Was it recognizing an outsider…?
The intense backlight made it hard to see the bird’s face, but it felt like it was following her.
“Princess.”
Vincente turned his body and gently put his hand on her shoulder. His large hand pressed lightly on her delicate shoulder.
“You should go inside. Let’s hurry.”
The way he stayed so close, as if protecting her from the creature, made Tia feel like she was practically in his arms.
Being so close to someone was a rare experience for her.
She could smell his scent, and his broad shoulders and chest filled her vision. His body was large and solid.
With his arm around her shoulder, she felt completely enclosed, as if she couldn’t move.
Tia blinked, wide-eyed, unsure of what to do.
“Cough!”
Marisol, trying to hold back laughter, cleared her throat loudly. Oriana shot a cold glance at her.
“…Let’s go inside.”
Tia nodded and turned to head inside.
Even as they entered the temple office, Vincente didn’t let go of her shoulder.
His arm was still around her, and the feeling of it on her body seemed strangely new and distracting. She couldn’t help but pay attention to the part of her that was touching him.
After a while, they left the temple, and Tia thought they’d be on time for lunch.
Listening to the priest talk about the different tribes was more interesting than reading the royal archives. Unfortunately, he said he didn’t know much about his tribe’s situation because he had joined the local religious order when he was young.
He also knew only a little about Duke Hassel, just from hearing stories from his old friends in the temple.
Still, Tia was relieved to know that there were people in Karayan who loved the royal family.
The goddess statue, made to look like her mother, was placed in a spot where she felt her mother’s spirit was always shining, like the sun. But it also made her long to go back to the capital and see her mother.
“I’ll come again, Priest.”
As they left the temple, the monster bird was no longer in sight.
Had it lost interest when the outsider disappeared?
“Princess Tia! Why not try riding a horse when you leave?”
While the men were untethering the horses, Marisol cheerfully suggested.
“You’ve been walking a lot, and the weather is nice. Wouldn’t it be better to ride a horse instead of a carriage?”
Tia hesitated as she looked at the horses’ bright eyes.
She glanced at Vincente, who was also preparing his horse.
“Would you like to ride my horse?”
Vincente asked, gently rubbing the side of the horse.
His face seemed less tired now, and the dark circles around his eyes weren’t as noticeable.
While she had been talking to the priest, he had been quietly staring out the window. She had assumed he was so tired he might fall asleep standing up, but maybe he had rested a bit.
“Hmm, sure.”
Tia looked at the black horse, which seemed calm and gentle despite its size.
She made her decision.
Vincente quickly replaced the saddle with a two-person one and helped her onto the horse.
“…”
The special saddle meant they weren’t too close, but her shoulder still brushed lightly against his body.
“Are you alright, Princess?”
He leaned in to check her posture, his face coming close.
Tia felt a bit nervous sitting so high on the horse, as if she were floating, but she nodded quietly.
The horse began walking slowly.
“How does it feel?”
It was an odd sensation. Until now, she had never really thought about riding a horse.
What if the horse didn’t want her to ride and threw her off? She suddenly imagined the horse getting angry and shaking her off.
“It doesn’t feel very comfortable.”
Vincente let out a small laugh.
“You’ll need to learn how to ride. There are many places where carriages can’t go.”
“How long would it take for me to learn to ride by myself?”
She didn’t mind learning if it was necessary, but she wasn’t exactly excited about it.
“Are you good with physical activities?”
“I think I’m not bad at them.”
“Not bad…”
Vincente muttered, sounding a little dissatisfied, then added,
“Ah, you said you were good at court dancing.”
His voice seemed to have a hint of a smile.
“If that’s true, even though you’re scared, you should be able to ride in about a month.”
“I’ll barely be able to ride before leaving Karayan.”
Tia said this as she casually calculated the schedule.
She had planned to stay for about a month, so learning to ride while taking care of other things might be a tight fit.
Vincente seemed lost in thought for a moment, then glanced at her and gave a smile without much warmth.
“I’ll arrange a riding instructor for you. Since there’s not much entertainment here, it’ll be a good way to pass the time.”
“Pass the time?”
Tia raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t come here for leisure. I’m here as the Count of Carios to inspect Karayan and discuss the marriage progress. Do you think I have time to waste?”
“This countryside pretty much runs on its own. Even I, the lord, don’t have much to do, so I often end up chasing after monsters for fun. But you, as a guest, can’t expect us to handle everything.”
Vincente joked, then looked down at her, adding,
“I should be thanking the Emperor. Without my position as the 9th Fleet commander, I’d probably be seen as an idle troublemaker.”
His disheveled silver hair shone brightly in the sunlight, and the wildness in his golden eyes made him seem like something between a man and a beast.
She remembered when his eyes had turned red. He looked like a monster feeding on humans, but strangely, she wasn’t afraid.
“…Vincente.”
Tia was already starting to forget the feelings from the previous day, but then quickly shook them off.
“I’d like to see the 9th Fleet.”
When someone mentioned a fleet commander, she immediately thought of elite figures like Natalia or Gael. Of course, Natalia’s elegance was a bit polarizing.
She didn’t imagine Vincente would become elegant like them when he boarded a ship.
Still, the 8th Fleet of Ascalberk had been the Emperor’s greatest achievement and had helped shape the current power of the Alebreon Empire.
So even though the 9th Fleet was just a secondary fleet after the war, she needed to see it for herself.
“You say you have a lot to do, but you really want to teach military training yourself?”
Vincente drew the line there.
“You won’t find anything interesting to see.”
“Can’t I see it for myself?”
The solid muscle of his chest felt like a wall, blocking her as she sat on the horse next to him.
He clearly wanted to push her away, but there was no way he would actually try to knock her off the horse.
“…I’ll arrange a schedule soon.”
After a moment, he looked at her again and said stiffly.
Tia still didn’t look away from him as she spoke,
“Let’s do it tonight.”
“….”
“I want to see you as you usually are, not as someone preparing for royalty.”
Her firm tone made Vincente’s jaw twitch slightly.
His open irritation at her request was surprisingly rude, but she just watched him silently.
She didn’t want to waste time on his attitude; instead, she focused on trying to understand what was behind it.
