Chapter 45
Lucy and Bartholomew rode in a carriage toward the annex.
Before leaving the temple, she even made sure that Bartholomew was properly taking his medicine.
Bartholomew reluctantly swallowed the medicine he had neglected to take until now.
The taste was awful, and he frowned deeply.
Lucy reminded him to make sure he took it regularly from now on.
Bartholomew nodded, though he had no intention of doing so.
When they arrived at the annex, a servant was waiting for them with two horses brought over from the stable.
However, Bartholomew seemed uninterested in the horses and asked Lucy instead,
“Where is Cerberus?”
“I kept him inside the annex in case he might get hurt by the horses.”
Bartholomew showed a hint of disappointment.
“You really like Cerberus, Young Master Bartholomew.”
Since Bartholomew wasn’t someone who usually showed strong likes or dislikes, Lucy found it all the more fascinating.
Bartholomew had nothing particular to say.
Likes Cerberus…
He didn’t treasure Cerberus because he was cute.
Being with Cerberus eased the tightness in his chest, making it feel lighter.
That was why he found himself seeking Cerberus out so often.
Lucy might feel a bit hurt, but it couldn’t be helped.
If he wanted to look perfectly fine in front of her, he needed Cerberus.
In the meantime, Lucy gently stroked her horse.
She had grown attached to it already.
“This is the horse you’ll be riding, Young Master Bartholomew.”
Lucy had asked Logan to select another horse through his connections.
He had recommended a black horse to follow after Lucy’s brown one, saying it was especially intelligent.
Bartholomew followed Lucy’s lead and patted the horse he would be riding.
“You need to make eye contact and communicate with it. Tell it you’re counting on it.”
“Do I really have to do that?”
Bartholomew looked doubtful.
“Of course! This is a method taught by none other than the captain of the knight order!”
Only then did Bartholomew find Lucy’s words credible and meet the horse’s gaze.
There was no warmth in Bartholomew’s blue eyes.
Watching him, Lucy thought communicating with the horse was probably a lost cause.
“Ahem.”
Before beginning her riding lesson in earnest, Lucy cleared her throat.
She felt strangely proud to be in a position where she was teaching Bartholomew something.
“For beginners, even mounting a horse isn’t easy.”
Lucy warned him seriously.
“You might fall in an embarrassing way, so be careful. I’ll hold your hand.”
“Just tell me how to get on.”
Bartholomew gave Lucy no chance to show off.
Lucy tilted her lips into a crooked smile.
He said this is his first time riding a horse, right?
She imagined him struggling just to mount.
Since it was rare to see Bartholomew flustered, Lucy secretly looked forward to it as she explained how to get on.
“Put your foot on the stirrup—”
Before she could finish speaking, Bartholomew lightly vaulted onto the horse.
“Like this?”
“…Yes.”
Lucy was momentarily speechless as she watched Bartholomew sit atop the horse with ease, without so much as a grunt.
She thought he had a weak body, but was his natural athletic ability really this good?
Lucy looked dazed for a moment.
“What’s next?”
“Ah, hold the reins and—”
Once again, before she finished, Bartholomew moved the horse.
Despite its aloof appearance, the black horse followed Bartholomew remarkably well, as if they were perfectly in sync.
Lucy stared blankly as Bartholomew drifted farther away.
He’s a natural.
It hadn’t been long since she herself had learned to ride alone.
Bartholomew grasped everything with just minimal instruction.
Lucy, who had been looking forward to teaching him proudly, felt completely deflated.
At that moment—
Ding!
[Watching a handsome man skillfully ride a horse causes your Aestheticism skill to flare up.]
No, please don’t flare up.
[Aestheticism skill increases by 3.]
[Cringe Power: 60]
Please don’t raise my Cringe Power any further.
I want to stop spouting nonsense in front of Bartholomew.
Lucy prayed inwardly as she mounted her own horse.
Catching up to Bartholomew, who had gone ahead, she said,
“I lost. You’re a natural, Young Master Bartholomew.”
Seeing Lucy click her tongue in admiration, Bartholomew smiled faintly.
When she saw that pleased smile on his face, Lucy no longer felt like complaining.
“How is it? Riding a horse is fun, right?”
“It’s refreshing.”
Would he ever have imagined that day in his life would come when he’d ride a horse?
Bartholomew felt a new sense of emotion.
He had always thought it was something he should never even attempt with his frail body.
The Faraday Ducal House had never taught him how to ride either.
He believed someone with his stamina could never ride a horse.
Yet once he tried, it turned out to be nothing special.
It wasn’t some grand feat, nor did it require perfect health.
Bartholomew began to think about how many things he had missed out on in life.
Things he couldn’t do because of his poor health, or because the Faraday Ducal House forbade them.
What if he had found the courage to step forward himself?
Would he be living a different life now?
Would he have become a different kind of person?
His thoughts deepened.
At the end of those tangled thoughts, what remained was regret.
Wouldn’t it have been better if he had met Lucy a little earlier?
Someone who constantly gave him new experiences.
If he had met someone like her just a bit sooner, he wouldn’t have lived so listlessly until now.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
Lucy asked.
Bartholomew lightly shook his head, as if brushing the thoughts away.
“Still, riding a horse helps clear your mind, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
Bartholomew admitted honestly.
He liked this moment—riding together with Lucy in a not-so-wide space.
It felt relaxed and peaceful.
“Young Master Bartholomew, there are only a few days left until the hunting competition.”
Lucy made a suggestion.
“Come to the annex and practice riding from now on.”
Bartholomew tilted his head slightly.
“I’m only going to the hunting competition as a spectator.”
He had never hunted before.
The idea of himself hunting from horseback with a bow was simply laughable.
Lucy shook her head.
“That’s not what I mean. I want us to ride together freely in a wider place.”
“……”
“You just learned how to ride—it’d be a shame to only ride here.”
“Alright.”
Bartholomew accepted Lucy’s proposal.
After riding himself, he did feel like he wanted to run more freely.
And the thought of Lucy being by his side made it even more appealing.
“Young Master Bartholomew, do you know this?”
Lucy said, guiding her horse closer to his.
“Lately, you’ve been listening to me really well.”
Bartholomew’s eyebrows lifted.
“When have I ever refused a request from Her Highness?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Lucy scratched her cheek, unsure how to phrase it.
“Before, I felt a sort of wall around you, Young Master Bartholomew.”
“……”
“But these days, that wall feels much lower. It feels like you’ve opened your heart to me, and that makes me happy.”
Bartholomew looked quietly at Lucy.
She wasn’t looking at him, but straight ahead.
Still, he could see her cheeks faintly flushed.
Lucy was right.
He was gradually opening his heart to her.
Perhaps because he didn’t have much time left.
He didn’t want to be filled with regrets—I should’ve tried this, I should’ve done that.
He wanted to accept any request or suggestion Lucy made.
None of them had ever become regrets.
Every time, he felt new joy, and with it, his world grew wider.
Thinking again, he felt wistful.
“I often think it would have been nice to meet Her Highness Lucy a little earlier.”
Lucy’s eyes widened.
“I’ve had many enjoyable moments with you, Your Highness.”
Lucy hadn’t expected Bartholomew to speak so honestly, and she was surprised.
Soon, she smiled.
“That’s nothing to regret.”
Lucy looked at him.
“From now on, we’ll have even more enjoyable times.”
Bartholomew didn’t reply.
He only smiled faintly.
For some reason, Lucy felt she would never be able to forget the lonely smile lingering on his lips.
