CH 46.2

“Then you’re scared.”

When treated like a coward, Cherryl burst into anger.

“Don’t insist. I just don’t look brave right now, but… If I knew this would happen, I should have practiced horseback riding.”

She didn’t want to show herself reeling ridiculously in front of the man she liked.

She didn’t think it would have been bad to ride a horse alongside him, either.

Cade must have also known that Cherryl couldn’t ride a horse.

That was why he prepared only one.

How did  he know that?

Did the Grand Duke came to that conclusion because she rarely got on a horse herself?

“There are no paved roads to our destination, so it will be difficult for a carriage to enter. Please be patient even if you’re scared.”

“Where the hell are we going—— Oops!”

The dark horse picked up speed and crossed the front yard as wide as a field.

Cherryl grabbed Cade’s wrist and quietly threw her back into his chest.

By the time they crossed the bridge, he made an unexpected suggestion.

“I’ll teach you how to ride a horse soon.”

Despite the situation, Israel did not hide its joy.

“Really? When?”

“Anytime after the wedding. If we did it before that,what if you fall and get injured? The ceremony shouldn’t be delayed.”

Cherryl chuckled briefly at Cade’s concern and said, “I think it will be fun. I will work hard in learning from my old memories about riding a colt.”

“It may be difficult to run, but it would be nice if you could learn it with the goal of light walking.”

Cherryl inflated her cheeks as Cade seemed to have been seen through her terrible sense of balance.

“But I want to run at full speed. I don’t want to struggle like a fool on a horse that others only ride well.”

“It’s a pity that I can’t see you struggle any more, Lady Cherryl.”

Her heart pounded even though she knew it was a joke.

Instead of replying, Cherryl changed the subject.

“Anyway, I want to have the wedding as soon as possible.”

It was said with horseback riding in mind but after spitting it out, a realization dawned on her.

Her tone sounded like she couldn’t wait to get married to him.

“I feel the same way.”

Cade brushed his lips on Cherryl’s ear.

Although both of them meant two different things, Cherryl didn’t bother correcting hers.

After leaving the fortress’ main gate at the faraway foothill, the horse began to trot faster.

The evening breeze carried a chill brushing against Cherryl’s cheeks, leaving quite a tingling mark.

The cold would have been somewhat burdensome if she hadn’t worn a thick coat.

As they came down the slope, she found a wide meadow and a road covered with gray gravel in the middle.

There was also a village with large and small brick houses on the right.

There weren’t many tall buildings, but it was a fairly large town.

Thanks to this, Cherryl was able to get a glimpse while riding a horse.

The sight of a woman fetching some drinking water from a well, a farmer dragging a goat by, and children running in groups seemed very peaceful.

At the village’s entrance, a bridge was leading to a large city where winter festivals were held.

On the left side of the gravelly road, one could see a coniferous forest that stretched out indefinitely with a distant mountain range behind it.

Cherryl felt overwhelmed by the magnificence she felt even from afar.

The trees were so tall that their leafy branches soared to reach the sky.

Cade told her earlier that they weren’t following the paved road, so she had a hunch that they were heading for that forest and not the village.

Cherryl slightly turned her head back.

The Blkanov Castle, standing at a steep cliff as if it had been carved there, boasted a glorious figure.

They seemed to be moving as a small dot on the vast land that she used to look down from in that high castle.

With a new awareness, she realized how vast Cade’s territory was.

As expected, the black horse raced toward the dense forest of long trees.

By the time they entered the woods, the sun had already set and darkness had fallen all over Carlsvik.

The horse carrying the two people walked leisurely along the forest trails and stopped in front of a forked road.

Cade jumped off the saddle first, settled his hands under Cherryl’s arms, and assisted her down.

The unrelenting physical contact made her blush.

“Thank you.”

She looked around while tidying up her disheveled skirt.

The moonlight permeating through the canopies shone on them.

That was why she could see the dark forest without any difficulty.

The forest was quiet except for the crickets ringing.

Also, there were almost no human traces around here since it had remained in its natural state without any logging or significant damage.

The trees stretching toward the heavens were majestic but the atmosphere seemed lonely and miserable.

While looking around, Cherryl approached a crossroad.

A signpost made of dark brown wood had been erected right in front of the road, but overgrown vines had obscured it, making it impossible to read what was written.

“Hmm… It’s not far from the village, and there’s even a signpost in the middle of the forest, so people seem to have come and gone often.”

Cherryl, who was trying to pull the vine, saw a sharp thorn piercing her hand.

Then, he turned her gaze to Cade.

“It’s strange. I feel like we should stop walking right now.”

“…….”

Cade stood tall as if nailed on the spot from the moment he dismounted Cherryl.

He was looking up at the night sky with unintelligible eyes.

“Your Grace?”

Cade, who was struck by the moonlight, remained motionless.

His Adam’s apple, which had a clear line, only fluttered once like a wave.

“Cade.”

Cherryl called out his name clearly and only then did Cade looked at Cherryl.

Like a mountain animal’s eyes shining in the dark, his golden iris narrowed into thin slits.

“Are you alright?”

Cherryl reluctantly took a step closer to him.