/
“…? Hey, what are you saying?”
“Tsk. What this kid is saying, seriously!”
“Ah, yes. Well.”
When Leon and I were about to get angry, Cheshire grabbed our arms strongly.
He whispered softly in my ear, giving me silent pressure not to step out.
“I have to go to the training ground anyway. See you later.”
“Wait a minute, Cheshire…!”
And then, without a catch, he left.
“Now, shall we go?”
Damon’s voice came from behind me, so I clenched my small fists and gnashed my teeth.
‘Wow, this X meal is really annoying—’
* * *
A classy tea table was set up in the beautiful living room, which wasn’t very suitable for children.
I greeted other children who came late, but there was no particular person.
They are typical 3rd generation conglomerates that grew up moderately.
And.
“…So, I won the horse riding competition championship trophy last year.”
Damon Martini, a distasteful character, has already been bragging about himself for 30 minutes.
‘It seems like no one is listening, but he talks a lot.’
All the children sitting around the table looked bored.
“By the way, will the two Young Masters of Antrace compete in the horse riding competition again?”
“No. We’re going hunting this time.”
When Damon asked, Theo, who was putting the dessert Erica recommended in his mouth, replied.
“Pfft. Why? Did you both turn to hunt because you weren’t confident of beating me? Well, it’s a wise choice.”
Leon, who had been sitting crookedly, muttered quietly, “You shameless brat….”
“There’s no one like Young Master Martini when it comes to horseback riding.”
“Young Master Martini will win again this time, well. I’m just going to recite a poem this time.”
Jean Weber and Bruno Fensler said one thing at a time.
‘Hmm, it doesn’t seem like a bluff?’
The horse riding event, which Damon talked about for a long time, was one of the aristocratic events at the festival.
At this time, young aristocratic children from the age of 6 to 15 used to participate in various noble competitions.
Horseback riding, hunting, playing music, reciting poetry—.
Parents generously invested in and participated in areas where their children had even a little talent.
In fact, for the nobles, it was not just a festival to enjoy, but also a place where they competed once a year.
“Is the princess also participating this time? Which category are you going to participate in?”
Charlotte Meyer, who had cute pink bobbed hair, asked me.
“Well, I haven’t thought about it yet.”
“Lilith, did you learn any instruments? The concert would be the easiest. Come out with me.”
Erica kindly recommended it.
‘Come to think of it, I have to do something. Ugh, I’m not good at it….’
Since it was an event that had a huge impact on the family’s reputation, it was impossible to avoid it.
“Princess, I don’t know anything else, but make sure you come to see the horseback riding competition. There will be no tension because the winner is decided anyway.”
“It’s not fun~~.”
Erica laughed when Leon listened and listened sarcastically.
“Oh, what’s wrong with Theo today? He’s as cute as Leon.”
It’s Leon.
Sarcastically or not, Damon continued to brag.
“This time I got a new horse. Have you finally found a horse that suits your level?”
“Hmm? Damon, did you change your horse?”
Theo asked.
“Why did you change it? It was all thanks to that white horse that you won last year.”
“No, it’s not. It’s because of my skill.”
Damon’s rare reaction to Leon’s words made him angry.
“That word was meaningless. You can’t even keep up with the amount of practice—Anyway, Princess. Are you going to make sure you will come and see me? Hahaha!”
Seeing Damon’s upturned nose ignited a twisted sense of competition within me.
Yeah, I want to see it.
I want to see it fiercely.
The villainous extras gritted their teeth and said, ‘Ugh, I’m angry! I lost!’ and left.
‘Yeah, I’m going to go horseback riding with Cheshire.’
I nodded and thought.
* * *
“Dad, Dad, Daaaad!”
“Oh! Princess!”
As soon as I saw Dad’s carriage coming home, I went out to meet him.
Dad held me in his arms with his smile.
“What is it, Princess? Did you miss Dad so much? I’m so touched that you couldn’t stand it and came out all the way here?”
“That’s not it. I have something to say….”
“It’s good that my princess doesn’t seem to be sick. Are you okay? Were you surprised when you woke up and Daddy wasn’t there? Uh-huh, the knight commander’s uncle called Dad in the morning because of yesterday.”
“Oh, is that so? But I have something to say….”
“Hmm hmm.”
As I strode across the garden, Dad kissed me mercilessly on the cheek.
“Haa.”
“But why is my princess so pretty today? What if someone kidnaps you again, so you dressed like this, huh?”
I pushed my dad’s chin away because he was about to suck my cheek.
“Ah, I have something to say!”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Buy me a horse! A baby horse!”
“Horse? What are you saying all of a sudden?”
“I have to go to a competition during the festival, right? I want to go horseback riding. With Cheshire.”
Dad frowned.
“Horseback riding?”
“Ung!”
“What horseback riding? It’s harder than you think. Do something else. No, you don’t have to go out there.”
“What do you mean? Everyone was going crazy to win. Dad, what kind of head family you are, and you don’t even think about the family’s honor?!”
“…Haha. Grandpa will be happy to hear it.”
“Exactly! Anyway, I want to go horseback riding. Can Cheshire do it too?”
“That doesn’t matter, hmm.”
Dad was hesitant, but when he saw me looking at him shining intently, he finally gave in.
“Okay then.”
* * *
Dad took Cheshire and me to the most famous stable in the capital.
When asked to choose a horse, Cheshire, who was following him, hesitated.
“But, can I participate in a competition too?”
“Of course. Since I’m your guardian, if you win, it’ll be an achievement for our family.”
“Ah, then I will try my best.”
As expected, Cheshire’s eyes couldn’t hide his strong desire to win.
‘Hihi. I knew it would be like that.’
The main character doesn’t hold back.
Due to his taciturn nature, Cheshire never fed the nefarious villains with his feet but instead brought them to their knees with his superior abilities in every way.
“Choose a horse you like.”
“Yes.”
I smiled at Cheshire’s back as he went to pick out his horse.
‘Unchanging original story law No. 1. There is no such word as second place in the main characters’ dictionary!’
Cheshire has never ridden a horse, but he will ultimately win the championship.
This horse riding competition will be an opportunity to suppress Damon’s nose, which is not worth eating and to publicize Cheshire’s talent and name.
It’s a big picture of killing two birds with one stone, catching crayfish, and picking mulberries!
“Should we choose for princess too?”
“Oh, I’m just….”
Of course, I plan to watch it next to Cheshire and eat.
I’ve never ridden before, so I’ll have no hope if I practice until the competition with only two weeks left.
“Hmm.”
I looked around at the stable indifferently.
There were plenty of smaller breeds of horses suited for small children.
“Huh?”
Then.
There was an exceptionally bright light in one corner.
“Wow…! Dad, look at this!”
I ran towards a horse with a unique appearance standing alone as if possessed.
“Oh my!”
“Oh, it’s pretty.”
It was a beautiful white horse.
It was well-groomed and had pure white fur that was shiny and smooth. Its mane was a mysterious shade of blue.
Crucially, under the long lashes that move gently…eyes!
Those eyes were the killing point!
“Hey, your eyes are blue!”
It feels like a noble aristocrat in human terms. The blue eyes I encountered were arrogant and full of melancholy.
I pointed to the white horse.
“I’ll go with this one!”
“Ah, princess.”
At that time, the owner, who had been snooping behind Dad and me, said with an apologetic smile.
“Are you looking at the horses that will compete in the horse riding competition this Spring Festival? I’m sorry if that’s the case, but not this kid.”
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
When Dad asked, the owner scratched his cheek.
“This is that Zephyr. The horse that won last year’s horse riding competition with the Young Master of Count Martini.”
“Oh? Yes, I heard it. This is Young Master Martini’s horse? But why is the horse here with its owner here?”
“It got a leg injury during practice. Well, its almost better now, but it doesn’t have the same skills as before.”
“Yes? Could it be that Young Master Martini abandoned it?”
When asked, the owner smiled awkwardly.
“Uhm…Well, horses raised for racing are usually considered to have reached the end of their lifespan when injured.”
“S, so that’s why he throws it away… No, he must have grown attached to it, but how…? Even if you don’t participate in the competition together, shouldn’t you be responsible for it…”
“Haha. He must have had some reason.”
What kind of situation is that?
Considering the personality of the villain, Extra Damon, he was almost obvious.
He threw it away—a friend who would have shared the joys and sorrows together for more than a year.
Even the child who gave him the championship trophy last year.
“His personality exploded….”
“Uncle, what about Zephyr? If it doesn’t sell elsewhere, will it continue to live here?”
“No. He was raised as a racehorse, so he won’t be sold. As a rule, a horse without market value should be disposed of….”
“….?”
“We usually send them to the slaughterhouse.”
What? In an instant, the madness in my head went blank.
‘T, they’re going to kill it? A normal kid like this?’
I was speechless and looked up at Zephyr again with my mouth wide open.
The eyes, which I thought were wet like a human, looked really sad when I learned about the situation.
As if you were hurt.
“No way…”