Chapter 76
Even If I Have to Throw My Whole Body
Ellea’s flawless skill left Shenil both astonished and at a loss.
“If this keeps up, I can’t stick to the plan.”
“I never imagined those words would actually be true.”
She had thought Ellea’s words at the tea party were just for show, but Ellea had confidently demonstrated her abilities—so decisively that no one could even dare to disagree.
Shenil cautiously looked at Terban, but he continued to stare straight ahead, his expression unreadable, as if he hadn’t even heard what Ellea had just said to him.
“Terban?”
Even when she called out, he gave no reaction, as though he couldn’t hear her. Shenil followed his gaze, turning her head in the same direction.
At the end of it was only the target that Ellea had hit.
Curious, Shenil placed her hand on his arm, and only then did Terban turn his eyes toward her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, really.”
Her call seemed to bring Terban back from some sort of daze. Yet the afterimage of Ellea’s movements remained vividly in his mind, even though he knew he hadn’t imagined it.
By now, Ellea was laughing and chatting with Heris. The serious demeanor she had held while holding her bow earlier was nowhere to be seen.
Those who had been confident she would lose had now completely changed their attitude, busy praising Ellea. But Ellea didn’t even glance at them, walking past calmly.
Shenil watched Ellea walk away, then briefly fixed her gaze on Heris beside her.
“Then I have no choice but to switch targets.”
No matter how Ellea approached things, it wouldn’t be a big problem.
After the minor commotion had passed, the three of them, including Cheilen, gathered inside the tent to rest for a while.
They got along better than expected, chatting as if they were already friends. Naturally, no one dared say anything to Ellea. In fact, they avoided her. Publicly humiliating her in front of many people was already enough for one person.
Cheilen recalled Ellea’s overwhelming skill and said,
“Wasn’t that a bit too ruthless? Couldn’t you have held back a little?”
“You have to show them clearly. They’re the kind who only understand force.”
“I completely agree. If they were reasonable, they wouldn’t have challenged you in the first place. Anyway, you were amazing, Ellea.”
Heris felt a sense of satisfaction watching Ellea give a lesson to those who had ignored her.
After a brief pause in conversation, Heris, now enjoying riding the horse, suggested going for another ride before the day ended, and Ellea gladly agreed.
As they walked toward the horses they would ride, Shenil’s voice called from behind.
“Your Highness.”
Ellea turned to see Shenil approaching and unexpectedly speaking:
“I’d like to apologize again for what happened at the tea party last time.”
Her sudden apology made Ellea suspicious, and Heris felt the same.
“I heard from Terban that the ladies had said things that could have caused misunderstandings about you.”
Now Ellea understood why Shenil was apologizing. It made sense—she wouldn’t want this situation to escalate either.
“I’ll accept your apology, Shenil. Just be careful next time.”
“Thank you for accepting it.”
After that conversation, Ellea distanced herself from Heris, unaware that Shenil was wearing a meaningful smile behind them.
“This is going to be even more entertaining than before.”
Heris had spent the whole day riding and had even managed to ride alone. This time, Ellea decided to take her into the forest, confident that nothing serious would happen with her nearby.
Inside the forest, the dense trees cast shade, making it cool and refreshing. Ellea wanted to gallop through the vast woods, feeling the strong wind on her face, but with Heris along, she decided to wait.
“This is amazing. We’ve only spent time in the tent until now—it feels like such a waste.”
“Right? Riding a horse seems scary at first, but once you try, it’s not. Just one courageous step opens up a whole new world.”
“Every time I see you, Ellea…”
Heris spoke honestly, watching Ellea enjoying the refreshing breeze.
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t feel like a princess. Not in a bad way, but you’re always different from how I imagined a princess should be.”
Ellea felt a sting at Heris’s insight but tried to play it off casually.
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Maybe because my body hasn’t been strong, I’ve wanted to learn and do so many things. Truly freely.”
“I wish I’d known you when you were younger. You’d have experienced so much.”
“It’s not too late. We can do it one step at a time. I’ll help you.”
“That makes me feel so reassured.”
Ellea was glad to have grown close to Heris, someone who saw her as herself, not as a princess.
Sometimes, she wondered why she, someone unrelated, had become a princess. Over time, she considered that perhaps the wishes of the real Ellea, who had been weak and wanted freedom, had guided her. Maybe her selfish thought was just a way to relieve guilt.
“Ellea?”
“Hmm?”
“What are you thinking about? You seem so distracted.”
“Maybe it’s just the weather.”
The forest was calm, with no one else around, making it easier to enjoy their time.
As they turned toward the forest exit, an incident suddenly occurred.
Heris’s horse, agitated for some unknown reason, raised its front legs and galloped forward at great speed, letting out a loud cry.
“Ahhh!”
Ellea, startled by the sudden turn of events, quickly increased her horse’s speed to follow.
Heris, terrified, clung tightly to the reins and leaned down to avoid falling.
“What’s happening?”
The usually calm horse had suddenly gone wild. Ellea prioritized saving Heris over finding the cause.
At this speed, falling off would certainly result in serious injury, especially for a novice like Heris.
“Heris! Can you hear me?”
“Ellea, I’m scared!”
“It’s okay! I’m right behind you. Don’t let go of the reins and stay as close to the horse as possible.”
Heris did as instructed, but the panicked horse could not be stopped. The best she could do was cling on.
Ellea tried to approach from the side, but the forest trees made it difficult. Any reckless move could put herself in danger.
The horse soon exited the forest and headed toward a group of people. They hadn’t noticed at first, but now they realized something was wrong.
“Get out of the way! The horse is out of control!”
People scrambled, and in the chaos, one person fell while frozen in place. It was Shenil. Terban and the knights moved toward him, but the horse’s speed was faster.
Ellea’s focus was only on Heris, who could control the reins.
“Heris! Turn the horse left. You remember what I taught you, right?”
“But…”
“There’s no time. Only you can do it. Don’t be afraid. I’m behind you.”
Heris remembered what she had learned and pulled on the reins with all her strength, narrowly steering the horse away from Shenil.
Ellea quickly moved next to Heris’s horse. Seeing her trembling hands, she knew they had very little time.
“This is the only way.”
The knights were moving frantically, but Ellea had no time to wait. She shouted so Heris could hear:
“Heris! When I tell you, lift your waist and sit straight, okay?”
“But I’m scared…”
“It’s fine. I’ll save you no matter what. Trust me.”
Heris nodded, summoning her courage. Ellea, on the speeding horse, bent her knees to sit, ready to lift herself immediately.
Onlookers gasped at the precarious scene, but Ellea only focused on Heris.
“Heris, now straighten your back and let go of the reins!”
Heris obeyed, straightening herself. As the horse slowed slightly, Ellea seized the moment, leaping and catching Heris, throwing herself to the ground to protect her.
They tumbled several times, feeling pain all over, but Ellea never let go of Heris.
Heris’s horse collapsed immediately after she was removed, and Ellea’s horse stopped beside them.
Ellea checked Heris first.
“Heris, Heris!”
But she had already fainted.
Ellea wanted to take her to the palace immediately, but lacked the strength. She had minimized the impact of the fall, but Heris wasn’t completely unharmed.
Cheilen, witnessing the entire situation, rushed to them.
“Ellea, are you okay? What happened?”
“I’ll explain later. Take Heris to the palace—she’s unconscious.”
“And you?”
“I’m fine. First, Heris.”
Cheilen lifted the limp Heris, and after helping Ellea to stand, they left.
Once the horses stopped, the crowd finally exhaled in relief.
Ellea checked the motionless horse. It had foamed at the mouth and died. Her gaze hardened with a cold, sharp edge.
