Episode 34
“No, I’m telling you, if you do that, the horse will get scared too.”
Melliot let out a deep sigh. She was not originally someone who sighed like this, so I must really be a mess.
“But my body stiffens up reflexively.”
“Come on, try again. Don’t be afraid.”
Melliot said that to get close to Star, I shouldn’t ride Star right now.
Something about not making Star uncomfortable while my body is rigid?
So right now, I was mounted on the back of the gentlest horse in this village, recommended by Melliot.
This was because Aidan said that getting close to Star was one thing, but with the competition not far off, I had to master horse riding first.
“See, it’s this docile, so what is there to be afraid of?”
Melliot skillfully stroked the face of the horse I had been riding. Looking at it like this, it seems so easy. Why is it so hard for me?
“Come on, try it again.”
“Phew, okay. Once more!”
I settle into the saddle and hold the reins lightly. I keep my back straight without applying too much tension, and as the horse moves, I slowly move my pelvis in sync with its movements…
“U-Uh, how was that?”
“Better than yesterday.”
Aidan spoke leisurely while holding a teacup as he sat beneath the shade.
“However, I think it will be difficult to practice obstacle jumps with that horse. It’s not a racehorse, after all.”
“That’s true, but for now, jumping obstacles with Star is out of the question.”
“In the first place, does spending time in the same space really make you closer?”
“Of course. Once Star realizes that it’s okay to be with Cynthia, he will drop his guard in no time.”
At Melliot’s conviction, Aidan went silent as well. Since she was naturally the top expert when it came to horses, I had no choice but to follow Melliot’s guidance too.
However, the next day was no different. Nor was the day after that.
My riding skills had improved enough that I could now gallop on a gentle horse, but because I couldn’t actually ride Star, I couldn’t practice obstacle jumps.
“Ah, my whole body is aching.”
Riding a horse and running like that was such a full-body workout. If even the horse I’m riding now—which isn’t a racehorse, but just riding lightly—causes this much pain, how grueling will it be to ride Star and run?
“Haah, when will you ever trust me?”
Lying down in the stable and talking to myself won’t bring an answer from Star, though.
“Huh? Come to think of it.”
In the past, he used to turn his body completely away, but now he is only turned halfway?
He used to snap at me every time he saw me, but now he isn’t snapping either.
“Cynthia, what are you doing lying down there?”
“Ah, Melliot! Doesn’t it seem like Star isn’t as wary of me anymore?”
“Mmm…”
“Look at this, if I approach like this…”
The moment I raised my body to properly show Melliot, Star snapped at me and turned his entire body away.
“Haha, it seems we’ll have to wait and see a bit more.”
Melliot gave an awkward laugh as she tidied up Star’s stall. Whenever Melliot moved back and forth, Star’s head followed her. It was just like a baby following its mother. If the latch had been open, he definitely would have gone straight to Melliot’s side to rub his face against her and act cute.
“Sigh, I guess so.”
He wasn’t snapping until just a moment ago.
Is it because Melliot, whom he’s closer with, arrived?
“Let’s not be too impatient. Star will feel it if we rush.”
Melliot handed me another blanket as her final words.
“The wind is blowing hard, as if it’s going to rain tonight.”
“Thank you.”
Glancing outside, the sky was full of dark clouds. Just as Melliot said, it was weather that looked ready to pour rain at any moment.
“Eugh, I don’t know anymore. Let’s just sleep first.”
Thinking I should get some sleep before the rain started pouring down, I closed my eyes.
***
“Wow, it’s really coming down, isn’t it?”
Awakened by the sound of rain hammering the stable roof as if to break it down, I looked around. Fortunately, it seemed no rain was leaking and no horses were startled awake.
Just as I was about to lie back down to sleep, I sat right back up.
“I need to use the restroom.”
Was it because of the noise, or was it because of the water I drank before sleeping? Either way, I needed to go to the bathroom.
“The stable is great in every other aspect, but the restroom situation is inconvenient.”
Holding an umbrella I had kept handy just in case, I made my way back from the restroom.
“…”
It felt like I heard some kind of sound.
Nah, who would be in the stable at this hour of the dawn? It must be my imagination.
Or perhaps I misheard the sound of the rain.
Brushing it off, I took another step forward when I saw two large shadows entering the inside of the stable.
Reflexively, I hid behind a tree, but…
‘Could it be robbers?’
I felt ridiculous for even thinking that. What on earth would someone come to steal in a stable? Even if they came to steal, there’s nothing here but horses.
Suddenly getting a chilling sensation, I pressed my ear against the stable.
“Is this the right horse?”
A faintly audible voice.
“Right, that’s it. They said it was a black horse.”
A raspy voice that sounded like scraping metal. So there are two of them for now?
I held my breath and focused on the sounds.
“Sigh, what on earth is going on anyway? For that girl Melliot to suddenly enter the competition alongside Young Lord Winslow.”
“How should I know.”
“Anyway, you know it’s my turn to take the breeding rights this time, right? Since you took them last time.”
“Yeah, that’s why I came to help like this. I was a bit scared because the opponent was a young lord, but there aren’t even any guards, so isn’t it actually easy? Besides, Star is deaf, so it’ll be even easier.”
What on earth are they talking about right now?
“By the way, since her father couldn’t use his legs, I thought we’d win easily this time, but to think the daughter would enter.”
“They probably think they need a thoroughbred’s breeding rights to revive the family. That house only has mares left now.”
“But from what I heard, the young lord who was originally the rider injured his shoulder and can’t ride a horse. Even if we leave things alone, wouldn’t you win anyway?”
“That girl Melliot rides horses well. She grew up like friends with horses since she was young.”
The sound of clicking tongues could be heard.
“If nothing else, she handles horses really well. All the ones she bred turned out to be thoroughbreds.”
“That’s right, so what about us?”
Sly laughter echoed along with the rain.
“You know we have to do it without leaving a trace, right?”
“Don’t worry. Is this my first time doing this? I’ll tamper with him just enough so that even if he runs the race, he won’t be able to jump over the obstacles.”
Something terrible is going to happen at this rate. I have to step in.
But how? What if those people are carrying weapons or something?
‘No, there’s no need for me to panic.’
The ones who snuck in illegally are them.
I cleared my throat and spoke up.
“Ah, Young Lord! Young Lord, did you come to see Star too? I was also worried if Star was doing alright since it’s raining so heavily. The wind is blowing quite a bit too, so I was going to cover him with a blanket!”
Please, buy it. Buy it.
Whether my prayer worked or not, the entrance door soon opened and two shadows rushed out hastily.
“Hey, run fast!”
“Wait for me!”
The footsteps grew further and further away. If the weather hadn’t been like this, I could have preserved the footprints to identify the culprits, but in the pouring rain, the tracks had long since disappeared completely.
Still, it seemed there was no one else left.
Checking the surroundings just in case, I quickly entered the stable.
It was fortunate that I woke up in the middle of my sleep.
“Star, are you okay?”
When I opened Star’s latch and approached him, he slowly turned his head and looked at me.
As expected, he was awake. Normally, he would have made noise right away upon seeing strangers, which is strange.
I thoroughly checked Star once again to see if he was hurt. Fortunately, he was not injured anywhere.
For now, I couldn’t be the only one aware of this situation. I had to let Aidan and Melliot know as well.
It was at that moment.
Tap.
And then, something touched the back of my hand. Amidst the cold dawn air brought by the rain, a warm breath could be felt.
I slowly reached my hand out. Star, who had always ignored my touch and turned his body away, rubbed his head against my hand for the first time. Was he scared too?
I carefully stroked his neck. At long last, I felt connected with Star.
