CH 42

Seeing me in shock, Dad intervened.

“Princess, this Uncle will have no choice. It’s a loss to keep managing horses that won’t sell.”

“But, but…” 

Did Damon know? What happens to a racehorse that is injured and sold back to the stables?

‘There’s no way he didn’t know.’

I burst out laughing.

Horse riding is very important for the owner to communicate. Zephyr was a horse that even won such an equestrian competition. 

The bad-tempered owner probably gave up his role as owner, ran together, trusted, and followed.

‘But he’s selling it back to the place where it will die because it hurt its leg?’

“Dad, I want to take Zephyr. I feel so sorry for him.”

I said, holding on to the hem of Dad’s trousers.

“You don’t have to go to competitions and win prizes. Right?”

“Of course.” 

Dad laughed.

“I’ll just say this. My daughter just needs to learn how to ride a horse, so it doesn’t have to be useful as a racehorse.”

“Haa, but Duke. That…” 

The owner of the stable cried. 

“Because Zephyr isn’t just a horse with injury problems. He doesn’t listen to anyone because he has a deep bond with the previous owner.”

“What do you mean you don’t listen?”

“As you can see, it looks nice, so some people tried to take it, but he doesn’t give up his back at all and acts aggressively. It’s dangerous for the princess to ride, so I’ll show you in another good word.”

“Ah, is that so?” 

Dad hesitated when he heard it was dangerous.

“Dad! I like Zephyr. Ung? I heard that the children’s horseback riding competition will also put on magic to prevent falling. When I practice, you can help me.” 

“That’s true. Do you like this horse that much?”

“Ung. I like it. And if I don’t take him, he’ll die… Please. Ung?” 

Dad smiled and stroked my hair as if he couldn’t stop me when I held out my hands and begged. 

“Ah, our angel. Okay then. Let’s take this kid.”

* * *

As the owner said, Zephyr was very aggressive and wary.

How hard it was to bring him to the Duke’s stable. 

“When riding a horse, the sitting position is the most important. In a straight line with the ground from his head to his waist to his heels. Oh, it’s better not to use too much force.”

“Yes.” 

I squatted miserably and watched Cheshire being tutored by Dad.

Cheshire, who brought a cool black horse, succeeded in riding the horse at once. The posture was also quite good.

“Oh you’re good?” 

Dad, who had been smiling contentedly, suddenly flinched and looked back.

It seemed that he felt my warm gaze.

“Well, Princess. You have to hold it from the side first. Can Dad and Cheshire go around there in a circle?” 

“Ung. Don’t worry about me and go. Be careful.” 

Dad left the stable holding Cheshire on the horse by his side.

“Hmm.”

Left alone, I saw Zephyr in a cage.

It was so vigilant that it was difficult to pet it, let alone ride it.

“Zephyr, don’t worry. I don’t want to ride on your back. I don’t need a ride. I didn’t bring you here to compete. Cheshire will win anyway.”

Zephyr just looked at me with indifferent eyes.

“Do you want to see your owner by any chance?”

I suppose so.

It’s because Zephyr doesn’t want anyone else to ride on his back but his owner.

I let out a deep sigh with a bitter heart.

* * *

Zephyr also seemed to have lost his will to live. He ate only enough not to die from starvation.

“Kngg.” 

“Oh my, Lady!”

“Hello, Rick! I’m here again!”

The Duke’s stable keeper, Uncle Rick, hurriedly ran over and snatched the heavy basket of carrots from my hand. 

“Why are you bringing this? You should call me or the servants.”

“I didn’t think about it because I came straight from the dining room. The chef said that these carrots were brought from the south yesterday and are grade 1 pesticide-free, so they are so fresh!”

Hnnng, hngg! 

All the horses in the stable cried excitedly as if they smelled the finest snacks.

“No! This is Zephyr’s!”

“Phew, he probably won’t eat today….” 

I took a carrot from the basket and stretched it into Zephyr’s cage.

“Let’s eat, Zephyr.”

Zephyr only glanced down at me with blue eyes.

“What should I do if you don’t eat anything….” 

I’m frustrated.

“Just a bite. Ung?” 

I gave up and sighed only when it seemed like my arm was about to fall off.

Rick, who was scratching his brown beard, came over with a pitiful look.

“He doesn’t eat, right?” 

“Yes. He must be hungry….” 

“Perhaps Zephyr needs time to heal his heartache.”

“Does Zephyr know that he was abandoned? I wish he didn’t know.”

“He probably knows everything. They are animals that can’t speak, but they don’t lack emotions. Especially if it had even won the competition, the connection with the previous owner would have been very deep.”

“Damon Martini shameless.” 

“That brown-haired Count Young Master, right? To be honest, I think so too. When he came to play before, he popped into the stable and just judged our horses.”

Rick got angry and then whispered to me.

“Please keep it a secret that I cursed the Young Master, Lady.” 

“You can curse more. He’s a really bad kid.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

I looked at Zephyr with Rick and, at the same time, sighed deeply.

“How can Zephyr open up to me? I want to try stroking it once.”

“I don’t know…we’ll have to wait a little longer. But sincerity always works, so don’t be too depressed.”

“Yes.” 

I looked into Zephyr’s empty eyes.

I felt bad.

* * *

Ever since Zephyr came, the stable of the Duke of Rubinstein has been noisy every day.

“Zephyr, let’s eat food!” 

“Rick, is there Zephyr?”

It was because of the Young Lady who came in and out every day to see her horse.

“How are you, Walter? You’re handsome like your owner today, too, right?

“Zephyr, the weather is great today!”

What it means by being indifferent is that he has no interest in the owner who visits him every day—.

“Hey, you stole my Zephyr carrot, didn’t you? You’re going to get in trouble? I gave you yours separately!”

“Zephyr, what did you do today?”

Thanks to her persistence in coming to the stable to get her face stamped, the other horses were even more pleased with the little girl.

Hnngg, hnngg! 

One day after a week and three days. 

Zephyr, who was still standing in the corner of the noisy stable today, peeked out.

At this point, the time has come—.

Hnngg! 

Walter, Cheshire’s black horse, who lives in the same room as Zephyr, made a snorting sound.

It seemed that he recognized Zephyr, who was waiting for Lilith.

Zephyr pushed his neck back, pretending not to.

“Zephyr! I’m late, sorry!”

…She came again today.

“I was supposed to come up quickly, but today the Lord, no, the Lord of the Wizard Tower finished class late today!”

In a low voice. 

“Would you like to listen? I’m really dumbfounded. I’m only 7 years old, so what kind of linear function am I trying to learn right now?”

Quietly.

Since when did he wait for the voice that he thought was just loud?

Anyway, now that he was waiting for this little child every day, even though Zephyr pretended it wasn’t so.

* * *

It’s been 10 days since I visited the stable every day when I woke up. 

“Wow, Cheshire is good…” 

Today again, after checking on Zephyr, I watched Walter and Cheshire.

Cheshire was skillfully circling the riding ground.

“Princess, what are you doing here?”

As I squatted with my chin on my chest, I turned back to a familiar voice.

“Huh? Mr. James, what is it? That’s cool.”

It was Dad. He wearing glittering full-plate armor and even the blue Paladin cloak.

I was surprised by Dad’s unusual outfit but soon realized it.

‘…It looks like today is the return ceremony for the Knights.’

It seemed to be the day to go to the Imperial Palace.

No matter what he does, the return is unavoidable—.

“Daddy’s return ceremony was today?”

“Yeah. I told you a few days ago, did you already forget?”

“I see. Have a safe trip.”

“Wow, is that it? If Dad goes today, Dad has to sleep for two nights at the Imperial Palace, right? Dad thinks Dad won’t be able to see the princess for two days, so he’s really, really sad?”

“I am sad too.”

“…You should at least make a sad face and tell me.”

Dad sat next to me with his mouth pouted.

“What was my princess doing?”

“Looking at Cheshire.”

“Aha.”

Dad tapped my cheek to comfort me, who was sullen.

“Zephyr still doesn’t want to give my princess a ride?”

“Zephyr still needs time to heal his wounds. I won’t force him to give me a ride.”

“Haha, look at what our angel is saying. Yeah, don’t worry. Zephyr will soon understand the princess’s feelings.”

“Dad.”

“Why?”

“If you go today, will you see His Majesty the Emperor?”

“….” 

There was no answer. I shifted my gaze from watching Cheshire to Dad.

“Y, yeah, that’s right?” 

Dad seemed nervous when I suddenly brought up the Emperor.

“Dad, in the past, you didn’t listen to the Emperor when he told you to go to war?”

“What? Who said that?”

“The Lord of the Wizard Tower.”

“Hahaha.”

Dad laughed awkwardly and muttered, “He said all kinds of things to the kid.”

“What if His Majesty the Emperor asks you to go to the war again?”

“I have to go. Do you know how strong your Dad is? It’s dangerous for our princess if scary monsters attack, so Dad goes ahead and just makes sure everything…!” 

“Not a war to catch monsters.”

“Huh?” 

I added, pretending to be playing with dirt.

“There’s a war that goes into another country. A war in which the land of the people living happily is taken and killed.”

“….” 

“Dad, you don’t do that, right?”