Chapter 4
“Thunderroot! Slow down, slow down…!”
My thighs and hips were killing me. Since I had pulled up my skirt, the inside of my thighs was rubbing directly against the horse’s hard side. The only reason I was managing to hold on was because of my past life’s experience. You need at least ten years of riding practice to ride bareback like this.
Just a little more…
I tried to picture the path to the imperial palace. To get there, I had to ride past the noble townhouse district and over a small hill.
If the assassins were going to ambush her, it had to be there. After that, the road was wide and smooth again. Not much left now.
As we entered the dark, unlit forested hill, it was hard to see anything. Only the soft chirping of insects echoed around me. If I heard sudden rustling, it was probably wild animals. And I had no weapons—just my bare hands.
Even Thunderroot seemed scared, slowing down noticeably. I clutched his mane like it was my lifeline.
Then—
Whoosh!
“Eek!”
A deer jumped out of nowhere!
Thunderroot stopped suddenly, so he didn’t kick the deer, but the problem was his reaction—he reared up on his hind legs in surprise!
“Ahhh!!”
I’m going to die! No, wait—I can’t die like this! Hold on, Sophia!
Thankfully, Thunderroot calmed down quickly and lowered his front legs. The deer disappeared in a flash.
Ugh, I almost died right after returning—by falling off a horse and breaking my neck. But no, Sophia doesn’t give up that easily.
I took a deep breath and lightly kicked Thunderroot’s side again.
“…?”
He didn’t move.
Snort.
What the…?
Tap, tap.
Snort!
Oh no. He really didn’t want to go any farther.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Thunderroot. It’s nothing scary. We just have to keep going, alright?”
I gently stroked his mane and tried to soothe him. He lifted one foot… and put it back down.
Ugh, seriously?
“Thunderroot. Thunder. Come on, buddy, focus.”
But even as I spoke, I noticed something strange.
The area behind me was slowly getting brighter…
Before I could even react, I heard a voice behind me.
“Miss Sophia?”
Startled, I turned around and saw—
Owen ta Glentino.
And I was still riding bareback… in a thin white nightgown… with my skirt pulled up.
…Right.
He probably noticed right away whether or not I had strong thighs, thanks to my very revealing outfit. Ugh.
If this had been the old me, I would’ve fainted from embarrassment. Showing your bare legs to a man, especially when you usually wear long skirts, was practically considered indecent or even scandalous.
Trying to act normal even though I wanted to disappear, I saw Owen click his tongue. He took off his trench coat and tossed it over to me.
“And where might you be going at this hour? Hiding a secret lover in the hills, perhaps?”
“I have no man besides my fiancé!”
“….”
Ugh. I didn’t have to say that, did I? I was way too conscious of the fact that Owen is my fiancé’s older brother…
Without another word, I focused on wrapping the coat around my waist and tying it tightly.
Then it hit me—what was he even doing in the hills at this time?
I noticed the brown paper bag in his hand. Inside was… my indoor slipper.
Looking down, I saw my bare toes wiggling in the cold. Right. I wasn’t wearing shoes.
He must’ve found the slipper lying on the road along with the hoofprints and thought someone had been kidnapped.
And then, with a look of total annoyance, he still brought a horse and followed the tracks. He acts like he hates everything, but he’s surprisingly righteous.
He asked again, still sounding annoyed.
“So, where were you going dressed like that? In such a hurry.”
“My sister is going to die.”
“…Excuse me?”
I was in such a panic that I blurted it out. Then I quickly explained.
“Leonie. The next Crown Princess. I found out an assassin was hired to kill her.”
“And you’re chasing them down unarmed?”
“I just… I just wanted to check!”
“To check if your sister is dying?”
“No! That’s not what I meant…”
Ugh. The more I talked, the worse it sounded. Was my speech skill downgraded when I returned? Or is this man just being difficult? Probably the second one.
But I had a feeling he knew what I really meant.
If I think about it calmly… Leonie was going to survive this assassination attempt anyway. She always managed to escape danger, like she was protected by the goddess of luck. She even kept a maid who was literally blessed by a god.
Honestly, part of me didn’t feel like risking my life to save her. She was still so annoying.
But ever since I returned, things had already started changing. I said kind things to her at dinner earlier. I met this man now.
It all meant the flow of time was already shifting.
I tried to dismount Thunderroot dramatically… but as I looked down, I realized the ground was farther than I thought.
So I turned to Owen and said proudly,
“Please help me down.”
“…Seriously?”
He sighed, lowered his torch, and walked over. Then he placed his arms under my armpits and lifted me right up.
I thought he was going to set me down on the ground.
Instead, Owen dropped to one knee and gently set me on his raised thigh.
“W-What are you doing?!”
“Hold still. Don’t touch the ground with your feet.”
I stiffened from surprise. My nightgown was so thin, I could feel his strong thigh clearly beneath me.
Then he reached out and—grabbed my ankle.
What the—?!
Was he crazy?!
You don’t just grab a lady’s ankle like that!
But his hands were warm. Maybe it was because my feet were so cold. It was still early spring, and nights were chilly.
He gently slid the slipper onto my foot—the one I had lost earlier.
“….”
I hadn’t expected such kindness, so I stayed quiet, watching as he slipped the slippers onto both my feet. At some point, I had even placed my hand on his shoulder for balance.
Then he said quietly,
“Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend walking through the woods in slippers. But it’s better than being barefoot. My shoes are too big, so this is your best option.”
“Y-Yes.”
“…Why are you so quiet all of a sudden? That’s not like you.”
“I am not!”
Ugh, what’s with his personality? Why does he always have to say something?
We started walking, each leading our own horse, following the road to the palace.
I know I sounded crazy—saying my sister was going to die and rushing into the forest like this. But Owen didn’t question me anymore. He just silently followed.
Had anyone ever trusted me like this before? It was a strange feeling.
We walked for a while. Then we saw something in the distance—it looked like a broken carriage.
My heart dropped.
“Leonie!!”
Before I knew it, I was running.
What now, Sophia? The future has changed. What if the assassination actually worked this time? What if you really just killed your sister?
Half out of my mind, I reached the wrecked carriage.
Huff… pant…
It was smashed so badly, anyone inside would’ve surely died.
Luckily—or maybe unluckily—there was no sign of anyone nearby.
I ran straight to the carriage door.
