BCOM 14

Chapter 14

The horse moved without haste, its hooves striking the ground in a steady rhythm. If one focused too much, the sound could easily lull someone to sleep with its regularity.

“Where are we going right now?”

Agnes asked, feeling his body heat against her back.

It had been a sudden route—he had burst in through the front gate without warning, and she hadn’t even had time to be startled before she found herself following him. A basket hung from the horse, and the horse—her first time riding one—was carrying her to some unknown destination with Teowin sitting ahead of her.

He hadn’t said where they were going or why. He had simply brought her along and put her on the horse.

Fortunately, the butler recognized him immediately, so there was no major commotion. Though the horse’s passage from behind might have caused some minor noise.

Agnes quietly sat atop the horse, feeling its movements. The path gradually sloped upward, the steady clopping of the hooves, the gentle sway that followed, all of it was soothing. And then there was his chest and shoulders pressed against her back, unusually firm…

Oh—wait… that’s not—I didn’t mean…!

“But… where exactly are we going?”

Agnes, unnerved by her own wandering thoughts, hurriedly asked. The path the horse was taking spiraled upward, surrounded by sparsely growing trees.

It felt less like a forest and more like they were climbing a mountain.

“Don’t you find it stifling to always stay indoors? You mostly seem to wander around the house.”

“…Yes, I suppose I do.”

Agnes waited for more, but Teowin stopped speaking there and fell silent again.

Was that it? Did she need to ask again? Or should she insist he finish what he was saying? She pondered this when…

“We’ve arrived.”

At his words, Agnes, who had been staring intently at his arm, lifted her head.

And… she was met with a view so breathtaking it took her breath away.

“Wooooah…”

She inhaled sharply, and a spontaneous exclamation escaped her lips.

Beyond the hill she had assumed was modest, a vast landscape unfolded.

Unobstructed, the view stretched downward to the lands beyond the royal palace. Not the front that overlooked the capital, but the back, showing the villages, forests, and rivers where commoners lived.

This is… the royal palace!

“There’s nothing like an open view to feel refreshed.”

“My goodness… yet with the gentle breeze, it’s so refreshing.”

The sun was warm, but the hill was cool with the wind. The unobstructed view made her chest feel as if it had been opened wide.

“The knights know this place overlooks the palace. Those who knew of it would sometimes come here to clear their minds.”

Teowin leapt lightly from the horse and extended his arms toward her.

“I wanted to bring you here once.”

A faint smile and a soft, low voice. His voice, which had seemed cold and blunt until now, somehow sounded warm.

Feeling vaguely reassured, Agnes smiled faintly.

She placed her hand on the arm he offered. As if he had been waiting for her to reach out, Teowin used one hand to support her arm and the other to support her waist, guiding her down safely.

Forgetting her own weak stamina, Agnes wandered around the slightly flattened area atop the hill, soaking in the scenery as if she could step right into it.

“Thank you. This view is incredible.”

“The residence of Count Rizern may be nice, but it probably didn’t offer views like this. I wanted to take you out once, and this came to mind immediately.”

“I never thought of going out, worried my father might be concerned.”

As Agnes happily explored, Teowin stayed in place, watching her.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

He had more to say, but he started with that.

Agnes, lost in the view below, finally turned to him. She had come straight from being summoned by him in the morning without even breakfast.

Of course she was hungry, but she wasn’t ready to leave this view just yet.

“Even if you refuse to move, we’ll eat here. The food has been prepared in advance.”

At that, Agnes finally looked at Teowin, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, letting out a small laugh.

He led her to a resting area opposite the direction they had climbed. It was a space made for having tea or light meals, furnished simply with tables and chairs.

She had been curious about the bags the horse had carried, and now the food came from there. Teowin personally retrieved it, escorted her to a seat, and handed her a sandwich.

“You prepared all this? How did you plan on dining here?”

“When you see something beautiful, it’s better to eat there. I wanted to share that with you.”

His low voice floated on the wind. A soft blush colored Agnes’s cheeks as she began eating.

“Your Highness, please eat as well.”

She said that to hide her own pleasure, then quietly ate her sandwich.

For a while, the only sounds were the crunch of fresh vegetables and the wind. Arendel, who had regularly eaten breakfast, was naturally hungry but still enjoyed the sandwich.

Today, his charm seemed to have risen considerably.

“Have you given up on canceling the marriage?”

Teowin, who had finished his sandwich in one large bite, asked casually. There was a hint of effort to start a conversation in his tone. Agnes looked at him and gave a faint smile.

“It’s thanks to someone showing up at my window every day.”

She added that with pursed lips, and Teowin quietly smiled.

“Good. I’ll make sure to come every day without fail.”

Teowin’s serious question prompted Agnes to look at him with equally serious eyes.

“I thought Your Highness disliked me. Of course, you often showed displeasure in front of His Majesty, so that was expected.”

Yet he appeared regularly, watching over her. No one told him to; he sacrificed his time for her safety.

“So you don’t need to go out of your way.”

Agnes wiped her mouth with a napkin after finishing the last bite of her sandwich.

“What do you mean?”

“Things like this. I won’t run away… so you don’t need to make extra effort just to spend time with me.”

He was a busy person.

From the perspective of someone destined to be a ruler, perhaps he thought of this as minimizing risk.

Agnes felt proud of herself for complimenting him and for devising a second and third plan.

It felt as if everything would go smoothly if she just did her part well.

“This is something I do sincerely. I hope you won’t outright deny the sincerity I have.”

He said it seriously. He had a face that seemed capable of making anything truthful. Rather than eloquence, he simply looked at her intently to convey his heart.

“Do you know how that sounds when you say it like that…?”

She felt him waiting for her next words. This was the moment to be brave.

“Will you tell me?”

But Agnes pressed her lips tightly shut.

It didn’t feel like the right time. She was still confused.

She clenched her lips with all her strength and turned her gaze back to the distant scenery.

Not answering seemed to unsettle him, though she wasn’t sure. Perhaps she wanted him to feel that way.

Was it because she wanted to hear that he liked her? Since they were engaged anyway. If not… why did one side of her chest feel so open and empty like this?

Apparently, she had held some romantic fantasies about marriage. She had never had time to dream of such things before.

But now was not the time to indulge them. As his fiancée, she only needed to be the woman by his side who could help.

“I have never had romantic interest or feelings for anyone.”

His low voice carried. So… was he trying to say that what she imagined was impossible?

The beautiful palace and the capital no longer drew her attention. Agnes’s focus was entirely on him.

“It may be hard to believe, but it is true. Not even once.”

Not even once…?

Her lips pressed tighter as she felt her desired answer slipping further away.

“I thought someone like you would have no burden regarding marriage, but was it unpleasant because I didn’t sense that?”

“The feelings of affection, wanting someone close, wanting to share your heart… I thought, what if we try sharing that once?”

Agnes, who had been avoiding, turned her head to Teowin.

He gazed at her with the same composed expression as his voice, utterly unwavering.

“Agnes, we are promised to each other in marriage. I told you I do not wish to break this marriage. And I am… making an effort. If you think this is not sincere… tell me what you desire.”

A breeze swept past them.