Chapter 105
The Emperor had allowed me to take riding and magic lessons as part of my preliminary training to become Empress, but I had no way of knowing his intentions. If he taught me how to ride, I could ride away and escape, and if I mastered magic, I could attack—so it seemed risky.
Of course, as my former magic teacher had said, it seemed I had no talent for magic. From the Emperor’s perspective, that was a relief beyond measure.
The Emperor called me to the stables, saying he would give riding lessons.
“His Majesty has gone ahead. Please get into the carriage.”
“Understood, steward.”
The steward, having come outside the building, reported politely.
As expected, I, dressed to the nines, rode the carriage to the stables.
Actually, I had already learned the basics of riding from Coa. Raymond had taken great care to give me thorough training. The reason I proposed riding lessons was purely to secure a horse. Therefore, the key was to act inexperienced, pretending it was my first time.
Upon arriving at the stables, as expected, the Emperor gifted me a horse— a white horse, the same kind he was riding.
“This one is the brother of Hades.”
“Who’s Hades?”
“It’s the name of my beloved horse that you rode and disappeared with during the war.”
“Oh.”
Now that I think about it, there had been such a time. Hades had since been renamed Kenzis and became Coa’s property.
“It already has a name, but it would be better if you named it yourself.”
“Hmm.”
What should I name it?
I tapped my chin with my fingers and then spoke, because a suitable name had come to mind.
“Then I’ll call it Poseidon.”
“Poseidon, why?”
“Poseidon is the god of the sea. It makes me think of blue waves, so I like it.”
“Not a bad name.”
Kyle nodded, stroking his chin.
I heard him mutter, “The same color as my eyes,” but that was a perfect misunderstanding. I had named the horse after Raymond’s ocean-blue eyes, not the Emperor’s. The Emperor’s eyes leaned more toward green.
“What’s your horse’s name, Your Majesty?”
“My horse’s name is Zeus.”
“Ha. Zeus, huh.”
What a mischievous twist of fate. So now they’re brothers, and the three of us can spar and clash, is that it?
The Emperor was more skilled with horses than I expected. It seemed true that he had mastered riding from a very young age.
“Aileen, do it like this. No, you should hold the reins like this.”
“Like this? Is that right, Your Majesty?”
“That’s too far.”
I gave my all to act clumsy, and he gave his all to teaching. The effect was excellent—he was visibly getting tired quickly.
“If the length isn’t just right, both of you will be uncomfortable.”
“Both of us? You mean me and Your Majesty?”
“I mean Aileen and Poseidon.”
“Ah, you mean the horse like a person. I see now.”
Pretending not to understand in my fluster, he turned his head and sighed deeply behind my back.
His patience must have been wearing thin. Why did he insist on teaching me personally in the first place?
But the Emperor’s patience far exceeded my expectations. He had probably never taught anyone before, yet he didn’t lose his temper and continued explaining step by step. I wondered, for a fleeting moment, whether teaching might suit him better than being Emperor.
Finally, the horse began to walk, but a bigger hurdle appeared. I couldn’t maintain balance, staggering, and had to stop after taking just one step.
“Aileen, straighten your back and look forward.”
“Ugh. I’m scared I’ll fall.”
I clung tightly to the horse’s back at the slightest movement. I did it so often that eventually, the knights completely surrounded my horse. They followed closely, ready to catch me if I fell. Whenever the horse picked up speed, their legs practically burned from keeping up.
Even after just one riding lesson, all the accompanying knights were exhausted. They barely stood before the Emperor, their legs visibly shaking.
By now, my reputation must have grown considerably. Hehe.
Poseidon, on the other hand, was a smart horse. Despite all the chaos, he remained calm. Truly, a fine horse is a fine horse. Completely different from that perverted Hades!
I hoped to continue being with Poseidon to the very end—though of course, I’d have to ask his opinion.
The next day and the day after, we began riding lessons at dawn.
The knights’ faces bore shadows of the grueling day ahead, but that was none of my concern. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. Making the Emperor’s knights completely fatigued and stressed wasn’t a bad strategy at all.
Meanwhile, the Emperor’s gaze toward me gradually took on a certain expectation. I couldn’t tell for sure, but it felt that way.
Had he decided I had learned enough, or had he given up teaching? During the morning’s lesson time, he suggested we take a round through the hunting grounds.
“The hunting grounds?”
“Yes. Practical practice is important.”
“I’m still scared I’ll fall off the horse.”
“That’s why I’ve prepared something for you.”
The Emperor clapped his hands, and I saw two knights bringing something together. As they approached, its bizarre shape became clear.
“What is this?”
“A specially made saddle just for you.”
It looked like the child seat on a bicycle, designed for maximum stability so I couldn’t fall.
After the knights secured the saddle and helped me onto it, it was unmistakably comfortable—so much so that running away was impossible. The sense of stability went from 20% to 80%.
“Go. Heave.”
The Emperor shouted and then slowly guided the horse to match my pace. Even though he must have found it frustrating, being the kind to enjoy shooting arrows while riding at full speed, he endured it patiently.
Had he felt we had become close? Or did he think he had done enough to deserve some reward?
The Emperor acted as if we were closely connected. But no matter what he expected, my heart remained unmoved.
Practical training was more enjoyable than expected. But I had chosen the wrong day. The bright sky gradually darkened with clouds, and shadows filled the surroundings. Black clouds gathered, promising a heavy downpour.
Plop, patter.
As expected, the heavy clouds began to weep.
“Your Majesty, it’s raining.”
“Let’s take shelter over there.”
The Emperor took me to hide under a large tree near the forest. He then gestured for the following guards to stay at a distance.
Whoosh!
Was it a sudden downpour? Rain poured as if the sky had been pierced, filling the surroundings with sound and blocking out everything else.
I felt trapped in the rain. The weather seemed to mirror my feelings, which made me both sympathetic and sad. I looked around, aimless, and noticed the face beside me.
The Emperor was looking at me. His expression was not like mine.
It was light, lively, and radiating a strange warmth. His flushed cheeks made it look even more so. In his softly curved eyes, he could see my gloomy expression. They were a mismatched pair.
The Emperor belonged to a completely different genre.
While I was painting a quiet, melancholic story, he was creating a pink romance all by himself. As you know, one-sided love is tragic. The end of unrequited love leaves only a sense of loss.
“Aileen.”
The Emperor called my name sweetly. It felt oddly out of place against the bleak backdrop.
“Though we’ve lived different lives, can we not adjust together and shape a future? Just like the riding lessons we’ve had over the past few days.”
“Riding lessons?”
“Yes. I was convinced that I could guide you well, even though you are inexperienced.”
He looked down at me with a deep gaze. My rain-soaked blonde hair still shone. Perhaps it shone because of the hope-filled light in his eyes.
He didn’t seem to tire. I wanted to applaud his persistence.
But no.
What do you do when a drama sets the background, music, and mood to move the audience, but the intended emotion simply doesn’t reach them? Forced setups cannot move anyone. That was exactly what he was doing to me.
Kyle slowly reached out and gently held my cheek. I knew what this gesture signaled. He tilted his head and moved closer to my face.
A romance existing only in his imagination.
My heart was already elsewhere. Doing this was pointless, but he refused to acknowledge it. A human heart cannot be forced, no matter how much a childlike tantrum is thrown.
I turned my face away and lowered my eyes, wearing a resigned expression.
“I’m not that person, Your Majesty.”
The cold refusal escaped my lips, as firm as my expression. Even I was startled at the resoluteness of my own voice.
The hand lingering near my chin slowly dropped. Its movement lagged a beat behind my words.
I had to drive the point home once more—regardless of his feelings.
“My mind will not change. My heart is never light.”
That was my true feeling for Raymond. Even now, I struggled to calm the eyes and heart searching for him.
I looked Kyle straight in the eyes. It was the proper courtesy when making a confession.
This was the second rejection.
I could clearly see Kyle’s pupils shake. His eyes were reddening.
