CH 43

“….” 

Dad, who had been quiet, called me.

“You know, Lilith.” 

“Just like Dad did in the past, tell His Majesty that you don’t want to wage a war like that. Because such a war is a bad war….”

“….”

“Mr. James, why aren’t you answering?”

I brushed off the dirt on my palms and looked back at Dad.

Dad stared at me and smiled.

“Yes, I will.”

“Dad.”

“Yes, Princess.”

I got up and hugged my dad.

“I’m fine.”

“About what?”

Dad held me in his arms and asked, patting my head affectionately.

“I don’t want Dad to go to a bad war because of me.”

“….”

“Promise me, okay?”

Dad’s arms shook slightly as he hugged me.

“Promise?” 

“…Yeah, I promise.” 

The lying voice was bitter.

* * *

Deep dawn when the moon is asleep.

Duke Rubinstein’s stable.

Only Cheshire’s black horse Walter and Lilith’s white horse Zephyr were awake.

[Hey, Prince.]

Walter called Zephyr.

Prince—Zephyr was proud of his beautiful appearance, so other horses in the stable teased him with that name.

As always, Zephyr didn’t respond.

[If you’ve done this enough, why don’t you give the princess a ride?]

[….]

Princess was Lilith’s nickname.

It was because the human father of Lilith, the owner of this house, always called his daughter a princess. 

[Are you listening?!]

[…Noisy. Shut up.]

[Just listen. Hey, your princess is always sitting in the stable and watching my owner ride me with envious eyes, isn’t it pitiful?] 

[…]

[My master was worried about the princess, so he couldn’t even concentrate yesterday and today.]

Zephyr also had eyes and ears, so he knew everything.

Lilith looked enviously at Cheshire as he rode Walter skillfully.

Then.

There was a small sign in the dark.

The ears of the two horses pricked up.

“Oh, what is it? Weren’t you sleeping?”

[Oh, Princess? What are you doing, at this hour!]

It was Lilith with lamp in one hand and a small basket at her side.

“Shh, shh. Walter, be quiet. You will wake all your friend.” 

[Give me carrots!]

“I told you to be quiet?”

Lilith could hear nothing but his sound, but Walter called out for the stretched carrot. 

He hesitated as he looked at the basket Lilith had brought.

“Do you want this? I only brought four because it was heavy. These are all Zephyr’s…”

[Don’t show favoritism!]

“What should I do… Then, what about one?” 

Lilith put down the lamp in the corner of the stable and fed Walter a carrot.

“Hehe, you’re eating well. so pretty.”

[Princess is prettier.]

Walter, who finished one carrot in an instant, push his nose and affectionately touched the back of Lilith’s hand. 

Lilith, who stroked Walter a few times, poured all the carrots left in Zephyr’s trough.

[I envy you…]

Walter murmured.

“Zephyr, I thought you were sleeping, but you are awake. Today, I was able to sneak out at dawn because Dad was gone…Oh, my Dad went to the imperial palace. He say he’ll sleep for two nights there.” 

As always, as if talking to Zephyr, Lilith cautiously lay down.

Zephyr was startled.

He wondered what she was doing, and she might be pushing her small body into the cage and coming in. 

Without fear.

“So what is this, Zephyr?  It’s really good medicine that I left after sending it to Rico yesterday. I got in the water and wet it warmly. Oh, Rico is my friend.”

Lilith pulled out a wet cloth.

Then, as if she was afraid now, she stood at a slight distance and hesitated.

“I’ll tie you to your poor feet. Originally, I was supposed to do it secretly when you were sleeping…could you keep your feet still? If it hits me, it hurts.”

Zephyr was still indifferent. Lilith carefully wrapped a cloth around Zephyr’s right forefoot.

“Good boy…You know, I asked Flynn. Oh, Flynn is our family doctor. This is a very good medicine, but he say it only works for human and not for animals. So it’s useless, but just in case…”

Lilith sighed and added. 

“Walter can you be quiet? Anyway, when you won the horse riding event last year, I saw a newspaper article that said you practiced for 10 hours a day without even taking a 10-minute break?”

Lilith, who was muttering, said quietly, ‘Damon Martini with a bad character….’

“I hope you get well soon.”

Then, ah, she exclaimed.

“Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not asking for a ride. You don’t have to give me a ride.”

[Throw away the prince! I’ll give you a ride, Princess!]

“Walter, no you can’t. Today’s carrot is over. I’ll give it to you again tomorrow.” 

Lilith, who had soothed Walter, gently stroked Zephyr’s leg.

“I’ve said it before, but we don’t have to go to the competition. Cheshire will win anyway, so it doesn’t matter.” 

[That’s right, me and my owner will win!] 

After poor treatment, Lilith sat down in a corner without knowing whether it was dirty and pulled her knees together.

Zephyr looked down at Lilith.

“So if you don’t want to run, you don’t have to run. You can run when you want to run, well.”

Lilith said with a smile.

For some reason, the previous owner’s face was overlapping, so Zephyr couldn’t take his eyes off Lilith.

“Stop resting! Don’t sleep and run! The competition is right around the corner!”

“Why is it getting slower and slower? Run fast! Quickly! What if the speed is like this!”

“You may be upset that you’re not as fast as you used to because you hurt your leg, but…fast isn’t necessarily good. There are some things you only see when you are slow.”

“You were born to run. There is only one way to prove your worth as a racehorse. Competition! Championship! Best!”

“Isn’t it a little strange to say that you are a racehorse? A horse born to run— well, there are many fun things and delicious things in the world.”

“Ah, this horse? I brought a new one. Looking at it, I feel hopeless. If you want to run with me again, find your original skills. Because there is no need for slow horse.”

“It’s not like you have to run well to be loved, and you have to win competitions to be loved. So really, it’s okay if you can’t run as fast as you used to.”

[….]

“I just want you to get well soon…legs and heart…” 

Lilith, who had been muttering, gave a small yawn, and then she forgot to go back and started dozing on the spot.

After looking at him for a long time, Zephyr carefully moved away, bent his legs, and sat down.

Soon, the small body of the child was buried in the nape of the soft white horse.

* * *

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Blink.

A stern voice, not sure if it was a dream or reality, hit my ear.

When I rubbed my eyes and woke up, I could see the hazy bright sky. 

I was startled.

‘What, what! Am I sleeping here?’

Zephyr was lying next to me. It seemed that I fell asleep leaning on Zephyr without fear. 

What even woke me up—.

“G, g, grandpa…?” 

It was Grandpa who exudes a force full of dignity in a black uniform.

I got up in a hurry.

‘Grandpa said he was going to the comeback ceremony with Dad yesterday, right?’ 

Why is he at home? And in the stable, too?

My eyes were spinning, but I had to pray first.

To sit down on the dirty stable floor and sleep peacefully. It was an act that couldn’t be found in the slightest bit of the dignity of an aristocrat.

“Grandpa, that’s…I came out to feed the horse yesterday and fell asleep. I’m sorry.”

“….” 

Grandpa was speechless. I didn’t know what to do inside the cage, and I had no choice but to fall on my stomach and crawl out like when I entered. 

…I’m done. I chose only the things Grandpa hated the most and ended up doing them.

“I, I’m sorry…”

To hide the soiled hem of my skirt and shoes, I squeezed myself behind my back.

“Is this the horse you brought to the horse riding competition?”

“Ah, Zephyr? Yes.”

“I heard it doesn’t even give you his back.”

How does Grandpa know that? It was strange, but I nodded.

“Then you should change your horse.”

“No!” 

I waved my hand in surprise.

“Zephyr is… is have a wound in his heart. If I find another horse because he’s not giving me a ride, Zephyr might be disappointed and close the door to his heart…So I’m going to wait for Zephyr…”

“….” 

“Grandpa, that’s why I don’t think I can go to the horse riding competition. I should go out and win something, but I’m sorry.”

“When did I ask you to go to a competition and win a prize?”

“It’s not like that, but…” 

“Then you’ve never ridden a horse before.”

“Yes.”

I hesitated, then raised my eyes slightly to check my grandfather’s expression.

My grandfather looked down at me and suddenly bent down on his knees and brushed off my dirt-stained skirt and shoes.

“Uh, Grandpa…?” 

Then he got up and opened the cage opposite Zephyr.

Grandpa came out with the reins on his muscular brown horse and suddenly lifted me up and sat me down.

“….?” 

Then he jumped on the horse’s back and began to ride it slowly.