Chapter 274: Chapter 120.1

After leaving the rest to her maid, Elise, and asking Tully to come back tomorrow, Rishe changed into another dress and went outside.

She smiled and pulled Harriet’s hand while dodging the head maid who was advising her. In this way, she succeeded in taking a confused Harriet to the place she had planned.

“Hyaa~”

It was on a horseback.

Astride the saddle, Rishe pulled the reins and hugged Harriet from behind as they trotted slowly down the grassy hill.

Harriet sat in front, clutching the handle of her saddle and repeatedly whispered…

“I-I’m on a horse, riding a horse…”

“If I’m not mistaken, women don’t ride horses on the western continent, do they?”

As they sauntered along, Rishe cheerfully said to Harriet.

“I wanted to take you up the hill, but it rained at dawn, and a horse-drawn carriage would have gotten its wheels stuck in the muck. Since it’s a slope, I decided to take a horse.”

“O-On this continent, do women even ride on a horse together…?”

“No! Here, too, women basically don’t hold the reins.”

Harriet’s mouth opened and closed in surprise with her outright smiling response.

“Normally, I ride sideways in front of a man, like Harriet is doing now. It’s hard to ride in a dress, after all.”

“And y-yet, how could you be doing this so frivolously…?!”

Harriet asked her with her ears tinged red.

Her hands never left the saddle, but surprisingly she wasn’t quivering. Her spine was nicely straight, and she was looking around.

…Are you excited about this, Harriet-sama?

Rishe noticed this and replied with a smile.

“The dress I’m wearing right now has a slit, so I can straddle a horse as usual.”

She took one hand off the reins and plucked the hem of her fluffy dress to show it off.

“Don’t worry, I’m wearing a lot of things inside so that it won’t be unsightly even if the dress comes off.”

“Whoa…”

“Oh, Rishe-sama, Harriet-sama!”

The head maid, who had been following Rishe and Harriet on foot, gasped for breath while holding her forehead.

“I’ve been wondering diplomatically if I should overlook something like this…! In any case, it’s never too late! You two – a woman riding a horse is too much of a tomboy! We can prepare a carriage for you, so please get off the horse this instant!!”

Harriet’s shoulders bounced at her reprimand.

When Rishe looked back, Harriet’s attendants all looked as if they agreed with her. The female knights who were guarding them were also looking at Rishe suspiciously.

“…”

Riche once again looked at Harriet’s back. The saddle for the two riders had different levels so Rishe was looking down the top of Harriet’s head from her viewpoint. Harriet bowed at the head maid’s words and looked somewhat disappointed.

“Harriet-sama.”

“Y-Yes!!”

Rishe gently bent down and grabbed one of Harriet’s, which was clutching the saddle.

She let her hand wrap around her own waist and whispered into her reddened ear from behind.

“Let’s shake them off…Hold on tight to me, okay?”

“Uh?”

Then Rishe regained her grip on the reins of the small chestnut horse and let it speed up in time with its breathing.

“Hya~eeeeep!”

The clever horse sensed that Harriet was clinging to Rishe, and then galloped up the hill.

“Hah, Harriet-sama, Rishe-sama!”

“I’m sorry, matron-san! You can scold me later, just grant my wishes!”

The head maid was shouting loudly, but her voice quickly faded into the distance. Harriet cowered at first, but gradually raised her head and looked ahead.

“W-Wow, we’ve come this far already…”

The cape that had been so far away was now right in front of them.

Rishe laughed, basking in the pleasant breeze.

“Isn’t there a scene in the Cladiette Adventures where she rode a horse?”

“Y-Yes, the day before Jean left…”