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CHAPTER 2 - MR ACROD
After admiring the imperial palace horses, I swiftly left the stable and walked through the dark garden. I must be present at the venue when my father and mother withdraw from the evening gathering. Even though they've given up on me, disappearing during the imperial palace soirée could lead to my mother's wrath.
As I crossed the dimly lit garden between flowerbeds, a figure suddenly appeared in front of me, causing me to startle. In the faint moonlight, that person swayed gently..
The person was standing there amongst the flowerbeds, faintly glowing in the moonlight.
For a moment, I thought it was a fairy or a spirit or something like that. It was a white, fuzzy silhouette that seemed to be floating off the ground. On closer inspection, I realized it was because of his platinum blonde hair, white suit and navy blue trousers.
Nevertheless, the figure was fantastic. Perhaps that was because the figure was extremely brilliant.
His graceful face, shaded by moonlight, and the clean-cut standing posture were beautiful to the point of being unrealistic.
I couldn't mistake him because he was dressed in a man's ball gown, but if he had been wearing a dress, I would have thought he was a completely beautiful woman.
His slit eyes moved, and his blue eyes looked at me. I was shocked.
The man briefly pierced me with a gaze containing a hint of wariness but quickly softened it into a gentle smile.
“Perfect timing.”
“Huh?”
Without regard . and said:
“Where's the venue?”
“The venue?”
For a moment, I didn't understand, but I quickly realized it was about the soirée venue. Indeed, he was dressed in men's evening attire, which seemed fitting for the soirée. However…
"Um... the venue is over there."
I pointed into the darkness, but the venue was too far away, and only darkness spread in that direction. I was perplexed, and he seemed to be in the same situation.
“Weren't you coming from the venue?"
"I, um, had a little errand... I'm going back to the venue now."
"I see! Then let's go together. It's perfect.”
He seemed delighted, but this was troublesome. If I returned with another attendee, my attempt to escape would be exposed. If I quietly returned to being a wallflower, I wouldn't stand out. However, returning with such a handsome man might lead to unnecessary rumors.
And then, I realized. I've seen this handsome man somewhere.
In fact, there's no one like this handsome man. We've exchanged greetings at least. He's a member of the imperial family.
"...Master Fevastien, right?”
He nodded immediately, his beautiful features relaxed.
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"Indeed. Acrod.”
...Acrod Fevastien, the heir of Duke Fevastien. In other words, a member of the imperial family. He was the eldest son of the Fevastien Ducal family, one of the three branches of the imperial family. I believe he's ranked fifth or sixth in the line of imperial succession. A Noble among Nobles. A major figure.
I heard a few years ago that he joined the Order of Knights and became the deputy commander at the age of twenty, thanks to his overwhelming sword skills. Joining the Order of Knights, which consists of nobles' children, and climbing to that position isn't easy due to its strict meritocracy. However, he achieved it with his outstanding sword skills.
His rank, status, and his beauty... he was incredibly popular in high society, especially among young noble ladies. Even someone like me, who rarely attends social events, knows that. In the midst of a particularly large and glamorous crowd at the soirée, he was always at the center. You'd remember him whether you liked it or not.
A super handsome man reigning supreme in the high society, and then there's me, the wallflower. There was absolutely nothing in common, so apart from the courtesy greetings during my debutante greeting, we had no contact whatsoever. Therefore, he probably didn't remember me...
"Hmm? You're... the third daughter of Count Cambell, right?"
It seemed he remembered. I, somewhat surprised, spread my skirt and gave a formal bow.
“Yes, indeed. Your Highness. I am Ecclesia."
Acrod nodded nonchalantly.
"I remember, you are famous for your love of horses.
“Yes.”I nodded confidently. The fact that I liked horses was true and well-known, and it surprised me that it had reached Acrode's ears. Nevertheless, it wasn't anything significant. However, Acrod continued to nod. What was he so convinced about?
"Then, please guide me, Miss Ecclesia.”
I was in a dilemma, but I couldn't refuse. I replied him with a formal smile.
"Um, are there no guards or attendants with you? It might not be appropriate for someone as high-ranking as Your Highness to be with me."
Master Acrod had a slightly embarrassed expression.
"I dismissed the guards and attendants. Got lost after that."
‘Why on earth?’ I reflexively asked.
"Why did you dismiss them?"
"Too many of them were bothering me. I wanted some peace and quiet."
In other words, he wanted to be alone in the garden, but after shaking off his companions, he ended up getting lost. Is he a child? I was a bit astonished, but despite Master Acrod's apparent difficulty, he had a somewhat triumphant look that made me unintentionally laugh.
"So, please guide me, Miss Ecclesia."
"I suppose there's no other option."
If you're made to laugh, you lose. I reluctantly agreed and tried to lead Master Acrod.
However, he casually extended his left elbow, assuming a posture of escorting a lady. It seemed to mean I should place my hand on his left arm. I was flustered. Should I really be holding onto the arm of this pinnacle of beauty in the social circle?
I've never held anyone's arm other than my father and brother. No one dared to escort me, a disliked heiress who failed at matchmaking, is socially ostracized and socially inept.
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I panicked and said, "There's no need for an escort! It's too presumptuous!"
"What are you saying? I can't let a lady walk alone. Come on."
A gentleman. Truly the elite of Aristocracy. He's a gentleman among gentlemen. I struggled with conflict, but hesitantly placed my right hand on Master Acrod's left hand. He smiled at me and began to walk slowly. If I don't hurry up a little more, it will be time for my father and mother to leave, and I think they'll notice that I'm not there and start making a fuss, but I don't think His Excellency, the next Duke, will be in a hurry
We walked along the moonlit path through the flower beds, and Lord Acrod spoke in a gentle voice. He mentioned attending this evening gathering after a mission with the knight order, having returned from a distant expedition. Tired from yesterday's journey and the pressure of mingling with noble daughters, being urged to marry by his father and the emperor, and having various discussions with influential nobles and ministers, he was unable to leave early. So, he decided to sneak out quietly and return home, but he got noticed by guards and subordinates, ended up being chased by them, so he ran away into the pitch-black garden, but apparently he lost his direction in the darkness and got completely lost.
"That must have been exhausting. Well done," I said.
"Ah, truly exhausted and lost. I'm grateful to have met you. But how do you not get lost in such a dark place?"
"I'm used to it from working on the ranch."
I'm accustomed to moving in the dark because, on the ranch, I patrol to guard against wolves and bears, and I take care of mares giving birth at night. Since there are many flammable things on the ranch, the use of torches and candles is strictly prohibited at night. A ranch hand wouldn't be suitable if they couldn't move freely in the dark. When I explained this, Master Acrod found it amusing.
"You're not a ranch hand, are you?"
"I've become one now. Sleeping and waking up on the ranch like a commoner. It's fine. I plan to spend my whole life taking care of horses."
As usual, I spoke to Master Acrod about how much I love horses, how much I like racehorses, and how happy I am when a horse I'm involved with wins in a race. Then, I asked Master Acrod with shining eyes about the types of horses produced by the Duke of Fevastein, expecting him to be knowledgeable about horses.
“Well, Duke Fevastein’s family also owns a ranch, and they must also produce racehorses…”
Unfortunately, Lord Acrod was always busy with his duties as a knight and wasn't familiar with the details of his family's business. Even though the duke's ranch would be larger and more splendid than ours, it was a shame.
But, being a knight, Lord Acrod was knowledgeable about horses. Not about racehorses, but about warhorses.
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In the past, warhorses were generally sturdy, stocky horses with strong legs because they were ridden by knights wearing heavy armor. It's the type of horse that is used today to pull carriages. However, due to the development of firearms, armor has become useless, and knights these days only wear armor at the level of a cuirass, so warhorses are also made to prioritize speed, so they are light and have long legs. It seems that people are starting to like horses that are now popular.
"That's why I'm interested in the pedigree of racehorses. If a sturdy, strong and fast horse can be made into a warhorse, it will greatly strengthen the Empire's military strength.”
"In that case, please visit the racetrack! Our horses are highly regarded as military steeds as well."
I was completely happy with Master Acrod, who understood horses well, and my initial nervousness disappeared as I was able to enjoy talking about horses with him and was completely satisfied. Akrod-sama seemed to be having fun too.
Suddenly, Acrod-sama clutched his stomach and wondered what happened?
"Ugh... I'm hungry. I should have eaten a bit at the venue."
It seems Acrod-sama had been wandering lost for about an hour, so it's understandable that he would be hungry. He looked around anxiously at the flowerbeds and bushes.
"Are there any edible fruits on the trees?"
I bursted out laughing. Surprisingly, he said impolite things. According to Master Acrod, as a knight on the battlefield, one can't choose what to eat, so he could eat almost anything.
Speaking of which, I remembered and took out what I had wrapped in a handkerchief from my pocket. When I opened it, there were several slices of apple.
I had intended to give them to the horses, taking them from the fruits at the venue. However, the royal horses seemed to dislike apples, so no one ate them, and I brought them home like that.
"'I have apples, though...'
As I started to say this, I suddenly realized. These were meant for horses. Recommending such horse feed to the next duke, how inappropriate!
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I hastily tried to hide the apples, but by then, a large hand had deftly reached out and picked up one with his fingers
"Oh..."
By the time I realized it, three slices of apples had disappeared into Lord Acrod's mouth.
"Hmm? What's wrong? Did you want some too?"
“No, not really”.
I explained the situation, that these apples were intended as horse treats. Lord Acrod bursted into laughter.
""What? Originally, these were prepared for people to eat, right? I don't mind. Besides, eating apples like this only made me hungrier."
He's such a handsome man, well-liked in society, and a very prestigious person, but he's not pretentious at all. I had a good impression of Master Acrod, not that it mattered.
We continued to chat amicably until we finally arrived back at the brilliantly lit main hall of the Imperial Palace. It was quite dazzling after getting used to the darkness.
As we ascended the staircase from the garden to the main hall, Master Acrod and I entered side by side, causing a commotion in the hall. Oh, I forgot.
"By the way, this Acrode-sama is not an exaggeration when called a central figure in social circles. He's like an idol, with over a hundred young ladies vying for his escort. It's a stark contrast to me, a horse-loving lady shunned from the glamorous social circles, excluding the racing world. I shouldn't be hanging onto him so casually. I hurriedly withdrew my hand from Acrode-sama's.”
"Oh, Master Acrod, I'm fine now! Thank you for the delightful conversation!"
After saying that, I turned around and tried to escape like a startled rabbit.
However, Master Acrod caught my hand in an instant. Huh? With a surprised look I stared at him but he gazed at me with a sparkling smile, then slowly lifted my right hand which he held.
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With an expression of playful mischief, he gently kissed the back of my hand. I could clearly feel his lips since I had bare hands from dealing with horses, and it sent shivers down my spine. Suddenly, there were loud, high-pitched screams from several directions.
"Master Acrod!?"
"Miss Ecclesia. See you again.”
Then, Master Acrod released my hand and walked away. Immediately, he was surrounded by a crowd, and he became a distant figure. Some young ladies were glaring at me with intense expressions.
What was that all about? I felt indignant. Please don't mock a late bloomer in the realm of love like me!
At that moment, I distinctly felt a sense of closeness to Master Acrod. He seemed to like horses, and I thought, if he ever visited the racecourse, I could share some information about racehorses he might not be familiar with, and maybe even casually suggest buying a horse from our stable.
I was thinking such carefree thoughts at that time, still unaware.”
Instead, I think it's better to think about how I can escape from the pursuit of my mother, whose eyes were scrutinizing, wondering if it's okay to get angry in front of me, or if it's better to ask why I came back on good terms with Duke Fevastien’s Heir. Because it was important.
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