Chapter 04
Meanwhile, Lionel—waiting outside the carriage—stepped back in mild surprise as the door suddenly swung open.
From the dim interior, its curtains drawn tight, someone abruptly lifted her head and met his eyes directly. Even in the gloom, her eyes shone with a vivid gold that seemed almost luminous.
Only after Adele leaned out of the carriage did Lionel realize he had been staring at her rather discourteously. He hurriedly offered his hand with proper formality, and Adele lightly placed hers on top of it.
As Adele took his hand and began stepping down, a breeze swept past them. Her jet-black hair fluttered in the wind, brushing against Lionel’s cheek. The moment he turned his head toward the tickling strands, the weight on his hand vanished. The foreign princess now stood firmly on the ground, quietly gazing at him.
Lionel introduced himself with utmost courtesy.
“I am Lionel Baldur, Minister of Defense and Commander of the Royal Guard of Ehrmont. I’ve come to escort Your Highness. You must be weary from your long journey.”
Adele gave him a brief once-over, sensing the noble dignity in his demeanor.
He was an exceptionally tall man—even for Ehrmont, where people were generally tall. His neat, handsome features matched well with the deep navy of his eyes.
Adele smiled slightly and returned his greeting.
“I am Adelaide Gottrop. Thank you for coming to receive me.”
After glancing at the knights, she looked toward the distant city gate. It seemed far enough for a decent ride on horseback.
“Traveling by ship and carriage for two months is no easy task.”
Her sudden remark made Lionel wait rather than answer. This time, Adele’s gaze shifted to the warhorses the knights had ridden in on. The mere sight of them made her heart thrum with excitement.
“Do you happen to have a spare horse?”
“May I ask why?”
Hearing the question in his voice, Adele turned to look at Lionel. Only then did he notice her attire—foreign garments cut in a style that looked like a blend between skirt and trousers.
“I intend to ride.”
At that, the knight who had been escorting Adele all this time tried to stop her in alarm.
“Your Highness, the warhorses are fierce. It could be dangerous.”
She had been restraining herself from riding this whole time. With such a long caravan following behind, riding freely would have thrown the procession’s pace into chaos.
But with an escorting party now waiting for her, things were different. Adele let out a dry laugh.
“Do you dare worry for a princess of Gottrop?”
Gottrop, homeland of a proud horse-riding people, was famous for its men and women alike being exceptional riders. Lionel deduced that the outfit she wore must be Gottrop-style riding attire.
“Still, the breed of horses here differs from those in Gottrop. Will it be all right?”
Adele nodded confidently.
“No need for concern. If you have a spare horse, give it to me.”
With that, she simply turned and began walking toward the horses. Judging from her resolve, she would ride even if there was no spare horse. Lionel quickly followed alongside her.
Adele walked, eyes scanning the horses, and soon identified the unclaimed one.
“That one must be without a rider.”
Her sharp eye impressed him. Realizing that stopping her was impossible, Lionel quickly signaled a knight behind him to fetch a mounting block. While the knight rushed off, Adele was already standing before the horse’s muzzle. Those around them grew tense—the foreign princess looked far too small standing before the massive warhorse.
Holding the reins expertly, Lionel spoke.
“They are bringing a mounting block. Please wait just a moment.”
Adele simply smiled and reached out, gently stroking the horse’s face. The warm body heat beneath her palm felt pleasant.
“I suppose I should ease your worries a bit.”
“What do you mean, Your Highness?”
“I don’t need a mounting block.”
Before he could stop her, Adele moved—and in the blink of an eye, she was seated atop the horse that was taller than she was.
“……!!”
“!!”
Gasps broke out everywhere. Even Lionel stared up at her in shock. Sitting at ease on the horse’s back, Adele looked down at him.
“Now then, we should gallop to the gate. Keep up.”
And with a smooth motion, she guided the massive horse. Sensing it was about to sprint, Lionel dashed toward his own mount and called out to his knights:
“All of you, mount up and accompany Her Highness!”
The knights, still stunned, scrambled onto their horses. Adele glanced sideways, confirming that Lionel had mounted, then pulled her reins sharply with a grin.
“Hyah!”
At that moment, her horse shot forward, pounding against the earth.
As the soft wind brushed against her cheeks, Adele drew in a deep breath. Racing across the rolling fields of wild grass, her heavy heart felt just a little lighter.
The knights chasing after her were awed by her riding skill. Far from assisting her, they were struggling just to keep up. Only Lionel Baldur could stay at her heels. He urged his horse on, eyes fixed on her streaming black hair.
When he finally pulled up alongside her, Adele turned her head mid-gallop to look at him. Lionel was already looking her way, and their eyes met in midair. Brilliant sunlight poured over them both.
What a mysterious color, they each thought, before facing forward again.
Adele and Lionel, leading the knights, charged fiercely toward the capital walls of Ehrmont.
When the inner walls came into view, Adele finally slowed her horse. In Ehrmont, too, men and women alike rode horses, so the future empress riding wasn’t an issue. However, arriving at the palace in her current state would be… less than ideal.
As she stopped her horse, Lionel and the knights all halted as well. Lionel understood why.
“Would you like to transfer back to the carriage?”
Adele nodded and looked behind her, and Lionel turned as well. Far in the distance, the carriage convoy was speeding toward them—so quickly that she felt almost guilty.
“They didn’t need to come that fast…”
Lionel shot her a sidelong glance at her muttered complaint. Her lightly flushed cheeks glistened with sweat, and he quickly looked away.
Since the future empress was waiting, the carriages hurried even more. The moment they arrived, Adele leapt lightly from her horse. After patting the panting animal’s neck, she thanked Lionel.
“Thanks to that, I feel like I can breathe again. My thanks.”
Lionel silently offered his hand as she stepped onto the carriage stairs, and she placed her hand on his as always. A faint laugh sounded before the carriage door closed again.
Taking a few steps back, Lionel turned to leave—but suddenly stopped and looked back at the carriage. After a brief, quiet thought, he pushed aside the image of those golden eyes. His part ended here.
＊ ＊ ＊
Inside the carriage, Adele changed clothes with the help of her maid. By the time the door opened again, she looked as if she had never ridden a horse at all—elegant and poised in a formal gown. Stepping down, she glanced around.
Lionel Baldur was nowhere to be seen; perhaps he had finished his duties. Even in a crowd, she felt she would have recognized that striking aura instantly—but he was indeed gone.
Adele followed the attendant to her assigned room.
The next day, the procession of greetings began.
It was only natural. She was to be the future empress, so everyone wished to secure her favor early. To Adele, who had spent two months traveling without rest, the endless greetings were more tiresome than flattering. Still, she wore her political smile and greeted each visitor.
By noon, she began feeling irritated.
Not because of the long queue of nobles—some even bringing their granddaughters along—but because the emperor, the very symbol of Ehrmont, had yet to show his face. The greeting procession began early in the morning and didn’t end until late afternoon, yet the emperor remained absent.
A self-mocking smile touched Adele’s lips as she looked out the window. She decided she would wait no longer and rose to her feet.
“I am tired. I’d like a warm bath and to rest for the night. If visitors come, turn them away and tell them to return tomorrow.”
Her maid bowed deeply at the clear, fluent command.
