Behind the mountain where the imperial city was located, the vast open field stretching beyond the outskirts of the capital and connecting to the forest was utilized in various ways each year during the social season. When outdoor events such as equestrian competitions or hunts were held by the royal family, the area was opened up and utilized, with security maintained as rigorously as within the imperial city itself.
The rarely opened field was bustling with activity from those participating in the equestrian event. After getting off the carriage, Retina looked around the expansive field. In the middle, there was even a competition arena set up with obstacles, where equestrian competitions were held.
“Today, I must show my skills again.”
Standing behind Retina, Haint stretched his arms out and limbered up.
“A true knight should possess exceptional equestrian skills! Reti, today I’ll show you why they call me ‘the Flying Knight’!”
With clenched fists, he expressed his determination to Retina.
Hmm, I’ve seen that plenty of times before, so there’s no need to show it again. Retina watched Haint’s figure, bound like a horse, with blurred eyes, going beyond just riding a horse.
Giving up on chasing after the diminishing figure, Retina walked towards where Sat and the horses were gathered.
“This is where the royal stables are kept. The winner of today’s equestrian competition can choose one horse from this list. Over here are the ponies prepared for the young lords and ladies. And these are the horses brought by each noble family.”
Sat led Retina through the various sections of the fence, explaining each one as they passed. Horses with the emblems of each noble family embroidered on their blankets grazed leisurely, enjoying the grass on the ground.
“I haven’t seen you riding for a long time. Your skills haven’t rusted, have they?” Sat teased.
“What nonsense. Don’t be jealous just because I ride better than you,” Retina shrugged, throwing a glance into the enclosure. Despite the variety of breeds gathered within the fenced area, it seemed like an unseen hierarchy was silently established among them.
“Deneuve’s horse…”
As Retina searched for the emblem of the Duke of Deneuve while leaning on the fence, she noticed a horse separate from the others.
It wasn’t so much that it was isolated; rather, it seemed disinterested in the hierarchy game.
“Could it be… Rodrigo?”
Retina’s eyes widened as she recognized the familiar white horse.
Rodrigo couldn’t possibly be here. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief and looked again, but no matter how many times she looked, it was unmistakably the horse she knew.
“Yeah. I brought him from the estate today because I thought you might miss him if you rode. He just arrived yesterday, so he might still be a bit unsettled.”
Sat, standing behind Retina, rested a hand on her shoulder. Although he didn’t manage Rodrigo at the estate himself, he would visit at least once a month, but it had been several months since he last saw him.
“Rodrigo!”
At the sound of her name, the white horse lifted its head and pricked its ears. Then, as if recognizing Retina at the end of the fence, it turned its face towards her and shuffled its feet in place.
“I guess Rodrigo doesn’t recognize me,” Retina remarked, amused.
“It’s probably because I usually saw it without my wig.”
“But you wore the wig occasionally, didn’t you?”
“It’s been a long time since you last saw me.”
Watching Retina, who seemed quietly disappointed, Sat put his fingers to his lips and whistled. As if hesitantly, Rodrigo, who had been eyeing this way, trotted over with a lively step.
“Rodrigo!! Did you notice the difference in the taste of grass in the capital? Your face looks brighter, doesn’t it?”
Approaching closer, Rodrigo, who recognized Retina only when she got near, nickered in acknowledgment.
Retina greeted Rodrigo warmly, scratching his face. While she could ride any horse well if she communicated with them effectively, having Rodrigo here put her mind at ease.
“Did only Rodrigo come? What about Terius and Theo?”
“Terius is getting old, so I decided not to bring him to the capital anymore. And Theo is over there.”
Following Sat’s gesture, Retina looked over to see a particularly robust horse, Theo, occupying the center and munching on grass.
Ah, there he is. Retina immediately spotted Theo. Whether the horse resembled its owner or vice versa, she couldn’t say.
As time passed, everyone else seemed to blend in, but the figures of Haint and Theo seemed disproportionately large.
As Retina gestured towards Theo, Rodrigo’s face suddenly appeared in front of her.
“Why? Are you jealous of other horses? “
Retina turned her gaze away, and Rodrigo, blocking her path, snorted.
“Okay, okay. We’ll see them in a bit.”
Retina took a carrot out of the bucket and fed it to Rodrigo before brushing his mane. Having seen the horse she would ride, it was now time to return to her place and wait for the formal greetings.
“I really want to ride with Rodrigo instead of being stuck here.”
She had heard that the walking trails into the forest were particularly well-made, with shelters set up at intervals. Ever since she heard about the forest before coming, she had been itching to go.
“Once the speeches are over, we’re allowed to ride freely, right? No need to sit there and watch silly games.”
“Yeah, horseback riding is just outdoors; it’s no different from a ball. But still, go watch those silly games. He’s up first, so it’ll be over quickly.”
“Haint’s going first? Then the people behind must feel intimidated.”
“Yeah, they always make him go first.”
“He really has a nasty personality.”
“He’s more cunning in this area.”
Sat and Retina exchanged these remarks about Haint without changing their expressions. Even without saying much, it was clear they were siblings.
“A lot of people came.”
Inside the tent set up for those who came to see the horses, people chattered. Despite the scorching sun, the noble ladies, who didn’t want to get tan, wrapped themselves tightly and fanned themselves vigorously.
“Did you see that noble wearing those tight-fitting pants? Even if it’s riding attire, it doesn’t look good.”
“They have no shame…”
As they approached, they heard whispers from somewhere unknown. Retina, who boasted of her keen hearing, wished her hearing was a bit weaker at times like this.
“I hear people cursing everywhere. I can’t stand it.”
When Retina, having parted ways with Sat, was about to go sit anywhere to regain her appetite, Basilios’s clear voice reached her ears.
“Heh. Why be all cool and stuff? Retina, over here! This way!!”
Basilios, wearing a cute pink frilly dress, waved her hand energetically. Sitting next to her were Cecile, Clara, and Isabelle, lined up in a row. It seemed that all four of them were attending the equestrian event hosted by the royal family.
She had no intention of going in there. Despite Basilios’s enthusiastic efforts to seat her by tapping on an empty chair, Retina politely declined and slipped into the crowd.
“Wow. Riding attire. It looks so cool! Do you know how to ride, Lady Retina?”
“Yes. Somehow, with my brother around, I naturally ended up learning.”
“We’re planning to ride a little because Adrian promised to give us a ride on his horse.”
“That sounds like fun.”
Among the basic etiquette of noble ladies was horseback riding, but they generally showed little interest in it. Even though they rarely wore dress-like riding attire, just the fact that they did sometimes indicated their passive attitude towards riding.
“Is Lady Retina participating in the competition too?”
Basilios asked, observing Retina’s attire. Unless they were knights, men generally avoided participating in horseback riding competitions due to the high risk of falling, but there was a feeling that Retina might participate in the competition somehow.
“No. I’m not participating in the competition, but wearing riding attire every time I ride makes wearing a dress uncomfortable. It was a struggle just because of the attire since this morning.”
“Oh, I see… Well, if the lady I served were to wear riding attire, I would have been flustered too.”
Basilios scratched his head, siding with Lina. If Lina had been present, she would have likely grabbed Basilios’s hand and appealed, “That’s right! It’s not my fault, is it?”
“Oh no! There’s absolutely nothing odd about Lady Retina’s attire! Absolutely not! Actually, because society tends to be a bit conservative, I’ve never seen a lady wearing pants for riding attire before. Hehe.”
“Yes, I’m aware. That’s why I wore it.”
Retina responded with a smile to Basilios’s embarrassed explanation. Continuing to converse with the young ladies, Retina asked for their understanding and excused herself when Sat gestured for her.
“They’re about to start the competition.”
The people sitting in the tent were not there to watch the horseback riding competition. Unlike spectator competitions, for equestrian events, one could stand outside the fences surrounding the arena and watch from any angle. Perhaps that’s why, despite the competition about to start, the surroundings remained calm.
“What a coincidence. I also happened to come out to watch the horseback riding competition.”
As Retina stood waiting for the competition to begin, a dark shadow fell over her head. Without even looking, she could tell who the owner of the artificial voice was.
