CH 119

“How?”

Marcus couldn’t help but mutter such a question.

Beside Sophie, who had an expression that seemed unable to understand the sudden question, was Lars, who held onto his chest as he struggled to breathe. For people who belonged to neither the black star nor the copper star, Lars’ state was the normal one.

However, the girl in front of them had an expression that seemed to say she only did a normal amount of activities as she breezed through the mountain exercise. The newcomers to the copper star, who saw that they didn’t have as much stamina as an aristocratic young lady, received quite a shock.

Marcus, who knew their thoughts well but couldn’t come up with anything to comfort them, moved to Luca’s side and asked again.

“Do all aristocratic young ladies normally have that much stamina?”

“I’m sorry. I’m not really familiar with that matter.”

Luca, who didn’t know any other aristocratic young lady apart from Sophie, couldn’t give a proper answer since he had nobody to compare her with.

“People who aren’t used to this mountain would normally have a hard time though…”

That was why it was used for the exercise.

“She could ride her horse fast, and she could even keep up with our speed in the mountains… rather, does an aristocratic young lady normally ride a horse to begin with?”

“It’s rarely seen within the capital… but it is said many women learn to ride horses to try it nowadays.”

Luca recalled the story Lorenzo told when he went to a social circle he didn’t like, but Marcus wasn’t convinced by that.

“Can you call her capability in handling horses within the degree of mere ‘trying it’?”

Even though they spurred their horses into a steady gallop, Sophie kept up with them properly. No, rather than keeping up,

[“You don’t have to be considerate to me. You can spur it faster if you want to.”]

She even went and said that.

Well, they had a hard time admitting they already went as fast as they could.

Even Lars, who rode along on the same horse as Luca, already passed out by then.

“Rather, even when she was about to ride the horse…”

Marcus recalled the thing that happened before they departed a few hours ago.

Just as it was about time to depart, Sophie asked to be lent a horse as if it was the most obvious thing to do.

Since Marcus thought she would ride the same horse as Luca, he asked back in surprise.

“Eh… ojou-san, you will ride a horse?”

“Oh my, didn’t you mention it was too far to walk there?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“Excuse me, but could you lend me a riding outfit? I requested it from His Highness to prepare it before, but I haven’t received it yet.”

“If you mean that outfit, it was already given to me…”

As Luca said that with a little troubled tone, Sophie’s eyes shone. Her eyes conveyed her desire to ride a horse on her own.

“…I will bring it from the place where it was stored, so please wait for a while.”

As Luca gave up convincing Sophie otherwise, he asked Marcus to be Sophie’s escort while Luca sprinted away to fetch the outfit with the speed worthy of the stars he had earned.

As Marcus gazed at Luca’s retreating figure, he was thinking of which horse that was worthy to be ridden by a purple star was readily available. However, there was no way a copper star was in the possession of such a horse.

Should I borrow one from the black stars? …No, I guess it would be impossible.

Unlike copper star students, most black star students brought their personal horses from their respective families. All of them were great horses worthy to be ridden by a black star.

It was doubtful they would be willing to lend such a horse to the girl of the purple star, who they didn’t see in a favorable light.

Even though they were supposed to be in the position where they ought to protect the purple star instead, those black star fellows are a really troublesome bunch.

From what Marcus could see, the people of the black star were somewhat hostile to the girl of the purple star.

Although the people of the black star are usually not polite to other stars, their attitude toward the purple star was even worse than that.

So much so that Marcus, who belonged to the copper star, could notice that immediately.

I guess that’s just how aristocratic sons normally act, thought Marcus as he sighed when he recalled the faces of some of the black star students with high pride.