Chapter 104…….
“Y-You… laughed?”
Wieg looked at Leticia in surprise, but she couldn’t stop laughing.
That flimsy fabric that had been turning so dark in front of her eyes.
“So, you’re saying Peidan bought that fabric?”
How had these two ended up tangled together like this?
Leticia couldn’t help but find it amusing that the two combinations, even without her involvement, had twisted around each other so predictably.
“No. Don’t release a rebuttal article, just leave it be.”
“H-Huh, but… then the public opinion toward the boss will turn negative again, right?”
“Well, it might hurt my reputation a little, but it won’t affect Mariposa’s sales. It’s not a problem with the product.”
“That’s true, but…”
“You need two hands clapping to make a sound. The more you respond in situations like this, the noisier it gets.”
And people tend to care about love stories, but family matters? Not so much.
Sometimes, the best defense is simply staying still.
“But just sitting around and waiting is a little boring.”
After a brief moment of thought, Leticia came up with a good idea.
A way to make the bomb the two had lit explode even faster.
“Still, there’s been some affection between them… maybe I should help Peidan a bit?”
“Huh…? Help him?”
Wieg stared at her, completely confused by Leticia’s intention.
“We’ll release an article saying we’re making riding clothes. Then, customers who want dresses will flock over there.”
The bigger the bomb that was about to go off, the more fun it would be.
Leticia muttered this under her breath, her lips curling into a mischievous smile.
After that, Amon began making the riding clothes.
Peidan and his father’s side, seeing that I wasn’t responding, quietly let it slide just as expected.
And so, preparations for hunting season proceeded smoothly.
Today, I had come to learn horseback riding.
There were two sudden reasons I decided to start…
First, interest in horseback riding among noblewomen was gradually increasing, so I thought I should learn it too.
Second, I wanted to try on the finished riding clothes in practice and give Amon feedback.
Ah, and one more thing.
I glanced sideways at Idris, who was standing next to me holding my hand.
As if sensing my gaze, his golden eyes looked down at me, playfully raising an eyebrow.
Yes. Today’s riding lesson was also a “date” with Idris.
“Technically, it’s to take promotional photos for the riding clothes.”
Idris was wearing the couple’s riding outfit Amon had made.
The perfectly fitting clothes accentuated his toned body, usually hidden, while his hairstyle—cut just past half his head—emphasized his sharp, defined features.
Whether male or female, anyone would be dumbfounded by his appearance.
As I was staring absentmindedly, Idris leaned forward and bumped his forehead against mine.
“What are you thinking about?”
My heart thudded at the sudden closeness, but I steadied myself.
“…He’s probably conscious of the photographer.”
The journalist we had invited for the promotional photos was watching us under the tree.
So I knew there was no real meaning in his gesture…
“But every time there’s physical contact, I get so tense and conscious of it…”
I averted my gaze and replied quietly.
“…I was just thinking about things coming up ahead.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
At that moment, his sharp eyes seemed to pierce through my rapidly beating heart.
“Your Highness, we’ve brought the horse.”
The trainer led in a horse.
Even someone like me, who knew little about horses, could see it was a graceful and beautiful white horse.
Idris took the reins from the trainer and brought the horse over to me.
“Here. Say hello, Leo. Today, you’ll be serving this lady.”
As if understanding, the horse’s dark eyes turned toward me.
“You should greet him too. This is Leo, your gentlemanly horse. He’s strict with other males but courteous to ladies.”
“Do horses really distinguish between men and women?”
“Yes, that’s right. Right, Leo?”
As Idris stroked the horse’s mane, it shivered slightly.
“Now, you greet him.”
Hesitant at first, I carefully reached out and stroked the mane while greeting him.
“Hello, Leo. Nice to meet you.”
To my surprise, instead of shivering, Leo slightly lowered his head, making it easy for me to pet him.
I widened my eyes in amazement.
“Oh, he really recognizes me!”
Idris chuckled and handed me a carrot.
“Now it’s your turn to bribe him.”
Then, as a demonstration, he fed Leo the carrot.
“Leo, take good care of my lady.”
He looked so skilled doing it.
“A person who’s kind even to animals who can’t speak… what villain?”
I laughed at my past prejudice and asked,
“Are you close to horses too?”
“I flatter them. If they throw me off, I could die.”
Even while joking, his actions with the horse showed genuine care.
“Now it’s your turn.”
I cautiously offered the carrot, and clever Leo took it without biting my hand.
I smiled and stroked his mane.
“Looking forward to today.”
The lesson went smoothly—at least until I got on Leo myself.
“I think you’ve bonded with Leo enough. Shall we try riding now?”
I gulped nervously at Idris’s suggestion.
After all, I had always struggled with physical activities.
“I only managed to dance as well as others by practicing twice as much.”
But I couldn’t allow myself to show weakness.
I climbed the small stairs and sat on Leo’s back, feigning calm.
Idris came up beside me and began explaining the next steps.
“Some might think horseback riding is just sitting on a horse, but it’s not like that at all.”
“What else should I do?”
“You need to hold your thighs and calves firmly and keep your balance. When the horse moves, your body on top will naturally sway. One wrong move and you could fall.”
I listened carefully, a diligent student.
“And falling is very dangerous, as you know. People often get injured seriously…”
After his theoretical explanation, it was time for practice.
But no matter how well I understood the theory, practice was a different matter.
“Now, kick the horse’s side with your foot.”
I took a deep breath and lightly kicked Leo’s side. He slowly began walking forward, and my body wobbled from the movement.
“Ugh… ugh!”
Watching me, Idris decided it wasn’t working and pulled the reins to stop Leo.
“You’re too tense. Just flexing your legs won’t work.”
He pressed on my thighs and calves to release the stiffness.
“A straight tree bends easily in a storm. If your body is too rigid, you’ll collapse when the horse runs. You need to sway while keeping balance.”
Despite his instructions, my body wouldn’t follow.
Idris, seeing me frozen, seemed to think for a moment, then suddenly jumped behind me.
His movements were smooth and precise.
He took the reins overlapping my hands.
“W-What are you doing?”
“I think if we keep going like this, you’ll just stay scared.”
“So…?”
“If you realize how fun riding can be, maybe your fear will fade?”
A playful smile appeared on his lips—the same smile he wore when teasing me.
Sensing both his mischief and reassurance, he kicked Leo’s side…
And so, the hellish horseback riding began.
