Chapter 78

10-day consecutive update project: Day 7!

"Isella, you seem to be in a good mood, huh?"

When Ehrich tilted his head, the horse called Isella neighed, "Hee-haw!" The horse, with its lustrous dark chestnut coat, lifted her nose and snorted, as if trying to say something. Of course, Ehrich couldn't understand what she was saying, but he stroked her nose and said, "You seem to be having fun."

"Matilda is also getting restless. This one is fine on the battlefield, but she gets shy around horses she meets for the first time. Well, maybe it's more like horse-shy?"

At that moment, the black horse with a mane that shimmered blue was turned away by Eleonore, who stroked its mane. It might have been a coincidence, but it seemed to be saying, "That's not true," and Sophie couldn't help but smile.

"Isella used to chase me around a lot when we first met, causing quite a bit of trouble."

"Now we're good friends."

When Ehrich and Eleonore laughed, the two horses neighed, "Bhinn!" One seemed to nod enthusiastically, as if saying, "Of course!" while the other seemed to protest, "No way!" Sophie wondered if it was just her imagination, but when she glanced at Matcha, the cat, Matcha shook its head from side to side.

Hmm. Even though Sophie couldn't understand what Matcha was saying, it seemed to be sighing, "Oh well." Seeing Matilda, who was being pushed by Isella's nose, slowly backing away, Sophie found it quite adorable and decided not to think too much about it. Just then,

"I kept you waiting."

Suddenly, a third voice spoke. Sophie turned around in surprise to see a man with black hair and peridot-green eyes bowing.

Next to him, a horse with a light-colored coat was swaying its tail leisurely.

"None of the castle staff seem to have noticed your departure. We should leave as soon as possible and put as much distance between us and the castle as we can."

The man, speaking to Eleonore, noticed Sophie's gaze and bowed again.

"I am Rayleigh, a servant of Lord Allen. I will be accompanying you on this journey, so please remember me."

His pale, almost translucent skin, striking eyes, and expressionless face seemed familiar, and Sophie tilted her head in thought.

"You're Lady Marisia, right?"

"Do you remember the maid with her hair tied in two braids?"

Ella smiled. Sophie recalled the maid named Marie. She had always thought of her as a maid because of her uniform, but she was a lady-in-waiting too.

Nodding in surprise, Sophie saw Eleonore's smile deepen.

"Marie has been taking care of me since I was in the kingdom. She usually dresses like a maid for convenience and takes care of everything for me, but this time, her twin brother Rayleigh is accompanying us."

"Twins."

Ah, Eleonore nodded, and Sophie nodded in understanding.

That's why it felt familiar.

While Marisia's face was more alluring, the black hair that reflected green and the pale green eyes were similar. Even though his black robe hid his build, his stature seemed similar too.

"If you need anything, Lady Sophie, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Ah! No, that's far too much. Please don't worry about me!"

As a servant to Eleonore, the king's fiancée, what could a mere outsider like Sophie possibly ask for? It was too presumptuous, and Sophie shook her head, but Eleonore smiled.

"Lord Rivo will be with Ehrich all the time."

At Eleonore's gesture, Rivo was stroking Isella's mane, who seemed very interested in Matcha. Ehrich, too, was petting Matcha's back and smiling.

Rivo's horse, a very intelligent one, had quickly bonded with Ehrich, as expected of Matcha.

"I have a responsibility to protect Sophie's safety as a brother. That means Rayleigh, as my servant, also has the duty to protect Sophie. Don't worry about it."

Rayleigh nodded, and Sophie was at a loss for words.

In front of the infamous Black Demon Allen and the renowned Eleonore, Sophie wasn't so shameless as to boast, "I can protect myself!" She could imagine that even without combat experience, Eleonore could easily protect her. Despite being told not to worry, she couldn't help but feel concerned and a bit pitiful, but Azwel, who was in her arms, patted her arm and said, "It's the right person for the job, my lady." So, Sophie could only bow and say, "Thank you very much."

"By the way, which horse is Lady Sophie's?"

Ah, yes. Hmm...

It was a strange feeling.

The trees streaming by, the different perspective, the fluffy, soft sensation.

Riding at the same speed as a horse but seeing a different landscape was Azwel, the god who had once said, "Just ride on my back."

Riding a god or a bear was not normal.

Despite the absurdity of the situation, no one commented on it. Or if they did, there was nothing to say. Feeling a mix of joy and loneliness, Sophie stroked the fluffy white fur. The soft, fluffy texture was incredibly gentle and comfortable.

Moreover, to make sure Sophie wasn't scared, Azwel had transformed into a size not too far from the ground, and there was no jarring movement. How did he do it? The comfort of the ride made Sophie feel grateful.

"Azwel, are you okay?"

"Of course. Don't underestimate me, my lady."

Azwel answered easily without even panting, and Sophie sighed in relief.

However, from the outside, a white bear running alongside a horse must look very unnatural, and Sophie riding the bear must look quite strange. Well, common sense wasn't something Sophie worried about.

It's not that she disliked or resented the word "common sense." But for a girl with a fear of heights, trying to keep up with three people who could control horses like extensions of their own bodies, "common sense" was a hindrance. Speed was all that mattered. After all, heights were scary. There was no choice.

"Surprising."

Eleonore, riding next to her, laughed.

Looking up, Sophie saw her smiling gently.

"You seem so curious."

"Being curious and being okay with heights are not the same thing."

"I see?"

Well, Sophie had only recently realized this about herself.

The excitement of seeing a new world always sparkled in her chest. It was now a driving force for her.

It was different from the days when she was bound by duty and fear.

The unseen world, new foods, and Rivo's smile as he held her hand. These vivid and dazzling curiosity and love were what kept Sophie alive.

But that was a different matter.

"Scary things are scary."

"You don't have to say it so confidently."

Eleonore laughed, but Sophie had only recently become able to say such things.

If the old Sophie had seen the current Sophie, she might have been shocked and even had a heart attack. But that was a tense and serious time.

Life is unpredictable.

When Sophie laughed, Eleonore said with a gentle gaze,

"We still have a while to go, so if you or Azwel get tired, please let me know."

"Thank you, Allen."

Incidentally, despite riding a horse, Eleonore seemed very relaxed.

Sophie knew she was adjusting her speed to match Sophie's, but even so, Matilda, who was carrying Eleonore, seemed very composed. Sophie was genuinely impressed by the Black Demon Allen and his horse.

"Do Allen and Matilda usually run faster?"

"Hmm? Well, when I'm alone, maybe. But this time, Rick is with us, and it's not just for Sophie's sake."

His handsome smile! He seemed to see right through Sophie's feelings of gratitude and embarrassment. It was hard not to be charmed by such a casual smile.

Sophie smiled back, feeling a bit giddy.

"Thank you for your consideration."

"It's my pleasure to have you along."

"Not at all!"

Originally, Sophie and Rivo's journey had no clear destination or plan.

It was a spontaneous trip, heading east on a whim. To be able to help someone along the way would be wonderful.

She was genuinely interested in the kingdom of Ludia, and despite the impropriety, she couldn't suppress her excitement.

Of course, breaking the curse on Eleonore was an important goal, and she was prepared to respond to any situation on the journey.

But.

But that night, when they had thrown everything away, Sophie couldn't express her fear or discomfort. She cried uncontrollably on Matcha's back, held by Rivo.

What started as a journey of two people and one cat had become a quest to break a princess's curse, with five people, four horses, and one god.

Sophie and Rivo had made each decision, and that's why they were running now.

It was incredibly strange and incredibly fun for Sophie.

Even though the date has changed again... please look forward to the next three days!