Looking for My Fiancé's Lover

I couldn’t answer ‘yes’ because I wasn’t sure. I dozed off while getting dressed, so there was a high probability that I missed it due to my carelessness.

“Th-that’s not it! I must have forgotten while saying goodbye to Caron. I apologise for showing you this unsightly behavior.”

The man in front of me and the man I met at dawn were definitely the same person. But strangely, the words didn’t come out as smoothly as before. Rather, it felt like my head was overloaded every time he treated me with calm.

“No, it’s my fault for not paying close attention.”

I had felt it before, but Pancion was a textbook-like gentleman from every movement of his fingertips to every rhythm of his tone. How could a person be so perfect? It almost seemed as though his character was deeply embedded into the person, not merely an attitude that he displayed simply because he was an adult. Having molten iron melted into the most perfect mold would be what he seemed like, and it probably had been that way ever since he was born.

I smiled awkwardly and sat down in the opposite seat.

“Come to think of it, the hall was a bit noisy. Did something happen?”

As the carriage departed, the sound of rolling wheels hit the back of my ears. There was indeed a bit of a fuss. His words reminded me of Elysée Romand, who gave off a strong scent of roses. Even before Pancion left the castle, Caron had mentioned his absence.

Such a rude woman was Pancion’s classmate at the academy?! The lover he kept secret could not be Elysée Romand, could it?!

After a moment of thought, I replied in a calm voice, pretending nothing was wrong.

“I think there was a bit of a fuss about Caron preparing a meal for me. Other than that, everything is fine, so don’t worry.”

There must have been a reason why Caron kept turning down meetings with the other woman. Fortunately, Pancion believed my words without any further question. After that, he fell asleep soundlessly, so the inside of the carriage was enveloped in silence. It was far better than struggling to hold a conversation in an awkward atmosphere. Several minutes after that, I also closed my eyes for a short nap.

❇❇❇

“Kate!”

A dream? I slowly opened my eyes and lifted my head to look around. Seeing how the wind caressed my cheeks and white cloud floated under the blue sky, I didn’t think I was in a dream yet.

I closed my eyes again and pulled the cloth I had spread out on the grass to cover myself. Even though it was spring in full swing, the air was cool when I went to sleep outdoors.

(Thump! Thump!)

It was about then that the quiet ground was heard thumping. The interval between the noises was short, but the volume was gradually increasing. It was the sound of horseshoes.

“I thought you were all grown up, but you are still rolling around on the grass in broad daylight? Do you want to hear some nagging from Daisy again?”

My body was raised by a strong force. I could figure out who it was right away, so with my eyes still closed, I pushed his arm away. As usual, the hand holding my arm didn’t budge, and when I opened my eyes again, I found my staggering body on the saddle.

Black body and even black mane. I knew the horse’s name even though it now had several small and large wounds around its neck now. It was Lockherd’s beloved horse, Anastasia.

“What are you doing?!”

“It’s been a while since our family got together, so we have to go around the castle for a quick tour, right? I’ll take you to your room, so change into riding clothes and come out.”

“What nonsense are you spouting all of a sudden? There’s only me and mother in the castle right now! Can’t you put me down?”

“Giddy up!”

Lockherd, who was in the back seat, pulled on the strings and ran through the meadow, as if he intentionally left my words out of his ear. I tugged my wind-blown hair and shouted at the top of my lung.

“You’re older now! So stop harassing me, you crazy bastard!”

“And are you still foul-mouthed even after turning 20?”

“Then am I supposed to say nice words in this situation?!”

Lockherd laughed out loud, but he didn’t stop talking. Even though we ran against the wind direction, I couldn’t easily snap out of the state of being half-asleep.

After arguing with Lockherd for a long time, I eventually had to give in and put on my riding clothes. Anastasia, who was not confirmed whether alive or not for nearly two years, was waiting with her harness on. I glared at Lockherd as he leaned against the wall, smoking a cigarette.

“Why the heck are you smoking? It feels stuffy and tastes awful.”

Lockherd, who handed the butt to a servant, slowly straightened his back at my words.

“How did you know? From whom did you learn of something like that? Rick? Brother Eden?”

“The young duke of Entera.”

Upon hearing the name, Lockherd’s face became strangely stiff. If one bit into a handful of unripe potatoes and chew them, would their expression look like that? I put a riding hat on my head, quickly climbed on a large dark horse and gently circled around. It felt kind of nice so I quit fussing about it like before.

“I thought you were going to have a chat with mother, but do we really have to do something this extreme the first day after you return?”

Lockherd, upon shoving his hand into the riding glove, mounted his horse. But just as he was about to open his mouth, a maid came running from the castle gate.

“Miss! A letter has arrived from Entera!”

“A letter? From Caron?”

I was going to send her one the next morning, but I couldn’t believe she sent it first. After tearing off the envelope and skimming through the contents, I came to know that it was about asking me to accompany her to the salon of Mrs. Deborah. (by ‘salon’, it basically meant they were invited to have tea in a parlor btw) It’s a salon where only young ladies under 30 were invited…

It seemed like a suggestion made out of awareness of the relationship between Nezar and me.

How kind. As expected, only Caron is sweet to me!

“If anyone sees it, they’ll think you’ve received a love letter. Isn’t Caron Entera that pretty girl around your age? Don’t tell me some man has borrowed her name to send you this?”

“Gosh, you’re saying something weird again. Aren’t you going to make a run? Then I’ll go first!”

As soon as I crumpled the letter into my pocket, I rode my horse and sprang out. The shaking of my whole body and the sound of horseshoes against the ground, which I felt for the first time in a long while, were surprisingly refreshing.

Lockherd, who had been chasing after me, proudly outpaced me and crossed the bridge and the stream. The relentless racing continued until the setting sun. Unfortunately, however, my poor stamina had already reached its limit by then.

“Let’s rest for a while. It’s been a long time since I last rode, so I’m out of strength.”

It felt like it took 3 to 4 minutes just to catch up with Lockherd, who was bolting forward like crazy.

I returned to the stream I passed by a long time ago and quenched my thirst. I tried to sit still while Lockherd, who had followed me down, took a breather. However, I couldn’t bring myself to rise again due to the tiredness that overcame me so as the short break was about to end, I spoke to him first.

“You must have heard from Nezar that the wedding was postponed, haven’t you?”

Lockherd, who was unbuttoning his top, turned his head to me. The blue eyes I encountered were obviously filled with surprise.

“Otherwise, there’s no reason for you to drag me out so suddenly. You have always been sensitive about my relationship with Nezar, isn’t that right?”

Lockherd chuckled at my words. I heard the sound of boots trudging down the dirt road, and he soon came over to the seat next to me and settled down.

“Though you seem like you don’t know anything…you’re rather quick-witted.”