Chapter 37
“It’s not as scary as I thought it would be.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“But it’s a little embarrassing.”
“Why?”
Raynan asked back as if he couldn’t understand.
The horse that had left the riding range was walking happily around the Duke’s residence.
Thanks to this, I was able to see places I had never seen before, but it also made me the center of attention.
“I feel like everyone is watching me.”
“People will always look at you like that anyway.”
“I guess so.”
I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it, but I kept the words in my mind.
Still, it was my first time looking around Duke Loerian’s residence like this, so my eyes naturally moved around.
“This is the first time I’ve looked around the Duke’s residence like this. Not only the main building, but the rest of the place is also pretty.”
The building had a gorgeous appearance, but surprisingly, it blended in well with the surroundings and did not look overdone.
Raynan responded calmly to my admiration.
“Ah, someone from my ancestors was so obsessed with aesthetics. They say that most of what it looks like now was formed back then.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s what they said.”
Raynan didn’t seem to be very interested in this, even though it was about his ancestors.
But unlike him, I was interested in a story that was difficult to hear anywhere else. So I pricked up my ears and focused on what he said.
Does it feel like a tour of the Duke’s mansion with Duke Loerian? It was a pretty luxurious horseback riding lesson.
“But the atmosphere is a little different over there?”
I pointed to a building that seemed to be as ornate in appearance as any other.
The trees and grass grew thick, almost obscuring the view.
Because of this, it actually caught my eye.
I guess it gave off a bit of an eerie vibe.
Unlike other buildings that seemed shiny and pretty, it seemed to give off a dark and gloomy aura.
“It’s the west annex. Are you curious?”
“No, I’m not curious.”
Raynan must have heard my answer, but we’re already running towards that direction.
“I said the atmosphere was different, but I didn’t say I wanted to go.”
I tried to stop him with a frown, but he didn’t seem to want to listen.
As we approached the building, the breeze on my arm grew cooler and cooler.
I involuntarily shivered.
“Oh, come to think of it, it appears here.”
“… What?”
I felt like I shouldn’t continue listening to Raynan’s words. However, I couldn’t overcome my curiosity and ended up asking.
“The maid who died after being abandoned by the Duke 100 years ago…”
“Stop! You don’t have to talk about that!”
I knew it. It was a story that should not have been asked.
I was so startled that I raised my voice and stopped him from speaking. Rather than yelling at me, Raynan laughed out loud.
It was my first time seeing Raynan laugh out loud in joy, but I wasn’t in a state to be surprised by that.
We were already in front of the building, and my arms were covered in goosebumps.
I was worried about what to do if he told me he wanted to go inside. Are horseback riding lessons training your courage?
But fortunately, no such accident occurred. The horse entered the trees that lined the side of the building.
Unlike other places that were beautifully maintained, the trees here were all in their natural state.
As we entered the shade created by the tall trees, the distinctly cooler air hit my body.
The horse ran through it. When it felt a little cold, the end of the small forest appeared.
Light began to come through the dense trees.
After leaving the tunnel created by the trees, a space with a completely different atmosphere was waiting for me.
A low hill surrounded by tall trees, just like I had passed through until now, came into view.
The chilly and eerie feeling that I could clearly feel was gone.
The hill covered with green grass boasted a peaceful and distant atmosphere.
“It’s strange how sunny it is here. It’s a place that feels cooler and warmer than other places.”
The horse, which had been walking until now, slowly stopped there.
“I always feel relaxed when I come here.”
Apparently, Raynan felt the same way.
Just like that, he and I sat in the sunlight for a while without saying anything and felt the peaceful air.
Raynan got off the horse first. He held out his hand from below this time.
“Then let’s enjoy the picnic now.”
Unlike when I was riding the horse, I held Raynan’s hand with no more tension than before.
He easily lowered me from the horse without Amelia’s help.
It seemed like I was suddenly in Raynan’s arms, but I couldn’t get out right away.
Raynan was looking down at me from close by, smiling more naturally than ever.
Is it because of the surrounding atmosphere? Is it because of his face?
It was the first time I felt so comfortable being so close to him.
“How is it?”
I suddenly came to my senses when I heard Amelia’s voice. I quickly got out of his arms and turned my head.
It seemed like I was the only one who was confused. Raynan answered Amelia in a casual voice.
“The road was cleaner than I thought.”
“Roman had people clean it up yesterday.”
“I see.”
Amelia stopped in front of me.
She straightened my disheveled collar, then bent down and whispered in a playful voice.
“How was it? You weren’t scared because your mind was elsewhere, were you?”
Amelia was certainly right; I’d been on the horse for quite a while, and I hardly remembered being afraid.
Rather, it was the deep voice in my ear, the strong chest against my back, the strong arms around my waist, and the…
“Ah…”
In an instant, I realized that I was thinking of Raynan rather than the horse, so I quickly covered my face.
It seemed like it wasn’t the wrong choice, as I felt a burning sensation right away.
Although she couldn’t see her red face, Amelia laughed out loud as if she knew.
“That’s how successful it is.”
“What are you two talking about?”
Amelia said, squinting her eyes when she saw Raynan coming closer.
“Are you jealous?”
“Amelia? What are you talking about?”
“Jealousy?”
My bewildered voice and Raynan’s amused voice overlapped.
Soon I felt a hand gently wrapping around my shoulder.
“Okay. Let everything be heard in my eyes and in my ears.”
“Yes. Whatever it is, let it be in my eyes and in my ears.”
Amelia looked at Raynan and me back and forth for a while with a happy expression on her face, then began to straighten her seat.
“Amelia, why are you not sitting down?”
“I don’t want to disturb you two. It gets annoying if you mess with a man who is blinded by jealousy.”
Amelia narrowed her eyes playfully again and stood a little away.
Although it is said to be inside the Duke’s residence, is it because Raynan has moved? Unlike usual tea time, there were many people around.
Although we weren’t close, everyone was standing and I was the only one who hesitated because I felt uncomfortable sitting with Raynan.
“Sit down.”
“Yes.”
I looked around, hesitated, and sat down in the seat he offered.
Even though it would be uncomfortable because it was grass, unlike a table, Raynan slowly savored the tea. Putting aside my discomfort, I also followed him and picked up my teacup.
“It’s a unique place.”
“Yes? Actually, I thought about going outside today…”
“Outside the Duke’s residence?”
It seemed like I asked back in a happy voice without realizing it. Raynan narrowed his eyes and looked at me meaningfully.
A little late in realizing what that gaze meant, I quickly waved my hand away.
“No. I won’t run away. There’s no reason for that, right?”
Raynan looked at me with narrowed eyes, as if I was distrustful, and then continued what he was saying.
“I feel like you’re not ready to go outside the Duke’s residence, so I decided to stay here today. Let’s go out together next time.”
“Yes.”
“By then, I hope you’ll have improved enough to ride a horse by yourself.”
“Yes.”
Somehow, I had a feeling that starting tomorrow, I would become closer to horses than before.
Of course, I wasn’t confident that I would be able to handle horses as well as Raynan or Amelia, and I didn’t expect there to be any big changes right away.
But that didn’t mean I was so scared as before that I couldn’t get close or do anything.
If I got better little by little, I might be able to ride a horse alone and leave the Duke’s residence like Raynan said.
I was just here the whole time, and I was excited to see the outside world.
I answered his words with a bright smile, and Raynan stared at me for a moment.
It felt like his head was tilted to the side, and without realizing it, I followed Raynan and tilted my head to the side.
“No, it would be nice to ride together like today.”
“… I will do my best.”
I didn’t want to be the center of attention outside, but now that I was feeling much more motivated, maybe I could improve my riding skills faster than I thought.
Raynan smiled as if it was okay and put down the teacup. He soon leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes.
Raynan’s hair swayed gently in the wind.
I moved next to him and leaned my back against the tree, just like Raynan did.
My shoulder touched Raynan’s arm. As I closed my eyes, I felt the wind blowing through my body.
“The sound of leaves shaking in the wind is like a lullaby.”
It brushes gently, flutters, and shakes with a sound. Unexpectedly, the sounds created by the meeting of leaves and wind were diverse.
“Lullaby… I’ve never thought about it that way, but it really feels that way.”
“I feel tired.”
“It’s been a long time since I felt this comfortable. Well, it’s been a while since I’ve been here.”
“Did you come here often?”
“It was like that when I was young. With Roman.”
“You’ve known each other since you were little.”
“It’s a tough relationship.”
Roman appears to be polite, but he also makes jokes and speaks directly without hesitation.
It seemed like the two people were closer than I thought.
Suddenly, a squirrel was sitting next to Raynan.
Raynan looked at the wandering squirrel with warm eyes, but did not touch it or look at it persistently.
As I looked at him not paying much attention to whatever he was doing, I thought he resembled Amelia.
Are people who watch over animals warmly but do not approach them or bother them first, loved by animals?
Thinking such a foolish thought made me burst into laughter.
“What are you thinking that makes you smile like that?”
“No. Just a useless thought…”
“I’m just asking because I want to laugh with you.”
“If you came here often when you were younger, wouldn’t you have been scared of that annex? The atmosphere is a bit…”
“I wasn’t scared.”
Well, if he had a similar personality to his current one, he wouldn’t have been afraid of anything.
But what he said next was unexpected.
“At that time, this place was similar to other buildings.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It was. I was also staying here at that time.”
“I see. Then when did you stop coming?”
“Ever since my brother passed away.”
“Ah…”
I must have looked unhappy.
Raynan took my face in his hands and slowly stroked it with his fingers.
“There’s nothing to look at with those eyes.”
Does he know how he looks at me when he says that?
