Chapter 47
After finishing lunch, I went upstairs to change into my riding clothes.
In the shoe cabinet of the dressing room, I saw the shoes that Darius gave me during the summer vacation.
‘It will get cold soon, so I won’t be able to wear them.’
Thinking that, I put on the shoes and looked at myself in the full-length mirror.
The front part was a little tight, but if I fastened the ankle straps tightly, I could wear them somehow.
The material would make my feet cold in winter, so I was struggling to wear them even a little now.
‘It’s hard to wait until next spring!’
Ah. So pretty.
While walking along the hallway wearing the shoes, I finally tripped and fell in a funny way because of the loose shoes.
I thought the hallway was empty, but I met Kyle coming up the stairs.
Ah. So embarrassing….
“What? Do you fall like that even at home?”
“The shoes are a little big….”
Feeling pathetic, I made an awkward excuse as Kyle walked over and helped me up.
Since we were taking the joint horseback riding class, Kyle visited the count’s mansion three times a week.
Today’s class would start in one hour, but he had already come to my house.
“Why did you come so early?”
“I wanted to practice before class. Do you have a problem with that?”
Kyle answered sulkily.
The idea of finishing both the class and playing with Kyle at once was very efficient, but it seemed I failed to control the distance between us.
‘Now he comes and goes as if this is his own house….’
I don’t have the right to complain since I used to do the same.
“Why did you buy shoes that don’t fit?”
Kyle noticed that the shoes were new and asked.
“Oh, this was a gift. Maybe they didn’t know my exact shoe size.”
I intentionally omitted the subject, hiding the fact that it was a gift from Darius.
I was afraid of a second “choose who you like more” situation between the bracelet and another gift.
“Hm. The person who gave the gift has no sense.”
“…….”
I almost defended Darius, but barely endured it.
Luckily, Kyle didn’t seem interested in the shoe gift’s owner.
“What about the pig doll I gave you?”
Instead, he said something strange.
“What doll?”
“The pig doll I won as a dart prize at the competition.”
“When did you give that to me?”
I widened my eyes in surprise because I had no idea.
Kyle frowned.
“I left it by your bed on the morning I left Brante territory.”
“Eh? I didn’t see it! Maybe it rolled under the bed?”
I really didn’t know. Where did it go?
“Other gifts you cherish so much, but you threw mine away….”
“I didn’t know you gave it to me! I actually wanted that pig doll too. Thank you. I’ll contact the territory and ask them to send it!”
“Forget it. Why bother with that ugly pig.”
“Hey, I’m sorry. And the pig isn’t ugly! It’s cute!”
“…….”
Kyle snorted and turned around, going down the stairs.
He was really a stubborn boy.
Anyway, that pig doll—so he liked it but still gave it to me.
That was a little touching.
After a while, when I asked Milly about the pig doll’s whereabouts, Milly confessed that she had put the doll in the laundry basket when it was rolling on the floor and then forgot about it.
After apologizing to Milly, who kept saying sorry, I told her it was okay and asked her to contact the territory to find the doll.
After quickly changing clothes, I went down to the backyard riding ground.
The horseback riding class went smoothly, and both Kyle and I became quite skilled at controlling horses.
Kyle had good athletic ability, so even though he started later than me, he became almost as skilled as I was.
“Teacher, when can we gallop freely across the field?”
I asked boldly, wanting to settle a race before he completely surpassed me.
“Hmm, about ten years later?”
The teacher cut down my reckless ambition with a socially professional smile.
Tch.
Near the end of the one-hour riding lesson, I saw Milly and Luke talking under the tree shade in the backyard.
After their first date, the two went out together twice more on holidays.
Three dates and about a month of flirting meant only one thing remained — a confession.
If Luke didn’t confess while walking Milly home after the fourth date, I planned to teach Milly a magical line.
‘What are we to each other?’
Just this one line would make that day become Day 1.
While looking at the two with satisfaction, the teacher finished the lesson.
I put the horse back in the stable and went straight to the small enclosure where Snowflake was, and patted her.
“Snowflake! Good girl, are you doing well?”
While speaking in a childish voice and patting Snowflake’s butt, Kyle put his horse away and left without even saying goodbye.
Ugh, still sulking like a small child!
Looks like I have to spend more time playing with him today to appease him.
“Kyle, let’s go together. I said I was sorry!”
I ran after him and shouted.
Golden autumn leaves, colored warm, fell slowly like floating flowers and landed at our feet.
Laughter was carried in the deepening autumn air.
Meanwhile, at the northernmost part of the Erkalte Kingdom, the Diarne duke territory had already stepped one season ahead.
It was still late October, but cold air froze the lungs when inhaled, and pale breath came out when opening the mouth.
Cold wind circled around Selpius Diarne, who was looking at the white-covered mountain ridge.
He looked like the physical embodiment of the northern border itself — a huge, cold wall.
His face was surprisingly young. Even though he had passed forty, his features were sharp, and there was not a single wrinkle on his skin.
But his sculpted handsome face had nothing to do with kindness.
Behind the man known as the “Iron Blood,” his aide Noem Wagner followed hurriedly.
“It’s already winter. I hate cold weather.”
Noem pulled his cloak tighter and sniffled.
Although he had lived in the duke territory for more than ten years, he still couldn’t adapt to this extreme cold.
“The war is over, Your Grace.”
Wearing gloves after blowing warm air into his hands, Noem stood diagonally behind Selpius.
“So what?”
“You no longer need to stay in this desolate castle and pretend to be a watchdog.”
Selpius, who had been standing on the fortress wall watching beyond the border, showed a cold smile.
“Ridiculous. This is my home.”
“I understand you also own a magnificent house in Pellen. And Pellen is a very warm, comfortable city full of human warmth.”
Noem was perhaps the only person who dared to speak such impudence to the kingdom’s greatest sword.
He was also a long-time friend who was allowed such disrespect by Selpius.
“Young Master Darius is already sixteen, isn’t he? After he graduates from the military academy in two years, he will enter social circles and start looking for a marriage partner. He also needs heir education, and there are mountains of vassals to gather and pass responsibilities to.”
“Am I being treated as an old man already? I still plan to be active in service for another thirty years.”
Selpius gripped the sword hilt and growled threateningly.
Noem shrank slightly but did not stop speaking, as he was used to such intimidation.
“Well, those are just excuses. My small wish is that Your Grace spend more time with your family during this peaceful time without war.”
“You forced me to stay in the capital for two months recently because of your nagging.”
“Only two months.”
“It was a terribly long two months.”
Noem fell silent.
Why did this man abandon comfortable capital life and insist on staying in this barren place?
Of course, he was a man more suited to swords and guns than tea cups, but Noem could not understand why he continued such hollow life.
Although his relationship with the duchess was distant like strangers, that was how aristocratic arranged marriages usually were.
In fact, their marital relationship had become estranged because Selpius had always been wandering outside.
Thinking of the Diarne family, Noem brought up a name that had been stuck in his throat since last summer.
“…What are young master Kyle’s future plans? He seems to have grown quite a bit….”
Selpius’ jaw clenched harder.
The man, who had been looking far into the scenery, turned his gaze toward Noem.
A soldier ran toward the two of them in a hurry.
“Your Grace! Emergency report!”
The soldier knelt and handed over the letter.
Selpius took it without emotion.
Noem watched the scene with a heavy heart, as he already knew what was coming.
“I will correct what I said. This is not my home.”
Crushing the royal seal letter, Selpius smiled coldly like a predator that had not finished hunting.
“The battlefield is my home.”
