Sebastian’s gaze returned to the horses tethered nearby.
Their fur was shiny and shiny, and they were all with their eyes fixed on Erica, as if she were a dog, with their tails gently wagging from side to side.
It meant that I felt very good.
“Huh, really.”
The moment Sebastian saw that, he burst into laughter without even realizing it.
“Are they crazy too?”
I was finally able to understand what Milod wanted to talk about.
The first characteristic of Acliffe’s warhorse is that it is large.
It has acquired its current appearance through several breed improvements since its ancestors.
Unlike other horses, they were tall and their horses were smooth and solid.
He has developed muscles and good motor skills. Therefore, the speed at which it kicks off the ground and runs is so fast that it cannot be compared with other breeds.
Another characteristic of these guys was their personality. Unusually, although they were raised by humans, their temperament was never docile.
Acliffe’s horses were famous for their ferocity, and in fact, several people were trampled to death by their horses’ hooves.
What’s more, one of the most famous insults hurled at Archduke Acliffe to someone he will never see again is, ‘I wouldn’t mind throwing this guy at the back of Acliffe’s steed!’
This breed was intelligent, and like a hunting dog, it would only obey commands and be handled by the person it recognized as its owner.
Therefore, there were many cases where lords of other regions paid high ransoms to take funeral rites from Acliffe.
In any case, because of this, Acliffe’s warhorses could only be bred for military purposes and could never be used for riding or breeding purposes.
So, no matter how expensive this breed was, it was difficult to properly tame it, so it was no different from a dream horse for knights and lords.
Milod, who was standing next to Sebastian, added.
“I’ve never seen Acliffe’s warhorse follow someone who isn’t even his master so well. In fact, those guys are so bad-tempered that they don’t pay attention to things like children and adults and just act out their tempers, don’t they?”
“yes.”
“Does that lady from the Blanche family have some special ability?”
“… … .”
There was no answer from Sebastian.
Milod also seemed to not have been expecting an answer, so he only glanced at his lord’s face for a moment and immediately closed his mouth.
Sebastian’s red eyes quietly watched the warhorse and Erica.
Before she knew it, the girl had a handful of snacks distributed by the knights piled up in her hands.
Instead of eating it all by herself, Erica began to share it with the horses nearby.
“ruler. You have to eat them one by one. Then you can eat it all.”
Then, as if the horses had understood Erica’s words, they followed her instructions and began to carefully receive and eat what the little hand held out.
‘If it had been someone else, I would have bitten it off with my teeth… … .’
Erica smiled and stroked the horse’s nose, saying it was pretty.
It was a truly unfamiliar sight.
Sebastian’s lips parted and a light breath flowed out.
‘He’s a really unique guy.’
Dark blue hair was blowing in the wind.
Sebastian, who roughly ran his hand through his tangled bangs, immediately turned away from them.
* * *
Crackling.
It was a quiet night with nothing heard except the sound of sparks flying from the firewood that had been thrown into the bonfire.
Watchers stand in pairs and take turns.
“There is nothing wrong here.”
“good. “Then let’s check the carriage one last time.”
That was when the two of them turned and walked side by side towards the carriage where Erica was sleeping.
Rustle.
The two knights stopped at the small sound of recognition coming from behind them.
They immediately looked back, but because their backs were to the campfire, they could not immediately see the face of the person approaching them.
As the distance gradually narrowed, the knights tensed and placed their hands on their sword sheaths, and opened their mouths with firm voices.
“Stop. “Who are you?”
“Please identify yourself.”
Immediately afterwards, the person approaching from the darkness appeared.
It was Sebastian.
The knights immediately let go of their swords and bowed their heads towards him.
“Your Majesty? Why aren’t you sleeping… … .”
“Thanks for your hard work. “I’ll take care of this, so you guys go and get some rest.”
The knights looked at each other’s faces for a moment with wide eyes, then immediately shook their heads.
He had a firm attitude, as if he could not ask a superior higher than me to do something like that.
“yes? no. “We will finish it.”
But Sebastian also did not break his stubbornness.
“It’s because I can’t sleep. “I just wanted to take a walk and look around for a while, so you can go back now.”
As if he was not willing to argue anymore, Sebastian immediately took his eyes off them and gestured for them to go.
The knights exchanged glances among themselves once more and then nodded.
“If that is what you mean, Grand Duke, then I understand.”
After bowing their heads politely, the two knights on duty returned to their original positions.
Only after confirming that their footsteps were getting farther away did Sebastian lightly shake off his hair and head towards the carriage Erica was riding in.
In the middle, I raised my head high and looked up at the sky.
As if the clouds had cleared up before we knew it, the round full moon was lighting up the dark night sky.
Sebastian, who had been walking leisurely, came to a complete stop in front of Erica’s carriage.
The glance inside was brief.
As I suspected, the lights were off and it was quiet.
‘You fell asleep.’
He had no intention of waking him up, but Sebastian did not leave his presence.
Instead, I even quietly leaned my back against the carriage door.
And after a while.
It rattled.
Sebastian felt a slight movement behind his back.
‘I thought I’d just skip today, but tsk. I guess they’re about to start.’
The boy sighed heavily, strengthened his body, and stood.
It seemed to quiet down for a moment, but then it rattled again and the door moved.
A few days after leaving the capital, Sebastian discovered that Erica had strange sleeping habits.
And among the group, Sebastian was the only one who knew that fact.
“What are you doing? “Aren’t you sleeping?”
“… … .”
The girl quietly opened the carriage door and came down to stand outside.
Sebastian, who had to stand watch that day because there were so few people, discovered the scene.
He tried talking to Erica again, but there was no answer.
As soon as he realized that the girl’s condition was serious, Sebastian checked her face. The pupils were out of focus, as if they were empty.
‘Sleepwalking… … is it?’
Sebastian immediately looked around.
Fortunately, there was no one else but me.
He immediately picked up Erica’s body and put it back into the carriage.
Fortunately, there was no resistance and it did not come out again.
The next morning.
Sebastian looked at Erica subtly.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“yes!”
“… … “Didn’t you have a dream or something?”
“What dream?”
“… … no. nothing.”
However, the girl seemed completely unaware that she had come out of the carriage and tried to wander around last night.
Sebastian didn’t ask any more questions and kept quiet about Erica’s sleepwalking.
Rather than out of favor, it was more of a situation where I was putting it on hold because I, too, had not yet made a decision on how to handle it.
‘If you’ve caught the weakness, you’ve caught it.’
Phew.
A deep sigh escaped Sebastian’s lips, as if he was quite frustrated.
The most ideal way was to call off the marriage by claiming that the bride’s sleepwalking was a ‘flaw’ and a ‘fault’.
If you do that, you don’t have to be related to the Marquis de Blanche as an in-law.
Since it was something that was not announced in advance, it may be possible to obtain compensation from Jonathan Blanche.
With his arms crossed, Sebastian tapped his forearm with his fingertips.
Even though I would arrive at the Grand Duke’s territory soon, I still didn’t have an answer within me.
Sebastian’s thoughts did not last long.
I thought the rattling of the door would subside, but then… … .
“… … mind.”
Because a faint sound of sobbing was heard.
“… … mind.”
It was a sound coming from inside.
“mom… … mind.”
It was Erica’s voice.
‘Are you looking for the dead Marchioness?’
He finally felt like he understood what Milod had said when he left the capital.
If you’re a child, going to an unfamiliar place won’t be okay.
‘He acted so brave during the day.’
Sebastian bit down hard on the flesh inside his mouth.
Sleep is the only moment when we let go of all consciousness and tension.
What that meant was that Erica, too, was now letting go of something she had been suppressing and holding in.
‘That means I don’t want anyone to see me the way I am now.’
So, is there any other way?
I have to protect it.
‘Well, just for a while. ‘Just for the time being.’
Until you decide what to do with this little boy.
Sebastian closed his eyes as he felt another sob and tremble.
But I had no idea why the red-haired kid’s golden eyes, sparkling like sunlight, kept coming to mind so clearly.
