into Lucas's vision like a tattoo.
In that moment, he wished he could, if only he could, brand this sight onto his retinas forever.
Then he would see only clarity and purity all day long.
'I really am insane.'
He turned his gaze away with self-mockery.
Unaware of his presence, she was free.
That sight was beautiful, and precious.
'If she ever discovers that I am Lucky....'
The thought alone made him dizzy.
He couldn't imagine what expression, what gaze Grace would turn upon me.
Ah, I should never have hidden it from the start.
A sigh escaped him.
But regret could always come later.
Things had already progressed beyond the point of no return.
Now, I truly needed to find a way for Lucas to return to his human form as quickly as possible.
And before that, I had to reveal that he was Lucky.
Splash!
"Lucky, look at this. It's so refreshing!"
Grace flicked a few droplets of water with her delicate fingers, scattering them across Lucky, then burst into bright laughter.
How could laughter so radiant sound anything but genuine?
The more I heard it, the more wonderful it became.
Perhaps it sounded all the more precious because such laughter came so rarely.
I didn't even realize I was watching Grace with half my mind elsewhere.
I simply couldn't tear my gaze away.
"What? Are you surprised? Come here, Lucky. Let's play together!"
Grace approached with crystalline joy, splashing water as she pulled the black horse's neck into an embrace.
The beast followed her with careful, affectionate steps, wary lest his movements cause her any harm, and her eyes curved deeper with delight.
She gazed at Lucky through eyes curved like a crescent moon, then pressed her lips to the horse's cheek.
"Sweet Lucky. I love you so much."
'...What is this woman trying to do to me.'
I clenched my teeth, feeling as though I might weep.
It was too much—too much affection, and it terrified me.
My heart, spiraling beyond my control, thundered chaotically in my chest.
My body, stripped of all restraint, burned with dangerous heat.
Ah. At this rate, I would perish.
I shut my eyes tightly and silently apologized once more within myself.
Moonlight clung to her wet form.
That sight felt far too perilous to Lucas Black.
* * *
"Let's go. What? Why aren't you moving?"
The sun that had been rising dimly was now positioned high in the sky.
Dawn had passed, and true morning had arrived.
What was meant to be a brief swim to cool off had stretched far too long.
No matter how mild the weather had become, prolonged swimming in the early dawn chill was rather cold.
Grace Oellin bit her trembling lips and urged the black horse forward, but it refused to budge from the water.
Earlier it wouldn't enter the water for anything, and now it wouldn't leave for anything either.
Neigh!
The horse nudged her back with its muzzle as if insisting she go on ahead.
"You really want me to go alone? You want to stay longer?"
Neigh!
The horse nodded vigorously as if confirming her guess.
'How strange, truly.'
Grace Oellin moved forward slowly, resigned to the situation.
After swimming for so long, my body had grown cold.
Fortunately, the morning sun was shining warmly down upon me.
My frail body had lost all strength, making it difficult to walk properly.
When the river water had receded below my waist, I stumbled without warning.
-...!
Lucky, startled, quickly approached and supported my back.
"Oh, I'm sorry. My legs suddenly gave out."
The Estate was right before my eyes.
It would take less than ten minutes on foot.
Yet somehow, I couldn't muster the courage to walk those ten minutes.
Did the horse sense my hesitation?
...Neigh.
The horse exhaled a sigh, patted my back gently, and lowered itself.
"You'll take me?"
The bright blue eyes gazing at me nodded as if urging me to climb on.
Grace Oellin smiled gratefully and mounted the lowered horse.
In that very moment.
'Hmm?'
Just before mounting, something unfamiliar flashed across my vision.
'What was that... I could have sworn I saw something.'
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org