Chapter 59: Fallout

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast, and freshly squeezed juice, they were ready to hit the road again.

Kaisen noticed the princess was nowhere to be found.

He checked the hallways, the gardens, and even her room, but there was no sign of her.

He wanted to ask what happened, but with Alice by his side, all smiles and giggles, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

On the bright side, Kaisen finally managed to ride the horse without looking like a complete fool.

It took a lot of coaching from Alice, who was laughing more than instructing, but he got the hang of it.

Somehow, the feral horse didn't act up when Alice tried to pet it.

She even managed to ride the horse first, helping Kaisen climb up behind her.

They rode together for a bit before she let him take the reins.

It wasn't the most pleasant experience for him.

The constant up-and-down motion on the saddle was doing a number on his balls, but he didn't have the heart to complain since Alice was the one who helped him learn.

She turned back to look at him.

"How're you holding up back there?"

He forced a smile, trying to ignore the discomfort.

"Oh, just peachy. Never better."

She giggled.

"You're doing great, don't worry, Honey bun. You'll get used to it."

They finally reached a smooth patch of road, and Kaisen felt a bit more at ease, though the soreness was still there.

He tried to focus on the scenery instead.

The morning sun cast a golden glow over the fields, and the air was crisp and refreshing.

But he couldn't shake the feeling of unease about the princess's sudden disappearance.

After a few minutes of riding and feeling like his insides were being scrambled, Kaisen was grateful when they decided to take a break before embarking on their journey to Hero Square.

Sable and Maximus had promised to teach them more along the way.

During the break, what did Kaisen do?

He decided to look for the princess.

Something about her absence felt off.

Esmeralda closed the book in her hands with a soft thud, her gaze meeting his with the clarity of blue crystals.

He was about to offer a witty reply, but something in her eyes gave him pause.

It was clear she wasn't in the mood for banter.

"You...uh...you look beautiful..."

He stammered, his words faltering as he slowly approached her.

With each stride, he drew closer to her, the intoxicating fragrance growing stronger with each step.

"Thank you for your kind words. But I'm afraid I don't have time to talk to you. So if you may please leave."

Esmeralda's voice was cool and dismissive as she gestured for him to go away with a wave of her hand, then returned her attention to her book, as if he were no longer there at all.

Kaisen's mouth hung loose in disbelief at the sudden change in her demeanor.

He couldn't help but see traces of her Mommy in her—there was the same dignified queenly look, albeit with less of the sensual energy that usually accompanied her.

He scratched his head nervously.

"Uh...Emma...?"

"That's Princess Esmeralda for you, Sir Kaisen."

She interjected quickly, her tone matter-of-fact.

He gulped nervously at her sudden change in behavior.

'What the fuck happened to the kind girl from yesterday?'

"Princess Esmeralda..."

"Yes, Sir Kaisen?"

Her response was curt, her eyes remaining fixed on the pages of her book as she continued to flip through them.

Kaisen paused for a moment, then chuckled to himself before making his way towards her.

"You can't prank me, Emma. I'm not gonna fall for tha--"

"I'm gonna need you to stop right there, Sir Kaisen."

Princess Esmeralda interrupted sharply, her tone icy.

"You can't come any closer to me. No commoner, let alone an adventurer, should come this close to royalty. Stay on your line, or else I'll call the knights to escort you off the premises."

Her words hung in the air, her eyes devoid of the bashfulness from the previous night, nor the warmth they had held.

It was as if a completely different person sat before him now.