I felt like I got called by someone and turned around .
My line of sight met Sir Leonhardās gaze, who was staring at me curiously .
āIs something the matter?ā
āN-Not particularly . ā
Sir Leonhardās face was so close to my own that my heart nearly jumped out of my chest .
Why did I lose my composure, you ask?
Weāre both ridingĀ on the same horse, so of course Iād lose my cool .
My heart, which had just finally managed to settle down, soon became agitated once again .
I gently placed a palm on my chest and took a deep breath .
āAre you cold?ā
āIām okay . ā
Itās actually rather hot,Ā but I could never say that out loudā¦
āThe closer we reach the border, the colder it will become . Please make sure to tell me if you need anything . ā
He reminded me, carefully looking after my wellbeing .
āI will . ā
His serious expression was so cool and suave that my face began to heat up . I pulled part of my hood down and thoroughly covered it away from sight .
The fur part rubbed my cheeks and made it itch .
In a lot of ways, I donāt think Iāll survive till the end of this tripā¦
Noā¦ Iām actually happyā¦ Iām happy, right?
My heartās endurance was being relentlessly tested by Sir Leonhard . I was overly ecstatic and terrified all at the same time . It was inevitable .
I put a palm on my forehead . From the temperature alone, anyone would think I was feverish .
The chilly air is so cold, so I wonder why I feel this warm and cozy?
I looked upon the scenery as I rode the lightly galloping horse .
Along the sides of the flattened road were patches of snow mixed in with leaves, and beyond those gentle hills laid steep mountains that towered like walls, all topped pure white with snow .
Sir Leonhard said it will become even colder as we head north .
He and I were currently travelling to the Nebel-Raptor border .
I was going to meet his old friend, the Commander of the Border Guard .
Nebel may have primarily warm climates in most places, but the northern lands were still quite cold, especially the area near the border fortress where guards were stationed . It often remained blanketed in white throughout the winter . Despite spring coming up on the calendar, the real thaw still had a long way to go .
I had taken some measures of my own against the cold for the time being .
I currently wore a simple navy blue dress and a pair of boots, both of which were lined with wool . The coat was made from a thick fabric with fur lining both its hood and hem . I even prepared the appropriate winter underwear .
It was a little painful to look so bloated in front of someone you like, but it was better than catching a cold and causing trouble for him . As usual, a womanās drive for femininity comes crawling from the bottom of the earth out of nowhere .
By the way, my hair was dyed this time as well . It was a pitch-black colour much like Sir Leonhardās so we would look like relatives .
It should have been a hair colour that a (former) Japanese like myself would be used to, but I felt awkward every time I saw myself in the mirror . It may have been because of the sheer gap in beauty between us . I was incredibly plain in my previous lifeāa fact only ever more pronounced now that my hair was black .
Sir Leonhard wore a black high-neck and grey surcoat . His belt and boots were a pair of matching dark brown colour . The thick cloak he wore was for winter uses, but it didnāt have fur around its hood like mine . Ā Theyāre only simple dark colours butā¦ he still looks so coolā¦!
His usual knight outfit with a flower crest was handsome in its own right, but the way heās dressing right now gives off a different air . I wanna see him wear other types of clothes too! Some sort of traditional wear like what the Kua Clan use might be goodā¦
As I was drooling over my delusions of Sir Leonhard wearing a tribal dress, I suddenly remembered Mr . Wolf and Lily .
While I was staying in the castle, none of the Kua Clan members came . Ā Sure, it takes a long time to pack and travel, so it couldnāt be helped, but I really wanted to greet you all . Ā I was hoping to give Lily a good āwelcome backā hugā¦ and then hear her timidly reply with an āIām homeāā¦
āPrincess?ā
With my head down, Sir Leonhard worriedly called out to me .
āIsnāt it too cold after all? Or are you perhaps tired?ā
āN-No! Iām not cold in the slightest . Iām totally fine!ā
I shook my head in a hurry, but Sir Leonhardās expression didnāt clear up .
āLetās take a break . ā
āNo, um, thereās no need . Really . ā
āNo, I wonāt allow it . Travelling on a horse when youāre not used to it can put more stress on your body than you realise . ā
Certainly, I wasnāt very used to riding horses .
But I was also the princess who went over mountains on foot after sailing on a ship . I classed myself as pretty tough compared to the other girls of the world .
However, Sir Leonhard had made up his mind .
When we reached an opening, he stopped the horse and laid out a cloth on a rock that looked comfortable enough for me to sit on . Even after tying the horse to a tree, he did various other chores such as putting a blanket over my shoulders and even providing hand-wipes .
When I received the drink that he offered, mixed feelings stirred up inside me .
āā¦Sir Leon . ā
āYes?ā
Sir Leonhard casually replied, his body in a position that blocked the wind for me .
Yeahā¦ Iām happy . I know that Iām happy, butā¦
āArenāt you being a little overprotective?ā
Sir Leonhardās eyes shot open as if he was caught off guard . He looked right and up to the sky as he placed his chin on his fingers .
Donāt tell me you didnāt notice?
āIsā¦ that so?ā
I nodded to his uncertain whisper .
Sir Leonhard accompanied me as anĀ escort, not aĀ servant .
And despite that, he still took care of me . I just couldnāt stand it . I may be a princess, but I can take care of simple necessities by myself .
Besides, if Iām pampered all the time, Iāll get used to being spoiled and acting like a sheltered princess again . Iāve finally grown somewhat since then, so Iād rather not start all over from square one .
Naturally, I couldnāt tell him all of that, so what came out was only half of what I truly felt . Sir Leonhard looked anxious .
āDid I cause you trouble?ā
āNo! Nothing of the sort! Itās justā¦ Iām sorryā¦ā
āThen please donāt worry about it . ā
It was difficult to refute a remark like that .
I wondered if Sir Leonhard liked to take care of me . I heard he also had a lot of little brothers back in the game that were very well looked after .
If this is a reward, then should I just enjoy it? Iāve been dancing on the edge of my seat all this timeā¦ I wonder if Iāll be able to get used to this one dayā¦?
However, Sir Leonhard casually set off a bomb, not knowing the conflict within my heart .
āIt seems that I enjoy tending to your needs . ā
ā!?ā
I nearly spat the drink .
Someone please praise me for being able to keep my internal turmoil at bay .
I wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but after seeing him with a smile, I immediately knew .
This person probably likes to take care of others younger than him . I wasnāt anyone special, and he wasnāt playing with a maidenās heart or anything of the sort .
But a girlās heart in love can be complicated, so please understand that Iām feeling a little bitter right now .