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Steed
“Not bad. Not bad. It’s a good horse.”
I dismounted. I patted the red fur akin to flames on the battle steed. The horse was clothed in a beautiful red fur from head to toe. Its neighs were clear and legs were strong. When it ran, it felt as though I was riding the White Deer King. I rarely had that impression as all other horses felt slow to me after getting used to the White Deer King.
Alex jovially sat down at the table with me. He watched the guard carefully lead the horse away. He complimented, “Your Majesty, you truly have a miraculous power. To be honest with you, the horse had never been tamed, yet it obediently lowered its head as soon as it saw you.”
“If you dared to give me an untamed horse, I’m sure you have other intentions.”
Alex quickly waved it off. With a smile, he replied, “What are you saying? It should have been tamed, but it was not possible at Troy City. As such, I decided it was better to entrust it to the imperial family’s horse trainer. It appears that there is no need for him now, though. With you present, there is no need for a horse trainer.”
I shook my head with a smile. Two teacups were placed before us. In a cold voice from overhead, I heard, “May I ask what you are suggesting, gifting His Majesty a horse?”
Alex and I both froze. My current maid wasn’t Luna; Luna was at the Imperial Palace with Freya. My current maid was Bai Lu. The White Deer King went back to the elven forest if I was correct. I didn’t know why she had to go back, though. I wanted to spend the anniversary celebration with her.
Everyone was aware of Bai Lu. She never dared to speak loudly in my presence. In fact, she rarely raised her head to look at me. She just earnestly completed her tasks and accompanied me. At first, I wanted to communicate properly with her; however, I eventually gave up as, every time I tried, she’d go red in the face and ears. That never changed. Having her quietly follow me wasn’t bad. Unlike Luna, who’d sometimes be firm, the gentle and obedient maid was probably a better fit for my preference. This time, however, Bai Lu’s cold voice and gaze that contained a tinge of violence gave me the impression that it wouldn’t be beyond her to leap over and chop Alex’s bird head off.
Perplexed, Alex explained, “I… I-It is a present for His Majesty, is it not…? It is a rare horse that performs magnificently. I think His Majesty will really like it.”
“His Majesty already has the White Deer King. Why did you give him that sort of horse? Are you belittling the White Deer King’s speed, or do you think His Majesty lacks a decent steed?”
Bai Lu’s behaviour fascinated me. Usually, she was obedient, yet she randomly stood firm and showed her anger. Not to mention her anger was directed at a horse. I couldn’t follow the logic. Don’t quote me on this, but I suppose she didn’t like the horse.
“No, no, I have opinion in regards to His Majesty’s steed. It is just that I thought that His Majesty would really like a good horse as he is a man.”
“His Majesty already has the White Deer King, so he won’t like other steeds, true or not, Your Majesty?!”
Bai Lu suddenly turned to me.
“I… I don’t know, either. Umm… umm… whatever the case may be… mm… this is Alex’s kind gesture. I think the horse isn’t bad, so I’m quite grateful to him, I guess…”
“Are you planning to abandon the White Deer King?! The White Deer King is so loyal to you, likes you so much and saved you from danger countless times, yet you are abandoning her for a horse?!”
Bai Lu was so emotional that she shed tears. She firmly pressed her hands onto my shoulders and looked as though she was weeping out of her despair. Her thin body quivered as though it’d fall apart. Bai Lu’s strange reaction startled Alex and I.
“No… I don’t mean it that way… I never said I don’t want the White Deer King… It’s just… just… one more horse doesn’t prove anything, does it…?”
“You refuse to have more women for your wives’ sake and even refuse to have a second personal servant. I still do not have the right to be your personal servant. Why is it that you have two steeds, though…? Why? Do you look down on the White Deer King? Do you think the White Deer King does not get angry? Do you not care about her feelings?”
“I never meant that… I don’t intend to ride the horse even if I have it. If I head out somewhere, I’m bound to trust the White Deer King more. She’s lived with me for longer, after all. This is just a pet. It is Alex’s kind thought, after all.”
“Since you do not need the horse, hurry up and kill it! Kill it! Horse meat is tasty!!! I can tell that the horse’s meat is premium quality! Trust me, Your Majesty! Kill it! Kill it, and eat it!”
“No, no, no, no, we can’t do that even if we don’t need it, right?!! It is Alex’s present for me! I can’t just kill it and eat it, can I?!”
“Ah… Frankly, I do not mind… My role was merely to give it to you, after all… As for what you do with it, I do not mind. If you plan to kill it to eat, it would be best if you could share some with me… I would be very keen to have a taste… Bai Lu said it is rewarding on the palate, right?”
“No, no, no, no, there’s a problem with doing that no matter how you think about it, isn’t there?!! It’s a horse at the end of the day. They aren’t carnivores… If possible, I’d like to keep it as a pet and ride it for fun when I have spare time. Although I depend on the White Deer King more, she’s sometimes too wilful…”
“She will change! She will!! She will change as long as you kill the horse! Kill it! Kill it!!”
“No, no, no, that sounds wrong no matter how you think about it, doesn’t it…?” I shook my head. I looked at Bai Lu with a hopeless smile: “Let’s put that aside for now. Why are you so emotional about the horse, Bai Lu…?  The horse doesn’t have anything to do with you, does it…? I’m not saying I won’t take you out; it’s just that excess horses have become pets, right? They serve more as a collectable. I think I should raise it.”
“But, Your Majesty!!”
“Bai Lu, you should take care of the horse. The White Deer King hasn’t come back yet, so let it stay in the White Deer King’s stable.”
“That is the White Deer King’s home!!”
“But she’s not here at the moment…”